Chapter 447 – Ellis Trade Square, Source Worm, and Bismuth Iron Ore

It’s not impossible.

Lu Yuan looked out of the hover car window in the direction of the Community where Xu Mingguang’s family once lived and said calmly, “In this day and age, can a few living people really disappear into thin air?”

Lu Feng, who was in the driver’s seat, remained expressionless and silent.

Lu Yuan knew that Lu Feng understood the implication of his words. He didn’t believe that Lu Feng had no clues about the whereabouts of Xu Mingguang’s family; it was just a matter of whether he was willing to investigate.

Clearly, Lu Feng didn’t want to spend effort on this matter.

Lu Yuan understood this but was helpless. Lu Feng wasn’t his subordinate. Having him handle small tasks was manageable, but expecting him to be fully devoted was impossible. After all, his responsibility was only to supervise and protect Lu Yuan.

Forget it.

He would find a way himself later.

In fact, it wasn’t urgent to get the Magic Cube now. Seeing Xu Mingguang’s current behavior, he became less anxious.

If even Xu Mingguang could sense the extraordinary nature of the golden Magic Cube, then with his current capabilities, owning it would only invite trouble.

He was merely curious about the golden Magic Cube, not desperate to have it. He possessed enough miraculous items to change fate; the Magic Cube was just an addition.

“Next destination.”

Having made up his mind, Lu Yuan casually took out his personal terminal and sent an address to Lu Feng, then leaned back and closed his eyes.

Receiving the address, Lu Feng paused slightly but said nothing, starting the hover car towards the destination.

Fifteen minutes later.

District 33, under a massive gray-white archway, amidst a bustling crowd, a hover car came to a silent stop.

The shiny, brand-new exterior and the prominent car logo attracted glances from nearby pedestrians.

In this area, seeing an expensive hover car was indeed a rare sight.

Inside the hover car, Lu Yuan, having reached the destination, was quietly observing the Market in front of him.

He saw a variety of colorful statues with different designs standing around the massive entrance arch of the Market, with flags and signs of various sizes hanging above, and an energy barrier glimmering softly around.

These are cultural symbols of different regions and ethnic groups of Duoling. This could also be seen from the current stream of people; many entering and exiting the Market wore various exotic outfits that Lu Yuan had never seen before, speaking with accents completely different from the official language of Duoling.

All these factors combined made the Market appear even more bustling.

“Ellis Tuller Trade Square.”

Lu Yuan softly read the name in front of him.

It was said that this Market was established by a person named Ellis Tuller, who was quite a legend. Originally, he was just a poor kid from the slums of District 72 on Planet Dadu, No. 2045. Later, he built a vast empire from scratch.

Today, the Ellis Tuller Trade Square is the largest trading plaza on Planet Dadu, No. 2045. The Tuller family also became one of the most prominent families on the planet and obtained the title of Earl quite early on.

“Young Master, you don’t really need to come to such a place in person if you want to buy something…”

Lu Feng spoke up from the driver’s seat.

“I’ve never been here, just wandering around, not necessarily to buy anything.”

Lu Yuan responded casually and then opened the car door and got out.

Even though Lu Yuan got out first, by the time he was out of the car, Lu Feng was already standing in front of him, looking around coldly.

“This place is full of mixed characters, lots of thieves and robbers. Young Master, be careful.”

Why would I need you if I have to be careful myself?

Lu Yuan was somewhat dissatisfied with Lu Feng for not putting more effort into the matter with Xu Mingguang earlier. He originally wanted to retort, but after some thought, he decided against it.

Scolding him mildly wouldn’t do much good. In the future, gaining control over him with his abilities and making him willingly bow before him would be the proper way to vent his anger.

Lu Yuan nodded slightly and stepped into the Market.

Following the crowd, passing through the Market’s iconic white stone arch, Lu Yuan saw stalls lining both sides, with neon signs of various sizes flashing incessantly.

“Old Tao’s Premium Potion Shop, Triple Compensation for Fakes!”

“Beautiful Clothes and Protection, Store Closing Sale, Everything 90% Off!”

“Xier Energy Machinery Components!”

Under the large light blue energy protective dome, drones buzzed around, dropping flyers everywhere.

Directly opposite was a massive mechanical fortune cat, hundreds of meters tall, waving its paw and spewing large clouds of steam.

There were also small manned aircraft floating erratically in the air with banners saying “Landis Travel Agency” hanging from them.

Occasionally, fruit peels and trash would fall, causing people below to shout complaints.

“So lively…”

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but sigh softly.

It was even more bustling than the morning markets on his Home Planet at six or seven in the morning.

He casually turned off the air purification function on his clothes and immediately smelled a strong scent, a mix of sourness and various spices.

It was muddled.

Yet it was filled with a lively atmosphere he had never experienced before.

Lu Yuan didn’t mind the scent; in fact, it somewhat reminded him of his Home Planet.

He casually scanned his surroundings as he walked forward indifferently.

Lu Feng, acting as his bodyguard, followed closely behind him.

As Lu Feng had mentioned earlier, there were many thieves in such places.

Walking along the main road in the center of the Market, Lu Feng managed to resolve at least seven or eight small troubles aiming directly at Lu Yuan.

When they reached the first junction in the road, Lu Yuan finally stopped.

He turned around and looked at Lu Feng.

“Do you have a coin?”

Lu Feng was momentarily surprised but then nodded, pulling out a thumb-sized, golden coin from his pocket.

Lu Yuan took it and glanced at it.

It was an ordinary Duoling coin.

The front had the emblem of the Duoling Empire.

A design that included a scepter, a nebula, and a double-headed eagle, representing authority, mystery, and strength, respectively.

The back showed the coin’s value: five.

In this era, few people carry cash, and even fewer carry a coin with them.

Lu Yuan noticed the edges of the coin in his hand were noticeably worn, suggesting that Lu Feng had a habit of occasionally playing with it.

“Quite a pretentious little habit…”

Lu Yuan thought as he casually tossed the coin into the air.

As the golden coin spun and traced a graceful arc mid-air, a gray mist quietly clouded Lu Yuan’s eyes as he focused on it.

When the coin landed back in his palm, the gray mist in Lu Yuan’s eyes had dissipated.

The insight he sought had already surfaced in his mind.

“Let’s go.”

Lu Yuan naturally chose a direction and motioned for Lu Feng to follow him forward.

He showed no intention of returning the borrowed coin to Lu Feng.

As they walked through the Market, Lu Yuan occasionally stopped at various stalls to buy a few trinkets.

These ranged from potions of unknown origins made by private workshops to rusty mecha parts scavenged from who knows where.

There were also handcrafted folk crafts, and finally, he bought pottery, metal bottles, insect shells, and even scarves for women.

“This would be a nice gift for Lu Qiyuan; it really suits her.”

Holding a coarsely made, garishly green scarf in his hand, Lu Yuan laughed and spoke to Lu Feng, who was beside him.

Lu Feng, who had been acting as the bag carrier and payer, detected the sarcasm in Lu Yuan’s words. He twitched the corner of his mouth slightly but remained silent.

He realized Lu Yuan genuinely seemed to be aimlessly wandering around.

Not only was he buying random items, but even the direction they walked was determined by tossing a coin.

Every time they reached a junction, he’d toss the coin. By now, Lu Feng suspected that even Lu Yuan himself didn’t know where they were in the Market.

Completely following his whims.

Casually tossing the “gift,” the extravagant green scarf for Lu Qiyuan, to Lu Feng, Lu Yuan continued moving forward.

Despite his seemingly calm and leisurely demeanor, his eyes continuously scanned the stalls on both sides.

It was as if he were searching for something.

“Twelve consecutive divinations, that should be enough…”

Lu Yuan thought silently to himself.

After walking a bit further, Lu Yuan’s gaze landed on a stall named “Chiqino Boutique Grocery.”

The stall was small, and half of the neon lights on the sign were broken, leaving only four out of the seven letters illuminated.

The stall owner was an old man, skinny and wearing a robe that hadn’t been washed in who knows how long, oily and filthy, almost impossible to discern its original color.

He sat there with his legs crossed, picking his teeth, looking rather shabby and sleazy.

When Lu Yuan’s eyes settled on him, the old man’s eyes immediately lit up, and he sprang up from his chair with a swish.

His wrinkled face beamed like a blooming chrysanthemum, and he enthusiastically waved at Lu Yuan from afar.

He must have been secretly observing Lu Yuan for some time.

Indeed, given Lu Yuan’s attire and demeanor, combined with his liberal spending style as he strolled by, it was hard for merchants on the whole street not to pay special attention to him.

One by one, they eagerly awaited his visit.

Lu Yuan glanced over the old man’s stall, his eyes flickering slightly before he headed directly towards it.

With every step Lu Yuan took closer, the more the old man’s smile broadened.

As soon as Lu Yuan arrived, the old man greeted him with overwhelming enthusiasm.

“What would the esteemed guest like to buy? Don’t be fooled by the size of my shop; I’ve got everything…”

“Got any Level 10 Mecha?”

The old man’s smile froze at Lu Yuan’s words, then he lowered his head lightly and said, “I’m just browsing.”

“Sure, sure… feel free to look around.”

The old man chuckled dryly, refraining from saying more.

“What’s this?”

Lu Yuan picked up something about the size of a thumb from the stall, black and hard, resembling both bone and stone, and asked the old man.

The old man hesitated for a moment before replying, “A fossil. Not sure what it’s a fossil of.”

After he spoke, Lu Feng, standing behind Lu Yuan, gave a slight cough.

Lu Yuan seemed oblivious, nodded, casually set the black object aside, and said, “I’ll take it, we’ll tally up later.”

“Great!”

An enormous surge of delight spread across the old man’s face, even raising the pitch of his voice a few notches.

Having guessed that the young noble in front of him was a big spender, the old man hadn’t expected him to be such an exceptionally easy target.

That earlier “Got any Level 10 Mecha?” had almost convinced him this guy wouldn’t be easily duped.

Beside them, Lu Feng, who had just reminded Lu Yuan, finally returned to his usual stoic expression.

By this time, Lu Yuan had already picked up a second item.

This time, it was a bottle of dark green potion. Through the bottle, one could see that the liquid inside was quite murky with numerous sediments floating around.

What attracted Lu Yuan’s attention was that he sensed a trace of life energy within it, which might help restore his body.

“And what about this?”

“Exclusive homemade potion,” the old man quickly said. “It can promote health, heal wounds, strengthen the body, and even enhance virility…”

He continued, “If you want it in large quantities, I can give you a significant discount.”

Lu Yuan held the bottle up and examined it closely for a moment. This time, he surprisingly sought Lu Feng’s opinion.

“Is there anything similar on the market?”

“Plenty.”

Lu Feng replied with a blank expression, “Products with similar effects, whether nutritional supplements or medications, you can easily find a hundred items more effective than this stuff in any pharmacy…”

“What? That’s a bit exaggerated…”

The old man’s face looked a bit displeased. He was about to argue that his potion was different, a unique secret formula.

But Lu Yuan simply said, “Oh,” and put the item back.

“Then forget it.”

The old man’s face twitched slightly. He wanted to glare at the meddling Lu Feng, but a cold look from Lu Feng scared him into immediate retreat, making him swallow his words.

Lu Yuan had casually asked the question.

He had roughly guessed that similar potions would be abundant in the market. He just hadn’t paid much attention before and happened to come across it now.

Lu Yuan’s gaze scanned over the items before him one by one.

When his eyes passed over an irregularly shaped dark green sphere, they flickered slightly. He felt an inexplicable throb of excitement in his heart.

He had found it.

[Chaos Divination] had guided him in a roundabout way, and the final destination… should be this.

Lu Yuan gently picked up the dark green sphere and brought it to eye level for a closer look.

Upon inspection, it turned out to be a stone.

Or no, to be precise, it was an ore.

Inside the grayish-white rock, there were some black metallic substances exposed.

However, both the metal and the rock encapsulating it were sealed in an amber-like dark green substance.

At first glance, it almost seemed like some kind of special craft item.

“What is this?” Lu Yuan asked the old man for the third time.

The old man replied honestly, “Bismuth iron ore, raw ore.”

“It should be called waste ore.”

Lu Feng’s cold voice interjected.

The old man’s mouth opened as if to say something, but he looked resigned and didn’t argue.

“Bismuth iron ore…” Lu Yuan looked at the irregular sphere in his hand with interest and asked Lu Feng, “What do you mean by waste ore?”

Lu Feng replied calmly, “It means this piece of bismuth iron ore can no longer have bismuth iron extracted from it.

It’s completely enveloped and corroded by the fluid of a Source Worm, rendering it utterly useless.”

“Not entirely.”

The old stall owner couldn’t help but argue, “There are still ways to extract it, it’s just a bit troublesome…”

“It’s extremely troublesome.”

Lu Feng said coldly, “The extraction cost is more than ten times its actual value.

The quality of the bismuth iron extracted would be significantly reduced.

Plus, the fluid from the Source Worm is highly toxic and would incur additional purification and processing costs…

Unless the bismuth metal is of exceptionally high value, no one would go through the trouble of extracting from waste ore like this.”

“How do you know so much about this?”

Lu Yuan was surprised at Lu Feng’s encyclopedic explanation.

In the next second, Lu Feng glanced at him and replied matter-of-factly, “I studied bio-mechanical engineering at university. My graduation thesis was on how to extract contaminated bismuth metal from ore affected by Source Worm fluid…”

“Uh…”