Scarlet-Fire Gold Bell Refinement! Furnace Realm Achieved!

The night was desolate, sparse stars dotting the sky.

After leaving the Armor Forging Hall, Chu He returned to the inn to pack his belongings, then departed that very night and found lodging in a secluded place.

The sight of 50 Energy points made Chu He itch with impatience.

If he did not use them up, they would always weigh on his mind.

The house was crude and shabby. Whenever the night wind blew through the cracks in the doors and windows, it brought threads of chill air. Still, the place was sparsely populated and relatively hidden.

Chu He swept away the dust in the room and sat cross-legged on the floor.

Looking inward at his mind, a trace of excitement surged in his chest.

The next instant, the familiar pop-up window appeared again.

[Merge?]

Compared to before, an option had appeared beneath the fusion pop-up.

This meant that 50 Energy points were enough for the fusion.

Letting out a heavy breath, Chu He focused his consciousness on Merge.

In an instant, all 50 Energy points were wiped clean!

Chu He sat motionlessly, examining his entire body from within.

One second...

Two seconds...

Hm? No reaction?

Boom—

The next instant, Chu He's body jolted violently.

The Golden Bell Shield and Red Line Fist began operating on their own. A golden bell condensed around his body, while his fists blazed with scorching crimson-gold flames. Both had been pushed to their limits, and the crimson and gold began to meld together.

The golden bell became as solid as a physical body, while the backs of his fists burned crimson.

Chu He's expression changed drastically. He discovered two forces within his body contending against one another while also merging together. His flesh, blood, and bones all trembled faintly.

Heavy, resplendent golden light began creeping over the crimson, while the faint golden hue within the flames burning on his fists rapidly deepened.

Two different currents of blood and vitality joined together, surging like roaring tides and rumbling like thunder. Chu He's aura was like an ancient ferocious beast trapped in an abyss, seemingly crawling inch by inch out of those depths.

Crack!

All of a sudden, the searing heat erupting from his body ignited the mat beneath his feet. Orange flames grew fiercer and fiercer, spreading across the entire bed.

This sudden change caused the crimson flames on Chu He's fists to blaze even brighter. They seemed to connect with the orange flames on the mat, and in an instant, the flames turned crimson-gold, engulfing both Chu He and the entire golden bell.

Scarlet-Fire Gold Bell Refinement!

Scarlet tendons spread from his fists across his entire body like a spiderweb, while the crimson-gold flames slowly merged with the surface of the golden bell.

At the same time, ripples began appearing across the bell's surface. Though the ripples made no sound, the invisible sound waves they emitted filled the entire room.

As time passed.

The plaster on the surrounding walls began peeling away on its own. The area seemed to have been baked by tremendous heat, the stones comprising the walls gradually turning into powder. The wooden beams cracked, releasing a faint scorched smell.

At that moment, Chu He's body suddenly shuddered.

His originally surging blood and vitality seemed to encounter a bottleneck during circulation. Yet the blood and vitality produced by the fusion of the two cultivation methods were far beyond ordinary; after being blocked for only an instant, they immediately burst through.

Hummm—

His flesh and blood rumbled, and his blood and vitality instantly surged to a new level!

His body was like a furnace, the temperature within terrifyingly high.

As the bell's chime rippled outward, heat drifted from his body.

Crash...

With only a faint breeze, the house swayed unsteadily.

The once empty and desolate dwelling was reduced to ashes in an instant.

A brand-new method of circulating blood and vitality emerged in his mind. His blood and vitality automatically began moving along the cultivation route formed from this fusion.

An ancient crimson-gold bell reappeared.

The tendons throughout his body flowed like lava, scarlet and scorching.

[Technique fusion complete!]

The notification appeared. Chu He opened his eyes, which burst with crimson-gold light.

With a thought, the blue panel appeared at once.

[Chu He]

[Technique: ??? (Fourth Layer)]

[Mutated Organ: Crimson Refining Heart]

[Energy: 0]

Huff—

Chu He let out a long breath. Scorching white vapor shot from his mouth and nose, blasting a hole through the floorboards in front of him.

"I've finally broken through to the Furnace Realm!"

Chu He clenched his hand, crushing the air.

He moved his bones slightly, immediately producing a string of explosive crackles like frying beans. Every motion displayed immense strength.

When he circulated the nameless technique again, surging blood and vitality roared through his veins like great rivers. The scorching blood and vitality cycled automatically through his body, and invisibly, his flesh seemed to radiate extreme heat like a furnace.

Looking at the string of question marks, Chu He pondered for a moment.

"What should I call it?"

He did not have much learning in his belly. After thinking it over, he glanced at the Crimson Refining Heart, and an answer immediately came to mind.

"Then I'll call it the Scarlet-Forged Golden Bell Shield!"

The sky gradually brightened, and the morning sun began to emerge.

The old landlord rubbed his weathered face blearily as he stepped out of his house.

He raised his eyes and looked around, only to see a plot of land with nothing left but the foundation.

The old man abruptly stopped. He rubbed his eyes hard and said blankly, "Eh? Where did my house go?"

Elsewhere, Chu He, the culprit, had already packed his belongings and was preparing to move into the Armor Forging Hall starting today.

For some time to come, he would be living at the Armor Forging Hall. In truth, for someone like Chu He, who carried so many secrets, staying outside would have been far safer. A place like the Armor Forging Hall, where experts gathered like clouds, was instead rather restrictive.

But housing prices in Black River Town were outrageously high. The moment Chu He, who had saved up a few gold ingots, asked about the price of a house, he suddenly felt as though he had returned to his previous life.

"Ah, Brother Chu, you're here so early."

The moment he reached the entrance, Chu He ran into Zheng Hao, dressed in white.

Unlike Chu He, who was alone, Zheng Hao had arrived with a group in carriages. As soon as he stepped down from his carriage, the servants on both sides began methodically carrying box after box of luggage from the carriages behind him.

Chu He was baffled. "Brother Zheng, what is this?"

"Just some daily necessities."

Zheng Hao spoke casually, then raised his head and glanced behind Chu He.

"Where's your luggage, Brother Chu? Is that all you have?"

Chu He did not want to speak. He silently walked through the gate.

"Hey, hey, hey, Brother Chu, wait for me." Zheng Hao did not notice anything unusual about Chu He. He lifted his foot to follow, then called back midway, "You lot, follow along and carry all of this to my courtyard."

"Yes, Young Master."

The servants answered in unison.

Zheng Hao turned back, only for a burly man to suddenly appear before him. Smiling, the man stretched out one hand and blocked Zheng Hao's path. "Junior Brother, outsiders are not allowed to enter the hall."

"This..." Zheng Hao recognized at once that this was one of the men who had followed Granny Nie into the main hall yesterday, so he did not dare offend him. "But what am I supposed to do with all this luggage?"

"Carry it yourself."

The tall man said with a smile.

Zheng Hao turned his head and looked at the two cartloads of luggage, his expression bitter as he negotiated, "Um, Senior Brother, could you make an exception?"

"Carry it yourself."

The tall man remained unmoved.

"But..."

The tall man slowly lowered his head. A sliver opened in his smiling eyes. "I said, carry it yourself."

Zheng Hao's heart tightened. The immense pressure left him nodding blankly.

Turning around, he dismissed the servants. The image of Chu He's solitary back appeared in his mind, and he could not help sighing. "Brother Chu was still the wiser one."