Huo Jin was quite delighted upon learning that the Rock Driller Worm's meat was edible. Its texture was similar to lobster, minus the slightly metallic aftertaste caused by its high mineral content. Regardless of flavor, the worm's meat was highly nourishing when consumed in moderation.
Lingxu protested every time her forge was repurposed as Huo Jin's grilling station. He blatantly took advantage of her inability to harm him due to Dao restrictions. Nevertheless, Huo Jin remained respectful. After every meal, he cleaned thoroughly and kept the forge tidy.
"I am surprised that you can stomach all of those horrible pests." Lingxu chimed sarcastically.
"I had worse." Huo Jin replied, stretching his back slightly. He then continued processing the Rock Driller Worm's skin and tail.
To his surprise, the tail was extremely raspy and durable, covered in hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny tooth-like protrusions. It resembled a cylindrical file with a sharp tip. The skin itself was coarse and resilient.
"Perfect. I can now perfect the barrel with these."
Another week passed. Huo Jin successfully forged two gun barrels without warping or defects. A wide smile spread across his face.
Despite his blistered hands, he moved on to the next stage: sanding the bore and exterior. Once the barrels were clean and polished, he proceeded to craft the wooden body, trigger mechanism, and other supporting components to reinforce the build.
Carving the wooden body from a single piece of hardwood was straightforward. It required only patience and careful adjustment to match the barrel's length and diameter.
The trigger mechanism, however, was far more challenging. It required meticulous measurements down to the smallest tolerances.
As Lingxu observed Huo Jin painstakingly work on the tiny components, she finally acknowledged his exceptional talent and intelligence. Even so, she doubted that a mere metal projectile could help him survive the Flame Valley, let alone hunt Infernal Beasts.
Huo Jin paused briefly to ease the pain in his fingers, submerging them into the quenching water.
"Lady Lingxu." Huo Jin called out of the blue after scooping some water. "May I ask something?"
Lingxu flew closer, hovering beside him. "Sure."
"Has this place been raided in the past?" Huo Jin muttered, voicing his conclusion.
"It's quite the contrary. During the Shattering War ten thousands years ago, Heavenly Forge Hall became the last bastion of humanity. To avoid this place being used by the Outworlders to launch subsequent invasion, human warriors took everything away to avoid being used by those mysterious beings, rendering this place and myself to near extinction."
"And you just agreed being betrayed like that?" Huo Jin remarked sharply.
"No. It was me who suggested the idea. I would be fine since I exist outside this world's conventional rules but not the humans."
"Oh…" Huo Jin was curious, but chose not to ask further. Knowing more would only entangle him in karmic consequences. "And… Who won the war?"
"Neither won the war. Both sides exhausted their resources. Trillions died, the Flame Valley reduced to a hellish place as you know. The Outworlders left Nine Heavens Cosmos shortly after."
Huo Jin was left speechless. The sheer scale of the conflict was unfathomable.
"So, what happened to the skeleton in the storage room?" Huo Jin promptly changed the topic.
After a brief silence, Lingxu answered in a regretful tone. "That poor man was killed by his own companions for trivial treasures during the evacuation. I tried to stop them, but I had exhausted my heavenly flame to protect the hall."
"Truly, human greed knows no bounds." Huo Jin shook his head.
"Indeed." Lingxu agreed distastefully.
Once his hands were fully healed by the miraculous quenching water, Huo Jin resumed his work. With all components complete, he assembled the trigger mechanism and mounted the barrels onto the wooden bodies.
The final appearance was crude and rough by Huo Jin's standards, but functional. He then crafted .44 caliber steel balls as ammunition, using scrap silver harvested from ornamental pieces scattered throughout the hall.
Lingxu flew around him in excitement when Huo Jin completed the flintlock pistols.
"Are they finished?!"
Huo Jin remained humble and tactful. "Sort of… They'd still need some fine adjustments, but given the current tools and materials, these guns would work just fine."
"Then, what are we waiting for?! Let's try it!"
"Not that fast, Lady Lingxu. I still need to concoct the exact ratio of black powder or any sorts of dry, and combustible substances to propel the projectile."
"If that's the case, I might be able to help you. Place your gun into the forge."
"No way." Huo Jin hugged his precious creations close to his chest, wary that she might devour them instead.
Rather than persuading him further, Lingxu tugged at the guns using her Spiritual Qi. Huo Jin struggled to hold on as the pulling force far exceeded his physical strength.
"What are you doing?! Give back my guns!"
Lingxu's flame grew brighter and larger, floating higher until he could no longer reach her.
Golden threads of fire seeped from Lingxu's flame core, flowing along the barrels and bodies. Huo Jin panicked, fearing the guns would be ruined. Instead, faint and intricate lines appeared on the metal, forming simple arrays engraved directly into the weapons.
She subtly modified the hammer mechanism, allowing Huo Jin to regulate energy output during firing.
The guns landed softly back into Huo Jin's hands. He stared in awe as the engraved lines glowed faintly with red light.
"What was that? What have you done to my guns?"
Lingxu chuckled lightly, clearly unconcerned. "It was just a basic Refinement Art. With these arrays, your gun is able to draw Fire Qi from the ambient air, and you can discharge the stored energy by pulling the trigger. Though, you must use it sparingly as your weapon's quality is still very low."
"En!" Huo Jin smiled genuinely. "Thank you, milady."
"Enough talking. I want to see how they perform."
"With pleasure!"
He quickly prepared a target: an old iron helmet placed roughly twenty meters away. He then returned to his position.
Huo Jin loaded the projectile from the muzzle, ramming it down with the thumper until it reached the base of the barrel.
As he cocked the hammer, he noticed subtle changes in the trigger mechanism. He immediately understood that the arrays were charging potential energy.
A moment later, the gun felt ready. He aimed at the helmet and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
The iron helmet was pierced clean through, the impact strong enough to dent the floor beneath it.
"Incredible!" Lingxu exclaimed. "With just a miniscule amount of Fire Qi, it can even pierced hardened steel!"
Huo Jin grinned proudly. "Imagine if the projectile is made of super hard minerals like diamond or lonsdelaite."
"Lon—what?" Lingxu was bewildered by his naming sense, though the mineral itself could theoretically be synthesized in the lab.
"Nevermind. I need to take a rest." Huo Jin replied while massaging his right wrist.
The recoil had been strong enough to dislocate it. Fortunately, no tendons or muscles were torn. He calmly popped the joint back into place with minimal pain.
"Are you still going to hunt the Infernal-Python?" Lingxu asked.
A hint of loneliness crept into her voice at the thought that he might not return.
"Nope, it will be a suicidal after I learn what they actually capable of. Surviving this crazy world is my main priority." Huo Jin raised both guns before his face. "But of course, I am not an ungrateful person. I will do any favor for you as long as it's within my capability. I might be weak right now, but I will definitely repay your kindness once I get stronger."
Something deep within Lingxu stirred. Her long-dormant desire to live, to pursue her goal of creating the ultimate weapon in the Nine Heavens Cosmos, was reignited.
"Very well… I'll only ask you one thing."
"Sure. Ask away…"