"Huh?" Duan Li was surprised by this notification ringing in his mind, as if he was about to open the pandora's box; one that could either be good or bad for him!
Forbidden object?
Duan Li pondered for a moment before his eyes widened and his body started to sweat.
Could it be that... the thing its hiding inside is the undergarments of an old lady?
Curses!
"I'll snap the neck of the perpetrator if that is really the case! I'll even dig their graves if I have to!" Duan Li gritted his teeth as he thought of this.
Back in the Xuan village, there was once a thief running amok every full moon, stealing the undergarments of all the women in the village blatantly. No one was able to apprehend this thief until one day, the thief made a mistake and stole the undergarments of an elderly woman.
He was so shocked by the revelation to the point that he screamed out like a maniac on how he was tainted and suffered a fate worse than death. He bellowed towards everyone in rage that such forbidden object should not exist in the first place, asking them angrily on why it was allowed to be hanged among the other undergarments, before finding himself being pummeled to death by the villagers.
[Please confirm on whether to unseal the forbidden object inside.]
"Confirm!" Duan Li immediately replied without much hesitation.
No matter what it is.. please don't let it be an undergarment!
Gulp!
[Ding!]
[Unsealing successful. Forbidden object is identified as the ancestor of all forge, the All-Father Forge! It is a complete set which includes the All-Enduring Anvil and the All-Pummeling God hammer!]
[Has the effects of increasing any weapon's rarity to 'Ultimate' after one thousand hammerings using all the three objects together!]
[The All-Father Forge is badly damaged. To unlock further level, it must be fixed.]
[Warning, the All-Father forge complete set is an object banned by the Heavens. Every time it is taken out from the Box of 'Heaven is blind', the Heavens will be able to detect it, and the user will be struck by lightning tribulation!]
Holy Molly!
"Who in the world has such big b*lls to name this box as such?" Duan Li raised his brows in disbelief.
Are they tired of living?
When he cast his senses into the box that was called as the 'Heaven is blind', he saw a pyramid-shaped forge that has its body all shining black while radiating out a majestic blue aura, with the flames inside it all white in color! To the side, there was a crimson anvil that was pulsating with limitless power, and on top of it was a giant golden hammer... the God hammer!
"The thing inside is a portable forge?" Duan Li's face warped in disbelief, his hand trembling in agitation!
According to the description of the forge, all he had to do was hammer any weapon a thousand times for it to become an unmatched weapon!
Even if he was a fool in the art of forging weapons, hammering was something that even a fetus could do in their sleep!
"AH!" Little sword suddenly screamed in horror, causing Duan Li to snap out from his daze.
"What is it, enemy?!" Duan Li quickly sprawled onto his feet as he put on his defenses. Never before had he heard the proud and mighty Duergar screamed like a little chicken whose feathers were plucked from its bottom!
Where is that formidable opponent? Let me beat them up!
"That's not it! Young Master, that is the All-Father Forge! It's... it's.. it's...."
Pang!
"Speak up! Why are you suddenly becoming a coward?" Duan Li was exasperated and flicked the little sword dangling on his earlobe with his index finger.
He was just relishing the thought of forging Ultimate graded weapons like cabbages when the fool disturbed him.
Just what is this sword thinking?
"Young Master, the All-Father Forge... it is where I was born along with all the other Eternal weapons!" Duergar quickly replied, afraid that his master will flick him once more.
Hearing this, Duan Li was struck silent for a moment and swallowed his saliva.
Gulp!
"Little sword, are you sure? Don't play games with your master here! If I'm not mistaken, your grade is even higher than Ultimate!" his sweat started to pour out from his body from the sheer agitation. Although Duan Li was from a far away village, he had read numerous books the past few days, and the grade of weapons and armors was one of the subject he that studied intensively!
"It's true Young Master! The weapons and armors of this mortal plane, as you know, are graded from Common, Uncommon, Rare, Legendary and Ultimate! Perhaps that it is now damaged that it can only forge weapon up to the Ultimate grade. Back then, when the Old Master first created this forge from ten thousand neutron stars of the universe, it can forge Mythical graded weapons like they were useless rubbish on the streets!" Duergar said as he trembled in fear.
Mythical grade?
Although Duan Li didn't know of how powerful a weapon of that grade was, based on its name, its probably far more powerful than an Ultimate graded weapon!
"Hmm... So it is you... you unfilial child..." an archaic voice suddenly echoed in the room.
"What? Who are you?" Duan Li scanned his surroundings warily on this unsuspecting voice that ranged in their ears!
Meanwhile, the little sword that has its body full of luster before, suddenly seemed to become pale like the rough granite rocks.
"Paying respects to All-Father! Your child is wrong and seek forgiveness!" little sword immediately detached itself from Duan Li's right earlobe and enlarged to its original size before laying flat on the ground, as if prostrating before a powerful entity that musn't be offended at all cost!
"Eh? The forge can talk?" Duan Li could finally identify the owner of the voice.
Naturally, he was once again dumbstruck by these happenings. To think that a lofty weapon that look at all other life form in disdain and contempt would cower in fear like that...
This forge sure is formidable!
"Hmph... of all my children, you are the first to be awakened. Yet, after I was cast into the ditch by those blasphemous chickens, you did not even bother to find and save your father here..." the forge spoke in a sulking tone mixed with anger.
"All-Father, please forgive your firstborn and cease your anger... at that time, the Six Sects of the Heaven's Court were at war with each other! You saw how the carnage was back then... I myself was at the battlefield along with the Old Master..." little sword replied with a saddened voice, as if he was wronged.
Duan Li that was listening to their conversation was intrigued and couldn't help but to ask, "War between the Six Sects of the Heaven's Court? What are you guys talking about?"
At this mention, both the forge and the little sword went silent. They had said something that they shouldn't have.
"You... yes... you are very familiar." the forge turned its attention towards Duan Li before continuing, "There is no need for you to know of the past at this time. Eventually, you will come to know of it yourself when the time is right."
Ah?
"What do you mean?" Duan Li scratched his head, unable to comprehend the latter's words.
"My time is up and I must now sleep again. How you use me is up to you... provided if you got the capabilities of course..." the forge said before his voice becoming fainter.
"As for you, my firstborn... for you to appear by his side... I guess that one cannot really outrun destiny after all... protect him well, or I shall not recognize my blood flowing in you!"
As the last sentence was spoken, the room turned silent again. It appears that the forge has finally returned to its slumber!
"Rest well, All-Father!" the little sword gave a deep sigh before reverting his form back to a small sword and attached itself to Duan Li's earlobe.
"Little sword, so the forge is your father... what happened to him? The voices of the Mirealithians told me that he was badly damaged. Does this have to do with the war that you guys mentioned before?" Duan Li inquired as he sat back on the floor cross-legged.
After a moment's hesitation, Duergar finally replied, "I cannot say anything much young master, but that is indeed the case. Please don't ask me anymore about that incident, it pains me that I was unable to protect my father..."
Hearing that reply, Duan Li became awkward. He never thought that the little sword could be so sentimental as well. As much as a thick-headed person he is, he wouldn't go to the extent of continuing to push the matter, that would be heartless of him.
A pity... I wanted to ask them on who this 'Old Master' of their's too...
Hais!
"Ahem! Well, since your father is now asleep, does that mean that I cannot use it to forge weapons until your father is awake?" Duan Li changed his question. This was on his mind as well.
"No young master, you can still forge Ultimate graded weapons even without father being awake. He is that powerful." Little sword replied with a hint of fervent respect in its voice.
After all, he was born from the fires of the All-Father Forge, and he knew best on what his father was truly capable of!
One has to know that the ranking of weapons and armors that the immortal use was; Epic, Regal, Mythical, Zenith and finally the most powerful, Eternal grade!
Usually, weapons and armors past the Mythical grade could never be forged straight from their materials, no matter how powerful the tools were or how skillful the blacksmith was!
This was because weapons and armors could possess spirit, and they could advance through time, but the elements or materials they were made from, no matter how rare, has their own natural limit! To put this in another perspective, it was the same on how the strongest of steel has a limit tolerance of accepting impurities like carbon before they turn soft and brittle.
However, the All-Father Forge doesn't seem to abide by this law and could dish out an Eternal graded weapon on the spot, as long the blacksmith could properly make use of the forge, anvil and hammer of course!
This breach of natural law had the nine Sovereigns from the Upper-realm of Heavens angry, and they combined their power to try to destroy it!
But, it appears that the nine Sovereigns had failed to do so. Although the All-Father Forge was badly damaged, in the end, it still survived and was sealed from the prying eyes of the Heavens!
"Is that so?" Duan Li sighed in relief.
If it turns out that he cannot use the forge until it becomes awake, that would be too troublesome!
After all, based on its voice, the forge appeared to be very old, and it was a known fact that when an old entity sleeps, they sleep for a very long time!
After thinking for a while, Duan Li finally made a decision.
"Let's give this forging thing a try!"
...
Sorry for the late second release this week. I was off from phone yesterday :/ Anyway, Enjoy and thanks for reading! Head over to my patre0n if you want to read more in advance! Thanks!