Grundar Brightsteel added a mont later, "If it is worthy of our own skills, then why send it to others? We will do it ourselves."
Rikkan Emberetch nodded vigorously. "But first, tell us what materials you intend to use. We cannot judge the worth of a forging task without knowing."
Lin Mu exchanged a glance with Daoist Chu and Elyon. They knew this mont would co. Even Cattaleya listened closely. None of them actually knew the exact materials Lin Mu intended for his new weapon. They only knew it had to do with space.
Lin Mu brushed his hand across his ring and said, "I plan to forge two weapons. Both require a very special material. Sothing beyond the immortal realm."
The dwarves frowned at that. Not in disbelief. In awe.
"Beyond the immortal realm?" Thalgar Ironfuse repeated slowly.
Lin Mu nodded. "It is a Spatial Elental material containing pure Spatial Dao and traces that are extrely rare."
The dwarves leaned in, captivated.
Cattaleya blinked. ng Bai tilted his head. Daoist Chu narrowed his eyes with interest. Elyon raised a brow.
The dwarves spoke over each other.
"What kind of spatial material?"
"How pure is it?"
"What form does it take?"
"Is it tal or organic?"
"Does it carry the Dao or just the energy?"
Lin Mu breathed in and replied calmly, "I will show you. But you should prepare yourselves. It is not sothing you will have seen before."
He set his hand on his spatial ring.
The dwarves instinctively braced. Even the air stilled as Lin Mu pulled out a large, shimring object and placed it gently on the ground before them.
It was Xukong's old husk.
A massive, shimring, shell like structure made from impossibly dense organic material that humd with deep spatial resonance. It looked like a spider but had ten legs for so reason.
Every wave of energy warped the air itself, bending the space around it slightly. It was not sothing any mortal or immortal beast would ever possess. It was unmistakably beyond even transcendent.
The dwarves froze.
Their eyes widened so far they looked ready to fall out of their heads.
The cavern beca eerily silent.
Rikkan Emberetch was the first to move. He slowly approached the husk, his hands trembling with awe. He reached out and brushed a finger against the surface.
A faint flicker of spatial energy arced, and a thin cut appeared instantly on his fingertip.
Rikkan froze. The other dwarves gasped.
Grundar Brightsteel grabbed his hand. "By the anvils of the ancestors, it cut you."
Rikkan nodded silently. "I... barely touched it."
Borin Flabraid crouched next. "This is not just spatial energy. This contains Spatial Dao insights equal to the works of divine smiths."
Dorgun Halfsmoke muttered in disbelief, "The density is unnatural. Not even the Mountain Dwarfs have materials like this."
Thalgar Ironfuse squinted, examining it from multiple angles. "This was once alive. A beast. What kind of creature leaves behind a husk like this?"
All five dwarves looked at Lin Mu with stunned seriousness.
"Where did you get this?" Borin Flabraid asked slowly.
Lin Mu kept his expression neutral. "From my master."
He could never reveal the truth. This was Xukong's own husk, and no one could know.
The dwarves stared at the husk again, overwheld.
It looked like they were staring at a divine miracle.
Lin Mu folded his arms. "Now you understand. I need this material forged by true masters. That is why I sought the Mountain Dwarfs and the Fireforge Dwarfs. But if you believe you can do it yourselves, then I am willing to trust your skill,"
The dwarves swallowed hard.
This was the greatest challenge they had ever seen.
And dwarves loved challenges more than gold.
The cavern vibrated faintly as all five dwarves drew in deep breaths.
Borin Flabraid finally spoke, his voice low and firm.
"We will judge this request with the weight of our ancestors.""
The others nodded fiercely.
"And if it is worthy," Grundar added, eyes shining, "then we will not let other
dwarves take this glory."
Lin Mu smiled.
The real negotiations had just begun.
The mont the dwarves laid eyes on Xukong's husk, their excitent exploded. The shimr of spatial residues, the impossible density and the sheer force emanating from the material awakened every bit of instinct they
possessed as smiths.
Without hesitation, they rushed to test it.
Lin Mu and the others watched as Borin Flabraid hopped off the stone bench and clapped his soot covered hands. "Right then. Let us begin with durability tests. If this thing can be forged, it must first be struck."
The others nodded fiercely, eager for the challenge.
Grundar Brightsteel hefted his massive black hamr. The weapon itself was taller than he was, carved with glowing runes that pulsated with rhythmic energy. The other dwarves picked their hamrs as well, each one a masterpiece that radiated a force able to deform immortal ranked tals with
ease.
Lin Mu calmly stepped aside and let them approach the husk.
Borin Flabraid let out a roar and brought his hamr down in a clean arc.
CLANG!
The sound was loud, loud enough that ng Bai flinched and covered his ears. Sparks flew everywhere. The hamr recoiled violently and Borin stumbled backward with a stunned look. His arm shook as if he had struck a mountain of
divine stone.
"What in the na of the Inner Forge was that?" Borin whispered.
Grundar Brightsteel frowned. "Let try."
He swung his hamr with perfect dwarven technique. A focused strike ant
to test surface elasticity and rigidity.
The hamr did not even touch the husk.
HONG
Lin Mu narrowed his eyes slightly. The spatial field around the husk had rippled like water and the hamr was sliced apart. One mont it was whole, the
next the head of the hamr was in five pieces on the ground.
Grundar's beard stiffened. "It cut the hamr. It cut the hamr." The four other dwarves inhaled sharply. Cutting the hamr of a Rune Dwarf was like insulting an ancestor.
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