Lin Mu frowned.
"I don't recognize this."
The king nodded.
"That is not surprising."
He leaned back slightly.
"The Western Beast Lands are... unpredictable."
He continued.
"We rarely send expeditions there. Even our outposts only report once every ten years."
Lin Mu understood imdiately.
"That restricted?"
"Yes," the king replied. "And for good reason. New species appear frequently. Many of them have never been recorded before."
Lin Mu nodded slowly.
"That explains why the region is protected."
He glanced again at the image.
"A place that continuously gives rise to new life forms... it would be dangerous to interfere with it recklessly."
The king agreed.
"That is the will of the Guardian Beasts."
The discussion moved on after that, though Lin Mu kept the image in mind.
A land where new beasts constantly erged...
It was both dangerous and fascinating.
The rest of the reports continued.
There were announcents of upcoming marriages between noble families of different kingdoms, intended to strengthen alliances. A minister proudly reported the discovery of a high-grade immortal herb in a remote region, sparking interest among those focused on alchemy.
Then there was a more... unusual report.
A scandal.
A foxkin noblewoman had eloped with a human cultivator.
The court's reaction was mixed. So ministers showed clear disapproval, while others struggled to maintain composure. Cattaleya, seated nearby, seed mildly amused.
Lin Mu simply listened.
Ti passed steadily.
Eventually, the court session concluded around three in the afternoon.
Normally, that would be the end.
Immortals did not require regular als, and most would simply consu spiritual fruits during the day before having a proper al at night.
But today was different.
Because Lin Mu was present, a formal lunch was arranged.
The dishes were carefully prepared, blending human and foxkin culinary styles. The flavors were rich, and the ingredients were infused with immortal qi, making the al both satisfying and beneficial.
Lin Mu, naturally, enjoyed it.
As the al progressed, a pair of royal officials entered the hall.
Each carried a long rectangular box.
They approached respectfully and bowed.
"These items are prepared for Honorable Disciple Lin Mu."
Lin Mu glanced briefly at Elyon.
Elyon gave a small nod.
"These are the ones."
Lin Mu gestured.
"Open them."
The officials complied.
The lids were lifted.
Inside lay two weapons.
The mont Lin Mu saw them, he knew.
"Dwarven craftsmanship." There was no mistaking it.
The first weapon was a twibill.
Its shaft was forged from a dark, dense tal that seed to absorb light rather than reflect it. Fine runic engravings spiraled along its length, glowing faintly with a steady, earthen energy.
At the top, two curved blades extended outward.
They were not simple crescents.
Each blade had a layered structure, with subtle ridges along the edges that enhanced their cutting power. The tal itself appeared alive in a way, with faint streaks of molten orange and silver flowing within it, as if the weapon still retained the heat of the forge.
The balance was perfect. Even without holding it, Lin Mu could tell that this was a weapon ant for both power and precision.
The second weapon was a longsword.
At first glance, it seed simpler.
But upon closer inspection, its complexity beca apparent.
The blade was smooth, almost mirror-like, but beneath that surface lay intricate patterns embedded deep within the tal. These were not carvings. They were part of the structure itself added during the forging..
The Runes were layered and interwoven as if they had been added when the tal was folded every ti during forging. This also made it quite dense and the sword carried quiet a weight.
The hilt was wrapped in a dark material that felt both firm and comfortable. The guard was minimalistic but sturdy, designed for function rather than decoration. At the poml, a small gemstone pulsed faintly, containing a concentrated core of immortal qi.
Lin Mu reached out and picked it up.
The mont his hand closed around the hilt, he felt it.
Humm
Stability.
As if the sword itself was anchored to the very concept of solidity.
He exhaled softly.
"...These are excellent."
Elyon crossed his arms.
"I told you they were worth seeing"
Lin Mu nodded.
More than worth seeing.
These weapons were not just tools.
They were clues.
Clues to a craft that few in the Immortal Realm could replicate.
And perhaps...
A path forward to finding a friend.
Lin Mu did not imdiately store the weapons away.
Instead, he chose to examine them properly.
A few monts after his fingers tightened around the hilt of the longsword,
sothing stirred.
A faint hum resonated.
It was subtle at first, almost imperceptible, but to Lin Mu, it was unmistakable.
The Sword Cradle Divine Sheath on his back responded.
Tremble
A low, deep resonance echoed within his mind, as if the sheath itself had
recognized sothing familiar. It was not just reacting to the presence of a weapon, but to sothing deeper, sothing intrinsic to the blade itself.
Lin Mu's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was not the first ti.
The connection strengthened for a brief mont, sending a ripple through his consciousness. And within that fleeting instant, a realization surfaced clearly. "This..." Lin Mu muttered inwardly. "It's from the sa maker."
The certainty was absolute.
There was no doubt in his mind.
He imdiately extended his immortal sense and carefully scanned the longsword. His perception moved past the outer layers of the weapon, slipping through the intricate structure of the blade, examining its core, its forging patterns, and the subtle imprints left behind by its creator.
Then... He found it.
Hidden beneath the handle, engraved on the tang of the blade, was a single
character.
'Jing'!
Lin Mu's eyes glead faintly.
The sa mark.
The sa signature.
The sa craftsman who had forged the previous dwarven sword he
possessed.
A faint excitent stirred within him.
This was no coincidence.
To find another weapon crafted by the sa individual, in a completely
different world, ant sothing. Whether it was a clue, a trail, or rely fate,
Lin Mu could not say yet. But it was important.
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