Chapter 373

Chapter 373: A Single Mighty Force Overwhelms All Tricks

Back when Lou Yun first witnessed Tie Sha strike, it was with this straightforward chopping motion. Cleanly and efficiently, he had cleft an enemy from head to toe into two tidy halves. Such formidable power had left Lou Yun utterly astounded.

Later, as Lou Yun became more familiar with Tie Sha, he learned from Wen Hou’s words that Tie Sha actually knew very few weapon techniques. This was because he had a deep fondness for that direct, no-frills style of attack, especially the straightforward chop—it was practically his favorite.

Though the method was simple, when executed with his near-terrifying strength, it possessed astonishing power all the same!

A single mighty force overwhelms all tricks!

Pure, overwhelming strength was something that could instill fear in the hearts of everyone.

Grasping the giant sword forged for him by Lou Yun, Tie Sha launched this strike using his most favored attack method, channeling all of his strength into it!

He couldn’t see, but everyone else witnessed it clearly: the sea before him cracked open directly down the middle, forming an enormous fissure about two or three meters wide. This fissure extended rigidly forward as Tie Sha’s power continued to emanate, finally stopping after stretching nearly ten meters!

This single sword stroke had cleaved the sea in half!

The seawater, forcibly parted, strained to rush back together. But as long as Tie Sha’s giant sword remained lowered, their efforts were utterly futile!

Everyone except Lou Yun was dumbfounded. They all wore nearly identical expressions of shock, their eyes fixed unwaveringly on the sea surface gradually closing.

Was this truly power unleashed by a human?

The Three Brothers of the Lu Family exchanged glances. The same thought struck each of them: Tie Sha’s strike had actually shaken their Illusionary Sky Formation. What if Tie Sha were inside the formation, eyes open, and unleashed a blow like this? Could it potentially destroy the formation?

They gave a slight, simultaneous nod. They had reached a silent agreement: when the chance arose, they would absolutely have Tie Sha give it a try!

A moment later, Tie Sha’s sword shifted slightly. The seawater before him instantly surged together. The colossal wave that had surged towards the sky subsided. Seemingly, everything returned to calm, as if nothing had ever happened.

Yet, this spectacle, like the dreamlike illusion that preceded it, had seared itself deeply into the minds of all who witnessed it!

Tie Sha hoisted the giant sword onto his shoulder and stood silently for a spell. Then, abruptly, he turned around again and strode purposefully towards Lou Yun.

As he approached, everyone noticed something else: the titanic wave that had blotted out the sky and sea moments earlier had not left a single drop of water on Tie Sha’s body.

They had no idea that the force generated by Tie Sha’s direct chop had instantly formed an invisible barrier before him. Fierce as the wave was, breaching that barrier had been impossible!

Now standing before Lou Yun, Tie Sha gave a solemn nod. "Thank you."

"Haha!" Lou Yun couldn’t help but let out a burst of laughter. He reached out and patted Tie Sha’s shoulder firmly. "Brother, do those words even need to be spoken between you and me?"

In Tie Sha’s life, these were likely the first words of thanks he had ever uttered to another.

While everyone felt immense envy for this brotherly bond between Lou Yun and Tie Sha, what they coveted most was the giant sword resting on Tie Sha’s shoulder!

However, as superb as the sword was, Tie Sha’s own strength was formidable. Most people were aware that even if they received such a weapon, they would never be able to unleash remotely as much power. Consequently, many silently vowed to intensify their cultivation, to elevate their strength—perhaps then, in the future, there might be a chance for Lou Yun to forge a common weapon for them too.

Unexpectedly, Lou Yun’s forging process and Tie Sha’s demonstration caused many to begin earnestly contemplating and pursuing practicing both magical and ordinary skills. This was an unforeseen gain Lou Yun hadn’t anticipated!

"Alright!" Lou Yun clapped his hands. "I’m going to continue forging weapons now. Anyone interested are still welcome to observe. I’m off!"

Lou Yun spent the entire day forging common weapons. Each piece he finished drew envy from the onlookers, almost causing them to drool.

Including the giant sword made for Tie Sha, Lou Yun forged a total of twelve common weapons. Six of them possessed a Weapon Contract!

Even those without a Weapon Contract were still top-tier items within their respective grades!

Lou Yun had crafted these twelve common weapons with specific individuals in mind. The eleven recipients were: Tie Sha, Wen Hou, Chang Feng, Mo Bingju, Xia Zhilan, Lou Tianming, Lou Tianzhi, Lou Tianlei, Lou Qian, Lei Nu, Yi Xuan, and Yi Ru!

These twelve were all people very close to Lou Yun. Chang Feng and Mo Bingju were essentially benefiting from Tie Sha and Wen Hou’s association. Nevertheless, upon receiving their common weapons, their attitude towards Lou Yun naturally shifted considerably.

Lou Yun had initially thought about forging weapons for his two older brothers. But considering their cultivation levels—both were imperial-level magical weapons masters—not only did he doubt his ability to forge such high-grade common weapons currently, but the required materials were simply unavailable. Furthermore, Lou Yun genuinely hoped they could start cultivating with lower-grade common weapons, ideally allowing the weapons to ascend through ranks themselves.

While Lou Yun wished he could forge a common weapon for everyone, the materials were insufficient. He could only offer sincere apologies to the others.

In the end, all participants in this forging event—those who received common weapons and those who didn’t, and Lou Yun himself—were thoroughly satisfied. Everyone gained invaluable insights that would gradually manifest benefits in their cultivation journey.

Seizing the opportunity, Lou Yun reiterated the authentic cultivation method to everyone. He hoped each person would seriously seek out a common weapon and begin cultivating immediately. With Beichen Ming and others present, securing common weapons wouldn’t pose a problem.

Lou Yun had said all he could. As for whether they would heed his advice, he couldn’t control that. He was no savior, unable to cater to everyone’s individual needs.

After the crowd dispersed, leaving Lou Yun alone, Chang Xiang addressed him again, his tone provoked. "Kid, moving tomorrow, I suppose?"

"Well, actually, moving tomorrow might not work out…" Lou Yun sounded apologetic.

"What? You’ve got other matters?" Chang Xiang was genuinely a bit irked. His ire, however, wasn’t for himself—it was actually for Lou Yun, something Lou Yun only came to understand later.

"Truly, there’s one last thing. An exceptionally important thing!" Lou Yun managed a wry smile. "The evil weapons inside my two disciples!"

The notion of helping his two disciples expel the evil weapons inside them—ideally helping them condense magical weapons—was simply something Lou Yun had privately contemplated. Similar to wanting to rapidly boost the cultivation levels of Xia Zhilan and others, or fundamentally change their cultivation paths, the idea felt far too unrealistic. So, he hadn’t brought it up with Chang Xiang.

Chang Xiang’s voice was thick with skepticism. "You want to transform the evil weapons inside your disciples into magical weapons?"

"Yes," Lou Yun sighed. "I know it’s highly unrealistic. But they became evil weapons masters entirely because of me. I bear far too much guilt towards them. Thus, I wish to help them to the absolute best of my ability. The problem is, I’m completely lost regarding how or where to begin. Brother Chang, do you have any ideas?"

Chang Xiang fell silent. Admittedly, Lou Yun’s idea was audacious. But he also knew: once this notion took root in Lou Yun’s mind, if thwarted, it could become a significant burden, potentially hindering Lou Yun’s future cultivation path. That was an outcome Chang Xiang could neither accept nor permit.

Lou Yun hadn’t truly expected a solution from Chang Xiang; he primarily sought an outlet for his troubled thoughts. He continued speaking, even in the face of Chang Xiang’s silence. "Actually, I owe help to many others. I wish to assist Little Lan and my father too. Let them follow my path—even if they cannot perceive the Way of Nature, at least set them on the true path of cultivation."

The moment Lou Yun finished speaking, Chang Xiang’s voice rang out, "If you intend to help Xia Zhilan, I do indeed have a way!"

"Hmm?" Lou Yun was startled, then exclaimed with delight, "What way?"

"Have her follow you."

"Follow me?" Lou Yun was stunned again. "She can follow me, but I have too many enemies, and they are exceedingly strong. Taking her along, I fear I might fail to protect her. Besides, merely accompanying me—would that truly enable her to authentically begin practicing both magical and ordinary skills?"

Chang Xiang mulled it over before replying, "I cannot guarantee she definitely will. But because you now absorb primal energy of heaven and earth instead of inferior spiritual energy, it will naturally collect around you during your cultivation. If someone were to cultivate near you consistently during this time, they would inevitably benefit from your presence. They might absorb small amounts of primal energy, which would significantly increase her chances of perceiving her soul."

"Once she can sense her soul, the subsequent steps—perceiving the Way of Nature, sensing primal energy, absorbing and wielding it—all become increasingly possible!"

"If she can begin absorbing and wielding primal energy, she can cultivate soul fire. Then she can commence tempering a common weapon, practicing both magical and ordinary skills. Even if she cannot reach the utmost peak of the Weapon Emperor tier, cultivating to Heavenly or king rank shouldn’t pose a problem!"

As Chang Xiang spoke, Lou Yun’s eyes grew brighter. By the time Chang Xiang finished, a faint glow seemed to emanate from his entire body—his elation causing the ambient primal energy around him to react excitedly.

"If they could all cultivate to Heavenly or king rank, I’d be entirely content!"