After registering for the Underground Tournament, Li Xiuwen did not immediately return to the inn. He continued to explore the less-crowded parts of Iron Mine City's market.
This area was filled with stalls selling old goods and scrap from forging. Though they appeared worthless to the average person, to Li Xiuwen, it was a treasure trove waiting to be discovered.
He walked past hundreds of stalls with a calm gaze, showing no sign of excitement or interest in anything particular. But within his mind, he was using his powerful spiritual sense to inspect the hidden energies within the various ores and materials. He wasn't looking for high-grade ores found in large shops, but for "overlooked items," which were rarer than anything else in the world.
"Metallic ores used for forging weapons may be important, but for my Qi chains… ores that can absorb energy better are what I truly need," he thought to himself, stopping at an old stall.
This stall was filled with the most ordinary-looking scraps of metal and stone. But as soon as Li Xiuwen released his spiritual sense, he detected a strange energy contained within one particular object. It was just a solid black lump of metal, the size of a fist, that looked like the most worthless item of them all.
"This is… Starlight-Fallen Ore, isn't it?" he muttered softly to himself. "It's an ore forged from a meteorite that fell thousands of years ago. It has excellent properties for absorbing and storing energy, but no one knows how to forge it into a weapon."
To a regular blacksmith, Starlight-Fallen Ore was a worthless object that couldn't be used. But for his Qi chain technique, it was a top-tier material that would greatly enhance his energy absorption efficiency and make his Qi chains even stronger.
Li Xiuwen showed no sign of excitement. He slowly reached out to pick up the Starlight-Fallen Ore. But at that moment, another hand reached out and swiftly took the ore away.
"Pardon me, friend, but I saw this piece of ore first," a deep, gentle voice filled with confidence spoke up.
Li Xiuwen looked up at the owner of the voice. The young man had a handsome face and sharp eyes that gleamed with brightness. He was dressed in clean swordsman's clothes, and a long, silver scabbard was elegantly tucked at his waist.
He was Mu Rong Jian, the genius swordsman who was being talked about all over the city.
Mu Rong Jian showed no signs of hostility. He let go of the ore and bowed politely to Li Xiuwen. "I apologize for my rudeness. If you truly want it, I would not snatch it away."
"No need," Li Xiuwen replied in a flat voice, withdrawing his hand from the ore. "If you want it more, I would not snatch it away either."
Mu Rong Jian smiled amiably. "You recognized that this is Starlight-Fallen Ore? That is truly surprising, because to others, it is nothing but a worthless lump of metal."
"And you… why do you want this worthless ore?" Li Xiuwen asked back with curiosity.
Mu Rong Jian did not answer immediately. Instead, he gently picked up the Starlight-Fallen Ore and examined it closely. His eyes gleamed with determination. "My master told me that… this kind of ore holds a hidden property, and if it can be forged into a sword, it might create a legendary blade that can topple the heavens," he said with a voice full of ambition.
"Topple the heavens…" Li Xiuwen murmured to himself. He wasn't particularly interested in what Mu Rong Jian said, because all he saw was an ore that could help elevate his own technique.
While the two were facing each other, the stall owner walked over with a greedy smile. "Hey, you two want to buy this thing? Take it. I'll sell it to both of you for 100 gold coins each!"
Mu Rong Jian paid no mind to the exorbitant price. He turned to look at Li Xiuwen with a challenging smile. "I say… why don't we decide this in our own way, friend?"
"In our own way?" Li Xiuwen said with a questioning tone.
"That's right… I say we have a contest of skill. The one who wins gets this piece of ore," Mu Rong Jian said with a voice full of confidence.
Li Xiuwen did not answer immediately. He stared intently at the determined look in Mu Rong Jian's eyes. He knew that if the two of them were to fight seriously right now, it would only lead to injuries for both and might destroy the relationship that could have formed in the future.