The most shameless alchemist in history

"Do you know the structure of this lava lake?" Du Lei didn't answer Nan Yin's question directly, but instead asked her a question in return.

Nan Yin was completely baffled by the question of "what structure?" All she could think about right now was killing the guy in front of her; she couldn't think of anything else.

"Isn't it strange that the stones under our feet are still on the surface and haven't sunk to the bottom of the lake?" Dure asked again.

"I don't have the time to think about such meaningless questions right now. I'm not as bored as you," Nan Yin rebuked sternly.

"That's not right. The rocks didn't sink because the middle section of the lava lake is higher up, with a protruding area that allowed for the construction of roads. The lake is recessed on both sides, so the rocks were swallowed up the moment they fell."

Du Lei gestured to Nan Yin to explain that he was an observant person. After entering the area, he quickly figured out the structure of the lava lake and the dome. Every crossbow bolt he fired had been precisely calculated to ensure it landed in the correct position.

"So what?" Nan Yin still couldn't understand what Du Lei meant by saying all this; her prejudice against him was deeply ingrained.

"The rock beneath our feet is on this convex area, but the rock itself is being eroded by lava and won't last long. Since we can't create more stepping stones, we have to rely on others to create them. Understand? If you understand, attract its attention and take a gamble."

Dure raised his voice and continued shouting at the lava crocodile. The behemoth finally turned around slowly and looked back at Dure and his companion.

"Are you trying to get the lava crocodile to attack us, then use the rocks it destroys as stepping stones to escape? This reckless approach is utterly absurd!" Nan Yin finally understood Du Lei's intentions. She instinctively shook her head in denial; wasn't that just courting death?

"Do you have a better way? If not, shut up. It's coming. Get ready. You only have one chance. If you don't seize it, you'll be doomed. I'll count to three, one, two." Du Lei glared at Nan Yin, signaling her to shut up and not cause trouble.

Then he stared intently at the lava crocodile as it turned around. As it turned, the entire lava space trembled again, and boulders kept falling down. However, just as Dure had observed before, the rocks that fell into the concave lake were instantly swallowed up and disappeared.

However, when it lands on the convex area, a portion of it will be exposed above the water. But these rocks are being eroded by the lava and will sink completely within a few minutes. The lava crocodile looks down on Du Lei and his companion from its superior position, and in its eyes, these two guys are as insignificant as ants.

The intense heat hit him head-on, extinguishing most of the flames burning on Du Lei's Crimson Lotus Armor. Du Lei could foresee that if it weren't for the protection of the Crimson Lotus Armor, he would have been vaporized. Even so, he calmed down and counted in a low voice.

"This immense pressure has already been targeted by it, and it will be attacked soon. It's despicable that all the magic energy is being used to maintain the Crimson Lotus Armor. There's not even a chance to fight it. You've really ruined everything." Nan Yin still blamed all the responsibility on Du Lei.

"Enough talk, three, now!" Du Lei watched the lava crocodile's movements. The instant the crocodile swung its lava-covered tail, he roared. At the same time, a torrent of rocks and lava rained down from above and behind them, as if the heavens and earth were collapsing.

If it were an ordinary person, they would probably only be able to wait for death in despair in the face of such a situation. But Du Lei found a gap in the falling rocks, judged the landing point in the shortest time, threw away the large crossbow he was carrying to reduce the weight, and used the falling rocks as a springboard to rush forward.

Although Nan Yin was also under tremendous pressure, and she verbally scoffed at Du Lei's battle plan, she knew that this was her only chance to escape. She followed Du Lei closely and charged forward, and one after another, columns of lava shot up and crashed against the rock layers of the dome.

Lava poured down like a torrential rain, accompanied by massive rocks. But neither of these was the most deadly. Behind the two men, the lava crocodile, clearly enraged by their intrusion, opened its jaws and spewed out a cloud of lava. If the lava above could be avoided...

However, this pillar of lava was horizontal, and it seemed that it was about to completely engulf Du Lei and Nan Yin, turning them into ashes.

"Is this the end? How could this be? That position..." At this moment, Du Lei was less than two meters away from the shore. He grabbed Nan Yin, who was still unsteady on her feet, and jumped towards the shore. Almost the instant the lava was ejected, they reached the shore and rolled to the left.

The two of them barely escaped this disaster by leaning against the wall on the left.

027 I guess I was just being presumptuous.

The instant she jumped ashore, Nan Yin clearly felt the rising air currents from her back and the destructive power of the magma. She thought she was going to die, but Du Lei forcefully pulled her and rolled her to hide behind the wall on the left. She didn't even notice the wall.

It wasn't until she saw the magma column shoot out along the passage, almost grazing their clothes as it blasted more than ten meters away from them, and several more seconds passed before Du Lei released her after confirming that the magma crocodile had stopped attacking them. The two of them sat on the ground, panting heavily, having narrowly escaped death.

"Hey, I told you not to give up until the very last moment! Your wavering just now almost killed me. Luckily, I was quick-witted, otherwise we would both be done for." Du Lei recalled the scene with lingering fear. His clothes were completely soaked with sweat, almost dripping wet.

"This is too close, shameless!" Nan Yin's first reaction was not relief at escaping a desperate situation, but rather an instinctive slap to Du Lei. The crisp slap landed squarely on Du Lei's face, leaving a bright red five-finger mark, which left the latter somewhat dazed and unable to recover for a long time.

"You crazy woman, is this how you treat your savior? Why did you hit me for no reason? Believe me or not, I'll kill you right now!" After Du Lei reacted, his eyes flashed with ferocity. He immediately slammed Nan Yin against the wall, grabbed her by the neck, and pulled out a dagger with his left hand.

"Cough cough, so you've finally revealed your true nature. You've been waiting for this moment, haven't you?" Nan Yin was weak, and Du Lei was too fast, so she couldn't effectively resist him for a while. Her strength quickly dissipated, her breathing became weaker and weaker, and she had difficulty breathing.

But that wasn't the most dangerous part. The most dangerous part was that she clearly saw the murderous glint in the boy's eyes, a sharp light deep within his pupils—the kind of ferocity only a wild beast possessed. She had no doubt that Dure would snap her neck and kill her in the next instant.

"Sorry, I think I overreacted just now. You should understand me. This is the second time you've hit me. You hit me once before at the mountaintop bathhouse. Plus, I was a bit on edge. Are you alright?" Du Lei realized his outburst and immediately let go.

Nan Yin, who had been clinging tightly to the wall, finally fell down, panting heavily. During the chase by the lava crocodile, she had not felt fear, but just now, she realized how close she was to death. She carefully looked at Du Lei.

But the latter had already put away his fierce expression and replaced it with a relaxed smile. This contrast made Nan Yin wonder if she was hallucinating or had misunderstood Du Lei. Only the deep handprint on her neck proved that Du Lei had indeed attacked her.

"That was your only chance to kill me, but you don't have that chance now. Aren't you afraid I'll take revenge and kill you?" Nan Yin gripped the demon sword Red Lotus tightly, maintaining her drawn sword stance, staring intently at the guy who had almost killed her just now, not daring to underestimate him in the slightest.

"I already told you it was a misunderstanding, and I apologized. Aren't you still angry? Besides, you saw it yourself, this wall is only this thick. If I hadn't pressed myself against it, I would have been burned to a crisp by the lava. My Crimson Lotus Armor has also disappeared. Can't we each compromise and live in peace?"

Du Lei sighed, swiped his left hand to tuck the dagger into his boot, and then spread his hand to indicate that he would no longer pose any threat to Nan Yin. The two remained locked in a stalemate for quite some time before Nan Yin slowly lowered the knife to avoid a fight between them.

"Hmph, let's go our separate ways from now on. I'm afraid I can't afford a guide as capable as you." Nan Yin turned and walked deeper into the cave, away from the lava lake. She had sensed danger from the boy beside her in that instant and realized that her judgment of him was inaccurate.

"Hey, hey, hey, this is practically kicking me while I'm down! We're almost at the Star Stone location, and you're saying we should go our separate ways? Who am I supposed to ask for my reward from? Don't be so unreasonable. Besides, if it weren't for me, you would have died several times over. Don't you even know how to be grateful?"

Du Lei wasn't about to be left behind by Nan Yin so easily. He hurriedly chased after her. As the two moved further away, the noise behind them grew quieter. The entire underground cave remained very stable and did not collapse due to the Lava Crocodile's destruction. The latter did not chase after them.

"All I know is that you almost killed me just now, so I have to keep my distance from you," Nan Yin decisively rejected Du Lei and quickened her pace.

"I've said it eight hundred times, it's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding! Besides, you hit me first, okay? And you haven't even apologized to me yet. Don't just charge ahead blindly. Furthermore, even I can subdue you now, are you sure you don't need my help in the following steps?"

Du Lei's cheeks were still burning with pain. He was also annoyed at himself for reacting so strongly. It was a completely instinctive, subconscious action. If he hadn't come to his senses quickly enough, Nan Yin would probably have been killed by him. He chased after Nan Yin while trying to justify himself.

“I’m the unstable factor that’s with you. Besides, someone like you could have just taken me to the entrance of the sealed cave, but you followed me in. That’s suspicious in itself. Who knows if you have some ulterior motive?” Nan Yin said without turning her head, ignoring Du Lei.

"That's going too far. Even if I'm thick-skinned, I'll still get hurt. Do you think I didn't take any risks on my way here? You, a young lady, have a precious life, it's your destiny. But for someone like me, born into a humble family, is my life not a destiny, and can I just die like that?" Du Lei stopped.

Nan Yin, who had been determined to get rid of him, was stunned by Du Lei's words. She stopped and turned to look at him.

"That's not what I meant." Nan Yin saw that Du Lei had his head down and his fists clenched tightly. Although she had decided to keep her distance from this guy, seeing Du Lei so depressed made her feel a pang of pity. Behind her was a fork in the road.

"Fine, I guess I was just being presumptuous. Someone as lowly as me is certainly not worthy of the attention of a high and mighty young lady like you. Even if I risked my life, it would be insignificant in your eyes. Fine, fine, you just want to get rid of me, so let's just go our separate ways."

Du Lei loosened his clenched fist, swaggered forward, entered the cave entrance on the right, and soon his figure disappeared from sight.

"Hey, did I really do something wrong?" Nan Yin tried to call out to Du Lei, but the latter had already been completely swallowed up by the dark cave entrance and disappeared without a trace.

028 You should learn more from Black Wind.

Riley, as a member of the infamous guild "Hellhound," has maintained a lukewarm position within the guild for the past few years. He has even been the subject of much criticism within the guild, with some saying that he has never made any outstanding contributions to the guild and that the ambitious young newcomers are pressuring him to step down.

This infuriated Riley. He knew that if he didn't do something, his position would inevitably be taken away by the younger generation. So, after finding out about the Star Stone, he rushed to Hot Spring Village as soon as possible, hoping to use the merit of seizing the Star Stone to solidify his position in the guild.

After arriving at the hot spring village, he hired a clever young man named Black Wind as his guide. The journey into the North Mountain went smoothly, although he experienced a series of fierce battles and lost many of his men. From the initial seventeen men, there were only six left, including himself and Black Wind.

But he killed even more mercenaries along the way. He proved with his actions that he was not old yet, that he was still in his prime, and that he would not be overtaken by those aggressive teenagers. When he entered the starstones with intense magical energy fluctuations, he became frenzied.

"Finally arrived here. This enormous energy... is this the Star Stone? I can feel it! Fire-attribute magic is continuously flowing into my body. This feeling is wonderful. As long as I possess this power, I can solidify my position in the Cerberus. No, it's not just that."

Riley's burning gaze was fixed ahead. He was in a vast, empty space inside a mountain, surrounded by a crimson glow. Hot magma seeped down from the cracks in the walls, making the huge space feel like burning coals, radiating intense heat, and even the air itself seemed to be churning with boiling waves of heat.

Such a harsh environment would be torture for ordinary people, even for a second. But what is more striking than the harsh environment is the steps in the very center. The steps are neat and orderly, undoubtedly carved by hand. The steps are more than ten meters high and forty or fifty meters wide, creating a magnificent sight.

Above the steps is a plaza surrounded by enormous stone statues, each about five meters tall. In the very center of the twelve statues stands an altar, above which floats a crimson stone with a crimson halo spreading outwards.

It is quite obvious that the entire space, and even the entire sealed cave, revolves around this stone. It is like a beating heart, releasing its energy with each beat. Darkness and the crimson of lava are the main colors here, like the abyss of hell.

Those who arrived here felt no fear whatsoever, only ecstasy. For to them, the roughly fist-sized, rhomboid, crimson starstone represented not despair and destruction, but power—an unparalleled power capable of controlling everything, a power that everyone coveted.

"Once I have it, why should I be satisfied with the position of a cadre? The entire Cerberus Guild will be mine. Those brats who dare to underestimate me, I will burn them all to ashes, hahahaha." Riley fell into a frenzy, the power of the star stone making him excited.

"That's right, that's right. Following Boss Riley was definitely the wisest choice I, Black Wind, ever made. From now on, I'll follow Boss Riley around like a servant." Black Wind immediately rushed over to show his loyalty, acting like a complete sycophant. He deserved credit for bringing Riley to the Star Stone Chamber at the deepest part of the sealed cave.

"Brother, now that we've found the Star Stone, this kid has lost his value. Let's kill him. Anyway, keeping this kind of trash around is pointless." York had been very resentful of Black Wind on the way and had repeatedly advised Riley to kill Black Wind, as he thought Black Wind was too suspicious.

"No, this kid is a talent. If it weren't for him, we wouldn't have been able to get here so smoothly. Kid, as long as you work for me, I guarantee you'll live a life of luxury, with beautiful girls accompanying you every day. When we get back to the Dog Kingdom, I'll reserve a leadership position for you in Hellhound."

Riley shook his head, rejecting York's suggestion. If he had initially intended to use Blackwind and then kill him, he had now changed his mind. Firstly, Blackwind had indeed played an important role, and secondly, every word Blackwind said resonated with him, which pleased him greatly.

"What? This guy is like this? Big brother, you actually made him a cadre, and you yourself are just a..." York was stunned. He had been following Riley for some time and was a typical example of someone who had worked hard even if he hadn't made any great contributions. However, Riley had promised to take him to the Hellhound Guild.

Furthermore, he knew very well that even someone as capable as Riley was only a mid-level manager in Cerberus and did not have the power to directly promote managers. This made him particularly confused, unable to understand what Riley meant by those words, and he simply thought that Riley was making an empty promise that he would not keep.

"Brother York, you don't understand. With the power of the Star Stone, would a mere junior officer still be worthy of the boss's status? Even the guild master of Hellhound would have to step aside. Besides, with the boss's charisma, the guild master of a small guild is nothing. The target is beyond our reach."

Despite being suppressed by York, Blackwind still addressed York as "Big Brother" and treated him with great respect in his words and actions. However, the more Blackwind acted this way, the more York felt that he was being hypocritical, which made Blackwind feel very wronged. Fortunately, Blackwind was not a petty person and was very magnanimous, which Riley noticed.

"Blackwind, you're absolutely right. You've got good taste, York. You should learn a lot from Blackwind in this regard." Riley nodded approvingly, praising Blackwind in front of York, which made York furious. Clearly, in Riley's mind, Blackwind's status was already above his own.

"What? I'm learning from Brother Riley? You—" York was so angry he couldn't speak. He pointed at Blackwind, his eyes filled with resentment.

"Who's lurking around there? Come out now!" Just then, Riley interrupted York, shouting loudly to his right. His previously relaxed expression suddenly turned cold, and he stared intently at the right side as if facing a formidable enemy, which left York somewhat bewildered.

"Coo coo coo coo, you've been discovered? I was hoping you could live a little longer, but I didn't expect you to be so eager to deliver yourself to my door. But I'll still give you a round of applause for being able to detect my presence, provided that I didn't intentionally reveal my presence to you." Suddenly, a figure flickered in the previously empty place.

"Hey, how did someone suddenly appear? When did he get there?" Black Wind was startled by the sudden appearance of the man. The man was wearing a red bodysuit, looked to be in his early twenties, and had heavy makeup on his face, making him look exceptionally alluring.

“You’re from the Broken Tail Gecko Guild. I’ve seen you before in the hot spring village. Your name is Kashu Thor.” Riley called out the name of the man in front of him. In his memory, Kashu was just an ordinary guy, but the Broken Tail Gecko Guild was quite troublesome.

“Thor, if you’re referring to that guy with the hammer, I’ve already smashed his head in.” Kashu replied casually.

"What?!" Riley was startled. Starstones were indeed not so easy to obtain.

029 Watch me smash your head!

Riley and Thor, the guild leader of the Broken Tail Gecko Guild, are evenly matched, both being high-level four-star warriors. If the two were to actually fight, Riley was confident that he could perfectly counter Thor with his earth attribute advantage. Furthermore, even if their strengths were similar, the quality of their magical weapons was different, giving him the advantage.

But now, when Riley encounters Kashu, who should belong to the Sanctuary Guild, Kashu claims that he has already killed Thor. Riley's first reaction is that Kashu is definitely lying, because when he saw Kashu, he judged that Kashu only had the strength of a mid-level six-star, and he couldn't even beat York.

But when Riley met Kashu again, face to face, he suddenly realized that the magical energy emanating from Kashu far exceeded the range of a mid-level cultivator. Even Riley, a high-level cultivator, couldn't perceive its depth. It was definitely far above his own, which led Riley to a very frightening guess.

In other words, what Kashu said was true. As a member of the Broken Tail Gecko Guild, he had actually killed his own guild leader. Realizing this, Riley subconsciously took a step back and reached for the hand axe tucked into his waistband. Over twenty years of experience living on the edge told him that this man was dangerous.

"What are you talking about? You think you can take down Thor? He's probably hiding somewhere, planning to attack us. He's just trying to get you out to throw a smokescreen. Dude, don't fall for it. I'll smash you to pieces with one blow and force Thor out." York stepped forward.

Black Wind had been leading the way all along, and had solved many of the problems they encountered. Riley frequently praised Black Wind, showing signs of relying on him as a confidant. This made York very anxious. He was eager to prove himself and decisively showed up at this moment to make his presence known.

"So, how long are you planning to hide? I've already shown myself, and you're still hiding. This game of hide-and-seek is so boring. If you don't come out soon, I'll have to give you a hand." The man named Kashu ignored York and scanned his surroundings.

“See, Brother Riley, I was right. Thor is hiding nearby. This coward is already trembling under my hammer, calling for Thor to come and save him. What a wimp. Don’t worry, I’ll finish you off cleanly and neatly. It won’t hurt too much.” York chuckled.

By this time, he had walked to within two meters of Kashu. He spat on his right hand, raised the hammer, and was about to smash it down on Kashu. At the same time, Kashu, who had been squinting, slightly opened his eyes and quickly took out a playing card and threw it out.

"York, you idiot, get away from him! Oh no, get away from this feeling!" Riley shouted, trying to stop York, but he was too late. Sensing something was wrong, Riley warned again. He subconsciously took a step to the left, and felt a cold sensation on his right cheek.

"So you found out after all. You were thinking of resting a little longer. Being targeted by a man like you is really a troublesome thing." A voice rang out from behind Riley and the others. Riley subconsciously turned around and saw a man and a woman slowly walking out of the darkness.

The man was in his early twenties, handsome, and dressed in a black suit. The woman was only twelve or thirteen years old, wearing a black court dress trimmed with dark red. The man was speaking in a gentle and refined manner, while the little girl, with a dark style, held a black umbrella in her hand, which she had now fully opened.

From Riley's perspective, he could clearly see a paper playing card trembling under the black umbrella, emitting a piercing "buzzing" sound. When he realized something and immediately touched his right cheek, his hand was covered in blood; he had been hit.

"Tch, this level of attack isn't that great, Night Raven. We should have taken him down before. Why did we keep hiding from him? Now we've run into him again. Can we kill him this time? Give me two candies, and I'll take care of him." The little girl put away her black umbrella.

The unremarkable playing card left a deep scratch on the umbrella before drifting to the ground. The little girl named Red Sparrow reached out to her companion for candy. The two of them had encountered Kashu once before, but at that time, following Night Raven's instructions, they quickly avoided Kashu.

"Who are these two guys? It's Thor, and how come your head is still intact and not smashed?" York thought he was about to have his moment of glory, but when he swung his hammer, he didn't hurt Kashu in the slightest, which puzzled him greatly.

Just then, the hammer in his hand snapped in two from the center with a "crack" and fell to the ground. The cut was clean, clearly indicating that it had been forcibly cut by a sharp weapon. Upon seeing this, York couldn't even hold onto the handle of the hammer and staggered backward to the ground.

"When did you do this? How did you do this? This is impossible! With your abilities?" York was greatly frightened and began to speak incoherently. In front of him, Kashu's hands were empty, and he was only in a slightly bent throwing posture, without holding any weapon.

"Oh dear, did I miss? That's a bit of a shame. But it's only with opponents like this that things become more interesting. One-sided slaughter is just too boring. Hmm, it seems like there are new guests visiting over there. It seems to be getting more and more lively." Kashu looked towards the cave entrance.