Chapter 20

Zhou Lu nodded to Xiao Luan and carefully backed out. Manager Qi told him that his work was not yet finished, and he had to stay behind to help clean up after Xiao Luan's success.

At the entrance of the tripod room, Third Senior Brother and the green-dressed Huan Sister stood on either side, guarding Xiao Luan. The other alchemists, with fiery eyes, gathered a bit further away. Zhou Lu stood at the back, craning his neck to peek into the tripod room.

For a moment, the entire stone cave was silent, as if even a light cough would disturb the genius female array master inside the tripod room.

Xiao Luan had consecrated the heavens, earth, and spirits in her heart, feeling that her state had reached its peak. She gently extended her hands and placed them on the ancient and rough array pattern tripod. The cold tripod invigorated her spirit, and the primal energy in her body flowed out through her hands.

The primal energy activated the fire array pattern in the tripod, and fierce two-flavored true fire began to burn fiercely in the tripod's belly.

Xiao Luan lightly shook her palms, and the tripod lid opened a crack. She casually threw the red copper and demon phosphorus stone from the stone table into the raging flames in the tripod's belly.

Under Xiao Luan's precise fire control technique, the two-flavored true fire swirled and wrapped around the two ore stones in a wave-like manner. With a hissing sound, the sharp flames refined the ore stones into a dough-like shape. The dough twisted as impurities were refined, gradually revealing an increasingly pure metal color.

The entire stone cave was silent.

Xiao Luan closed her eyes slightly, focusing her mind on the flames in the tripod, but her heart was filled with turmoil.

Xiao Luan had prepared for this furnace opening for a long time. Today's smelting and refining must succeed, not fail. This was not only for her reputation but also for the pressure she carried on her back.

In the blazing fire, Xiao Luan seemed to see her grandfather's infinitely expectant gaze.

Xiao Luan's grandfather was the second elder, Mo Xuanyi, who was second only to the chief elder in the tribe. Mo Xuanyi's power could rival that of the first elder, Ouye Tuji.

One controlled the military, the other the military industry. The first elder was decisive and ruthless, while the second elder was dignified and peaceful, low-key and mysterious. Both had many followers, gradually forming two large power groups. The two elders represented the interests of their respective groups, and conflicts often arose between them.

Although they appeared united to the outside world, Xiao Luan knew that both grandfathers were proud and stubborn, and their hidden competition never ceased.

They not only maintained their own face but also the interests of their respective groups.

The son of the first elder, a powerful high-level hunter, now controlled a brave army, becoming a pillar of the first elder's group. His grandson, Tie Mitao, was a genius of unparalleled talent, making the first elder's group strong and stable.

However, the second elder Mo Xuanyi's group lacked successors.

Xiao Luan's father died early, and besides her, the second elder's group had no other successors. If Xiao Luan did not take on the responsibility, the second elder's group would eventually collapse.

For so many years, Xiao Luan had been almost suffocated by the pressure. Behind her genius name was her desperate effort.

Today's furnace opening was a concentrated display of all her achievements over the years.

To prepare for today, she spent years collecting materials, even running alone to the western mines on the tribe's border to search for the ore she needed in this land of black gold.

Today, she required herself to complete the triple forging of the black gold. Only then would her prestige in the tribe have a chance to match Tie Mitao's.

She did not care about the intrigue. Xiao Luan only knew that if she could see a hint of satisfaction in her grandfather's eyes, it would be the happiest thing for her.

Xiao Luan took a deep breath, slowly suppressing all her worries, and released energy from her palms. One after another, exquisite fire control techniques ignited the tripod fire: three waves of surging, threading through flowers, gentle wind exhaling, and wings spanning the sky...

The stubborn tripod fire obeyed her like an extension of her arm.

Zhou Lu, standing far away, craned his neck and stood with his mouth agape, almost mesmerized.

He was not an outsider who could not understand anything. Zhou Lu had long immersed part of his mind in the dantian demon fire. In that moment, Zhou Lu felt himself become a flame, his mind connected to the tripod fire under Xiao Luan's control. Every change in the tripod's fire was as clear to him as a naked beauty in the sunlight, every detail vividly presented.

Xiao Luan's exquisite fire control techniques left Zhou Lu in awe.

If Zhou Lu could control the fire to change into any shape with his mind, like a magic trick, then Xiao Luan could make the stubborn fire power completely obey her, using it at will.

Zhou Lu's eyes gleamed like a weasel's.

He had never thought that fire could be controlled so freely. In his eyes, Xiao Luan's fire control techniques were no different from advanced martial arts.

Zhou Lu greedily stole the techniques, trying his best to memorize the fire control techniques in his mind.

It was as if he had discovered a new world of martial arts, learning with great enthusiasm.

...

The entire smelting process went exceptionally smoothly. After so many years of preparation, Xiao Luan did not allow any mistakes, and she indeed achieved perfection.

After nearly an hour of waiting, the thick black gold ore in the tripod, after two complex forges, had all impurities removed, and its purity reached an astonishing standard. The captivating luster indicated that it had the properties to forge a rare weapon.

Only the last step remained.

Xiao Luan's heart was filled with anxious anticipation. She clenched her teeth and threw seven types of ore, including red gold, into the tripod. Looking at the fierce tripod fire, she hesitated for a moment and then resolutely picked up the egg-sized explosive crystal and threw it into the tripod.

The final forge, the purity and hardness of the black gold had reached an incredible level. Ordinary two-flavored true fire was already struggling, and Xiao Luan needed to use the explosive crystal to increase the temperature and complete the final third forge.

Success or failure hinged on this one move.

Xiao Luan lightly shook her palms, and two fire snakes rapidly wrapped around the explosive crystal. The sharp flames slowly refined and melted the hard explosive crystal...

...

The other alchemists did not have Zhou Lu's ability to see the changes in the tripod's fire. They could only see Xiao Luan's smooth progress through all the smelting procedures.

Seeing the red gold and explosive crystal thrown into the tripod, the alchemists sighed in relief, gradually relaxing after the long tension.

"It's almost over."

Many people smiled.

Zhou Lu stretched his neck, and through the demon fire in his dantian, he could clearly sense every step of Xiao Luan's fire control, as if she were teaching him on the spot. Zhou Lu learned with great interest. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and he clenched his fists, shouting, "Not good."

In the dead silence, this shout, though not loud, was very sudden, startling Manager Qi, who was focused, almost choking on a breath.

Manager Qi was instantly furious. "What are you shouting about? Have you forgotten what I just told you?"

Manager Qi angrily turned to glare at Zhou Lu, about to scold him, when the tripod room buzzed, and the large tripod shook violently. Xiao Luan's face turned deathly pale, and her body trembled involuntarily. Her hands, pressed against the tripod, also trembled, clearly struggling to control it.

"Is the tripod exploding?"

The alchemists in the cave were in an uproar, instinctively surging forward. No one expected that such a smooth process would suddenly end in a tripod explosion at the last step.

What level of fire explosion was it? Could it be salvaged?

Manager Qi was also shocked, stepping forward, but his heart pounded in surprise. "What the hell? How did this fat guy know in advance?"

The cave was in chaos, everyone panicking.

Third Senior Brother was the calmest. He reached out to stop the crowd from crowding, keeping them outside the tripod room. He then darted into the tripod room, sensing the chaotic and violent flames inside. "Xiao Luan, how bad is it? What level of fire explosion?"

Xiao Luan's face was ashen, almost bloodless, struggling to control the flames inside the tripod. She forced out a few words through gritted teeth, "Level two..."

Third Senior Brother breathed a slight sigh of relief. Xiao Luan continued, "But the intensity of the fire explosion is still rising, almost to level three..."

Hearing this, the alchemists outside changed color.

If it was a level two fire explosion, with Xiao Luan's masterful fire control, she might be able to suppress it, completing the final third forge of the black gold.

Then, although the process would be difficult, there was still hope for success. However, if it reached level three, it would be beyond Xiao Luan's control, and she would have to give up.

But the alchemists knew that Xiao Luan had prepared for so many years. Could the proud and stubborn Xiao Luan allow herself to fail?

Third Senior Brother, with a worried look, shouted, "Xiao Luan, can you suppress it? Can you suppress it? You still have a chance for success."

Xiao Luan forced a bitter smile, her lips almost bleeding from biting. She had been doing her utmost, her fire control techniques as graceful as threading through flowers, skillfully controlling the flames. She was almost out of breath.

The flames showed a slight weakening trend.

Xiao Luan saw a glimmer of hope.

Suddenly, another deep buzz came from the tripod, causing the ground to shake.

Xiao Luan's vision went black, feeling her power surge from her palms, only to fuel the demonic flames in the tripod. The flames burned wildly, forming a powerful negative pressure, and her palms were stuck to the tripod, unable to be pulled away.

Her power was draining at an alarming rate.

Xiao Luan was terrified, "Level four, level four fire explosion..."

"What?"

Third Senior Brother shivered, his face changing, instinctively stepping back.

His arms trembled.

A level four fire explosion was a disaster. How could the fire in the tripod rise so quickly? What caused such a catastrophic explosion?

Xiao Luan was doing her utmost to control the flames. If she exhausted herself and was overpowered by the flames, a massive explosion would occur, reducing everything within several meters to dust.

Such a powerful fire explosion was beyond their control.

Third Senior Brother, fearing for his own safety, took another big step back.

The alchemists outside also panicked.

Hearing the chaos outside, Third Senior Brother finally reacted, turning and shouting, "What are you waiting for? Go get the Pavilion Master."

One alchemist, hearing this, ran out.

A level four fire explosion, only the Pavilion Master could save Xiao Luan.