When Sophia was almost gone, Li Andy also chose a clay pot. He kicked one over, sending it rolling along the conveyor belt in the opposite direction to her.
The sound of "Kunlulu" continued to echo.
Several meat mountains came following the sound, gradually surrounding Li Andy.
Li Andy took a deep breath, and his blood surged, with a few bloodshot veins appearing in the whites of his eyes.
He turned to face the largest meat mountain, and then… charged straight at it!
Just as they were about to collide, he suddenly leaped with all his might, jumping onto the meat mountain, stepping on the undigested items on it, and climbing rapidly, step by step.
He was like a skateboard master challenging a giant wave, riding against the current.
Upon reaching the summit, he flipped in mid-air, his revolver aimed at the clay pot.
“Bang!”
The bullet cut through the air, hitting the pot, and with a "boom," the pot burst, a massive sonic wave impacting the entire space.
The sound of his feet hitting the ground was insignificant amidst the lingering power of the explosion.
Ignoring the numbness in his feet, Li Andy accelerated towards the exit.
The Mad Blood in his body surged faster, and his sanity rapidly drained away.
He now had only one thought: charge!
So much so that he passed his two sisters without realizing it.
Youxi was a little stunned, opening her mouth:
“Brother, he?”
Sophia was equally confused, pondering for two seconds before saying:
“He seemed to say that the cost of his power was his sanity?”
“Hmm… let’s go by ourselves.”
The two sisters helped each other up, following him with a slight sense of helplessness.
...
Passing through the door of the area, large swathes of red light spilled onto their faces.
Accompanying it were waves of heat.
Not far ahead, Li Andy stood on a platform, gazing blankly at the huge furnace in the center of the area.
The two girls exchanged glances and walked over.
“Are you… alright?” Sophia patted his shoulder, frowning as she checked him.
“Uh, I’m fine…”
Li Andy came back to his senses, retracting his gaze,
“Cough… I just passed you two, actually, to scout ahead.”
Sophia rolled her eyes at him, not bothering to expose him, then hesitated for a few seconds before softly saying:
“Thank you just now.”
Li Andy nodded:
“Your idea was good, but still too reckless. I should have been the bait, and you should have taken Youxi and left first. Next time… remember to act within your capabilities.”
When saying the last sentence, Li Andy’s tone became somewhat serious.
Sophia bit her lip slightly, remaining silent for a few seconds before nodding stiffly.
Li Andy sighed, wanting to speak but holding back.
He didn’t know how to persuade Sophia about her mindset.
Seeing her companions gain extraordinary power, it was inevitable for her to feel anxious and a sense of disparity.
But you can’t blame someone who is trying hard to catch up, can you?
Yuquan Youxi walked between the two, breaking the somewhat stiff atmosphere, and asked:
“Brother, this is the last area. Have you found anything unusual?”
Li Andy thought for a moment and said:
“The anomaly might be in the Processing Area.”
“Is that our original place?” Sophia frowned.
“Yes.”
Li Andy pointed at the furnace in the Forging Area and explained,
“I don’t think the Processing Area should have a furnace.”
The three looked towards the center of the area. As the large furnace trembled, scorching magma splattered everywhere. The entire area was built like the inside of a volcano.
One scorching magma river after another cut off their path to the Processing Area.
Looking back, the writhing meat mountain in the Raw Material Area also blocked the entrance, greedily rubbing against the walls.
“Then should I take everyone back to the Processing Area? But how do we solve the anomaly?” Youxi asked.
“No rush.”
Li Andy raised his hand,
“Do you still remember the accident that happened in the factory before the academy was built, according to the material?”
Youxi pondered for a few seconds, then said uncertainly:
“Was it that furnace explosion where dozens of foundry workers died, directly leading to the factory’s closure?”
“Hmm.”
Li Andy nodded and continued,
“The domain will evolve and extend based on the spiritual residue in the land. The scenes within the domain are somewhat related to what happened here in the past.
“In reality, that factory used to produce mining equipment, but here, it has become a weapon factory.
“This might be a way of expressing special information, and we still need to inspect the furnace here to avoid missing anything.
“After all, the interpretation of anomalies can lead to different results depending on the perspective.
“My judgment just now might not be correct; perhaps the true anomaly isn’t the furnace in the Processing Area.”
His sister Youxi nodded gently, understanding.
Sophia, on the other hand, blinked her eyes, looking confused.
...
The three came to the gantry closest to the furnace.
The scorching heat distorted the air here.
Li Andy pulled open his collar, and Sophia and Youxi also took off their headscarves to dissipate heat.
“Clang! Clang!”
The furnace trembled again, and red-black magma overflowed from its edges, looking exactly like a sick old man coughing and drooling.
Considering the characteristic of animated creations within the domain, this might indeed be an old furnace man.
“What is that?”
Sophia, while lifting the hem of her skirt, fanned her collar and looked towards the center of the furnace.
Li Andy narrowed his eyes.
There, a black object was bobbing up and down with the magma, showing no signs of melting.
He pondered for a few seconds, then raised his gun and aimed at the furnace.
“Bang!”
The bullet accurately struck the black object, and the transferred kinetic energy made it float higher for a moment.
It seemed to be… a statue?
He was about to continue firing to get a clearer look, but then he saw the object emit a strange black mist, which instantly spread across the entire magma surface.
At the same time, the furnace shook violently, as if in immense pain, splattering magma everywhere.
“Clang! Clang! Clang!”
“Get out of here first!”
Li Andy pulled the two, leaped off the high platform, and quickly fled towards the boundary.
The furnace’s shaking became increasingly violent. Suddenly, it fell silent for two seconds, and then, like a small volcanic eruption, magma burst forth!
Sparse fire rain fell from the sky.
Li Andy took three steps in one, escaping to a place without magma before the downpour arrived.
“Drip-drop…”
The fire rain hit the ground, exploding into dazzling sparks that looked incredibly dreamlike, but the temperature of the space increased by several degrees because of it.
The three’s faces were flushed. The clothes prepared by the church had poor breathability and physical protection, and only had a certain mysterious protection because they had undergone the baptism of holy water.
If the temperature continued to rise, they might suffer from dehydration and heatstroke.
Li Andy couldn't help but think of Madam Harveys, who was in the clothing business. Perhaps in the future, he could ask her to customize combat suits for different occasions?
“So hot…”
Sophia pulled open her collar and skirt to dissipate heat, not even caring if she was exposed.
With the temperature so hot, Li Andy had no mind for appreciation. He withdrew his gaze and said: “That statue and black gas are problematic; they might be the cause of this furnace’s illness. Is there any way to get it out?”
Youxi swallowed, and asked:
“Brother, should I let the Nun Ghost try?”
Li Andy frowned:
“If the Nun Ghost gets injured, how much will it affect you? Will there be any damage backlash?”