35: seal

Wu first dipped a Silver Needle into Zhao Kun's blood and, along the edge of the third loose rust spot on the rusted sword, traced several simple Runes inferred from the beast-skin parchment and the Secret Stele Inscriptions.

When the blood touched the rust, it emitted a faint sizzling sound and was slowly absorbed.

Next, he carefully dripped the Pure Yang Potion onto the Metal Piece.

The potion did not slide off the Metal Piece upon contact; instead, it seeped in as if absorbed by a sponge. The tiny silver stars on the surface of the Metal Piece suddenly brightened several times over and began to emit gentle heat.

Wu gently placed the now warm Metal Piece onto the “seven stars of the mountain peak” Imprint located on the rusted sword's Sword Guard.

Buzz—!

The rusted sword suddenly vibrated, letting out a deep Sword Cry!

On the sword body, the third rust spot—etched with blood Runes—shook violently, and fine cracks began to appear along its edges.

Lin Mo timely extended his finger, pressing it onto the Metal Piece. The extremely high-quality internal qi within him, refined through countless trials, slowly flowed into the piece, carrying a trace of the Pure Yang Enlightenment he had newly gained after studying the Marrow Cleansing True Scripture.

The internal qi acted as a bridge, connecting the Metal Piece, the Pure Yang Potion, the Blood Qi Runes, and the main body of the rusted sword.

The temperature in the Quiet Room began to rise.

The rusted sword's vibrations grew stronger, and the Sword Cry became clearer, as if something was awakening.

The third rust spot shattered completely with a "crack," peeling away to reveal a larger section of the strange sword body beneath—dark as the night sky and dotted with silver stars.

On the newly exposed sword body, faint silver Patterns, finer than hair, were vaguely visible, slowly spreading like Meridians.

At the same time, a Stream of Consciousness, much clearer and more coherent than before, flowed back through Lin Mo's internal qi:

"First Seal... opened..."

"Wielder... verified..."

"Seven Peaks... Earth Fire... Key... Fragment..."

"Gather them... to unlock... the true Legacy..."

"Warning... the Seal... Seals not just the sword... but also..."

The Stream of Consciousness suddenly blurred and cut off here.

The rusted sword's vibrations subsided, and the Sword Cry vanished.

The newly exposed sword body was about two palms long and three fingers wide, forming a stark contrast with the parts where the rust had not yet peeled off.

The entire sword remained damaged, but the restrained sharpness and ancient aura emanating from it were several times stronger.

Lin Mo withdrew his finger, opened his eyes, and gazed at the rejuvenated sword body.

He reached out and grasped the Hilt.

With a slight shift in thought, a wisp of internal qi was injected.

"Clang—!"

A clear, ringing Sword Cry sounded, and the silver Patterns on the newly exposed part of the sword body suddenly lit up with a faint glow.

Lin Mo could feel that as his internal qi passed through the sword body, it became more condensed and carried a trace of piercing sharpness.

He casually swung the sword; without touching the wall, a shallow cut Mark appeared on the stone wall about a foot away.

"It amplifies the sharpness of internal qi and slightly increases its projection distance and power," Lin Mo assessed.

"Furthermore..." he sensed carefully, "the sword body seems to be slowly absorbing some thin energy from the world, nourishing itself?"

"Congratulations, Young Master," Wu said flatly.

Lin Mo put down the sword and looked at the Metal Piece.

By now, the Metal Piece had dimmed significantly, its heat subsided, and its surface even bore several fine cracks.

"It seems every activation consumes the power of this Metal of the Same Origin. I need more Fragments, or I must find the Place of Legacy."

He put away the rusted sword and the damaged Metal Piece, then left the Quiet Room.

The sky was already turning the color of a fish belly (dawn).

In the Secret Room, Liu Kui, White Sand Child, Fang Han, and the core Death Warriors—Four, Two, Three, and Six—were waiting, all wearing solemn expressions.

"Young Master, the battlefield has been cleared," Liu Kui reported first, his voice filled with excitement and lingering fear.

"We killed a total of 143 enemies, captured seven, and estimate fewer than ten escaped.

We seized 87 complete sets of Standard Light Armor, over 100 Steel Sabers, 21 Repeating Crossbows, and countless Arrows.

Identification Marks on the bodies and confirmation from the captives verify that they were indeed Death Warriors secretly fostered by the City Lord's Mansion, along with some disguised City Guard elites. The leader, Zhao Kun, was the trusted Guard Commander of City Lord Li Chongshan."

White Sand Child added: "We lost thirteen Dark Guards, have eleven seriously injured, and twenty-three lightly injured. The River God Temple Secret Room and supplies are intact."

Lin Mo listened silently, his fingers lightly tapping the table.

Thirteen Death Warriors... that was another heavy price.

But after this battle, Qingyuan Town's Foundation was temporarily secured, and more importantly, they had grasped leverage against the City Lord's Mansion.

"Interrogate the captives separately, ensuring their testimonies are consistent, and have them sign and affix their fingerprints.

Dispose of the bodies properly. All seized standard equipment, especially those bearing the Mark of the Military Armament Bureau, must be sealed separately as evidence."

Lin Mo ordered, "The fallen brothers must be given a grand burial and headstones, and Compensation must be provided to their families (even though Death Warriors have no kin, this is for external appearances).

Treat the seriously injured regardless of the cost."

"Understood!"

"Furthermore," Lin Mo's gaze swept over everyone, "starting today, Qingyuan Town will officially establish the Zhenyuan Town Guard.

Operating under the guise of defending against Bandit Threats and protecting the populace, Liu Kui and White Sand Child will be responsible for openly recruiting Able-bodied Young Men for training.

The Dark Guard structure will move underground, focusing solely on intelligence gathering and elite operations."

"Hundred Herbs Hall can begin contacting other small and medium-sized chambers of commerce and escort agencies, signaling our intent to cooperate. We must establish a visible, tangible, and legitimate shell."

"Young Master is wise!" Liu Kui and White Sand Child were invigorated.

This meant their identities would be further laundered, transforming them from underground Gang Leaders into Local Gentry and Town Guard Commanders.

Fang Han stepped forward at this time and handed over a Secret Letter: "Young Master, Instructor Zhao Zhenshan of the Martial Academy sent someone with a Secret Letter this morning."

Lin Mo tore it open and quickly scanned the contents.

The letter was brief: "We have heard rumors regarding last night's incident. Very good. However, tall trees catch the wind; proceed with caution.

Three days from now, a Distinguished Guest will arrive at the Hidden Dragon Academy, possibly related to The Capital. You must be present. Elder Sun is also paying attention."

Sure enough, the Martial Academy's higher-ups were not ignorant of the matter; they might even be happy to see it happen, provided it didn't infringe upon the academy's core interests.

The Distinguished Guest and The Capital immediately made him think of the “Third Prince” mentioned by Zhao Kun before his death.

"Reply to Instructor Zhao that this student will be waiting promptly at the Academy three days from now." Lin Mo burned the letter.

"Four, within Qinglan City, especially the City Lord's Mansion and the City Guard System, I want to know Li Chongshan's every expression and every order after he wakes up this morning.

Find out the exact relationship between him and the Third Prince and what their Scheme is."

"Two, Three, accelerate infiltration. Within a month, I want us to have ears in sixty percent of the Restaurants, Inns, and transport agencies in Qinglan City."

"Six, increase the production of wen yuan powder and Healing Medicines. Moving forward, we will have more and more people."

The instructions were clearly issued one by one, and everyone accepted their orders and departed.

Only Lin Mo remained in the Secret Room.

He walked to the window. The Morning Light was gradually dispelling the night, illuminating the curling Cooking Smoke rising from Qingyuan Town.

One Night Raid had temporarily repelled the Dark Hand reaching for his Foundation.

The Martial Academy was paying attention, and The Capital's gaze had been cast upon them.

"Day one hundred and two," Lin Mo muttered, "System, Summon."

Silently, a man with steady breathing and vacant eyes appeared behind him and knelt on one knee.

Feeling the body that had once again been strengthened by an imperceptible degree, Lin Mo's lips curled into a slight smile.

Every day, he was getting stronger.

Every day, the pieces on the chessboard were increasing.

"Li Chongshan, Third Prince... this is just the beginning."