Strongest Scammer: Scamming The World, One Death At A Time-Chapter 687: Starting The Refinement

Han Yu's flame was beyond the imagination of the alchemists who had seen countless kinds of fire in their lifetimes.

Even the Blood Flame they had heard so much about from legends and records seemed different from what they were witnessing now. This flame was not merely violent or domineering. It was refined, deep, and strangely obedient, moving exactly as Han Yu willed it to, as though it were an extension of his own thoughts.

"The Blood Flames are this strong?" one of the alchemists muttered, his voice low and filled with disbelief as he stared at the cauldron.

"Isn't it supposed to be violent and uncontrollable? How is the honored disciple's flame so tame?" another whispered, his eyes wide.

They could not understand it at all. In truth, even Han Yu himself did not fully understand it yet.

'That liquid flame I absorbed… it is showing more effects as time goes by. At first, it only granted me flame affinity, but now it is even changing the nature of my flames themselves.' Han Yu knew that part of this control came from the Dancing Flame Arts, but he was certain there was something deeper at work.

And that something could only be the mysterious Liquid Flame.

Hummmm.

Han Yu placed his hands on both sides of the cauldron. The carved runes on its surface lit up instantly. Instead of their usual orange or yellow glow, they shone with a deep blood red light, as though they were responding directly to his Blood Flame.

He carefully tested the cauldron's ability to disperse and retain heat, adjusting the flame little by little until the internal temperature stabilized at exactly the level required by the scroll.

"Everything seems as optimal as it can be now," Han Yu said calmly. "We can begin."

"Everyone to your stations!" Fatui Zhuwen shouted loudly.

"Yes!" The alchemists and formation masters quickly moved into position, each taking their assigned place around the chamber.

The formation masters were just as important as the alchemists.

They had to constantly adjust the arrays around the chamber, fine tuning temperature, pressure, spirit qi flow, and elemental balance every single minute. If anything went wrong, these arrays were also the final line of defense to keep the entire clan from being destroyed in a catastrophic explosion.

Once everyone was ready, Han Yu slowly raised the heat of the cauldron and held it steady for a full minute, letting both the metal and the runes fully adapt to the new temperature.

"The first ingredient. Prepare the base blood," he ordered.

"Three hundred liters of base blood as the solvent!" Fatui Zhuwen repeated loudly.

Two alchemists carried several large vats of processed beast blood and poured them into the cauldron one by one. This blood was not special. It was simply refined beast blood, commonly used as a solvent in many alchemical recipes.

It was very different from Living Blood, which required strict conditions and specific sources. This was only a foundation, a medium into which all other ingredients would later be introduced.

Once all the blood was inside, Han Yu slightly increased the intensity of his Blood Flame and began purifying it. Dark impurities rose to the surface and evaporated, while the blood slowly thickened and became more concentrated.

Bubble. Bubble. Bubble.

The cauldron boiled steadily as the blood reduced. When it finally reached two thirds of its original volume, Han Yu spoke again.

"Add the supportive herbs."

These herbs were not listed in the original scroll.

They had been selected by Han Yu and the Fatui Clan as supplementary stabilizers. Since the ancient recipe was incomplete, they had searched carefully for herbs that could moderate violent reactions and reinforce compatibility between the main ingredients.

This stage was extremely delicate. Han Yu had to refine each herb separately, controlling their essence carefully before introducing them. This process alone took nearly five hours.

Every breath in the room was held in silence.

They had prepared several backup sets of these herbs, but everyone hoped none of them would be needed. At least mistakes were still acceptable at this stage. Once they reached the main ingredients, there would be no second chance.

Han Yu used precise control to divide the refined base blood into multiple rotating vortexes within the cauldron. Each vortex spun at a different speed and temperature. Into each one, he placed different herbs according to their properties.

Some herbs required gentle heat. Others demanded intense flames. Some had to be dissolved slowly, while others needed to be burned until only pure essence remained.

Only when all of them reached perfect balance would they be allowed to merge again.

Finally, the moment came.

"Prepare the Heart Marrow," Han Yu said.

The alchemists opened a small porcelain jar containing less than a hundred milliliters of thick, viscous liquid. It looked like blood, but with a faint yellow glow swirling within.

This was the Heart Marrow of a Nascent Soul realm beast. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

It carried terrifying vitality and fierce Yang energy.

As soon as it touched the cauldron, it reacted violently.

Sizzle

The cauldron roared as dark red mist erupted upward.

"Activate the exhaust array!" Han Yu shouted.

Whoosh

The formation masters activated the array instantly, drawing the poisonous mist through hidden vents and sealing it away.

Even a single breath of that mist could make ordinary cultivators lose control of their blood and rupture from within.

"The Heart Marrow is extremely violent," Han Yu thought. "The records were not exaggerating."

He increased the intensity of his Blood Flame and wrapped it around the Heart Marrow, forcing it to accept his control. Because Blood Flame shared blood attributes, the marrow resisted less than expected.

Even so, it took six full hours before the violent energy finally calmed and merged smoothly with the refined base.

"Formation masters, activate the Frost Dulling Array," Han Yu said.

The temperature in the chamber shifted instantly. The array suppressed cold energy in the air, but this also caused the internal heat to grow even more intense.