NOVPUB
Chapter 118: Teach Me
In the cultivation world, a cultivator’s innate talent and potential often determine their future path. Some may find smooth sailing, while others face endless obstacles and struggles. But what Duke Valiard saw in the hall of his mansion went beyond the realm of talent or potential—it was sheer absurdity, an impossibility.
He wouldn’t be surprised if someone could fight across cultivation levels. After all, many geniuses on the continent can do that. One minor realm, two minor realms? He even knew of people who could battle with a gap of almost four minor realms! But to possess the strength of a King stage cultivator while still in the Middle Earl stage? This wasn’t about talent or potential anymore—this was absurd! And Aldrian even claimed this wasn’t his full power?!
Duke Valiard had thought Aldrian was joking when he said his strength could surpass the Middle Emperor stage. If that were true, then what was his full power? Could it be at the High Emperor stage? Or even the Peak Emperor stage? He couldn’t fathom it.
"You?! Who are you really? Are you truly just an Earl stage cultivator?" Duke Valiard asked, his expression full of shock.
"Are you using some kind of forbidden technique?" he added, suspicion filling his voice. If Aldrian was indeed only at the Earl stage, then perhaps some heaven-defying technique could explain this strength. Forbidden techniques, shunned by many, were often practiced by devils.
He had never heard of a forbidden technique granting such power, but he couldn’t think of any other explanation.
Aldrian, seeing Duke Valiard’s reaction, calmly raised his hands.
"You don’t have to be so wary of me, Duke Valiard. I mean no harm. I don’t want to brag, but I’m truly an Earl stage cultivator, and my strength comes from myself. Let’s just say I’m unique. And do you really think, with this kind of energy, I’m using a forbidden technique?" Aldrian said as he released his golden energy.
The moment the golden energy manifested, Duke Valiard was stunned, captivated by the beautiful radiance unlike anything he had ever seen. The energy within his own dantian stirred, and he felt a slight pressure, as if his body instinctively wanted to revere the energy. It radiated warmth and purity—an energy he had never encountered before.
Duke Valiard’s eyes widened as he suppressed the feeling with his cultivation. For a split second, the urge to kneel before Aldrian flashed through his mind, leaving him horrified.
"What kind of energy is this?!" he thought, realizing his own energy had been suppressed by Aldrian’s golden aura, which seemed to invoke a desire to worship it. With a slight effort, he brushed it off using his cultivation. He glanced at Aldrian, who remained calm as he retracted the energy.
"Do you believe me now?" Aldrian asked.
Duke Valiard looked at him solemnly. What Aldrian said wasn’t wrong—his energy was so pure that even thinking it could be the result of a forbidden technique felt like blasphemy. The duke sighed and steadied himself before cupping his hands in respect.
"I apologize for my misunderstanding. This is my first time experiencing something like that, so I hope you understand, young master."
"It’s fine. I’m used to it by now," Aldrian replied. "No need to be so formal, Duke Valiard." After all, this dwarf had crafted his father’s sword, and Aldrian wanted to maintain an amicable relationship with him.
"So, what do you think? Do you think you can forge a sword using that kind of technique?" Aldrian asked.
Duke Valiard wore a troubled expression and sighed.
"Truthfully, I’m ashamed to admit that I’m not confident I can forge a sword worthy of your strength. If what you’ve shown isn’t even your most powerful strength, then we’re talking about the creation of a divine weapon—something that hasn’t appeared in a long time. Crafting such a weapon isn’t just about materials; luck plays a huge role as well. And I’ve never made a divine weapon, at least not on my own."
Aldrian looked puzzled.
"What do you mean by ’at least not on your own’? Have you created a divine weapon with someone else’s help?"
"Yes, I have. But he hasn’t been around for years, and I have no idea when he’ll return. He’s the only one who could help me forge a divine-grade weapon," Duke Valiard explained. Aldrian pondered for a moment before looking directly at the duke.
"Are you talking about the blacksmith who disappeared 14 years ago?" Aldrian asked.
Duke Valiard’s eyes widened in surprise.
"As expected," Aldrian thought.
"How did you know that?" Duke Valiard asked, his voice filled with shock. The disappearance of him was a closely guarded secret, known only to the highest ranks of the Forgeheart Kingdom. To the outside world, they claimed he had gone into seclusion for a time, and most people believed it, as it wasn’t uncommon for cultivatorsto enter long periods of seclusion. For blacksmiths their seclusion even can be a sign when working on something extraordinary.
Aldrian smiled. He had learned about the blacksmith’s disappearance from Olivia, the spirit of the World Tree in Balin City. As for how Olivia knew, he wasn’t sure—perhaps it was just her own conclusion, drawn from suspicion due to the long absence of one of the master blacksmiths and the events that had unfolded in Balin.
"I have my own sources of information, and it wasn’t difficult to connect the dots from what you said," Aldrian replied.
Duke Valiard nodded solemnly.
"Yes, you’re right. He’s the only one who can help increase the success rate of creating a divine weapon. My elder brother is a genius blacksmith unlike any other. To be honest, the Fire Dragon sword also owes some credit to him—he helped me perfect my tempering technique, shaping me into the blacksmith I am today."
"Wait, the blacksmith who disappeared is your elder brother?" Aldrian asked, surprised.
"Yes. I thought you already knew? Everyone knows that the dwarf in ’seclusion’ is my elder brother," Duke Valiard said.
Aldrian shook his head. "I didn’t know the details. I only knew that a master blacksmith had disappeared."
Duke Valiard froze for a moment, realization dawning on him.
"I let it slip! He didn’t know ’who’ the blacksmith was!" he thought, mentally berating himself. He wanted to slap his own forehead, but with the information already out, he could only sigh and let it go.
"Yes, as I mentioned, my elder brother is a genius. With his help, even though I’m not sure we could create another true Divine grade weapon, we could at least come close—something like a pseudo-Divine grade weapon."
Aldrian felt a wave of frustration wash over him. To think that acquiring a sword would be such a complicated journey. Initially, he had hoped to simply repair and upgrade his current sword, but now it was clear that he would need a completely new weapon. Based on Duke Valiard’s evaluation, he knew the duke wasn’t wrong—Aldrian needed a divine-grade weapon.
Suddenly, an idea came to his mind, and he looked at Duke Valiard.
"Is there no one else who could replace him?" Aldrian asked.
"No," the duke said, shaking his head. "In fact, the only Divine grade artifact to appear in the last 70,000 years was created by our combined efforts. Even then, luck played a significant part. That artifact is now stored in the capital city."
Aldrian sighed.
"What a shame that I came at the wrong time. I thought I could ask for help to fix or create my sword using this."
With that, Aldrian took out the Divine Iron. The moment it appeared, an aura of divinity swept across the entire hall, startling Duke Valiard. Aldrian released his control over the iron, and with a loud boom, the Divine Iron dropped to the floor, cracking it.
Duke Valiard was stunned by the sudden surge of aura. He had never encountered anything like this before. Just by being near it, he felt his comprehension of his earth and fire laws increasing exponentially.
He approached the Divine Iron, examining its surface with eyes filled with vigor and a thirst for knowledge. This was a material he had never seen before, and the excitement of researching it to further his blacksmithing skills consumed him. The sheer sturdiness of the material sparked a desire within him—to shape it into a powerful artifact.
Aldrian smiled as he watched Duke Valiard’s reaction. One of the Dwarves’ unchanging traits was their insatiable thirst for knowledge when it came to blacksmithing. Aldrian intended to use the Divine Iron as bait—a bargaining chip for his next move.
Duke Valiard began brushing, touching, lifting, and examining the Divine Iron in every possible way. After a few moments of intense focus, he looked up at Aldrian, his expression filled with awe and intrigue.
"Young master, what kind of material is this?" Duke Valiard asked, his eyes wide with awe. "It’s incredibly sturdy and hard, but it radiates so many laws. I’ve never seen anything like it. And it’s so heavy—I can’t even lift it. Where did you find this?"
"It’s called Divine Iron," Aldrian replied. "I’m sure you can understand how valuable it is. As for where I found it... I’m afraid that’s a secret I can’t share."
"Ah, of course. My apologies," Duke Valiard said, returning his attention to the Divine Iron, inspecting it closely once more.
"I’ll give you a chance to research this material as much as you like," Aldrian continued, "and I’ll even let you have a small piece of it."
Duke Valiard’s eyes lit up with excitement. "Is that true?"
"Yes," Aldrian nodded, "but on one condition."
"And what’s that?" the duke asked eagerly.
"Teach me how to be a blacksmith," Aldrian said with a smile.
