The incense fire Taoist said.

"The high temperature inside that furnace is no less than Heavenly Fire. If you let Zhou Xuan enter, he’ll be burned to death in there. Who will be responsible?"

The butcher didn’t want Zhou Xuan to enter that furnace. Although the furnace now seemed like an old ice block, no one knew whether it was scorching hot inside.

He feared Zhou Xuan would mistakenly enter and be burned into a pile of dry bones.

"The affairs of this world all harbor danger. Zhou Housheng is at the age to explore; it’s right for him to go and take on challenges."

"Why don’t you go and explore then? You old bones, if you’re burned to ashes, so be it. But Zhou Xuan is the last hope of Wuwen Mountain."

The butcher had already considered Zhou Xuan his disciple. If Zhou Xuan died, it would take forever to find another successor.

"No one needs to be responsible. I will be responsible for myself."

In the midst of the butcher and the incense fire Taoist’s quarrel, Zhou Xuan took strides forward.

Although he didn’t know what exactly was inside the furnace, he knew — this Star Sky Scroll came from the Blood Well.

Such a magic artifact wouldn’t harm him.

The more he thought this way, the more confidently Zhou Xuan stepped forward, quickly reaching the powder mist, then nonchalantly pushing it aside as if parting winter curtains.

Upon entering the mist, he found that the temperature of the furnace within was neither high nor low, and the thick walls of the furnace felt like human warmth.

With careful perception, Zhou Xuan could even feel a "flowing water" sensation within the furnace walls.

He suddenly looked up to see the Star Sky Scroll suspended in the sky — the fire eye in the scroll blinked at him like a human eye.

That Star Sky Scroll seemed to come alive.

"Are you alive?"

Zhou Xuan involuntarily asked.

The Star Sky Scroll didn’t react too vigorously, but the blinking frequency of the starry fire eye increased, and Zhou Xuan could read some emotions from those blinks.

At that moment, the Dao Qi of the Dream Realm Heavenly God around him projected an image.

In the projection was an extremely large pill furnace, with countless hands covering its tripod walls.

Thousands of hands waved erratically,

Numerous civilians held gold, food, and bricks, approaching the ladder-like path beside the furnace like Chao Feng, reaching the summit where they threw their offerings into the furnace.

Some devout individuals wouldn’t leave after offering their tributes but murmured something. When done, they leaped into the furnace,

and another arm would appear waving on the tripod wall.

These transforming images undoubtedly explained the origin of the Star Sky Scroll.

"Indeed, the Star Sky Scroll is the lid of this huge cauldron; it is a living thing."

Zhou Xuan, filled with emotion, then saw some of the Dao Qi of the Dream Realm Heavenly God flowing into the furnace from above.

He quickly took a day trip, stopping to stand on the rim of the furnace.

He looked down to see the Dao Qi of the Dream Realm Heavenly God turning into pink streams flowing through the furnace’s interior.

Wherever the rivers touched resulted in corrosion, etching out each structure inside the furnace.

"I’ve understood."

Zhou Xuan comprehended.

Originally, carving this furnace didn’t require Sister Cui to sculpt the interiors; once the furnace body was constructed, the rest would be done by the living Star Sky Scroll.

The Star Sky Scroll, as the lid of the enormous furnace, knew its body too well and thus carved with true synergy.

"The lives of five hundred Fox Clan members are thus spared."

Having figured this out, Zhou Xuan sat on the furnace rim, thinking,

"This furnace is alive, and according to what the incense fire Taoist once said — the furnace originates from beyond the stars, meaning it’s brought from some starry civilization to Jing Country."

Zhou Xuan contemplated, patting the furnace rim, and said: "Star Sky Scroll, work diligently, and maybe one day I’ll find your furnace body for you to return to your homeland?"

The Star Sky Scroll did not respond, but the pink streams within the furnace accelerated.

With the Star Sky Scroll etching itself inside, the construction process of the furnace sped up considerably beyond expectation.

As the last pink stream disappeared, the entire furnace began to tremble.

Zhou Xuan knew this marked the furnace’s completion, thus took a day trip to leave.

The large lid formed by the Star Sky Scroll slowly descended, forcefully closing upon the furnace body.

"Boom, boom!"

The furnace closed, causing the earth to tremble along. Though the great tremor was significant, it quickly diminished with distance.

By the time its residual waves reached Mingjiang Prefecture City, there was hardly any strength left,

The citizens celebrating the completion of their home’s reconstruction did not feel a strong quake,

But Jingchuan Prefecture and Yellow Field Prefecture, miles away from Mingjiang, experienced intense shaking.

Some unstable wooden buildings and huts collapsed under the earthquake...

...

"Open the furnace, add ingredients."

With instructions from Hermit Bai Lu, Zhou Xuan first linked his heart spirit with the furnace,

Then with a loud shout, the lid of the furnace opened a gap.

A gap of that size on the massive furnace was sufficiently large for a person to enter without bending.

The furnace opened, and Zhou Xuan pointed to his "Will Heavenly Book," channeling the vast Human Desire Power, one of the alchemy materials, constantly into the furnace.

The crowd in Mingjiang Prefecture City only saw the Human Desire Power, resembling more white silks, cast into the furnace.

Another alchemy material, the "Seven Emotions and Six Desires," transformed into multi-colored ribbons, intertwining and spiraling into the furnace.

"Alchemy is quite simple, actually; add ingredients, invoke Heavenly Fire, then wait for the alchemy to finish."

Bailu Taoist said.

Of course, proper alchemy isn’t this straightforward, especially after adding ingredients and activating Heavenly Fire, one must always monitor the furnace’s fire.

But Zhou Xuan’s furnace is different — essentially self-regulating alchemy, controlling the fire without requiring any effort.

"Divine Thunder."

Zhou Xuan shouted again.

King Xishan, Music Master, and Peng Sheng, having prepared early, cast down Divine Status together.

Three Divine Statuses gathered above Mingjiang Prefecture, colliding to generate a golden thunderbolt traversing Heaven and Earth.

The thunderbolt was Heavenly Fire,

But Zhou Xuan’s furnace was enormous; merely a thunderbolt wouldn’t entirely suffice as a fuel source for alchemy,

Therefore, Zhou Xuan summoned the Secret Realm, retrieving two large fish, one green, one red.

The two fish swam in the air, transforming into dragons upon reaching the thunderbolt.

Covered in blue and red scales laced with thunder and electricity, they dove into the furnace.

Meanwhile, thousands upon thousands of human hands grew from the mountainous furnace’s wall.

...

Inside the Sky Dome Stone House, Qing Yangyu was watching amused, but upon seeing the densely packed hands like seaweed, he suddenly stood up, wide-eyed,

After dazedly watching for a bit, he unexpectedly applauded vigorously,

"Excellent, excellent! Zhou Xuan is likely to become Master Zhou with this elixir; it’s fantastic!"

"Little Yan, the Tripod Demon has appeared. There will surely be activity at Bai Yujing. Watch carefully and report to me."