Chapter 138 - 105: True Backup Plan and Purple Entry

Chapter 138: Chapter 105: True Backup Plan and Purple Entry

The massive explosion, the escape via the Teleportation Array, and the verbal provocation—all of it was a carefully disguised feint.

The true trump card was the few Liwas that had been lying in ambush on the perimeter for a long time. Weak and imperceptible, yet absolutely crucial.

Chen Shang and the others constantly shifted their position within the Red Flame Realm to avoid detection by that furious Lord. Meanwhile, the Liwas carefully steered clear of the dangerous high-temperature zones.

Five days later.

The Liwas emerged from a patch of shadow. They had already lost several of their own, and their grayish-blue skin was covered in volcanic ash and scratches from jagged rocks. However, the leader of the group clutched a long object tightly wrapped in black cloth.

It walked up to Chen Shang and handed the item over. Chen Shang took it and lifted a corner of the black cloth. A dual-colored light of cyan and crimson seeped through the gap, illuminating half of his face.

The moment the sword was drawn from the black cloth, the surrounding air fell dead silent.

Ella leaned in, her gaze fixed on the blade, saying nothing. Evelyn reached out, her fingertips hovering an inch above the edge to feel the intense heat radiating from the steel.

"A very powerful Divine Artifact," she said with absolute certainty. "It’s at least two tiers stronger than your Natural Fury."

A wisp of Twilight’s Black Fog drifted over and circled the blade, only to be repelled by the cyan and crimson light.

Chen Shang activated his Eye of True Sight. In his vision, the sword transformed into a complex Energy Structure.

At its core was pure, crimson Fire Element Origin, condensed into a solid state with an astonishingly high density. However, wrapped around the outer layer of the core was something resembling cyan vines. It wasn’t the Fire Element, but the Wind Element.

Wind and fire intertwined, as if the sword had been tainted. The Wind Element was slowly eroding the Fire Elemental Core.

A faint sense of foreboding rose in Chen Shang’s heart. Frowning, he opened his interface.

[Extractable entry detected: Wind-Fire Compound Curse - Fragment (Purple) — Source: Hephaestus’ Sword - Corrupted Core. Completion rate: 31%. Extract?]

"Wind-Fire Compound Curse?" Chen Shang thought. "Extract!"

[Wind-Fire Compound Curse - Fragment (Dark Purple): A composite Law Fragment formed by the entanglement and coexistence of the Wind Element and Fire Element at a specific frequency. When casting spells, the bearer can superimpose the sharpness of wind with the fierce violence of fire to produce a multiplied effect.

If the completion rate increases, one might grasp the prototype of the Wind-Fire Compound Law, fusing the two elements into a higher-tier form of power.]

It was a good entry, a Purple one at that. But there were two problems.

First, the Wind Element had eroded the Fire Elemental Eye, turning it into a wind-fire Curse. This completely derailed Chen Shang’s direct goal of upgrading his Eye of True Sight.

Second, this sword was born to sever the Fire Element. Now that it was adulterated with other Elemental Powers, its might was greatly diminished. Elements couldn’t just be mixed haphazardly. Especially in Alchemy, one had to ingeniously combine both sides with an impeccably precise resonant frequency. Otherwise, the two forces would cancel each other out, resulting in an effect where one plus one equaled less than two.

"The sword has been corrupted," he said, opening his eyes. "The Wind Element has eroded the Fire Elemental Core. Its original function was to sever the Fire Element, dealing massive damage to Fire Elemental Spirits. But now, with Wind Element impurities inside, its power is drastically reduced."

"Can it be cleansed?" Evelyn frowned.

"I’m not too sure yet," Chen Shang shook his head.

Twilight spoke up, a rare occurrence. "Do you think this corruption means Hephaeston was set up when he first made the deal, or did it form later?"

"What makes you think that?" Ella asked.

Twilight was straightforward. "A Divine Artifact capable of severing the Fire Element is far too great a threat to Fire Elemental Spirits. If I were a Fire Elemental Spirit, I would absolutely never agree to such a trade."

The group fell silent for a moment before Chen Shang spoke. "Let’s go to the Molten Lava Lake and deliver the remains first. We can ask if there’s a solution while we’re at it."

Several days later.

Chen Shang and the others arrived safely at the shores of the Molten Lava Lake.

The Sunshine Race Leader warmly welcomed the group, inquired about the details of their operation, and finally, with a complex expression, accepted Hephaeston’s remains.

Cradling the skull in both hands, the light in its vertical slit pupils dimmed slightly. It stood in silence for a while before handing the remains to a nearby clansman, who carefully wrapped them in a dark red cloth and placed them into a cabinet deep within the stone house.

"Did you get the sword?"

"We did, but there’s a slight problem."

Chen Shang took the weapon out of his Space Book, leaving the blade suspended in midair.

The Sunshine Race Leader stared at the sword for a long time, then reached out with a calloused finger and lightly flicked the blade. The weapon let out a low, resonant hum as the dual-colored cyan and crimson light flared briefly before dimming.

"A very powerful Divine Artifact, but it has been corrupted by wind." As a Master Forger, the Sunshine Race Leader naturally had a discerning eye.

He looked up at Chen Shang. "If you are willing to leave the sword with us, we are willing to pay the price."

"A price comparable to a Divine Artifact?" Chen Shang interrupted. It wasn’t that he was against a trade, as long as the other party could afford it.

The Sunshine Race Leader’s lips quivered a few times, but the leader ultimately gave up. It couldn’t afford to provoke a Wizard, especially when it didn’t have reason on its side.

Finally, it offered its advice. "Very well. In that case, you will need an incredibly high temperature with a compatible attribute to burn away the Wind Element impurities, leaving only the pure essence of the Fire Element."

The group exchanged glances, a specific name springing to their minds. It was the final destination in their itinerary: the Volcano Crown.

There was undoubtedly enough heat there, and the attribute matched the Earth Vein Fire of the Red Flame Realm. It couldn’t be more perfect.

Hearing that Hephaeston’s remains had been returned, the Sunshine Race Leader’s uncle rushed over to mourn for a while.