Chapter 37: Furnace Explosion

Serves her right, for meddling. Luo Bi was still brooding over Jiang Zhu's hypocritical advice from earlier, seizing every opportunity to make things difficult for her.

After being lectured by her cousin, Jiang Zhu became well-behaved. No longer having time to chatter, she entered work mode without a word, her movements even catching up to Luo Bi's. Luo Bi blinked; Jiang Zhu was just someone who needed a bit of discipline, and now she was finally behaving!

Having destroyed a high-level medicinal plant, Wu Yue had no other thoughts on his mind. As guests continued to arrive one after another, he no longer mentioned the matter of the contract master's assistant to Luo Bi.

Luo Bi worked with her head down while her mind wandered, feeling as though something was bound to happen again soon. After finishing work and returning home in the evening, Luo Bi took advantage of the time while Guan Zhuting was setting the table to go upstairs and check on the spiritual plants. She was worried that if they weren't used in time, their spiritual energy would dissipate.

Luo Bi had obsessive-compulsive tendencies; psychologically, she could not tolerate even the slightest loss of spiritual energy from the plants. Fortunately, every single one was lush and green, with spiritual energy as abundant as when they were first purchased.

To nourish Luo Bi's mental strength and soul source power, Guan Zhuting prepared a separate dinner for her using the family's own grade-one nutritional ingredients. Sitting at the dining table, Luo Bi looked at the two distinctly different meals, frowned slightly, and ate in silence.

As Luo Bi prepared to return to her room after dinner, Feng Ling called her. She tapped to answer, and Feng Ling asked, "Are you at home?"

"Yes, I'm home."

"Don't go out unless you have to during this period."

"Why?" Luo Bi was somewhat puzzled.

Feng Ling explained, "You have awakened dual-type abilities. Even if the attributes are mixed, dual awakening is still rare. Since your father and elder brother aren't home, I'm worried someone might have designs on you."

Luo Bi was startled. Prompted by Feng Ling's warning, her heart began to race. She had considered this possibility before but had dismissed it as overthinking; now, it seemed she was not. She told Feng Ling, "I went to work at the Wu Family Pharmacy this afternoon."

"It's fine. Just be careful. Don't go to work tomorrow," Feng Ling instructed before hanging up.

Luo Bi's heart beat too fast, and she didn't sleep well that night. When she woke up early the next morning, she went straight to the study to continue guiding the fire source.

Half an hour later, looking at the red flames she had guided out, Luo Bi decided to attempt alchemy. After reviewing the recipe for Hemostatic Powder once more, Luo Bi placed the spiritual herbs she had processed yesterday into the medicinal tripod. She used her mental strength to guide out the fire source and then used her soul source power to wrap around the surface of the plants. She then controlled the size and temperature of the flames, gradually refining the herbs.

Luo Bi unleashed her full soul source power, tightly enveloping the spiritual energy of the plants to ensure not a single trace leaked out. However, she could not properly control her mental strength; the flames fluctuated in size. She knew that if she continued refining this way, she would likely fail, but the alchemy process had already begun. If she continued, there was still a slim chance of success, but if she withdrew the fire halfway through, it would inevitably end in failure.

When a burnt smell drifted from the tripod, Luo Bi knew this time was a failure. Just as she was about to withdraw the fire, a loud "bang" erupted. Her vision turned into a chaotic blur, and she could vaguely see objects flying in all directions. Luo Bi froze for a few seconds before belatedly realizing she had encountered the legendary "furnace explosion."

Her eyes darted around. The study was a disaster; the walls, the table, and the floor were all covered in a layer of black, charred medicinal residue. The smell of burning lingered in the air, making her throat itch. Luo Bi coughed a few times, noticed a bit of black ash splashed on her body, and stood up to find a mirror to see how she looked.

In the mirror, the background behind her was pitch black, but miraculously, her face and body were not particularly dirty. What was going on?

(End of Chapter)