Furnace of Eight Divisions

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The doorway leading to the Furnace

The Furnace of Eight Divisions is a doorway to the Other World that exists on Mount Five Element on Earth. This is the first and only place in Other World to appear in Dragon Ball. The Furnace of Eight Divisions only appears in the final anime filler episodes of Dragon Ball, leading up to Dragon Ball Z. Ox-King's castle still erupts in flames early in the Dragon Ball manga, but the cause is never revealed and the flames were presumably extinguished by Master Roshi.

Overview

Once inside the doorway, the visitor must overcome several mind-tricks and illusions of attackers. There is a giant furnace directly in the middle of this area that is guarded by Annin. According to Grandpa Gohan, on special occasions people from the living world can come here and visit their deceased ancestors. The steam from the furnace is what allows both the dead and living to travel safely, and if the fire stops even for a moment it will take over 200 years to re-ignite without the Bansho Fan, giving enough time for dark spirits to take over the living world.

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The ancient Furnace

Because the furnace was so old, holes at the bottom eventually formed, causing fire to emerge from underground and consume Ox-King's castle on Fire Mountain. Master Roshi eventually puts out the fires at the castle with a Kamehameha, but several years later they re-emerge. Goku and Chi-Chi come to the Furnace of Eight Divisions in a final desperate effort to save Ox-King, and Goku eventually repairs the holes at the bottom. Afterwards this place is never seen nor mentioned again in the anime.

Trivia

• When Fortuneteller Baba tells Goku and Chi-Chi where the Magical Furnace is, she says it is on the other side of the world. This is a reference to the fact that souls go there when they die, making it "the other side".