Chapter 1254

Only the most top-tier forgers on the main road could possibly forge a spirit weapon!

The divine-armament forgers of the ancient era were able to forge divine weapons. But nowadays, a spirit weapon is the strongest weapon a top-tier forger can produce as a fallback, and forgers capable of crafting spirit weapons can be counted on one hand — who would have thought Master Lin Cheng was one of them.

Truly unexpected! He hadn't made this trip for nothing.

"You go take part in the Inscription Duel Friendly Match one month from now. Whether you win or lose, I'll help you forge it. But if you don't place in the top three, then I'd advise you to bring them back with you."

Pero Qiqiya seemed to have anticipated this and nodded.

"I understand… then how should the cost of materials be calculated?"

"The Breath Earth you've paid is enough to offset the cost of materials. When the match ends, I'll hand them over to you, and you can give me the payment then."

"Yes, Master."

They accused the Cilperi Kingdom of having stolen the relic treasures that originally belonged to the Taji Kingdom, and strongly demanded that the Cilperi Kingdom return the treasures. They even went so far as to station troops at the border. The two sides negotiated dozens of times, yet could never agree on each other's bottom-line conditions. In the end, both sides gradually lost patience. The Taji Kingdom, which was superior in both military strength and overall national power, gradually developed the idea of simply seizing the treasures by force.

In response, the Cilperi Kingdom was by no means a pushover either.

Pero Qiqiya's younger sister, Pero Ayana, came to find him, hoping her brother could persuade their father the king to continue negotiations with the Taji Kingdom, and not let the citizens of both nations be forcibly dragged into an innocent war.

In terms of military strength, although the Taji Kingdom was superior, if the Cilperi Kingdom resolved to make the Taji Kingdom pay, it could certainly force the other side to pay an enormous price.

But such a price was likewise one the Cilperi Kingdom could not bear.

The Western Regions did not consist solely of the Cilperi and Taji Kingdoms. Once they both suffered heavy losses, the other kingdoms would only take advantage of the situation to swoop in!

"Brother, war cannot solve problems — it will only bring greater hatred to both sides! If Mother were still alive, I believe she too would not wish to see this scene."

"I know."

But at the time, Pero Qiqiya's mind was wholly immersed in the mysterious weapon on the sheepskin blueprint. He believed that the weapon brought out from the ancient ruins could allow the Cilperi Kingdom to defeat the Taji Kingdom, and even utterly destroy the Taji Kingdom, thereby incorporating them into the Cilperi Kingdom's territory.

If that were so, the Cilperi Kingdom would henceforth become the Cilperi Empire!

The swelling of desire was accompanied by an infinite increase in confidence.

"Sister, I believe this is for a longer-lasting peace. If we can defeat the Taji Kingdom, then we can bring about a more enduring peace for the citizens of both nations!"

"But Brother… the history of the various kingdoms of the Western Regions tells us that war will only plant the seeds of hatred between the two nations, passed down generation after generation… until one side is annihilated and buried in the long river of history."

"That's why we have it! It will lead us to victory!" Pero Qiqiya raised the sheepskin blueprint in his hand high, his face full of confidence, and in his heart he was all the more convinced that their Cilperi Kingdom would win the war!

"But Brother…"

"There's no 'but' about it — we will definitely win the war! Sister."

In the end, everything was in vain.

"Looking back now, it would have been better if I had listened to you back then, so that you too could have… Sigh." Pero Qiqiya stood at the window of his room, a bitter smile on his face, his eyes gazing absently at the starry sky above. Suddenly, the starry sky seemed to transform into his sister's appearance, still with that familiar smile, affectionately calling him "Brother."

Pero Qiqiya excitedly reached out his hand, but the illusion dissipated at this very moment — the stars before his eyes were still stars, unchanged in the slightest.

"The deceased are gone, and regret serves no purpose… now I can only do my utmost to stop the war from continuing!"

His fist was clenched tight, his fingernails digging into the flesh, yet he felt nothing at all. Now, in Pero Qiqiya's heart, there remained only the firm resolve to stop the war.

Only by bringing back the weapon on the sheepskin blueprint could the war between the two nations be ended!

Because this was… his pact with the King of the Taji Kingdom!

The Western Regions.

The Cilperi Kingdom.

Pero Qiqiya's father sat upright upon a throne forged of gold, his hair a head full of white, his face showing obvious weariness and sorrow, along with a measure of worry.

Even though it was already deep into the night, he did not have the slightest inclination to sleep; on the contrary, he grew ever more anxious.

The situation at the front lines was dire, and he desperately needed some good news before he could sleep. Yet the shameless Taji Kingdom had actually formed an alliance with the Lei Dun Kingdom, solely to annex the Cilperi Kingdom.

He had assumed the Taji Kingdom had come only for the relic treasures, but who could have imagined that from beginning to end, their real aim had been the Cilperi Kingdom itself! They merely used the relics as a pretext to wage war against the Cilperi Kingdom, and secretly colluded with the Lei Dun Kingdom to launch a joint attack against them.

Suddenly, the tightly shut doors of the great hall were thrown open from outside — it was a front-line soldier covered in blood coming to report.