120: Chapter 120 The Legend of the Black Market, Money Makes the World Go Round, The Familiar Smell of Blood

The wild joy on Old Mo's face froze instantly, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over him from head to toe.

His gaze was fixed firmly on the crack-covered zhan ye heavy sword. His eyes, which had just been glowing from discovering a new world, were now filled with heartache.

"You... did you use this sword to block a nuclear bomb?"

Old Mo put on a pair of special gloves and carefully picked up the karma cutter, his movements gentler than if he were handling his own grandson.

He leaned in close, using a high-powered magnifying glass to carefully observe the cracks on the blade, making constant 'hissing' sounds as he sucked in air.

"No, this wasn't caused by an external impact."

He looked up, his expression becoming incredibly solemn.

"This is a structural collapse starting from the inside! Kid, just how much terrifying energy did you channel through it?"

Lin Qi leaned against the lab table, arms crossed, his expression unchanged.

"It was roughly the equivalent of draining the decades of savings from a Rank 30 Lord in one go."

Old Mo's hand trembled, nearly dropping the sword.

"You absolute spendthrift!"

He huffed and puffed, his beard twitching in an expression of deep distress.

"Meteoric Iron is sturdy and has good energy conductivity, but it has a limit.

Doing this is like pouring the entire current of a power station into a single fuse. You're lucky it didn't explode into iron dust on the spot!"

Lin Qi shrugged.

"So, can it be fixed?"

"Fixed?"

Old Mo snorted and gently placed the sword back on the table.

"Forget fixing it with an ordinary forge; one lick of flame and it'll fall apart right in front of you.

This kind of internal structural damage is like a person having osteoporosis; it has to be treated from the roots."

He took off his gloves and swiped several times on a light screen, pulling up a complex diagram of a metallic molecular structure.

"There's only one way to save it."

He pointed at a substance on the screen that flowed with a silvery luster.

"'Mithril Solution,' a special alchemical product.

It can remain liquid at room temperature, permeate into the finest cracks in metal, and then re-solidify through specific energy stimulation, completing a seamless filling and reinforcement at the molecular level."

Lin Qi looked at the thing; it felt a bit familiar.

"Sounds pretty Advanced."

"It's more than just Advanced!"

Old Mo rolled his eyes at him.

"This stuff is a strategic resource strictly controlled by the Federation, primarily used to repair the core components of starship engines.

Never mind you, even if I applied through official channels, the amount they'd approve wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps in this sword of yours."

Lin Qi's brow furrowed.

"So, no hope?"

"There's no hope through official channels."

Old Mo suddenly chuckled, revealing the expression of an old fox.

"But as the saying goes, where there is light, there must be shadows."

He lowered his voice and leaned into Lin Qi's ear.

"Kid, have you heard of Tianhai City's 'Underground Black Market'?"

Lin Qi shook his head.

Old Mo's eyes sparkled with excitement as he began to explain.

"It's a great place. A lawless land completely outside the reach of Federation law.

As long as you have money, or fists hard enough, you can buy anything you want there.

Cursed divine weapons, essence of unknown origin, and even... living Elf slaves."

"Your 'Mithril Solution' can only be obtained through channels there."

Lin Qi's eyes lit up.

He pulled the heart of thunder, which was still pulsing with electrical arcs, out of his backpack and tossed it in his hand.

"Is this thing enough to serve as a stepping stone?"

Old Mo's eyes twitched when he saw the Lord core.

"Enough! More than enough!"

He snatched it away, as if afraid Lin Qi would change his mind.

"Selling this directly would invite massive trouble. But in the black market, it's the hardest currency! However..."

Old Mo's expression became serious again.

"The black market is a mixed bag with all sorts of people; murder and robbery are commonplace.

Especially lately, I've heard rumors that those rats from the Shadow Guild who can't stand the light have been quite active over there."

He gave Lin Qi a deep look.

"I'm not comfortable with you going alone."

Lin Qi rolled his wrists and clenched his fists, his joints letting out a series of crisp pops.

He grinned, revealing forest-white teeth.

"It's fine."

"My hands happen to be itching. I'm looking for a few blind fools to test the hardness of my new bones on."

...

Half an hour later, in the pickup truck.

Zhang Wei hung up the phone, his fat face red like a steamed bun from excitement and nervousness.

"It's done! Brother Qi!"

He waved the two black metal cards in his hand, which were embossed with an eerie Ouroboros pattern.

"I used my dad's old connections and got two highest-Rank entry tickets! Tonight at eight, abandoned subway station, entry by card!"

Lin Qi leaned back in the passenger seat and nodded.

"Good work."

"It's nothing, really! For Brother Qi, I'd go through fire and water!"

Zhang Wei rubbed his hands excitedly while driving.

"Brother Qi, I heard that place is really thrilling! They sell everything! Are we going to do something big this time?"

Lin Qi closed his eyes and calmly uttered two words.

"We'll see."

Night fell.

The slums of Tianhai City were like a festering sore beneath the city's glamorous exterior.

Garbage was piled high, emitting a nauseating, sour stench.

In the alleys where sewage flowed freely, ragged beggars and hollow-eyed, skeletal addicts could be seen everywhere.

Lin Qi and Zhang Wei had both changed into inconspicuous black hoodies and wore mechanical masks that covered most of their faces, which Zhang Wei had prepared in advance.

"Brother Qi, this is it."

Zhang Wei pointed to a subway entrance ahead that was sealed off with wire mesh, his voice lowered several notches.

The two passed through several dark alleys. Just as they approached, two burly men stepped out of the shadows and blocked their path.

These two men were knotted with muscle and gave off a strong scent of blood. Their eyes were like those of two hungry wolves, staring fixedly at them.

"Tickets."

One of the bald, burly men held out his hand, his voice raspy.

Zhang Wei didn't dare delay and quickly handed over the two black metal cards.

The bald man took the cards and swiped them on a handheld terminal, which emitted a 'beep' and a green light.

The look in his eyes as he watched Zhang Wei immediately changed from wariness to a certain degree of respect.

"Distinguished guests, please."

The other burly man pulled back the wire mesh, revealing a dark descending staircase.

As the two walked down the stairs, a wave of heat mixed with rust, dust, and the scent of people hit them in the face.

In stark contrast to the dead silence and filth on the surface, the underground world was brightly lit and bustling with noise.

On the wide underground platform, countless stalls were lined up along the abandoned tracks, filled with a dazzling array of goods.

Cursed armor, sharp blades still stained with blood, and various essence crystals of unknown origin.

There were even several large iron cages containing demi-human slaves with numb expressions and trembling bodies.

The air was thick with a peculiar smell—a mixture of alcohol, cheap cigarettes, and blood.

Every person walking here wore various masks, hiding their identities in the darkness.

Zhang Wei was so shocked by the scene before him that he was speechless, following closely behind Lin Qi.

Lin Qi's pace was steady, his gaze under the hood calmly sweeping over everything around him.

He didn't look at the dazzling array of goods, nor did he pay any mind to the malicious, prying eyes.

After forging his Silver Bone, his perception had become more acute than ever before.

He could clearly "smell" several extremely dangerous auras mixed within this chaotic and noisy crowd.

It was the kind of tangible Killing Intent that only settles after experiencing countless life-and-death battles.

And among these Killing Intents, there was one scent he was particularly familiar with.

It was the smell of blood.