"That is a bold claim, Eternium Knight" the Celestial Dean said in a level voice, as he raised his eyes towards the glove goddess.

"Not really. Who was the one who fished out the mirror from the Destiny River? It was you, right?" the glove answered in a calm voice.

"I fished it out, yes. But it was Demonhunter who noticed it first. His instincts are honed in combat, especially against the Foreign Elements of the Chaos Sea." The Dean answered with a mild grimace.

"It is only a conjecture anyways, not a strong claim. But I intend to verify this at the next student exams. Surely, our powerful Dean can open a way towards the Chaos Sea?" the glove asked in a sneaky tone.

The Dean shifted age into a middle-aged man and frowned. "That would place the students in extreme danger, should an Iron Realm Chaosbeast be around. Those things are always hungry."

The armored teacher nodded in agreement. "Danger and opportunity. These small worlds that we use for tests have been explored and exploited for countless years, it would be a wonder if any student can find some lucky encounter. However, the Chaos Sea..."

"It can be done, little girl. I would just need to find a less dangerous spot in the Chaos Sea. Now, I hear you proposed we offer Eternium weapons for the top three places?" the Dean asked with an intrigued voice.

"Well, I did propose this, should your mighty person agree to help. The Elf will want payment, but I do have someone who will interest him. Shall we?" she offered with a hidden smile. Hidden by her impenetrable helmet, but the Dean seemed to see through it anyways.

The room shifted for a second, and the two of them arrived in front of the Elf Steelsmith's workshop, where a long line of supplicants were waiting for a chance to meet the mighty smith and perhaps obtain a mighty weapon.

The glove simply pounded on her breastplate with her armored glove, producing a high-pitched sound of unmistakable origin, for someone specialized in smithing. Eternium produced a distinct and impressive sound when struck by another Eternium object.

The door of the workshop flew open. "Come in you two, and hurry. The forge formation is getting cold!" a gruff voice called from within.

The Celestial Dean smiled lightly at his teacher's childish antics, then moved inside the protected domain of the famous Steelsmith.

"See, I told you we will meet soon, great Steelsmith. It is the reward of a job well done!" the glove exclaimed in a light voice, then sat down on a tall chair, uninvited.

"It's a wonder you didn't rip out what's left of your hair, with such a teacher in your Academy." the Tier 12 Steelsmith observed in a slightly amused voice, still busy with dialing the complicated arrays of his forge.

"Exactly. The Eternium Knight came to me praising your work, and proposed we obtain some Eternium weapons to reward the best students of the Academy." the Celestial Dean said in a mild voice, almost sounding bored.

"There is someone I know, able to enter the Unreal River even in Silver Realm, and also able to anchor a portal to her inner world. I thought she would interest you, since she is Fay." the glove proposed in a scheming voice, watching as the old Elf Smith perked up at the news.

The old man pinched his fingers as the backtraced the information. "I haven't had a disciple in thousands of Chaos Cycles. They all break too easily. But if this Fey Godmother has the strength to hold a convergence spot on the river..."

Even the Celestial Dean appeared mildly interested at the news, until he traced the news back to the source and saw who the woman was married to. He grinned at the Eternium Knight, getting the trick before it was played. "I will allow you to import this woman from the Middle Heavens, if my teacher is also satisfied." he proclaimed in a careless voice.

"Five weapons, no more. I have backlog orders from twenty High Houses and a few Sects already. And I see you have already obtained a Heart Mirror, little girl." the Steelsmith said with a knowing glance the new Academy teacher, now hidden from his soul sense by a potent heartforce field.

"You can start on four Dao Swords, but the fifth will need to be an upgrade to an existing weapon. I still have to pay some karma back." the Eternium Knight explained with a cute shrug.

The Academy Principal had already upgraded the Heart Dividing Ruler a little, but it wouldn't compare with an infusion of Eternium to strengthten the weapon up into Tier 12.

"Agreed! Now go bring the woman to me, I'll open a way in the Dao Barrier when you signal." the Steelsmith said while flicking a steel leaf-shaped insignia towards the glove goddess.

Smiling inward, the glove caught the insignia and vanished via a mediocre cut into the Sword River.

"Why are you here, Celestial Dean?" the old smith asked in a tired voice, now that the comedic interloper had gone.

"Your Forging Dao has grown again, young Elf. Must be great, having the opportunity to work with rare materials like Eternium." the ancient fisherman observed as he transformed into an old man.

The hidden undertones were not lost on the Elf smith, who was old too, just not as ancient as the Celestial Dean who fought the great Chaos Fiends when the Heavens themselves formed. Of the old masters, only the Dean and the reclusive Demonhunter remained, the rest fallen into rebirth or oblivion.

"Things must be moving again?" the Steelsmith deduced from his long experience.

"Change is always a constant, even if slower for those like us. You remember that strange Mirror of Samsara?" the Dean asked in a weary tone.

"Ah, that Foreign Artifact that inspired you to try your hand at crafting? You did make a nice Copper Realm cauldron, I remember..." the Elf smith muttered as he began heating the forge and melting a bar of Eternium for a sword.

The Celestial Dean added his powerful cultivation into the forge array, making the process much faster and easier on the Steelsmith.

"Even that Purple Cauldron is making its way here, by raising a new Pill Master." the Celestial Dean observed with a wistful voice.

"And that hateful beast that ate the pills inside?" the Elf smith asked in a joking tone. It was something of a fairy-tale story among old wives now: lock the doors tightly lest the Taotie steal your food.

"Still inside the Pagoda, although not a prisoner anymore. Someone managed to tame it. A new student of mine." The Dean grunted as the Eternium Dao Sword took shape inside the forge, glowing with millions of powerful Elvish runes. Soon after, the tribulation bolts fell on the new sword as it gained sentience.

The old Dean had to admire the skill of the Elf Smith, who managed to craft a perfect Divine Steel Artifact on his first attempt.

"One sword for today. Now we drink." the Steelsmith demanded as the Creation River retreated away.

The Dean took out the last bottle of Celestial Wine and poured two careful glasses. Hopefully the kid would start making more such wine, and perhaps even better. It will take quite the effort to secure a hunting ground in the Chaos Sea, and perhaps the help of the old Demonhunter. Who will also want something good to drink.