Chapter 1216: The Theory of Purity! A Promise

Chapter 1216: The Purity of Words! A Promise

To the side, Gick and Sely watched the teacher and grandfather with a strange unfamiliarity.

In their eyes, this venerable elder—once so worthy of respect—had suddenly become unfamiliar, almost alien.

The Emperor had merely expressed his own opinion. How could the teacher or grandfather suddenly appear so stirred, so biased, as if provoked by a single word?

Zhou Zhou saw this and smiled faintly.

"Your Majesty, do not be angry," he said.

"I haven't finished speaking yet."

"Has Your Majesty recently felt that, when forging divine artifacts, your focus has diminished compared to before?"

"Does Your Majesty feel that the present you are, differs greatly from the self you once were?"

"Does Your Majesty find, in certain aspects, that you are now even inferior to the man you once were?"

"Do you feel, compared to the weak version of yourself from long ago, your progress has slowed—perhaps even that you've grown duller, more ordinary than before?"

As soon as Zhou Zheng began speaking, Olofa's eyes widened involuntarily.

The more Zhou Zheng spoke, the more stunned Olofa's expression grew. By the time he reached the end, Olofa had gone utterly silent.

Zhou Zheng smiled gently. "It seems the Marquis has already sensed it."

"You possess countless treasures that other beings dream of—status, power, prestige. To others, you've already reached the very end of their aspirations. Yet precisely because of these possessions, you've fallen into complacency. To be blunt, you've been dragged down by these riches, losing the purity you once held."

"Purity—while perhaps unimportant in other matters—is absolutely vital in the craft of forging!"

"In fact, to reach the pinnacle of mastery, purity is one of the most decisive factors determining whether a technique succeeds or fails!"

"Marquis Olofa, you possess a master-level talent. In truth, you already hold the entry ticket to the gates of the Master of Creation."

"But if you linger too long, even become obsessed, with the flowers and scenery along the way, that very ticket might expire and become invalid."

Olofa's mouth hung open, staring blankly at Zhou Zhou.

At this moment, the Zhou Zhou seen in His eyes seemed to take on the form of His teacher's presence.

Those words echoed once more in His ears.

[Apprentice.]

[Let go.]

[What you cherish has become the chain binding you.]

Orolfa had once thought that his teacher meant he was too fixated on pursuing the Master of Creation, neglecting whether his own talents were sufficient to fulfill that dream.

Now, it seemed, his teacher's true meaning was not that at all—but rather, exactly as the Celestial Emperor Regent beneath the imperial crown had said: what he cherished was his status, power, reputation, identity, and resources within the Sun God's Court.

It was these very things that had shaped him, fostered a sense of comfort and complacency, and ultimately imprisoned him.

After a long silence, Orolfa chuckled bitterly:

"These things—how could I not know?"

"But knowing is one thing; stepping out of it is another entirely."

"Am I to abandon everything I have right now, and merely pursue the Master of Creation?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zheng replied:

"It all depends on the choices made by the Crown of Olofa, and you needn't forfeit everything."

"Moreover, I'd like to remind you once more—if you truly achieve the title of Master of Creation, you will possess far more than you do now."

"If you are hindered by the trials along the way and fail to attain that title, you will still be a true god-level master artisan of divine instruments. What you've lost can all be reclaimed."

"It's simply a matter of whether the Crown of Olofa dares to make this choice."

Upon hearing this, Olofa's face immediately showed signs of inner turmoil.

Seeing that he had hesitated for so long without making a decision, Zhou Zheng finally revealed his ultimate move—and the true purpose behind all his words.

"Crown of Olofa, join my Imperial Sun Dominion."

"If Your Eminence Olofa is willing to join my Sun Empire, I guarantee that you will become a Master of Artifact Creation in the future!"

Zhou Zheng said.

"…Is Your Eminence truly speaking the truth?!"

Olofa was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, and then spoke in sheer disbelief.

Within the myriad realms of the heavens, even a legendary Supreme God could not guarantee with absolute certainty that a True God-tier artifact smith could become a Master of Artifact Creation.

For Lord Gods were deities who walked their own distinct paths of law, and the legal path of every single Lord God was entirely unique; thus, it was exceedingly difficult for a True God to achieve the status of a Lord God with the assistance of another deity.

This path was one that could almost only be walked alone!

Therefore, he found the words spoken by Zhou Zheng to be utterly inconceivable.

Could this Emperor of Common People truly accomplish such a feat?

Yet, considering the Supreme Will's favor toward this lord, there did indeed seem to be a shred of possibility…

With this thought, a restless energy stirred within His heart.

"Whatever I say, shall be true," said Zhou Zheng with a faint, amused smile.

Joking?

He had already promised the War God, that He would aid them in ascending to the rank of Supreme Deity.

Such a preposterous request He had already agreed to—how could He now fear a mere request from a Creator Master of Divine Rank?

One day, He would find a Divine-Rank Creator Master, kill them, extract their "Book of Divine Beings," and hand it over to you.

"...Then I, Orolfa, shall join Your Majesty's Sun Empire!"

After pondering deeply upon Zhou Zheng's words, he finally agreed.

Once this decision was made, he couldn't help but let out a quiet, unconscious sigh—feeling as though a heavy burden had finally been released.

At this moment, Zhou Zheng smiled and said, "No need to rush. First, settle your affairs within the Sun God Court, and then come to me to take up your post."

"By the way."

"This is your reward."

Zhou Zheng tossed over a world ring.

After receiving it, Olofa entered the ring with his divine awareness and found within it not only a complete set of true god-tier divine artifact gear, but also precisely one hundred sets of blueprints for crafting true god-tier divine artifacts.

In that instant,

even Olofa, a true god-tier divine artifact master from the elite master faction of the Sun God Court, was utterly still, stunned.

Whether it was the six divine artifacts or the hundred sets of blueprints—each one was a colossal sum, beyond measure.

He had never expected that just upon joining the Prairieland Empire, he would receive such a generous gift.

At that very moment, the tension and unease that had gripped him as he prepared to leave the Sun God Court began to dissolve, fading like mist under the morning sun.

It was not merely because of the true divine artifacts and their forging blueprints, but because of the sheer power and future potential of the Sun-Scorched Empire that they represented.

"My deepest gratitude, Your Eminence,"

Olofa said with profound reverence.

Zhou Zheng nodded in acknowledgment.

After they conversed a while longer, Olofa took his leave and departed.

He needed to return to the Solar Divine Court to finalize the formalities of his resignation.

"Your Majesty, will my master be alright?"

Jike could not help but ask, his voice tinged with worry.

Beside him, Xili wore an identical expression of deep concern.

"Rest assured,"

"The Emperor has already calculated it—He will return safely," Zhou Zheng smiled.

Ji Ke and Xi Li exhaled in relief.

...

Meanwhile.

The ruins of the Primordial Elf Empire.

In the remnants of the Imperial Palace.

Zhou Zhou and the revived Natty stood here.

Before them stood a newly erected tombstone.

Exactly the grave marker for Elisaar.