The most shameless alchemist in history

But as his ears twitched slightly, his previously composed expression changed drastically. He yanked the rope and shouted at Nan Yin. He clearly heard ominous sounds approaching them, and judging from the scale of the sounds, they were coming faster, making his heart leap into his throat.

"What are you doing? Do you think everyone is like you, acting like a monkey? Don't pull the rope randomly, or you'll lose your balance and fall!" Nan Yin had no idea what Du Lei was doing. She continued to move forward with difficulty. At this moment, she was only three or four meters away from Du Lei, and she was finally about to cross the gap.

"No, it's too late! Something's coming! Hurry up, run over here, jump! Otherwise you'll really die!" Du Lei shouted anxiously. The sound was getting closer and closer. He didn't have time to explain to Nan Yin. He urged her loudly. Now was a critical moment where every second counted.

"I already said I can't do that kind of thing. This is my limit. I'm almost there. Keep your balance. I'm almost there. What's that sound? And this strong wind? Something is flying out from underground." Nan Yin was about to reach Du Lei.

The distance between them had narrowed to less than two meters, but at this critical moment, Nan Yin suddenly stopped, because she had also heard the noise coming from underground, and the wind direction had become chaotic. The strong wind that should have been blowing in her face suddenly changed direction, and a strong wind was blowing from underground.

"You idiot woman, what are you doing? Jump! You'll die!" Du Lei was so anxious that his face turned pale. For Nan Yin's safety, he had tied a rope around her beforehand, and he held the end of the rope in his hand. He held the end of the rope with one hand and reached out with the other, trying to pull Nan Yin over.

"Squeak squeak squeak." Just then, a sharp sound suddenly burst out from underground, so loud it could almost hurt one's eardrums. In response, a strong wind carrying a foul stench surged up from underground. Nan Yin was still carefully stepping on the rope. She hesitated for a moment, not yet understanding what was happening.

Countless black things flew up from the ground and almost instantly engulfed her completely.

017 Not so easily defeated

This scene was sudden for both Du Lei and Nan Yin, lasting only two breaths. Accompanied by a foul-smelling wind blowing from underground, the normal wind direction was disrupted, and the rope connecting the two broken ends began to shake violently.

Seeing that things were going badly, Du Lei immediately reached out and tried to pull Nan Yin over, but he was not as fast as the large black mass emerging from the ground. Before he could even grasp Nan Yin's hand, the surging black mass swallowed her up. And that was not the most fatal thing.

Du Lei clearly felt his grip loosen; the rope, which should have been taut, had been severed by a sharp weapon. The rope's break meant Nan Yin had lost her footing. If one looked closely, they could see that amidst the vast darkness, the rope beneath Nan Yin's feet had snapped, and she was plummeting rapidly.

"I told you, young ladies like you are the most troublesome things. Damn it, this deal was a huge loss. I want more money, more money!" Du Lei gritted his teeth and pulled the rope tightly. Although the rope under Nan Yin's feet had broken, she still had a rope tied around her waist, and Du Lei was pulling on the end of that rope.

"Oh no, am I doomed? These things are bats! Get away, get away!" Nan Yin thought she was about to fall into an abyss, but after falling six or seven meters, she stopped falling and was suspended in the air, floating around, unable to find her balance.

At that moment, she also saw clearly the dense black currents flying past her. These were actually a large swarm of black bats with sharp teeth and a foul stench. They were sweeping wildly through the mountains, numbering in the tens of thousands. They kept flying past her, and the air currents felt like knives cutting through her.

"Hold on tight, almost there, almost there!" Du Lei gripped the rope and pulled desperately upwards. The veins on his arms bulged, and a large number of bats flew past his back, their sharp teeth tearing his clothes to shreds, leaving him covered in blood. But he didn't care about any of that.

"Now's the time! Give me your hand, quick, give me your hand!" With great effort, Du Lei finally managed to pull Nan Yin up. He lay down on the edge of the port, bent over, and reached out to try to pull Nan Yin up. At this point, the height difference was less than a meter.

"I understand now," Nan Yin said, swaying precariously in the air. Even though she had cultivated diligently for many years and possessed strength approaching the Steel Rank at such a young age, she was still insignificant in the face of the overwhelming power of nature, unable to even control her own life.

"Just a little bit more, just a little bit more, oh no, the rope is going to break!" Du Lei desperately lowered himself, trying to pull Nan Yin back. The latter also tried her best to cooperate with him, but Du Lei discovered that bats were tearing at the rope tied to Nan Yin's body. The rope had already broken in half and was beginning to sink.

"The rope!" Nan Yin noticed the problem too. She had tried her best, but she was just a few centimeters away from breaking. The rope around her waist began to snap, and she could clearly feel that in a few seconds, she would fall again. Surviving in such a harsh environment seemed like an impossible task.

"Idiot, don't give up! I'm not so easily defeated. Grab my hand and go up!" Just as Nan Yin was about to fall again, Du Lei jumped down at the last minute and grabbed her hand almost as she fell, stopping her from falling.

He used all his strength to lift Nan Yin up, and with the help of this force, Nan Yin finally climbed to the top of the broken edge. Only then did Nan Yin realize that Du Lei had tied a rope between her legs and fixed it to the broken edge with an awl. The swarm of bats that had flown out from the ground also disappeared, and the pressure was greatly reduced.

Nan Yin, who had climbed up first, bent down and grabbed Du Lei's hand, pulling him up. The two of them finally escaped and successfully reached the other side. The moment they landed safely, neither of them dared to linger. After Du Lei put away the rope and awl, he urged Nan Yin to move forward quickly.

Only after he had escaped the blockade and reached a slightly more open resting platform did he plop down on the ground, his face pale and bloodless. The series of events he had just experienced had left him utterly exhausted; if any part of the process had gone wrong, he would have been doomed.

"Phew, I'm exhausted. I know you young ladies are great at fighting, and your punches are as fierce as a wild boar pouncing in spring, but you're really bad at everything else. You almost killed me just now."

Du Lei wiped the sweat from his forehead, complaining incessantly. If Nan Yin had been as decisive as him, they wouldn't have ended up in the dangerous situation where the swarm of bats flew up behind them, putting them both in danger. Du Lei even thought several times that he was doomed and would die in the cold snow mountain.

"Do you think everyone is like you, a wild monkey in the mountains, running around and causing trouble in dangerous places? I'm just an ordinary person who has never experienced this kind of situation before. I would be scared too, okay? Even so, I'm still grateful to you for saving me. Thank you."

Nan Yin was somewhat annoyed by Du Lei's accusations. She immediately retorted, but she was more flustered than Du Lei in the same predicament. Du Lei knew how to overcome the situation; he was familiar with this kind of terrain. However, she did not. For a moment, she even felt a little wronged.

But she quickly composed herself and turned her head away. She spoke her words loudly and confidently at the beginning, but they became increasingly faint towards the end, especially the last three words, which were as faint as a mosquito's buzz in summer. An ordinary person would not have been able to hear them at all.

"Hey, who's the wild monkey here? How can you talk to your savior like that? I saved you twice more, so here's more money. Anyway, a rich girl like you probably doesn't care about a few bucks. I'm saving up for my travel expenses to the big city. Wait, what did you just say, thank you?"

In Du Lei's memory, Nan Yin was the kind of spoiled young lady who only cared about her own preferences and was willful and willful. Even if she did something wrong, she would never repent. However, he didn't care about such things. All he cared about was how much money he made. But soon his ears twitched.

Sounds that ordinary people can't hear clearly are perfectly clear to him, a person with exceptional hearing. But even though he clearly heard those three words, he couldn't believe his ears, because they were completely unrelated to someone like Nan Yin.

"Never mind if you didn't hear me clearly. I didn't say anything. Have you rested enough? If you have, let's continue. I think we'll reach the entrance to the sealed cave soon." Nan Yin glanced at the dark, deep underground. The closer she got to the underground, the stronger the magical fluctuations she could sense.

She knew very well that what she wanted was down below.

018 What place is beneath our feet?

Although Du Lei had a lot of complaints about Nan Yin and wanted to vent them, he couldn't persuade her otherwise. The two continued along the winding road into the depths of the earth. Along the way, Du Lei was always on edge, guarding against a recurrence of similar incidents.

However, his worries proved to be unnecessary. The journey for the next half hour was smooth and unobstructed. Moreover, the further down the road went, the wider it became. The narrow path that used to require carefully moving along the rock face was now nearly a meter wide, allowing for easy passage.

“We’ve already gone at least several hundred meters deep, and we still haven’t arrived? And the snow has stopped.” Nan Yin looked up at the sky. In her memory, the snowflakes had been falling non-stop since they entered the underground, and many of the rock walls on both sides were covered with snow.

But now the wind and snow have completely disappeared, and even the rock walls on both sides are bare, with only hard stones remaining, and no trace of snowflakes. Furthermore, when she looked down at her feet, she found a large red patch below, which puzzled her greatly, as she couldn't understand what was down there.

“Stop. What you’re saying isn’t quite accurate.” Du Lei shook his head, denying Nan Yin’s guess. He had grown up in the snow and ice since childhood, and his understanding of the local weather and terrain was far superior to that of Nan Yin, a young lady living in the southern part of the Eastern Continent.

"Then tell me what you mean by 'not quite accurate'?" Nan Yin was a little unconvinced by Du Lei's accusation. She had never liked Du Lei, this arrogant guy. The two of them were fine when they didn't talk, but once they started talking, they inevitably had a war of words.

“It’s melted.” Du Lei led the way. He had been carrying a windproof kerosene lamp because it was dark underground and the road was steep. If he didn’t light the way ahead, he would definitely fall to his death. But now that the red light appeared, he didn’t need the lamp anymore.

Nan Yin paused for a moment, then frowned and thought carefully, trying to find something suspicious, and looked at her feet.

"Of course it melted. Otherwise, this snow-capped mountain, which has existed for thousands or even tens of thousands of years and snows for most of the year, would probably be filled with snow long ago if it hadn't melted. And didn't you see that big red patch down there?"

Du Lei pointed to the ground beneath their feet. The further they went, the more obvious the bright red light below became. Nan Yin still couldn't figure out what was down there, but Du Lei had already guessed pretty much what it was. The raging wind that had been blowing fiercely subsided as they went down.

"But what exactly is down there?" Nan Yin was full of doubts. Although she had received a strict education, her current situation was outside the scope of that education.

"If I'm not mistaken, it's a volcano." Dure didn't keep them in suspense and gave the answer directly.

"Is a volcano the same as a fiery mountain?" Nan Yin pondered for a moment, finally finding the corresponding vocabulary among what she had learned.

"That's right. I read it in a book. Wherever there are hot springs, there must be frequent geological activity. Usually, it's an active volcanic area. Well, although I'm not entirely sure, that's what the book says. And you've felt it too, haven't you? The temperature is clearly rising."

As Du Lei led the way, he explained that from his vantage point, he could see sparks popping up below from time to time, which was quite astonishing.

"I've only ever read about it in ancient books. In the faraway wilderness, there's a Flaming Mountain, where the area for hundreds of miles around is a sea of ​​fire, a place haunted by the Flame Demon." Nan Yin carefully recalled the contents of the ancient books she had read, trying to explain what she was seeing.

“Ancient books, oh dear, what era is this? This is the steam age, an era of explosive scientific development. So-called ancient books are just lies woven by people who don’t understand the world well enough, trying to force an explanation of the current situation. They shouldn’t be taken seriously.” Du Lei waved his hand.

“Never underestimate what our ancestors left us. Your so-called science is nothing more than the understanding of people in this era. In the eyes of people hundreds of years from now, isn’t everything you know now just a fabricated lie?” Nan Yin disagreed and immediately raised her objection.

"If we consider the knowledge of the ancients as lies, will future generations also consider our knowledge as lies? You're not wrong about that. Well, anyway, I'm not a scientist, so why should I care about those things? As long as it makes my life easier, that's what matters, and I don't care if it's a lie or anything."

Du Lei paused here, carefully considering Nan Yin's words. He realized that the young lady's unintentional angry words did indeed have many merits. He wasn't the kind of person who would deny everything because of prejudice. The deeper you go, the more sparks there are, and the higher the perceived temperature becomes, making it scorching hot.

"In short, the sealed cave you're looking for is definitely located inside a volcano. By the way, you mentioned before that different star stones have different properties, right?" Du Lei judged that the two of them would soon reach the underground. As he walked, he turned back to ask Nan Yin.

“Yes, each star stone corresponds to a star that fell from the sky. Different stars govern different powers. Star stones have different levels, different qualities, and different attributes.” Nan Yin finally had some authority to speak on this issue and nodded in agreement with Du Lei’s statement.

"So the sealed cave is where the star stone is hiding, and there are unusually active volcanoes nearby, which means that this star stone is very likely to be of the fire attribute, right?" Du Lei squinted his eyes. Although he had not yet arrived at his destination, he could already guess most of the information based on the existing clues.

"A fire-attribute star stone? That's wonderful! It perfectly matches my magic attribute. How much longer until we reach the sealed cave?" Nan Yin was overjoyed, her eyes shining even brighter. Before arriving at the hot spring village, she had only heard rumors that star stones were hidden there.

At the time, she wasn't sure if star stones really existed here; she only came with a try-it-out mentality. But after arriving at the hot spring village and entering North Mountain, she discovered that not only were there star stones here, but they were also of high quality and of the fire attribute—perfect for her!

"I think we should be there soon. Hey, let me ask you something first, are you the kind of person who's really good at fighting?" Although Du Lei couldn't sense magical energy fluctuations like Nan Yin, his senses were much stronger than normal people because he had been hunting in the snowy mountains since he was a child.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to spot prey in the vast snow-covered mountains and track it down. At such a young age, he stood out among many experienced hunters and became the top hunter in Hot Spring Village. He must have some amazing skills.

"Can I fight? I'm only at the high-level eight-star level right now, so I can't be considered a fighter." Nan Yin shook her head; she had a very clear understanding of her own abilities.

"How does it compare to the mercenaries in the village?" Du Lei wasn't quite sure what Nan Yin meant by "high-level" and continued to ask.

"Well, compared to those low-level and mid-level mercenaries, I should be able to take on a dozen of them by myself without any problem," Nan Yin thought for a moment and gave an answer.

"Hey, you think you can take down a dozen fierce mercenaries? You must be kidding me." Du Lei was surprised by this answer.

"If you don't believe me, you're welcome to try it." Nan Yin gripped the slender long knife tightly in her hand, something she had never let go of even in the most difficult times, something more precious than her life.

"There's no need for any testing, but your words are enough. If there's a conflict with those mercenaries, I hope you won't hold back. After all, I'm just a guide. Let alone a dozen mercenaries, even just one would be enough to give me trouble. Besides..." Du Lei stopped.

He gazed ahead. After a long journey, the spiraling downward staircase finally came to an end, and he looked toward the entrance that lay before him.

"There might be something even more dangerous than mercenaries in here. Are you ready?" Du Lei turned around and asked Nan Yin.

"The fire-attribute star stone is just ahead? That's why I came here. So whatever the danger, bring it on!" Nan Yin's eyes sharpened. She had traveled thousands of miles to the Western Continent, sacrificing Duanmu and Old Man Teng to reach this place, and she would not leave empty-handed.

019 Can you read ancient Chinese characters?

Because the sealed cave is shrouded in a sealing barrier all year round, outsiders cannot get close at all. Even the oldest man in the hot spring village does not know what kind of situation is under the huge hollow in the North Mountain. Black Wind is one of the best among the younger generation in the village.

He was fortunate enough to glimpse the scene at the entrance of the sealed cave. A large amount of red light spread from the ground as its beams of light. Even deep underground, he could clearly see a large number of traces of human excavation nearby. In particular, near the entrance, there was a huge stone statue, which was a large snake.

Snakes are usually cunning creatures that hide in underground burrows, but this snake in the statue has wings and is about to take flight. At first glance, it even seems to be riding the clouds. On both sides of the flying snake statue, there are also a large number of warrior statues, which are up to two meters tall and are very lifelike.

Behind the numerous statues lies the entrance, shrouded in a red light. Although this is the end point deep underground, it is merely a starting point for the sealed cave. Who knows what lies hidden within, or what dangers await any daring intruder?

"I wonder if that guy Du Lei has arrived here yet. Hey, Du Lei, you've really put me in a terrible situation. These guys are all ruthless killers. It's not right to risk your life for this deal. How could I have believed your lies?" Black Wind said, sounding very annoyed.

He glanced around. The walls were covered with dense reliefs, but he didn't recognize the characters. He could only make out a few murals, which depicted flying snakes receiving sacrifices. These murals had a strong ancient mythological feel to them, leaving him completely bewildered.

"Hey kid, what are you muttering about over there? Are you plotting something to harm us?" Just as Black Wind was grumbling, a voice came from behind him, along with a strong smell of blood. Fatty York yelled at Black Wind's back.

"Aha, that's a joke that's gone too far. I'm loyal to Riley, you know. I was looking at these murals to see if there were any clues hidden in them. Besides, Brother York, you're so tough, dealing with enemies is something I'm not qualified to do, right? Haha."

Although Black Wind felt a chill run down his spine, he still forced himself to turn around and even put on a smiling face. What came into his view was York's axe, still dripping with blood, a dozen corpses lying on the ground, a mess everywhere, and Riley covered in blood.

"Brother, this kid's acting suspiciously, he's not trustworthy at all. I think we should just kill him here. Anyway, no one will know, and taking him along is pointless, he's just a burden." York looked at the axe in his hand. They had just encountered another group of mercenaries.

The two sides started fighting as soon as they disagreed. Riley's side clearly had the upper hand and cleanly wiped out the other side. York played a big part in this process. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was clearly in a killing frenzy. He even wanted to kill Black Wind as well.

“No, although Black Wind is weak in combat and can’t help us, it was his guidance that allowed us to reach the sealed cave smoothly. In that respect, his contribution is much greater than yours. Moreover, the situation inside the cave is very complicated now, and we need a good guide.”

If Riley initially had some doubts about Black Wind, then Black Wind subsequently gained Riley's trust through his performance, especially in several instances when they lost their way and almost fell into traps, it was Black Wind who promptly warned them, including just now when he alerted them to an ambush.

“That’s right, that’s exactly it. Boss Riley has the best judgment. Choosing to follow you, Boss Riley, is truly the wisest decision I’ve ever made. I’m counting on joining Hellhound with you in the future, escaping this small mountain village, and reaching the pinnacle of life.”

Black Wind was shocked to see Riley and his gang kill their opponent so brutally. But he also knew very well that York considered him a thorn in his side. If he wasn't careful, he would lose his life. Therefore, he had to try his best to please Riley, which was his only way to survive.

"Brother, you can't listen to this kid. He..." York was getting anxious. He had such a strong prejudice against Black Wind for two reasons. First, Black Wind threatened his position, and Riley admired him greatly. Second, he had indeed noticed some of Black Wind's sneaky behavior and was suspicious of him.

"Enough, York. Who's in charge here, you or me? Do I need you to tell me what to do?" Riley raised his voice, his entire demeanor exuding an imposing aura, especially since he had just killed several mercenaries and his body reeked of blood.

“Boss Riley, well, Brother York was just thinking of you, so please don’t blame him. I think given time, Brother York will definitely understand. We’re all on the same path, right? Haha, let’s keep going. What you want, boss, is inside the cave.”

Black Wind pointed to the cave entrance filled with a large amount of red light. He had seen many mercenary corpses along the way, and many of them were even killed by Riley. He knew the danger of this journey. The more he saw these things, the more he cursed Dure in his heart, and he walked on thin ice with trepidation.

"Let's go, I'm going to take the Star Stone in the cave." Riley wiped the crimson blood from his greatsword, revealing a sinister smile. With his command, a dozen mercenaries entered the cave entrance, which was shaped like a hideous giant mouth. They quickly disappeared.

It was as if he had been swallowed whole by this demon slumbering deep underground. Black Wind managed a forced smile, but who knew if he would even make it out of the cave alive? He'd been utterly ruined by that guy, Du Lei, and where was that guy who was determined to take advantage of his home turf and interfere?

At the same time, Dure, who was walking in the passage, sneezed. He stopped and looked carefully at the surrounding walls, trying to decipher the murals and text.

"Achoo! That's strange. Why am I sneezing all of a sudden? Could it be a cold? That's even stranger. I'm so healthy. Apart from a serious illness when I was a child, I've never been sick. And it's so hot underground." Du Lei was bothered by the sneeze and very puzzled.

"Hey, what are you muttering about? Didn't you say you were going to stop and investigate the clues? Why are you getting so worked up about sneezing?" Nan Yin walked behind Du Lei, quite displeased with his grumbling. They had been inside the sealed cave entrance for some time now.

“Miss, you mustn’t underestimate a sneeze. It’s a matter of my health. You know how hard it is for us poor people in the mountains. We earn money by risking our lives. If I get sick, I’ll go hungry. So you have to give me more money as a guarantee for my health.”