In the quiet room, Mo Yu picked up the Thunder Cloud Crystal with his left hand, his eyes slightly narrowed. After a moment, he exhaled softly. In his left palm, the crimson-colored Thunder Soul essence suddenly surged forth...
As soon as the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder appeared, the room filled with the crackling sound of electricity, and the temperature sharply increased.
Compared to flames, thunder had no disadvantage in refining equipment, and it even held some advantages.
After all, unlike medicinal herbs, the materials needed for crafting equipment were often among the hardest substances in the world. Using flames to refine such materials was extremely slow and difficult. On the other hand, the electrical current of thunder could easily break through the inside of the material.
Moreover, the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder combined the dual powers of both thunder and fire, making it even more advantageous in refining equipment.
In his previous life, Mo Yu had relied on this technique to stand among the top equipment refiners of the Shenxiao Continent.
With a calm expression, the red, snake-like thunder in Mo Yu's hand flickered slightly and swallowed the several kilograms of Thunder Cloud Crystal. The flames and thunder churned, and the Thunder Cloud Crystal was unknowingly melted into a small glob of yellow liquid.
Mo Yu continued forging with the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder for a while, then turned to refine a nearby piece of Fire Black Iron, aiming to remove its impurities.
In no time, the Fire Black Iron shrank from the size of two hands clasped together to a piece small enough to be held in one hand, having removed nearly half of its original size in impurities.
He grabbed the purified Fire Black Iron with his right hand and tossed it directly into the thunder and flames...
After tossing all the Fire Black Iron in, the yellow liquid expanded significantly.
The yellow liquid gradually enveloped the Fire Black Iron, and the two substances wriggled continuously within the thunder and flames. The intense heat and the crackling of electricity relentlessly burned away the remaining impurities...
Next, Mo Yu threw in two pieces of Fire Saltpeter, which, after being refined, merged into the yellow liquid...
Under the combined forging of flame and thunder, a black bead-like shape slowly began to form.
Under Mo Yu's mental control, the black bead began to split, evenly dividing into ten smaller black beads.
After half an hour, Mo Yu slowly opened his eyes, seeing the ten beads gradually solidifying.
Each of the ten Thunder Fire Beads, about the size of half an egg, emitted a faint red glow in the air. The surface of the bead was slightly raised with flame patterns, as if it were about to take flight. The flame-like patterns were so vivid they seemed as though real fire and thunder were brewing inside.
Although the Thunder Fire Beads appeared small, a closer inspection would reveal the immense power of fire and thunder within. Even a Dou Zhe would need to handle them with care.
The entire process took around an hour, and Mo Yu's face gradually turned pale.
After all, his current strength was only at 7th stage Dou Zhi Qi, and the Vermilion Burning Sky Thunder was still in its infancy, far less powerful than it used to be.
The crimson thunder in his palm gradually faded, and after it completely disappeared, Mo Yu let out a sigh of relief.
"Ten Thunder Fire Beads capable of dealing with Dou Zhe and even first-tier magical beasts should fetch a few thousand gold coins. Now, I just need to find a buyer." With a flick of his hand, Mo Yu stowed the ten Thunder Fire Beads in his robe.
As long as no Dou Qi was infused, the Thunder Fire Beads were indistinguishable from ordinary beads, so keeping them in his robe posed no danger.
After resting for another hour to recover fully, Mo Yu got up and left the house, heading toward the largest weapon market in Wu Tan City, according to his memory.
The Lorlin Weapon Market was the largest weapon market in Wu Tan City. Although its influence couldn't match the three major families like the Xiao Clan, it was still a significant force in Wu Tan City.
There were even rumors that the Lorlin Weapon Market had connections with the Intel Clan.
In the empire, the Mite-er Clan, Nalan Clan, and Intel Clan were known as the three giants of the Jia Ma Empire. These families dominated various sectors, including commerce and the military.
The Lorlin Weapon Market was large and easy to find, and it didn't take long for Mo Yu to arrive.
Looking at the massive hall at the end of the street and the mercenaries coming and going, Mo Yu knew he was in the right place.
Touching the slightly cool Thunder Fire Beads in his robe, Mo Yu slowly walked out of the alley and headed towards the weapon market at the end of the street.
Under the watchful eyes of several fully armed guards at the entrance, Mo Yu walked straight inside without hesitation.
As soon as he entered the hall, the heat seemed to peel away from his body, replaced by a cool sensation that made it feel like stepping into another world.
His eyes swept over the lavishly decorated, spacious hall filled with mercenaries and an array of various weapons, though none of particularly high quality.
Mo Yu headed toward a nearby room, its door marked with the golden words "Appraisal Room."
He pushed open the door. Inside was a somewhat empty space, with only an old man sitting bored at a desk. Upon hearing the door, the old man looked up at the young figure and subtly frowned. But noticing the aura around Mo Yu, the old man quickly put on a friendly smile. "Young Master, are you here to appraise a weapon?"
"Yes." Mo Yu nodded.
He paid no attention to the old man's sudden shift in attitude and pulled out ten Thunder Fire Beads from his robe, handing them over.
"What are these?"
Taking the beads from Mo Yu, the old man's face immediately grew serious. Though he didn't know exactly what they were, he sensed a faint danger from them.
"These are called Thunder Fire Beads. I happened to come across them during my travels. Simply infuse Dou Qi into them and throw them, and they will explode with power equivalent to a Dou Zhe's full-strength strike," Mo Yu said calmly.
"A quick-acting hidden weapon!" The old man's expression changed upon hearing Mo Yu's explanation. He carefully placed the beads on the table and respectfully said, "Young Master, could you please wait a moment? I need to call our boss for further evaluation."
"Hurry up," Mo Yu said, waving his hand before sitting down on a chair to rest with his eyes closed.
The old man hurriedly nodded and quickly left the room.
After waiting for a while, the old man returned, this time with a bald, middle-aged man.
Mo Yu recalled that this bald man was Ge Lin, the weapons tycoon of Wu Tan City. Although his influence didn't match the three major families, he was still a notable figure in Wu Tan City.
Ge Lin didn't acknowledge Mo Yu at first but instead went straight to the table to inspect the Thunder Fire Beads. After examining all ten beads one by one, he finally smiled in satisfaction. "These are indeed quick-acting, single-use hidden weapons, but their power is a bit weak. Otherwise, they would be even more valuable."
Hidden weapons like these were highly sought after, as they could play an unexpected role in battles, making them popular in the weapons market.
"I'm Ge Lin, the owner of Lorlin Weapon Market. May I ask your name, young friend?" Ge Lin said, approaching Mo Yu with a merchant's smile.
"My surname is Mo, and I'm from the Xiao Clan."
Mo Yu emphasized the Xiao Clan part. After all, in Wu Tan City, the Xiao Clan was a top-tier force, and using their name would be beneficial.
Sure enough, upon hearing the name Xiao Clan, Ge Lin's face stiffened. Although he didn't know Mo Yu's exact status within the clan, he still replied politely, "So, you're from one of the great families. I'll buy these Thunder Fire Beads for 200 gold coins each. Their power is somewhat lacking, after all."
"300 gold coins per bead, or I'll sell them to the mercenaries outside. I'm sure they'll pay a good price for a life-saving tool."
"Well..." Ge Lin frowned at Mo Yu's slightly threatening words but then smiled as if he had thought of something. "Alright, 300 gold coins it is. However, if you have more good items in the future, please let me know first. Lorlin Weapon Market won't hesitate to offer a good price."
At 300 gold coins per bead, the total came to 3,000 gold coins. Clearly, Ge Lin had the resources to make the deal.
With the transaction complete, Mo Yu let out a sigh of relief. He then asked Ge Lin, "Does your store have any fire or thunder-type magic cores? If so, I'd like to buy some, and you can deduct it from the total."
Ge Lin laughed and replied, "Of course we have those. If you don't mind waiting, I'll have them brought over right away."
The Lorlin Weapon Market frequently dealt with mercenaries, so it wasn't difficult for them to acquire various elemental magic cores, including fire and thunder types.
Soon, a servant arrived with a golden pouch.
"Here are five third-tier magic cores and two fourth-tier magic cores, all fire and thunder types. They total 1,800 gold coins. I'll deduct that from your 3,000 gold coins, leaving you with 1,200."
"That works."
After the transaction, Mo Yu handed the pouch to the servant and stowed the remaining gold coins in his storage ring.
Ge Lin accompanied Mo Yu out of the weapon market with a wide smile on his face, even providing him with a special discount card for future purchases.
Mo Yu didn't care much for the card, though, and quickly left after pocketing it.
As he departed the market, Mo Yu thought to himself, "With these Thunder Fire Beads sold, I'll be able to continue gathering materials for refining."
And with that, Mo Yu's path toward becoming a master refiner grew ever clearer.