Walker Of The Worlds

Chapter 3697: Starting Work On The Husk

There was no envy in the Elder’s voice, only respect.

”Many would have lost themselves in such temptation,” he added. ”Some of the Embryos you described... even we would hesitate to turn them away.”

”Fuck that! I’d gladly replace my Dao Embryo if I got the chance.” One of them said.

Lin Mu simply shook his head. ”They were not what I needed.”

That answer alone drew another round of quiet admiration. The ability to resist such choices spoke of a will far stronger than most cultivators possessed. Finally, one of the elders asked the question they had been holding back.

”How long do you think you were inside?”

Lin Mu considered for a moment. ”It felt long,” he admitted. ”Much longer than before.”

The elders exchanged glances.

”Eighteen months,” one of them replied.

Lin Mu repeated softly, ”One and a half years...”

To him, it had felt like centuries.

If the trial had been real, if his body had truly endured that duration of continuous combat, he knew the outcome would have been very different. But the illusion had removed those limits, leaving only one thing to be tested.

His will.

The elders then nodded among themselves.

”You should familiarize yourself with the Flawless Metal Anvil,” one of them said. ”As you did with the All Melt Furnace.”

Lin Mu shook his head.

”There is no need,” he replied.

They paused.

”I have used it extensively already,” Lin Mu continued. ”I understand its functions, its skills, and its limits.”

The elders looked at him for a moment, then broke into smiles once more.

”Of course,” one of them said, amused. ”You have been forging and fighting with it for over a year. That is more than enough.”

Another elder nodded. ”Then we will not delay further.”

The mood shifted.

What had been a moment of reflection turned into one of anticipation.

”The husk,” the Fireforge elder said, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. ”We can finally begin.”

Lin Mu looked toward the center of the Dao Forge, where the immense task still awaited them.

After all the preparation, all the trials, all the comprehension he had gained, the true purpose of his journey here was finally within reach.

He nodded.

”Yes,” he said calmly. ”Let’s begin.”

The moment all preparations were complete, the Dao Forge responded once more.

HUMM

The spatial realm trembled softly, as if acknowledging the convergence of multiple wills and Daos.

Runes spread outward from beneath their feet, weaving into an intricate formation that extended in every direction. The ground itself seemed to dissolve into a vast array, each symbol pulsing faintly with energy that carried both ancient might and precise purpose.

Lin Mu stood at the center alongside the elders.

This time, there was no hesitation.

He raised his hand and summoned his Dao Embryos.

The All Melt Furnace appeared first, its form compact yet blazing with contained intensity. Immediately after, the Flawless Metal Anvil manifested, radiating a steady and grounded presence. Then came the True Earth Heart, beating with a deep and rhythmic pulse that seemed to echo through the entire realm.

The reaction was immediate.

All three resonated with the Dao Forge as a deep hum filled the space, low at first and then rising steadily as the connection strengthened.

The Furnace merged into the forge itself, its fire becoming one with the existing structure. The Anvil followed, anchoring itself within the array as runes formed around it in complex patterns. The True Earth Heart did not remain separate either.

It responded to the presence of the Mountain Dwarf elder’s Dao Embryo and moved toward it. When the two came into contact, they fused. It was not a simple merging. The two Dao Embryos intertwined, their Dao traces weaving together until they formed a unified existence.

The pulse that followed was deeper, heavier, and far more stable than before.

The elders exchanged glances.

This level of resonance was beyond what they had expected.

”Begin,” the Fireforge elder said, his voice steady but filled with anticipation.

Lin Mu did not waste time.

The husk of Xukong was brought forward and placed within the Dao Forge.

The process began with heat.

Refine.

The All Melt Furnace surged to life, and the temperature rose instantly. This was not ordinary heat. It was formed from Dao traces and Dao insights, a manifestation of the Fire Dao at a level that transcended simple combustion.

The energy flowed through the forge, gathering and focusing upon the husk.

At first, the husk resisted as it always had. Its surface shimmered with spatial energy, forming layers of defense that deflected the incoming heat. But this time, something was different.

The presence of Lin Mu’s Dao Embryo amplified everything.

The flames intensified further, their structure becoming more refined. They did not simply burn. They penetrated, seeking weaknesses, flowing into the smallest gaps within the husk’s defenses.

Cracks appeared.

One layer broke.

Then another.

Within moments, five layers of the spatial barrier shattered while the husk remained within the forge itself.

The elders’ eyes widened slightly.

”That alone would have taken days before,” one of them muttered.

”Now,” Lin Mu said quietly.

The husk was transferred.

Placed upon the anvil.

The Rune Dwarf elder activated the Flawless Metal Anvil, its runes glowing as it stabilized the structure of the material. The Mountain Dwarf elder raised his hammer, the Earthen Armament Aspect forming around it as layers of stone and metal fused into a single massive construct.

Lin Mu stepped in.

The Aspect of Heaviness activated.

The weight of the hammer multiplied many times over, and at the same time, the husk itself was anchored to the anvil, preventing it from shifting under impact.

The first strike fell.

CLANG.

The sound reverberated through the realm.

The barrier trembled.

The second strike followed.

CLANG.

Cracks spread.

With each impact, the combined effects of Reinforce and Hone came into play. The hammer’s structure remained intact despite the immense force it endured, while its striking power increased beyond its apparent limits.

Layer after layer began to break.