Forge a Good Relationship

"Xuan Su, take some people to the innermost room of the warehouse and bring me that Star-Fall Profound Steel."

Xia Wanjin gave the order to Xuan Su, then turned to Lin Yiqing with a smile. "I must ask you to wait a moment, young friend."

Lin Yiqing picked up his teacup and took a light sip, though he was secretly wondering what conditions the other party might propose. He did not believe for a second that a free lunch would fall from the sky.

Before long, Xuan Su directed her men to carry in a massive, iron-gray, oval-shaped boulder about the size of a water vat. The surface of the boulder was pitted and uneven, looking extremely unsightly.

Lin Yiqing's mind stirred. Under his Origin Qi Vision, the dull, iron-black boulder before him radiated an incredibly dazzling white-gold light.

The sharpness of that aura and the density of the Origin Qi gathered within left no doubt: it was high-quality metal-attribute Origin Qi.

"Young Friend Lin, this is the Star-Fall Profound Steel. My chamber's elders accidentally purchased it several decades ago, and it has been kept in the depths of our warehouse ever since. Today, I gift it to you."

Xia Wanjin looked at the Star-Fall Profound Steel with a complex expression and could not help but sigh.

Over the years, he had considered having it forged into a weapon, but because there were no powerful Spirit Rune Masters in Yan City capable of refining it, it had remained shelved.

Spirit ores could be found with effort, but a Spirit Rune Master capable of forging weapons from them could not be found anywhere in Yan City.

To refine spirit ore, a Spirit Rune Master needed to reach the level of a Spirit Rune Master and be able to wield spiritual power flames to purge impurities and forge a divine weapon.

The lands beyond were fraught with danger, and even if a divine weapon were forged, he dared not gamble on whether he would face those who would kill to seize it.

A Small Perfection of the Origin Pellet Realm sounded impressive, but he knew his own situation. He might be a powerhouse within the confines of a single city, but looking at the entire Tiandu Prefecture, he was nothing special.

Furthermore, tracking down a Spirit Rune Master and paying their exorbitant fees was a mountain of trouble.

Thus, the Star-Fall Profound Steel had to remain in the warehouse, waiting for the day it could be traded away.

"I cannot accept a reward for no merit. Since you are gifting such a precious spirit ore for no reason, could it be that you want me to do something for you?"

The spirit ore he had been longing for was right in front of him, but Lin Yiqing became even more cautious. One had to remember that the man before him was a quintessential businessman; it was not impossible that he would use this to demand something excessive.

"Not at all. Please, do not be nervous, young friend. There are no schemes attached to this item; consider it an apology. How about that?"

Xia Wanjin looked at Lin Yiqing with a frank gaze. "You are a smart man. Our previous attempts to scheme against you were truly uncalled for. Had you not possessed such outstanding strength, I fear your life would have been in danger."

"Besides, even without this item, you might eventually obtain other spirit ores. Since that is the case, let this serve as an apology to resolve our grievances and build a bond of goodwill. What do you think?"

Lin Yiqing had already guessed Xia Wanjin's intentions, but the man's straightforwardness still caught him by surprise.

He knew how to bend and stretch; he was truly worthy of being the leader of one of Yan City's three great powers.

However, even with the man's show of sincerity, it was only enough for Lin Yiqing to accept the apology. As for building a bond of goodwill? That was absolutely out of the question!

When it came down to it, today's scene was built entirely upon his absolute strength. If he hadn't been able to defeat Yuan Li that day, he would likely have died at the city gates long ago.

There would have been no "apology gift" delivered to him then!

It was because he had the strength to suppress a Small Perfection of the Origin Pellet Realm while at the late stage of the Heaven Origin Realm, because he had the record of winning the Tower Duel and breaking into the eighth floor, and because he possessed the spiritual power of a Three-Seal Spirit Rune Master!

That was why he could stand here today and accept their apology!

Talent could only earn one admiration; only by converting talent into strength could one earn the respect of others!

"I will accept your apology gift, Guild Leader Xia. The matter of the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce scheming against me is now wiped clean. As for this 'bond of goodwill,' we shall see what the future holds."

Since the other party had laid their cards on the table, Lin Yiqing couldn't be bothered to engage in further pleasantries. With a flick of his sleeve, he stowed the Star-Fall Profound Steel into his Universe Bag.

"That is only natural. You possess heaven-defying talent, and at such an age, your strength already surpasses your peers. If you have time in the future, I hope you might provide some guidance to my Zhilan!"

Seeing Lin Yiqing accept the Star-Fall Profound Steel, the tension in Xia Wanjin's heart instantly dissipated, and a smile appeared on his face as he spoke.

Accepting the steel meant the previous matters were put to rest. If he hadn't accepted it, a brutal battle would likely have ensued.

A Three-Seal Spirit Rune Master was not someone to be trifled with!

If they had burned their bridges and failed to kill him, he would never have known a moment of peace again.

With that, the heavy atmosphere in the room vanished, and both Xuan Su and Steward Xia He could not help but let out long sighs of relief.

Meanwhile, Xia Zhilan, who had been confused by the exchange, felt her fair face turn bright red at his words, and the look she cast toward Lin Yiqing was tinged with shyness.

"Since that is the case, I shall take my leave!"

Seeing that his goal was achieved, Lin Yiqing said no more. He offered a perfunctory courtesy and rose to leave. Xia Wanjin and the others did not attempt to detain him, accompanying him all the way to the entrance.

At that moment, Xuan Su asked instinctively, "Young Friend Lin, may I ask what you intend to do with this Star-Fall Profound Steel?"

"Weapon forging!"

Lin Yiqing's short reply left Xia Wanjin and the others looking horrified, their hearts churning with massive waves of shock.

Afterward, a sense of relief washed over them; they were fortunate to have resolved their grievances with him, otherwise, they could only imagine what price they would have had to pay.

After leaving the Wanjin Chamber of Commerce, Lin Yiqing headed straight for the Tianyan Mountain Range without a moment's delay.

He had not purchased his own residence in the city, and since he often caused quite a stir, he was not suited for crowded areas.

Therefore, he chose to conduct his forging in the mountains. Firstly, the deep, ancient forests were rarely visited, ensuring he would not be disturbed; secondly, even if he caused a commotion, he could handle it quickly.

This time, he chose a cave on the edge of a circular lake.

The original cave had only been a few yards wide, but after Lin Yiqing's modifications, he had expanded it significantly inward.

After digging a hidden channel to divert lake water into a reservoir he had prepared inside the cave, Lin Yiqing began his preparations for forging.

After regulating his breath for a moment, Lin Yiqing took out the Star-Fall Profound Steel and placed it upon a flat stone platform, his expression solemn and a faint, eerie light flickering in his eyes.

In an instant, threads of spiritual power, appearing almost tangible, flew out from his eyes. These threads intersected and wove together, immediately forming an arcane rune array.

All the days of waiting and the multitude of schemes were for this very day!

"Life-Transforming Rune Array, Third Layer, Myriad Transformation Flame!"

The moment Lin Yiqing pinched a finger seal, the arcane rune array began to spin rapidly, and a violent surge of spiritual power suddenly rippled outward.

Whoosh!

As the rune array pulsed, dense spiritual power began to converge toward its center, and in a flash, a strange, illusory flame erupted from the heart of the array.

This Myriad Transformation Flame looked somewhat similar to an ordinary fire, yet the turbulent spiritual fluctuations it emitted were enough to make even Lin Yiqing start in surprise.

"Refine for me!"

With a sharp shout, the spiritual power within his Mud Pill Palace surged into the Life-Transforming Rune Array like a tidal wave. Infused with this power, the Myriad Transformation Flame expanded violently until it had completely engulfed the entire piece of Star-Fall Profound Steel.