NOVPUB
Chapter 121: His Disappearance
After Aldrian created the dagger, the next phase was what we could call his ’intensive training’ to become a blacksmith. However, calling it "intensive" might be an exaggeration—at least that’s how Duke Valiard saw it. To Aldrian, it was more like another typical Monday morning activity.
Once Aldrian finished crafting the blade for the dagger and completed the hilt according to the blueprint, Duke Valiard presented him with a new blueprint for a different artifact. This time, it was for a middle sky-grade sword, forged from a mixture of dark steel and blue iron—rare materials that can only be found in icy regions.
As before, Duke Valiard demonstrated the process, showing how to create a more complex, higher-grade artifact. He melted the dark steel and blue iron together in the furnace, using his energy to perfectly balance the materials. The steps after that were not too different from creating the middle earth-grade dagger.
When Duke Valiard finished forging the sky-grade sword, Aldrian followed the same process. The result? Astonishingly, the sword was nearly at the level of a Heaven-grade weapon! By this time, night had already fallen, and Sylphia, Eleine, Xin Haotian and Baek Ji-Min were waiting outside the duke’s mansion.
They had spent the entire day at the workshop, and Aldrian explained the situation to the others, asking them to find an inn. However, Duke Valiard insisted that it wasn’t necessary, as he would provide them with a place to stay.
After Duke Valiard provided Xin Haotian and the others with accommodations in his manor complex, he handed Aldrian another blueprint—this time for a low Heaven-grade shield. Crafting this intricate shield would take Duke Valiard a full day to complete. The shield was designed to be both lightweight and highly maneuverable, offering easy protection for all parts of the body.
Aldrian observed the process with intense focus, absorbing all the knowledge. With the aid of his Eyes of the Heaven, he was able to improve the techniques, elevating them to the next level. He didn’t let a single detail slip by, no matter how small.
Once Duke Valiard finished crafting the shield, Aldrian followed the same steps to create his own. To Duke Valiard’s amazement, Aldrian ended up forging a middle Heaven-grade shield. The duke was moved to tears, overwhelmed by Aldrian’s extraordinary talent. In his excitement and obsession with Aldrian’s effortless accomplishments, he even forgot about Aldrian’s earlier request to craft his sword and he even forgotten about the divine iron.
Days, even weeks, passed as they continued to create a variety of artifacts. The workshop was now filled with swords, spears, daggers, and shields scattered around, each radiating powerful auras. The highest of these reached peak Heaven-grade, turning the workshop into a veritable treasure trove.
Duke Valiard looked upon the scene with a satisfied expression, watching as Aldrian worked on yet another peak Heaven-grade sword. The duke had a vast collection of blueprints for weapons, and, with his generous spirit, he kept handing them to Aldrian, keeping him busy and training him in many different methods. However, he withheld the secret techniques exclusive to his family.
"It’s strange. Maybe it’s because so much has happened, especially after my elder brother disappeared, but I feel like I can trust this young man and pass my knowledge to him, even though he’s not truly my disciple," Duke Valiard thought. "Perhaps I should teach him my family’s secret technique?"
As he watched Aldrian finish crafting the sword, infusing it with his golden energy, Duke Valiard was once again amazed. The aura of an absolute peak Heaven-grade sword filled the room. The energy was so strong that it seemed to be on the verge of breaking through the barrier and reaching divine grade, but it couldn’t quite cross that threshold. This phenomenon occurred with every peak Heaven-grade artifact Aldrian created.
After witnessing this, Duke Valiard made a decision.
"Now, after creating all these artifacts and seeing your otherworldly talent, young master Aldrian, I’ve decided to pass on to you my final technique. I believe it will greatly assist you in blacksmithing, and with your abilities, I’m confident you can take this technique to even greater heights. This is the secret technique of my family—the ’Heaven’s Hammer of Creation,’" Duke Valiard said.
Aldrian had heard of the technique before, having seen it in Duke Valiard’s records. The fact that it was named after ’Heaven’ indicated that it must be a formidable technique, bearing significant karma. Still, he was stunned to hear that Duke Valiard intended to pass it on to him.
"This is actually an ancient technique that has been in my family since we established ourselves on this continent," Duke Valiard continued. "It’s a divine-grade technique, but I’ve never fully comprehended it. Because of that, I haven’t been able to unlock its full potential. Looking at you, I believe you might have a chance to fully master it."
Aldrian looked into Duke Valiard’s eyes and asked, "I didn’t expect this, but why do you want to teach me your secret technique so easily? We’re talking about a divine-grade forging technique here."
He also tried to read the duke’s mind, curious about his motives.
Duke Valiard sighed. "To tell you the truth, many things have happened since my elder brother disappeared. Strange things—frustrating things. After watching you these past weeks, observing your skill and potential, I truly believe you will surpass even my elder brother. You’re a singular existence when it comes to blacksmithing... and battle prowess too."
"Has there really been no trace of your brother’s disappearance? Tell me about these strange events. Maybe I can help," Aldrian offered. Duke Valiard met Aldrian’s gaze, hesitating for a moment before speaking.
"Do you believe that the Forgeheart Kingdom possesses a blueprint for a peak divine-grade sword?"
At first, Aldrian was confused by the sudden, seemingly unrelated question. But a moment later, he realized the gravity of what Duke Valiard was saying, and a shiver ran through him.
"Are you telling me that there’s a blueprint for a peak divine-grade sword in this kingdom? And that the Forgeheart Kingdom has such a weapon?"
This revelation shook Aldrian deeply. A peak divine-grade sword was a weapon of terrifying power. With such a weapon, even someone who wasn’t a swordsman could potentially kill a top expert at the High Emperor stage, even with just peak King-stage cultivation!
That was the fearsome potential of divine-grade armaments—especially a peak divine-grade sword. Xin Haotian, a swordsman with a middle divine-grade sword, was already regarded as the strongest swordmaster on the continent, even at his low Emperor stage cultivation. Even sovereigns of the continent tread carefully around him.
What if the peak of this grade appeared in the hands of another swordmaster? Aldrian didn’t need to imagine it. He could already see the potential threat of such a weapon, and he wasn’t sure if other powers possessed artifacts of this level. He knew the Ivory Empire didn’t have a peak divine armament, but they had the World Trees as their guardians.
Duke Valiard, noticing Aldrian’s shocked expression, continued speaking.
"Yes, we have the blueprint for a peak divine sword. But do we possess a completed peak divine sword? The answer is both yes and no."
Aldrian’s expression grew confused.
"To be more precise," Duke Valiard explained, "we have an incomplete peak divine sword based on that blueprint. We’ve been trying to create this sword for millions of years, but even now, we’re missing something crucial. The blueprint is ambiguous in certain parts, but we’ve managed to complete most of the sword."
"After countless years of trial and error, we’ve come closer to finishing it. But there’s still something lacking, something the blueprint doesn’t explain clearly. My elder brother, Darund Valiard, was one of the people who helped with the research on how to complete the sword."
"Then, fourteen years ago, after the dragon and phoenix phenomenon shook the continent, my brother suddenly disappeared. And here’s the problem—he disappeared with the blueprint." 𝑛𝑜𝑣𝑝𝑢𝘣.𝘤𝑜𝘮
Aldrian was stunned.
"The blueprint, which was safeguarded by the royal family, vanished along with my elder brother. He was a close friend of His Majesty, Douwin Forgeheart, and served as his right-hand man, spending most of his time in the capital trying to complete the divine sword. His sudden disappearance with the blueprint sent shockwaves through the royal family, and they suspected him of betrayal."
"I was equally shocked and confused by his actions. At first, the royal family thought he might have sold the blueprint to another empire. But after years of waiting for news, we heard nothing—no trace of him, no sign of the blueprint. It was as if he vanished into thin air, leaving behind only a symbol in the royal family’s treasure vault."
"A symbol?" Aldrian asked, intrigued.
"Yes," Duke Valiard replied. "Before he disappeared, he left behind a drawing of a symbol on the wall of the vault. It looked like this."
Duke Valiard used his energy to recreate the symbol in the air. As Aldrian looked at it, a sudden tremor ran through his heart.
"This symbol..."
