Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 145 The answer

In the palace of the mermaids, an atmosphere of peace and joy permeated every corner. The golden sunlight shone through the sea, dappled on the glazed tiles of the palace, glittering with charming light. The waves gently lapped the outer walls of the palace, as if accompanying this joyful moment.

When the mermaid princess Nishang heard that Lu Xiuyuan was willing to step forward and go to the bottomless black hole at the bottom of the lake to deal with the rampaging monsters, a smile as brilliant as a spring flower instantly bloomed on her pretty face.

That smile was like the rising sun, warm and bright, showing the princess's deep admiration for Lu Xiuyuan's rare courage, and also revealing her infinite hope that her people would be able to enjoy peace in the future.

"That's great!" Princess Nishang's voice was as clear and moving as the sound of nature. Her excitement seemed to infect every piece of jade in the palace, making those silent jades seem to emit a pleasant echo.

She walked briskly to Lu Xiuyuan, her eyes as deep as the sea sparkling with gratitude and expectation. She put her hands together, bowed deeply to Lu Xiuyuan, and said in the most sincere tone: "Mr. Lu, your extraordinary courage and outstanding wisdom are undoubtedly the guardian star of our mermaids. I promised you the Snow Pure Liquid in advance, and once it is done, I will definitely give you double the amount to express our endless gratitude to you."

In response to the princess's deep gratitude, Lu Xiuyuan smiled and nodded, his deep eyes revealing a calmness and determination.

He said in a steady and powerful voice: "Your Highness, you are too polite. This is what I have to do. Please rest assured that I will do my best to bring the long-lost peace and tranquility to the mermaids."

In the following days, Lu Xiuyuan received warm hospitality from the mermaids. During this fulfilling and peaceful time, he enjoyed every moment with them.

Every morning, he would take a leisurely stroll in the spacious and lively courtyard of the palace, admiring the exquisitely carved jade railings and the sparkling gems that could be found everywhere in the palace.

Although these dazzling sights are enough to make people intoxicated, Lu Xiuyuan always keeps a clear head. He knows that he cannot indulge in the pleasure in front of him. He must concentrate all his energy on the upcoming arduous battle.

In order to allow Lu Xiuyuan to get adequate rest and preparation before the battle, Princess Nishang specially arranged a superior room for him deep in the palace.

Surrounded by green trees, birds singing and flowers blooming, it seems like a fairyland isolated from the world. All the furnishings in the room are so exquisite and luxurious, with carved railings, jade-inlaid floors, magnificent decorations and various precious artworks hanging on the walls, all of which show the nobility and style of the palace. Each artwork seems to be a masterpiece of nature, and people can't help but sigh at the ingenuity of the craftsmen while appreciating it.

When Princess Nishang specially selected two pairs of extremely beautiful mermaid palace maids and sent them to his room, although he was grateful for the princess's kindness, he still rejected this special gift without hesitation.

He looked at the princess firmly and said, "Your Highness, I appreciate your kindness. But at this moment, what I need more is mental concentration and calm judgment, rather than letting these beautiful women distract me. You know, 'Without women in mind, the sword will be drawn naturally'. I must concentrate on preparing for the next battle."

Lu Xiuyuan sat alone in the upper room deep in the palace, surrounded by magnificent scenery, but his eyes looked deep and solemn. He couldn't help but have a series of questions in his mind, why are the mermaids so afraid of those monsters that they have to seek help from foreigners?

Moreover, he knew that his cultivation was not that strong, and was even slightly inferior to the mermaid princess Nishang. Why did the mermaids so firmly choose him as the key figure to fight against the monsters?

Lu Xiuyuan pondered, trying to find the answer from the difference between the mermaids and human monks. He understood that as an aquatic race, the mermaids' lives were closely related to the ocean, while human monks relied more on land and air. This essential difference might be the key to solving the mystery.

He carefully recalled the mermaids' detailed description of the monsters. Those terrible monsters were rampant at the bottom of the deep lake, and it seemed that nothing could stop them.

Although the mermaids possessed powerful water spells, they still felt helpless when fighting against these monsters.

At this moment, a bold idea suddenly flashed in his mind: the thing that monsters fear most should be fire. Fire is a powerful force that can burn everything and drive away endless darkness. It is undoubtedly the natural nemesis of monsters.

However, the tricky problem is that in a water-filled environment like the bottom of the lake, the flames can't burn fiercely. This is the crux of why the mermaids can't fight the monsters on their own. They urgently need to find a mysterious power that can create a similar flame effect underwater to resist the ferocious monsters.

The human monks, especially those who are good at fire magic, may be the answers they are looking for.

Although Lu Xiuyuan was not good at fire magic, he had a special item - gunpowder. This magical substance invented by humans could produce violent explosions and flames under certain conditions. Lu Xiuyuan's mind moved, perhaps this was the key to his ability to fight against monsters.

He quickly took the gunpowder out of the package and observed it carefully. This kind of gunpowder is extremely powerful on land, but whether it can work normally underwater is still unknown. Lu Xiuyuan took a deep breath, put the gunpowder in the palm of his hand, and felt the slight warmth it brought.

He noticed, with some comfort, that despite being underwater, the gunpowder showed no signs of getting wet.

However, relying on gunpowder alone was far from enough. Lu Xiuyuan knew that he also needed a way to isolate water vapor to ensure that the gunpowder could produce maximum power when detonated. He thought for a moment and decided to cover the surface of the gunpowder with a protective film.

This protective film is made of a special material that can isolate water vapor and interference from the external environment, allowing the gunpowder to remain dry and stable when detonated.

Lu Xiuyuan carefully applied the protective film layer by layer on the gunpowder. His movements were very skillful and focused, as if he was performing a sacred and solemn ceremony. When he completed the last step, the gunpowder was completely wrapped in the protective film, looking like a crystal clear gem.