Chapter 26

In Xiaoluan's cave, the walls were covered with hanging green vines, and the light purple flowers emitted a simple and elegant fragrance amidst the greenery.

Xiaoluan was leaning against a desk, her left index finger tapping on an unnamed metal ore, while her right hand held a piece of animal skin scroll, carefully comparing it. Occasionally, she would look up and shout to Keling, who was sitting by the tripod furnace:

"Keling, the blacklight iron needs to be 85% pure, and the red-refined copper needs to be 70% pure."

On the other side, Keling was dressed in a purple vine skirt, her hands casually manipulating the flames on the tripod furnace. Clearly, this level of metal purification posed no challenge to her. Keling looked up, her bright face full of a charming smile, and lazily nodded:

"I know, I know..."

After saying this, her face suddenly showed a curious expression, and she lowered her voice to ask: "Xiaoluan, do you really think Zhou Lu can control a fourth-degree firestorm with just a few fire control techniques he learned by stealth? That's simply unbelievable. Even our eldest brother can't do it. Do you think Zhou Lu's talent is higher than our eldest brother's? I don't believe it..."

Keling pouted.

Xiaoluan smiled, her curved eyes showing a hint of annoyance: "Keling, do you doubt the Pavilion Master's ability to judge people?"

Keling huffed in dissatisfaction: "Pavilion Master? Humph, the Pavilion Master didn't even thoroughly question Zhou Lu before rashly bringing that fat guy into the Array Fire Pavilion. I seriously suspect that the Pavilion Master and that fat guy are related."

Xiaoluan giggled and teased: "Don't call him 'fat guy.' He is my savior, after all."

Keling nodded: "Xiaoluan, we all are grateful to that fat guy for saving you, but... but after we all carefully analyzed it, we unanimously concluded that the few fire control techniques he displayed were not enough to deal with a fourth-degree firestorm. Yet, the firestorm was extinguished by him. We suspect that it wasn't because of his high talent in fire control, but rather, he likely has some unknown method of extinguishing fires..."

Xiaoluan looked at Keling with a half-smile, knowing her senior sister's thoughts. In the tribe, the eldest brother, Yelaoqiang, had unmatched talent in forging, and in the hearts of all the junior brothers and sisters, he was already revered as a celestial being. Even Xiaoluan admired the eldest brother to the point of worship, and Keling regarded him as an untouchable idol.

Keling was unwilling to accept the fact that someone could have a higher talent in forging than the eldest brother. She was trying hard to find reasons to believe that Zhou Lu saved Xiaoluan by other means, not because of his talent in fire control. Zhou Lu's talent could not possibly surpass the eldest brother's.

Xiaoluan said seriously: "Keling, when Zhou Lu was helping me control the fire, I could feel that the flames in the tripod were extinguished in an inexplicable way. It was unlikely due to his fire control techniques, so I have also been suspicious, just like you..."

Seeing Keling's eyes light up like fire, Xiaoluan changed the subject: "However, everyone has secrets they don't want others to know. If Zhou Lu doesn't want to say, we should respect him and not pry into his privacy."

Keling's face showed reluctance, and she pouted, arguing: "You sound so reasonable. You are teaching Zhou Lu about materials, and you asked me to teach him fire control. How can I teach him effectively if I don't understand his talents and methods?"

Xiaoluan laughed again. She knew that Keling wouldn't stop until she found a point where Zhou Lu was inferior to the eldest brother. Just as Xiaoluan was about to persuade her, there was a "ding ding" sound of iron rings colliding on the stone door outside.

Both women were startled. Xiaoluan looked up excitedly and lowered her voice:

"It must be Zhou Lu."

Keling's hand was still on the tripod furnace, casually controlling the flames, and she turned her head curiously to watch Xiaoluan walk over to open the door.

Zhou Lu had been sitting in his cave for two days and nights. No matter what, he needed to report to Xiaoluan.

His hand was still on the copper ring, about to press his ear against the stone door to listen for any movement inside, when the stone door creaked open, startling Zhou Lu. He hadn't expected the door to open so quickly.

Zhou Lu hastily pulled his fat face back, and Xiaoluan's smiling face appeared from inside the door. She tilted her head and nodded at Zhou Lu: "Zhou Lu, are you rested? Come in."

Few girls had ever smiled at him like that, and Zhou Lu was suddenly overjoyed. He nodded foolishly and walked in, marveling at how Xiaoluan had decorated her cave so beautifully. Suddenly, he saw another beautiful woman by the tripod furnace, her beautiful eyes fixed on him with great interest.

Both women's bright gazes were on this fat guy.

The somewhat flirtatious attention made Zhou Lu feel elated. His vanity was greatly satisfied. Wasn't this his greatest life goal: to bully the weak, show off in front of others, and have women look at him with admiration and worship... Zhou Lu thought smugly:

Could it be that after I controlled the fourth-degree firestorm, the spring of my romantic luck has arrived?

The cave door creaked shut again. Xiaoluan walked over and saw that Zhou Lu was blushing and standing awkwardly under their gazes. She couldn't help but feel a bit smug and amused. To ease Zhou Lu's discomfort, Xiaoluan waved her hand and called out:

"Zhou Lu, this is Senior Sister Keling. You met her in the large cave last time. I will be responsible for teaching you about materials, and Senior Sister Keling will teach you fire control..."

Zhou Lu's face turned red again in front of the two women he wasn't very familiar with. He hurriedly bowed: "Senior Sister Keling."

The two women couldn't help but exchange amused glances. They hadn't expected this fat guy to be so easily embarrassed.

Xiaoluan smiled: "Zhou Lu, in our Array Fire Pavilion, three forging masters usually form a group. They can discuss and exchange ideas to avoid getting stuck in a rut. From now on, we three will be a group and will always be together..."

Xiaoluan wanted to tell Zhou Lu that they would be interacting frequently and to make him feel less nervous. Zhou Lu's eyes lit up, and he smiled and asked: "Always together?"

Xiaoluan nodded: "Yes."

"Morning and night?" Zhou Lu asked with a lecherous grin.

"Ugh, you pervert."

The two women blushed at Zhou Lu's teasing. They were both angry and amused. They knew Zhou Lu was joking, which was harmless, but they were frustrated that they had forgotten his obnoxious face and had mistaken him for someone who could be easily embarrassed. They must have been blind.

With a "hiss," the sound of the flames purifying the metal ore came from the tripod furnace. Keling's left hand trembled slightly, adjusting the intensity of the flames, then turned back to Zhou Lu with a sharp gaze:

"Zhou Lu..."

Zhou Lu's eyes had already been fixed on Keling.

This female forging master had a very alluring figure. Her long dress did little to hide her curvaceous body, and the lace-trimmed neckline was slightly loose, revealing a hint of her high, snow-white chest.

Zhou Lu shivered as he was called back to reality and smiled in response:

"Senior Sister Keling..."

Keling was secretly pleased by Zhou Lu's reaction. She enjoyed seeing others flustered by her beauty, even though Zhou Lu's reaction was more overt.

Keling nodded slightly and asked directly: "Zhou Lu, to be honest, we were very curious about how you could control a fourth-degree firestorm with just a few fire control techniques in the large cave..."

Keling's direct question made Xiaoluan tense up, and she focused her attention on Zhou Lu.

Keling paused and continued: "We later analyzed it carefully and concluded that you didn't know as many advanced fire control techniques as the Pavilion Master. Controlling a fourth-degree firestorm was simply unbelievable. We were guessing..."

Keling paused again, biting her lip, trying to figure out how to ask the next part without prying into his secrets.

Zhou Lu waved his hand:

"Guessing how I controlled the firestorm?"

The two women tensed up. Zhou Lu smiled and shook his head:

"I don't know the Pavilion Master's fire control techniques. During the tower sacrifice, I summoned a flame war soul, and I am mentally connected to it. The flame war soul can help me control other flames. That's how I subdued the firestorm."

Zhou Lu said this without hesitation, and Xiaoluan and Keling were both stunned.

Keling had prepared several ways to indirectly get Zhou Lu to reveal his secrets. Yesterday, she and Xiaoluan had discussed in detail whether Zhou Lu's fire control techniques were related to his supposedly useless war soul.

They hadn't expected Zhou Lu to so readily confirm their suspicions and reveal his secret so openly.

Keling and Xiaoluan felt a mix of surprise and a newfound closeness to this fat guy. Clearly, he didn't consider them outsiders.

However, Keling's eyes showed even more disbelief. She smiled skeptically and asked: "Your flame war soul? Are you kidding? A single flame can't have such powerful abilities. How could it control other flames?"

Xiaoluan's face also showed great curiosity.

Xiaoluan's family background gave her a deep understanding of war souls, but she still couldn't grasp the specific characteristics of such a unique flame war soul.

"Am I kidding?"

The flesh on Zhou Lu's face trembled, clearly irritated by the beautiful woman's words. He quickly walked over to the tripod furnace and slammed his palm on it. The lid popped open, and the flames inside surged up, rapidly raising the temperature in the cave.

"What are you doing?"

Keling looked shocked and stood up angrily: "My two types of ore haven't been refined yet. Be careful not to destroy them..."

Before Keling could finish her sentence, her eyes widened, and she plopped back onto the stone bench. She and Xiaoluan, who was nearby, were amazed to see a fat, mischievous face crawl out of the tripod furnace. Then, two hands appeared from the flames, grabbed the edge of the tripod, and another Zhou Lu, like a thief, peeked out and looked around.

Keling and Xiaoluan gasped in unison at this incredible sight.

The Zhou Lu in the tripod furnace looked down, and Keling's loose neckline was fully in his view, her firm and round chest exposed without any cover.

The Zhou Lu in the tripod furnace's eyes went wide, and saliva involuntarily dripped from his mouth.

It was too realistic. The flame's transformation was so vivid and lifelike, every detail and expression was perfect. Xiaoluan was amazed, and only then did she realize how the fire demon she saw during the firestorm had appeared.

"Pervert!"

Keling, realizing she had been teased by a flame, stood up angrily, adjusted her neckline, and slammed the lid back on the tripod furnace, instantly extinguishing the "Zhou Lu" inside.

Seeing Keling being teased by a flame, Xiaoluan couldn't hold back her laughter and giggled uncontrollably.

One woman was angry, the other was laughing, but their inner shock was far greater than their outward emotions.

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