The family was calm and peaceful these days, and the old Prime Minister could finally focus on his duties.
The Atto Empire's delegation was of a high level, led by their Crown Prince, with a group of over three thousand people. While others were unsure of the empire's intentions, the old Prime Minister knew well. If something were to happen to this delegation, Emperor Meijef IV would surely blame him.
The old Prime Minister had arranged a reception ceremony, and Emperor Meijef IV naturally couldn't attend in person. He didn't want to show favor to any prince while the situation was still unclear, so he didn't arrange for the princes to greet the delegation either, and instead went himself to meet them outside the north gate of the city.
According to reports, the Atto Empire's delegation was supposed to arrive the previous night, but it was inappropriate to display them to the citizens at night, so the Atto Crown Prince ordered them to camp and set off again in the morning, arriving in the afternoon at the Delson Royal City.
The Atto delegation unfurled their banners from dozens of miles away, accompanied by continuous wind instruments and harp music along the way. Crown Prince Efengburg Atto sat atop a tall horse, which had been rigorously trained, adorned with red harnesses, prancing and trotting forward with each step as though precisely measured.
The old Prime Minister raised his hand, and the twelve magic cannons on the north gate roared, an unprecedented reception standard. The old Prime Minister went to receive them with a smile, "Crown Prince Efengburg, you've endured a long journey!"
The Atto Crown Prince was polite and showed noble upbringing, "Respected Prime Minister, I apologize for keeping you waiting!"
After some exchange, the old Prime Minister gave a gesture of invitation, "Please enter the Delson Royal City, guests of Atto!"
Upon the north gate, the soldiers cheered together as Efengburg waved to the crowd. A strange compromise had been made between the two countries - ordinarily, foreign soldiers were not allowed to enter the royal city; however, trust was evidently lacking between the parties.
Following Efengburg's horse was a line of huge flatbed carts, each pulled by four massive oxen, and the clanging of the carts wheels on the stone road indicated the heavy load they carried.
The carts were filled with boxes made of black iron pillars, each extremely heavy. Inside them were the items being exhibited, including Atto's protective treasure, the Longwinter Blade Ring.
The slender Clerus, now a qualified beggar, knew that to live decently, one cannot rely solely on begging and sometimes has to compete with thieves. They may lack the skills of burglars, but know that crowded places are better for stealing.
The Atto delegation slowly entered the Delson north gate, and the Crown Prince and several flatbed cars had already entered the city, while most of the people were still waiting outside.
Suddenly, a radiant star appeared in the sky. Initially unnoticed, the old Prime Minister felt something amiss. How could a star appear in broad daylight? He raised his hand slightly, and the imperial royal mage squad had already prepared themselves.
Clerus, who had just taken a few copper coins from a young girl, suddenly looked up, his face changing drastically. Without a second thought, he turned and ran.
The weapon of blasphemy! He had found it...
Not long after Clerus left, the bright star rapidly expanded in size, growing to the size of the sun within moments and still increasing at a rapid pace. Soon, everyone saw a house-sized fireball rolling from the edge of the sky!
The old Prime Minister shouted, "Mages!" A frosty frosty beam rose from the royal mage squad. During the winter, this kind of ice magic power would surely be greatly enhanced.
The Frost Meteor collided head-on with the enormous fireball. A "whoosh" of white mist passed, and in an instant, the Frost Meteor turned to vapor; however, the fireball did not stop, crashing on the ground like a shooting star.
"Boom..."
The Prime Minister felt the ground shake beneath him, and the soldiers on the city wall fell like dominoes, with several unfortunate soldiers falling off the wall and letting out a string of screams, ending abruptly. Outside the city, where the fireball had landed, a fire dragon rose up, and on the edge of the flame, three thousand knights brought by Efengburg were guarding. In the flames, a third of the knights had already perished!
Efengburg's warhorse neighed loudly, constantly rearing. He struggled to control his mount while anxiously asking, "Prime Minister, what is that thing?"
The Prime Minister was also uncertain, "Could it be a thirteenth-level divine wizard attacking us..." But before he could finish, he stopped himself. Through the gate, he and Efengburg saw clearly a massive figure emerge from the fire dragon: a wolf's head, blood-red eyes, a massive body, dagger-like claws, and a peculiar thin-blade battle axe in its hand!
This was definitely not magic - it was an extraordinarily powerful and fearsome super-magic-refined creature.
Shocking all of the city, the gigantic wolf-headed monster did not show any intention to attack the Delson Royal City. Instead, it surprisingly targeted Efengburg's convoy.
The strange shaped thin-bladed battle axe casually struck the ground, creating a deep trench. The convoy that was desperately trying to enter the royal city crashed into the trench.
The wolf-headed monster used its claws to fiddle in the trench, and anyone it touched was immediately covered in blood and flesh! It found an iron box, and Efenborg immediately grabbed the old prime minister and urgently exclaimed, "My lord, think of a way quickly, that box contains the Winterlong Sword Ring!"
"Ah!" The old prime minister was also dumbfounded, but what could he do? Behind him, thirty members of the Royal Magician Corps concentrated all their magic power and finally released a powerful collective magic, "Flame Heavenly Punishment." However, the fire cloud was blocked by an almost invisible blood flame in front of the wolf-headed giant. The old prime minister's expression changed: wear resistance...
His heart sank; this guy not only had endless strength but also wear resistance. Even if Ramil came, he would be at a loss.
The blood-red eyes of the wolf-headed monster suddenly glared at the group of magicians, and with a sudden burst of force, it opened its mouth and spewed out a blood flame meteor, striking the magician group and leaving a thirty-meter-wide crater on the ground, leaving nothing else.
The prime minister and his lover on horseback were thrown out over ten meters, but fortunately, he was originally a knight, and his body was still relatively sturdy. After rolling on the ground, he dissipated the impact, and then he scrambled up and immediately ran further away.
It seemed as if the wolf-headed monster had recognized he was the commander, and its blood-red eyes stared intently at him. Its belly writhed, and with a "roar," another blood flame meteor was sprayed out, heading straight for the prime minister.
Just as the blood flame meteor was about to end the prime minister's life, a silver dragon flew in from outside the city, catching up with the blood flame meteor. It circled in front of the prime minister, transforming into a web of silver threads, and as the blood flame meteor crashed into the web, the silver dragon shattered it into countless small fireballs, reducing its power by tens of times.
The prime minister rolled on the ground, escaping a rain of fire, and after seeing the silver dragon, he smiled with relief. "Adaviden, thank you. You've saved this old life once again, hahaha..."
The silver dragon floated in the air, revealing itself as a strange weapon resembling both a knife and a sword, entirely integrated with blades, lacking even a handle.
A formless energy enveloped it, as if it were suspended in the void.
A slender figure appeared behind the "silver dragon" at some point, and she coldly glanced at the old prime minister on the ground: "Fenli, you're becoming more useless."
The old prime minister was accustomed to her sarcasm and retorted, "Adaviden, you're insufferable, but without your mouth, Ramil wouldn't have..." The look of a god of death drifted by, silencing the old prime minister. He chuckled, "Alright, alright, I won't say anything else. You help me deal with this big guy first."
Between their conversation, the wolf-headed monster had already opened the box and taken out a simple yet unremarkable golden ring.
The ring could only hook onto its claw tip. As it raised its hand, the ring slid down from its claw, expanding as its fingers grew thicker. The ring, originally worn on a human's finger, now adorned its claw.
"Hoho..." the wolf-headed monster emitted a laughter like burning rocks, suddenly gripping the weapon in its hand. A fire snake spiraled up its peculiar thin-bladed battle axe, and with the added flames, the axe elongated into a huge broad-bladed sword. The blade was surrounded by a frosty blue flame and enveloped in a cold haze, shrouding the entire northern city gate! This non-magical weapon, after being infused with the Winterlong Sword Ring, overflowed with magical power, making the soldiers on the northern city gate tremble even without magical properties!
"It's over, it's all over. It actually knows how to use the sword ring..." Efenborg's eyes lost focus, devoid of confidence.
Adaviden looked at him with disdain, but it did not seem like she would make a move. A silver dragon pierced through the air, turning into a sky full of silver threads, gently falling like rain.
In terms of combat skills, the wolf-headed monster was simply no match for Adaviden. Faced with the onslaught of the fallen battle god, it actually gave up its defense and swung its immensely powerful war blade, unleashing a white whiplash that struck Adaviden. Frosty air surged, and an instant frost covered the northern city wall. The front-line soldiers were frozen into ice sculptures, still holding their weapons in attacking positions.
"Bang, bang, bang..." Adaviden's weapon pierced through the ice, striking the wolf-headed monster hundreds of times in the blink of an eye. Each time, a dull sound was heard, but no trace of injury was left on the monster. However, the immense impact force forced the massive wolf-headed monster to retreat a few steps.
Suddenly, the silver threads retracted from the sky, wrapping around Adaviden to form a cocoon. As the blade of frost approached, "Ping," the silver threads in front of Adaviden solidified into a massive ice block.
The ice block exploded, and each ice shard turned into a supremely sharp flying knife. Adaviden shouted, and a bright light flashed in front of her, turning all the ice shards into a sky full of ice powder.
At the same time, the wolf-headed monster's broad-bladed sword came down, and Adaviden was engulfed in a bright flame. With an unusual gesture, she suddenly flicked her weapon, like an angry serpent, and a shot straight toward the massive sword.
"Don't..." Efenborg's warning came too late; the fierce and formidable winter cold within the giant sword was something the fallen battle god's weapon could not resist. It was instantly exploded into a sky full of iron scraps.
Adaviden's 13th-level combat energy erupted, condensing into a blade of void, stopping the might of the giant winter sword.
"Roar!" The wolf-headed monster let out a furious roar, and a surge of cold air descended, bringing with it white frost inching closer. It was only three fingers' width away from Adaviden's hands.
Gazheng stood in the distance, feeling a huge wave of emotions: this was the power of a top-tier quasi-divine weapon, something even a 13th-level professional couldn't resist; it was the power of a top-tier quasi-divine weapon! He considered himself a master of alchemy, but to create such a weapon, he realized it was beyond his current abilities. There was a time when he thought he was on the verge of understanding that barrier, but seeing the power of this top-tier quasi-divine weapon, he suddenly realized that he was arrogant. If a top-tier quasi-divine weapon was already so powerful, what about a divine weapon?
However, he also realized something else: under the control of combat energy, Adaviden's weapon could fly freely, like his own flying sword. He had a preconceived notion that anything from another world would attract attention in this world. In this world, alchemists could create all sorts of strange things, and his alchemy sword, while not as extraordinary, could now be used with confidence.
"Sky Storm!" Ramil finally arrived, and a gray storm appeared behind the wolf-headed monster. With a roar, it withdrew its giant sword, rolled on the ground, enveloped itself in a blood-red flame, and transformed into a massive fireball, escaping calmly into the sky.
Ramil quickly flew into the sky, supporting the pale-faced Adaviden and asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
The old prime minister coughed below, and the two of them felt embarrassed. Adaviden struggled out of his arms and coldly said, "I'm perfectly fine."
Her tone made Ramil feel awkward, and the old prime minister made a snide remark from below, "Look at that mouth of hers..."
"My lord, my lord, what should we do? If we don't find the Winterlong Sword Ring, I will be executed by the empire!" Efenborg wailed and hugged the old prime minister.
In a corner far away, Clos shook his head in secret. Without its spirit, the sacrilegious weapon's power greatly diminished. Otherwise, those two 13th-level professionals wouldn't have been anything. According to legend, the sacrilegious weapon was feared even by low-level gods.
...
The Ostade Empire jointly issued its first national commission in nearly five hundred years: the search for the top-tier quasi-divine weapon, the Winterlong Sword Ring, with a reward amount of up to twenty million gold coins! Even if only providing information, depending on the importance of the intelligence, rewards ranged from five hundred thousand to ten thousand. The mission level was as high as SSS. Completing this mission would directly promote a common adventurer to a six-star platinum adventurer, and if they were already a five-star grand adventurer... then, an unprecedented seven-star super-platinum adventurer in the history of the Star Refining World would emerge.
...
The old prime minister, Fenli, the Sunset Divine Mage, Ramil, and the Fallen Battle God, Adaviden, three good friends from the past, walked out of the Nahl Imperial Palace. Fenli waved to both of them, "Take my carriage."
The old prime minister's carriage was also a work of alchemy, free from any eavesdropping magic.
"Adaviden, be frank with me. I know you have reservations about the emperor." The old prime minister asked candidly. The female battle god's mouth twitched, and she coldly said, "Serving such a foolish king disappoints me. Yes, I do have reservations about him. If it weren't for you dragging me here, I wouldn't even bother seeing this stingy, foolish pig of an Ostadan king." The old prime minister smiled bitterly.
"Ramil, you must have noticed that while my Fallen Divine Hammer may not be a top-tier quasi-divine weapon, it's also the work of an alchemy master, yet it didn't leave a single mark on that thing..."
The old prime minister's heart sank as he thought of the monster's resistance to magic. He couldn't help but blurt out, "What on earth is this thing?!"
Ge Zheng was taken aback. How could the Emperor Meige IV think of him? "Your Highness, are you looking for me?"
The court minister nodded, "That's right, Master, please follow me."
In a side of the royal banquet hall, there was a small meeting room, which was actually a much smaller dining room. Emperor Meige IV sat at the head of the long dining table, with a glass of deep red wine in front of him. The other two were familiar faces: Dean Ramil and the old Prime Minister Fenli.
Even though it was the New Year's Festival, Emperor Meige IV still looked worried. Ge Zheng walked up and bowed slightly, "Your Majesty." Emperor Meige IV, seeing that it was him, forced a smile, "Master, you've come, please have a seat."
The old Prime Minister, probably having already received the Emperor's instructions, said to Ge Zheng after he had sat down, "Master, you are aware of the theft of the Atto Empire's protective treasure. We have called you here today in the hope that you can provide us with some help."
"We have reliable information that the northern Dandrara Empire and the Samer Empire have formed a military alliance, forcing the Atto Empire, the weakest of the three northern countries, to turn to us. This exhibition is not only Atto's demonstration of their alchemy prowess to our country, but also an opportunity for us to build trust. I never expected this to happen. The damage to the relationship between our two countries is obvious. Therefore, we must find the Winter Frost Ring in a short time, otherwise, the consequences will be unimaginable!"
Ge Zheng thought to himself: They don't want me to forge a Winter Frost Ring, do they?
The old Prime Minister said, "The wolf-headed monster is not actually terrifying, but its body is made of an unknown material. Not only can it not be cut by an ordinary quasi-magic weapon, but it also has very high magic resistance. We hope that the Master can find a way to break through its defense."
I see, Ge Zheng showed a relieved expression. He couldn't possibly replicate the Winter Frost Ring at this moment.
Dean Ramil took out a red iron sheet from his storage space, and the iron sheet floated in his hand, emitting a sizzling sound as blood-colored flames surged continuously. "This is the only piece of fragment that fell that day, not knocked down, but it fell naturally."
Emperor Meige IV urged, "Master, the safety of the Empire is entrusted to you. We believe you will not disappoint us!"
Ge Zheng took the fragment, "Your Majesty, rest assured, I will do my best!"
Ge Zheng excused himself, and the smile on Emperor Meige IV's face disappeared instantly. The old Prime Minister said, "Your Majesty, are you still worried?" Emperor Meige IV looked at the two of them, "Do you two feel at ease?"
Ramil thought of the strange weapon that Ge Zheng used to cut off the dragon steel drum of the little troublemaker, and he indeed felt at ease, but Fenli shook his head, worried, "I'm not at ease either."
Emperor Meige IV said, "I have secretly ordered the Selajion Fortress to quickly send the Empire's top quasi-magic weapon, the Wasteland Holy Spear, back to the Royal City. If any trace of the monster is found, use this top quasi-magic weapon to deal with it!"
The old Prime Minister was shocked, "Your Majesty, with the Wasteland Holy Spear suppressing the northern front, the Dandrara and Samer Empires dare not make any rash moves. Recalling the Holy Spear..."
"It's unavoidable. The Empire has nearly a hundred thousand soldiers stationed at Selajion, even if they want to act, they need to prepare for several months. With this time, it is already enough for us to find the Winter Frost Ring."
The Empire's northern frontier fortress, Selajion, seemed to be like a nail nailed at the intersection of the three major empires, making the Dandrara Empire and the Samer Empire very uncomfortable. Otherwise, the two countries might not have been able to form an alliance.
Although Emperor Meige IV spoke confidently, the deep worry on his face betrayed his inner anxiety. Fenli accompanied the imperial emperor, both wearing worried expressions.
On this joyful night, they were not the only ones with worried expressions.
The results of the alchemy department's end-of-year exam were out, and Rody was very unhappy. He was the second highest achiever in the alchemy department, but this year's results were only "good."
Thinking about his end-of-year results, Rody lost his appetite for the sumptuous food on the table. He felt annoyed in his heart: What ability did that main instructor, who only knew how to praise himself and deduct credits at random, have? Why did he give me such a low score? My work is definitely not only worth this grade!
The sounds of people reveling in the street outside came in through the colorful stained glass windows of the four squares, as if a group of ants were crawling in Rody's ears. Infuriated, he slammed the table, and the plate in front of him shattered into pieces with a "ping" sound.
"Rody, my dear, what's wrong with you?"
The short New Year holiday quickly passed, and the five great martial academies of the continent did not have a long break. The seemingly relaxed student life was actually filled with competition.
Ge Zheng took out his homemade pocket watch magic timer, looked at it, and then looked up at the students below, saying, "Alright, does anyone have any questions?"
Several students raised their hands and stood up, asking about the parts they didn't understand. Ge Zheng answered each question one by one. Suddenly, a student in the back raised his hand high, like a flag.
"Instructor, you have talked so much, but what is your actual strength? Shouldn't alchemists not only be proficient in theory?"
The student had no certification badge, but Ge Zheng still heard the whispered discussions among the students below, "The second-highest achiever in the alchemy department, Rody..."
Ge Zheng smiled, "Rody, I remember that I gave your work a 'good' in the end-of-year exam. Are you dissatisfied because of this?"
Rody had wanted to deny it, but he changed his mind at the last moment. He raised his head and stubbornly said, "That's right! With my level, there's no way my work could only be rated as 'good'."
Ge Zheng scanned the audience; many students' eyes were shining with excitement. He thought to himself: Although my iron-fisted policy has temporarily tamed these students, as Rody mentioned, I have only been teaching theory these days and have not shown any real strength. Many of these students are actually not satisfied with me.
He glanced at Rody again, thinking to himself: This is a good opportunity.
"Since that's the case, let me first explain the issue of Rody's end-of-year exam score." Ge Zheng motioned to a student in front, "You go to the department office and find Instructor Mars. Tell him I sent you and ask for Rody's end-of-year exam work to be brought out." The student hurried off.
Rody walked from the back to the front, wanting to hear how Ge Zheng would explain it.
Ge Zheng gave him a casual glance, "Rody, you moved around in class without permission, deducting one credit." "Ah!" Rody was stunned. His anger had clouded his judgment, and he had forgotten that this main instructor was known for being strict.
Before long, the student returned with a wooden box in his arms.
Ge Zheng placed the box on the lectern, "This is Rody's work, everyone please have a look." He tapped the wooden box, and with a slap, all the sides of the box opened, revealing the work inside.
"Wow, it's beautiful!" The girls exclaimed together, and the boys nodded. In the wooden box, there was a clock-shaped helmet sparkling with light, as if surrounded by colorful fireflies. The helmet was intricately engraved with smooth lines and adorned with a black and white feather on the top.
Ge Zheng said, "Not bad, it's a very beautiful work. But, a beautiful work isn't necessarily a good one." Rody immediately stood up to rebut, "But I set up three magic formations to replenish magic power, and the effect is very good. Plus, this work can release four Level 4 Metal-type Defense Magic 'Suspension Iron Shield' every day. Does this level not achieve the effect of a Level 7 magic weapon?"
Ge Zheng shook his head, "Rody, I have always been curious about this work. I have always wanted to ask you, why did you make it so beautiful?"
Rody proudly said, "The Master Craftsman of the Fallen Gods once said: the pursuit of alchemical work is perfection!"
Ge Zheng laughed heartily, "Right, Master Weylan Lowe did say that. But do you understand the true meaning of this 'perfection'?"
Ge Zheng walked to the front of the lectern and pointed at Rody's work without hesitation, "First, you used high-grade magic crystal stones to set up three magic formations, but only achieved the effect of mid-grade magic crystal stones. Why? Because you had to consider the two other magic formations that created the sparkling effect. This is a flaw."
"Secondly, this helmet is not small, but you only engraved six magic formations because you also had to consider the beautiful patterns outside the helmet. This is a flaw."
"Furthermore, the Level 4 Metal-type Defense Magic 'Suspension Iron Shield' is among the bottom three in terms of defense in the Level 4 Metal-type magic, and my guess is that you chose it purely to match the design of the helmet because your helmet doesn't have a face guard. If you want to pursue 'perfection' in defense, you need to add a face guard, so you chose the ineffective 'Suspension Iron Shield'. This is a flaw."
"Rody, your work has three flaws. Do you think giving you a 'good' is disparaging to you?" Ge Zheng questioned. Rody was stunned; he hadn't expected that, under his "perfect compromise" theory, all the strengths of his work would be seen as flaws by Ge Zheng!
"You're talking nonsense!" Rody was agitated and spoke without restraint, "To achieve perfection, you must compromise! Without sacrificing some performance, how can you achieve perfection! Does the teacher's idea of 'perfection' only involve pursuing performance and completely disregard the artistry of alchemy? Does the instructor not understand the profound truth of 'alchemy is the art of life'?"
Ge Zheng surveyed the students below; many of their eyes were shining with excitement. It seemed that Rody's words had resonated with these young students.
Ge Zheng smiled faintly, "Of course not." He looked at the students below and asked loudly, "What do you think, what level should Rody's work be?"
No one answered.
Ge Zheng smiled, "Everyone, feel free to evaluate, I promise not to deduct your credits."
With that, someone finally summoned the courage to raise their hand and stand up, "T-teacher, I think it should at least be rated as excellent."
"Teacher, I also think it should be excellent." "I also think it's... "
Soon, the tide turned, and once the high-pressure policy was lifted, Ge Zheng sadly found that he actually didn't have many supporters. He waited for everyone to express their opinions, shook his head, and sighed, "The student can't be taught. Alright, Rodi, you keep this piece for now. In the next class, I will bring a piece of my own work, using Rodi's creativity and the materials limited by your year-end exam, I will let you understand again, what perfection alchemy pursues. Now, class is dismissed!"
The magic bell rang at the right time.
Ge Zheng walked down from the platform with his books, and the Fourth Prince caught up from behind, "Master, I support your judgment. For a work like that, if it were me, I would at most give it a pass. You are really too generous."
Rodi happened to be not far away and, after hearing this, became furious and rushed over, "Elonhos, dare you accept my challenge!" Elonhos glanced at him indifferently and asked, "What do I gain from winning against you?"
Rodi was stunned. Among the students, there were no rewards for winning or losing. Victory itself was a reward, especially since he was Rodi, the second best in the alchemy department. If he defeated him, he could step onto the throne of the second best alchemist.
Elonhos thought for a moment, "Rodi, you are the eldest son of the Hosham family, right?" Rodi nodded, and Elonhos smiled, "Alright, I accept your challenge."
Ge Zheng observed this scene with cold eyes and, when he returned home, asked Nolordun. He found out that the Hosham family's fief was in the Elac Province, which was the empire's largest iron ore production area. Ge Zheng shook his head secretly: this Fourth Prince, at such a young age, really had too much cunning.
There were five days until Ge Zheng's next class, a brief respite. Ge Zheng calculated in his heart, realizing that there were still quite a few things to be done.
Although he never placed much importance on his identity as a royal alchemist, being in Asta meant he had to take Emperor Meige IV's commission seriously. The first thing to do was to study the fragment.
The matter of crafting weapons for Dinora and Vixi would have to be put on hold.
When he returned home, Gronia was also there. She told Ge Zheng that the temple priests of the Dark Temple had already healed Birmundo's arm, and Ge Zheng promptly expressed his gratitude.
Gronia, with ulterior motives, said, "There is no need to be polite with us. If there's anything we can help with in the future, feel free to ask." Ge Zheng agreed with a smile. Seeing Gronia hesitate, she tentatively said, "Master, the temple wishes to hire you as the temple's alchemist. Do you wish to accept?"
Gronia was tasked with testing Ge Zheng's loyalty, but hadn't found the opportunity. Seeing that Ge Zheng's affairs within the academy became busier, Gronia knew she couldn't wait any longer, so she directly asked him.
Ge Zheng didn't understand, "What position is that of temple alchemist?"
"It means that of the five major temples, you can only craft items for the Dark Temple. But don't worry, we will offer you generous compensation." Gronia knew him well, so she settled the payment terms first.
Ge Zheng thought of the handsome man from the Light Temple who had been teasing him, and after a little consideration, he agreed, "Alright, it's my honor!"
Gronia smiled, "In that case, please sign this contract." She laid out a parchment made of magic beast skin. After Ge Zheng checked it and found no issues, he signed his name with a pen.
Ge Zheng had no inclination to pledge his loyalty. However, to the Dark Temple, this signed contract was Ge Zheng's assurance of loyalty.
After lunch, Ge Zheng returned to his laboratory.
He took a gold coin from the string of coins, and in it he stored the fragment separately. Although it was just a fragment, it still emitted a burning blood flame, which had a peculiar effect. Magical items near it would lose their magic power, and even ordinary objects would be melted.
Ge Zheng created a small device with three interlocking magic arrays in the shape of a bowl, and placed the fragment on top, letting three streams of wind blow it. It wouldn't interfere with other objects unless they were a certain distance away.
The blood-colored flame burned steadily. Ge Zheng used a minor identification spell, but received no results. He didn't dare to easily melt the fragment, as it was the only sample. If he ended up melting it and couldn't find a way to deal with it, Emperor Meige IV would not let him off easily.
Ge Zheng took out a homemade magnifying glass and carefully observed it. Through the blood flame, the surface of the fragment appeared uniform, without the typical patterns of metal.
The incision had turned a bit yellow, perhaps it was this yellow quality that caused the fragment to fall. Suddenly, Ge Zheng found a breakthrough. Since even a quasi-divine weapon couldn't affect it, perhaps this thing couldn't be cut by weapons or magic at all.
The correct answer was: a potion.
Ge Zheng carefully dropped a bit of a potion that resembled aqua regia onto it. Before the liquid even touched the fragment, the blood flame surged and evaporated the liquid instantly, causing Ge Zheng to cough violently.
His stubbornness flared up, and he just poured out all the prepared potions at once. The eruption of the potion caused a strong, corrosive smoke. Ge Zheng hurriedly pressed a button by the table, and all the windows opened as the interlocking magic arrays were activated, blowing the smoke outside with a gust of wind.
Ordinarily, the amount of potion should have been enough. However, after the smoke dissipated, the fragment was unchanged, and the blood flame flickered arrogantly, slowly dimming. The original red light had somewhat darkened.
Ge Zheng was puzzled, and suddenly realized the familiar color. He shook his hand, and the Eternal Tear jumped out from a coin, landing in his hand.
With a twist, a red beam shot out. Ge Zheng held the Eternal Tear, and like a gentle gentleman placing a rose on his lover's body, he placed the red beam on the fragment.
As the red light passed, the blood flame obediently dissipated to the sides, and the fragment split into two!
Ge Zheng flicked his wrist, and the red beam stood vertically before him. He looked at the beam and muttered to himself, "Dual defense against physical and magic attacks. Only non-physical, non-magic attacks can be effective."
He hadn't expected the answer to be found so easily, but now Ge Zheng was in a dilemma: he thought of his Matrix Moving Shield - also a dual defense against physical and magical attacks - and his artifacts. They were all not as good as this fragment. If he handed over the light sword, his own safety would no longer be guaranteed.
After some consideration, Ge Zheng resolutely put the Eternal Tear away, and looked at the now divided fragment. Fortunately, the severed piece was relatively small, and still enveloped by the blood flame, making it inconspicuous. With a thought, he stored the small piece into another storage space, and then placed the larger piece back into the original storage space.
Unexpectedly, he had solved the biggest problem. Ge Zheng walked out of the laboratory feeling relieved. It wasn't time for dinner yet. He called Dinora, "What kind of weapon do you want?"
Not only did Dinora come over, but Miss Fifi and Gronia, who had no classes in the afternoon, also came over. Solgwylen, in order to please Ge Zheng, said that he was very interested in alchemy and joined them.
Five heads huddled in front of Ge Zheng, and as Dinora spoke, her head tilted slightly as she pondered, "For my dream artifact, it needs to have a sexy, slender curve, powerful and heavy, with a blade that is swift. It should be able to strike and kill in an instant! It's best if it also has a bit of magic attribute, but most importantly, it needs to be substantial and sturdy."
Ge Zheng rubbed his neck. Dinora's words made him feel very uncomfortable. He looked at the other four, and apart from Solgwylen's slightly abnormal behavior, they all had the same reaction as him.
The way she described a deadly weapon using the language of a lover's thoughts was unique to Dinora.
Solgwylen was curious, "Dinora, what level of warrior are you, exactly? It will help the Master to have some reference."
Dinora rolled her eyes, "You have no manners at all! You should know that in this world, there are three things that cannot be asked: a woman's age, a man's income, and a female warrior's level!"
Solgwylen teased her, "I thought the third thing you were going to say was a hermaphrodite's gender. Haha..."
Dinora was furious, "You're asking for it!"