Volume One: The Misty Cloud Immortal Palace Chapter 108: The Yin-Yang Reversal Refining

Chapter 108: The Yin-Yang Reversal Refinement

Roar!

This was a world of fire. Scorching, molten currents of flame filled every inch of space, and the pungent scent of smoke and fire assaulted the senses. A sea of flames surged and roared, leaving no room for any living creature to survive, for this place was, by its very nature, the interior of a furnace meant for alchemy.

"Even with the yellow-skinned gourd protecting me, I can still feel the infinite heat of this tripod. Trying to refine myself into a human pill is truly a perilous undertaking. It is no wonder that throughout the ages, few have dared to tread this path of body refinement; most likely, nine out of ten have perished in the furnace, reduced to nothing but ash!" A figure appeared amidst the raging inferno: it was Zhou Hao, with the yellow-skinned gourd hovering above his head.

The seven-inch-tall yellow gourd looked ordinary, yet it was this very object that shielded Zhou Hao from the Immortal-Burning Flames, keeping him unscathed.

Zhou Hao struggled through the ocean of fire, carefully observing the internal structure of the alchemy tripod. He was searching for the perfect equilibrium point for refining the pill. One had to remember that a human pill was not a standard elixir; it required one's own life and soul as the primary ingredient. How could one afford to be careless?

Mastering the fire was paramount. Too high, and he would die; too low, and the result would be waste. The key lay in the word "balance."

"What are these? Could it be..." Suddenly, Zhou Hao noticed two distinct streams of light emerging in the fiery world—one black, one white.

These streams of light resembled specks of starlight in the night sky, flowing like rivers into two different directions—one to the left, one to the right! Cluster after cluster of light swarmed forward. To Zhou Hao’s eyes, it looked like schools of white and black tadpoles swimming through the sea of flames, each racing rapidly toward its respective destination.

"The bronze tripod has two fire vents, also black and white. Could the flames at the vents be condensed from these black and white streams?" Zhou Hao speculated to himself. Without missing a beat, he headed straight for the school of white light to the right.

Along the way, Zhou Hao observed these black and white streams spilling from the flames in small clusters, looking exactly like tadpoles. It was then that he suddenly realized something—he seemed to have shrunk!

It turned out that the bronze alchemy tripod contained its own pocket dimension. Whether a creature was as small as an ant or as massive as a giant, upon entering the tripod, they would shrink, becoming mere fuel to energize the world of flame.

The walls of the tripod were glowing red. Although the interior space was vast, there was nothing else but endless fire. In such an environment, the appearance of these black and white streams was truly an anomaly. What, then, were these two types of light?

Zhou Hao continued to push through the flames to the right, and after a long time, he finally reached the strange, snow-white fire vent.

When viewed from outside the tripod, the vent had seemed like an ordinary opening, but now, seeing it up close from within, Zhou Hao realized it was vastly different.

Directly in front of him was a massive, snow-white vortex. The tiny, tadpole-like white light clusters rising from the tripod's flames were finally merging into this vortex, much like tadpoles swimming from a small stream into a vast pond.

"Wow, this vortex is amazing! It can even be used as a mirror. Look, look, both of us are in the vortex!" At that moment, a seductive red lotus flew out from Zhou Hao’s sleeve, landing beside him and transforming into a young girl in red.

Just as Huohuo said, the snow-white vortex was no different from a round dressing mirror; it stood before them, clear enough to reflect their images.

"Even you don't recognize this white light?" Zhou Hao asked, looking down at Huohuo.

"I'm not an encyclopedia of the Immortal Realm. How could I know everything?" Huohuo rolled her eyes at him.

"Fine. Since things have come to this, I'll have to take it one step at a time. Although I don't know what substance this white fire vent is made of, I believe it must be the equilibrium point for the tripod's heat. Only here can I avoid being refined to death!" Zhou Hao's gaze grew firm. He intended to prove his hypothesis through action.

"Zhou Hao, what are you doing?" Huohuo sensed something was wrong and shouted in alarm.

The next moment, Zhou Hao formed seals with his hands. Golden light erupted around him, and a great golden sun manifested behind his back, making him look like a sun god. He then took the seven-inch gourd from his head and placed it upon Huohuo’s, walking toward the snow-white vortex without looking back. As he did, he was clearly engulfed by the flowing flames, his entire body exposed to the surging heat.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" Upon entering the snow-white vortex, Zhou Hao immediately understood the situation and spoke calmly.

"It seems I was right. The temperature inside this snow-white vortex isn't as terrifying as it looks. The white light must be the essence of the tripod's fire. What I can't figure out is, this essence should logically be even hotter, so why is it..."

"You really are too reckless! If something had gone wrong, I don't know what you would have done. I wouldn't have risked my life to save you a second time," Huohuo snapped, clearly unhappy with Zhou Hao's actions.

"Oh, come on, I was just anxious. Think about it—the situation outside is so tense. I have to hurry up and become stronger, or how else will I defeat the villains?" Zhou Hao made excuses for himself.

Subsequently, Huohuo also entered the snow-white vortex, but an awkward problem arose: neither of them knew how to refine a human pill.

"According to alchemical texts, refining a human pill requires oneself as the primary ingredient, supplemented by various immortal materials and spiritual treasures, all melted into one furnace. Through the fire, the medicinal properties of the human body are extracted and fused with the essence of the immortal materials, and thus a human pill is born!" Zhou Hao mused.

"The problem is, where are we supposed to get immortal materials and spiritual treasures? Besides, the auxiliary ingredients for a human pill are extremely specific. Otherwise, instead of a pill, we'll just end up with a dead body," Huohuo said.

"Hehe..." Suddenly, Zhou Hao narrowed his eyes at Huohuo, his mischievous expression appearing quite lewd.

"What do you want? I didn't think you were that kind of person. I misjudged you! No, stop, I'm not even of age yet, boo hoo..." Huohuo’s large, beautiful eyes fluttered rapidly as she subconsciously backed away, looking like a poor lamb ready for the slaughter.

"Just kidding. Pfft, you're such a coward. Don't worry, even though you barely qualify as an auxiliary ingredient for a human pill, I wouldn't dream of returning kindness with evil." Zhou Hao made a face at her.

"You're annoying!" Huohuo’s cheeks flushed red. Hearing his words, she felt a sudden realization, but she couldn't possibly say what she was thinking, so she blurted out an insult.

In her heart, however, she was thinking: "You idiot Huohuo, what were you thinking? You almost misunderstood Zhou Hao."

Just as the two of them were at a loss within the snow-white vortex, a voice from an unknown source echoed in their ears.

"The black and white streams are the auxiliary ingredients. They are the Yin and Yang source fires of the countless immortals, demons, and spirits within this tripod. The equilibrium point is not at the fire vents, but at the bottom of the tripod. You must channel the black and white light to bridge the gap and refine the human pill through Yin-Yang reversal!"