The glow that had emerged after refinement remained, subtle yet unmistakable, like a calm sea hiding unfathomable depths beneath it. He raised his hand, letting the Dao Forge respond to his intent, and summoned a condensed hammer formed purely of Dao Traces.
"Let us see what remains," he said.
The hammer descended.
CLANGG!
The impact rang through the realm like a bell struck at the heart of the world. The sound carried a deep resonance, far heavier than any ordinary metal could produce, and the force of the strike rippled outward in waves that shook the very space around them.
Yet the husk did not move, it did not dent and it did not crack. Instead, something far more astonishing occurred.
WOONG
The hammer rebounded!
The recoil was immediate and violent, traveling back through the connection and into the elder's arm. His body trembled as he absorbed the backlash, his feet sliding a short distance across the ground before he stabilized himself.
