Chapter 90: The Dao of the Forge
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There still are many questions that I am inclined to ask, Vondar revealed, his ever present curiosity spilling into his tone. However, I shall reserve my inquiries for another day.
Why? Yao Shen could not help but ask, clearly surprised by the Dwarfs abstinence.
For a few long moments, there was no answer. Only when Yao Shen was beginning to believe that Vondar was inclined to keep his reasoning privy to himself, did the Dwarf finally respond.
Answers easily obtained are worth only half as much, Vondar explained, his answer seemingly rooted in philosophy. No matter how brilliant a mind one may boast of, it is ultimately the confines of our own imaginations that ultimately cage us. I cannot invent what I cannot imagine. And to imagine, I first require purpose. However, this limitation is not necessarily to my detriment.
Explain, Yao Shen replied.
I must draw my own conclusions from the limited descriptions you have offered me. I must find my own purpose to reach creation, however flawed and restricted it may be. Only then, will I seek the paradigms of another world and it is that clash, that will allow me to transcend the limitations of my own imaginations. Or so I hope.
There is a word that describes what you seek back on my home planet, Yao Shen replied after some thought.
Oh? Pray tell, The Dwarf politely inquired.
Innovation is what we call it. To consider existing problems in a new light until you find unique solutions that have not been previously considered, Yao Shen ended up choosing a more specific definition of the word, to better suit the context he was trying to convey.
Very intriguing. I shall try to achieve this innovation, then. Besides, you do not strike me as a cultivator that would take such a brazen provocation lying down, Vondar remarked, alluding to the brazen assault by Gavril that had transpired recently.
Yao Shens expression darkened at the thought, the very reason why he had rushed into a trade with Vondar without considering the long-term consequences.
No, He brusquely replied. No, I will not.
Then I best leave you to it, Vondar replied, his tone carrying an unmistakable satisfaction.
Dilute your Qi, Patriarch Shen! Tianjian Shuan, Head of the Legacy Shuan Family that specialized in using Earth Qi to forge artifacts, ordered.
Yao Shens visage warped into a grimace as he attempted to modulate the Earth Qi he had imbued in Runebound Oresplitters hammer. A dull thud echoed out as the Soul Emperor level artifact made contact with a half-formed plate of armor that was resting upon a pile of smoldering hot ores, punching right through its center without any effort.
Quench it, Yao Shen replied to the core formation disciple that was serving as his assistant, before stepping away from the forge.
His brow was coated with sweat, not from the heat of the earthen forge but rather the stress of attempting to manipulate his tremendous Qi reserves to exacting standards before attempting to maintain it for minutes on end. Yao Shen had not expected his high cultivation base to act as a detriment to his forging ability, but he supposed that it made sense.
If a Nascent Soul Cultivator had to regulate the flow of a small streams worth of Qi reserves, then a Soul Emperor had to act as a dam for an entire rivers worth to output the same amount. For forging, the amount required was a tenth of even that, making the task a strenuous challenge for him.
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An experienced Soul Emperor who had gained mastery over his own soul would likely have had little to no difficulty with the task, but as Yao Shen had been forced to confront in his fight with Gavril, he still had a ways to go.
You were close this time, Patriarch Shen, Tianjian Shuan appraised, as a tinge of confusion leaked into his tone. However, if I may? He politely inquired, clearly not wanting to risk offending the cultivator that had faced a Demonic Path Soul Emperor and won.
You may, Yao Shen replied, knowing that no amount of convincing the Earth Division Elder to treat him like any other disciple under his tutelage would work.
The amount of improvement that you have displayed since we started is nothing short of prodigious, Tianjian Shuans tone was earnest and it was no surprise to Yao Shen that he outpaced the growth rate of core formation disciples that had studied under the Elder. It was too early to ascertain if he truly had any talent for the forge, for techniques and forging styles that were considered complex and challenging for disciples to replicate were no more than childs play for him to memorize. The primary issue that he faced was controlling his own output and once that was resolved, he should be able to manufacture basic armor.
Yet, I do not believe that a set of armor forged by your hand, to be comparable to any of my true disciples work, Tianjuan Shuan daringly revealed without mincing his words.
A moment of tense silence passed between the two, before Yao Shen calmly responded, I see. Why?
What do you know of the Dao of Forging, Patriarch Yao? Tianjian Shuan posed the question to him with the demeanor of a seasoned expert offering guidance to a newcomer, the intense gleam in his gaze giving his presence a weight that even Yao Shens superior cultivation base could not ignore.
I do not believe it to be a complete Dao, in the conventional sense, Yao Shen replied after a moments pause.
Tianjian Shuan looked him in the eye, before offering him a continuous nod. Indeed, it is not a complete Dao, if our definition of the Dao is limited to the phenomena we can grasp from our surroundings and cultivate to greater heights. Yet, it is my own pursuit of the Dao of Forging that allows me to see the tension in your movements. Rushed hammer strikes that mimic my technique without understanding the underlying complexity and beauty, bordering on desperation.
While Yao Shen did not allow any emotions to leak onto his expression, inwardly he found himself surprised at how effortlessly Tianjian Shuan had read his mental state through the mere act of forging alone.
I do not know why you are in such a hurry to master the forge, Patriarch Shen. I will not ask, for I was explicitly warned away from that decision, Tianjian Shuan let his words hang in the air, while his own thoughts and suspicions on the matter remained unvoiced. However, the path you are treading upon shall only lead you away from your goal. A Qi Formation Cultivator cannot ascend directly to the Nascent Soul stage, that is a given. Yet your own approach mirrors such audacity.
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