```
He took a step forward.
Standing just a few centimeters away from the iron pot.
Bai Xiao took a deep breath, faced the oncoming heat wave, and plunged his thick hands directly into the scalding iron sand. The sand whirled with a rustling sound.
Instantly, a burning sensation and intense heat spread over the surface of his palms.
Even though his skin was thick and tough and his muscles were powerful, he still felt a tingling numbness and pain, as if plant roots were growing inside his palms. Bai Xiao closed his eyes, maintaining his posture without moving.
A full minute passed before he finally pulled his hands out.
There were burn marks on his palms, looking like black spots.
His skin was flushed red, and the tendons beneath swelled up gruesomely.
