Mechanical Modification Lab.
Mo Yu stood in front of the analysis machine, waiting for the results to be processed.
After a long while, the machine let out a series of beeps and spat out a printout from a recessed slot.
Metal hardness, metal toughness, metal strength, metal malleability, spiritual material properties... each stat was clearly listed on the form.
The results pleased Mo Yu greatly.
Especially the final section on elemental resistance, which clearly stated that the metal suppressed elemental activity and possessed elemental resistance.
Nearly half the metrics for this anti-magic metal exceeded the standards of human S-grade spiritual metals.
Mo Yu believed that using this metal to craft spiritual-energy nanobots would greatly boost their durability.
But anti-magic metal alone wasn't enough.
Since his goal was to mimic spiritual-energy nanobots—even if he couldn't reach their full power—he wanted to get as close as possible.
Mechanical nanobot structures obviously didn't require energy cores.
Turning a singular body into a collective swarm meant he needed a more suitable energy supply method for spiritual-energy nanobots.
His first thought was a mobile recharging model.
For example, he could carry a portable charging case. When a standby nanobot ran low on power, it could fly into the case and recharge quickly.
But the more he thought about it, the more unimpressed he felt.
Compared to the spiritual-energy nanobots' ability to devour anything for energy, a plug-and-charge system felt embarrassingly primitive.
So he pivoted to a new plan—letting nanobots absorb biological energy and convert it into usable power.
But in follow-up simulations, Mo Yu discovered this was very difficult. Mechanical nanobots couldn't fully digest what they consumed. They'd need a waste disposal function. Adding this feature would undermine the entire original design.
In the days that followed, Mo Yu considered many alternatives.
In the end, he decided to go with the energy-absorbing material Feng Qi had mentioned before.
The plan was to use that material in combination with anti-magic metal to forge a new composite—one with both absorption and anti-magic properties—then build nanobots using this dual-purpose alloy.
But another problem popped up.
He scoured the entire spiritual material database. He even sought help from other cities.
Still, he couldn't find any metal capable of converting external damage—be it elemental or physical—into energy.
The research seemed to hit a dead end.
The design was nearly complete. The issue wasn't technical anymore. It came down to lacking a basic material.
Trying to solve this problem, Mo Yu thought of Feng Qi.
But when he tried to contact him, he found he couldn't reach Feng Qi at all.
The mysterious historical legend seemed to have once again disappeared into some demanding mission.
As his thoughts churned, Mo Yu suddenly remembered the mysterious city administrator.
Though it had been a while since they last spoke, every time he had reached out in the past, the administrator had been a huge help.
Without hesitation, Mo Yu turned and returned to his office.
He logged into his Star City citizen account, opened his friend list, and selected the city administrator's profile—the one with the Breaking Dawn flag as an icon.
Opening the chat box, he typed:
Mo Yu: Hello, Senior. Are you there?
There was no response from the administrator.
Three hours passed.
Finally, the city administrator replied.
City Administrator: I'm here. Need help again? (smile.jpg)
Mo Yu: Yes. My research into mechanical nanobots has stalled due to a materials shortage. I can't move forward.
City Administrator: What spiritual material do you need? I'll try to get it for you.
Mo Yu: I've searched the entire material database. I haven't found anything that can absorb external force and convert it into usable energy. Can you help me find a metal with that trait?
City Administrator: If it's not even in the material database, how am I supposed to find it? (awkward.jpg)
Mo Yu: Alright, sorry to bother you. I'll find another way.
City Administrator: Hold on, don't be so quick to give up. I can't find the material directly, but I know a place that probably has what you're looking for. I can arrange for you to go there yourself and look.
Mo Yu: Where is it?
City Administrator: You'll know when you get there. I'll make the arrangements. You have one day to prepare. Someone will come pick you up tomorrow.
Mo Yu: Thank you very much.
After ending the conversation, Mo Yu felt a strong surge of curiosity.
He couldn't understand where the place the city administrator had mentioned was, or how the spiritual material produced there wasn't even recorded in Star City's database.
His mind automatically started piecing together related information, countless data points interweaving in his consciousness.
Eventually, he came to a conclusion:
That place definitely wasn't within Star City.
The next day.
Mo Yu was reviewing the initial schematics of the mechanical nanobot design when a knock came at the office door.
"Come in."
The door opened to reveal a tall, handsome man.
Judging by appearance, he looked around 30. His gaze was calm and clear, and he carried himself with refined elegance.
The man walked into the office, looked at Mo Yu, and introduced himself with a smile:
"Hello, I'm Ye Kongyun, one of the envoys from the Department of Destiny. I've been assigned to take you to Fate City to find the spiritual material you need."
"Department of Destiny? Fate City?"
Mo Yu was confused. He had never heard of such a department or place.
"I'll explain on the way. Let's head out."
"Alright, we'll talk on the road then."
Without hesitation, Mo Yu stood up and headed toward the door.
Just as he passed Ye Kongyun and was about to leave the office, the man reached out to stop him.
"No need to go out. We're departing from right here."
"Here?"
"Yes, right here."
As he spoke, the blue wristband on Ye Kongyun's right arm lit up, and a turtle-shell-shaped jade appeared in his palm.
The jade released a beam of light that instantly tore open a spatial rift in front of him.
"Let's go."
Under Mo Yu's shocked gaze, Ye Kongyun grabbed his shoulder and stepped into the rift together.
After a while, their figures appeared in the sky above Fate City, plummeting rapidly.
What unfolded before Mo Yu's eyes stunned him.
Looking up, an enormous, brilliant moon hung in the sky, yet the sky itself was dark as ink.
This clearly wasn't the human world.
Looking forward, the city's architecture resembled ancient Chinese styles, with many grand buildings and sweeping eaves.
Countless lanterns lit up the entire city, decorating it in brilliant gold.
From above, the rooftops were connected by colorful ribbons, forming the shape of a slowly blooming rainbow flower.
He could see various kinds of lifeforms roaming the streets.
Different races and factions coexisted in this realm in a strangely harmonious balance.
"This… this is the territory of domain creatures?"
"Sort of. It's a gathering place for domain creatures, but not just one domain faction. Due to the rules here, everyone coexists fairly peacefully. Breaking the city's rules comes with a steep price."
As they descended rapidly, the wind roared past their ears.
When they were within 30 meters of the ground, Ye Kongyun reached out and pressed down. A surge of spiritual energy radiated from his body, forming a barrier that slowed their fall.
Eventually, the two landed safely.
Once steady, Mo Yu—his mind still full of questions—turned to Ye Kongyun and asked:
"So, you're the human envoy assigned here?"
"That's right. To establish contact with this place, our predecessors paid a high price. First, they collaborated with the Yinyue Clan to create a spatial transmission device. Then they spent years in a field filled with weapon debris to finally discover how to connect with Fate City."
From Ye Kongyun's explanation, Mo Yu gradually gained some understanding of Fate City.
The city beneath their feet was both a gambling hub and a trading city.
Inside the grand palace ahead, on the second floor, was a massive trading market filled with nearly everything imaginable.
According to Ye Kongyun, it was this second-floor trading market that convinced Star City's highest council to go all out to establish a link with Fate City.
This trading market not only offered spiritual materials absent from all existing databases, but also allowed intelligence exchanges that brought tangible benefits to Star City.
Humans had been connected to Fate City for 30 years now.
During that time, the Star City Supreme Council had secretly formed the Department of Destiny, pouring vast resources into nurturing diplomats like Ye Kongyun to reside here long-term and study its unique trading systems.
As for whether this effort paid off, the answer was already evident through the many brokers active in the marketplace.
These brokers didn't produce or supply goods themselves, but their biggest strengths lay in their knowledge and networks.
For example, if an outsider wanted to buy a specific spiritual material, the size of the market made it incredibly hard to find. It would take immense time and effort.
That's where brokers came in. By paying a fee, buyers could ask them to locate the desired material on their behalf.
Or, if someone wanted to sell spiritual materials but couldn't find the right buyer—and didn't want to sit around at a stall waiting—they could also seek help from a professional broker. By giving them a commission, the broker would help find a suitable buyer.
Brokers could even deal in intelligence.
By acting as intermediaries, they made a considerable income.
Especially those who had built a reputation—some of them could rely solely on their business here to support and elevate their entire clan.
Information, spiritual materials, trading... There were too many things in Fate City that Star City currently lacked.
The Star City Supreme Council had cultivated people like Ye Kongyun precisely to have them observe and study how to become brokers—so they could one day generate profits for Star City.
Through Ye Kongyun's explanation, Mo Yu was both surprised and able to gain a more detailed understanding of Fate City.
But Ye Kongyun also said that they were still in the learning phase and weren't yet able to earn any profits through trading.
To train a true broker, a massive knowledge base was required.
With Star City's current foundation in domain studies, they were far from qualified. Most of the spiritual materials in Fate City's market couldn't even be identified.
Their generation's goal was to collect as much domain-related data as possible to pave the way for the next generation.
It would probably take several generations of effort to produce the first batch of human brokers with deep enough academic background.
As he said this, a trace of regret showed in Ye Kongyun's eyes.
"The more I see here, the more I feel how weak humanity is. But the desire to help our people rise has never been stronger."
Then the regret faded, and he smiled again.
"Come on, let's check out the trading market. I might not be able to find you the spiritual material you need, but I know a powerful broker here. As long as we offer enough profit, his intelligence network can definitely help you find it."
Some time later, Mo Yu followed Ye Kongyun to the second floor of Destiny Hall, where the trading market was located.
The market was massive.
You couldn't see the end of it at a glance. People were packed shoulder to shoulder, and no matter where you walked, you could hear hawking and shouting.
Walking along the western district's main road, Mo Yu was dazzled by the countless goods on display. Every single spiritual material they passed was something he had never seen in Star City's database.
Aside from goods for sale, some stalls were even offering techniques for breeding spiritual beasts.
After walking about 100 more meters, Mo Yu's attention was caught by an old man.
The old man had white hair and beard, with a humanoid shape. There were black, hook-shaped tattoos on both his cheeks, and his right eye had been replaced with a glowing, multicolored crystal.
In front of the old man knelt a row of completely naked figures, whose gender couldn't be distinguished at a glance.
Perhaps sensing Mo Yu's gaze, the old man looked up, then smiled and waved while mumbling in a foreign language Mo Yu couldn't understand.
Mo Yu immediately looked away and walked past him.
Once they were some distance away, Ye Kongyun chuckled and explained:
"That old thief you saw is a regular here. He's a terrible gambler who haunts the lower-tier casinos. Sometimes he wins a little, but in the end he always loses everything. He's actually the chief of a small clan. When he runs out of bloodstones, he sells off his own people to fund his gambling. He's pretty infamous for that."
"People actually buy them?"
"Of course. His clan isn't considered strong, but each of its members has blood containing a special spiritual substance that enhances bloodline potential. Most buyers take them just to eat. Apparently, the effects are pretty good."
"With a clan leader like that, it's no wonder his people are so unlucky."
Hearing the explanation, Mo Yu couldn't help but sigh.
He even felt a little grateful that humanity had someone like Feng Qi as their great leader.
Continuing forward through the trading market with Ye Kongyun, Mo Yu began to realize how chaotic and diverse this place really was. You could find domain creatures of every imaginable form here.
Some of them were so bizarre that they completely shattered his prior understanding of what domain creatures looked like.
As they moved along, Ye Kongyun's introductions broadened Mo Yu's worldview. He witnessed parts of the world he had never seen on the front lines or in Star City.
It made him feel, for the first time, a real confidence that he could find the spiritual material he needed to absorb energy.
As Ye Kongyun had put it:
As long as you had money, you could find almost anything here—anything except miracles. And even if it wasn't available yet, someone would go find it for you.