Upon hearing Su Ming's words, even though the Dream God was now just a cloud of smoke with facial features, he still showed a constipated expression.
Where's the promised enlightenment and guidance for the ignorant? This script isn't right!
But Diana and Superman immediately looked at Batman, waiting for his opinion. The wrinkles on Bruce's face tightened as he pondered, though his body had aged, his mind was still sharp.
"Deathstroke is right; the story can be revisited later, but time is the most precious now... Dream God, please send us there."
Su Ming knew well that once Batman's team was rescued, the power to speak would immediately shift to him. The Justice League had grown accustomed to relying on Batman's wisdom.
But that didn't matter. As long as they reached the World Furnace, where Superman and Bruce could take a dip in the X Metal's magma to rejuvenate, Su Ming could just sit back and relax.
By then, the main force would be Diana. Once she obtained the X Metal, she should be the strongest, and in great condition as she's almost unharmed.
The Dream God was helpless, all his plans thwarted, and he could only sigh.
He waved his hand, and in the distant starry sky, a white swirling vortex appeared, resembling a passage made of smoke, concealed in the starlight.
"Let's go."
Batman tugged his cape and was the first to enter the passage, Superman picked him up to assist his flight. Barry looked at the Dream God, gave an apologetic smile, and carried Su Ming and Diana through.
Through the passage made of smoke and dreams, like traversing through clouds, they arrived at an open area that resembled the crater of a dormant volcano, with high rock walls surrounding a circular flat ground.
The ground was warm, but in the visible area, there was no open flame.
"Are we late?"
Barry showed a worried expression, and even Bruce frowned.
"No, the World Furnace is still burning beneath us, it's just that the surface layer has cooled, and the X Metal is underneath this layer of rock."
Su Ming immediately explained the situation was actually slightly better than in the comics, at least the corrupted Hawkman hadn't appeared here to guard yet.
Bruce flicked his cape, slowly squatting down as his knees were a bit stiff and uncooperative.
He reached out and touched the ground; the ordinary black-brown volcanic rock didn't reveal anything, but having reached this place, he chose to trust Deathstroke's information. Based on his understanding, Deathstroke never joked about serious matters.
"Clark, use heat sight to drill a hole in the ground."
He immediately looked at Superman, signaling that he could act.
Although Superman had also aged, his powers hadn't deteriorated. He selected a nearby spot, and beams of intense heat shot from his eyes, carving a circle on the ground like a manhole cover.
Then he flew over and pulled the cut-out cylindrical stone column like unplugging a cork.
A few meters below ground, as Su Ming had said, was indeed a fiery magma; the World Furnace hadn't been extinguished.
Batman looked down, and the rolling heat wave hit his face, "What do we do next?"
"Jump in and take a bath," Su Ming tightened his helmet and walked to the edge of the pit.
"..."
Reason told Bruce that below was magma, with temperatures likely above 700 degrees. Jumping in was unthinkable; even hanging a pig at the pit's entrance would result in roast pork in no time.
Barry came over, first peeking down and then patting his chest, taking a few deep breaths, he said to Bruce, "I trust Deathstroke. While I don't fully understand the principles of world forging, it's probably magic or a higher level of technology, and we can't judge it by common sense, so I'll jump first."
Su Ming felt touched, having read the comics, he knew there was no danger, but seeing The Flash willing to ignore his common sense at that moment to support him made him happy.
The magma below appeared fiery but was just an illusion; X Metal is both a metal and an energy source. The magma in the furnace is just a blinding technique. In reality, X Metal lies beneath the magma layer, posing no danger.
The original form of X Metal is a liquid cosmic origin substance, glowing silver-white like molten silver but brighter than a diamond.
It possesses numerous properties, such as transforming into any matter and shape according to the user's will; it contains powerful world origin energy that can counteract other types of energy; and it's illogically weightless, yet indestructible.
It was used to create super divine artifacts in the DC World, such as the Mobius Chair, Mother Box, and Miracle Wishing Machine, all crafted from X Metal.
If Su Ming had cosmic god-level abilities, he could easily drop into the X Metal, scoop up a piece, mold it into a small ball, and imbue it with some concept and abilities through special means, making it a treasure at least on par with the neighboring Infinite Stones.
The Infinite Stones were originally one, pre-existing the Marvel World. The cosmic Big Bang of the Marvel Universe separated them into six cosmic singularities, each housing a cosmic basic force.
The X Metal, meanwhile, is the material for forging the DC Universe, essentially the origin of all DC worlds. In terms of origin, it lacks nothing. However, no great figure has yet managed to grant them complete concepts.
Su Ming, of course, lacked the immense means of cosmic giants, and his understanding of space, time, and reality was as limited as anyone else's. Like others, his use of X Metal would inevitably be at the 'primitive' stage.
"No more discussions. Since I said it's here, I'll jump first."
Su Ming looked at the few who were whispering and saw that only Barry believed him, which was understandable.
But this perfectly fit into Su Ming's plan. By rescuing the skeptical Batman, he anticipated the current situation upon arriving here.
He took the opportunity to seek benefits for himself first, while potentially increasing the sense of guilt and debt from Diana and Clark, killing two birds with one stone.
Su Ming stopped their arguments, turned around, and dived into the magma like a headlong plunge.
The magma, mysterious in composition, initially seemed hot, but once inside, it felt comfortable and warm. Like the sea, it gradually engulfed Su Ming as he slowly sank downward.
His vision was filled with red, but breathing was smooth, and there was no pressure felt, as if walking in a mist of burning crimson. Interestingly, this magma provided buoyancy, allowing him to hop forward like an astronaut on the Moon.
Not far away, he spotted a silver gleam on the ground, precisely the X Metal.
It was a silver spring or a natural conduit, but the silver liquid it emitted was nearly dry, with only a drop occasionally overflowing into a small puddle on the ground.
The small pool wasn't large, akin to a regular children's bathtub.
In the past, the X Metal flowing from here could forge countless worlds daily in the hands of the World Forger, yet now, there's barely enough to make a single car.
The World Furnace was indeed close to extinguishing; once the liquid ceased to flow, the DC World would have no future. X Metal not only serves to forge new worlds but also to repair and maintain all current worlds.
However, as long as Barbatos is eliminated or sealed, resolving the current crisis, maintaining the Cosmic Furnace can be addressed gradually.
He glanced at the route he descended; the Justice League hadn't followed, probably waiting for him to confirm safety.
Given the current circumstances, with his present abilities and knowledge, he saw only three ways to use the X Metal. He contemplated creating the DC version of the Infinite Stones, but he lacked the means.
The first method was to drink a little directly, though the effects were unknown.
The second was, like the Justice League in the comics, to use it for crafting armor and weapons, but after major events, these equipment pieces would be destroyed, with their powers drained to help the Main World return to the Bright Blood Domain.
The third was to use it to modify himself and enhance his abilities. However, he was a mercenary, not a doctor, and such a modification would likely be crude.
Determined, he quickly removed his gloves and combat boots, drew the Godslayer, and turned it into a small knife, slicing deep wounds to the bone on both wrists and ankles.
He then lay directly in the X Metal's liquid pool, the surface barely covering his ears, as strands of red mixed into the silver liquid.
"Come on, X Metal! Replace my bones completely!"
Instantly, intense pain overwhelmed him.