Starting from iron smelting

Chapter 59 Preparation

Lu Xiuyuan confidently threw himself into the preparations for iron smelting. To him, iron smelting was just a simple redox reaction, using a reducing agent to reduce iron-containing compounds into elemental iron. This operation was not complicated in his opinion, because these technologies had already been mastered in the real world, and as long as the method was mastered, it would be easy to reproduce it in this world.

In addition to iron ore, iron smelting also requires sufficient fuel to provide high temperature. Lu Xiuyuan began to wonder if there was enough coal in the world as fuel. If there was no coal, he could use charcoal instead. The combustion temperature of charcoal is about 700 degrees, and with the help of a blower, the temperature can be raised to about 1000 degrees.

Although the temperature required for steelmaking is generally between 1300 and 1500 degrees, it is sufficient for ironmaking. As for refining iron into higher-quality steel, it requires higher temperatures and more complex processes, which may be a challenge in such a world of cultivation, but it is not impossible to achieve.

With the decision to carry out ironmaking, Lu Xiuyuan began to prepare the necessary supporting equipment. He understood that ironmaking not only requires raw materials such as iron ore, but also a series of tools and equipment to support the entire process. Whether it is a furnace, mold, or blower, clamp, crucible, etc., they are all indispensable. The production of these equipment not only takes time, but also requires superb skills and patience.

"Fortunately, I can stop working during this period of time. I can recover from my illness and experiment with iron smelting at the same time." Lu Xiuyuan secretly felt lucky. He knew that the most important thing now was to recover from his injuries and conduct iron smelting experiments at the same time. This arrangement made him feel a little relieved because he could devote himself to this task without being distracted by other things.

However, he also realized the problem of insufficient manpower. To complete the iron smelting work, he needed some reliable helpers. But he kept his crossing to this world absolutely secret, because once the secret was leaked, it would bring danger to his life.

"The only suitable candidate is Liu Meng." Lu Xiuyuan made a decision silently in his heart. Liu Meng is one of his most trusted friends. He has an honest character and has a deep friendship with Lu Xiuyuan. In the sect, Liu Meng's interpersonal relationships are not complicated, and there are not many conflicts of interest between him and others. The most important thing is that although his talent is average, if given some opportunities and guidance, he may also improve his combat power and break through his cultivation.

The next morning, Lu Xiuyuan got up early and went straight to Liu Meng. Seeing that Liu Meng's injuries had recovered, he did not hesitate to invite him: "I want to become stronger and can no longer tolerate being bullied. Are you willing to join me?"

Liu Meng was a little confused for a moment after hearing what Lu Xiuyuan said. He didn't know why Lu Xiuyuan suddenly made such a request, so he asked: "Why did you say such irrelevant words today? I was confused."

"Don't ask so many questions, just tell me whether you want to or not." Lu Xiuyuan answered concisely, already having a certain grasp of Liu Meng's attitude in his mind.

Liu Meng thought about it. Since Lu Xiuyuan was so determined, he said without hesitation: "Of course I want to. Do you have any good ideas?"

"There must be a good way, but you can't ask or tell me. No matter what I do, can you promise me?" Lu Xiuyuan's tone was firm, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

Liu Meng thought for a moment. Although he didn't know what Lu Xiuyuan was going to do, he was convinced that Lu Xiuyuan was not a treacherous person, so he nodded and said, "I don't think you are that kind of treacherous person either. I trust you this time. Don't worry, I will definitely not let the news leak out."

After hearing Liu Meng's answer, Lu Xiuyuan secretly felt lucky. He knew that with Liu Meng's support, he would be more comfortable with his next plan. Although Liu Meng didn't know what he was going to do, he believed that as long as the two of them worked together, they would be able to achieve the desired results.

Lu Xiuyuan took Liu Meng to the place where he found the iron ore. He pointed at the reddish-brown stone on the ground and said to Liu Meng, "This is our capital to become stronger."

Liu Meng looked around, his eyes fell on the red stones on the ground, then turned to Lu Xiuyuan and said with a puzzled look: "Did Wang Heng beat you silly? Why are you talking nonsense? How can this pile of broken stones make us stronger?"

Lu Xiuyuan smiled slightly. He knew it was not easy to convince Liu Meng, but he had his own plan. "I know you are anxious, but don't worry." He took a deep breath and continued, "Let me tell you this. I am a hidden weapon refiner. As long as the stone is refined with my special method, it is no longer an ordinary stone, but a magic weapon with special abilities."

Liu Meng was a little surprised when he heard what Lu Xiuyuan said, but he gradually became serious. He felt that although Lu Xiuyuan's words were a little unbelievable, he always felt that there was an inexplicable sense of reality. So after thinking for a moment, he finally decided to believe Lu Xiuyuan: "I believe you this time, you tell me what to do."

Lu Xiuyuan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that his plan had taken the first step. With Liu Meng's trust, everything would go much more smoothly. He began to explain his plan to Liu Meng in detail. First, he needed to collect enough iron ore and use his own refining technology to refine it into magic weapons. Then, they could use these magic weapons to improve their strength and thus become invincible in the world of immortal cultivation.

Liu Meng listened with great interest and was full of expectations for Lu Xiuyuan's plan. Although he didn't know how advanced Lu Xiuyuan's weapon refining skills were, he was willing to believe that as long as they cooperated with Lu Xiuyuan, they would be able to achieve extraordinary achievements.

Lu Xiuyuan looked at Liu Meng with a sly smile on his face and asked, "Brother Liu Meng, you are also an old man in the firewood room. Do you know anything about charcoal?"

Liu Meng was a little surprised when he heard this, but he still replied: "Of course I know about charcoal, but what do you want charcoal for? To make a fire?"

Lu Xiuyuan nodded and said seriously: "Yes, I need charcoal, a lot of charcoal. I need you to help me get more charcoal."

After listening to Lu Xiuyuan's request, Liu Meng stopped what he was doing, rubbed his beard with both hands, thought for a while, and then said: "For a large amount of charcoal, we can't just go to the woodshed to get it. I'll find you a slightly remote place, where we can cut down some ordinary trees, and it should be done quickly."

Lu Xiuyuan expressed his gratitude for Liu Meng's suggestion: "Thank you, Brother Liu Meng. You go get the charcoal first, and I'll get the other things. Let's act separately."

Liu Meng nodded, and left the woodshed with his axe, and came to the nearby woods. He was an old man from the Juling Sect, and was no stranger to felling wood in the woods. After finding an open area in the woods, he began to swing the axe he carried with him, and methodically cut down all the surrounding trees.

As the axe was swung, the trees fell down one after another with a rumbling sound. Liu Meng swung the axe vigorously, sweat dripping from his forehead, but he had no intention of stopping and continued to work.