Yun Chuan entered the shop, guided by the rune on his forehead, and found himself drawn to a deep blue, oval-shaped stone about three feet wide. Its price tag: 100 gold coins.
Glancing around, he noticed that, aside from this blue stone, the rune did not react to any other stones in the shop.
Without hesitation, Yun Chuan picked up the stone and walked to the counter. "I'll take this one."
"Certainly, 100 gold coins," the cashier replied politely. Yun Chuan paid, stored the stone in his soul tool, and left without delay.
He was eager to explore the Metal City further. The immediate reaction from his rune proved—there must be plenty more treasures hidden in this city, an unmined paradise.
For the next half-month, Yun Chuan traversed every corner of Gengxin City, extracting all treasures that set off his rune's reaction, sweeping through the city's shops.
Only when no new reaction occurred did he stop, satisfied he'd found all available treasure.
Now it was time to enjoy his haul.
——
In a wide, secluded cave,
Yun Chuan sealed the entrance with only a small vent for air. He'd cleaned out the cave so it was smooth and bare, without debris.
He began unloading his spoils from the soul tool—soon half the cave was filled with bizarre, valuable ore.
Sitting amid his prize, Yun Chuan felt the restless energy from the rune on his forehead, his face full of joy. He was sure, once he consumed these rare stones, his physique would undergo a true transformation!
After appreciating the moment, he began.
He picked up a cloudy crystal, not very clear and slightly yellowish—a lower-grade specimen. But inside it was a mass of golden flecks: Ban Jing Fa Jin, the rare metal he'd once found at Flender's place. This new find was even purer and richer.
The rune vibrated—clearly, the water crystal was still useful.
Yun Chuan grew a golden, razor-sharp fingernail and delicately cut a small circle into the crystal. With a faint hiss, the internal pressure released.
He removed the disc, revealing a cavity inside and the rice-grain-sized flecks of Ban Jing Fa Jin.
Without hesitation, he tipped the golden grains into his mouth.
The rune radiated mysterious waves; the golden grains melted into a warm energy that poured into his lungs. He could feel his body strengthening: skin tougher, muscles stronger, even bones subtly changing…
"Hah… Refreshing!"
Consumed, he tossed aside the now-empty crystal, already feeling better than ever.
Next, Yun Chuan turned to a jet-black ore, exuding a faint chill—the largest in the cave, a meter across and exceedingly heavy.
He prepared his right hand into a knife-edge, his palm shining with the sharp power of Ban Jing Fa Jin, making his hand a divine blade.
He chopped the stone.
CRACK! The black stone split cleanly, golden veins spreading through it, permeating the whole chunk.
Fine smoke wafted up; the piercing power of Ban Jing Fa Jin was evident. As the outer shell split, a dense chill poured out, and the cave temperature dropped.
A wave of soul power swept aside the fragments, revealing a black metal even purer than iron—its pristine color suggested it was no ordinary mineral.
He consulted his thick reference manual,
"Encyclopedia of Rare Metals," and found the answer:
Han Xin Tie Jing.
The rarest, hardest metal known to the continent, Han Xin Tie Jing, was almost unheard of in such size—and he had a piece weighing hundreds of kilograms!
Far too valuable to sell, Yun Chuan planned to use it to transform his body.
Gleefully, he carefully cut a sliver from the chunk and tried eating it—again, the rune vibrated excitedly.
Han Xin Tie Jing—melted on the tongue!
(End of Chapter 95)