Chapter 210

By the evening of the next day, the two couldn't wait any longer and walked toward the stream entrance.

According to custom, Cheng Xinzhan hid a soul in a bamboo body and left it outside.

The green mist was not clear in the twilight, but the chill made people shiver. The ghosts in the mist surged over, circling the two and sniffing them like dogs.

The two didn't change their expressions. The exotic treasures on their bodies transformed their aura into that of demons, and they walked into the Mengdonghe swaggeringly.

The further they went, the more they noticed that the cold mist, which had blended into the night, gradually began to turn green and bright.

After completely passing through the green mist, they discovered that the cliffs on both sides were covered with green lanterns. The entire Soul-Lost Stream was a miserable green, and the cold mist was actually turned green by these lanterns.

Under the illumination of the green lanterns, it could be clearly seen that this was a world completely different from the outside world.

The Mengdonghe in the middle was bone-chillingly cold, but many dark-colored plants grew inside, and there were also strange-looking insects, fish, snakes, and frogs. The stone walls on both sides were also lush with plants, but under the illumination of the green lanterns, they were either green or black, making them even more terrifying.

The houses in the outside world start from the ground, are built from low to high, and then extend in all directions. Here, it is the opposite: they dig from the stone walls on both sides into the mountain, and then stack them upward.

So among the dark plants, one can see countless stairs and stone caves on the mountain walls on both sides, forming an appearance like an ant nest living on the stone wall.

And the stream water flows gurgling between the two walls. The sound of the water echoes on the stone walls on both sides. After being reflected by countless caves and plants, it actually forms a huge echo like soul-calling. It doesn't look like it was formed naturally, but like some kind of demonic formation.

Caves, green lanterns, flowing water, and ghost sounds together interweave an eerie and strange atmosphere.

Cheng Xinzhan and Shen Zhaoming stood in the huge crack, like ants. The bottom of this crack was huge, a hundred feet wide, and it went deep into the mountain for unknown miles. There were no lanterns there, and it was a deep black. Some people said this led to the netherworld.

The higher they went, the narrower the gap, and the fewer the caves on the stone walls. But some palace pavilions attached to the stone walls began to appear. These palaces only reached the middle of the crack at their highest. And at a higher position than those palaces, in the very middle of the top of this crack, as far as the eye could see, a huge building ship could be faintly seen floating in the air.

In the Soul-Lost Stream, the height of the position on the stone wall also meant the level of status. Those below the second realm lived in stone caves, those at the third realm could live in the hanging wall palaces, and the building ship at the top was only for the Stream Master Bai Wuchang to live in.

The two followed the memories in their brains and came directly to the palace where Qin Tianzong was.

Qin Tianzong was very old. Although he was at the first purification of Jin Dan, his lifespan was approaching. In the memories of these two demons, this elder hadn't taken action for many years. Moreover, this elder seemed to have become obsessed with alchemy recently. In recent years, he often drove low-realm disciples to find gold, stone, and plants for him.

The two came to the entrance of the palace. It looked like a bridge hanging out, and a fierce ghost with a green face and fangs sat on the bridge.

The two bowed and said in unison,

"Disciples Luo Hongyan/Lu Rong sheng, request to see Elder Qin."

"What for!"

The fierce ghost opened his mouth as big as a winnowing basket and asked with a roar.

Shen Zhaoming took a step forward, "The disciple went out and accidentally found an abandoned mine, picking up several pounds of gold essence minerals. I heard that Elder Qin is obsessed with alchemy, so I came to present them to Elder Qin."

Hearing this, the fierce ghost stood up immediately, his ghost face pressed close to Shen Zhaoming's face, and he looked carefully for a long time before saying,

"Wait here!"

The two agreed.

Then, the fierce ghost turned and entered the cave dwelling.

Not long after, the ghost came out and led the two in. The inside of this palace was very large. The exposed eaves were only a part of it. It was very deep inside. After walking for a long time, the fierce ghost pointed to a long corridor and let the two go by themselves. The fierce ghost himself returned to the gate of the palace to guard.

The two walked in the long corridor. This should have reached the very deep part of the mountain. It was particularly quiet, which reminded Cheng Xinzhan of the long path he had walked in the Fengyin Hall of Mount Longhu.

At the end of the corridor was a circular portal. When the two approached, the door opened automatically. When the two walked in, the door closed automatically again.

This was a circular cave room. In the middle was a large tripod taller than a person. There was the sound of water coming from the tripod, and it was emitting a ghostly green light. A high platform was built on the side of the tripod. At this moment, a person was sitting on the high platform. His hair and nails had all fallen off, and his skin was covered with gray spots. The green light from the tripod shone on his face, making him look even more terrifying than the fierce ghost outside the hall.

And the large tripod also attracted Cheng Xinzhan's attention. He didn't expect this old monster to use the water-refining method for alchemy.

"What gold essence do you have to present?"

The old man looked over, his voice as old as two pieces of rusty iron rubbing against each other.

"Elder Qin, the disciple doesn't recognize these things, so I have to trouble you to take a closer look."

Shen Zhaoming took out a few eye-catching gold stones from his arms.

Qin Tianzong looked over, his muddy eyes brightened. Without any movement, he suddenly disappeared from the high platform and came to the two of them.

He spread his hands, and the refined gold in Shen Zhaoming's hand flew over automatically. He picked it up and muttered,

"Mysterious Ice Cold Nitrate, Red Water Flowing Sand, and Mud Dragon Earth Paste. Not bad, not bad. Didn't the ghost slave say you had several pounds? How much is this? Take it all out."

Shen Zhaoming smiled apologetically, "Elder Qin, the disciple brought all the things here. I definitely want to present them to you. However, the disciple also wants to ask for some rewards."

"Hmm?"

Qin Tianzong moved his gaze away from the refined gold ore in his palm and looked at Shen Zhaoming. His voice also became much colder,

"The ghost slave told me that you wanted to present the gold essence to the old man, not sell it to the old man. Did you lie to the ghost slave, or did the ghost slave lie to me?"

The two changed their expressions. This old thing was greedy and unreasonable to this extent.

Shen Zhaoming smiled even more reluctantly,

"Elder Qin, it was the disciple who didn't make it clear to the gate ghost lord. The disciple sincerely wants to present the gold essence to the elder, but the disciple is not well-off recently, so I also want to ask the elder to reward me with some magic treasures."

Qin Tianzong flipped his hand and put away the gold essence, looking at the two. The spiritual energy in the cave surged, as if two invisible big hands were pinching and lifting the two,

"You only said you wanted to present it. The old man never said he would give a reward. Do you understand?"

The two were hung in the air. Shen Zhaoming still wanted to struggle, "Then the disciple won't present it anymore. I beg the elder to let us leave."

The next moment, Shen Zhaoming was strangled by an invisible hand. His face turned purple, and he couldn't say a word.

"Is my place a place where you can come and go as you please? Today, leave all the gold essence, and you can go out alive. Otherwise, you will go into my medicine tripod as living bait!"

Qin Tianzong said with a gloomy face.

"The disciple is willing to give, the disciple is willing to give."

Cheng Xinzhan said hurriedly.

With two "pop-pop" sounds, the two were released and fell to the ground.

Shen Zhaoming was obviously unconvinced, but he was enduring it, slowly taking things out from his body.

"If you don't hurry up, the old man will chop off your two hands."

Qin.

Shen Zhaoming's body trembled, and his movements became faster.

By the time a small pile had piled up on the ground, Shen Zhaoming said, "Elder Qin, it's all here."

Qin Tianzong laughed, his wrinkles blooming like chrysanthemums. With a wave of his hand, these gold essences all disappeared. Then, he looked at Shen Zhaoming,

"Didn't you say you found an abandoned mine? How could you only pick up so little from such a mine?"

Shen Zhaoming wrinkled his bitter face, "Elder Qin, it's all here."

"Heh!"

Qin Tianzong laughed, "The old man doesn't believe it. Let the old man search and see."

Shen Zhaoming seemed to be unable to bear it any longer, his five fingers gripping the ground and his veins bulging, "Elder Qin, you can't treat us like this. I have already taken out all the gold essence. You should let us go. No one didn't see us coming to you to present gifts. If we disappear alive in your cave dwelling, it will definitely be known!"

"Hahaha—cough, cough!"

Qin Tianzong laughed loudly, then began to cough violently. After a long while, he said,

"You two, it's not that I don't know you. You have no foundation in the sect, and I, hahaha, I'm going to die! I don't have many years to live!"

The old monster's face suddenly changed from laughing to gloomy, staring at Shen Zhaoming.

"So, even if someone guesses something, who would come to trouble an old man like me who is about to die for your sake?"

Shen Zhaoming's face changed again and again.

At this time, Qin Tianzong had already dragged his feet and slowly walked in front of the two.

"Are you going to continue to take out everything on your body, or do you want the old man to do it himself?"

Qin Tianzong's words were already very clear. He wanted everything, not just some gold essence.

Shen Zhaoming had a look of grief and indignation, so he had to continue to take things out, taking out the things he got from the two demons one by one.

"And you."

Qin Tianzong looked at Cheng Xinzhan again.

Cheng Xinzhan showed a fawning smile and said,

"Elder Qin, the disciple has some rotten goods on me that don't enter the elder's eyes. However, the disciple once obtained a secret technique of alchemy in my early years. I have never told anyone about this secret."

Hearing the first half, Qin Tianzong was still a bit impatient, but after hearing the second half, his eyes suddenly shone with essence. He was originally standing in front of Shen Zhaoming, but after hearing this, he came to Cheng Xinzhan and stood still, almost pressing close, laughing like a ghost,

"Oh? You still have a secret technique of alchemy?"

Cheng Xinzhan nodded stiffly, "The disciple is stupid, holding a treasure without knowing it, unable to penetrate this secret technique, causing the wonderful method to be dusty. In this secret method, it always says words like 'Yin Tripod' and 'Water Refining,' and the disciple doesn't understand the meaning. The disciple thinks that Elder Qin is a master of alchemy, and there is a tripod in the cave dwelling. I think Elder Qin will definitely be able to understand this secret technique. The disciple is willing to present the wonderful method, only asking Elder Qin to let our two brothers leave with our own magic treasures."

"Hahaha—"

Qin Tianzong began to laugh again. Cheng Xinzhan's title of "Alchemy Master" truly made him happy. Hearing words like "Yin Tripod" and "Water Refining" made him truly surprised. In his joy, he said,

"It seems you didn't lie to me. There is indeed no refined gold on you. Good, as long as your alchemy secret method can satisfy the old man, the old man will allow you to take these broken copper and iron and leave."

So Cheng Xinzhan took out something from his arms. It was something like a jade talisman, only the size of a palm, emitting precious light.

Qin Tianzong reached out and took it. The jade talisman was full of tiny characters. Just the slightly larger characters on the top of the jade talisman made his heart shake,

"Essentials of Water-Refining Yin Tripod."

He went to look at the main text, and saw it written at the beginning:

"The stomach sac is the Western Palace, and the Yin Tripod suppresses the inside and outside. Take a hundred grains as Kan water, swallow the six qi to transform into Li essence. Rinse and swallow the nine springs, stir the flower pool with the tongue, lead the water of the heavenly river into the dark gate, and cook it with the true fire of the heart and lungs. When Kan and Li mate, the true essence in the tripod will steam, like mist and dew irrigating the five internal organs. This is called water-refining returning to the innate."

Qin Tianzong's right hand holding the jade talisman trembled violently. He hurriedly used his left hand to support his right hand. A stormy sea rose in his heart. This is not an alchemy secret technique at all; this is clearly the supreme method for practicing the stomach sac in the inner alchemy path!

Heaven will not destroy me! Heaven will not destroy me!

Qin Tianzong roared in his heart. With such a secret method, when he refines the stomach sac Yin Tripod, what kind of hundred grains and six qi will he take? He will directly swallow blood food and living people on a large scale, and then refine them with the Yin Tripod into innate essence. Isn't prolonging life and breaking through the realm just around the corner?

He imagined it, as if he had already seen the day when he succeeded in his practice. Joy rippled from his old face like a chrysanthemum.

Suddenly, his smile froze.

He slowly moved the jade talisman away and looked down at his stomach. There, three inches below the navel, a solid red-gold sword light had already penetrated his lower abdomen. The scorching heat and sharp sword intent were roasting his Jin Dan, as if it could stir his Jin Dan into pieces and steam it dry in the next moment.

"Don't move. If you don't move, you won't die."

Cheng Xinzhan raised his head and looked at him.

"The Stream Master Bai Wuchang should be a five-purification Jin Dan, with a much higher cultivation than the likes of Yang Xuanla and Yao Kaijiang. I have a secret treasure on me that can deceive his eyes. What about you? If not, I will go in alone to scout for information, and you wait for me outside."