Inside the alchemy furnace, Lu Fan felt a dizzying sensation. He had once endured tribulations with Yuan Feng in the Undying Volcano, never expecting the flames within Laozi's humble furnace to be several times more potent than the fire spirit stones in the Undying Volcano's caves.
His cultivation realm had not yet recovered, and now being thrown into this Eight Trigrams Furnace, it seemed he was truly finished this time.
However, even knowing he was bound to perish, Lu Fan forced himself to calm down. The Stone Monkey had attained his Fiery Golden Eyes here; he refused to believe he had no chance of survival. He tried to discern the Eight Trigrams positions, hoping to find the gate of life and death, the hidden Ninth Palace.
But it seemed he was overthinking. Within the tiny Eight Trigrams Furnace, Lu Fan searched for a long time but couldn't find the Ninth Palace. The eight gates within the trigrams were also constantly shifting. Finding the gate of life appeared difficult.
Inside the furnace, a pill had already taken shape, radiating a crimson glow. The pill was as large as a jujube.
The Supreme Great Creation Pill! It could recreate a world?! Lu Fan was shocked. The scruffy old Daoist had once asked him to help refine a Great Creation Golden Pill. That golden pill was a medicine that could help cultivators in the Soul Splitting realm enter the Void Comprehension realm, allowing them to comprehend the process of entering the Void Comprehension realm in advance.
And this Supreme Great Creation Golden Pill could turn that virtual process into a real world? Lu Fan, in his shock, had to admire Laozi's skill. The king of alchemy and artifact forging in the world could now forge a world!
Rather than being burned alive, it was better to destroy this old fellow's world first! With this thought, Lu Fan reached out to take the pill.
*Whoosh...* The pill seemed to sense danger and suddenly fled.
"Good heavens, it has consciousness and wants to escape? This Eight Trigrams Furnace is only so big, where can you run?" Lu Fan reached out to grab it.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...* In an instant, a pill and a person chased and fled within the furnace. Although the furnace was not large, it now seemed to have become another world, a heavenly realm engulfed in raging flames. And between heaven and earth, besides the flames, there was only the pill and the person.
Lu Fan and the Supreme Great Creation Golden Pill chased each other within the furnace. Outside the furnace, in the Eight Sceneries Palace, dozens of people had already gathered. These were the so-called great powers.
They had all come to Laozi's residence, demanding the return of the person. Lu Fan being abducted in front of everyone, if anyone had the capability, it could only be the Three Pure Ones. And among the Three Pure Ones, only Laozi remained.
"Laozi! Hand over that brat! If you don't, we're not leaving," someone shouted at Laozi.
"Alas! Even if you tear down my Eight Sceneries Palace, I cannot hand over Lu Fan! Since you are unwilling to leave, then do as you please! I have plenty of space here anyway," Laozi said and returned to his residence to meditate.
"We'll turn this Eight Sceneries Palace upside down to find that brat! Hmph!" Suddenly, someone whispered to two others.
The three were immediately inspired and began searching the Eight Sceneries Palace. With someone taking the lead, others followed, and soon, dozens of people were searching the Eight Sceneries Palace.
However, Laozi continued to meditate with his eyes closed, as if he knew nothing. Liu Ruyan, sensing with all her might, still couldn't find any trace of Lu Fan. Her gaze involuntarily fell upon the alchemy furnace.
At this moment, two young attendants were fanning the flames beside the furnace, increasing the temperature within. Liu Ruyan slowly walked over.
Looking into the furnace, she saw only a sea of fire, as if a fiery ocean, and nothing could be seen.
"Hmph! Laozi! There are mysteries within these Eight Palaces and Nine Sceneries. Did you hide Lu Fan within these mysteries?" Suddenly, someone discovered a clue in the Eight Sceneries Palace and shouted.
"Everyone, my Eight Palaces and Nine Sceneries are formed according to the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams formation. Please do not touch them carelessly, lest you trigger the mechanisms," Laozi hurriedly shouted.
"Hmph! The more nervous Laozi is, the more problematic it is here! I'm going in to take a look!" That person snorted and entered the Eight Sceneries Palace.
*Swish...* The person instantly vanished before everyone.
"Where did he go?"
"Where did he go?"
People nearby quickly asked.
"He may have appeared in another world! But, everyone, don't worry, he will be back soon," Laozi said quickly.
"Another world? Could it be that you hid Lu Fan in another world too? No, I have to go and see as well." Laozi's attempt to stop them immediately aroused suspicion. Someone followed and also entered. *Swish...* Another person disappeared.
*Swish, swish, swish...* Thirteen or fourteen people followed and entered.
Laozi coldly chuckled and simply stood aside, remaining silent. Those dozen or so people had already appeared in places like Taigu, Yuangu, and the Ancient Battlefield.
Liu Ruyan's heart also stirred. Originally, she suspected Laozi had hidden Lu Fan in those places. But thinking about it now, with Lu Fan being so important, how could Laozi place him in a place he couldn't see?
Perhaps this old fellow had indeed placed Lu Fan in the Eight Trigrams Furnace? Because only this alchemy furnace was Laozi's most powerful magical treasure. Thousands of treasures capable of destroying heaven and earth were all refined by Laozi's alchemy furnace.
"Laozi, if anything happens to Lu Fan, even if you have entered the Heavenly Dao, I will never forgive you!" Liu Ruyan suddenly patted Laozi's alchemy furnace lightly and said.
Laozi's mouth twitched slightly. However, he then said as if nothing had happened, "Empress Nuwa! You are all surrounding my Eight Sceneries Palace. Do you know if Lu Fan has fallen into someone else's hands by now? The existence of the Heavenly Dao, let alone these great powers, even ordinary people, if they knew, would not let go of any opportunity."
"Alas! It's just a pity! My junior brother Yuanshi Tianzun, my master Hongjun Laozu, weren't they all ten or a hundred times stronger than me? Yet what was the outcome? Therefore, I have long lost interest in these things. I just want to live my life peacefully," Laozi suddenly said again.
"In this world, besides you, Laozi, who else could have taken Lu Fan away in front of so many great powers?" Liu Ruyan suddenly asked.
"Who says there isn't? You all seem to have forgotten someone, Old Ancestor Hongyun!" Laozi suddenly said.