With the playful banter over, Lin Mu finally asked the question that he had been wanting to ask for a while.
"Where is Old man Jing?" Lin Mu questioned.
Duan Ke looked over and replied, "he's… been in seclusion."
"He's cultivating?" Lin Mu asked.
"Not exactly…" Duan Ke replied.
"Then what's he doing in seclusion?" Lin Mu asked, feeling even more confused.
"Well, he's… Forging. He has been for the past five years and I don't know what." Duan Ke answered.
Hearing this, Lin Mu found it strange, but Jing Luo seemed to have some insight.
"Oh! Grandfather went into one of his forging bouts. He used to do this in the past too. Whenever he reached a certain point of breakthrough in his skill, he would start forging and won't stop until he finally accomplished it." Jing Luo explained.
"Ah, really?" Lin Mu had not expected this.
Duan Ke too looked on in interest, having not known this.
"You were too young back then and didn't live at the clan. I even heard from father that once before the last great war, grandfather started forging and didn't stop for over a hundred years.
It is said that the clan even thought that he had gone mad. While the outsiders thought that he had died in seclusion." Jing Luo reveled.
"This… he won't just stay like that for a century again, will he? We need him." Lin Mu said with concern.
"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll stop once we're there." Jing Luo replied.
"Yeah, there's no way he won't want to meet you." Duan Ke said with a nod.
"Well then, bring us to him. There is a lot… a lot, that has happened and we need your help." Lin Mu stated.
Hearing Lin Mu's tone, Duan Ke's expression turned stern.
"What is it?" Duan Ke questioned.
"It will be better if we explain to you and your grandfather together." Lin Mu answered.
"Alright, follow me then." Duan Ke replied, and turned around with Little Shrubby still in her hands.
The beast seemed to have become comfortable and was resting his neck on the soft chest of Duan Ke.
They continued inward as more formation barriers were lifted. Lin Mu could tell that the security here was the strongest he had ever seen, even when comparing the top sects. In fact, after seeing the entire area and the spirit Qi here, Lin Mu was sure that the Jing Clan could itself be a top sect.
They did after all have the background, the resources, the fortune and the techniques to back it all up. The only thing they lacked was people and also that they had a lot of enemies.
If not for that, Lin Mu was sure that the Jing clan could rise very quickly. A few thoughts came to Lin Mu with respect to this too.
'When I leave this world… what do I want to leave it as?' Lin Mu wondered.
Having become the world's ordained, he knew that he had a responsibility to the Xiaofan world. But he also knew a fact that he could not stay here. He wanted to see a lot more, and explore the many worlds.
That day, which once seemed distant, was approaching fast. Lin Mu could tell this much.
'Once the Northern Tribes and Gu Legion are dealt with… I'll find ways to leave the world. Even if I don't, I simply need to cultivate till the Immortal Ascension realm and leave the world naturally.
That will also give me enough time to get my affairs in order.' Lin Mu thought.
He was fully prepared to enter seclusion and cultivate until he reached the Immortal Ascension realm. Though he didn't yet know how he will be doing that. His Dao Shell was close to completion stage and he had already started feeling the hints of Dao.
He had a instinctual feeling about what Dao Embryo he would be condensing as well. This was something Lin Mu couldn't explain how, it was as if it was built directly into his soul.
While having these thoughts, Lin Mu was brought to the depths of the War Castle Jing. It was really huge in the inside as well and there were easily thousands of rooms and halls in it.
Lin Mu even wondered if there were spatial expansion formations being used here. Though when he tried to look for them, his perception was being blocked by the many formation arrays.
It wasn't that they were all strong, but that there were simply so many of them that when stacked they became too opaque to look through.
~DENG~
~DENG~
~DENG~
Finally, Duan Ke came to a stop in front of a pair of large doors. They were ten meters tall and looked similar to the ones in the Myriad Armament Canopy abode. The faint sound of metal clanging against metal could be heard coming from inside.
Duan Ke extended her hand and placed it on the door.
~shua~
A small formation lit up on it before the doors started to move.
~Creak~
~Rumble~
The whole area shook as if an elephant was running around there. The opening of the door seemed to have removed some sort of a damper that stopped these vibrations.
~WHOOSH~
When the doors were eyeful open, Lin Mu felt a gust of hot air hit his face.
"That's rather warm…" Lin Mu muttered as he gazed into the glowing room.
There were tools flying around, while runes surrounded them. Tens of formations were working non stop, while flames raged around in the ten forges that were in there. The roof was pulling the smoke and channeling it some place else while the floor was automatically cleaning the soot and dust that fell to the ground.
Then in the center of the hall, stood an old man. He had a crazed look on his face, with his hair and beard being covered in ash and black oil.
"NO! NO! NO! NO! THIS IS NOT ENOUGH! I NEED MORE!!!!" The old man yelled.
