Wang Tiechui urged his fire spirit energy, watching the ore melt on the refining platform with a pleased smile.
He enjoyed refining, especially the process, which allowed him to cast aside all distracting thoughts and immerse himself entirely in it.
Time passed quickly. Half an hour later, only a pool of molten iron remained on the refining platform.
Wang Tiechui enveloped the molten iron with his spirit energy, preparing to shape it into the desired artifact. Suddenly, he sensed an inexplicable fluctuation above him.
He looked up, his pupils contracting sharply. Astonished, he stared at several figures appearing out of thin air, his mouth agape in disbelief.
Could this be the legendary art of teleportation?
Recalling the implications of teleportation, Wang Tiechui's heart began to race.
Just as he was at a loss for what to do, a female cultivator's gaze from above met his.
Then, he watched as she smiled kindly, nodded gently at him, and then shifted her attention to converse with her companions.
Wang Tiechui could not hear their conversation, only seeing the gentle movements of the female cultivator's lips.
"Junior..."
Wang Tiechui, mustering his courage, was about to bow to them. He had just opened his mouth when he realized the five figures had vanished from his sight.
He stared blankly at the space above him, unable to refocus his attention on the molten iron on the refining platform, a sense of loss filling his heart.
Meanwhile, on the other side, upon confirming that their teleportation destination was Huofeng Mountain, Xu Yi immediately asked Ji Buwang to lead her to a suitable place for detoxification.
In just a few breaths, the faces of Long Haotian and the other two began to show signs of decay, indicating that the suppression from the Earth Core Green Flame was gradually weakening. They had no time to waste.
Fortunately, Ji Buwang had been to Huofeng Mountain before and easily found a suitable location.
This place was situated on the mountainside of Huofeng Mountain, but still at a considerable distance from the summit, precisely at the limit that Long Haotian and the other two could endure.
Ji Buwang casually drew a finger across the stone, carving out a flat surface.
Xu Yi placed the bodies of Long Haotian and the other two onto the stone surface, then removed the spiritual energy shields she had placed around them.
The scorching, violent fire spirit energy instantly assailed the three.
Almost simultaneously, they let out muffled groans of pain, their limbs twitching involuntarily.
"Guard me."
After saying this to Ji Buwang, Xu Yi began to use her own body as a vessel, madly absorbing the fire spirit energy drifting in the world.
Xu Yi possessed the Heavenly One Fire Spirit Root, and coupled with the Earth Core Green Flame's suppressive control over fire spirit energy, the surrounding fire spirit energy offered almost no resistance. It rapidly gathered around Xu Yi.
The fire spirit energy surged into her body through her pores and every limb and vein.
Xu Yi first experienced a strange sense of satisfaction, followed by a faint, almost imperceptible bloating and pain.
She ignored the peculiar sensation and began to concentrate, transforming her spiritual energy into three streams, which she then injected into the bodies of Long Haotian and the other two.
The fire spirit energy, imbued with the domineering aura of the Earth Core Green Flame, raged within the bodies of Long Haotian and the other two like ruffians.
Long Haotian and the other two exhibited expressions of pain, and soft cries of agony escaped their lips.
Concurrently, their skin became increasingly red, drying and cracking, exuding faint traces of blood.
"Ugh!"
Long Haotian was the first to open his eyes.
However, his eyes were covered with dense bloodshot veins, dim and lifeless, clearly not having regained consciousness.
But this gave Xu Yi a glimmer of hope.
Therefore, she gritted her teeth and absorbed the surrounding fire spirit energy at an even more frantic pace.
Due to the concentration of fire spirit energy, unnatural crimson hues appeared in the clouds above Xu Yi, immediately attracting the attention of many cultivators.
A celestial anomaly, spiritual energy convergence, could it be a rare treasure emerging?
Not a few cultivators harbored this thought, and thus many, braving the oppressive aura, began to approach Xu Yi's location.
Many among them, due to the disparity in strength, had to give up midway.
The remaining individuals, however, pressed on against the pressure and arrived near Xu Yi, only to be repelled by a cold snort from Ji Buwang.
Finally, only a select few remained, standing at a considerable distance, observing the scene.
Ji Buwang furrowed his brows slightly and ultimately chose to ignore them.
The next moment was the most crucial, and Ji Buwang did not want to be distracted by a fight that might interfere with Xu Yi.
At this moment, Xu Yi had no energy to pay attention to the surrounding situation. Her forehead was slightly moist, her gaze incredibly focused.
Long Haotian, Wang Yi'an, Chen Tao, your lives depend on this moment.
Xu Yi's thoughts stirred, and she increased the flow of fire spirit energy injected into the bodies of Long Haotian and the other two.
In an instant, faint muffled thuds emanated from within the bodies of Long Haotian and the other two, and tiny blood blossoms erupted from within them.
However, strangely, the blood flowing from their wounds was not normal bright red, but a brick-like reddish-brown.
The three let out even more piercing screams, their bodies convulsing violently, their eyes bulging as if they would pop out of their sockets.
Xu Yi remained unmoved, using her spirit energy to firmly restrain the three on the rock, and further increasing her spiritual energy output.
"Aaaah!"
Sharp, agonizing screams pierced through the clouds.
The cultivators who had been observing Xu Yi's actions heard these piercing cries, felt a chill down their spines, and promptly turned away to flee.
Only one person remained rooted to the spot, unwilling to leave for a long time. His brows were knitted in distress, and his head hung low, lost in thought.
His unusual behavior attracted Ji Buwang's attention.
However, since the other party made no move, Ji Buwang did not act, intending to react as the situation unfolded.
"Boil!"
Xu Yi suddenly let out a low cry.
The fire spirit energy within the bodies of Long Haotian and the other two completely boiled.
These fire spirit energies, like scattered soldiers, seeped into every corner of the three bodies without exception.
This sensation was akin to having several sharp steel blades moving within their bodies, carving bone and flesh.
Although Long Haotian and the other two were not pampered, they had never endured such torment. For a moment, they wailed like ghosts.
Even Xu Yi was startled by the cries of the three.
However, upon seeing that the blood flowing from their bodies was gradually returning to normal, the corners of her mouth relaxed into a slight upward curve.
Indeed, with the assistance of potent fire spirit energy, the detoxification of the fire poison had become considerably easier.
Xu Yi finally had the confidence to save the three lives.
Ji Buwang observed Xu Yi's demeanor and also breathed a sigh of relief for her.
Although he was not close to Long Haotian and the other two, and even found them to be noisy, their relationship with Xu Yi was quite good.
If Xu Yi had failed to save them, she would likely have blamed herself in the future.
The current outcome was undoubtedly the best possible ending.
Just as Xu Yi and Ji Buwang believed the matter was about to be settled, the cultivator who had remained there suddenly lunged forward, attacking Xu Yi.
The moment he moved, Xu Yi felt a sense of impending danger rapidly approaching her.
This was a critical moment, and she could not afford to be distracted.
However, she had no intention of being distracted, for she knew she had a solid backing behind her who would shield her from all attacks.
*Bang!*
Ji Buwang flashed and stood behind Xu Yi, his hand tightly gripping a sword scabbard.