Master of Ten Thousand Foxes-Chapter 109 - 86: Welcome Home, Fox Mountain’s Alchemy Furnace!
It had unearthed cloaks, immortal swords, but something as big as an alchemy furnace, this was the first time!
Master said, just rush up there, touch the alchemy furnace with the front paws, and it could bring the alchemy furnace back to Fox Mountain.
At this moment, its reddish-brown eyes looked at the alchemy furnace, growing more and more familiar!
Ascending to the ninth-level platform, just about to charge forward, it was suddenly pulled back by White Ears and Black Ears.
Black Ears pointed to the base of the alchemy furnace. There, two small human skin talismans were circling the furnace on the ground, as if on patrol!
Ah?
Quanquan Hu furrowed his brows, extremely angry, wanting to extend his paw to grab the talismans!
But the paw stretched out, then retracted.
Without the Master, there was no assurance, it didn’t dare to grab.
At this moment...
A "zzz" sound came from the ceiling, gelatinous pus "plop plop" fell in large patches from the ceiling, splattering on the alchemy furnace, the platform, and the steps.
The three foxes looked up, only to see a large hole corroded into the ceiling!
Through the hole, a gigantic object fell, hitting the steps, tumbled twice, got up, shook its head, and it was a rat as big as a cow!
Its rat mouth grinned, corrosive saliva dripped from the corners of its mouth, and amidst its lips and teeth, vaguely a sinister human face appeared, charging fiercely towards the alchemy furnace with a stench of decay!
Ah?
White Ears instinctively put a front paw into the small medicine box, felt the Vengeance Sword, ready to slash at the giant rat!
But taking one step forward, it halted again.
The front paw couldn’t draw the sword out either.
Without the Master, there was no assurance, it didn’t dare to slash.
At this moment...
With a loud crash of "whoosh," a fire cloud billowing black smoke flew in a parabolic arc. It was Tie Shiba’s doing, spraying a ball of refining fire, aiming to protect the alchemy furnace first!
Yet, the fire cloud landed on the alchemy furnace, enveloping, covering it, burning fiercely along the furnace body, stirring hot winds, sweeping across all directions!
Ah?
Black Ears’ cloak fluttered in the hot wind, flapping noisily.
It instinctively lifted its front paws, holding up the medicine bottle hanging from its neck.
This bottle of medicine was given by the Master as a protective talisman, and Master said to unscrew the cap when danger comes.
Should it be unscrewed?
It slightly raised its head, looking far away with dark red eyes, as if wanting to ask the Master.
...
Fox Mountain, dormitory great hall.
A group of foxes watched the scene floating in mid-air, their pupils enlarging in outrage, baring teeth in seething anger, growling lowly in their throats!
Bai Mo sat on the bed, watching the soul talisman in the scene, seeing the giant rat that had fallen, witnessing the flying refining fire... took a sip of iced grape tea, spoke softly, the voice passing through the white misty border between reality and dream, reaching Black Ears’ ears.
"Unscrew it."
...
Black Ears’ eyes instantly lit up!
Looking at the alchemy furnace, at the charging rat, at the few fighting in the distance, grinned, revealing sharp fangs.
One front paw held the bottle, another held the cap.
Again heard Master’s voice, "Don’t unscrew it too much, just a little loose to let some scent out will be enough."
Black Ears hurriedly nodded, cautiously, gently loosened the cap.
Immediately, wisps of emerald green medicinal mist seeped from under the bottle cap.
This wisp of medicinal mist entered the air, suddenly diluted, vaporized, turning into an invisible wind, explosively expanding in rings!
The wind blew onto the three fox apprentices... This medicine was crafted by Bai Mo specifically as a protective potion for the apprentices. The wind brushed over them like a spring breeze, gently stroking their fur.
The wind blew onto the two soul talismans on the ground... the two human skin talismans suddenly curled, writhed, faintly screamed, caught fire and were reduced to ashes!
The wind blew onto the fire covering the alchemy furnace... wherever the wind touched, the fire instantly extinguished, not daring to leave a single wisp of smoke!
The wind blew onto the charging Immortal Beast Giant Rat... the giant rat suddenly stiffened, fell and rolled, vomiting red blood, green bile, pieces of dark red viscera, vomiting out a dry, skinny, slime-covered, blood oozing from all orifices, violently dead man!
The wind blew over Huang Mao in the distance... as he commanded the soul talismans in battle, suddenly sensing the arrival of doom, with spiritual sense frantically warning, the blood vessels in his temples throbbing to the brink of bursting, gall bladder in his abdomen ruptured, knelt and spat out a mouthful of nauseatingly bitter green bile, then passed out, losing consciousness.
The wind blew over Wu Qingyun wielding her sword... her long sword flew from her hand, her mouth spat bile, and her whole body fell to the ground.
The wind blew over Tie Shiba in the distance... the fire spraying from his mouth turned into a wisp of black smoke, bile seeped from the corners of his mouth, his whole being kneeling on the ground with bent knees.
"Still didn’t manage to get it?"
He glanced at the high platform and saw that in the gloom, a mass of white mist blurring the line between reality and dreams was devouring the alchemy furnace.
He watched as the white mist dispersed, and the alchemy furnace disappeared, leaving the nine-level platform empty.
He smiled self-mockingly, his mouth filled with the bitterness of bile, and everything went black in front of him as he collapsed to the ground, losing all awareness.
...
Fox Mountain, the pitch-black dormitory great hall.
The apprentices gathered in circles around and around, countless pairs of dark red eyes densely packed, looking towards the center of the circle.
As the white mist dispersed, revealing a plump round alchemy furnace.
The foxes all frowned, wondering where Quanquan Hu and the other two were.
By the alchemy furnace, three foxes removed their invisibility cloaks, revealing their fluffy heads.
"Aw aw aw!"
"Ying ying ying!"
"Aw aw aw!"
"Ying ying ying!"
Immediately, the apprentices bounced and cheered, turning the entire dormitory hall into a sea of joy!
Three cups of ice grape tea, brimming with lots of fruit nectar and grapes, were delivered to the paws of Quanquan Hu, White Ears, and Black Ears.
The remaining nine thousand or so fox apprentices surrounded the alchemy furnace and the three heroes, beginning to dance in circles, waving their front paws, shaking their heads, wagging their tails, bouncing and jumping, shouting "Aw aw aw" from their mouths!
Welcome back, Quanquan Hu! Welcome back, White Ears! Welcome back, Black Ears!
Welcome back, the alchemy furnace of Fox Mountain! 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖
...
In the Underground Copper Hall, Tie Shiba slowly awakened.
He noticed someone was squatting next to him, checking his pulse, and after focusing his eyes, he saw that it was indeed Professor Zhang.
After checking the pulse, Professor Zhang spoke to comfort him.
"Don’t be afraid; you were just scared out of your wits.
"Sequence Eight has a formidable physical constitution and will recover in no time."
Tie Shiba still had the bitter taste of bile in his mouth. His head was dizzy, not entirely clear.
He looked around and saw that the Bronze Hall was already brightly lit with dozens of high-power searchlights. Staff in protective clothing were busily collecting materials. The main force had already arrived.
Beside him, Wu Qingyun was also lying on a stretcher, already awakened, staring blankly at the ceiling.
And the nine-story platform at the center of the Copper Hall was still empty... After all the planning and effort, it ended in vain!
He glanced at Professor Zhang.
"What do you mean I was scared out of my wits?"
Professor Zhang explained.
"It’s exactly as it sounds.
"You encountered something too terrifying, your spiritual sense went into overdrive, your body couldn’t adjust in time, and your gallbladder was scared into rupturing."
Tie Shiba frowned slightly.
"What exactly was it?"
Professor Zhang pursed his lips.
"When we arrived, there was no trace to be found.
"But I guess it was a sort of drug!
"This drug didn’t directly affect you; it just emitted a faint smell, which, once you sniffed it, scared your gallbladder into bursting."
Tie Shiba pondered for a moment.
"Is that possible?"
Professor Zhang nodded.
"You’re actually quite lucky.
"The giant rat of the Dark World, Sequence Eight Immortal Beast, its heart ruptured and its liver and gallbladder shattered, dying instantly.
"Its owner, lodged within its belly, met the same fate.
"It... was too close to that drug."
Hearing of someone worse off than himself, Tie Shiba nodded, feeling much more comforted.
"And what about Huang Mao?"
"Huang Mao was even closer to the drug than you, and though his heart is fine, his liver and gallbladder are shattered. He has been sent for rescue."
After finishing his tasks elsewhere, Chairman Chen Shu also came over, squatting down to hold Tie Shiba’s hand.
"Old Tie, don’t feel bad.
"Victory and defeat are common in warfare.
"Stay in West State City for a while to recuperate properly."
Chairman Chen Shu leaned in closer, lowering his voice.
"Actually, the outcome isn’t good, but it’s not too bad, either.
"You should know who acquired the alchemy furnace. We discussed it during those video conferences.
"He’s not our enemy.
"It’s acceptable for the alchemy furnace to end up in his hands."
Suddenly, Tie Shiba remembered the mysterious Mr. Mystery of the Alchemy Path in West State City and couldn’t help but give a bitter smile.
So it was him!
But, upon reflection, if he had known there was an alchemy furnace underground and involved Mr. Mystery, would he have still come to seize it?
After contemplating for a long time, he told himself in his heart... he would still have come!
