Electrolux

The temperature inside the furnace continued to climb, and that touch of emerald grew increasingly rich. As if activated by the intense heat, it began to seep out wisps of life energy.

Jiang Ci'an's golden pupils shimmered with flowing light as he watched everything intently.

The theoretical maximum temperature of the Sun Furnace was five thousand four hundred degrees, capable of melting the vast majority of high-grade metals in the Douluo Plane.

At the very least, he had to reach this limit before saying anything else.

Five thousand degrees.

The shape of the carving knife began to deform slightly; the metal on its surface softened under the high heat, revealing a touch of even purer Gold of Life.

That emerald glow grew brighter, like a lit lamp, and the power of life began to overflow proactively, penetrating directly through the furnace's outer shell.

Jiang Ci'an took a deep breath.

Instantly, every pore on his body seemed to open. The overflowing life force surged into his body naturally, and the Body Tempering Method operating within him, as if a shark that had caught the scent of blood, began to devour this pure energy frantically.

His soul power fluctuated violently, then gave a sudden jolt.

Level seventeen.

But Jiang Ci'an had no mind to pay attention to that.

His gaze remained fixed on the temperature gauge.

Five thousand two hundred degrees.

"Crack—"

A crisp shattering sound came from inside the furnace.

Jiang Ci'an's movements froze abruptly.

Under his Perspective, he saw a tiny crack appear on the inner wall of the furnace.

The immense life force of the Gold of Life was stimulated by the high temperature and was spreading outward with an unstoppable momentum, while the Sun Furnace—an eighth-level soul device older than he was—could no longer hold on!

One had to know that the Gold of Life possessed a unique property: it could extract the vitality of metals, plants, and animals, shredding or even completely destroying them.

Operating at maximum power, the structural integrity of this furnace was already nearing its limit.

And in the face of this life force that seemed almost intentionally targeted at metal, the Sun Furnace was like a piece of iron dropped into strong acid, being disintegrated bit by bit from the inside.

If this continued, it would definitely be scrapped.

Jiang Ci'an was silent for a moment.

His gaze fell on the temperature gauge, on the increasingly bright emerald glow inside the furnace, and on the crack that was slowly widening.

Then, without the slightest hesitation, he cranked the temperature knob to the highest setting.

Five thousand two hundred and fifty degrees.

Five thousand two hundred and seventy degrees.

Five thousand three hundred and twenty degrees!

The temperature continued to climb, and the overflowing life force grew thicker. The air in the secret room seemed to become viscous, and every breath felt like inhaling life energy so pure it was almost primal.

Just a moment before the temperature was about to approach the Sun Furnace's five thousand four hundred-degree limit, "Crack—"

A corner of the furnace shattered.

A vast and surging life force erupted from the broken gap like a burst dam, uncontrollably permeating every corner of the surroundings.

The instrument panel on the console flashed wildly, red warning lights lit up in succession, and a sharp alarm echoed throughout the secret room.

The entire Sun Furnace trembled slightly, and fine cracks appeared one after another on its metal shell.

Damn it, It's going to explode!

Jiang Ci'an did not hesitate in the slightest; he turned to run.

He didn't think he could survive an explosion of this magnitude with his mere level seventeen soul power, even if he carried several invincible shields he had purchased at a high price from the Sun Moon Empire beforehand.

Survival was paramount!

However, Just as he took a step.

"Crack—"

A sound, even crisper and more penetrating than before, came from behind him.

It was not metal, nor glass.

It was... space!

Jiang Ci'an stopped in his tracks and turned to look.

There, in the middle of the secret room, space cracked like a mirror struck by a heavy hammer, spiderwebbing outward from a single point.

Spiderweb-like cracks spread through the air, each fissure leaking a grayish-white light that carried a contradictory aura of deathly stillness and divinity.

Finally, a corner of space shattered open.

A gray orb of light flew out from the crack, trembling as it moved.

The orb was small, only the size of a fist, carrying a sense of vicissitudes accumulated over an unknown span of time. It radiated a powerful aura of deathly stillness and divinity, yet it also revealed a clear sense of weakness.

Jiang Ci'an locked his gaze onto the orb.

He watched as the dense, almost solidified life force in the surroundings seemed to be drawn by some force, beginning to surge frantically into the gray orb.

The orb devoured the overflowing life force rapidly; its grayish-white light grew brighter, and its form began to stretch and change. In just a moment, a gray figure slowly emerged.

It was a young man with a handsome face and a tall, upright stature. His grayish-white robe fluttered without wind, embroidered with patterns Jiang Ci'an had never seen before, which looked exceptionally miraculous.

He hovered in mid-air, his deep, calm golden eyes sweeping across his surroundings as if sensing something.

A moment later, he smiled softly.

The voice was hoarse and low, carrying an aged quality that did not match his appearance, like wind blowing through the crevices of dead wood.

"Using high heat to directly purify the resentment artificially infused into the Gold of Life—that is quite an interesting method."

He paused, a complex look flashing through his golden eyes.

"Heh, though it is fortunate that this method was used; otherwise, this old man's remnant soul would not have been able to stabilize itself through it... truly interesting."

His voice carried a sense of reflection, as if he were muttering to himself or perhaps speaking to fate.

Immediately, his gaze shifted to Jiang Ci'an.

"My apologies, young friend. I have no time to explain for now; please, follow me."

As his voice fell, the man raised his hand, palm facing Jiang Ci'an.

In an instant, an invisible force suddenly enveloped Jiang Ci'an's body. His body left the ground uncontrollably, then flew steadily to land beside the man.

The man did not pause; he raised his other hand, aiming it at the Sun Furnace, which was struggling on the verge of collapse.

Gray, deathly energy surged from his palm like an invisible giant hand, reaching precisely into the furnace to snatch out the piece of Gold of Life that had slightly deformed under the high heat.

Tiny golden chains sprouted from the gray energy, sealing the Gold of Life layer by layer, like an insect trapped in amber.

Then, the man raised his hand again, and a gray door appeared out of thin air.

The door was about three meters tall, composed entirely of grayish-white light, its surface flowing with complex patterns and engraved with numerous ancient characters that seemed not to belong to this world.

Within the opened door lay a deep, impenetrable darkness.

"Let us go, young friend."

The man chuckled softly and stepped directly into the gray door, taking Jiang Ci'an with him.

Their figures vanished. With a "bang," the door closed and disintegrated, transforming into streams of brilliant golden light that surged entirely into the Sun Furnace, which had been on the verge of explosion.

Then, "BOOM—!!!"

Explosive flames erupted from the secret chamber, swallowing the chamber, the secret passage, and everything within several hundred meters.

Terrifying fire, mixed with wisps of brilliant golden light, transformed into a massive shockwave that spread in all directions. The ground trembled, trees snapped, and dust billowed.

In that moment, all remaining traces and auras vanished instantly.

All that was left was a massive crater still burning with raging flames.