The forge continued to burn, the heat intensifying, yet the barrier held firm. The elders' expressions darkened and a silence fell over the group as they observed the stalemate.
The Fireforge elder maintained control, pushing the forge further, increasing the intensity step by step.
Still, the husk remained unchanged.
The barrier did not break.
It did not weaken and continued to endure.
After several more monts, the elder finally reduced the heat.
The forge dimd slightly, though its presence remained overwhelming.
The husk was removed.
It looked exactly as it had before.
Untouched and unchanged.
The Fireforge elder frowned deeply.
"It seems…" he said slowly, "…this will not be simple."
The other elders nodded in agreent, their expressions heavy with thought.
Lin Mu remained silent for a mont, his mind already working through what he had just witnessed.
This was no ordinary material.
And whatever thod they would use next… It would have to surpass everything they had attempted so far.
The mont the husk resisted the combined efforts of heat and refinent, the atmosphere within the Dao Forge realm shifted entirely.
The earlier excitent faded, replaced by a heavy, contemplative silence. Lin Mu could see it clearly in the expressions of the elders. Their eyes were no longer filled with anticipation, but with calculation. Every one of them had realized the sa thing at once.
This was no longer a task that could be handled by individual expertise.
It demanded sothing greater.
Lin Mu stepped forward slightly, his gaze moving between the elders before settling on the Rune Dwarf Transcendent.
"Is there a problem?" he asked.
The elder did not answer imdiately. He stared at the husk for a mont longer before finally turning his attention to Lin Mu.
"We expected complexity," he said slowly. "We did not expect resistance of this nature."
His voice carried a quiet gravity.
"This is not sothing any one of us can handle alone," he continued. "It will require all of us."
Lin Mu absorbed those words in silence. He had already sensed that the task was extraordinary, but hearing it confird by beings of such experience reinforced the weight of the undertaking.
Before he could respond, the elders began to move.
One by one, they stepped forward.
The Rune Dwarf Transcendent Elder was the first to act.
He raised his hand, and just like before, Dao Traces gathered around him. These were different from the fire-aligned traces Lin Mu had seen earlier. They carried a tallic sheen, sharp and precise, as if each strand was a blade refined to perfection.
A Dao Shell ford above his palm.
Within it, sothing took shape.
Lin Mu focused his gaze. 'An anvil?'
It was simple in appearance, yet its presence was imnse.
The Dao Traces within it were densely condensed, forming patterns that hinted at deep comprehension. There was weight to it, not physical weight, but conceptual weight, as if it represented the very foundation of refinent itself.
The elder extended his hand and released the Dao Embryo.
It floated forward, approaching the Dao Forge.
This ti, sothing different happened.
The Dao Embryo did not rge with the forge.
Instead, it positioned itself beside it, hovering steadily.
A connection ford.
Lines of energy extended from the forge, linking to the anvil. Runes began to appear, not only on the surface of the Dao Forge but also across the Dao Embryo itself. They shimred faintly, integrating the two into a single functional system.
Lin Mu watched closely, his curiosity rising.
"What Dao Embryo is that?" he asked.
The Rune Dwarf Elder glanced at him.
"The Flawless tal Anvil," he replied. "It allows refinent to reach its highest possible standard, provided the wielder has the strength and skill to support it."
Lin Mu's eyes lingered on the anvil.
A tal Dao Embryo, yet clearly tied to the Forging Dao as well. It was not purely elental. It was specialized, refined toward a singular purpose. He could feel the depth within it.
The Fireforge Transcendent Elder stepped forward again, taking position on the other side of the Dao Forge.
The two elders exchanged a brief nod.
Then they began.
The forge reignited, its heat rising once more, fueled by the All lt Furnace. At the sa ti, the Rune Dwarf Elder guided the Flawless tal Anvil into position, aligning it with the husk.
The process unfolded with precision.
SHUA
The husk was heated.
CLANG
Then struck.
The strikes were not physical blows in the conventional sense. They were guided through the Dao Embryo, each impact carrying the weight of refined tal principles, compressing and shaping at a conceptual level.
The first cycle passed.
Lin Mu leaned forward slightly, his senses fully engaged.
The husk reacted and this ti, it did not remain entirely unaffected. The spatial energy barrier flickered and weakened, if only slightly. And soon a faint crack appeared within its layered defense.
Lin Mu's eyes sharpened.
"It's working," he murmured.
The elders continued.
Second cycle.
SHUA
Heat.
CLANG
Strike.
The barrier fractured further. Several layers peeled away, dissipating under the combined force of fire and refinent.
For a mont, it seed as though progress had been achieved.
Then the third cycle began.
And everything changed.
The husk adapted.
HUALA
The spatial energy surged outward once more, reconstructing itself. The barrier returned, thicker than before, denser, more resilient. The previous damage was not only repaired, it was surpassed.
Lin Mu felt a faint chill run through him despite the heat of the forge.
"It's as if its learning," he said quietly.
The elders did not respond, but their expressions confird the sa conclusion.
The husk was not a passive material.
It was reacting intelligently.
The Fireforge Elder slowed the process, eventually bringing the heat down.
Silence settled again.
Then another elder stepped forward, the Mountain Dwarf Transcendent.
Lin Mu turned his attention toward him as the elder raised his hand. Dao Traces gathered once more, this ti carrying a deep, grounded presence. They felt heavy, and stable as if an ancient mountain.
A Dao Shell soon ford and within it…
Lin Mu froze and his eyes widened as he saw the object.
A heart.
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