111: Chapter 111 If you're going to go crazy, then go completely crazy.

Outside the laboratory building, the wind was a bit strong.

Lin Qi tightened his black coat.

Although his display just now had stunned everyone, he was very clear about his own condition.

The bones in his left arm were throbbing with pain.

The pain was sharp, like a thorn driven into his bone marrow.

This was a symptom of structural instability caused by his bone density increasing too quickly.

It was like porcelain forced together with glue.

It looked hard, but in reality, it was brittle.

The surrounding students automatically cleared a path. The contempt in their eyes was gone, replaced by an indecipherable fear.

The image of him lifting a three-ton machine with one hand was simply too impactful.

The rumors collapsed without a fight.

What cripple? What Qi Deviation?

This was clearly a monster wearing a patient's gown.

Zhang Wei followed behind, still clutching the half-finished cigarette, his face wearing the smug expression of a 'fox borrowing the tiger's majesty'.

"Brother Qi, the expression on Tiger Zhou's face just now... I can laugh about it for a year."

Zhang Wei leaned in and lowered his voice.

"The tide has turned on the forums. Everyone is guessing if you've Awakened some hidden strength-type talent."

Lin Qi didn't respond.

He pulled a bottle of mineral water from his pocket, unscrewed it, and took a gulp.

The water was mixed with some Source Matter Waste Liquid.

The stinging sensation slid down his throat, slightly suppressing the restlessness in his bones.

"Don't celebrate too early."

Lin Qi crushed the empty bottle and tossed it into a roadside trash can.

"This is only the beginning."

...

Nightfall.

Ancient Martial Arts Research Department, Underground Laboratory.

Only a few instruments glowed with a faint blue light.

Old Mo sat behind a desk piled high with blueprints, fiddling with a Beast Bone Amulet in his hand.

Lin Qi pushed the door open and entered, habitually pulling over a chair to sit down.

"You're here."

Old Mo didn't even look up, pointing at the display screen on the desk.

The screen showed a force analysis diagram of Lin Qi at the laboratory building today.

Densely packed red lines marked the stress points on his bones.

"Look at this."

Old Mo adjusted his glasses, his tone serious.

"Your power exertion technique is perfect, and you've pushed force redirection to the limit."

"However, your bones are wailing."

He pressed the enter key.

The image on the screen zoomed in, revealing the microscopic structure of the left ulna.

It was covered in tiny cracks.

Though small, they were dense and shocking to behold.

"This is the limit of a mortal body."

Old Mo turned around to look at Lin Qi.

"Venom Body Tempering can only help you remove Impurities and increase flexibility."

"But to truly make your bones undergo a qualitative change into 'Silver Bone' that can bear ten thousand catties of force, soaking in a bath isn't enough."

"You need higher temperatures and stronger penetration."

"You need a hammer."

Lin Qi leaned back in the chair, his expression calm.

"Lightning."

Old Mo nodded.

"Exactly."

"Only the high temperature of lightning and its destructive power can refine the last of the mortal Impurities in your bones."

"But this is very dangerous."

Old Mo took a yellowed map from a drawer and spread it on the desk.

The map showed the terrain of the western suburbs of Tianhai City.

One area was heavily circled in red ink.

Thunder Ruins.

"This is the site of an old-era power plant. After the essence tide erupted, the magnetic field there became completely chaotic."

"There are year-round thunderstorms and extremely high voltage."

Old Mo pointed to a red dot in the center of the map.

"This is the core area, where the Lightning Elements are most active."

"If you want to forge Silver Bone, you have to go here."

"But Lin Qi, you need to think this through."

Old Mo's voice grew somber.

"The Lightning Element creatures there have no physical form; physical attacks are very ineffective against them."

"Furthermore, with something like drawing lightning into the body, a single slip-up will turn you into a pile of charcoal."

"There won't even be a chance to save you."

Lin Qi looked at the red circle on the map.

There was no fear in his eyes.

Only a near-greedy desire.

He had tried lightning-based Body Refining in martial arts era.

That feeling was indeed quite exhilarating.

Although he didn't have the System's protection mechanism now, he had True Qi.

As long as his True Qi didn't run out, he wouldn't die.

"I'll go."

Lin Qi reached out and pressed his hand on the map.

"When do we leave?"

Old Mo sighed, as if he had long expected this answer.

He pushed the Beast Bone Amulet toward Lin Qi.

"Take it."

"This was ground from the skull of a Thunder Beast; it can help you resist some of the lightning damage."

"At a critical moment, it might just save your life."

Lin Qi picked up the amulet.

It felt warm to the touch, carrying a faint sensation of numbness.

He tucked the amulet into his pocket.

"Thanks."

"But I don't plan on using it to resist the lightning."

Lin Qi stood up, the corners of his mouth curling into an arc.

"What I want is unreserved tempering."

"Since I'm going mad, I'll go all the way."

Old Mo looked at the young man's back, opened his mouth, and finally only said one thing.

"Come back alive."

"I have a feeling that if you succeed, the sky over Tianhai City is really going to change."

...

Back at the dormitory.

Lin Qi began packing his things.

His luggage was simple.

A few changes of clothes, a few rolls of electrical tape, and that three-hundred-jin zhan ye heavy sword.

Zhang Wei pushed the door open and was stunned to see this scene.

"Brother Qi, are you really going?"

Zhang Wei's voice was a little shaky.

"I just checked the data. Thunder Ruins is a leveling zone for Lv. 20 to Lv. 30!"

"And it's full of elemental monsters with 50% physical damage reduction!"

"You're a Lv. 1 Blank Slate; going in there is just suicide, isn't it?"

Lin Qi slung the karma cutter onto his back and tested the weight.

"Who said I'm going there to fight monsters?"

Zhang Wei looked completely bewildered.

"Then what are you going for?"

"I'm going to stock up."

Lin Qi patted the heavy sword on his back.

"And while I'm at it, take a bath."

Zhang Wei's mouth twitched.

Taking a bath in a lightning zone?

Is that even humanly possible?

But seeing Lin Qi's determined look, Zhang Wei knew he couldn't be persuaded.

His eyes darted around, and he suddenly pulled out his phone.

"Fine, since you're going, then let's play big."

Zhang Wei's fingers tapped rapidly on the screen.

"I'm going to the forum to open a new betting pool right now."

"The title will be: [Shocking! Former Champion Re-enters Forbidden Zone; Can He Survive the Thunder Ruins?]"

"The odds are one to five!"

Lin Qi glanced at him.

"You also think I'll die?"

Zhang Wei gave a 'hehe' laugh, the fat on his face squeezing together.

"How could I?"

"I'm the bookie; of course I want the odds to be as high as possible."

"Those idiots will definitely think you're a dead man walking. When the time comes, we'll sweep the board."

Lin Qi nodded and walked to the door.

The night outside was deep.

In the direction of the distant western suburbs, purple lightning could be seen faintly flashing in the clouds.

That was the majesty of heaven.

And also an Opportunity.

"Remember."

Lin Qi looked back at Zhang Wei.

"Bet everything on me winning."

"This time, we're going to strike it rich."

Zhang Wei nodded vigorously. Looking at Lin Qi's back as he disappeared into the night, a sudden surge of inexplicable heroic spirit welled up in his heart.

Following a madman like this...

Either he'd end up dead without a burial place,

Or, they really would poke a hole in this sky.

In the final line of the forum post, he added a note in red and bold.

[For this bet, there is no upper limit.]

[If you want to make money, come at me.]

Send.

The late-night forum of Longya Academy exploded once again.

Everyone was discussing one thing.

That madman who had just returned from drinking poison at the scrap yard...

...was going to the lightning zone to seek death again.