Chapter 3330: A Proper Clue To The Dwarfs

Daoist Chu immediately recognized several high-grade formation materials inside the chests and his eyes glimmered. Though his gaze particularly locked onto the Leviathan Shells. These weren’t from the Leviathan Beasts themselves, just from the mollusks that lived in their territory.

"I didn’t know there were still active Leviathans here." Daoist Chu asked, feeling surprised.

Leviathans were highly dangerous aquatic beasts and easily ranked in the top beasts living in oceans. They were often Transcendent Beasts and were terrifyingly territorial. No beast or humanoid races dared to enter their territories.

"There are indeed some that live in deep trenches. But we dare not intrude in their territories. these fragments are merely what we found washed up hundreds of kilometers from their lands." The Mermaid explained.

"No wonder." Daoist Chu muttered.

Meng Bai, on the other hand, saw a set of pale blue elixirs and nearly gasped.

"These are perfect for Water Elemental cultivation," the Merkin leader said. "They were created from the condensed marrow of tide-serpent beasts. Only a few bottles remain in our tribe. We offer them to you."

Meng Bai bowed so fast that he almost hit his head on the coral floor. "Thank you very much."

Lin Mu nodded gratefully as well. "Your generosity is appreciated."

The Fishkin representatives brought forward their own offerings. Their leader, a stout man with broad shoulders and the head of a Snapper Fish, carried a box containing a single black-metallic fang.

"This is the Fang of a Deep Abyss Sea Wolf," the Fishkin elder said. "It contains strong water and darkness attributes. We hope it serves you well."

Daoist Chu accepted it with respect. Even Cattaleya was surprised by the amount of effort shown by the clans. Clearly the information Lin Mu brought meant far more to them than they had first let on.

After the gifts were exchanged and the formal words were spoken, one of the younger clan members stepped closer. It was Shanhu Guimen. Her expression was calm, yet there was something wistful in her eyes.

"Senior Lin Mu," she asked softly, "what will all of you do after this? Will you remain in the Nine Seas World longer?"

Lin Mu opened his mouth to respond, but Elyon beat him to it.

"We originally came here to investigate dwarves," the wolfkin said. "We are looking for specific clans of them."

Shanhu Guimen blinked, surprised.

She turned toward the patriarch. "Patriarch, did not a small group of dwarves visit us about ten years ago? I remember they bought a large quantity of metal ore."

The patriarch nodded. "Yes. They come every decade or so." He paused and looked toward Lin Mu’s group. "They trade for rare marine metals found in the deepest trenches. These metals cannot be found anywhere else. The dwarves trust us because we do not cheat them. Humans often tried to scam them in the past."

Meng Bai snorted softly at that. "Scam them?"

One of the elders chuckled. "Yes. Many merchants tried selling false marine metals, or impure ores. The dwarves do not tolerate that. They prefer making long journeys to avoid paying even a fraction more."

This made Meng Bai grin widely. "That sounds exactly like dwarves."

Daoist Chu leaned forward, thoughtful. "Are these the same dwarves who trade at the Granite Crown Kingdom?"

The patriarch shook his head. "They do visit that place, but the ones who come to us are different. The dwarves in the Granite Crown Kingdom focus on common ores. The ones who visit us procure extremely rare materials that are meant for trade with other worlds."

Cattaleya crossed her arms. "Then these might be the ones we need. They will probably know something about the Mountain Dwarves or the Fireforge Dwarves."

Lin Mu asked, "Patriarch, what kind of dwarves are they exactly?"

The patriarch replied, "Rune Dwarves."

Elyon almost stumbled forward. "Rune Dwarves? Here?"

The patriarch nodded. "We did not know at first. Rune Dwarves closely resemble Hill Dwarves. Unless they demonstrate their rune knowledge, you cannot tell the difference. They revealed their identity after many years of trading and trust."

Lin Mu recalled the descriptions he had read before.

Rune Dwarves were infamous for their mastery of inscription techniques and the creation of intricate rune plates that could be easily added to any armor or weapon to boost its properties. They were among the hardest dwarves to find.

Shanhu Guimen spoke hesitantly. "Patriarch, perhaps we can provide Senior Lin Mu with something to help contact them."

Lin Mu nodded. "That would be very helpful."

Without hesitation, Shanhu Haiyang took out a writing brush made from Sea Feather Reed. He poured a bit of ink from a Blue Coral Inkstone and began writing a short but formal document. A minute later he handed over a jade-slip-thin letter embedded with his personal seal.

"This letter carries my trust and my recommendation," he said. "The Rune Dwarves do not trust anyone easily. But they trust our clan. Present this letter and they will hear what you have to say."

Lin Mu bowed deeply. "Thank you, Patriarch."

Daoist Chu then asked, "Do you know where the Rune Dwarves currently reside?"

The patriarch sighed. "We do not know exactly. They sometimes visit the capital to purchase basic materials or trade information. But I overheard one of them mention a location in the Granite Crown Kingdom. A place where a perfect Flame Energy leyline exists."

The moment he said that, Elyon straightened with wide eyes. "I might know what they are talking about."

Everyone turned to him.

Elyon continued, "a few hundred years ago, during a different mission, I heard rumors of an abandoned mine in the Granite Crown Kingdom. A forge mine to contain one of the purest Flame leylines in this world. It was originally sealed away due to instability, but I suspect the Rune Dwarves may have taken interest in it."

Lin Mu’s eyes brightened. "Then that is where we will go next."

The group exchanged determined nods.

A new path had just opened.

A path leading toward the elusive Rune Dwarves.

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