Chapter 3667: A Test From Dwarves And The Dao Forge

The third section involved formation arrays and runic integration.

This was where Lin Mu excelled.

Complex diagrams appeared, requiring him to identify flaws, optimize energy flow, and redesign sections for greater efficiency. Some questions demanded the creation of entirely new configurations based on given constraints.

Lin Mu’s expression relaxed slightly.

This was familiar ground.

He moved with confidence, constructing answers that blended formation theory with practical application. His understanding of formations allowed him to see connections others might miss.

Then came the final section.

Forging techniques.

This was where Lin Mu slowed.

The questions referenced specific dwarven methods, naming techniques he had never encountered. They required precise procedural knowledge, the kind that came from years of hands-on experience within dwarven tradition.

Lin Mu did not rush.

For the questions he understood, he answered.

For those he did not, he analyzed what he could and provided logical approximations.

For a few, he left them incomplete.

Two hours passed.

When he finally stepped back, the projection faded.

The elders immediately turned their attention to the Ancestral Wisdom Mind. The sphere pulsed again, processing his responses at a speed far beyond manual evaluation.

Within moments, the result appeared.

"Seventy... one percent?" one elder said slowly.

Jing Wei’s eyes widened.

"He reached seventy one percent?" he repeated, his voice carrying clear disbelief.

Lin Mu crossed his arms lightly.

"I could not answer several of the technique based questions," he said. "I have not encountered those methods before."

He looked at the elders.

"But I understood the materials, compositions, and energy interactions," he added. "As well as the formation and runic aspects."

He exhaled softly.

"Perhaps it was not enough," he muttered.

"Not enough?" Jing Wei exclaimed.

He turned toward the elders.

"If this is not enough, then half the dwarves here are fools," he said bluntly.

A ripple of agreement spread among the elders.

"Indeed," one of them said.

"We expected far less," another added. "Ten percent at most."

Lin Mu blinked slightly.

The Rune Dwarf elder stepped forward.

"You lack experience in traditional forging techniques," he said. "That is clear."

"But your understanding of materials, energy, and formations is exceptional," he continued. "You compensate in ways most cannot."

Jing Wei crossed his arms.

"My score was only seventy five percent," he said.

Lin Mu looked at him.

"That is good," he said simply.

One of the elders chuckled.

"That score is why he was accepted as an apprentice," he said, nodding toward Jing Wei.

He then looked back at Lin Mu.

"Your score qualifies you as well."

Lin Mu felt a quiet sense of satisfaction settle within him.

Not pride.

But recognition.

His efforts had not been wasted.

"What do we do next?" he asked.

The elders exchanged one final glance.

Then one of them spoke.

"It is time," he said, "to visit the Dao Forge."

Another elder nodded.

"We will present the material," he added. "And observe its reaction."

Lin Mu’s gaze sharpened.

"Only then," the Rune Dwarf finished, "will we decide our first approach."

The chamber fell silent for a brief moment.

The weight of what lay ahead settled over them.

The Dao Forge.

The place where even the will of grandmasters lingered.

And where Lin Mu’s journey to forge the impossible would truly begin.

The transition from the Ancestral Wisdom Library to the place of the Dao Forge happened far more quickly than Lin Mu had expected. One moment they stood within the vast halls of accumulated knowledge, and the next, the elders guided him toward a formation array embedded deep within the stone floor of a secluded chamber.

The array was unlike the others Lin Mu had seen before. Its runes were layered in concentric patterns, each ring carrying a different purpose. Some stabilized space, some concealed the destination, and others seemed to act as keys rather than pathways. The moment the elders activated it, the air itself folded inward.

Lin Mu felt the familiar pull of spatial displacement, yet there was something distinct about it. This was not a simple teleportation. The sensation was deeper, as if they were being drawn through a narrow passage carved into the fabric of space itself.

SHUA

A breath later, they arrived.

Lin Mu opened his eyes and instinctively activated his spatial perception.

What he saw surprised him.

They were no longer in Mantleheim.

Instead, they stood within a small, enclosed realm that floated in a vast, silent void. The sky above them was dark, yet it was not the darkness of night. It was something deeper, something that carried the feeling of endless emptiness beyond its surface.

Lin Mu’s gaze sharpened as he observed the surroundings.

"This is..." he murmured.

The dwarven elders stood calmly, clearly accustomed to the environment.

"This is where the Dao Forge resides," one of them said.

Lin Mu turned to them.

"In a separate realm?" he asked.

"Yes," another elder replied. "It does not exist within Mantleheim itself."

Lin Mu’s eyes moved again, scanning every inch of the space. His perception extended outward, brushing against the boundaries of the realm and probing its structure.

What he discovered made him pause.

"This realm..." he said slowly, "is located in the Lesser Void."

The elders looked at him with renewed interest.

"It is independent," Lin Mu continued. "Detached from the main spatial layers of the world."

He raised his hand slightly, feeling the subtle fluctuations around him.

"It does not share the same coordinates as Mantleheim," he added. "It exists separately, and access requires a specific key or pathway."

The dwarves exchanged glances.

"You saw all that so quickly?" one of them asked.

Lin Mu gave a small nod.

"It is clear once you examine the structure," he said.

A low chuckle came from one of the elders.

"This is why we keep it hidden," he said. "The Dao Forge is our greatest treasure. It carries the culmination of millions of years of dwarven knowledge."

Another elder stepped forward.

"We do not know how many Dao Forges still exist," he said. "Or if there are any others left in the Immortal Realm."

His tone grew heavier.

"As such, its protection is paramount."

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