Published: February 12, 2025
It was still three objects.
A box, an item, and a sculpture.
Ye Zhongming opened the box, and inside, just as he had expected, it was filled with brown stones that made up the flame stone man. The surface didn't have any visible patterns, but it was very smooth and felt a bit cool to the touch instead of hot. The total amount was roughly the same as the Stone Cavalry he had obtained earlier in the ice and snow, indicating that this was likely a unified reward for each level.
Not wanting to waste too much energy examining these stones, Ye Zhongming turned his attention to the second item.
In the first level, the second type of reward was the peculiar "Refining Furnace." He had no time to use it then, but he was quite curious about the reward for this level.
"Engraving Machine!"
It was a strange machine with a circular platform and sixteen mechanical arms. Each mechanical arm was equipped with alloy needles of varying thickness, all very sharp, though he was unsure of their purpose.
Next to it were some buttons that had a distinctly technological feel.
The Refining Furnace and the Engraving Machine…
What connection could there be between these two items?
Ye Zhongming glanced at the swampy area ahead and ordered everyone to take a moment to rest. He wanted to study these two items; if he could make use of them, it might make the next leg of their journey easier.
As for whether this place would allow the Cloud Summit warriors to rest, he decided to not worry about it for now.
As for the third item, the sculpture of the flame stone man, Ye Zhongming simply put it away without giving it any thought.
He took out the Refining Furnace from his space and placed it next to the Engraving Machine, beginning his research.
The morale of the Cloud Summit team was neither low nor high. After all, they had lost some comrades in the previous battle and were all injured. The burns caused by the lava had not vanished with the disappearance of the lava hell; instead, they continued to afflict everyone's bodies.
The healing potions and healing crystals had alleviated much of the pain, but the wounds left by the lava seemed to carry a unique toxin. Although there was some effect, they could not be cured immediately and required time to heal. The waves of negative stimuli sent through their nerves constantly reminded the Cloud Summit warriors that they were facing an uncertain path ahead.
The female warriors of the Red Dress Guard were comforting the more emotionally volatile Youth Army during this time, and their interactions had fostered a good relationship. These children were treated like younger brothers.
To outsiders, the terrifying women who resembled slaughterers displayed a feminine glow that they thought had long since faded, significantly boosting the internal atmosphere of the Cloud Summit team.
However, even though the team had suffered casualties after half a day of intense battles and everyone was injured, each person's demeanor had improved considerably. Especially the Youth Army, each of them had matured quite a bit; they carried less of the harshness they had to adopt to survive in Black Dragon City and exhibited more calmness and valor. Their eyes now reflected the qualities of elite warriors.
Despite decreasing numbers, this Youth Army had caught up with the average level of the Cloud Summit warriors during these two battles and had become truly qualified main battle warriors of Cloud Summit.
"Mud men? What could they be? Swamps, puddles, lakes, and weeds..." Xiao Min, who was responsible for the scouting, softly remarked as she looked at the scene ahead.
"The road is difficult; we won't be able to maintain formation while marching quickly," Xia Bai, who rarely spoke, chimed in, and it was Red Hair who responded next.
They were strong, their injuries not serious, and were among the first to recover.
"Just charge through."
Xia Bai's voice lacked emotion, but the other two were used to it; just the fact that she could speak was already generous.