"Anyone who could kill your Dr. Dong, and make our Southriver Sword Sect's new disciple Lin Nantian admit defeat without a fight, must have already stepped into the Vajra Realm."
If you think you can just refine him in this furnace, you're underestimating him. That layer of iron plating—I'd pierce it with one sword. And that iron door? He could probably smash it open with a single punch.
In the corner, the Bonesword Master spoke with a chilling tone, his eyes fixed on the central furnace, and thoughts of the person inside stirred a hint of battle intent in his heart.
Earlier, the Southriver Sword Sect disciples sent to the Mu family were reportedly also defeated by this so-called Master Lin.
If it really was all the same person, then if the Bonesword Master kills him and brings his head back to the sect, he'll definitely make a name for himself—and might even get promoted straight to Chief Sword Master of the Southriver Sword Sect!
"You needn't worry about that, Bonesword Master. This is just the first step."
Master Weiyao heard his words but didn't seem anxious at all.
He slowly stood up and glanced at the scruffy young man nearby. "A-Fu, get ready to start the furnace!"
"Yes, sir!"
The scruffy youth grinned, spun the iron chain in his hand, and quickly strode over to the two side furnaces, pulling open the outermost iron doors.
Then, everyone watched as Master Weiyao stepped down from the seat of honor. He walked up to an iron door, reached out, and extended his hand inside.
No one knew what trick he used, but he suddenly pulled out a red-hot iron chain! The chain was so scorching that the air on the entire third floor seemed about to catch fire.
Master Weiyao laid the red-hot chain over the ones already binding the iron door, then reached into another iron door and pulled out a second red-hot chain, layering it on top as well.
Soon, the intense heat began to melt the chains on the iron door, turning them into drops of molten iron that seeped into the cracks of the door.
"These three furnaces have endless firepower—the Miracle Hand Sect's best place for pill refining—because they use the Divine Earthfire! There's only one such fire, but it's so fierce that ordinary herbs would turn to ash before you could refine anything."
"That's why I split the fire into three and stored them in three separate furnaces, just to make it barely controllable. But today, to kill this so-called Vajra Realm expert, I'm merging all three into one! I, Master Weiyao, will personally refine this Human Pill! When it's done, I'll swallow it whole and see if a Vajra Realm expert's Human Pill can push my cultivation to the next level!"
Master Weiyao let out a wild laugh, his face full of arrogance.
At these words, the Bonesword Master nodded slightly, a trace of admiration flickering in his eyes.
"Those two snuck in too—they're with him! Grab them! We'll refine them as well!" Gary Liu shouted, glaring at Leo Liu and Byron Liu.
At his shout, Byron Liu's eyes rolled back and he fainted from fright.
Leo Liu was also badly shaken, but he forced himself to grit his teeth and endure.
"No rush with those two. Let them see the Human Pill come out with their own eyes, then we'll deal with them."
Outside the furnace, all the Miracle Hand Sect members were intently watching the central furnace.
With the molten iron sealing it, that iron door was now almost impossible to move.
"He's probably already been roasted into a dried corpse by now."
Celine Lin muttered this, shook her head, and sighed.
She took out the Youth-Preserving Beauty Pill from her robes and glanced at it.
"What a pity. If he dies, I'll never figure out where this pill really came from."
With that thought, Celine tucked the pill away and said nothing more.
Inside the furnace.
Evan Lin kept his eyes fixed on the medicinal essence inside the furnace flames.
The essence had now become crystal clear and exceptionally pure, releasing a faint medicinal fragrance within the flames.
Inside the furnace, the air grew even hotter and drier.
More flames surged around him, but whenever they got within a foot of Evan, they all diverted toward his backpack.
Floating above the backpack, the Scarlet Flame Command transformed into a small fire python, greedily devouring the surrounding flames with obvious delight. Beneath it, the three female spirits from the Soul-Sacrifice Beauty Scroll huddled together, terrified and trembling.
If not for the Scarlet Flame Command's protection, the Soul-Sacrifice Beauty Scroll would have already turned to ash—taking the spirits with it, erasing them completely.
Evan tossed the bag casually to the floor and said calmly, "Protect them."
At his words, the fire python redoubled its efforts, opening its mouth even wider to devour the flames more fiercely.
Evan then stepped forward, focusing his mind. He glanced at his left hand and saw the fiery patterns carved into the Left-Hand Dragon glowing with a brilliant red light.
His left hand felt increasingly scorched, almost burning.
"This is a Fire-Vein ground—even the lowest grade packs some serious heat."
"A Fire-Spirit Mortal Body needs to absorb enough fire to cultivate. Last time, Molly Su's Fire-Spirit Mortal Body was refined by the Left-Hand Dragon. So that means..."
At that thought, Evan stretched out his left hand and plunged it straight into the flames.
Boom!
As his arm entered the furnace flames, the raging fire seemed to sense something and grew even more agitated.
Flames surged wildly, and the iron chains inside the furnace rattled and shook, banging against each other with thunderous crashes, as if issuing a warning.
Evan showed no fear or hesitation—he grabbed the red-hot iron chain with his left hand.
The moment Evan gripped the chain, time seemed to freeze. The fire-patterns on the Left-Hand Dragon flared up, orange-red flames roaring like a sea of fire.
That fierce blaze erupted from the fire-patterns of the Fire-Spirit Mortal Body, sweeping through the entire furnace in an instant!
At that same moment, Evan's jet-black hair turned a deep crimson, and his eyes reflected an endless sea of flames, blazing red.