CHAPTER 286: CHAPTER 286: EIGHT TRIGRAMS FURNACE, REUNION WITH DOUGLAS

Maybe summoning Eternal Wood Emperor and the others would help, but Johnnie chose not to.

This island was too strange. He wasn’t sure what other dangers were hidden here.

He gave up on the three Lesser Gods and drove the Seven Sword to go all out on the other Tidal Giants.

[Ding: You killed a Tidal Giant. EXP +4,800,000; four base stats +10,000]

[Godslayer power triggered: all stats permanently +10%]

Prompts kept popping up. The Tidal Giants couldn’t withstand the poison, or they got one-shot by the Seven Sword’s Instant Kill effect.

Johnnie’s strength shot up fast. This place was like heaven for him.

He was also killed over and over, but with the Demon race’s special rule blessing, he revived on the spot without any loss.

And while these Tidal Giants were strong, they had no soul attacks.

They couldn’t threaten him at all. He just kept cutting them down.

"Human, stop!" A sudden roar rang out. A crushing aura spread as endless seawater surged up, forming a giant hand that slammed down at Johnnie.

Boom!

The whole island trembled.

[Ding: You were Instant-Killed by the Tidal Colossus. Special rule blessing: you revive on the spot]

The prompt appeared—the one who struck was the Core God, the Tidal Colossus.

Did it finish Pitiless that fast?

Johnnie revived where he stood and looked toward the distant sea.

Waves raged and huge energy howled. Pitiless was still there, but her opponent had changed.

Out on the surface, massive tentacles whipped through the air—an enormous octopus monster. Its tentacles shattered the ice and pushed Pitiless back.

"Human, die!" The Tidal Colossus stared at the corpses of its kin, furious, and attacked again.

Johnnie couldn’t even dodge and was killed once more.

"Lord, he’s like the Demon race—he has a special rule blessing. We can’t kill him," a Tidal Giant warned.

The Tidal Colossus watched Johnnie revive again. Its eyes went blood-red with rage, but there was nothing it could do.

He was strong, but he also didn’t have any soul-type attacks.

"Hmph, let’s see if you’re really untouchable." Johnnie snorted. Power surged around him as he tried to trigger the Heavenly Tribulation again.

The Tidal Colossus’s black armor could resist the Heavenly Tribulation, but the other Tidal Giants definitely couldn’t.

"Hm? You still dare to use the Heavenly Tribulation!"

The Tidal Colossus frowned, raised its hand, and blasted Johnnie to death again.

When he revived, a heavy suppressing force fell over him, pushing his power down by force.

It felt a bit like the method Pitiless used before, but weaker.

Johnnie could still use skills, but he couldn’t call down the Heavenly Tribulation.

"Human, did you think the Demon race’s rule blessing makes you untouchable? Today, I’ll refine you into a pill." The Tidal Colossus smiled cruelly, waved its hand, and several chains shot out, binding Johnnie tight.

Johnnie’s face changed. The chains also had a suppressing effect. He couldn’t break free at all.

Refine me into a pill?

Johnnie was confused. He didn’t know what this guy was planning.

As long as they had no soul attacks, they couldn’t really threaten him.

"Chief, please cure our poison first," a Tidal Giant begged, unable to bear it.

The Tidal Colossus nodded. "Everyone, gather up."

All the badly wounded Tidal Giants moved together, including the three Lesser Gods.

"Rise, Azure Tides!" the Tidal Colossus shouted softly. A blue light spread out, full of life and holy power.

In an instant, the Tidal Giants’ Health points recovered, and the poison was cleansed.

It was a powerful area heal and cleanse.

With the poison gone, all the Tidal Giants let out a breath and glared at Johnnie in anger.

They had lost seven Tidal Giants in this fight. They were only Half-God level, so it wasn’t a true, final death—but recovering wouldn’t be possible anytime soon.

The Tidal Colossus said calmly, "Throw him into the Eight Trigrams Furnace and refine him into a pill."

"Understood!" A Tidal Giant, excited, grabbed the chains and dragged Johnnie like a toy, flying toward the depths of the island.

Eight Trigrams Furnace?

Johnnie was puzzled. Could it be Grand Supreme Elder Lord’s Eight Trigrams Furnace? Is this what the Induction Compass sensed?

Soon, they dragged him to the island’s center. There was an open platform with a bronze cauldron on it, old and heavy.

A red flame burned beneath it. The heat didn’t seem high, but it felt strange to Johnnie.

This fire might threaten the soul!

"Throw him in!" With a roar, the lid opened, and Johnnie, unable to resist, was tossed inside.

Whoosh...

Endless flames rose. It was a sea of fire, but the temperature still wasn’t high.

Johnnie was confused. The fire didn’t feel dangerous. Was it because he had mastered the Fire-Element Law?

His insight into the Fire-Element Law had reached 6%, which gave him decent fire resistance.

"Master, this is the Six Ding Divine Fire. You’re actually quite lucky," Coco’s voice sounded in his mind.

"Six Ding Divine Fire? Is this really Grand Supreme Elder Lord’s Eight Trigrams Furnace?" Johnnie was shocked.

In myth, the fire Grand Supreme Elder Lord used to refine pills was the Six Ding Divine Fire. It’s gentle, but not to be underestimated. It can refine all things and even harm the soul.

If that’s true, Johnnie definitely couldn’t withstand it.

Coco spoke again, "Master, the Six Ding Divine Fire refines everything, but it can also temper the body. But you still can’t handle it. Give me a moment—I’ll get you a cultivation method."

Johnnie was baffled. He didn’t know what Coco planned to do.

"Huh? Johnnie, you got caught by those Tidal Giants too." A familiar voice came then.

Startled, Johnnie finally noticed there were other people inside the furnace, near the top.

The Eight Trigrams Furnace had an inner space too, tens of thousands of square meters wide. He hadn’t noticed it when he first came in.

"Douglas! You’re here too?" He looked at the old man who spoke, eyes cold with killing intent.

It was the Doe Family’s ancestor, Douglas.

Besides him, there was a handsome young man sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed, as if he was using the Six Ding Divine Fire to cultivate.

Dragon clan!

Johnnie felt a strong draconic aura from him, but the young man’s face didn’t look good. He seemed to be at his limit.

"Don’t underestimate this flame," Douglas warned. "Even Divine powerhouses can’t withstand it. Do your best to resist. If you wait until you feel danger, it’ll already be too late."

Johnnie frowned. He noticed four items floating around Douglas. Three were damaged ancient artifacts: the Celestial Mirror, the Demon-Refining Pot, and the Kantorin Seal. The fourth was a jade-green branch that felt no weaker than those relics.

This guy really does have endless lucky encounters.

"What, you still want to attack me?" Douglas sensed his intent and said calmly, "Johnnie, we’re in the same boat now. Don’t fight me. Think of a way to get out."

"Get out?" a cool voice cut in. The handsome young man opened his eyes—vertical pupils—and said with disdain, "Once you’re inside the Eight Trigrams Furnace, no one escapes. Just accept your fate."

"How long have you been trapped here?" Johnnie asked, curious.

The young man looked a bit dazed, frowning as he thought. "Decades? Hundreds of years? Or thousands? I don’t even remember."

"Thousands?" Johnnie was doubtful. "If it hasn’t refined you after thousands of years, maybe this fire isn’t that scary?"

"Heh." The young man chuckled softly. "Kid, I’m not like you. I’m a Highgod powerhouse—and I came in here by choice."

Highgod?

Johnnie was skeptical. The man’s aura didn’t feel that strong. At most, he seemed like a Core God.

Could his cultivation have been burned away by the Six Ding Divine Fire?

He asked, curious, "Why did you come in here on purpose?"

"To escape a crazy woman hunting me. With your level, you won’t last a month. Good luck." The handsome youth didn’t want to say more. He closed his eyes again. Flames flowed around him, and his aura rose and fell.

Huh?

Johnnie realized he was absorbing the fire’s power to cultivate.

"You saw it too?" Douglas’s voice suddenly sounded in his head.

Telepathy!

Johnnie was shocked. Other than Divine powerhouses, normal people can’t do that.

His talks with Maiev and Coco weren’t telepathy. They were through a soul contract.

Douglas was only stage 10 and hadn’t broken through to Domain, yet he could use telepathy!

"Don’t be surprised," Douglas said again in his mind. "He’s right. With our strength, we won’t last a month. Our only hope is to team up against him, force out his cultivation method, and use the divine fire to train."

Johnnie sneered. The Doe Family had set him up more than once. He didn’t trust this old fox at all.

Even so, he looked at Douglas and raised three fingers.

Douglas understood. His voice came again: "I can only give you the Demon-Refining Pot. Like I said, the other two items aren’t mine."

Johnnie shrugged, too lazy to answer. With a thought, the Seven Sword shot out and blasted at the furnace lid.

Boom!

The flames shook and surged, but the top of the furnace didn’t change at all.

Seeing this, Douglas shook his head and sent another thought: "It’s useless. This Eight Trigrams Furnace is no weaker than an ancient artifact. Even Divine powerhouses can’t destroy it."