The muzzle of the gun was as dark as it could be, and it seemed to contain a cold, deathly intent. Degas stared at it, and then unconsciously released his domain, enveloping Xu Mu within it.
The sense of danger vanished instantly.
"Within my domain, I can still dodge with ease, so your so-called handgun is still not as formidable as the weapons I forge," Master Degas said, concealing his inner shock.
He knew very well what the creation of such a weapon signified. If it could be mass-produced and deployed on the battlefield, it would undoubtedly change the entire global landscape. Awakened individuals would no longer hold a dominant position, and the entire human race would be thrown into turmoil.
And he, at that time, would truly be the foremost forging master in the world!
"Do you not find it laughable to say that?" Xu Mu sneered, retracting the sniper rifle. He understood perfectly well the purpose behind the other's words; it was merely to increase his bargaining power.
"Very well, state your demands." Master Degas calmed himself briefly and then asked.
"Tell me everything you know about Alfheim, and this weapon is yours," Xu Mu said, looking at him.
Upon hearing this, Master Degas's body stiffened, and his eyes narrowed imperceptibly. "Everyone who comes to Tu Cheng aims for Alfheim. If you're seeking information, you should go to the adventurer's guilds or the black market. Why bother a mere blacksmith like me."
"This old man truly knows nothing."
Xu Mu shook his head. "Master Degas, you jest. You are likely the person who knows Alfheim best in this world."
"Young friend, why do you say that? I am a blacksmith. All my life, except for a yearning for Alfheim in my youth, I haven't been there for decades," Degas smiled slightly, his expression calm.
"I can offer you the finest weapon I've ever forged in exchange. How about that?"
"Do I look like I lack weapons?" Xu Mu said, subtly glancing at the Dragon Seeking Ruler. He noticed the pointer was directed precisely at Degas, and he couldn't help but smile faintly. "That is your homeland, how can you say you know nothing of it?"
Boom!
His words struck Degas like lightning. Master Degas's heart trembled violently, his pupils contracting to an extreme.
This was undoubtedly his greatest secret, one he had painstakingly guarded for decades without anyone discovering it. Even the half-elves couldn't tell, so how did Xu Mu know?
"I don't understand what you're talking about." Master Degas narrowed his eyes, slowly picking up the artifact in his hand and pretending to forge it with concentration, unwilling to let Xu Mu detect his abnormality.
"Are you not a dwarf?" Xu Mu asked, stroking Qiongqi's fur, his voice calm.
"My stature is indeed short, but that is a congenital condition and has nothing to do with the dwarves you speak of," Master Degas continued.
"But besides the dwarves, who else in the world possesses such excellent forging techniques?" Xu Mu slowly walked up to Degas, his voice carrying a certain magical quality. "I won't reveal your secret. Of course, in return, you must tell me the secrets of Alfheim."
"Are you threatening me?" Degas put down the object in his hand and immediately looked up. His aged, cloudy eyes were filled with pressure, staring at Xu Mu with killing intent. Xu Mu, however, met his gaze with a smile, completely unafraid.
"If you wish to kill me, you can try."
"However, if you make a move, I can't guarantee who will be the one to die," Xu Mu said in a level tone.
Thus, they stared at each other. After an unknown amount of time, Qiongqi in Xu Mu's arms seemed to wake up, stretched lazily, and yawned. Master Degas's face twitched slightly, and he then averted his gaze.
"I must disappoint you. Although I am a dwarf, I have never set foot in my homeland. Otherwise, the holy relics would have been mine long ago." Degas sealed the room to prevent any sounds from escaping and admitted his dwarf identity.
"It doesn't matter if you haven't been there. As long as you tell me all that you know, the secrets of Alfheim, I will go find them myself," Xu Mu said.
"You won't find it. Before the Apocalypse, I spent decades wandering and searching for clues to the Elven Kingdom and the Dwarven Nation, but it was all in vain," Master Degas said with a weathered voice.
"Perhaps you lacked a bit of luck." Xu Mu took out the P92 handgun, spun it, its black sheen glinting, and then presented it to Master Degas. "What I need is your experience over the years. Tell me everything you've seen and know. Whether you can find it is my business."
Xu Mu's gaze was calm, and his voice was filled with temptation. "Once you've told me, this gun is yours."
"Follow me," Master Degas said after a moment of silence. He then jumped down from the forging platform and led Xu Mu to his resting room.
The furnishings in this room were very simple, almost identical to Xu Mu's home in the Domain of Twisted Night. The only difference was that a mirror hung on the wall in his home, while here, a painting hung.
The painting depicted a vast desert.
Master Degas took it down and, from behind the frame, withdrew a folded sheepskin scroll, covered in numerous inscriptions, clearly a kind of mysterious map.
"This is a map of the central region of Alfheim, drawn from what I've seen and heard over the years," Degas spread the map on the floor. It was four to five meters long and wide, astonishing Xu Mu.
"Don't let its size fool you; it's merely a corner of Alfheim. And after so many years of sandstorms, some places might have already disappeared," Master Degas said with a sigh, pointing to the ruins, underground palaces, and the lairs of desert monsters marked on it.
"At the very top is the central part of Alfheim. I once set foot there for a moment, but soon after, a terrifying sandstorm arose, obscuring the sky. Even domain-level great demons would have been torn apart. But perhaps because that land knew I was a dwarf, I was merely blown away and survived with severe injuries."
"From then on, I never dared to set foot in Alfheim again."
After hearing this, Xu Mu nodded thoughtfully. It seemed that the structure of Alfheim was very similar to the Western Mountain in the Domain of Twisted Night, divided into outer, middle, and core parts.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Xu Mu, who was contemplating the map, uttered a question. He realized that the simple depiction of the central region of Alfheim drawn by Degas bore a striking resemblance to the fragment of Fuxi's map he had exchanged for one million points in the Dark Palace!
"The places marked with heavy ink on this map are where I personally walked. The lighter marks are what I've gathered and emulated over the years, traveling far and wide, based on what I've heard from various adventurer groups and the like. Believe it or not," Master Degas said, slowly rolling up the map in his hand and handing it to Xu Mu, not noticing Xu Mu's anomaly.
At this moment, Xu Mu was incredibly excited. The fact that this map could be pieced together with Fuxi's fragment already proved its value. Trading a handgun for this was a massive profit!
"It's not enough," Xu Mu said calmly, not taking the map. He shook his head and said, "As I said earlier, this is more of a negotiation than a simple trade."
"You insisted on saving Wu Zhen, which has already diminished some of your value as a bargaining chip. You need to offer something more."
Master Degas's eyes filled with anger. He thought to himself, this was the culmination of his life's work, and it wasn't enough to exchange for a weapon?
"Then I'll tell you another secret, one you can't use, but one that is most valuable," Master Degas snorted, and then continued:
"The laws of heaven and earth in Alfheim are extremely chaotic, especially closer to the central region. I even suspect that the Elven Kingdom and the Dwarven Nation are illusions, existing in another dimension. So, even if you enter the central region, it will be of no use."
"You can only find the true Elven Kingdom by following the path of the sandstorms. But as I said, those sandstorms are too dangerous; they can tear apart domain lords. So, even if you know this, it's of no use."
After Master Degas finished speaking, Xu Mu nodded thoughtfully. Then, he took the map with one hand, placed it on Qiongqi's claws, and handed the handgun over.
"Pleasure doing business with you," Xu Mu said with a smile. This trip was indeed fruitful, and he had gained immensely. The sandstorms might be incredibly powerful, but with his mastery of Feng Shui and the Dragon Seeking Ruler by his side, and Qiongqi possessing the Great Dao of Space, breaking through should not be difficult.
"Young man, can you tell me how you recognized me?" Master Degas asked curiously, fondling the handgun.
He had been forging here for over a decade, and no one had ever recognized him. Xu Mu, having just arrived, had exposed his identity, which he found utterly bewildering.
"Because I happened to have read ancient texts of Alfheim. Because you are a dwarf and love forging, a little probing from me was enough for you to confess," Xu Mu said, not mentioning the Dragon Seeking Ruler.
"Alright. Then when are you planning to depart? There are considerations when entering Alfheim. The sandstorms in the outer regions follow predictable patterns; you must avoid them," Master Degas coughed a little unhappily, and then continued:
"There's an adventurer group to the east of the city that ventures into Alfheim periodically in search of treasures. They know more about the current rules there than I do."
"Master, thank you for your generous advice. I am grateful," Xu Mu said with a smile.
"You're welcome. If you truly find the Dwarven Nation, please tell me where it is. I wish to go home," Master Degas said with a weathered expression.
Xu Mu nodded. "I can."
"Then I shall not trouble Master further and take my leave."
With that, he turned and walked out of the room. Qiongqi's two small paws tightly clutched the sheepskin scroll, seemingly quite curious about its contents.
Master Degas watched Xu Mu's retreating figure. The weathered expression on his face slowly vanished, replaced by a look of coldness and killing intent.
"Nash, keep an eye on him for me. Absolutely do not lose sight of him. There's definitely something strange about this kid!"
"Understood." As Nash's voice echoed, a flash of emerald green light flickered within the room, and Nash's figure appeared.