Second-level blacksmith? Qian Jin chuckled. If being able to forge Second-level Fine Iron meant one was a Second-level blacksmith, then he certainly qualified. But if it meant forging weapons and armor in addition to fine iron, he wouldn't even qualify as a blacksmith's apprentice.

"What are you laughing at?"

The two men from the Lucas Blacksmith shop frowned in displeasure simultaneously. The chuckle on Qian Jin’s face held a hint of mockery, and this self-deprecation looked, to others, as if Qian Jin was mocking them.

Qian Jin sensed the ill-will in the voices of the two Lucas smiths and shrugged carelessly. I’m not working for you, he thought, no need to watch your expressions. If you’re unhappy, come fight me. See if I don't beat the stars out of your eyes.

"Uncle Franci, what's going on?" Qian Jin surveyed the surroundings, shaking off the blacksmith uncle's embrace. "Why are there so many people today?"

Franci glanced at Franlin, coughed twice, and extended a hand toward the two middle-aged men from the Lucas Blacksmith shop. "This is Lucas, the owner of the Lucas Blacksmith shop. A Second-level blacksmith."

Qian Jin observed the man: narrow eyes, a slightly flattened nose bridge, and a pair of golden-blond whiskers adorning his mouth. His dark, thin cheeks showed faint traces of pride and self-satisfaction, his chest slightly puffed out, giving him an air of superiority.

"And this is Smith Medron from the Lucas Blacksmith shop, a First-level blacksmith."

Compared to Lucas's lofty demeanor, Medron still held a trace of respect in his eyes. His slender frame was slightly bowed in a gesture of greeting; a piece of Second-level Fine Iron was a weighty item for a First-level smith.

After introducing the two smiths, Franci turned and pointed to the adventurers. "These are members of the Flame Adventurer Group. This is their captain, Xiao Chang Leiming."

Xiao Chang Leiming, standing amidst the crowd, wore light armor. His build was sturdy, and his face carried an air of military heroism. Gripping a broadsword nearly four fingers wide, he offered Qian Jin a formal warrior’s salute—a cupped-fist gesture—with a polite smile. In a city like Oakland, it was best not to offend someone who might be a Second-level blacksmith.

Qian Jin nodded, not bothering to remember the adventurer team's name. There were countless adventurer teams across the continent named things like 'Flame' or 'Ice Soul.' His gaze swept past Xiao Chang Leiming, settling instead on a female swordswoman behind him. She also carried a broadsword almost four fingers wide hanging at her waist. Her deep blue hair was tied high at the nape of her neck, and a suit of red leather armor hugged her figure, outlining beautiful curves. Her fair face featured a pair of pale blue irises. Long, slender lashes made her eyes seem expressive, and an aura of heroism permeated her entire being.

Seeing her appearance, Qian Jin felt a slight jolt in his heart: They looked nothing alike, so why did she remind him of her? Was it her spirit, her essence?

The female warrior sensed Qian Jin’s direct gaze, her eyes showing a flicker of confusion. She responded with a slight nod and a gentle smile.

"Here is what happened," Franci whispered. "These friends from the Flame Adventurer Group had an incident while adventuring in the Sunset Mountain Range a few days ago. Their weapons sustained varying degrees of damage, but they cannot leave the area immediately and must venture back into the mountains..."

Qian Jin nodded softly. Although this was his second day working at this smithy, he knew well that weapons frequently incurred damage during expeditions, requiring repair or replacement.

"Because they are adventurers, they don't have much coin on them," Franci spread his hands. "So, they must offer the items they obtained in exchange."

Bartering was not unusual in Oakland. Adventurers often lacked sufficient funds and would trade goods with shops, and shops were happy to oblige, as every exchange presented an opportunity to drive the price down. The value acquired through trade was often significantly higher than money itself, and selling the goods to passing caravans later could yield even greater profit.

Xiao Chang Leiming picked up where Franci left off. "We know that bartering involves taking a loss. We considered that and prepared to accept a disadvantage. But..."

Both Xiao Chang Leiming and his companions looked toward Lucas with expressions of difficulty. Qian Jin’s look cleared with understanding.

The finest blacksmith shop in Oakland wasn't Franlin’s, but the Lucas Blacksmith shop. Naturally, Xiao Chang Leiming wanted the best weapons, which is why he sought out the Lucas shop. It was likely that the Lucas shop had been aggressively overpricing their repair/exchange rates, and the haggling had become too intense.

"What are you offering for exchange?" Qian Jin’s eyes briefly flicked toward the female warrior in the red leather armor.

Xiao Chang Leiming reached into the leather pouch at his waist, fumbled for a moment, and slowly withdrew the item, a faint reluctance shadowing his face. "A Battle Stone..."

A Battle Stone! Qian Jin’s body trembled slightly. He stepped forward two paces, gazing at the fist-sized, entirely pale grey stone in Xiao Chang Leiming's hand. Slowly, he raised his hand to stroke the grey stone.

A Battle Stone! A special rock imbued with Battle Energy. For a warrior, refining the Battle Energy contained within a Battle Stone by absorbing it into the body would absolutely lead to faster progress than training without one.

The Battle Spirit Grand Array, aside from its peculiar formation, relied most critically on Battle Stones! Without Battle Stones, the array could not be activated, even with the formation intact.

If someone possessing a Battle Stone entered the Grand Array with it, they would possess a greater advantage than those entering empty-handed, achieving a greater boost in a shorter time, and solidifying their foundation more robustly.

Qian Jin recalled texts stating that Battle Stones could also be integrated into weapons and armor as materials to forge superior equipment!

Qian Jin hadn't expected to encounter a Battle Stone here, and moreover, to see a warrior trying to sell one! For a warrior, the value of a Battle Stone was far from trivial!

Traces of Battle Energy swirled within the grey stone. Qian Jin could feel the energy emanating from it, and his brow arched slightly as he looked at Xiao Chang Leiming. "This appears to be a Fourth-Grade Battle Stone, correct?"

Xiao Chang Leiming looked at Qian Jin with surprise. He hadn't expected this seemingly young warrior-disciple to possess such discerning eyesight, to be able to discern, after merely resting his palm on the stone for such a short time, that it wasn't a low-grade First or Second-Grade Stone, but a Fourth-Grade Stone of considerable quality.