darknovel Chapter 70: The First Emperor Dies This Year
Chapter 70: The First Emperor Dies This Year
July of the 36th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign.
Autumn seems to have arrived exceptionally early this year.
A few withered yellow sycamore leaves twirled and fell onto the street.
While the entire city of Xianyang was abuzz with talk of Master Xu leading three thousand boys and girls to the ethereal immortal realm.
Inside the Immortal Temple, the atmosphere was as bustling and lively as a summer day.
Under the corridor and in the courtyard, many sorcerers gathered.
"Have you heard? It seems that Master Zou is going to start the furnace today."
A young sorcerer excitedly approached the crowd, his voice barely a whisper, yet his eagerness was undeniable.
"What?!"
The companion next to him gasped sharply, his eyes widening in shock.
"That thing, you finally mastered it??"
"Really?"
An older Taoist priest stroked his beard and asked doubtfully.
"Why did I see the Grand Master carrying a jade disc back to the temple with a grim expression this morning?"
"It's only been a few hours, and they're already opening the furnace? That must be just a rumor."
"rumor?!!"
The young sorcerer who spoke first suddenly raised his voice several decibels, "What rumor? This is news personally relayed by Young Sorcerer Wei, how could it be false?!"
"Shh! Keep your voice down, why are you so excited?"
The sorcerer next to him tugged at him.
"Hey, what do you think... is being refined in that furnace?"
Someone else chimed in, their expression filled with longing.
"I don't know. I just want to know what kind of treasure I'll get after refining it for so long."
"yes......"
Throughout the entire Immortal Temple, not only these young alchemists were discussing it animatedly.
Even the most respected alchemists couldn't help but gather together, their gazes frequently fixed on the tightly closed door of the alchemy room.
Of course, in such a large temple, there were bound to be clever people who guessed that what Zou Yun was refining was probably the legendary elixir of immortality.
However, no matter how much outsiders speculated, it had no effect on Zou Yun inside the alchemy room.
The room was dimly lit.
Only a few rays of sunlight slanted in, illuminating the dust motes floating in the air.
Zou Yun stood alone in front of the alchemy furnace, his face grim, unconsciously tossing the warm jade disc in his hand.
The scenes from the Xianyang Palace were still swirling in his mind.
Ying Zheng summoned him to the palace, and without any further pleasantries, pointed directly to the jade disc and recounted the report from the messenger.
Then, he asked in a deep voice.
"Great Master, what is your opinion on this matter?"
Zou Yun knew perfectly well that this was just another instance of the nobles of the six kingdoms using the same old tricks to create momentum among the people by invoking supernatural beliefs.
There might even be traces of Zhang Liang in it.
However, he was somewhat disappointed with Ying Zheng and had no intention of getting involved. He simply used ambiguous statements such as "unusual celestial phenomena" and "unpredictable fortune" to gloss over the matter.
Surprisingly, Ying Zheng did not react at all.
He simply nodded slightly, then abruptly changed the subject.
He inquired about the progress of the Phoenix Gallbladder's refining process and subtly threatened him with the presence of immortals, alchemists, commoners in Pingqiu, and even Fusu.
"Ha, this is insane!"
Zou Yun caught the falling jade disc steadily and looked towards the direction of Xianyang Palace, mockingly.
Having experienced so much, although he had long since removed the filter from so-called legendary figures who would go down in history, he was still threatened with his own son, the heir to the Qin Dynasty.
Zou Yun still found it utterly absurd.
That's all...
"After all this build-up, it's impossible to launch the furnace and create hype under the spotlight."
"But the entire population of Xianyang was probably already in an uproar over the news of Xu Fu's eastward voyage and the alchemy at the Immortal Temple."
Zou Yun carefully reviewed the entire furnace-opening process to see if there were any oversights.
"All preparations are complete, and we have just enough cultivation points... Let's start the furnace at dusk."
He forcibly suppressed his surging emotions and turned his gaze to the system panel.
The display clearly shows: [Cultivation Points: 2134]
"But... is it just my imagination? Why does it seem like the accumulation of cultivation points has slowed down since I returned to Xianyang?"
Zou Yun frowned, trying to grasp the fleeting inspiration in his mind.
They were interrupted by footsteps coming from outside the door.
Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze pushed open the door and entered, both with solemn expressions and a hint of barely perceptible excitement.
"Master, everything is ready."
"Okay, let's go then."
Zou Yun nodded and led the two toward the observatory amidst the awe-inspiring gazes of the crowd.
The enormous bronze alchemy furnace behind them was also lifted by the men brought by Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze, and followed behind the three of them.
1:15 PM.
This is the time when day and night alternate, and yin and yang meet.
The last rays of the setting sun struggled to sink below the horizon, dyeing the sky a magnificent tapestry.
The red gold and dark purple intertwine and entwine, creating a dazzling and radiant effect.
The auspicious time has been set.
In the center of the observatory, the enormous bronze alchemy furnace gleamed with an ancient and ethereal light in the twilight.
Zou Yun stood calmly in front of the alchemy furnace, dressed in a dignified black robe and wearing a tall crown with cloud patterns.
The night breeze ruffled his clothes, making his tall and straight figure appear even more striking, as if he had become one with the world around him.
Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze stood slightly behind him, their expressions solemn, ready to be at his beck and call.
Zou Yun swept across the sky, just as the last wisp of blood-red light remained on the horizon.
A glint flashed in his eyes, and he suddenly spoke. His voice was not loud, but it was like a thunderclap rolling across the observatory, clearly echoing between heaven and earth.
"Heaven and earth unite in harmony; the alchemical furnace is unsealed!"
"Draw upon the celestial fire, summon the stars of the heavens—!"
Before he finished speaking, the cinnabar talisman that Zou Yun had already picked up in his hand spontaneously combusted without any wind, and a cluster of ghostly blue flames rose up.
He precisely inserted the talisman into the feeding hole at the bottom of the alchemy furnace.
The next second, something unexpected happened!
"Sizzle sizzle—!"
A series of faint sounds suddenly rang out from inside the furnace.
Immediately afterwards, the huge bronze alchemy furnace seemed to be shaken by some invisible force, and the furnace body suddenly trembled!
Countless thick, cloud-like plumes of white steam erupted wildly from the vents in the furnace.
The smoke was thick and persistent, white as piled snow and as continuous as rolling clouds, and in an instant it engulfed the rammed earth observatory beneath it.
The clouds and mist churned and, instead of dissipating with the wind, expanded and spread as if they were alive.
From afar, the entire observatory appears ethereal and otherworldly, enveloped in a misty aura.
The enormous alchemy furnace seemed to be lifted up by celestial clouds, adding to its mystique.
"this!!!"
"Great Master!!"
Feng Zhixue and Zheng Ze's pupils suddenly contracted.
At this moment, they felt as if they had arrived in the highest heavens, and the rammed earth beneath their feet seemed to have become soft and unreal to the touch.
Outside the courtyard, the assembled sorcerers were stunned by the sudden appearance of the clouds.
"What...what is this?"
"Heavens! It's clouds! It's celestial clouds!!!"
"Look, it's floating out from the Star Gazing Platform where the Grand Master refines his elixirs!!!"
Exclamations of surprise rose and fell.
The clouds swept past them and quickly spread to the surrounding palaces.
In just a few breaths, the once majestic Xianren Temple was reduced to only a few flying eaves and brackets, faintly visible in the swirling white mist.
The entire Taoist temple resembles a magnificent palace floating above a sea of clouds, ethereal and otherworldly, unlike anything in the mortal realm.
And this is just the beginning!
Just as the entire Immortal Temple was completely transformed into a secret realm in the clouds—
"BOOM!!!"