Ding.
You have received a gift from Jiang Yaqing.
Ice Crystal Ore +8000.
Speaking of classmate Xiao Jiang, she's truly loyal. If you ask her for ore, she definitely won't hold back. This makes her status in Chen Yu's heart grow daily. It's precisely because of this loyalty that Chen Yu entrusted all four cannons to her.
"You're too kind. You mine, I cool things down, bye~"
The video call ended.
Standing in the howling wind, Jiang Yaqing couldn't say a word. She watched Chen Yu disappear from her wristband projection, his parting line still echoing in her mind:
"Gimme that!"
Huh?
With her hands tucked into her sleeves, Jiang Yaqing tilted her head. The cuff of her expensive, colorful long dress was used without care to wipe her nose.
Tiptoeing to the two cannons, she then put down the two rented cannons.
Reading from the book.
Charging, firing!
Boom!
Ice Crystal Ore +637.
"Ice Crystal Ore, gimme that!" Jiang Yaqing mimicked Chen Yu's tone, grinning and wiping her nose again, giggling foolishly. "Hee hee hee, gimme that!"
Chen Yu was completely unaware that Jiang Yaqing had been brainwashed.
Having received the Ice Crystal Ore, he didn't dare to delay for half a second and plunged into the smelting area.
Heat waves washed over him.
Standing in this scorching hot environment, Chen Yu slowly spread his arms.
Bake me.
Burn me.
Dry me up!
It won't be long before you all enter Sage Mode, completely unable to function.
"Hey, can you stop smiling so lewdly?" The little demon, barefoot, reappeared on Chen Yu's shoulder, dangling her legs. Her sideways glance at Chen Yu was filled with disdain.
"Is the battle over?"
Seeing the little demon reminded Chen Yu of the scene where she and Sona argued so fiercely over him that they had to resort to physical confrontation.
"What was the outcome?"
Unexpectedly, the little demon's pretty face suddenly blushed.
"None of your damn business."
Got it!
This kind of response was proof enough that the little demon had lost, and by the looks of it, a crushing defeat.
Otherwise—
Given her personality, even a draw or a minor loss would have her proudly plant her hands on her hips and declare her ultimate victory.
This indicated that Sona's strength was far superior to the little demon's.
As expected,
Would righteousness ultimately triumph over evil?
"Hiss, is this Ice Crystal Ore? How do you have this mineral?" The little demon noticed the Ice Crystal Ore on the ground and showed a hint of surprise. "Isn't this thing only found in the Eternal Ice Plains?"
"Tsk, as expected of a Demon King, you have discerning eyes!"
Chen Yu looked surprised.
"Don't think I'm as ignorant as you. There's nothing in this world this great Demon King doesn't know," the little demon scoffed arrogantly.
"Oh really?"
"Of course, this Demon King knows everything."
"Question!"
Chen Yu's expression suddenly sharpened. The little demon instantly put her hands on her hips, her eyes fixed on Chen Yu.
"Answer!"
"Answer, what is 999 x 999? You have 3 seconds to answer." Chen Yu held up three fingers and counted down, "3, 2..."
Upon hearing the question, the little demon's eyes went wide.
Her eyes were glazed over.
A 'wise' light emanated from her eyes.
By the time Chen Yu finished counting, she still hadn't uttered the final answer.
"That's it?"
"Are you sick?" The little demon tilted her head and grinned. "I asked you to ask about things in the underground, and you're testing my mental arithmetic? Is something wrong with your brain?"
"Bad at math?"
Chen Yu murmured tentatively. The little demon clenched her fist, glanced at a finger Chen Yu had raised, and slowly relaxed her hand.
"Too lazy to bother with you. Where did you get this Ice Crystal Ore?"
"The Eternal Ice Plains!" Chen Yu spread his hands. "You should know Jiang Yaqing, right? A few days ago, she ran into a beast tide and sprinted all the way to the Eternal Ice Plains. This ore is what she mined from the veins."
"Whoa, really?"
The little demon let out a low exclamation and said.
"Are the planar distortions this severe? To be able to reach the Eternal Ice Plains. She's truly lucky. I've heard that place is teeming with spirit beasts."
"Huh?"
"That's also what's rumored; I haven't been there myself."
〖Rumors are true~〗
〖The Eternal Ice Plains are indeed filled with spirit beasts, but the survival environment is limited, and those spirit beasts cannot leave the Eternal Ice Plains area.〗
Tsk!
An area teeming with spirit beasts. Even if they couldn't be brought out of the plains, if a city were built there, and a good relationship could be forged with those spirit beasts or they could be utilized, wouldn't that establish an invincible position?
Chen Yu clicked his tongue but didn't think much of it.
He wouldn't build a city in such a harsh, cold land. Jiang Yaqing also seemed uninterested, only wanting to mine. Despite the abundance of spirit beasts, Chen Yu wasn't particularly enthusiastic.
Clang.
A pile of Ice Crystal Ore poured out from his wristband.
As the Ice Crystal Ore emerged,
The temperature in the smelting area immediately felt much lower.
"It's effective!"
Chen Yu's heart leaped with joy.
Chen Yu couldn't help but pour out more Ice Crystal Ore. Moreover, he wasn't foolish enough to place all the Ice Crystal Ore in one spot but rather laid out batches every five meters.
"Young hero!"
The little demon on his shoulder widened her eyes and apologized.
"If I'm not mistaken, you... are trying to use the cold of the Ice Crystal Ore to control the high temperature of the smelting area, aren't you?"
"A discerning eye, indeed, heroine!" Chen Yu clasped his hands.
"You flatter me. These are just little tricks of those who walk the martial world," the little demon cupped her fists and returned the gesture. "Then I have a question. I don't know if it's appropriate to ask."
"Please do."
"You're currently using Ice Crystal Ore to regulate temperature, which will inevitably affect the smelting area's temperature. If the smelting area's temperature drops, and the furnace's temperature cannot rise, how do you expect it to smelt the ore?"
Chen Yu: ヾ(｡ꏿ﹏ꏿ)ﾉﾞ
Chen Yu, who was pouring ore, froze on the spot.
Oh, this?
He had completely forgotten about this.
"Will it have an effect?" Chen Yu asked sideways. The little demon also tilted her head, looking at him. "What do you think? For example... if you were to build a campfire in a lava region versus building one in the Eternal Ice Plains, would the heat released be the same?"
"Ah, this..."
Chen Yu stopped putting down the Ice Crystal Ore.
"Then what do we do?" Chen Yu frowned. "My smelting area needs temperature control. Some employees can no longer tolerate this extreme heat environment. Your former Demon King's Fortress must have had a smelting area too, how did you manage it?"
"My smelting area was at the lava core~" the little demon shrugged.
Got it.
He had been too hasty.
The little demon had said countless times that she used to be a great Demon King. Therefore, her past development would have no guiding significance for the current Chen Yu.
Look at what she said, building a smelting area in the lava core.
To be honest,
Chen Yu had also thought of this.
Placing the smelting area in a lava zone, where the temperature was already high, would allow the furnace's internal temperature to be well-retained.
It would be more energy-efficient.
"Then, how do your employees get in to work?" Chen Yu was confused. The moment he asked this, he regretted it, knowing he was inviting humiliation.
"My employees are Fire Demons who specifically live in the lava regions."
Hoo!
Chen Yu took a deep breath.
Well then!
As expected.
After all, she was a great Demon King; her subordinates were so advanced.
"Barbara, do you have any solutions for my current situation?" Chen Yu asked solemnly. "I'm truly at a loss right now. You are knowledgeable, so please offer some advice."
"Can I consider this as seeking, pleading, or requesting?"
"Yes!"
"Tsk tsk tsk..." The little demon hovered in mid-air with her arms crossed, patting Chen Yu's head smugly. "Chen Yu, you have days like this too, begging me, your great Demon King Barbara. Alright, since you're asking so sincerely, I'll magnanimously tell you. Actually, there is a way to cool down the area without compromising the furnace temperature!"
"What way?!"
Chen Yu's eyes were filled with curiosity, and then he saw the little demon snap her fingers.
"Artifact!"
--
Author's Aside:
Question: Did you eat! Answer: ...