Silence fell once more as Lin Mu looked at the husk, then at the elders. The situation was clear. They had the path, the thod, even the tools. What they lacked was the strength to take the final step.
It was like standing before a door with the right key, yet not enough strength to turn it.
Lin Mu exhaled slowly.
"We have the solution," he said quietly.
The Fireforge Elder nodded.
"But not enough strength to follow through,," he replied.
The Mountain Dwarf Elder rested the massive earthen hamr against his shoulder, his expression thoughtful.
"We are close," he said.
"Closer than anyone has ever been with material like this."
He looked at Lin Mu.
"But close is not enough."
Lin Mu clenched his fist slightly.
He understood.
They were standing at the edge of success, and yet, unable to take the final step forward.
The silence that followed the elders' conclusion lingered heavily within the Dao Forge realm. The husk hovered above the anvil, quiet once more, as if mocking their efforts. Its surface showed no sign of the cracks that had been painstakingly created over days of work. It had returned to its original state, pristine and unyielding.
Lin Mu stood still, his gaze fixed on it.
His mind was anything but still.
Thoughts moved quickly, pulling together everything he had seen, everything the elders had shown him, everything he already knew. The problem was clear. The solution, however, remained just beyond reach.
Lin Mu slowly turned his head, looking at each of the elders in turn. Their expressions were serious, contemplative. None of them were discouraged, but none of them were optimistic either. They had reached a barrier that could not be bypassed with their current strength.
Then Lin Mu looked at the Dao Forge itself.
The answer ca quietly.
It was not sudden inspiration, nor a dramatic realization. It was simple.
So simple that he almost missed it.
After a few monts of silence, Lin Mu spoke.
"What if we add another set of Dao Embryos?"
The elders turned toward him.
The Rune Dwarf Elder narrowed his eyes slightly.
"It depends," he replied. "If the comprehension behind them is at the sa level or close enough, then it may increase the output significantly even compared to more Dao Embryos of weaker comprehension being added."
The Fireforge Elder nodded slowly.
"It could work," he added. "But the key is alignnt. Without that, it will cause instability."
Lin Mu listened carefully.
Then he nodded.
"I see," he said.
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I might have a solution."
The elders' attention sharpened imdiately.
"What is it?" the Mountain Dwarf Elder asked.
Lin Mu took a step forward.
"You said we lack users with the appropriate Dao Embryos," he began. "So what if I beco one of them?"
The words caused a ripple of realization to pass through the elders.
They did not speak imdiately.
Instead, they looked at him, their expressions shifting as they began to understand what he ant.
Lin Mu continued.
"I have affinity for Fire and tal as well," he said. "I have simply not ford Dao Embryos for those elents yet. I was waiting until I found the right path."
He paused for a mont.
"Now, I believe this is that mont."
The elders exchanged glances.
Their initial surprise quickly gave way to consideration.
The Fireforge Elder folded his arms.
"You intend to form two more Dao Embryos?" he asked.
"Yes," Lin Mu replied.
"And you believe you can do so quickly enough to be useful here?" the Rune Dwarf Elder added.
Lin Mu t their gaze steadily.
"I do."
Silence followed once more.
The elders were not dismissive. They understood the potential behind Lin Mu's words. However, they also understood the difficulty involved.
After a mont, the Fireforge Elder spoke again.
"Even if you succeed in forming them," he said, "your comprehension will not reach the required level imdiately. That takes ti."
The Mountain Dwarf Elder nodded.
"Years, if not decades," he added.
Lin Mu shook his head slightly.
"I have a thod," he said.
The elders' attention sharpened once more.
"What thod?" the Rune Dwarf Elder asked.
Lin Mu hesitated for a brief mont.
He did not reveal everything.
But he did not need to.
"You will have to trust ," he said simply.
The elders studied him closely.
This was no small request. They were being asked to rely on an unknown technique, one that could potentially determine the success or failure of a task that would reshape their understanding of forging.
The Fireforge Elder glanced at the others.
One by one, they nodded.
They had already seen enough.
Lin Mu's ability to comprehend the True Earth Heart Dao Embryo at such a stage, his precision in coordinating the forging process, and his spatial abilities had already proven his worth.
Trusting him now was not unreasonable.
"We will," the Mountain Dwarf Elder said.
"What do you need?"
Lin Mu answered without hesitation.
"Materials," he said. "A large quantity of them."
He stepped forward slightly, his voice gaining clarity.
"I need materials rich in Fire, tal, and Earth elental energy," he explained. "The quality matters, but not as much as the variety. I need a wide range, from the weakest traces of elental energy to the most concentrated forms."
The elders listened carefully.
Lin Mu continued.
"Different compositions, different densities, different energy signatures," he said. "The more variation, the better."
The Rune Dwarf Elder nodded slowly.
"You intend to deepen your comprehension through direct absorption and analysis," he said.
Lin Mu gave a slight smile feeling a bit surprised that they had guessed that far.
"Sothing like that."
He paused for a mont before adding,
"I know it will be expensive. I will compensate you for it."
The response he received was imdiate.
"AHAHAHAHA!"
The elders laughed, surprising Lin Mu, making him wonder if he had made a joke and embarrassed himself. Though it did not seem like it once the elders spoke again.
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