23: Danfang "accident", explosive art

The moment Lin Gou stepped into the abandoned Alchemy Room, a smell of decaying medicinal dregs mixed with an eerie Devilish Qi assailed him.

The black and red mist permeating the air made people uneasy.

The room was dim, with only a few rays of sunlight filtering through the broken window frames, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

Various discarded Medicinal Pill residues were piled in the corners, emitting a nauseating odor.

Most striking was the black Pill Furnace covered in cracks in the center of the room.

The surface of the Pill Furnace was densely covered with cobweb-like fine lines, faintly emanating an ominous glow.

A hint of excitement flashed in Lin Gou's eyes.

This was simply a death experience hall tailor-made for him!

"Holy crap! This Pill Furnace doesn't look like anything good; it's riddled with cracks and enveloped in Devilish Qi. It's definitely a ticking time bomb!"

"Perfect! Simply too perfect!"

"Being blown up by a Devilish Qi Pill Furnace of this level, the reward should be at least A-grade!"

He deliberately slowed his steps, a look of apprehension from a newcomer appearing on his face.

"Is this the legendary Alchemy ground?"

Lin Gou murmured softly, his voice carrying just the right amount of reverence and tension.

In reality, his brain had already started working frantically.

"Let me see... based on the crack distribution of this Pill Furnace, the weakest point should be the penetrating crack on the left side."

"If a Spirit Stone were inserted there, it should trigger a chain reaction."

"However, a simple explosion is too ordinary. I need to find a way to add some flair to strive for an A-grade reward!"

Outside, Fang Jian and the other two were hiding in the shadows, observing.

Seeing Lin Gou's cautious demeanor, Wang Fei couldn't help but sneer.

"Look at his cowardly appearance; he probably doesn't even dare to touch the Pill Furnace."

Li Feng nodded in agreement.

"He's just a bumpkin from the Outer Sect; how could he have seen such an Advanced thing?"

Fang Jian narrowed his eyes, a smug smile on his face.

"Don't rush, the real show is yet to come."

"This abandoned Alchemy Room is notoriously dangerous. How many ignorant fellows have died inside."

"This time, Lin Gou will be no exception."

Inside the room, Lin Gou had already begun his "performance."

He first circled the Pill Furnace a few times, occasionally reaching out to touch it, then retracting his hand.

His hesitant appearance looked like a novice tormented by curiosity.

In reality, he was carefully observing every crack on the Pill Furnace, searching for the weakest point most likely to explode.

"This Pill Furnace has been corroded by Devilish Qi for many years; its internal structure is already riddled with holes."

"It only needs a little external stimulation to trigger a chain reaction."

"However... if it's just a simple explosion, it can only be rated B-grade at most."

"To aim for A-grade, I must create an even bigger commotion!"

"Let the entire Inner Sect tremble!"

Lin Gou's eyes darted around, and he quietly took out a few Spirit Stones from his Storage Pouch that he had obtained in Blackwind Valley.

These Spirit Stones were of average quality, but they were sufficient in quantity.

If cleverly arranged, they could fully enhance the power and range of the explosion.

"It's you, my little darlings!"

"Today, let you sacrifice yourselves for my A-grade reward!"

Lin Gou pretended to accidentally bump into a protrusion on the Pill Furnace.

With a soft "crack," a small piece of the furnace wall fell to the ground.

A low hum immediately emanated from inside the Pill Furnace, and black and red mist began to seep out of the cracks.

The three people monitoring outside instantly perked up.

"The commotion has started!"

A glimmer of excitement flashed in Fang Jian's eyes.

"This kid really couldn't resist courting death."

"Haha, just wait and see him get blown to smithereens!"

Inside the room, Lin Gou outwardly showed a panicked expression.

"What... what's going on?"

Lin Gou's voice carried just the right amount of tremor.

In reality, his heart was ecstatic.

"The Devilish Qi is starting to leak! This indicates that the Seal of the Pill Furnace has loosened!"

"The opportunity has come!"

He deliberately took a few steps back, feigning fear.

Then he "mustered his courage" and walked forward, reaching out to check the condition of the Pill Furnace.

Just then, he quietly slipped a Spirit Stone into the largest crack.

The moment the Spirit Stone touched the Devilish Qi, it immediately emitted a dazzling light!

The humming of the Pill Furnace became more urgent, and the entire furnace body began to vibrate slightly.

"It's done!"

Lin Gou was quick-witted, and taking advantage of the smoke, he separately inserted several more Spirit Stones into other key positions.

The positions of these Spirit Stones were carefully calculated to form a perfect energy circuit during the explosion.

The power could be increased by at least three times!

"Professional things must be done by professionals!"

"This is called art! Do you understand the value of art?!"

The three outside had already noticed the anomaly.

Dense Devilish Qi surged from the Alchemy Room, making even them, Inner Sect Disciple, feel a sense of dread.

"Something's not right!"

Fang Jian's face began to turn pale.

"The concentration of this Devilish Qi... has exceeded the normal range!"

Wang Fei and Li Feng also realized the seriousness of the problem.

"Should we go in and check?"

"What if that kid really got into trouble...?"

Fang Jian gritted his teeth.

"Wait a little longer, it might just be a false alarm."

They completely underestimated Lin Gou's "professional standard."

Inside the room, Lin Gou had completed all preparations.

The vibrations of the Pill Furnace became increasingly violent, and the cracks on its surface rapidly expanded.

According to his calculations, in at most ten seconds, this Pill Furnace would completely explode.

Lin Gou took a deep breath and silently counted down in his mind.

"Ten... nine... eight..."

He even had the leisure to adjust his posture, ensuring he could be blown up in the most "artistic" way.

"Seven... six... five..."

Bright red light began to appear on the surface of the Pill Furnace, and the conflict between Devilish Qi and spiritual power reached a critical point.

"Four... three... two..."

Lin Gou closed his eyes, a look of anticipation on his face.

"This wave will definitely yield good things!"

"System, prepare to harvest!"

"One..."

Boom!!!

A deafening roar instantly echoed throughout the entire Qingyun Sect Inner Sect!

The abandoned Alchemy Room was engulfed in a sea of fire in the terrifying explosion!

Scorching flames shot into the sky, forming a giant mushroom cloud!

The ground within a hundred meters vibrated violently!

The windows of countless buildings were shattered!

The entire Inner Sect was alarmed by this terrifying explosion!

Lin Gou was completely swallowed at the center of the explosion, leaving no trace.

Fang Jian and the other two outside were knocked to the ground by the huge shockwave.

They scrambled up, covered in dust, their faces as pale as paper as they looked at the ruins before them.

"It's... it's over..."

Fang Jian's voice trembled.

"This time, something really big has happened!"

"This... the power of this explosion is too terrifying!"

Wang Fei and Li Feng were even more terrified, their legs turning to jelly.

They had only intended to give Lin Gou a small lesson, never expecting such a huge commotion!

Soon, several powerful auras rapidly approached from deep within the Inner Sect.

Several Elders and deacons appeared at the explosion site with grim expressions.

The leading Elder surveyed the devastated ruins, his brows tightly furrowed.

"What exactly happened?"

Fang Jian and the other two timidly stepped forward, stammering as they explained the situation.

Of course, they made no mention of setting a trap, only saying that Lin Gou was too curious and accidentally triggered the Pill Furnace.

After listening, the Elder shook his head and sighed.

"Another one who didn't know his place."

He released his Divine Sense to search, confirming that Lin Gou's aura had completely disappeared.

"What a pity, he was quite a promising talent initially."

The other Elders also shook their heads.

In their view, this was just another accidental death caused by curiosity.

Such incidents were not uncommon in the Cultivation World.

Soon, the scene was cleared.

News of Lin Gou's death quickly spread throughout the entire Inner Sect.

Most people felt regret for this newcomer who had just begun to show his potential.

But many also secretly shook their heads, believing he had brought it upon himself.

However, everyone was unaware.

Just a hundred meters from the explosion site, in an abandoned well.

A figure was quietly coalescing.