Chapter 702: Snake and Fire

The morning light was thin.

The mist over the riverbank glowed a faint gray‑blue.

The wooden cage was moved to the edge of the stone formation at the camp's center.

Zhu Yue squatted before the cage;

Xu Da and Tang He stood on either side;

Behind them were several young adults selected for the experiment, their eyes filled with apprehension and curiosity.

There were five snakes in the cage.

All had been captured recently around the camp;

Their eyes were cloudy;

They emitted an ominous gray‑blue sheen;

Their scales were rough;

Their movements carried an abnormal agitation.

"First."

Zhu Yue pointed with a wooden stick at the cage on the far left.

"Approach the stone formation."

Two young adults lifted the wooden cage carefully;

Moved it to the base stone engraved with the deepest Knife‑Plow Emblem;

And set it down snug against it.

The snake immediately became more agitated;

It darted rapidly inside the cage;

Repeatedly striking its head against the cage walls.

But it seemed… to be deliberately avoiding the side nearest the base stone?

Zhu Yue observed closely.

The gray‑blue sheen in the snake's eyes;

Had not diminished.

But its aggressiveness;

Seemed to be suppressed by some invisible force;

Turned more into frightened evasion.

"Record: The symbols on the stone formation have a weak repellent or suppressive effect on low‑concentration corrupted organisms, but cannot cleanse existing corruption."

Zhu Yue dictated;

A literate youth nearby hurriedly carved the notes into bark.

"Second."

The wooden cage was moved to an open space outside three stones.

There were no symbols here.

"Fire."

Zhu Yue gestured.

Tang He placed a small pile of dry twigs and crushed coal beside the cage;

Lit it.

The flames quickly rose;

Orange‑red;

Carrying heat.

The snake inside the cage instantly went mad.

It thrashed violently;

Desperately trying to get away from the fire;

Even the gray‑blue of its eyes reflected the firelight;

Yet it revealed a deeper eeriness.

The fire burned for about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea.

The snake's struggle gradually weakened;

Finally it went limp and motionless.

But the gray‑blue in its eyes;

Still stubbornly persisted.

"Record: Ordinary fire's high heat can kill the bodies of corrupted organisms, but the abnormal color remains in their eyes after death; it is unknown whether the corrupting substance remains active or contagious."

Zhu Yue's voice was very calm.

"Third."

This time;

The wooden cage was placed directly over the fire.

Not beside it;

But right above the flames.

A simple stone stand held up the cage;

The flames licked the bottom of the cage.

The snakes' madness reached its peak;

They emitted a hissing, sharp sound.

Soon;

Scales charred black;

Skin and flesh shrank.

An indescribable smell, faintly fishy-sweet and burnt, spread.

The flames continued burning for a long time.

Until the contents of the cage were completely reduced to a small lump of charcoal.

Zhu Yue poked apart the ashes with a wooden stick;

He examined carefully.

In the ashes;

Faintly, there were several tiny dark-blue crystal fragments.

In the morning light;

They reflected an eerie light.

"Record: Continuous extreme high-temperature burning can completely incinerate the corroded organisms; however, trace amounts of unknown crystals remain. Beware that the smell produced by burning may be harmful."

He stood up;

He looked at the fourth snake.

"Try this."

He pointed to the prepared ceramic jar beside him.

The jar contained a liquid made by crushing several common herbs and soaking them;

The color was murky.

A sturdy youth scooped up the liquid with a long-handled wooden spoon;

He slowly poured it down from the top of the cage.

The snake was doused;

At first it thrashed violently;

But soon;

Its movements became sluggish.

The gray-blue in its eyes;

Seemed to… have faded a bit?

Extremely faint.

Almost imperceptible.

"Record: Partial contact with the herb liquid may have an extremely faint bleaching effect on the corroded appearance. Effect unclear; needs repeated verification."

Zhu Yue did not feel much joy.

This effect is too weak.

Moreover, it cannot be determined whether it is temporary numbness;

Or whether it is truly "purifying".

The last snake.

Zhu Yue pondered for a moment.

"Take it over there."

He pointed to a newly built earthen stove at the edge of the camp.

Coal was burning inside the earthen stove;

Not for heating;

But was the "experimental fire pit" that Zhu Yue demanded to keep burning.

The temperature is much higher than that of firewood.

Dark-red flames rolled inside the stove chamber.

The wooden cage was placed at the stove opening.

A scorching wave of heat hit the face.

The snake inside the cage almost instantly stiffened;

Even struggling became weak.

The gray-blue luster in its eyes;

Under high-temperature radiation;

It seemed to begin undulating, swaying.

Like oil paint dropped into hot water;

Although still present;

But its form is no longer stable.

Add coal; blow air.

Zhu Yue gave the order.

Tang He personally operated;

He added several pieces of the best coal into the stove chamber;

Another sturdy youth used a crude hide bellows to blow air.

Hoo—hoo—

The flame colour shifted from dark red to bright yellow;

It even took on a hint of white‑hot.

The temperature rose sharply.

The heat wave made people several steps away feel a stinging on their skin.

The snake inside the cage was completely still.

Its body quickly dehydrated and curled up.

And the grey‑blue in its eyes;

This time;

It actually, as the high temperature continued to scorch;

It faded bit by bit and dissipated.

Finally;

When the snake's body was almost charred;

That hint of grey‑blue;

had completely disappeared.

Zhu Yue stared intently.

"Extinguish the fire; carefully take it out."

Wait until the temperature drops a bit;

He wrapped his hands in thick cloth;

He personally used wooden tongs to take out the charred remains from inside the cage;

and placed them on the stone slab.

He carefully examined them.

He found no trace of the earlier dark‑blue crystalline powder.

At the snake's eye sockets;

only two charred hollows remained.

"Record: concentrated, sustained high‑temperature scorching; the temperature must reach a certain threshold; it can completely eliminate the observed erosive anomaly. No abnormal crystalline residue was found in the remains."

He set down the wooden tongs;

He let out a long breath.

The experiment was finished.

The result was harsh and clear.

The stone formation markings;

were mostly for intimidation and weak suppression.

Ordinary flame;

can kill the flesh;

but cannot eradicate the root.

Herbs;

their effect is slim.

Only a sufficiently concentrated, intense, and lasting high temperature;

can truly "burn off" the impurities clinging to living beings.

This conclusion;

points toward a direction.

"Smelt iron."

Xu Da said softly.

"Elder brother; you insist on smelting iron as soon as possible—not just for weapons, but also for this?"

Zhu Yue nodded.

He looked at the few records beside the stone formation.

He also looked at the still‑burning white‑hot coals in the earth stove.

"We need a stable, controllable high temperature."

"Not just to turn stone into iron."

"But also to…… create a 'purifying' power."

"To deal with those contaminated things."

"Even……"

He paused;

He gazed toward the northeast.

"To deal with potentially even more terrifying enemies we might encounter in the future."

"Once the blacksmith's forge is built, it will be the camp's first stable source of high temperature."

"Next step; we will try to build a dedicated, higher‑temperature 'incineration kiln'."

"To handle contaminated corpses and objects."

"Even…… attempt to purify small areas of soil and water sources."

Tang He sucked in a breath of cold air.

Yue ge; this... can it succeed?

I don't know.

Zhu Yue answered bluntly.

But this is currently the only possible path that can be seen.

High heat can burn away the blue in the snake's eyes.

Perhaps; it can also burn away other things.

He turned;

Facing the participants of the experiment.

Do you all understand?

Several strong youths nodded vigorously;

Their faces still showed shock.

Snakes fear fire; they truly fear it!

Burn it hard enough; that eerie blue will be gone!

Understood! Zhu Yue raised his voice.

From now on; all bonfires and fire pits in the camp must be strictly managed.

Must not be extinguished arbitrarily.

Night watch; must ensure the firelight at key positions does not go out.

This is not for warmth.

This is to ward off evil; to survive.

Keep this in mind!

Yes! The crowd responded solemnly.

The experiment dispersed.

Zhu Yue remained alone by the stone formation.

He lowered his head to look at the record on the stone slab;

Then he lifted his gaze to the eastern sky, gradually brightening.

The light curtain lies in the unseen far west.

The warning comes from there.

And the answer;

Seems to be hidden in the most primal fire and high temperature.

This is contradictory.

Yet it reveals a kind of cold rationality.

Science cannot explain dark energy.

But high temperature can destroy many material structures.

Perhaps...

He muttered to himself.

This is a physical-level confrontation.

Using pure, extreme energy to bombard those 'rule attachments' that shouldn't exist.

He put away the record.

His steps became firm.

The first step of verification is complete.

Although it's only the beginning;

but we have a direction.

Next;

is to spare no cost;

to build the iron forge capable of producing high heat;

pile it up.

to smelt the first batch of molten iron;

and burn it out.

Time waits for no one.

The gray-blue in the snake's eyes;

and the possible blades arriving before autumn;

are urging him on.

He must be fast.

Faster.