Chapter 117: To Ignite It Once More

"Devil City was originally known as the City of a Thousand Mechanisms, dating back to ancient times. Its residents were master craftsmen skilled in forging weapons. Later..."

"Because they helped Chiyou forge armor and weapons, they were exiled by the Yellow Emperor after the Battle of Zhuolu to this desert in another world. In this world infested with demons, Devil City has spent over a millennium maneuvering and surviving among the various demon tribes..."

"They have known both glory and decline. Because Devil City is adept at crafting weapons, other demon tribes fear them..."

"To protect themselves and avoid being exploited, Devil City chose to keep to itself, relocating the entire city into this Trial Land, no longer participating in the conflicts of other demon tribes..."

"Gradually, Devil City faded from the world's memory, becoming a legend passed down by word of mouth—a place described as a ferocious, bloodthirsty, man-eating devil's den."

"However, Devil City bears a great and glorious responsibility: guarding and maintaining the world's Profound Iron Divine Furnace."

"You know of the Profound Iron Divine Furnace, don't you? To ensure the safety of the divine furnace, it is actually divided into Yin and Yang. The furnace here in Devil City is the Yin furnace."

"When something goes wrong with the Yang furnace, or if it is damaged, simply reigniting the Yin furnace can resolve the issue. Your arrival here suggests that something has happened to the Yang furnace, hasn't it?"

"It is a pity that while Devil City has been so conscientiously fulfilling such a momentous task, we are misunderstood by the world and labeled as devils..."

"Sigh, there is no such thing as a good or bad blade; only the person wielding it can be good or bad."

The little girl, who called herself Devil No. 1, recounted the history of her city with a sigh.

Li Changluo desperately wanted to say: Does this not count as your own fault? Didn't you name yourselves "Devil" in the first place?

"So, this is your great and glorious task? This is the Profound Iron Divine Tripod?"

Li Changluo looked at the object in front of him in disbelief.

They were standing at the entrance of Devil City, and right before them was the large, sand-covered pot Li Changluo had seen when he first entered the city.

"That's right..."

The little girl blew hard on the pot, which was caked with mud and sand, only to get dust in her eyes. She rubbed them, then began to stroke the large pot with great affection.

"You haven't been looking after it at all, have you? And you call this a great responsibility..."

Li Changluo took out his blueprint to compare it with the pot.

It looked absolutely nothing like it... And it certainly didn't feel like it was being treated as anything important... It was just tossed in a corner, exposed to the wind and sun.

"In this Trial Land, the last time a demon entered was over a hundred years ago. Moreover, only the innkeeper can find Devil City within this Trial Land."

"So, it’s lonely. What is the difference between guarding a treasure that will never be stolen and guarding a pile of scrap metal?"

The little girl looked at the broken pot and shook her head repeatedly.

"I never imagined that a young man like you would be the innkeeper of the inn. That is truly remarkable..."

The little girl looked at Li Changluo with eyes full of admiration.

"I'm not the innkeeper..."

Li Changluo replied with a grin.

"..."

"Someone, throw him out!"

"You're not the innkeeper? You, you, you! You even tricked me out of a bowl of instant noodles! Shameless..."

The little girl's expression changed faster than turning a page.

"..."

Li Changluo was stunned. So, this little girl had assumed he was the innkeeper of the Monster Inn from the very beginning?

"Sigh, never mind. We devils of Devil City are not bad people. We are hospitable—everyone who comes from afar is a guest, after all..."

The little girl smiled again, returning to her lively, innocent, and childlike persona.

Li Changluo looked down at his feet, where a few small figures were desperately tugging at his pant legs. They had been pulling for a while, but he had remained motionless. Upon hearing their city lord's words, they stopped and retreated to the side.

"Guests," my foot...

She only compromised because she couldn't do anything to him, right? And she still acts like she's so hospitable? What kind of Devil City is this? It’s way too casual!

Li Changluo shook his head helplessly.

"If you're not the innkeeper, then you coming here is useless. This divine furnace needs to be ignited by..."

The little girl stopped mid-sentence, stunned. She watched as the handsome "giant" young man in front of her pulled out a fruit knife and began gesturing continuously in front of the big pot.

Has this young man gone mad?

"Heavenly Spirits, Earthly Spirits..."

"Hallelujah..."

"Piu, piu."

"Boundless Heaven and Earth, Profound Heart Orthodox Law..."

Li Changluo had intended to take advantage of the girl's pause to put on a perfect display of dominance. You said only the innkeeper can ignite the divine furnace? I'll ignite it for you to see. Once the furnace flames roar to life, that will be the day you kneel and worship me.

Heh, but this... why isn't it going as planned?

Li Changluo tried every method he could think of, but the black flame on the handle of his fruit knife remained completely unresponsive. Li Changluo began to break into a sweat.

He frantically tapped the fruit knife, attempting to blame the device for all the awkwardness. *See? It's not that I'm incompetent; the fruit knife is malfunctioning. Look, I'm tapping it so hard, it's clearly broken, there's nothing I can do.*

"Young man..."

"Yes?"

"That... that big pot isn't the divine furnace."

"What? Don't interrupt my spell-casting."

"The divine furnace is over there..."

The little girl pointed to a "stone pillar" at the city gate and covered her face in embarrassment.

Li Changluo looked up and saw a pillar-like structure behind the pot, covered in desert sand. Although it was caked in dirt and grime, he could see from the details that it was no ordinary stone pillar—it held hidden mechanisms within.

"Then what the heck were you sighing about while touching that pot?"

Li Changluo was furious. Truly furious. He had put on such an elaborate performance, and this is what she gives him? If she hadn't misled him, would he be this embarrassed?

"I crafted that pot myself back in the day. Am I not allowed to reminisce?"

The little girl looked up at Li Changluo, looking quite aggrieved.

"Fine, now can you calm down and stop reminiscing? Tell me, what do I do now?" Li Changluo patted his head.

The little girl nodded, walked over to the "stone pillar," and began searching for something at the base. After feeling around for a moment, she pressed a spot lightly.

The stone pillar began to rotate slowly like a machine, emitting the sound of grinding gears. Immediately after, Li Changluo saw the large pot slowly moving upward.

It turned out the stone pillar wasn't the divine furnace either; it was the mechanism to activate it. The true divine furnace, supporting the big pot, was slowly emerging from the ground. It was iridescent, exquisitely crafted, and identical to the furnace on Li Changluo's blueprint.

"All you have to do is ignite it..."