Chapter 1053 — The Ancient War-Presiding Deity

In scale, the forging here amounts to only three or four foundries of Jingping. In technique, it has made not the slightest contribution—it merely inherits the lingering legacy of the Kaihuang Era. Jingping can forge divine weapons for the Heavenly Court, but it can also forge divine weapons for itself.

As it continues to develop, its scale will only grow, and its skills only grow mightier! ” He smiled faintly. “I can make a wager with Your Majesty: the one who refines the art of forging into something that can brand the void and become an eternal great Way will surely be a man of Jingping—never Li Youran, and never anyone from the Western Expanse Heaven! ” The Western Emperor was half convinced. “Li Youran’s art of forging is beyond compare. What ability does Jingping have? ” Shen Mu reached out a hand and grasped; a divine hammer flew into his palm.

“Jingping’s art of forging,” he said, “has long since ceased to be merely a matter of casting divine weapons. It can alter the physical nature of things and turn into the very way of attack and conquest. Please, Western Emperor, have a divine weapon brought over.

” The Western Emperor clapped her hands, and a female Heavenly Artificer brought a divine weapon. Shen Mu swung his hammer at her.

The female Heavenly Artificer’s heart leaped with alarm; she hurriedly raised the divine weapon to block, and there came a tremendous ringing clang as divine light flooded the air. Startled out of her wits, she threw down the divine weapon and felt herself all over, and only after finding not the slightest wound did she breathe a sigh of relief. The Western Emperor’s expression turned grave. She walked over and picked up the weapon that had been flung to the ground—it was no longer a divine weapon, but a weapon forged of common iron.

One blow of Shen Mu’s hammer had actually altered the structure of the divine iron, smashing it from divine iron down to common iron!

She could not help shuddering. In truth, the Heavenly Artificers’ combat power was not weak, but compared to deities devoted solely to battle, they were inferior in both divine abilities and adaptability.

The female Heavenly Artificers of the Western Expanse Heaven were precious treasures besides; she would never, ever dare to send them onto a battlefield. Yet this single hammer blow of Shen Mu’s had shown her the true might of a Heavenly Artificer: an Artificer could smelt and forge divine weapons, and could, in one hammer stroke, destroy an enemy’s divine weapon as well!

When the Kaihuang Era was destroyed, Li Youran had led the race of Heavenly Artificer gods aboard the Ark of the Far Shore, hoping to take refuge in the Land Without Sorrow, only to meet the Heavenly Court’s massacre; the race of Heavenly Artificer gods was nearly slaughtered to the last. If they had possessed skills like Shen Mu’s, that war would not have been a one-sided butchering.

*If the Western Expanse Heaven had an army of Heavenly Artificers such as this, they would surely carry every attack and win every battle, riding across the world with none able to oppose them,* the Western Emperor thought.

Shen Mu dropped the divine hammer. “This is one of the fruits of Jingping’s reform,” he said.

“It is a method pioneered by the two heads of my household, and it has not yet been brought to perfection.

Western Emperor, your kin, too, can go to Jingping to learn this method—even help Jingping perfect it. This is what a true War Heavenly King looks like, a true master of war!

” The Western Emperor pondered for a moment, then said somberly, “This is reform. . .

reform will weaken us ancient gods. .

. ” All at once her tears poured down like rain, and she choked out, “I am the ancient god of war.

I feel that once you perfect this art of forging and come to master war, the first thing you’ll do is kill me! I feel like I’m going to die. . . ” Shen Mu watched her with a composed expression and said, coaxing her along, “Good little sister—no, good elder sister.

You nearly died at the hands of the Celestial Venerable Hongtian not long ago, and it was I who saved you.

If I meant you harm, would I have rescued you? ” The Western Emperor hugged her tail and sobbed aloud. Shen Mu’s head began to ache.

“Stop crying! ” he barked. Still clutching her tail, the Western Emperor lifted her head and looked at him with tear-blurred eyes.

Shen Mu’s heart softened at once, and he said in a gentle voice, “Rest assured—I am the Undying Grand Magus of Ten Thousand Kalpas.

Even if you died, I would have ways to bring you back to life.

Rest assured, rest assured. Who knows, perhaps if you died once, you could cast off the shackles of the ancient gods and win your freedom! By then, you too could master the art of forging, and who could kill you? ” “Swear it! ” “I swear by the Earth Lord! ” The Western Emperor turned from grief to joy and became cheerful again.

The Divine King Langwo, sneering without pause from the side, said coolly, “The Holy Infant is quite the hand at coaxing young ladies.

” Shen Mu said softly, “Elder Sister Langwo.

.

. ” “That won’t work on me!

” The Divine King Langwo turned and walked away.

“I do not believe a great emperor of the ancient gods could have intentions so simple!

” Shen Mu’s heart tightened.

The contradiction between the ancient gods and the Creators was, indeed, his greatest problem at present. The Ten Celestial Venerables had conflicts of their own, but none ran as deep as the enmity between the ancient gods and the Creators!

He was now treading on thin ice, and with the slightest carelessness, he might fall into ruin beyond all recovery!