World-Troubling Copper Furnace!
"That was too dangerous! I almost got entangled with him again. Please visit this site."
Even as the two ghostly figures moved away, they continued to communicate telepathically.
"That person's methods and cultivation are superb, but if he really uses a treasure, he can suppress it. However, if he does that, his aura will leak out, which will have endless consequences. After all, you and I don't have flesh and blood, so we can't really refine the treasure. If things go wrong, hundreds of years of effort may be in vain, and we'll be doing all the work for someone else." The Penniless Hungry Ghost walked around, looking like he still had lingering fears.
In the transmission of his thoughts, he raised his ghostly hand, the emerald flames in his hand flickering incessantly, scattering Fire Star all around.
The Wind-Eating Ghost readily agreed, saying, "That's right, but the most urgent task is to expel the Heart Demon within me, otherwise the hidden danger is too great, and it could erupt at any time."
The Penniless Hungry Ghost nodded, slightly regretful. "But in this way, all our plans have failed. We haven't been able to stir up the filth throughout the city, and the foul air to conceal the treasure's aura is insufficient. If we were to absorb all the wishes of the Divine Office and the People's Wishes, we would surely be exposed. We can only absorb a portion."
The Wind-Eating Ghost also showed a hint of regret. "What a pity about this opportunity. I don't know how many years I'll have to wait to find a City God Divine Office with no shrine to the Divine Path again."
"However, the treasure contains quite a few thoughts and emotions. We might as well give it a try. Perhaps we can shed our ghostly forms and be reborn. Even if we don't go to the Netherworld, we can still possess another body and be reborn."
The two ghosts communicated, twisted and turned several times underground, and soon returned to the City God Underworld Office.
There was a large hole in the roof of the Underworld Office palace.
The Wind-Eating Ghost surveyed the scene in the Underworld Office, then said, "We need to hurry; that person might catch up again."
The Penniless Hungry Ghost chuckled and said, "Don't worry, the Underworld Main Hall is no ordinary earthly building; it's not static. We were able to accurately identify it because of the treasure's aura. As for that person, it must have taken him countless hours to find this place. Plus, the Thought Fire I just released has set up several restrictions outside, emitting chaotic energy to mislead people. Even with that madman's cultivation level, he won't be able to find us in a short time. That's enough time for you and me to carry out our plan."
"Very good. Then let's not waste any more time. Let's get started now, lest things get complicated."
As the two ghosts spoke, they flew straight into the screen deep inside the main hall!
Then, the light and shadow on the screen changed, and before long, a three-zhang-tall four-legged Copper Furnace flew out!
The Copper Furnace has reliefs on all four sides, depicting auspicious clouds and Red Sun. It spins in mid-air and crashes to the ground with a loud bang, cracking the ground inch by inch.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The two ghosts flew out of the furnace, smoke rising from their bodies, crying out in pain. It took them quite a while to recover.
The Penniless Hungry Ghost, still shaken, said, "This World-Troubling Copper Furnace is too hot. So much foul air, yet it still can't be suppressed. Hopefully, after absorbing the People's Wishes this time, some of it will be neutralized. Otherwise, it's unbearable; we can't even get in, so how can we forge our ghostly bodies?"
On the other side, after recovering, the Wind-Eating Ghost exclaimed in a low voice, "Oh no! My ghostly body was slightly shaken by the heat, and that Heart Demon has stirred again!"
With a thought, he stirred up a gentle breeze, which drew out a small flame from the furnace opening. The flame was originally bright red, but after being tainted by the Netherworld aura of the Wind-Eating Ghost, it turned into a bright green.
The emerald flames, carried by the gentle breeze, fell into the body of the Wind-Eating Ghost, scattering into countless tiny points, like nails, striking the shadow of the Heart Demon, fixing and imprisoning it.
The Heart Demon had been stirring and showing signs of spreading, but it was stopped by the Azure Fire, and the scattering was completely stopped. All the emotional fluctuations within the Heart Demon seemed to be frozen and solidified.
Deep within the Heart Demon, a single, almost imperceptible Mystic Hair trembled, then completely dissipated.
The powder from the Mystic Hair slowly spread, covering all the shadows, unable to stop the solidified emotions, thoughts, and fluctuations in the slightest.
On the other side, after the Wind-Eating Ghost calmed his Heart Demon, he breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance with the Penniless Hungry Ghost, and then nodded to each other, each raising a bit of his will and pouring it into the Copper Furnace!
Instantly, the Copper Furnace trembled, and raging flames spewed from its mouth, accompanied by wisps of smoke and a delicate fragrance.
The flames drew in the smoke, and as they danced, it looked as if a fire dragon was weaving through the clouds.
Suddenly, the clouds and mist dissipated, and flames exploded!
Amidst the scattered sparks, illusory figures emerged: commoners in plain clothes, soldiers, officials and clerks, talented scholars and beautiful women...
Thoughts rippled within these phantoms, spreading outwards and causing the entire Underworld Main Hall to tremble. The pent-up People's Wishes throughout the palace were drawn in, flowing obscurely and laboriously.
But this group all flocked towards the Copper Furnace!
However, upon reaching the mouth of the Copper Furnace, a dramatic change occurred, with figures of the people manifesting from the People's Wishes, struggling and unwilling to enter the furnace.
Wailing, roaring, shouting, crying...
Rippling!
The People's Wishes confronted and clashed with the Copper Furnace's suction power, erupting in bursts of fluctuations. These fluctuations were intense and pure, containing a large number of thoughts, and were about to radiate outwards.
Just then, the two ghosts made another move. With a thought, layers of foul air suddenly appeared around them, roaring like ocean waves, thick and dense, filling the entire hall!
The Hundred-Coffin Defilement Qi! The stench of lust! The Profit-Desire Defilement Qi!
"All the Three Defilements Qi that has accumulated over these past few days is here, it's a pity it was interrupted at the last moment, otherwise there would definitely be more than this..."
They felt a pang of regret, but the two ghosts dared not be distracted. This was a crucial moment; the slightest carelessness could not only lead to failure but also expose their location, with unimaginable consequences.
The foul air transforms into officials and clerks, cowherds and prostitutes, and fame and fortune.
Officials and clerks shouted and rebuked, coercing the People's Wishes; prostitutes and brothels, on the other hand, flirted and teased the People's Wishes; fame and fortune were even more infiltrated into the People's Wishes, painting a beautiful future and making the People's Wishes spontaneously burst forth with longing.
In an instant, the standoff was resolved, and the People's Wishes flowed into the Copper Furnace like a river.
The Copper Furnace shook, emitting the sound of lead and mercury, as if it had melted the People's Wishes into a single mass.
"Good! Throw People's Wishes in this great hall into the World-Troubling Copper Furnace, melt them down into one, neutralize the violent fire, and we can turn this chaotic world into a peaceful and prosperous one! That way, it will be easier for you and me to enter!"
The two ghosts' thoughts emanated joy and delight, which then spread to the Copper Furnace, causing the flames at the furnace's opening to grow even stronger, and crackling sounds to emanate from within.
At this moment, the Wind-Eating Ghost's senses shifted, and it noticed the deities standing motionless in the corner of the main hall. Suddenly, a flash of Spiritual Light struck it.
"The amount of foul air is limited, so the People's Wishes it can absorb is also limited. But how People's Wishes Divine Sense? The gods are made of incense and fire; if we were to refine them, how much would we gain?"
The thought stirred the Wind-Eating Ghost's heart, making it hard to suppress. However, after the thought was transmitted, the Penniless Hungry Ghost seemed somewhat hesitant.
They were able to occupy the City God Underworld Office for two reasons: first, the Metropolitan City God was no longer alive, and second, they possessed World-Troubling Copper Furnace obtained from a treasure land.
This furnace can burn away Human Thoughts and People's Wishes, and it also has other wonderful uses, one of which is to suppress thoughts.
The gods were originally formed from Incense Thoughts. However, after being ambushed by two ghosts, they used Copper Furnace to suppress the Divine Office, thus solidifying the People's Wishes and the gods. Then, they made a show of force and drove away many cultivators and demons in the city.
Having occupied the Underworld Office and gained a source of People's Wishes, the two ghosts were prone to revealing their whereabouts when absorbing others, attracting their other enemies. That's why they had to use foul air to cover up and lure them away, which led to what happened next. In the end, Qiu Yan went north and returned to Yuan Ning. The two ghosts failed at the last minute and had to close the net prematurely, but they were still unwilling to give up, which led to their mad thoughts.
"Throw a deity into the Copper Furnace to burn away its Divine Sense? However, that would produce too much smoke. If it doesn't work, and the deity ends up occupying the Copper Furnace instead, that would be bad!" The Penniless Hungry Ghost pondered for a while, and finally shook his head.
Although the Wind-Eating Ghost's suggestion was tempting, the Penniless Hungry Ghost decided to proceed with caution. To gamble everything for a phantom goal would contradict their Original Edition plans.
"Our primary task is to preserve our True Spirit and prevent them from being annihilated in the world. Under this premise, we will rely on the World-Troubling Copper Furnace to slowly accumulate power, hoping to one day return to life and fulfill our wishes. If we take risks for a momentary temptation, we will be putting the cart before the horse. Do not forget that for more than a hundred years, we have been hiding and searching everywhere, and it has been a great struggle to nourish the furnace fire to this extent! How can we lose the greater good for the sake of the lesser!"
Upon hearing this, the Wind-Eating Ghost understood and tried to suppress its desires, but the desires grew stronger and stronger, devouring its mind and causing it great distress.
Suddenly, he made up his mind and said, "If you are unwilling to do it, I will do it myself. Gods are formed from thoughts, how can they withstand the forging of the furnace fire?" After saying that, he transformed into a gust of foul wind and flew swiftly towards the corner, about to sweep up a god.
"Hmm? Something's not right!" Upon seeing this, the Penniless Hungry Ghost's expression changed. "He's usually as elusive as the wind, how could he do something so reckless? Not only that, lately he seems unusually dull-witted, needing me to enlighten him on everything, as if he's lost his mind. This is bad! Heart Demon!"
Suddenly, the Penniless Hungry Ghost thought of something. With a flick of its ghostly figure, it scattered a pile of copper coins, which connected with the Copper Furnace and fell "clattering" to various parts of the hall, unleashing a suppressive force!
Town!
The foul wind transformed from the Wind-Eating Ghost suddenly fell down.
"What are you doing!" the Wind-Eating Ghost howled. "Could it be that you harbor malicious intentions, disregarding our more than 100-year friendship, and intend to ambush me and steal the treasure for yourself?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Wind-Eating Ghost also separated into wisps of clear wind, which connected with the Copper Furnace and dispersed throughout the hall, neutralizing the suppressing force. It then rose up again, abandoning the deity and rushing towards the Penniless Hungry Ghost!
"I'm really confused, I can't tell right from wrong anymore." The Penniless Hungry Ghost had a surge of thoughts, and with a spin in the air, he landed on the Copper Furnace.
Instantly, ghostly energy filled the Copper Furnace, about to mobilize the People's Wishes. Unexpectedly, the Wind-Eating Ghost also emitted a breeze that enveloped the Copper Furnace, and Furnace Fire, almost engulfing the Penniless Ghost!
"Incomprehensible!" The Penniless Ghost was filled with rage and wanted to kill the Wind-Eating Ghost, but suddenly a chill ran through him, "Oh no! I've been tricked too!"
As the thought crossed his mind, he probed inwards and discovered a shadow deep within his consciousness—
Heart Demon! (To be continued...)
P. S.: Thanks to "Qin-Era Moon, Han-Era Brick" for the monthly vote!