Rebirth in Journey to the West: Sun Wukong

Chapter 44 Another Furnace Explosion

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True Solar Fire belongs to the Innate Divine Fire. Although its lethality is not as immense as that of the Four Great Heavenly Fires, it's not far behind and can evolve into Great Sun Golden Flames, which are even more formidable than the power of the Four Great Heavenly Fires.

Sun Wukong's current frustration was not that the True Solar Fire's power was lacking; instead, it was that its power was almost unmanageable for him. A slight oversight could lead to an overheated Flame and a Furnace Explosion!

With the True Solar Fire at his disposal, it took Sun Wukong only three days to refine the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace, which he could now retract into his Dantian at any time, not like North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun, who had to find a specific place to store his. However, controlling the intensity of the True Solar Fire during alchemy proved to be difficult.

With flames of such caliber, a little too much could incinerate alchemical materials or even cause a Furnace Explosion. Throughout the entire alchemy process, which usually spans months, the fire must remain at a specific stable state. This was extremely difficult for Sun Wukong!

The nature of the Monkey Tribe is impetuous and restless. It was already quite rare for Sun Wukong to stay within the depths of the Water Curtain Cave Heaven refining pills for three straight years, but maintaining total focus and keeping the firepower steady at a single point was exceptionally challenging for him.

In these three years, he experienced Furnace Explosions four times, and the material was ruined in failed attempts at least ten times due to improper handling of the intense heat. The initially prepared alchemy materials were already running short, and he had to replenish them twice, yet he could afford only two more attempts with the remaining supply.

"So much material, such a good Alchemy Furnace, and if I can't succeed even once, I, Old Sun, would become the laughingstock!"

In the Alchemy Room deep within the Water Curtain Cave Heaven, a disheveled Sun Wukong looked at the Alchemy Room, already blasted into ruins, with an expression bordering on madness. He was previously determined to refine the Elixir Pill within a year, yet three years had passed, and apart from blowing up the Alchemy Room several times, all he got was a pile of dregs.

If Bull Demon King and the other Six Great Demon Kings were to move their Cave Dwellings over and he still hadn't produced the Elixir Pill, it would truly be a disgrace!

"Old Sun doesn't believe it, not afraid to face the knife's edge or the Fire Sea, heaven above or earth below, this little Elixir Pill won't stop me! Let's go again, I must refine it this time!"

Clenching his teeth, Sun Wukong resolved with fierceness in his heart. Ignoring the damaged Alchemy Room, he sat down cross-legged again, enveloped the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace with True Solar Fire, and began to reheat the Furnace.

Beneath the envelopment of the True Solar Fire, the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace began to tremble slightly, a sign of the accelerating production of Yin and Yang Qi within. With the assistance of these two kinds of Qi, the grade of the Elixir Pill refined could be greatly improved.

However, the exacting demands for fire control were also heightened due to the presence of Yin and Yang Qi within the Furnace. A slight excess in strength, and the overpowering Yin and Yang Qi would result directly in a Furnace Explosion.

Sun Wukong, having learned from his experiences with Furnace Explosions, was now exceedingly cautious. As soon as he sensed the critical point of Yin and Yang Qi within the Furnace, he immediately ceased the process. Divine Sense controlled the lid of the Furnace, sequentially adding the medicinal ingredients.

Wrapped by Yin and Yang Qi and scorched by the True Solar Fire, they began to melt slowly into Spiritual Liquid, and impurities were refined out, forming balls of liquid that gravitated and merged with each other.

This process was the most difficult. The fire could not be interrupted and had to adapt continuously to the merging of the Spiritual Liquids, guiding the repelling forces generated by the combination to be refined away. This was where Sun Wukong had problems during the previous four Furnace Explosions.

The fusion of the Spiritual Liquids was an excruciatingly slow process. It took at least three months, and while Sun Wukong could maintain composure at the beginning, after two months, he began to grow restless. The Monkey nature favors action over stillness, and Sun Wukong was already considered particularly patient.

Had it not been for the experiences of his past life, and memories from another dimension helping him, he would not have the patience to cultivate pills himself.

"No, I can't fail again. If I fail any more, I'll lose all confidence!"

Taking a deep breath, Sun Wukong forced himself to calm down, as this time he needed to withstand much longer than before. It was a nearly complete fusion of the Spiritual Liquids; giving up now would truly be a waste of all prior effort!

After taking a couple more deep breaths, Sun Wukong activated his Cloning Divine Powers, allowing his clone to take control of the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace and maintain the True Solar Fire, while he himself stood up and rushed towards the Water Curtain Cave Heaven. He burst out through the waterfall and dived into the lake below.

The chill of the lake water cooled Sun Wukong's heated mind, and after swimming around for a while, he felt much less irritable. He quickly leaped out of the lake and hurried back to the Water Curtain Cave Heaven at top speed.

"What's with the Great King? Did the alchemy fail again?"

"There's no black smoke coming out, so it shouldn't be a failure, right?"

"Then why is the Great King rushing back so anxiously? Forget it, who can fathom the Great King's thoughts? Better to just focus on training."

Sun Wukong had no idea about the speculations among the Demon Clan of Flower-Fruit Mountain concerning his aberrant behavior. He had no time to consider what his followers might think; successfully refining the Elixir Pill was the most critical issue!

He used the Shrinking Earth into Inches Divine Skill to return to the Alchemy space, and his clone, having reached its limit, was quickly replaced. The Spiritual Liquid, which had been agitated to almost a critical point, stabilized again and continued to merge.

"Could it be that I can alternate control of alchemy between my clone and myself? Why didn't I think of this earlier?"

Previously, having the clone continue alchemy with the True Solar Fire was a hasty decision in a moment of urgency. Sun Wukong had not anticipated that it was actually feasible. Alternating rest between the clone and the original, he could ensure a clear mind and stable emotions at all times.

Half a year later.

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In the heart of Water Curtain Cave Heaven, a mysterious fragrance suddenly wafted through the air, while clusters of dark clouds gathered above Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Pill Tribulation!

Sun Wukong's Spirit Pills had been refined!

All of the Demon Clan of Flower-Fruit Mountain were attracted to the scene, one after another they raised their heads and sniffed towards where the tribulation clouds were converging.

Whoosh whoosh!

Two figures appeared before Water Curtain Cave Heaven, they were the Jiao Demon King and Peng Demon King, who were the first to relocate their dwellings to Flower-Fruit Mountain. Of course, they hadn't been here long, only arriving a few days ago, and were still tidying up their dwellings when they sensed the fluctuations of the Pill Tribulation.

"What kind of Elixir Pill is our leader refining? It must have reached the level of an Immortal Pill, otherwise it couldn't possibly trigger a Pill Tribulation!"

Peng Demon King Peng Fei smacked his lips, "Speaking of which, our leader really is a freak, so young yet so freakishly powerful. To think he also knows alchemy, tsk tsk, the decision to form an alliance back then was indeed correct!"

"I've never had any doubts about that!" laughed Jiao Demon King lightly, but deep down he felt somewhat emotional. He had witnessed Sun Wukong demanding the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace from the North Sea Dragon King Ao Shun. He had originally thought it was for Flower-Fruit Mountain's alchemists, but unexpectedly the alchemist turned out to be Sun Wukong himself!

Being able to refine Elixir Pills of the Immortal Pill level, Sun Wukong's proficiency in the art of alchemy was not low at all!

Among the Demon Clan, not many understood the art of alchemy, and those who could refine Elixir Pills of the level of Immortal Pills were even rarer. In the field of alchemy, the Human Race was much stronger than the Demon Clan, this was commonly acknowledged.

Now that Sun Wukong could also refine Immortal Pill level Elixir Pills, there was no longer any need to worry about the supply of Spirit Pills for Flower-Fruit Mountain in the future. Following a leader like that, for Peng Demon King and Jiao Demon King, was naturally cause for celebration.

The Pill Tribulation did not gestate for long; it quickly struck down towards Water Curtain Cave Heaven, piercing through the stone walls and the canopy of the big tree deep inside Water Curtain Cave Heaven, targeting the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace. Of course, Sun Wukong could not let the Tribulation Thunder destroy the Spirit Pills he had worked so hard to refine.

He let out a loud shout and drew out the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod, striking ferociously against the Tribulation Thunder, directly scattering it.

Sun Wukong's actions seemed to enrage the Heavenly Dao, more Tribulation Thunders manifested within the clouds above, plummeting towards Water Curtain Cave Heaven.

The stone walls of Water Curtain Cave Heaven were directly shattered, while the Tribulation Thunder merged into a Thundercloud Storm that struck the big tree below the walls, but it failed to inflict even the slightest damage on the tree itself. Instead, it shot straight through the tree aiming for the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace and Sun Wukong beside it.

The mighty tree, nourished by the Chaos Qi from the 36th Grade Purifying World Green Lotus, was indeed extraordinary; even Tribulation Thunder couldn't harm it the least bit!

Sun Wukong inwardly marveled, yet his hands did not idle. He swung the Ruyi Silver-Hooped Rod at the Thundercloud Storm. These were the Spirit Pills he had spent so much mental power to refine; how could he let the Pill Tribulation destroy them?

Besides, the strength of this Pill Tribulation was much smaller compared to the Doomsday Thunder Disaster of the three great calamities; Sun Wukong didn't take it seriously at all.

"Wild Monkey's Frenzied Dance!"

Stick figures whirled, guarding the entire Yin Yang Taiji Furnace tightly. The Tribulation Thunder within the Thundercloud Storm was constantly scattered by the robust Staff Force.

After persisting for the duration of half a column of incense, the storm finally dissipated completely, and the clouds above seemingly realizing they couldn't get the better of Sun Wukong, nor hinder the emergence of these Spirit Pills, abruptly vanished without a sound.

The Pill Tribulation was over!

"Recall!"

With a thought from Sun Wukong, the lid of the Yin Yang Taiji Furnace opened, and three Spirit Pills flew out, attempting to scatter and flee. Nevertheless, they were controlled by the Pill Concoction Dharma Decree and obediently landed inside the cold jade vial in Sun Wukong's palm.

"To have refined three pills, this should be enough for yours truly to inspect the Dragon Veins' conditions!"

Sun Wukong felt delighted in his heart. The Elixir Pills he refined were called the Nine Spirits Gathering Pills, containing astonishing spiritual power. One pill alone was enough to sustain the Void-Breaking Divine Eye for half a day's consumption.

As long as the Void-Breaking Divine Eye could be continuously activated, uncovering the secrets deep within the Dragon Veins under Flower-Fruit Mountain would not be difficult!

"You all, why are you looking at yours truly with that kind of expression? Is there anything wrong with yours truly?"

Stepping out from the deepest parts of Water Curtain Cave Heaven to the front hall, the location of Flower-Fruit Mountain Demon Cult's council hall, all eyes of the Demon Clan were strangely fixated on Sun Wukong, leaving him utterly bewildered.