Mo Zi Chen was feeling a bit uncomfortable, and Ju Er had already handed over a jade bottle, "There's Qing Xin Dan in here, eat one pill and you won't be afraid of the heat."

  Mo Zi Chen received it, poured out a grain to eat, and indeed felt much better. He asked in surprise: "I've never seen this place before, is it your own cultivation site?"

  "Here is the place where our sect refines elixirs, called the Causal Furnace. I have some advantages in alchemy, and my master let me stay here to cultivate. Come with me."

  This place was surrounded by flames, and occasionally a fireball would erupt from the ground. It truly lived up to its name as the Furnace of Hong. Mo Zichen carefully avoided them and followed Ju Er towards the front, passing through several gates before arriving at a large stone cave in the center. Although this cave was scorching hot, it was much cooler than outside. There were several stone pedestals on the ground, and he casually picked one to sit on, gesturing for Mo Zichen to do the same.

  Mo Zi Chen sat down carefully, only to find that the place was actually very messy. The layout was simple, with only a stone couch in the center, a stone table around it, and several stone stools, but all around were scattered many miscellaneous items, some of which were shining brightly. Mo Zi Chen looked closely and found that there were several things that she had only heard of in the Jade Annals, materials for refining equipment. Inside, there were also traces of those vines.

  "That's the Celestial Wolf Vine, which only grows once every hundred years. It can be used to forge a treasured armor. This batch was planted by me a hundred years ago and has just matured recently. They all knew I was going to harvest it, so they've been avoiding me today. Once it's forged into the treasured armor, I'll give you one too."

  Mo Zi Chen only then understood why there was no one there. She listened to Ju Er speaking and discovered that although he had a face without expression, he didn't have the same aura as Wang Shi Er, who gave off an air of "don't come near me" from head to toe, inside and out. He also didn't seem like someone who disliked talking.

  He saw Mo Zi Chen always secretly sizing him up with his eyes, so he said: "I was poisoned in the womb, and I came out looking like this. Even my master can't do anything about it, so I don't usually go out to see people. Are you scared?"

  "No, no, Master Ju is too polite," Mo Zi Chen hastily waved her hand. She stole a glance at Ju Er's face and found that he was actually quite handsome, just a bit shy and awkward. Wearing a hat to cover the poisonous sores on his head, he didn't look bad at all. Curious, she asked: "How did you get these sores? Even your master, who is such an amazing person, can't cure them?"

  Ju Er was asked this sentence by her, pursed his lips and did not speak. Mo Zi Chen said embarrassedly: "Am I a bit too sudden? Forget it, let's talk about something else."

  At this time, Ju Er suddenly spoke up: "I'm not unhappy. Actually, people who have seen me before are either afraid of me and avoid me, or they care about me and don't dare to mention it in front of me. There isn't a single person like you who would ask so openly." He thought seriously for a moment, then said: "It's good this way."

  Mo Zi Chen smiled awkwardly: "I didn't think much of it, I just asked as a friend, don't mind me being too forward."

  "My mother, back then was a mountain dweller in the big mountains. She came from a large tribe in the Miao village and was skilled in witchcraft. At that time, two major tribes in the mountains were at odds with each other. My mother had just married my father and was pregnant with me when he died in battle."

  He said these words with a calm expression, as if all these things had long since passed him by.

  "My mother loved my father dearly, and she was heartbroken. She decided to avenge him and spent a long time cultivating the Bone-Soaking Poison Spirit Great Technique. With her own vital energy, she offered sacrifices to the Poison Spirit's Ancestral Spirit. In the end, she killed all the hundreds of Gu Masters in another mountain stronghold, but she herself was counterattacked by an expert before dying, and her Ancestral Spirit was injured. She returned to the mountain stronghold and died.

  It was the master of the stronghold at that time who saw that I had fetal movement, cut open my mother's belly, and brought me out. A large python nurtured me for three months, feeding me countless medicinal materials, before I was finally saved. However, the fetus carried toxic air, which deeply penetrated my five viscera and six bowels, making it difficult to cure for life."

  Mo Zi Chen said: "I heard that after achieving Yuanying, one would have the great divine power to seize the creation of heaven and earth. Is it that even a respected master like you has no solution?"

  "Master thought of every way, but in the end, he only managed to help me get rid of three parts, making it possible for me to see people like I do now. The rest is up to me. If one day I cultivate a primordial infant and my body's divine fetus is complete, then the toxins will naturally dissipate." He smiled: "But that's really too far away, who knows if I'll be able to wait until that day? Right now, I'm still far from cultivating a golden elixir. I'm not as talented as Master Sister and the two Master Brothers. That's why I like alchemy; maybe I can find some method in those remaining ancient elixir formulas."

  Mo Zi Chen nodded heavily: "Mm, I believe you definitely will! By the way, where did you say the alchemy was?"

  "Ji Erdao said: 'The dan furnace is on the other side, but the time has not yet arrived and it cannot be opened. Can you let me take a look at the spiritual beast?'"

  Mo Zi Chen handed over the adorable creature, which was behaving very well and didn't show any fear. It stuck out its tongue and licked Ju Er's palm. Ju Er was delighted and pulled out a few fruits from his side to feed it. The creature ate them one by one, savoring the sweet treats.

  Mo Zi Chen smiled and said: "It seems like it's also very compatible with you."

  Ju Er nodded, "However, the little thing you're raising is quite strange. It doesn't have any spiritual energy on its body, but the things it eats are all extremely spiritually potent. That Tian Lang fruit, ordinary spiritual beasts wouldn't dare to eat it, fearing diarrhea, yet it seems like it wants to burst its stomach."

  Mo Zi Chen said: "This is something I picked up unintentionally from a small valley, do you know what it's called?"

  Ju Er shook his head: "I have been cultivating here for over a hundred years, although I rarely leave the mountain, but I have read many classics and have extensive knowledge, yet I have never seen such a species. How did you get it?"

  Mo Zi Chen said, "As it happens, it's also related to your Shixiong Qin." He then recounted his experience in the mountain valley again, this time explaining everything in great detail, including cause and effect, as well as some minor details. Before he knew it, they had talked for half a day.

  Ju Er listened very seriously, without showing any impatience, and finally Mo Zi Chen asked: "I've thought about it before, is it the ancient immortal who flew away back then, the spiritual beast he raised? If so, it should have a lifespan of tens of thousands of years, right?"