Chapter 87 - 62: First Test of the Melting Furnace

Ye Zhaozhao was still standing guard outside, and the Jade Scroll couldn’t move on its own. Li Shuang remained in a state of immense crisis.

But.

Seeing Su Mu’s leisurely demeanor, Li Shuang calmly sat down beside him.

She held out her hand to Su Mu.

Su Mu gave her a baffled look.

Li Shuang said, "Fishing rod."

Su Mu was silent for a moment. With a wave of his hand, a fishing rod materialized in Li Shuang’s grasp.

And so, Li Shuang started fishing alongside him.

Su Mu glanced at her. "You’re not panicking at all. That Ye Zhaozhao is a strange one. She’s been waiting right outside. Aren’t you afraid of dying? You can only stay in this Jade Scroll for ten days at most. What will you do when you get out?"

Li Shuang shook her head. "I’m terrified of dying."

There were still so many things she hadn’t accomplished; of course she was afraid of dying.

The corner of Su Mu’s mouth twitched. "Couldn’t tell."

Li Shuang’s expression was serene. "Panicking won’t solve my current predicament."

She then actually, genuinely began to focus on fishing.

Su Mu raised an eyebrow. He was also quite curious how Li Shuang planned to resolve this crisis.

Watching the swimming fish, Li Shuang’s mind grew completely tranquil.

She was focused in everything she did.

Sword practice was no exception.

Nor was fishing.

「Soon.」

The first fish took the bait.

A small smile touched Li Shuang’s lips as she placed the fish in the bamboo bucket beside her.

Su Mu glanced at the fish.

’He’d been fishing for half the day and hadn’t gotten a single bite!’

’Oh well, must be beginner’s luck,’ he thought.

「Then.」

One after another, fish took the hook, and the bamboo bucket next to Li Shuang quickly filled to the brim.

Su Mu looked at her bucket, then at his own empty one, and fell completely silent.

His fingers twitched slightly. A moment later, a fish actively swam up and bit his hook.

A smile appeared on Su Mu’s lips as he unhooked the large fish. "When it comes to fishing, it’s about quality, not quantity. See this one? It’s worth several of yours."

He turned to glance at Li Shuang, only to find her staring blankly, with no reaction at all.

Su Mu furrowed his brow.

’Could it be... that me catching a big fish upset her?’

「At that moment.」

Li Shuang’s consciousness had already sunk into her Sea of Consciousness, where she was conducting some experiments.

She had confirmed several things.

First, to offer something to the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace, ownership of the item had to be clearly established as hers.

For example, she had just issued a command to trade all the sand within a ten-li radius.

The Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace gave no reaction.

Because that sand did not belong to her.

However, anything in her storage bag could be used for refining, as the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace determined those items belonged to her.

Second.

The Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace’s concept of "equivalent value" was one that disregarded most forms of added value.

Just now, she had used a Second-Order Flame Grass she had just picked in the desert to trade for a Second Order Spirit Essence Grass, a plant that had been extinct for a thousand years.

If she were to sell this Spirit Essence Grass, the amount of Spirit Stones she’d receive would be countless times more than what the Flame Grass was worth.

The Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace’s judgment of value was unrelated to an item’s rarity.

In the past, if she wanted to upgrade her treasure sword, she would have had to search far and wide for suitable ore.

But with the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace...

She only needed to find ore of the same rank and then convert it using the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace.

This one function alone would save her an unimaginable amount of time.

Now, based on this function of the Heaven and Earth Melting Furnace, an idea began to form in Li Shuang’s mind.

She recited silently, ’Trade one bottle of Third-stage Rejuvenation Pills for one stalk of Third-rank Demon Luring Grass.’

"The former is valued at 133 points, the latter at 135 points. Probability of success is extremely high. Proceed with exchange?" a notification immediately sounded in her mind.

The two items were close in value, but there was still a small difference.

Li Shuang didn’t want to take any risks this time; she wanted a one hundred percent success rate.

So.

Li Shuang casually added something else to make the values equal.

"Both sides are of equal value. Exchange can be completed with one hundred percent success. Proceed with exchange?"

This time, Li Shuang didn’t hesitate. She nodded immediately. ’Exchange!’

The items for the trade vanished silently from her storage bag, and in their place, a small white plant appeared.

This was the Third-rank Spiritual Grass, Demon Luring Grass.

This type of Spirit Grass held a fatal attraction for Foundation Establishment Stage Demon Clan members.

If Ye Zhaozhao only used her Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, it wouldn’t be enough to handle the demons. If demons were drawn here, she would have to use her Nascent Soul Stage power again to survive.

Li Shuang didn’t believe she could keep using power of that level indefinitely.

Once the duration of her unsealed power was exhausted fighting the demons, she would no longer be a threat.

The only thing Li Shuang found regrettable was...

...that in the inner and core regions of the Langya Secret Realm, Tokens were useless and Memory Stones couldn’t truly record images. Otherwise, if she could have recorded Ye Zhaozhao’s bizarre behavior, she could have completely exposed her fa?ade.

But Li Shuang wasn’t in a hurry.

’A person can hide for a while, but not forever.’

’Sooner or later, Ye Zhaozhao will bring about her own destruction.’

「By the lake.」

Su Mu cleared his throat and said, "Li Shuang, don’t be too upset. Not everyone has a Talent for fishing. Even though I caught an unprecedented king of fish, your haul isn’t bad either..."

"Senior Su," Li Shuang said, suddenly turning to look at him.

Su Mu subconsciously felt a pang of guilt.

’What, did she find out I just cheated?’

The next moment.

A small blue plant appeared in Li Shuang’s hand.

Su Mu froze for a second, a trace of surprise flashing in his eyes. "Huh? Is this... Demon Luring Grass?"

Li Shuang nodded. "Senior Su, I happen to have a stalk of Demon Luring Grass in my storage bag. A Third-rank Demon Luring Grass, potent enough for every Foundation Establishment Stage demon within a hundred-li radius to sense it."

Su Mu stroked his chin. "You want to... lure all the nearby demons here?"

"That’s right," Li Shuang said without hesitation.

’Since this Ye Zhaozhao is so powerful, let’s have her help eliminate some demons. It can be considered a contribution to the Six Sects.’

Su Mu raised an eyebrow. "When this Demon Luring Grass is crushed into a liquid, it’s completely colorless and odorless to the Human Clan. But to the Demon Clan, it emits a fatally alluring scent. Any demons nearby that catch the scent will swarm this location!"

"But how do you plan to get this juice onto Ye Zhaozhao?"

A cunning glint flashed in the depths of Li Shuang’s eyes. She asked, "Senior Su, what level of force can this Jade Scroll withstand?"

A proud look immediately appeared on Su Mu’s face. "There is no one in this entire realm with the power to destroy this Inheritance Jade Scroll."

Otherwise.

This Jade Scroll wouldn’t have been passed down for so many generations.

"Then it’s simple," Li Shuang whispered something to him.

A flicker of light passed through Su Mu’s eyes, and he couldn’t help but chuckle. "You certainly are full of ideas. Let’s do it, then."

With their plan settled, Ye Zhaozhao, who was sitting cross-legged, suddenly opened her eyes.

In the desert, which had previously been nothing but yellow sand, a Jade Scroll had now appeared.

It was the Inheritance Jade Scroll. Su Mu had suddenly dropped the Jade Scroll’s disguise, revealing its true form.

A flash of ecstasy passed through Ye Zhaozhao’s eyes!

’I found it!’

’So this is where Li Shuang has been hiding!’