Chapter 163

Chapter 163: Discovered Forging Weapons Along the Way

Leng Qianrou possessed not only breathtaking beauty but also a noble aura. Thus, when she appeared at the Lou Family, the entire residence was abuzz. Almost everyone, regardless of gender, surged out just to catch a glimpse of her elegance.

Even surrounded by so many onlookers, Leng Qianrou showed neither coyness nor embarrassment. Instead, she nodded and smiled generously and naturally at everyone, greeting them.

Anyone who saw her smile felt as if basking in the spring breeze, filled with an indescribable joy.

Of course, Lou Yun was the happiest. Upon hearing the servant’s announcement, he immediately rushed from the back mountain to the front courtyard and arrived before Leng Qianrou, exclaiming excitedly, "Sister Leng, you’ve arrived! Sorry I couldn’t come out to greet you!"

Seeing Lou Yun, Leng Qianrou’s smile brightened even further: "I’ve heard from my brother about your situation. You are now a clan head with many matters to handle; how could I expect you to greet me? But starting today, us siblings will be imposing ourselves on you!"

"Sister Leng, please don’t tease me," Lou Yun replied. "I’m overjoyed that you and Big Brother Leng will be staying here. How could it be an imposition? Please, come in, come in."

Lou Yun warmly led the way for Leng Qianrou, taking her into the main hall and seating her.

When the Lou family learned that this beauty, unparalleled in both aura and appearance, was the younger sister of Leng Cangqiong, the White-haired God of Death, everyone was utterly astonished. Who could have imagined that such a ruthless and cold God of Death would have such a gentle and kind-hearted sister?

…

Now that Leng Cangqiong had returned, it was time for Lou Yun to prepare to leave. Before departing, he meticulously arranged all family affairs, delegating full authority to his three uncles to handle them.

Though Lou Yun had only been clan head for five days, his achievements during that time surpassed anything previous heads had managed in five or even fifty years. Consequently, he had earn the respect and acceptance of nearly all the Lou family members. Even Lou Tianlei’s family, though perhaps inwardly displeased, carried out Lou Yun’s instructions without the slightest hesitation.

To express his apology, Lou Yun stayed an extra day to fulfill his duty as host and spend time with Leng Qianrou. He got up early the next morning, ready to set off.

The Lou family gathered at the main gate to see him off. By now, everyone knew Lou Yun surely harbored secrets beyond their understanding. Therefore, instead of any resentment over him leaving at this time, they felt deep reluctance to part. Lou Yun truly felt this blood-deep familial bond shared among those of the Lou bloodline.

Lou Yun had already given all necessary instructions beforehand, so there was little more to say. Smiling, he waved to the crowd: "Dear clanspeople, I will return from this trip as fast as I can. While I’m away, family affairs will be handled by my father and the others. Also, I hope you will diligently practice hard and not slack off. Remember—the strength you gain from cultivation is your own!"

Everyone naturally agreed. Lou Tianming was extremely reluctant to see his son—home for only five days after two years away—leave again. But as a father, especially to a child like Lou Yun, born with a destiny different from most, all he could do was offer unconditional support for his son’s choices.

"Son, you’ve grown up. You know what you need to know; I need say no more. Return early; we’ll be waiting for you!"

"I understand, Father!" Lou Yun suddenly remembered something: "I have some friends, Zuo Mingyang and Yi Jin Guan. They have two children with them, a boy and a girl, who are my disciples. I had instructed them long ago to come to Lingjiang City and stay at our home. But at the time, no one was here, and they seem to have gone somewhere unknown. I worry about them deeply. If you hear any news about them whatsoever, be sure to find a way to bring them to the Lou family house."

"Alright, I’ll have people investigate."

Lou Yun was constantly troubled by his inability to find Zuo Mingyang, Yi Jin Guan, and the others. After all, it was their trust in him that made them leave their hometowns to come to Lingjiang City.

Leng Cangqiong smiled and nodded at Lou Yun: "Be careful yourself. Remember, if you can’t win, run away. There’s no shame in it. As long as you live, there will be plenty of opportunities for revenge!"

"Thank you for the advice, Big Brother!" Lou Yun stuck out his tongue at Leng Cangqiong. "But Big Brother, I entrust the safety of the Lou family to you!"

"Rest assured."

Those two simple words truly settled Lou Yun’s heart and laid his worries to rest. Once more, he looked carefully at each person’s face, waved at the crowd, then turned and strode off with swift strides.

Now, only a little over two months remained until the start of the Forging Conference, which was to be held at Yao Lin Valley in the southern part of the Spirit Weapon Star. During this time at home, Lou Yun had carefully studied the map of the Spirit Weapon Star and committed it to memory, so he knew the route perfectly.

Well before setting off, Lou Yun had calculated the time. Traveling at the speeds he could achieve once he utilized his movement technique, two months should be sufficient for the journey.

Originally, Lou Yun had also considered visiting the Ancient Weapon Academy and the Spirit Weapon Sect this time. The Ancient Weapon Academy was a given—Xia Zhilan, whom he regarded as his fiancée, was there, along with Old Man Feng and others. Having been away from them for so long, he naturally missed them and wanted to visit. The Spirit Weapon Sect, however, was entirely different. As one of the largest sects in Gu Feng Nation, they had no direct ties to him. Yet they had stepped forward to vouch for him when he was framed by the Han family. For this alone, he felt he absolutely had to pay a personal visit to express his gratitude.

However, if he headed for the Ancient Weapon Academy and Spirit Weapon Sect now, there would definitely not be enough time. Therefore, Lou Yun could only decide against the visits this time, resolving to go see them when he returned to Gu Feng Nation after participating in the Forging Conference.

To avoid any unexpected events that might delay him, Lou Yun stuck to main roads as much as possible. He also kept his spiritual senses limited to a radius of only a few hundred meters, never extending them farther. He was afraid that if he encountered injustice again, he wouldn’t be able to resist stepping in.

Thus, Lou Yun traveled while focusing on his cultivation and snatching moments to study forging skills. Though he didn’t fully understand why Beichen Ming insisted he attend the Forging Conference, he had agreed, and he still needed to seek Beichen Ming’s help. Therefore, he felt he needed to earn at least some recognition or achieve some result during the conference.

The highest rank of common weapon Lou Yun could currently forge was a Mystery Rank common weapon. The distinctive feature of a Mystery Rank magical weapon was flight. Hence, the common weapon needed flight capability too. Though Beichen Ming hadn’t told him how to forge one, Lou Yun was the disciple of the Divine Forger, Mr. Commoner. The methods for forging not only a mere Mystery Rank common weapon, but even an Emperor-grade common weapon, were clearly explained to him.

The special abilities possessed by common weapons stem from the Weapon Core!

The Weapon Core could amplify spiritual energy, enabling the common weapon to exhibit the abilities of a magical weapon. This depends on the shape of the Weapon Core, the quality and attributes of the spiritual crystals fused into it, and the rank and properties of the beast soul.

For a common weapon to allow flight under the user’s guidance via emitted spiritual energy, its internal Weapon Core must be able to harness wind power. This means the core must possess wind attribute.

Among the five-element attributes—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—there was no wind. However, in the Bagua (Eight Trigrams), wind is present and belongs to the Wood element. Therefore, the Weapon Core needed a wood attribute component.

Lou Yun searched through all the beast souls his master had left him but couldn’t find a single one containing the wood attribute. He had to temporarily abandon the idea of forging a common weapon himself. He considered killing a demon beast, but there were problems: firstly, he traveled main roads where demon beasts were rarely encountered; secondly, even if found, low-level beasts wouldn’t suffice—only a Mystery Rank demon beast would do. Such high-level demon beasts often possess intelligence and aren’t easy to find or kill!

Left with no choice, Lou Yun focused solely on theoretical study. He carefully reread the forging knowledge imparted by his master several times until he finally felt somewhat confident.

Time flew by as Lou Yun journeyed, consuming one and a half months. On this particular day, Lou Yun suddenly felt a surge of spiritual energy churn within him. His heart leaped—he knew his magical weapon had reached another minor breakthrough stage. Though only a small level advancement, it still required devouring a common weapon. Lou Yun decided he wouldn’t use one of the common weapons his master left behind this time. Instead, he would forge one himself, treating it as practice to warm himself up for the upcoming Forging Conference.

Calculating the distance and time, he estimated it was roughly ten days to Yao Lin Valley, with a full fifteen days still left before the conference opened. The time for his magical weapon’s advancement was absolutely sufficient. So Lou Yun made up his mind. He gradually left the main road and sped towards remote wilderness areas devoid of people.

After racing nearly a hundred kilometers, Lou Yun finally found a secluded and relatively hidden small valley. The surroundings were desolate of human presence, and he detected no energy fluctuations. He decided to forge the common weapon here.

Lou Yun first began carefully selecting suitable materials. He had to forge at least an Advanced two-star common weapon. Though flight, not defensive capability, was the key function now, he still couldn’t be too careless. Plus, forging it for himself meant he shouldn’t skimp. Therefore, Lou Yun added another piece of third-tier spiritual crystal.

Once everything was prepared, the Chaos Golden Cauldron rotated out from within Lou Yun’s body, slowly descending to rest on the ground, about a meter high.

Despite the isolated location, Lou Yun didn’t make the Chaos Golden Cauldron too large. It would be problematic if someone saw it.

Lou Yun was very familiar with the weapon forging process. Furthermore, after absorbing the Fusang Fire, his control over the heavenly flames was far more practiced than before. So, after tossing all the materials, including the spiritual crystal, into the cauldron, he almost immediately channeled the flames to begin the smelting.

The forging process proceeded smoothly, taking only about the time it takes a stick of incense to burn before the common weapon took shape. Lou Yun calculated the timing and prepared to form the heavenly and earthly marks to awaken the spirit and claim the weapon. However, at that very moment, Chang Xiang’s voice and another surprised exclamation sounded almost simultaneously.

"Someone’s coming!"

"Huh? Someone’s forging weapons here?"