CHAPTER 79: CHAPTER 78 AUNTIE, THE STOVE RAN AWAY FROM HOME (2500 WORDS)_1

After ending the communication, Wang Xiu once again took out the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls and untied the soul tether binding Nie Linglan.

A trace of reluctance was clearly visible in her eyes, as if the experience of being bound by Wang Xiu was something to be savored.

This Sword Spirit is getting more and more twisted.

As for the other Resentful Ghosts inside the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls, they were quite normal. They had cooperated splendidly, preventing the Red Enchanting Snake Princess from noticing anything amiss.

"Thank you all for your cooperation," Wang Xiu said, clasping his hands. "In the following days, I will recite the scripture of rebirth daily to help you all with your reincarnation."

"However, due to your sheer numbers, the liberation process might take a little longer, possibly ten days to half a month. I ask you all not to be anxious."

Liberating over ten thousand souls was a massive undertaking. If not for possessing the Nether Emperor’s Prison-controlling Scripture, it would have been utterly impossible for Wang Xiu to accomplish such a feat alone.

Hearing Wang Xiu’s words, the crowd of resentful spirits couldn’t help but become excited. Anxious? Of course, they were anxious. But having been rescued after so long, their relief far outweighed their impatience.

"Thank you, Taoist master!"

"The Taoist master has rescued us from this sea of suffering! How could we not be grateful?"

"Please, liberate us whenever it is convenient for you. We have been tormented by that monster for so long; waiting a few more days is nothing."

"Taoist master, if you liberate us, the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls will be rendered useless. What will you do if that demoness finds out?"

...

What if she finds out? I’ll just find another excuse then! I could say that Li Zuiyue was hot on my trail and I barely escaped with my life by self-destructing the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls. If that doesn’t work, once I’ve infiltrated the Ghost King Sect, I’ll just kill a few Core Formation Stage Demon Cultivators and take on a new identity. There are always more solutions than problems. I can’t risk the souls of tens of thousands of ordinary people just for the sake of this undercover mission, can I?

With his plan settled, Wang Xiu began to recite the scripture of rebirth.

"Supreme Imperial Decree, liberate thy lonely spirits."

"All specters and apparitions, be graced by the four stages of life."

"Those with heads shall ascend, those without shall be reborn."

"Slain by spear or blade, drowned in water, or hung by rope."

As Wang Xiu recited the scripture over and over, the resentment emanating from the many spirits gradually began to dissipate. Soon, after nine recitations, his mana hit bottom, and he slowly stopped.

Exhaling a sharp breath of turbid air, Wang Xiu put away the Banner of Ten Thousand Souls, took out some Spirit Stones, and began meditating to restore his mana and expended mental energy. Once he had mostly recovered, he began the liberation process again.

Perhaps because the tens of thousands of Resentful Ghosts had witnessed the execution of their killer, Daimon Qianmian, their resentment had greatly diminished, making Wang Xiu’s work much easier. He had originally estimated it would take ten days to half a month, but now it looked like he could finish in just seven or eight days.

Furthermore, while liberating the many souls, Wang Xiu did not remain idle. His Divine Sense continuously monitored the Southern Domain’s Demon Cultivator group chat. He hoped to listen to those fellows brag some more, as the Mana value gained from their boasts far exceeded that from ordinary mortals.

However, with the Enchantress from the Hehuan Sect muted, talk of ’visiting brothels’ gradually died down, and the frequency of boasting in the group dropped significantly. After all, those who walked the Demonic Path could boast as much as they liked to their underlings and peers offline, but online, they had to maintain a low profile. One misstep could lead to ruin. What if they inadvertently spilled secrets while boasting, allowing an undercover agent in the group to follow the lead? Wouldn’t that be an absolute disaster?

Still, even though the frequency of boasting had dropped, the group contained a large number of Demon Cultivators, so someone was bound to brag eventually. Sure enough, several hours later, their combined efforts helped Wang Xiu finally break through the barrier, successfully advancing to the second level of the Core Formation Stage.

Just then, a system alert suddenly chimed in his mind.

[DING!]

[Detected rampant boasting, triggering a critical boast and reaching a system high. Congratulations to the Host for gaining Mana +233 and Mana Quality +233.]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Supreme Soul-Nourishing Pill Complete Experience Card!]

Someone’s boast critically hit again?

Wang Xiu instinctively glanced at the Demon Cultivator chat group, but the topics being discussed were quite normal. No one seems to be bragging. And this time, the reward is related to the Supreme Soul-Nourishing Elixir. Could it be...?

The corner of Wang Xiu’s mouth twitched as his gaze shifted toward the Orchid Courtyard, his expression growing increasingly peculiar.

「Meanwhile, let’s return to a moment before.」

Inside the Orchid Courtyard, after several days of secluded, intensive practice, Jiang Yourong felt as if she had divine assistance when refining elixirs now that she had blocked out the influence of that stinking brat Wang Xiu.

Roasting.

Quenching.

Smelting.

Nurturing.

Every step proceeded smoothly. Although she was a bit rusty and there were minor flaws, the overall quality was acceptable. After all, after seven or eight furnace explosions, she was bound to have gained some experience.

"Auntie," Jiang Ling’er said, holding a shield she had procured from somewhere as she peered timidly at Jiang Yourong. "It’s not going to explode this time, right?"

Good grief. During the days Wang Xiu was away from Spirit Turtle Peak, Jiang Ling’er had lived in constant fear. Her aunt wouldn’t just refine elixirs on her own; she insisted on imparting her supreme alchemical arts, forcing Ling’er to stay by her side to watch, learn, and accumulate experience, absolutely refusing to let her leave.

The result? One furnace explosion after another, each one scaring Jiang Ling’er out of her wits, nearly shattering her nerves.

Senior Brother, why don’t you come back and deal with Auntie! Ling’er is scared...

Looking at the little girl’s aggrieved face, Jiang Yourong rubbed her nose in annoyance. She puffed out her chest with pride and huffed, "Don’t worry, the furnace absolutely will not explode this time. I haven’t practiced alchemy in over eight hundred years, so I was a little rusty, but I’ve finally gotten the feel for it again."

"I’m not bragging! A mere Soul Supplement Pill? I could refine it with my eyes closed! If the furnace explodes this time, I’ll... I’ll swallow this Superior Spirit Instrument, this Alchemy Furnace, whole!"

[DING!]

[Detected rampant boasting, triggering a critical boast and reaching a system high. Congratulations to the Host for gaining Mana +233 and Mana Quality +233.]

[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: Supreme Soul-Nourishing Pill Complete Experience Card!]

Swallow it? Jiang Ling’er was startled. She felt her aunt’s vow was a bit too extreme. If the furnace explodes, she’ll swallow it? This Alchemy Furnace is a good ten feet tall. If she swallows such a huge thing, is she sure she won’t choke? Even if she didn’t choke, this Yunhua Alchemy Furnace is a Superior Spirit Instrument! It was said to be extremely expensive, worth at least several hundred thousand Spirit Stones.

If Auntie really tries to swallow the Alchemy Furnace, should I stop her or not?

It had to be said that Jiang Ling’er, at the peculiar age of thirteen, had a truly extraordinary thought process. She hadn’t even considered the possibility of Jiang Yourong *not* blowing up the furnace.

...

Time ticked by. In the tense atmosphere, one medicinal herb after another was gradually refined into a liquid. Several more hours passed, and all the ingredients next to the Alchemy Furnace had been fully processed.

"Next is the most crucial step."

Staring at the pure, milky-white elixir liquid in the Alchemy Furnace, Jiang Yourong couldn’t help but feel nervous. She could sense the surging energy contained within it. The pill condensation step was the final refinement, meant to sublimate the medicinal properties to their absolute peak. At the same time, the liquid elixir would transform into a solid pill.

This step was not easy. It required not only powerful spiritual energy but also an exhaustive understanding of medicinal properties. Otherwise, if the medicinal powers conflicted and ran rampant during the compression process, one was more likely to create liquid explosives than a solid elixir. For the Alchemy Sect, most furnace explosions occurred during this final condensation step.

"Condense!" Jiang Yourong roared, her spirit surging forth as she began to focus all her effort on forming the pill.

Then, inside the massive Alchemy Furnace, the unexpected predictably happened.

The milky-white elixir liquid began to spin and twist rapidly before gradually turning a bright, vivid red. Then... it started to compress, compress, compress into a tiny red ball. And then...

Twist...

Burn...

BOOM!

This explosion was louder than any before, and the entirety of Spirit Turtle Peak seemed to tremble. The Yunhua Alchemy Furnace, a Superior Spirit Instrument that had already birthed a hazy consciousness, flew out of the courtyard with a loud WHOOSH and shot off into the distance.

Jiang Yourong: ???

Jiang Ling’er: ???

After a long moment of silence, Jiang Ling’er looked at Jiang Yourong and said, "Auntie, the furnace ran away from home."

"Do you think it was scared you were going to swallow it?"

Jiang Yourong: ???