Chapter 201: The Furnace Flame
Once the refining furnace had cooled, Master Chen instructed the disciples to dismantle it.
Mo Hua then continued to complete the unfinished formation diagrams, adding a First-Grade Molten Fire Array, an ordinary Cold Energy Array, and a Golden-Stone Array.
The purpose of the Golden-Stone Array was to strengthen the inner wall of the furnace, making it more durable.
The Cold Energy Array, on the other hand, was meant to cool the furnace.
After Mo Hua completed these formations, Master Chen had the furnace reassembled.
Thus, all the formation pivots and arrays within the First-Grade Molten Fire Spiritual Control Composite Formation were finally complete.
Mo Hua let out a long breath of relief.
This composite formation was far more complex than he had anticipated. When actually drawing it, many unforeseen minor issues had also appeared.
Still, it was finally done.
It contained not just one, but two First-Grade formations.
Feeling a bit proud, Mo Hua asked Master Chen to finish reassembling the refining furnace. He then activated the Spirit-Gathering Array through the formation pivots.
Spiritual energy began to circulate within the furnace, and the flames roared to life.
Master Chen walked around the furnace, frowning.
"The fire doesn't seem stronger. In fact, it looks smaller than before."
Previously, even from a distance, the heat of the furnace had been almost unbearable. Now, even standing close, he barely felt any warmth.
Mo Hua noticed it as well. Despite the active flame, the surrounding temperature remained mild.
"Could it be that I drew something wrong?"
He rubbed his chin, puzzled.
At that moment, Master Chen leaned closer and froze completely.
His trembling finger pointed toward the fire. "The flame… it's scarlet red."
Hearing that, Mo Hua turned to look. Indeed, the flames were different: purer, brighter, and vividly red, almost as if they had substance.
"Scarlet red flame…"
Master Chen murmured in disbelief, eyes wide.
"Is that good or bad?" Mo Hua asked, uncertain.
"Good!" Master Chen exclaimed.
He wanted to explain why, but his excitement rendered him speechless for a moment.
Elder Yu, having composed himself, said to Mo Hua,
"The purer the color of a flame, the fewer the impurities and the stronger the spiritual power it contains. Such a scarlet and pure furnace flame has already surpassed the range of ordinary Qi-Refining spiritual power, it even shows faint signs of condensation."
"Condensation?"
"When spiritual power becomes pure and dense enough, it begins to condense into substance. During the Qi-Refining stage, spiritual power remains gaseous, but once a cultivator reaches Foundation Establishment, it refines into liquid form. It is what people often describe as 'mercurial spirit power', liquid-like essence marking the breakthrough into Foundation Establishment."
As Elder Yu explained, he turned his palm over. A faint golden spiritual light gathered there, indeed as liquid and lustrous as mercury, incomparably pure.
So this was Foundation Establishment–level spiritual power...
Mo Hua's heart was shaken. "Then this furnace flame... could it be a Foundation Establishment–grade flame?"
"It's not that simple," Elder Yu replied, shaking his head. "It merely shows traces of condensation. The strength of the spiritual power is still far from the Foundation Establishment realm, though it is indeed much stronger than ordinary Qi-Refining power."
Mo Hua nodded, deeply satisfied.
This was a true First-Grade Molten Fire Composite Formation. Its results were extraordinary indeed.
All the time, Divine-Sense, spiritual ink, and repeated practice he had invested, none of it was in vain.
Judging from the outcome, everything had been worth it.
Mo Hua could not help but nod repeatedly in satisfaction.
Elder Yu's expression remained calm, though his heart was secretly stirred.
He had known that Mo Hua's formation work this time was exceptional, but had not expected it to be this exceptional.
The furnace flame was refined and vividly scarlet, almost material in nature.
Could this really be the work of a mere First-Grade Formation Master?
Elder Yu gazed at the furnace again, then frowned.
"In theory, this flame should be much stronger and hotter. Why do I feel no heat standing this close?"
"Oh, that's right," Mo Hua said as realization dawned on him.
He circled the furnace once, recalling the composite formation's components, and suddenly understood.
"It's the Cold Energy Array."
"The Cold Energy Array?"
Mo Hua nodded. "Yes. There's a Cold Energy Array drawn on the furnace wall. It isolates the outward flow of heat, so that during refining, the surrounding area won't feel unbearably hot."
He had not thought of this while drawing the formation, only following the design diagram. Now he realized that the inclusion of the Cold Energy Array had been deliberate and ingenious.
This meant that refining masters would no longer suffer from long-term exposure to furnace heat.
The designer of this formation truly had been thoughtful.
Elder Yu sighed in admiration. "This array is… remarkably considerate."
Meanwhile, Master Chen still stood motionless before the furnace, gazing at the brilliant scarlet flame that seemed almost extravagant in its purity. His blood surged with excitement, unable to calm down.
Such a pure flame, he would never have imagined it, even in his dreams.
With the formation complete, the Refining Workshop could finally begin operation.
Preparation of materials, placement of furnaces, allocation of refining masters, and arrangement of refining types and processes, all these matters were discussed and handled jointly by Elder Yu and Master Chen.
Elder Yu had long commanded the Demon Hunters, while Master Chen possessed deep experience in artifact refinement.
Between them, everything was organized meticulously, and the workshop's affairs proceeded in perfect order.
Mo Hua was unfamiliar with such logistics and did not interfere.
Still, he had a lingering concern. "Elder, how many First-Grade refining furnaces does the Qian Clan have?"
"About three or four," Elder Yu recalled after some thought.
"Then with only one furnace, will we have enough?"
After a moment of reflection, Elder Yu said, "Probably not. But this furnace's cost is extremely high; buying more would waste too many spirit stones."
"Can we refine our own?" Mo Hua asked.
Elder Yu sighed helplessly. "I asked Master Chen. It's quite difficult. The main issue is that we lack a Refining Furnace Manual. Without the recorded refining method, there's no way to proceed."
"Are such manuals rare?" Mo Hua asked.
"Yes. Manuals for First-Grade refining furnaces are scarce, and only a few can refine them successfully," Elder Yu explained, frowning slightly. "I'll see what can be done. One furnace may indeed not be enough."
...
A few days later, Elder Yu contacted an old acquaintance and spent several spirit stones to acquire a Refining Furnace Manual.
The manual was old and yellowed, the writing faint but still legible. Fortunately, the refining method for the furnace remained mostly intact.
Elder Yu explained that this manual had been passed down from his friend's ancestors.
Those ancestors had once made their living through artifact refinement and enjoyed great prosperity. Unfortunately, later generations became idle and neglected the craft, causing the skill to fade.
Without the craft, their wealth dwindled rapidly, and the family soon declined.
By the time it reached Elder Yu's friend, no one in the family even knew how to refine artifacts, relying instead on other trades to survive.
The manual had become a mere heirloom, cherished, yet useless.
It could not easily be sold either, since those capable of refining First-Grade furnaces already possessed the necessary knowledge, while those who did not lacked the skill to make use of it.
Thus, the manual had finally found its way into Elder Yu's hands.
(End of Chapter)