Starting from iron smelting

The air in the secret passage seemed to be frozen, dull and depressing. Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue shuttled back and forth in this narrow space, their footsteps leaving a faint echo on the dark walls, reverberating in the air around them, adding a bit of weird atmosphere.

The soil under their feet was no longer fresh loess, but had become rotten and soft after years of sedimentation. With every step, they could feel the wetness and stickiness of the soil, as if it was telling the ancient legend of the secret passage. And the rotten smell was like an invisible devil's claw, tightly grasping their nostrils, making them almost unbearable.

Lu Xiuyuan knew the danger hidden behind this smell. He frowned, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the disgusting smell in his heart. He turned to Wen Lingyue and said, "This place is full of miasma, we must be careful. Miasma contains many harmful substances. Once inhaled too much, it will cause great harm to the body. You must hold your breath and use your true qi to protect your body, just in case."

Wen Lingyue's face changed slightly when she heard this. Although she also felt the unpleasant smell, she didn't expect that there was such a terrible danger hidden in it. She immediately followed Lu Xiuyuan's instructions, tightly closed her mouth, and used her true energy to circulate in her body, forming an invisible barrier to isolate the miasma from the outside.

The two continued to move forward, taking every step carefully. The air in the secret passage seemed to become even heavier, oppressive and suffocating. They could only rely on the weak light of the fire to illuminate the road ahead, and the light of the fire became flickering under the miasma, which made people feel terrified.

Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but recall the legends about miasma he had heard before. It was said that in some ancient dense forests, miasma was like a ghost, quietly eroding life. Those who accidentally inhaled the miasma would suffer from dizziness, weakness in the limbs, or even coma and death. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but become more vigilant, fearing that he and Wen Lingyue would fall into the same danger.

Miasma usually refers to wetland air rich in harmful substances. The main components are methane and hydrogen sulfide, as well as some other toxic gases and volatile organic compounds. These gases are usually produced by rotting plants and organic matter in wetlands. Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, highly toxic acidic gas, an inorganic compound, with no obvious odor at high concentrations, a strong smell of rotten eggs at low concentrations, and a sulfur smell at extremely low concentrations.

However, despite being full of vigilance and worry, Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue did not stop. They knew that only through this secret passage could they find what they wanted. So they continued to shuttle through the secret passage, taking each step firmly and forcefully.

As time went by, they gradually adapted to the environment in the secret passage. Although the rotten smell was still disgusting, they were able to isolate it with their true qi. The air in the secret passage also seemed to be less oppressive, allowing people to breathe a little.

Wen Lingyue hummed softly, like a breeze blowing across a calm lake, creating ripples. She instantly mobilized all her spiritual power, which seemed to be controlled by an invisible hand, slowly condensing around her body to form a protective film. This protective film emitted a light blue light in the dim secret passage, like the twinkling stars in the night sky, mysterious and beautiful.

The light blue light circulated around Wen Lingyue's body, as if it had life, rising and falling with her breathing. This light was not only beautiful, but also full of power. It was like a solid shield, tightly wrapping Wen Lingyue in it, protecting her from the invisible dangers in the secret passage.

Lu Xiuyuan watched from the side, with a flash of admiration in his eyes. He secretly admired Wen Lingyue's ability. It was really extraordinary to be able to mobilize such a powerful spiritual power in such a short time and form such a solid protective film. In comparison, although he himself had practiced for many years, he had not yet reached such a level in controlling spiritual power.

So Lu Xiuyuan no longer hesitated and quickly put on his Phoenix Red Gold Armor. This armor shone brightly in the sun, like a phoenix reborn from the ashes, majestic and domineering. Every inch of the armor was carefully crafted, light and strong, and it seemed to feel weightless when worn.

The Phoenix Red Gold Armor not only has a strong defensive power, but also has a magical effect. It can reduce the erosion of toxic gases in the air, allowing Lu Xiuyuan to walk more freely in the secret passage. Putting on this armor, he seemed to have become an invincible warrior, ready to meet the next challenge.

After Lu Xiuyuan put on his armor, he turned to Wen Lingyue and said, "This is just the beginning. There will definitely be more dangerous things waiting for us later. We must be careful and not be careless."

Wen Lingyue nodded in agreement. She knew the danger of this expedition and knew that only by being careful could they get through it. So the two of them set out again and continued to move forward in this narrow and dangerous secret passage.

Wen Lingyue nodded gently, and then took out the night-shining stone from the storage bag. As the night-shining stone was taken out, the entire secret passage was instantly shrouded in a soft light, and the originally dark and depressing secret passage became clearly visible. The light was like a bright moon, illuminating the road ahead and dispelling the haze in the hearts of the two.

Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue continued to walk in the secret passage, one step deep and one step shallow. The soil in the secret passage was moist and soft, and every time they stepped down, some soil would splash, but this did not affect the two people's progress. Their steps were firm and powerful, as if they were announcing their determination and courage to the world.

Suddenly, Wen Lingyue accidentally tripped over something, staggered, and almost fell to the ground. She screamed, with a hint of panic and pain in her voice. Lu Xiuyuan heard Wen Lingyue's scream and immediately turned around to look in her direction.

Wen Lingyue was squatting on the ground, rubbing her ankle with both hands, with a painful expression on her face. Lu Xiuyuan's heart tightened, and he hurried over and asked with concern: "What's wrong? Did you sprain your ankle?"

Wen Lingyue shook her head, forced a smile and said, "It's okay, it's okay. I just tripped a little, it's no big deal."

Lu Xiuyuan's voice suddenly became serious and tense, and he said to Wen Lingyue: "Don't look down, don't look."

Wen Lingyue frowned slightly when she heard this, her heart full of doubts. She raised her head and looked at Lu Xiuyuan's serious expression, and couldn't help laughing, with a hint of ridicule in her voice: "What's wrong with you? You're so nervous, what could be going on?"

Lu Xiuyuan did not answer, but stared at the ground, as if he was afraid that Wen Lingyue would see something terrible. However, Wen Lingyue's curiosity was aroused, and she decided to see what made Lu Xiuyuan so nervous.

So, she slowly lowered her head and looked towards the ground. Suddenly, a skeleton appeared in her sight, lying quietly on the ground with its forearms stretched out, as if waiting for something.

Wen Lingyue screamed in surprise and quickly curled up into a ball, as if she was extremely frightened. She closed her eyes tightly, not daring to look at the skeleton again, her heart filled with fear and anxiety.

Upon seeing this, Lu Xiuyuan immediately walked forward, gently patted Wen Lingyue on the shoulder, and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm here." His voice was gentle and firm, like a warm current, warming Wen Lingyue's heart.

Wen Lingyue slowly opened her eyes and looked at Lu Xiuyuan's concerned expression. The fear in her heart gradually dissipated. She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and then said, "What is that? Why is there a skeleton here?"

Lu Xiuyuan sighed and explained, "Someone may have been here before, but died here for unknown reasons. This skeleton is the best proof."

Wen Lingyue couldn't help but feel sad when she heard this. She looked at the skeleton and imagined how the life she once had disappeared here, and her heart was filled with regret and emotion.

Wen Lingyue was still in shock, her face was pale, and her eyes were full of fear and anxiety. Lu Xiuyuan looked at her, his heart full of worry. He gently patted Wen Lingyue's shoulder and comforted her: "It's okay, it looks like she has been dead for a long time, and her clothes are already torn."

When Wen Lingyue heard Lu Xiuyuan's words, the fear in her heart calmed down a little. She nodded to show that she understood. Then, she took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.

Seeing this, Lu Xiuyuan knew that she needed to rest for a while before she could recover. So, he gently helped Wen Lingyue to the side and let her sit on a relatively flat stone to rest. Although Wen Lingyue was a little weak at the moment, she knew that now was not the time to be willful, so she sat on the stone obediently.

Lu Xiuyuan took the Night-shining Stone from Wen Lingyue, raised it high, and looked carefully at the remains in front of him. The pile of bones looked particularly pale under the illumination of the Night-shining Stone, and the clothes on the body were already tattered, revealing the white bones. Looking at these, Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness in his heart.

He carefully observed the pieces of clothing, trying to find some clues. After careful identification, he determined that the pieces of clothing should be the clothing of the Juling Sect. He thought to himself: "This should be the accidental death of the disciples of the Juling Sect who entered to explore when the Beiya Cave was opened."

Thinking of this, Lu Xiuyuan couldn't help but feel sorry for the experience of this predecessor. He imagined that the predecessor also entered Beiya Cave with great ambitions, but unexpectedly encountered misfortune and died here. His heart was full of respect and remembrance for the predecessor.

Then, Lu Xiuyuan carefully examined the bones again. He found that there seemed to be some black marks on the bones, which seemed to be the marks left by some kind of toxin. He was moved and guessed: "Looking at this extent, it should be caused by the infection of miasma."

He knew very well how powerful the miasma was, and once infected, it would be difficult to escape its clutches. This senior may have accidentally inhaled the miasma, which caused his body to gradually weaken and eventually die. Thinking of this, Lu Xiuyuan became more vigilant about the miasma, and he decided to be more careful to prevent the invasion of miasma.

Wen Lingyue watched Lu Xiuyuan busy at work, and the fear in her heart had mostly dissipated. She knew that Lu Xiuyuan was an experienced person, and with him around, she felt much more at ease.

So, Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue supported each other and continued to move forward. They knew in their hearts that the road ahead would be narrower and more full of unknowns and dangers. Therefore, they were extremely vigilant and took every step carefully, fearing that they would touch any mechanism or trap.

As they gradually went deeper into the secret passage, the air around them seemed to become more oppressive, and the miasma became thicker and thicker. Lu Xiuyuan and Wen Lingyue knew that there must be many people who died from miasma poisoning here. They couldn't help but feel sad for those predecessors who had bravely explored but unfortunately died.

Suddenly, Lu Xiuyuan found a little blue light in front of the passage. The blue light flickered in the darkness, which looked particularly strange. He was moved and thought of the legendary will-o'-the-wisp. He knew that the will-o'-the-wisp was actually the spontaneous combustion reaction of white phosphorus in bones and air, and it was not something very scary. However, he also understood that for those who did not understand it, this strange phenomenon was enough to make people feel scared.

Wen Lingyue didn't know all this. When she saw the blue light in front of her, she said in fear, "What are those in front!" There was a slight tremor in her voice, and she was obviously frightened by the blue light.

Lu Xiuyuan looked back at Wen Lingyue and saw that she was pale and her eyes were full of fear. He couldn't help but feel distressed. He gently held her hand and comforted her: "Don't be afraid, those are just ghost lights, which are caused by the spontaneous combustion of white phosphorus in the bones. There is nothing to be afraid of."

After hearing Lu Xiuyuan's explanation, Wen Lingyue's fear subsided a little. She held Lu Xiuyuan's hand tightly, as if looking for a little comfort. She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself down, and then said, "Then let's continue walking, just... just don't get too close to those ghost lights."

Lu Xiuyuan nodded, indicating that he understood. He looked at the road ahead again, and was mentally prepared. He knew that the journey ahead would be even more difficult, but they had no way out. They could only move forward bravely and face those unknown dangers and challenges.

So, the two of them set out again and continued to move forward. They carefully avoided the will-o'-the-wisps, fearing that they would touch something they shouldn't touch. The air around them was still oppressive, and the miasma was getting thicker and thicker, but they had gotten used to this environment and no longer felt the fear and uneasiness they had felt before.