The two, Angelina and Charlotte, who had been trailing quietly, dared not follow too closely for fear of being discovered by Zhong Shenxiu and Robin. Even upon reaching the entrance of the "Furnace Fire Armory," they hesitated to go in immediately, instead crouching in an inconspicuous spot outside to listen for any sound.
For some unknown reason, the two women felt strangely exhilarated, as if this sneaking around felt quite thrilling.
“Why is it so quiet?” Charlotte couldn't help but ask.
Angelina also found it peculiar. Logically, from their vantage point, they should have been able to hear conversations inside, but there wasn't a single sound.
As the two were wondering in confusion, a voice suddenly spoke from directly behind them, startling them both.
“The Master asked me to call you two inside to help!” It was Robin’s detached voice.
Angelina and Charlotte turned simultaneously and saw Robin standing silently behind them.
This shock was significant. The two were already feeling guilty, and Robin’s sudden appearance, like a phantom, sent a cold sweat down their backs!
“W-well, what a coincidence, huh!” Charlotte stammered awkwardly, not even knowing why she said such a thing.
It was utterly embarrassing, feeling exactly like being caught red-handed while stealing!
Yet, a question surfaced simultaneously in both their minds: How did Robin find us? We were hiding so discreetly and carefully!
(In truth, Zhong Shenxiu had spotted them long ago but chose not to expose them!)
Finally, the two followed Robin into the "Furnace Fire Armory." But the moment they stepped inside, they were stunned into silence!
The ground was piled high with blades, and strangely, not a single complete sword remained—all of them were broken!
What on earth was happening? What had transpired here?
The confusion in Angelina and Charlotte’s eyes grew deeper, but they refrained from asking, knowing that even if they did, Robin wouldn't tell them.
Looking around, they couldn't spot Zhong Shenxiu, only finding Iluno standing there as stiff as plaster, his face etched with shock.
“The Master is inside!” Seeing Angelina and Charlotte distracted, Robin quickly reminded them.
The two dared not lose focus again and hurried to keep up with Robin.
After winding through a series of turns, they finally reached a somewhat dim secret chamber where Zhong Shenxiu stood with a clear smile on his face.
Standing beside him was Andrew, but what was peculiar was that Andrew’s hands and feet were shaking violently, and his teeth were chattering. His eyes, not particularly large, were wide open!
Angelina and Charlotte clearly hadn't grasped the situation yet and seemed a bit lost upon entering!
“Hey, stop dawdling, get over here and help!” Zhong Shenxiu suddenly called out to Angelina and Charlotte. “See those white ores on the shelves? Move all of them down!”
Angelina and Charlotte exchanged a glance, thinking to themselves, Why is our fate so bitter? Not only did we miss the excitement, but we’ve turned into laborers!
They proceeded to move them; who were they to complain since they ran into this situation!
Andrew watched Angelina and Charlotte diligently moving the ores, a pang of heartache hitting him—those were all painstakingly collected by him!
However, what afflicted him more was the shock. The scene of Robin shattering swords hammered relentlessly at his sanity like a giant mallet!
That little girl is simply not human!
That was Andrew’s assessment of Robin. The swords he forged were rendered weaker than noodles in Robin’s hands! Thankfully, he eventually regained his composure and told Zhong Shenxiu: If you want any ore, go fetch it yourself; take as much as you like, just stop destroying my swords!
The present Andrew finally understood Laurent’s earnest advice: these two children were truly not people he could afford to offend!
Yet, one thing puzzled Andrew greatly: why did this young boy only want these "auxiliary stones" (as they were called in this world; if according to Zhong Shenxiu, they should be called "Spirit Locking Stones"), while ignoring the precious ores?
The so-called "auxiliary stones" were a general term referring to ores used only for support, not as primary forging materials.
Of course, this only showed that the people of this world hadn't discovered their true value or didn't know how to utilize them! Just like the "Phosphor King Stone" that Zhong Shenxiu mentioned. Though an unparalleled ore for artifact crafting, it required purification with "Samadhi True Fire." If the method of use were known, it would become a supreme treasure; otherwise, it would be like common dirt!
The reason Zhong Shenxiu valued this stone was that it was the undisputed choice for forging an alchemy furnace. A characteristic of the "Spirit Locking Stone" is its ability to prevent spiritual energy from leaking out. If forged into a furnace, it would significantly increase the quality and efficacy of the refined pills!
Zhong Shenxiu's ultimate alchemy cauldron, the Qiankun Cauldron, was forged from this very "Spirit Locking Stone." However, in the Cultivation World, this "Spirit Locking Stone" is extremely rare, requiring Zhong Shenxiu's extensive searching and long journeys to collect—it was not easily acquired!
Thanks to the efforts of the two beauties, Angelina and Charlotte, all of this "Spirit Locking Stone" was finally swept clean.
Since Zhong Shenxiu had no interest in the other ores, he decided to return home. But before leaving, he said something to Andrew that nearly brought the man to his knees.
“It was a pleasure working with you. I’ll be back often!” With that statement, Zhong Shenxiu departed with a smile!
Upon returning to the small courtyard, Zhong Shenxiu did not rest but immediately began forging the alchemy furnace, which would also serve to verify the methods he had grasped from Fire Magic!
The details are omitted here, but after two nights and one day of effort, Zhong Shenxiu’s furnace finally came into existence, which he named "Smelting"!
The main reason for this name was that its creation was inspired by Fire Magic!
Though the furnace was only about half a meter tall, it was incredibly potent, vastly improving the success rate of pill refinement, and it was simple to operate—one could learn it instantly. Anyone with basic alchemy knowledge and a degree of cultivation could master it easily!
Zhong Shenxiu forged this furnace largely for Robin. In the future, he planned not only to teach Robin martial arts but also alchemy; how could he do so without proper "educational equipment"!
Robin was currently unaware of Zhong Shenxiu’s earnest intentions, but that didn't matter much, as Robin already knew her Master cared for her, and she was utterly devoted to Zhong Shenxiu; that was enough!
Today, as usual, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin headed to the library early!
But halfway through reading, Zhong Shenxiu, for some reason, decided to visit his old class to check in.
Don't assume Zhong Shenxiu had a change of heart and planned to attend a lecture. The reason he returned was to accomplish one simple task.
That task was to return the books issued to him and Robin; leaving those books with him served no purpose!
As fate would have it, Zhong Shenxiu and Robin’s return coincided with an unexpected event: a brawl!
Yes, a full-blown mass fight between two groups of students!!
One faction involved students from Zhong Shenxiu’s own class, Class One. The opposing side was composed of students from Class Two.
This calls for an explanation: at the "Du Zhilai Magic and Martial Arts Academy," there was a convention:
Classes with odd numbers—students were all mages, like Class One (Qiao Ban). Classes with even numbers—students were all swordsmen, like Class Two (Che Ban).
Class One and Class Two frequently had friction, and fights breaking out between them were nothing new; Zhong Shenxiu and Robin’s arrival was simply bad timing.
The trigger for this mass brawl was straightforward: a boy from Class Two named Jacob was infatuated with Monica, the academic representative from Class One. During the long break, he again came to Class One’s area, insisting on taking Monica outside, claiming he had something important to discuss (the author suspects it was a confession).
However, Monica was clearly annoyed by him and refused. But this Jacob character seemed rather persistent, determined to get Monica out!
The Class One monitor, Sam, who had remained silent until then, finally lost his patience, started arguing with Jacob, and a physical fight broke out.
But since this was Class One’s territory, Jacob suffered a loss and left, only to return with reinforcements (his buddies from Class Two)!
Later, the arguments between the two classes escalated until it finally erupted into a full-scale brawl.
By the time Zhong Shenxiu and Robin arrived, the fight seemed to have concluded. This wasn't because teachers had intervened (they had been summoned, but hadn't arrived yet), but because the students of Class Two had overwhelmingly defeated Class One!
This wasn't because Class One students were inferior, but simply because the terrain was unsuitable for their fighting style.
Class One students were mages; they couldn't withstand a close-quarters brawl, especially against the sturdy, physically imposing swordsmen!
The hot-blooded youths of Class One (specifically those who participated in the recent battle) all looked like dejected roosters, glaring hatefully at the Class Two contingent! All their hopes now rested on their homeroom teacher, who hadn't arrived yet! (Teacher, why are you taking so long? Your students have been beaten; hurry up and bring justice for us!)
“I’m telling you people from Class One, every last one of you! Don’t act high and mighty around us Class Two folks again. In our eyes, you’re nothing but trash. Understand? Trash!”
Victory had clearly gone to some people’s heads in Class Two, making their arrogance shine through brazenly.
Question: What does Zhong Shenxiu despise most?
Answer: He hates people who put on airs or act boastful in front of him!
At this moment, Zhong Shenxiu’s expression appeared calm, but it was already sealed that these guys were in for trouble. (Even if the teachers or the principal arrived now, it wouldn't change their fate!)
“Robin, which class are we in?” Zhong Shenxiu’s lips finally curved into his signature wicked smile.
“Class One!”
Robin instantly understood Zhong Shenxiu’s intention and was already moving toward the crowd!