Chapter 3698: Refining The Husk

The process flowed into a rhythm.

Refine.

Place.

Strike.

Repeat.

It was a cycle repeated countless times, each iteration refining the material further, stripping away the chaotic spatial energy that surrounded it.

But the husk did not remain passive.

When they reached a deeper layer, it reacted.

The spatial energy surged violently, bursting outward in jagged shards that cut through the surrounding space. These shards were not simple fragments. Each carried enough force to injure even Transcendent beings.

This time, Lin Mu was ready.

Instead of forming a barrier through spatial techniques that would restrain them, he acted through his Dao Embryos.

Reinforce extended outward.

Not onto an object, but onto space itself.

The invisible structure of the surrounding area solidified, becoming a medium that could withstand impact. Then, through the Earthen Armament Aspect, Lin Mu formed multiple small hammers around him.

Each one was reinforced.

Each one was honed.

When the shards struck, the hammers moved.

They intercepted the incoming fragments, striking them midair and shattering them before they could reach the elders. The collisions produced sharp echoes that rang through the forge, but none of the shards broke through.

For the first time, the outburst was fully contained.

The elders did not pause.

The moment the storm subsided, they resumed their work.

Refine.

Place.

Strike.

Repeat.

Days passed.

The rhythm did not falter.

Weeks followed.

The process became almost meditative, each cycle flowing seamlessly into the next. Lin Mu maintained his defense continuously, adjusting his approach as needed. The elders coordinated their efforts with precision, each knowing exactly when to act and how to respond.

The husk’s reactions grew less chaotic over time.

Its resistance remained strong, but its bursts of energy became more predictable. Each outburst was met with equal force, neutralized before it could disrupt their progress.

Months went by as five months passed in this manner.

And still, the husk remained.

Yet it had changed.

To an untrained eye, it might appear unchanged, its surface still intact and its energy still vast. But Lin Mu could see deeper. With his spatial perception, he observed the fluctuations within.

The chaotic Spatial energy that once surged wildly was diminishing.

Each cycle of heating and hammering expelled more of it, forcing it outward where it was either dissipated or shattered. The internal structure of the husk was becoming clearer, more defined.

"This is like refining ore," Lin Mu said softly.

The Rune Dwarf elder nodded. "Exactly. What we remove now are impurities. The true essence lies deeper."

Lin Mu focused further.

He could sense that what they were removing was only a fraction of the total energy contained within the husk. The deeper layers held something entirely different. A stable, refined form of spatial energy that did not react violently.

That was the true material.

That was what made the husk invaluable.

And that was what they had yet to reach.

The work continued.

Refine.

Place.

Strike.

Repeat.

Each repetition brought them closer.

Each cycle stripped away another layer of resistance.

The Dao Forge hummed steadily, its power sustained through the combined resonance of their Dao Embryos. The elders remained focused, their movements precise and unwavering. Lin Mu stood among them, maintaining his defenses while contributing to the process without pause.

Time lost its meaning.

Days blended into weeks.

Weeks into months.

And still, they worked.

Slowly.

Relentlessly.

Until the husk, once an untouchable and incomprehensible material, began to reveal the first signs of its true form beneath the layers they had removed.

An entire year passed within the Dao Forge, and yet none of them could truly say when one day ended and another began. The process had consumed them fully. Time had been reduced to cycles of heat, pressure, and relentless repetition.

There were no pauses long enough to call rest, only fleeting moments where hands shifted, where breaths were taken, where pills were swallowed and energy drawn in before the next strike fell.

Lin Mu stood among the elders as an equal now, no longer merely assisting but fully integrated into the forging process.

Around them, the Dao Forge continued to hum with quiet, immense power. Its runes pulsed steadily, maintaining the structure of the realm while simultaneously supporting their efforts in ways that were both subtle and profound.

The husk of Xukong lay upon the anvil once more, its surface still intact, yet fundamentally changed from what it had been when they first began. The chaotic spatial energy that once erupted wildly had diminished considerably.

What remained was deeper, denser, and far more resistant. They knew they had entered a different stage.

Throughout this year, Lin Mu had made sure they did not falter. At intervals, he brought out large chunks of unrefined immortal stones he had collected long ago. He shattered them with controlled force, allowing their stored energy to spill into the surrounding space.

The Dao Forge absorbed and redistributed that energy, feeding it back into their bodies as they worked.

The elders made use of every moment.

Between cycles, during the briefest transitions between heating and hammering, they consumed pills without hesitation. Their movements never slowed. Their breathing remained steady. Their focus did not waver.

The Dao Forge itself played a crucial role.

It reduced the strain of their Dao Embryos to an astonishing degree. The energy required to sustain their techniques dropped drastically, allowing them to maintain output that would have been impossible under normal circumstances.

The forge did not simply amplify their power. It made that power sustainable. And so they endured, cycle after cycle.

Refine.

Place.

Strike.

Repeat.

Through it all, Lin Mu changed.

His understanding deepened with every moment. The forging process was no longer something he followed. It was something he comprehended. The interaction between material, energy, and Dao became clearer with each repetition. The behavior of the husk, once incomprehensible, began to reveal patterns.

He could now perceive its structure.

Faint at first, like a distant outline seen through mist, but growing clearer over time. The husk was layered in ways that transcended simple physical composition. It was a convergence of spatial principles, a construct that maintained stability through an intricate balance of internal energies, almost like an atom.

And that balance was weakening.

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