104: Chapter 104 Highly Toxic Waste Buffet

Lin Qi did not answer Zhang Wei's question.

They arrived at the Waste Disposal Center in the western suburbs of Tianhai City.

A massive chimney was spewing thick, yellowish-brown smoke into the sky.

The air was thick with a pungent odor of sulfur mixed with decaying metal.

Zhang Wei jumped out of the cab, and as soon as he took a breath, his face turned green.

"Urgh—"

He leaned against the truck door, nearly vomiting his breakfast.

"Seven Bro, what kind of treasure could be in this godforsaken place?"

"Did we come to the wrong spot?"

Lin Qi hopped down from the passenger seat, his expression as calm as ever.

He even took a deep breath, as if savoring some fine wine.

"We're in the right place."

"This smell... it's got a real kick."

A middle-aged balding man in gray overalls walked over quickly.

He was the owner here, surnamed Wang.

Boss Wang sized up the two young men before him.

One was fat, driving a new car worth hundreds of thousands, with a limited-edition watch on his wrist.

The other was tall and thin, wearing the Longya Academy uniform and carrying a heavy sword wrapped in cloth strips on his back.

A typical case of a rich second-generation bringing a classmate out to experience life.

He had seen plenty of this before.

"Young masters, are you looking to scavenge some mechanical parts from the old era for your collection?"

Boss Wang rubbed his hands, the wrinkles on his face bunching up as he smiled.

"In the back warehouse, we have freshly dismantled mecha shells and several scrapped lightsaber hilts; they're all in decent condition."

Zhang Wei was about to speak when Lin Qi cut him off with a raised hand.

"I'm not here for junk."

Lin Qi looked at Boss Wang and got straight to the point.

"I want B-grade essence waste liquid."

"I'll take as much as you have."

The smile on Boss Wang's face froze.

He suspected he had misheard.

"What did you say?"

"essence waste liquid?"

Lin Qi nodded.

"The green water left over after industrial refining, the kind with strong acid and radiation."

Boss Wang's eyes widened.

This stuff was a hot potato for the disposal center.

The disposal fee for every ton of waste liquid cost tens of thousands of Federation Credits.

If discharged directly without treatment, they would face massive fines if caught by the Environmental Protection Bureau.

Now someone was actually offering to take it?

"Little brother, that stuff is highly toxic."

Boss Wang gave a kind warning.

"A single drop will rot your skin, and if you inhale it into your lungs, even the gods can't save you."

"I know."

Lin Qi pulled a card from his pocket and spun it between his fingertips.

"Just tell me if you're selling or not."

Boss Wang immediately changed his tune.

"Selling! Of course I'm selling!"

"Follow me, gentlemen; it's in Hazardous Materials Warehouse No. 3."

Someone was paying him to help deal with trash—only a fool would refuse such a good deal.

A few minutes later.

The heavy doors of Warehouse No. 3 were pushed open.

A visible green mist surged out from the gap in the door.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

The concrete on the ground emitted a faint corroding sound as it came into contact with the mist.

The warehouse was filled with waist-high black iron drums.

Each drum was marked with a prominent white skull and crossbones symbol.

Zhang Wei glanced at the System panel and jumped back three meters in fright.

"[Warning: High-concentration corrosive toxic gas environment.]"

"[HP deduction per second: 50 points.]"

"[HP deduction per second upon contact with liquid: 500 points.]"

"Seven Bro! One touch of this stuff and you're dead!"

Zhang Wei covered his nose and mouth, his voice muffled by his sleeve.

"Let's just go. This isn't scavenging; this is suicide."

Lin Qi ignored him.

He walked straight to the nearest iron drum.

He reached out and unscrewed the lid.

Pshhh.

An incredibly intense sour, foul stench rose into the air.

The liquid in the drum was dark green and bubbling.

Lin Qi looked at the drum of toxic water, his Adam's apple bobbing.

The True Qi seed inside him began to stir restlessly.

It was a thirst for energy.

Though this energy was a bit dirty and toxic.

But in the judgment of the martial arts era, this was a high-concentration energy aggregate.

As long as the body could withstand it, this was a potent tonic.

"Boss, I'll take these ten drums."

Lin Qi pointed to the row in front of him.

"Swipe the card."

Boss Wang beamed from ear to ear and quickly swiped the card, fearing Lin Qi would change his mind.

"Um... do you need me to call a forklift to help you load the car?"

"No need."

Lin Qi waved his hand.

"Let me use your backyard for a bit; I want to inspect the goods first."

Boss Wang was stunned for a moment but still nodded.

"Sure, the backyard is empty, feel free."

The junkyard backyard.

It was filled with various scraps of rusted metal.

Lin Qi picked up a drum of waste liquid weighing two hundred catties with one hand and walked to an open space.

Thud.

The iron drum hit the ground.

Zhang Wei hid behind a pile of scrap metal over ten meters away, poking half his head out.

"Seven Bro, if you're inspecting the goods, then just inspect them, don't get so close."

"What if it splashes on you?"

Lin Qi didn't speak.

He took a deep breath and adjusted his breathing rhythm.

True Qi circulated through his Meridians, protecting his internal organs.

Then.

He made a move that caused Zhang Wei and Boss Wang's Soul Flying Away and Spirit Scattering.

He picked up the iron drum with both hands and tilted his head back.

Just like drinking from a water cooler jug.

Gulp.

A mouthful of dark green toxin was poured into his mouth.

"Holy crap!"

Zhang Wei screamed, and ignoring whether it was toxic or not, he rushed over like a madman.

"Seven Bro, you're crazy!"

"Spit it out! That's sulfuric acid!"

Just as he reached Lin Qi's side, a hand pressed down on his shoulder.

Lin Qi held Zhang Wei down with one hand while still holding the iron drum with the other.

His face turned bright red at that moment.

The veins on his neck bulged like earthworms.

Pain.

Indescribable pain.

As the toxin slid down his esophagus, it felt like swallowing a piece of red-hot coal.

His stomach spasmed violently.

The health bar on the System panel began to fluctuate wildly.

-500.

-500.

-500.

At this rate, he would become a corpse in less than ten seconds.

But Lin Qi did not panic.

He guided the True Qi in his Dantian like a large net, tightly wrapping around the mass of toxin.

"Disperse... for me!"

Lin Qi roared inwardly.

The True Qi suddenly contracted, shattering the toxin into countless tiny particles.

Then he forcibly pressed them into the bones throughout his body.

Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle.

A tooth-aching corrosion sound came from inside his body.

His bones, which had become extremely brittle from absorbing Black Gold, began to soften under the soaking of the toxin.

That feeling was as if countless ants had crawled into his bone marrow to gnaw.

Itchiness.

A heart-piercing itch.

It was a hundred times more unbearable than the pain from before.

Lin Qi gritted his teeth, his whole body trembling.

Large beads of sweat, mixed with black blood, seeped out from his pores.

Those were the Impurities expelled during bone restructuring.

Zhang Wei, pinned in place, watched Lin Qi's terrifying appearance, and tears were scared out of him.

"Seven Bro... don't scare me..."

"Let's go to the hospital; it's still not too late..."

Just then.

On the road outside the junkyard, a low engine sound was heard.

A white maglev luxury car slowly drove past.

The window rolled down.

Revealing a cold and handsome face.

Li Qingxuan.

He was here today to inspect one of his Family's properties in the western suburbs and happened to pass by.

Seeing this scene in the junkyard backyard, Li Qingxuan had the driver stop the car.

He looked at Lin Qi, who was covered in foul blood and drinking wildly from a drum of toxin.

His brow furrowed.

His eyes held undisguised disgust and contempt.

"This is the so-called ancient martial arts Genius?"

Li Qingxuan sneered.

"To grab attention, he's even using such low-life methods?"

The attendant beside him quickly agreed.

"Young master, this guy probably knows he's finished and is just giving up on himself."

"Drinking industrial waste... his brain must be broken."

Li Qingxuan shook his head and rolled up the window.

"Let's go."

"Looking at such a person soils my eyes."

"I originally thought he could be an opponent, but now it seems he's just a clown seeking attention."

Just as the window was about to close completely.

Lin Qi in the yard suddenly moved.

He put down the iron drum.

He wiped the green residue from the corner of his mouth.

On that face covered in foul blood, a ferocious smile appeared.

He turned around, facing the luxury car that was about to pull away.

He slowly raised his right hand.

And stuck up his middle finger.

"How can a swallow know the ambition of a swan??"

Lin Qi's voice was raspy, yet it pierced through the noise and clearly entered the car.

"Get lost."