Chapter 22

On the other side of the mountain wall, Third Senior Brother leaped up from the ground, his face filled with rage.

A noble Great Artificer, the esteemed Third Senior Brother of the Western Fire Mountain Array Hall, had actually been beaten to a bloody pulp by a lowly and despicable servant?

In a fit of anger, Third Senior Brother rushed to the mountain wall, grabbed a crossbow, and pulled it taut with a snap. In a rage, he charged back, determined to bring the mad servant to justice and shoot him full of holes.

But his steps suddenly stopped in front of the alchemy chamber, and he could not move another inch.

Third Senior Brother saw that inside the alchemy chamber, Xiaoluan was sitting by the furnace, her eyes tightly closed, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead, and her body trembling uncontrollably. The large tripod was humming and shaking violently, as if it could not withstand the pressure and was about to explode at any moment.

Zhou Lu, on the other hand, was peering around, his hands tentatively reaching out to the furnace.

"What is he doing?"

Huan Sister also came over, and the more than ten other artificers behind her followed, their faces full of confusion.

Inside the alchemy chamber, Zhou Lu hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and suddenly moved his plump hands in a fluid motion, lightly tapping the tripod with one hand in front and the other behind, then sweeping horizontally in a smooth, flowing motion. The fire tripod hummed softly, a sign of the exquisite and unparalleled technique known as "Wings Spanning the Sky" in fire control.

Zhou Lu's wrists became supple, adhering to the tripod and rotating in a yin-yang pattern. In the center of the circular motion, his wrists pulled back and pushed forward, causing the fire tripod to hum and vibrate. This was the powerful technique known as "Yin-Yang Separating Day and Night" in fire control.

Just as the people outside the alchemy chamber were stunned, Zhou Lu's body seemed to be in water, his feet firmly planted on the ground, his shoulders trembling as if resisting the water's resistance. His fingertips snapped and struck the tripod, a stream of finger wind forcefully penetrating the interior of the fire tripod. This was the most sharp and precise technique in fire control, known as "Spirit Wind Spitting Venom."

"Huh? How is this possible..."

Third Senior Brother, Huan Sister, and the more than ten artificers beside them stared at Zhou Lu's movements, unable to believe their eyes.

The fat man was using the most orthodox fire control techniques, and each move was executed with a fluid grace, each step perfectly timed, and as swift as lightning, giving the impression of a work of art. His technique was so refined that it made the other artificers feel ashamed.

There were no words to describe such a dazzling and mesmerizing performance.

They could not believe how the fat man had learned these fire control techniques and brought them to such a realm. Was it as if the hall master had possessed him?

Everyone was amazed by Zhou Lu's fire control technique. They had forgotten the danger and the passage of time, hoping that the fat man would continue his artistic movements.

Huan Sister's eyes sparkled, and she murmured, "An expert, I never thought he was an expert..."

...

"An expert? What a joke!"

Zhou Lu knew his own struggles. He had no prior knowledge of fire control and had only learned a bit by stealth. The control he felt over the ten savage meridians gave his fire control techniques a mystical aura, but it was only a facade of strength.

Many powerful artificers dared not approach the fourth-degree fire explosion, and his superficial knowledge could not control the raging fire demon.

Due to the addition of his savage energy, the flames in the tripod worsened, almost becoming uncontrollable.

Zhou Lu was drenched in cold sweat. He knew that the fire explosion was caused by the fire energy being confined in a small space. The fire control techniques he had learned by stealth were not effective, but he had his own unique fire control technique.

Zhou Lu's mind connected with the flames in the tripod, and he became the leaping, burning fire.

"Transform!"

The fire energy gathered in the tripod was dispersed by Zhou Lu, expanding into a large bun, then transforming into a chubby dog wagging its tail, and finally into a charming and lovely woman, though the woman was rather plump due to the need to disperse the fire energy...

Expanding and deforming the flames indeed delayed the final explosion. However, Xiaoluan was almost frightened to death by the dazzling fire illusions:

"Fire demon..."

Xiaoluan screamed in her mind.

Taking advantage of the chaos in the flames, Zhou Lu's fingertips released a pale purple demonic fire, which slipped out and was swallowed by the raging flames in the tripod, like a dry sponge thrown into a basin of water. The surrounding violent fire energy was greedily absorbed by the demonic fire, and Zhou Lu could even feel the joy and excitement it transmitted.

From the moment Xiaoluan opened the tripod, the demonic fire in Zhou Lu's dantian had been in a state of excited hunger, eager to rush over.

After the explosive crystal exploded, the demonic fire's excitement became even stronger.

Zhou Lu had no confidence in his ability to save Xiaoluan, but he knew the demonic fire wanted to try, and he instinctively took the gamble.

The demonic fire excitedly spun as it entered the tripod, swallowing the violent fire energy like a whale.

The light and heat emitted by the flames were a form of thermal energy, and the flames themselves were also a source of heat. The demonic fire could absorb heat from a distance, but it could also directly consume the flames to replenish itself.

Zhou Lu had not expected the demonic fire to be so hungry. He watched as it greedily devoured all the flames in the tripod, and in a short time, the pale purple demonic fire grew larger and more vigorous. If it had been a two or three-year-old child before, it now seemed to have grown to the size of a four or five-year-old.

As the fire energy was gradually consumed by the demonic fire, the intensity of the explosion gradually decreased. Eventually, Xiaoluan was able to control it, and the flames were no longer sufficient to maintain combustion.

Outside the alchemy chamber, the artificers held their breath, staring in shock. Half an incense stick passed, then a full incense stick passed...

They heard the continuous explosions in the tripod slowly cease, the humming vibrations gradually stop, and the tripod slowly calm down.

Finally, the tripod hummed softly, the fire array patterns on it stopped, and the flames inside were completely extinguished.

With a "bang," Zhou Lu's hands left the tripod, and he collapsed to the ground.

However, it was clear that he had won the bet.

With a "snap," Xiaoluan's hands also left the tripod, and she leaned against the stone wall, exhausted, gasping for breath. The explosion of the tripod had almost drained all her strength, but now she was safe.

Huan Sister's chest heaved up and down. She could hardly believe it. The fourth-degree fire explosion had been overcome with such a narrow escape?

Everyone stared in shock at the alchemy chamber. The furnace opening and refining had failed, but saving their lives was more important than anything.

All the artificers felt a sense of relief and joy. Huan Sister, with tears in her eyes, took a step towards Xiaoluan...

At that moment, Xiaoluan clenched her lips, gathered her strength, and sat up straight. She slapped the tripod, and the lid opened. A piece of Xuanjin, the size of a knife blade, jumped out and landed in Xiaoluan's hand.

Tears welled up in Xiaoluan's eyes, and her face was filled with happiness and relief. She turned to Huan Sister, who had entered the alchemy chamber, and shouted:

"Huan Sister, I finally refined the Xuanjin to the third stage!"

Xiaoluan held up the third-stage Xuanjin, almost in a state of jubilation.

"What?"

"Really?"

The artificers outside the cave woke from their stupor, and they all cheered in wild joy, rushing into the alchemy chamber. Huan Sister's eyes widened as she quickly approached and took the third-stage Xuanjin. The dazzling gold made her heart feel a mix of emotions, and tears streamed down her face. Outside, the manager Qi, who had been on edge, jumped for joy.

"A miracle, this is simply a miracle."

"To survive the disaster is already a great fortune, and to complete the third-stage Xuanjin in the midst of the disaster?"

It was almost impossible to explain without calling it a miracle.

Manager Qi's heart had almost stopped when Zhou Lu suddenly went berserk and charged in. After all, Zhou Lu was brought in by him, and if something went wrong, he would not escape responsibility. Who would have thought that the unremarkable fat man would turn out to be a hero.

Even more unexpectedly, with Zhou Lu's help, Xiaoluan's third-stage Xuanjin was successfully refined.

Outside the cave, Third Senior Brother, holding his swollen face, was unsure whether to cry or laugh. If someone were nearby, they would hear him muttering, "How is this possible, how is this possible... Xiaoluan actually succeeded?"

...

After the tripod explosion, Xiaoluan's heart sank into an endless sea of despair, and her vision seemed to lose all color. She thought of her grandfather's expectant eyes and the invisible pressure that was suffocating her...

Xiaoluan steeled her heart, deciding to leave her fate to destiny. Even if she died, she would complete her wish before dying. She clenched her teeth and poured out all the fire control techniques used for the third-stage refinement, suppressing the boiling fire explosion while doing her utmost to control the raging fire energy to refine the final stage of the Xuanjin.

The intensity of the flames was almost equivalent to the Three Pure Fires. At the most critical moment of the fire explosion, the third-stage Xuanjin was refined by Xiaoluan in the midst of life and death.

What surprised her even more was that the fat man responsible for moving the ore had miraculously appeared at the last moment to calm the fire explosion and save her life in an incredible way.

Xiaoluan had gone through a cycle of life and death, and now she felt that all the light and hope had returned to her heart. Looking at the fat man, she felt an indescribable emotion. At the most dangerous moment, when the tripod was about to explode and even Third Senior Brother was retreating in fear, it was this fat man who had rushed in without hesitation.

Xiaoluan did not understand why the fat man had done this. The emotion of gratitude grew like weeds in her heart, intertwining and overlapping. In the moment between life and death, Xiaoluan felt a mix of despair, relief, suffocation, and bitterness, but also a new emotion—warmth!

With Huan Sister's support, Xiaoluan struggled to walk to Zhou Lu's side. She extended her delicate hands and, in the stunned gaze of the other artificers, personally helped the still trembling Zhou Lu to his feet.

Looking at Zhou Lu's pale face, Xiaoluan's heart was filled with complex and indescribable emotions. Blinking her bright eyes, she asked softly, "Were you afraid too?"

Zhou Lu's face was still pale, and he shivered as he said, "Of course I was afraid, I was scared to death."

Xiaoluan was even more moved. Who wouldn't be afraid at the brink of life and death? But despite his fear, he had still rushed into the alchemy chamber with such determination and courage. He was truly the brave warrior of the wilderness in her heart.

Tears welled up in Xiaoluan's eyes.

Zhou Lu's lips trembled. "Don't think that helping me up is enough. This job is too scary. You need to give me at least eighty more oxen."

"You..."

The manager Qi's face twitched.

Xiaoluan could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.

Looking at this fat man, Xiaoluan really didn't know what he was made of. He had a heroic spirit that could move the heart, yet he acted so despicably. He had a mysterious and impressive strength, yet he always pretended to be an honest and easily deceived person...