Chapter 753: Repairing the Passage

"With such a formidable teacher... could he really have broken the record just now?"Previously, people were still half-skeptical about whether he had genuinely broken the record. But upon hearing that he had such a powerful teacher, one whom even Hall Master Mo and Elder Mi greatly admired, everyone's doubts intensified.When a master teacher surpasses six stars, their methods become increasingly terrifying and numerous, possessing many abilities beyond ordinary comprehension.This is precisely why descendants of the Saint-level noble families are so powerful, far surpassing their peers.They start with a high foundation, and their knowledge and insight far exceed those of ordinary people. Many things, even if others tried to imagine them, they couldn't conceive.

"Thank you!"Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the agreement.Since others could forge it, he might be able to repair it. If he succeeded, he could save a significant sum of money!Not spending money was equivalent to earning it!He was truly too poor and far from being able to spend lavishly.

He walked a few steps back to the ruins, took a deep breath, and reached out to touch them.Inside, he had only used his Eye of Insight earlier, but hadn't used this particular ability yet. Now, he wanted to use it to see what was truly wrong with the passage and if it could be repaired.Although the passage had collapsed, its walls remained, and the various mechanisms and springs were still connected as a single unit. Touching it would allow him to form a complete book (in his mind)."Defect!"With a silent thought, a book appeared in his mind's eye. Zhang Xuan looked at it, his eyes narrowing immediately.

The passage had collapsed because the ore that sustained its power had been completely consumed, disrupting the formation's balance. To repair it, there was only one way: find four more pieces of Earth Core Crimson Rock... and then mend the formation to re-establish balance.He could repair the formation and re-establish balance, but where could he find Earth Core Crimson Rock?Not only was this material rare, but each piece was also priceless. Given his current finances, he couldn't afford even one, let alone four."Unless I can resolve... the defect of needing Earth Core Crimson Rock!"He lowered his head in thought.The books in the Library of Heaven's Path listed Earth Core Crimson Rock as a defect because it was exceedingly valuable yet not the most optimal material. If it could be replaced with something else that was less expensive, the problem would be much simpler.However... what could replace it, and how? He knew very little about such mechanisms. After thinking for a while, he remained perplexed.

Unable to hold back, he turned and said, "Esteemed Elder, I have a request..."Although he didn't know the old man's specific identity, he was certainly an elder, so addressing him this way was undoubtedly correct."What is it?" Yuan Hong frowned, wondering what new trick this fellow was up to."It's like this... After my observation just now, I've gained some understanding of this passage. However... there are still some parts I don't quite grasp. I was wondering if our Artificer School has any books on this subject? Could I borrow them to take a look?"When he didn't understand something, there was only one method: find books to form a Heaven's Path cultivation technique.For others, this might be a last-minute cram session, but for him, it was the most effective approach.

"Read books?"Yuan Hong was taken aback.The passage had already collapsed to this extent, and he was only now thinking about reading books... Wasn't that a bit too late?"What type of books do you need?" Although Yuan Hong found the man's words unreliable, he couldn't help but ask."Anything about Earth Flame passages will do; the more, the better..." Zhang Xuan replied.Hearing that the fellow didn't even have a specific goal, Yuan Hong felt a vein throb. After a pause, he finally turned around and instructed, "Luo Yan, go to the library and retrieve all the books concerning Earth Flame passages!"Had it been anyone else, they certainly wouldn't have received such treatment. But this fellow had presented Elder Mi's token and possessed a formidable teacher. Although deeply frustrated, Yuan Hong endured it.Of course, most importantly, he also wanted to see how the Earth Flame passage, now a ruin, could possibly be fixed.

"Reading books? How can one understand such advanced formations and mechanisms just by reading?""Exactly, I don't get it either. Maybe he just wants to look at its structure!""The Earth Flame passage itself isn't a secret. The most crucial part is the four pieces of Earth Core Crimson Rock. It's said that obtaining these cost an enormous amount. As long as they aren't damaged, the repair isn't difficult!"Hearing that the young man circled back to wanting to read books, everyone was filled with confusion.While books are the ladder of human progress, without guidance, it's impossible to fully learn a profession solely by reading.They had never heard of someone becoming an unrivaled genius through isolated study.When he had vowed to attempt the repair, they had expected him to have expertise in both artificing and heavenly craftsmanship, believing he could truly solve it. Unexpectedly, he hadn't revealed any profound insights; instead, he was now trying to learn on the fly...If 'learning on the fly' were truly that effective, Vice Principal Yuan Hong wouldn't have been so annoyed.

Ignoring the peculiar gazes, Zhang Xuan waited quietly. Before long, Luo Yan returned.Books concerning Earth Flame passages were generally shelved together, making them easy to find. Upon arriving and receiving his teacher's confirmation, Luo Yan flicked his wrist, and hundreds of books piled up before them.These books all introduced Earth Flame passages; some detailed their structure, others their usage, and some offered modification suggestions. Many presented individual theories, and without the ability to discern, one would not only struggle to gain knowledge but also quickly become disoriented and confused after just a short read.

Approaching the books, Zhang Xuan exhaled. He touched each one, pretending to search for a specific title. In a short while, he had touched them all. He then casually picked up a book and slowly opened it.His eyes weren't focused on the physical book. Instead, his mind was concentrated, compiling the numerous books he had just absorbed into a Heaven's Path cultivation technique.A new book materialized before him, which he casually opened."So many defects still?"He glanced at it, his eyelids twitching.The number of books on this passage was too few. Even after half a day of processing, the information wasn't fully complete; there were defects everywhere, totaling fifty-two!However, the number of defects wasn't the main concern. The most important thing was whether Earth Core Crimson Rock could be replaced with something else.He quickly read, soon finding the section on the defects of Earth Core Crimson Rock.

"Earth Core Crimson Rock is scarce, which is the passage's biggest flaw. If it could be replaced by Earth Flame, countless costs would be saved, and the heat would be inexhaustible. However, Earth Flame is a natural earth-based fire, difficult to control, and its heat is slightly weaker..."The text continued for more than a page.Although it stated that Earth Flame could be used as a substitute, it also noted numerous drawbacks, making the replacement difficult to achieve.Firstly, the temperature of Earth Flame was insufficient; it couldn't reach the level of Earth Core Crimson Rock!To achieve the same effect, there was only one method: use an auxiliary formation.The formation diagram for the auxiliary formation was in one of the books; it was a five-star formation, which Zhang Xuan, with his current strength, could certainly implement. However... this formation could easily conflict with the original balance-maintaining formation. If not handled properly... it could cause an explosion!Therefore, while using Earth Flame to create an Earth Flame passage was theoretically possible, almost no one had managed to accomplish it.With two conflicting formations, finding a balance point was extremely difficult. Even a true grandmaster of formations would find it impossible to complete, let alone the original builders of the passage.It was precisely for this reason that, for the sake of stability, they had spared no expense in seeking Earth Core Crimson Rock.However... what was difficult for others was easy for Zhang Xuan.Wasn't it just about finding a balance point?Apparently, that's how he made his name...Breaking formations, passing trials, refining the Purification Pool... he had achieved fame and intimidated many by finding balance points.

"However... with insufficient books, finding this balance point might not be as easy as before. But if I succeed, it's equivalent to earning 10 high-grade spirit stones. No matter what, I have to try!"Zhang Xuan nodded.Besides the balance with the auxiliary formation, Earth Flame had other defects, such as being far less stable than Earth Core Crimson Rock and having an uneven power output.Although the books were insufficient and didn't detail how to resolve these issues, as long as the major problem of balance was solved, the others should not be a significant concern."Alright, Earth Flame it is!"After deliberating several times and feeling there were no major issues, Zhang Xuan finally stood up again, exhaling a breath of stale air.

"Esteemed Elder, I wonder if we have a way to draw upon Earth Flame here?""Earth Flame? Yes!"Yuan Hong nodded. "Artificers often need the heat of Earth Flame to smelt metals. It's an essential item for the Artificer School, just like charcoal fire!"When forging, many metals are difficult to melt, and ordinary charcoal fire simply isn't enough, so they must rely on Earth Flame.Therefore, there was a special grand formation here for drawing Earth Flame, making it easy to harness."Excellent..."Zhang Xuan's eyes lit up. "I'd like to make use of it. I hope Elder Yuan can help me draw it over...""Draw Earth Flame? You intend to use this to replace Earth Core Crimson Rock?"Yuan Hong's brows furrowed."Yes, I've found a definite method. Rest assured, it will certainly succeed!" Zhang Xuan replied with a light smile, his face full of confidence.

"Alright!"Seeing his confident assertion, Yuan Hong hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded.Although Earth Flame was dangerous, artificers frequently used it. Given Yuan Hong's abilities, controlling it wouldn't be too difficult, and there shouldn't be any significant danger.Since this fellow claimed he could succeed, Yuan Hong was also curious to witness it.If he truly accomplished it, he would have achieved something that many predecessors had failed to do, genuinely breaking a record.Yuan Hong turned and walked out. Before long, he returned with a metal formation plate. After confirming the position, he casually placed it on the ground and, with a sweep of his palm, infused it with a surge of genuine qi.The formation patterns on the plate rippled, and everyone immediately felt a scorching Earth Flame, like a fire dragon, erupting wildly from the center, seemingly hot enough to melt the very air.Many elders of the Artificer Guild often used such formation plates as their heat source, having done so countless times with great familiarity."Thank you!"Zhang Xuan exhaled, a faint smile on his face.Compared to the Earth Core Crimson Rock used previously, the temperature of this Earth Flame was indeed much lower. It seemed the books were right: to truly repair the passage, an auxiliary formation would be necessary to increase the temperature.