Chapter 179

Chapter 179: Evolution of Fusang Fire

Chang Xiang rarely spoke to Lou Yun anymore these days, so whenever he did open his mouth, it was always something important. The fact that he spoke up now for this seemingly insignificant, blackened object meant he definitely knew what it was—and it must be an extraordinary treasure!

Lou Yun naturally wouldn’t refuse Chang Xiang now that he had spoken. But he was wise enough not to immediately ask what the object was, knowing full well it would be pointless.

Short Winter Melon continued to argue, "Once you’ve beaten me, I’ll naturally tell you what this is!"

Lou Yun pretended to ponder for a moment before nodding. "Very well, I agree."

Short Winter Melon was visibly delighted, but the onlookers felt Lou Yun was being short-changed. Even a three-year-old could see the stark contrast between the Chaos Golden Cauldron and that lump of dark material lying beside it—they were utterly incomparable!

If Short Winter Melon won, he would gain the coveted Grand Cauldron. If Lou Yun won, he received only an unrecognizable black stone. It was fundamentally unfair!

But since Lou Yun was the party agreeing to it himself, everyone else could only swallow their views. Apart from Xu Yangteng, Lei Nu, and the few who genuinely cared for Lou Yun, others were more intrigued by the forging duel that promised excitement.

With the wager set and no further disputes, Dai Rong approached them to ask if their materials were sufficient for forging a mystery rank common weapon.

The greatest challenge in crafting a mystery rank common weapon lay in granting it the ability to fly. Lou Yun had contemplated making one before the forging conference but had been unable to find a suitable beast soul infused with the wood attribute. Since Dai Rong raised the question now, Lou Yun was ready to voice his lack.

Just before speaking, however, Lou Yun swallowed his words, deciding instead to mess with Short Winter Melon.

Already lost in visions of claiming the priceless Chaos Golden Cauldron, Short Winter Melon waved Dai Rong away. "No need, I’ve got everything prepared!"

Dai Rong looked to Lou Yun. Lou Yun deliberately announced loudly, "Truth is, I haven’t gathered materials for a mystery rank common weapon! If you could spare some, Director Dai, it’d be a big help!"

Dai Rong immediately caught his intention. Suppressing a knowing smile, he chimed in, "As it happens, I have one beast soul of the second-tier mystery rank and one chunk of third-tier spiritual crystals here! I’ll give them to you!"

These items were priceless. Had the head patriarch Beichen Ming not favored Lou Yun as his potential successor, Dai Rong would never have relinquished such treasures voluntarily.

Short Winter Melon shuddered upon hearing this. After a stunned moment, he cried out pathetically, "Director Dai! It just occurred to me—I left in a rush and forgot part of my forging materials! Show some kindness, give me some as well!"

Dai Rong spread his hands, the picture of innocence. "I asked you just now and you said you were prepared. Beast souls and spiritual crystals? I only had one piece of each. I’ve just given them to him. I’ve nothing left!"

Instantly, Short Winter Melon wilted like frostbitten plants, his spirits utterly crushed. As someone perpetually on the lookout for profits, missing a free handout burned him deeply.

Lou Yun and Dai Rong exchanged a conspiratorial smile, their little trick executed perfectly.

Materials settled, both took their cauldrons. The forging duel had officially begun!

With no time to observe Short Winter Melon, Lou Yun mustered every ounce of focus onto his own weapon. This duel required absolute victory.

But he didn’t rush to start. Closing his eyes, he meticulously reviewed the critical step of forging a mystery rank common weapon: creating the Weapon Core. This was his very first attempt crafting such a high-grade common weapon!

Opening his eyes moments later, he threw the Nine-section Stone into his Chaos Golden Cauldron, followed by clusters of spiritual crystals and beast souls.

Preparations complete, he clutched Dai Rong’s gifted spiritual crystals and beast soul in one hand. With the other, he snapped his fingers, launching a sphere of Fusang Fire beneath the cauldron where it instantly blazed to life!

Lou Yun’s primary and most difficult task: force the Fusang Fire to simultaneously generate nine distinct temperatures to melt the stone!

Early in his forging journey, altering fire temperatures across different stages sufficed. Later, he learned to control multiple temperature points at once—a skill vaguely similar. Yet mastering two, three, or even four points paled against the challenge of precisely splitting nine individual temperatures!

Relying on his powerful awareness, Lou Yun channeled unbroken concentration into controlling the Fusang Fire’s heat. To the naked eyes of spectators, the fire began morphing visibly.

What had been a single towering blaze, under Lou Yun’s command, slowly cleaved down its center to become two distinct flames. This further divided into four individual tongues of fire.

Two of these then underwent yet another fission, blossoming into a total of six separate columns of flame!

The current sight: a major blaze supporting six distinct tongues of fire!

Six distinct flames signified six unique temperatures—Lou Yun’s maximum control over Fusang Fire’s thermal output at present!

The bizarre display stirred murmurs of awe among the onlookers. Even sixth-tier skilled weapon makers watched in silent contemplation, admitting inwardly they could never achieve such precision.

Teeth gritted tight, Lou Yun poured spiritual energy towards yet again splitting the fiery tongues. After strenuous effort, two more finally cleaved apart. Eight distinct tongues of flame now existed! Eight temperatures! Only one more was needed!

Generating that final temperature felt almost impossible to Lou Yun now. His spiritual energy and awareness had maxed out. Controlling eight unique thermal zones demanded immense fortitude and spiritual power—with absolutely nothing extra to channel!

As its name declared, the Nine-temperature Assimilation Stone could only be liquified by simultaneous exposure to nine distinct heats. Under eight? It refused to budge a fraction.

What now?! His mind raced frantically. Lou Yun knew his own limits acutely. Only a miracle could achieve the ninth temperature!

Without it, he couldn’t melt the stone, let alone forge the weapon. Losing the duel was a foregone conclusion!

Spectators silently willed strength upon him. Unwittingly, Lou Yun had earned their awe and admiration through the sheer power of his awareness and fire mastery. They yearned to see him triumph!

Hope was one thing; the sight unfolding at Short Winter Melon’s station was quite another. His controlled flames had already branched out into nine different temperatures! Already scouring the Nine-temperature Assimilation Stone. Though slow, continued exposure would inevitably liquefy it! Much of the battle was virtually won!

Beichen Ming watched intently, brows knitted. He knew Lou Yun wielded Heavenly Fire Fusang and had honed his control to perfection. Yet even Lou Yun struggled at eight splits—his absolute limit. Short Winter Melon, wielding ordinary fire, had casually produced nine temperatures! Something felt deeply wrong…

What Beichen Ming didn’t see—what no one saw amidst the crowd—was the pill Fan Ruobing had covertly passed to Short Winter Melon along with the stone. Though suspicion flared for Beichen Ming, proof was absent. Only Lou Yun’s personal grit could turn things!

Lou Yun was drowning in frustration. His spiritual energy was fully partitioned across the eight flames—not a wisp remained available!

Must I truly lose like this?

Truth be told, Lou Yun found the idea galling. Losing to anyone would sting, but especially to Short Winter Melon, whom he held in such contempt!

This surge of anger suddenly ignited a blaze of defiance. I absolutely cannot lose!

Clenching his teeth audibly, Lou Yun’s whole body began trembling subtly. He threw every shred of willpower into trying to extract even a sliver more spiritual energy to coax a ninth fire thread from Fusang Fire.

Suddenly, a thunderous explosion detonated silently within Lou Yun’s mind! Consciousness vanished instantly…

Thus, he missed the concurrent events unfolding inside his body:

At the site of the silent detonation—within his dantian—the Dream Emperor Sword spirit weapon flared with blinding light! Suspended within it, the seed-core of Fusang Fire slowly drifted upwards in shimmering, illusory form! Inside the fire seed core, the green Fusang Tree stood starkly within. If the seed core embodied an entire world, the Fusang Tree became one holding up its sky with its crown, grounding it with its roots…

Then, an anomaly struck.

The entire Fusang Tree ensconced within the fire seed began… growing!

First, its branches and leaves stretched outward, breaching the confines of the fire seed. Its trunk then thickened and swelled at a deliberate, unstoppable pace—soon thrusting entirely beyond the seed, then continuing its expansion unabated!

Meanwhile, its root network plunged desperately downward, shattering the lower barriers of the fire seed and tangling straight onto the Dream Emperor Sword!

Its growth accelerated! The leafy crown soon penetrated far into Lou Yun’s skull—yet, being purely illusory, this expansion caused him no bodily harm.

Ultimately, a complete Fusang Tree resided within Lou Yun. Crown nestled deep within his brain; roots gripping the Dream Emperor Sword firmly; the great trunk stretching majestically between the two anchors.