Refining the Mountains and Rivers

Chapter 76 – Master of the Eighth Furnace

Immortal Eclipse Valley’s eight great furnaces were treasures left behind by the ancestors of the Eclipse Clan. After having been passed down this far, their two strongest furnaces, the first and second, were under the control of people who did not share the surname of Eclipse. Since they were less skilled than others, the Eclipse Clan juniors had nothing to say. But if someone were to use evil and sinister methods to seize control of a furnace, this was something that the Eclipse Clan would not allow!

“Eclipse Yan, I will definitely investigate this matter and give you an explanation!”

“The Eclipse Clan juniors abide by the teachings of our ancestors, but if someone schemed and tricked their way into controlling a furnace, then don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

“The situation with the Eighth Furnace needs to be clarified!”

Eclipse Xuzi’s complexion was ice cold. “Big brother, calm your anger for now. With me and so many other brothers here, we will not let you suffer from any sort of villainous plotting! Who cares if he has some exalted status? Even if this matter is brought all the way to the Old Ancestor, I still won’t give up!”

Eclipse Xin’s face was dark and gloomy. Just as he was about to say something, the 10,000 foot mountain suddenly quieted down. The burning hot aura quickly dissipated.

At the base of the mountain, the stone door quietly opened and Qin Yu stepped out.

Eclipse Yan roared, “Give me back my Eighth Furnace!”

Bang –

The cultivation of an eighth level Golden Core erupted. It came crashing down with the pressure of a falling mountain.

Hum –

A dazzling light burst forth and countless runes sparkled in the air. Eclipse Yan seemed to have run into a mountainside as he was smashed away, blood gushing out from his nose and mouth. With a series of crackling sounds, countless bones were broken in his chest and stomach.

Eclipse Xuzi cried out in alarm. “Big brother!” She flicked her sleeve and caught Eclipse Yan in a wave of magic power. Looking at his miserable appearance, she began to shiver with rage. “Qin Yu, you dare to be so ruthless to my big brother!? I will kill you!”

Eclipse Xin blocked her. “Calm down! We must understand what is happening first!”

Eclipse Xuzi screamed. “My big brother is severely wounded, how can you expect me to remain calm! Eclipse Xin, get out of my way!”

Eclipse Yu, Eclipse Wu, and Eclipse Ming also had dark complexions and ill moods.

Qin Yu approximately guessed what was occurring. His eyes chilled. “Are you saying that if Eclipse Yan attacks me, I cannot counterattack? Should I just hold my hands behind my back and wait for death?”

Eclipse Yu and the other two froze.

Eclipse Xuzi glared with hatred-filled eyes, “My big brother lost his reasoning because he was momentarily overcome with anger. All you had to do was repel him, but you had to be so cruel in your actions! Qin Yu, there is no need for you to continue arguing!”

Qin Yu remained expressionless. “I haven’t activated any spells. This is merely the Eighth Furnace automatically protecting its master. Eclipse Yan’s wounds are all backlash from his own attack, so how can you blame me for being heavy-handed?”

Eclipse Xuzi coldly sneered. “You just refined the Eighth Furnace but you can communicate with it and have it voluntarily protect its master? I am also the master of a furnace, so I know you are spouting nonsense!”

Qin Yu lifted a hand. Flames appeared above his palm and condensed into the phantom of a furnace. The furnace phantom released an aura that shook the heart.

Eclipse Xin’s complexion changed. The eight furnaces shared the same aura and lineage, so he could determine that this was exactly the spirit of the Eighth Furnace! As the master of the Third Furnace who had wielded it for over a hundred years, he was just barely able to achieve this, and he was far from being able to do it as easily as Qin Yu was.

The appearance of the Eighth Furnace’s spirit undoubtedly proved the veracity of Qin Yu’s words. But at this time, Eclipse Xuzi’s glare turned even colder and sharper!

“To refine the Eighth Furnace in less than two hours is already an astonishing accomplishment, and yet you can actually have the furnace spirit be so submissive and respectful towards you. Qin Yu, if you didn’t use some sinister and evil method, how could you have possibly accomplished this?”

Qin Yu shot her a look. He lightly said, “How I achieved this is my own problem. Now, get out of the way.”

Eclipse Xuzi clenched her teeth. “Leave behind the Eighth Furnace, or you can forget leaving today!”

Qin Yu’s stare froze over. “If I remember correctly, I am the master of the Eighth Furnace and this is the station of the Eighth Furnace. Yet you dare to threaten me here?”

Eclipse Xuzi sneered. She thrust her hand into the heavens.

Bang –

From the distant station of the Fifth Furnace, blazing hot flames shot into the skies. They gathered into the form of a fire snake that burst through the air and came circling towards the Eighth Furnace.

With loud roars, its eyes were filled with a terrifying yin chill.

“I am also a furnace master; you are not the only one that possesses a great furnace!” Eclipse Xuzi turned around and screamed, “My Eclipse Clan juniors are being bullied. Are you just going to stand there and do nothing!?”

Eclipse Yu, Eclipse Wu, and Eclipse Ming glanced at each other before stepping forwards.

Bang –

Bang –

Bang –

Flames burst out from above the Fourth, Sixth, and Seventh Furnaces. They condensed into the shape of a wolf, leopard, and tiger that continuously howled into the skies.

As the power of four great furnaces erupted, the temperature in the world began to rapidly climb. The countless cultivators in Immortal Eclipse Valley watched with wide eyes, their faces filled with shock.

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes. Without needing to say anything, the spirit of the Eighth Furnace in his palm began to shake as if it had been provoked. It roared out like a dire vicious beast!

Hu –

The skies above the Eighth Furnace station turned into a sea of billowing flames. A giant fire alligator appeared, roaring into the air as it revealed a jaw full of sharp teeth. One against four, it occupied the home advantage and its momentum didn’t seem any less!

“Stop!”

Someone angrily shouted. Three figures appeared like bolts of lightning.

Xu Ao’s complexion was darker than black. “What are you doing? Are you planning on destroying your own sect!?”

He took a deep shuddering breath to calm himself. Then he bowed, “Greetings, Junior Uncle.”

Fan Jianghai gently sighed, a look of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

Daoist Wang slapped his forehead. Xu Ao, are you here to help mediate the situation or just add oil to the fire?

Eclipse Xuzi and the others all had incomparably ugly complexions.

Eclipse Yu coldly said, “Senior-apprentice Brother Xu doesn’t ask for the reason, yet you must reprimand us?”

Daoist Wang hurriedly said, “Old Xu has always been the most reasonable and respectful of hierarchy. Eclipse Yu, your words are far too careless. In the end, Qin Yu is that old man’s junior-apprentice brother, so if things were to blow up large enough to reach him, do you think you would be any better off?” Daoist Wang’s status was different and his relationship with Immortal Eclipse Valley was also different, so he always spoke in a casual tone.

Eclipse Yu’s complexion slightly changed. He coldly snorted and no longer spoke.

Eclipse Xuzi had an angry and bitter expression. Just as she was about to say something, she was preempted by Daoist Wang. “Eclipse Xuzi, just how old are you that you think you can still be so reckless? You don’t seem to have made any progress at all! Eclipse Xin, and even though you were here you didn’t do anything at all. There are currently cultivators from all over staying in the valley and your actions are making us all into a joke!”

Eclipse Xin frowned. He cupped his hands across his chest and said, “Senior-apprentice Brother Xu, Senior-apprentice Brother Fan, you’ve come at the right time.” He immediately began to explain the situation.

Xu Ao and Fan Jianghai were stunned. They looked at Qin Yu, their gazes earnest. If this matter was just as Eclipse Xuzi said, then things would become troublesome.

“Humph! Since Senior-apprentice Brother Xu respects the rules and is the most reasonable of all, then I ask senior-apprentice brother to clearly investigate this matter and uphold justice for my big brother!” Eclipse Xuzi sneered.

Xu Ao furrowed his eyebrows for a moment before his wizened face immediately returned to its previous tranquility. “Junior-apprentice sister, rest assured. It is no minor matter for a great furnace to recognize a master, so I will definitely investigate this.” He turned and respectfully bowed. “Junior Uncle, to Eclipse Yan, this matter involves the rest of his life and even his future fate. I ask that you please give an explanation.”

With these evenly measured words, the Eclipse Clan members calmed down a little.

Qin Yu said, “Today, I originally had no intentions of refining the Eighth Furnace and I even thought of withdrawing midway. But, Eclipse Yan used my senior-apprentice brother as an excuse to refuse me and wouldn’t allow me to leave. He wanted me to continue, probably because he thought that the lake of magma had infinite power and he wanted me to suffer some hardships.”

Eclipse Yan’s complexion stiffened.

As everyone heard this, they all sighed inwardly.

So Eclipse Yan had no one to blame but himself!

“And don’t you all want to know how I subdued the Eighth Furnace? In truth, even now I think it is too bizarre and miraculous a coincidence. Why don’t you take a look yourselves.” With a flick of his sleeve, the Fleeting Flame Furnace whistled out. It rose up in the wind, flames lingering about it. In the sea of fire in the skies, the fire alligator wagged its tail. It completely disregarded its four opponents and rushed over to the Fleeting Flame Furnace.

Bang –

With a dull thumping sound and beneath the stunned gazes of all present, the fire alligator was smashed backwards. But, this originally violent and tyrannical fellow was somehow in an incredibly good mood. Not only was it not angry, but it swung its head and tail around in joy before running over again. This appearance immediately conjured up a single word in everyone’s head – heat, it was in heat!

The Eclipse Clan powerhouses were left utterly dumbfounded.

Even Xu Ao and Eclipse Xin, who were known for being strict and restrained, also had faces as if they had seen ghosts.

As for Daoist Wang who was self-proclaimed to be well-informed and experienced in all matters, he was clutching his beard, utterly perplexed.

This…this…this…this was seduction?

The eight great furnaces were a legacy passed down by the ancestors of the Eclipse Clan. As such, the children of the Eclipse Clan had always held a heartfelt respect and reverence towards them and had sworn that one day, they would take all the great furnaces beneath the banner of the Eclipse Clan. But as they saw this occur, they felt their hearts collapsed by half. How could the most precious treasures passed down by the ancestors actually have such…such questionable moral characters!?

Qin Yu waved his hand and took back the Fleeting Flame Furnace. The fire alligator was enraged. It opened its jaws and roared out loud with a ferocious appearance.

No one suspected that this really all occurred because of a woman…no…because of a seductive female furnace!?

The Eighth Furnace didn’t hold any respect towards Qin Yu at all.

Qin Yu lightly said, “If you roar at me again, you can forget seeing her in the future.”

The fire alligator gave up. It immediately lowered its head and shook its tail in a lovable and cute manner.

Eclipse Yan watched this scene with wide eyes. As he thought of all the diligent work he had put in over 100 years, as well as his innermost respect and awe…

Puff –

He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted.

Eclipse Xuzi hurried over, “Big brother!”

Qin Yu had a light expression. “This is the reason. If you haven’t seen clearly, I can show you again.”

The lips of Eclipse Yu and the others twitched. They all looked as if they had swallowed flies. To see this sort of ridiculous matter that subverted all their innermost feelings just once was more than enough!

Xu Ao took a deep breath and cupped his hands across his chest. “Thank you, Junior Uncle.” He turned and said, “Junior-apprentice brothers, junior-apprentice sister, do you have any more objections?”

Daoist Wang muttered, “The truth is placed before them, what other nonsense can they say…”

Eclipse Xin glared at him. “Senior-apprentice Brother Xu, we understand now.” He hesitated for a moment and then cupped his hands across his chest. “Junior Uncle, I apologize for offending you today. I ask that you forgive us.”

Eclipse Xuzi coldly snorted. She held onto the unconscious Eclipse Yan and shot up into the skies.

Eclipse Yu, Eclipse Wu, and Eclipse Ming followed close behind.

Daoist Wang let out a breath of relief. “At least we’ve resolved the matter.” He looked at Qin Yu, clearly dissatisfied. “This sort of simple matter could easily have been resolved, so there was no need to make it into such a mess. For the young it’s best to remain low-key. It’s not good to always be putting up a front!”

Qin Yu cupped his hands. “Thank you Senior Wang for the advice.”

Daoist Wang dodged out of the way. “No need. You are that old monster Pill Crucible’s junior-apprentice brother. If I were to receive your bow I would definitely be chased down and killed by him! Humph, you seem so virtuous and kind on the surface and yet so cheap and mean-spirited in your heart! If you want, you can call me Old Brother Wang from now on. We can be on the same level.”

Eclipse Xin roared out, “Stop talking nonsense. The Old Ancestor’s status is not something that you can slander!” He glanced at Xu Ao and Fan Jianghai. The eyes of the three men locked onto each other, and each one could see the helplessness in the others’ eyes.

There were contradictions between the Eclipse Clan and those that didn’t share their name, but with the suppression of the Old Ancestor and their meticulous handling of matters, these contradictions had subsided a great deal in recent years. But today, Qin Yu had taken away the Eighth Furnace and his actions would surely break this long-lasting tranquility. A storm would likely arrive at Immortal Eclipse Valley.

Xu Ao cupped his hands together. “Junior Uncle, we shall bid our farewells.”

Qin Yu said, “I’ve troubled you today.”

Xu Ao rose up. He lightly said, “To be fair, I must say I do not like Junior Uncle much. So, I ask that you please resolve any troubles you provoke yourself in the future and don’t drag us into the water with you.”

Whoosh –

He shot up into the skies.

Fan Jianghai awkwardly smiled. He followed right behind.

Soon, the two people left the Eight Furnace station.

Fan Jianghai frowned. He lightly said, “Senior-apprentice Brother Xu, since you publicly announced your dissatisfaction with Junior Uncle today, do you believe that he deliberately drew us in to intervene on this matter?”

Xu Ao said. “I’m not sure. But, Junior Uncle’s actions today have affected the tranquility of the valley. I spoke those words just now only because I hoped that they would calm some of the disturbance as much as possible.”

Fan Jianghai thought about it for a moment and smiled. “Senior-apprentice Brother Xu has considered things quite thoroughly.”