Chapter 3

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

You can buy coins here to unlock advanced chapters: https://gravitytales.com/coins-purchase-page/

Chapter 3: Magical Weapon Impaired

During dinner, Lou Yun noticed something unusual about his family today. First, he ate alone, whereas his father always joined him no matter how busy. His father\’s absence today, coupled with their afternoon conversation, stirred an uneasy premonition inside Lou Yun.

Secondly, the adults in the family abandoned their usual leisureliness and warmth. Everyone wore grave expressions, some even clad in special armor. The number of patrol members safeguarding the Lou Family had multiplied several times over normal. It all gave Lou Yun the impression that the Lou Family was bracing for powerful enemies.

With this mood, Lou Yun lost his appetite. He wolfed down a few bites, dropped his chopsticks, and bolted out, hoping to find Lou Qian and ask what was happening.

But just as he left the dining hall, four figures blocked his path. Lou Yun recognized them as his male cousins of the same generation. Leading them was Lou Fei, eldest grandson of Third Elder Lou Runhuo. At eighteen, Lou Fei possessed a primary three-star magical weapon, making him an elite among the family’s youth. He was also one of Lou Yun’s biggest detractors. The others were branch-family youths, essentially Lou Fei’s followers.

Ordinarily, these four wouldn’t approach him except to bully him. Their presence now made Lou Yun pause. He opened his mouth to question them, but Lou Fei spoke first. “Lou Yun, Uncle ordered us to escort you back to your room.”

Without waiting for a response, Lou Fei seized Lou Yun and dragged him back to his room. Giving him a rough shove towards the door, Lou Fei announced from the threshold, “Lou Yun, Uncle’s orders: no matter what happens today, you don’t leave this room. The four of us will guard the door.”

Had it been others guarding him, Lou Yun might have pressed for information. But with Lou Fei in charge, he knew questions were futile. He didn’t bother asking.

The door slammed shut heavily, leaving Lou Yun alone inside.

Shortly after, muffled voices drifted through the door: “Fei-ge, why would the Clan Head send all four of us to guard this waste?”

Lou Fei scoffed lowly. “Beats me. I guess Uncle worries those folks coming tonight might target his precious, famous prodigy son. Hence our babysitting duty.”

This drew raucous laughter from the others. “High reputation? Hah! He’s useless! To think we’re stuck protecting him? Pathetic!”

“True,” Lou Fei said, shrugging. “But his uselessness has an important dad. We can’t disobey orders. Quiet now. Remember, this invasion hits the Lou Family every fifteen years. It’s never caused real disasters. No need to panic.”

Silence fell outside.

Inside, Lou Yun overheard every word. His mind raced to piece things together. The Lou Family faced a major threat tonight—one that returned every fifteen years. The last attack coincided with his birth, during his grandfather’s clan leadership. He’d been too young to remember then.

His quick rise to Tenfold Weapon Spirit Power at age six had gained him some notoriety when gossips spread the news. His father must fear this fame would make him a target tonight, hence assigning Lou Fei as guards.

Connecting this to his father’s mutterings earlier that day, Lou Yun further deduced that the Lou Family had seemingly never defeated this recurring foe. His grandfather had likely pinned his hopes on Lou Yun’s talent. But given Lou Yun’s current stagnation, that hope was thoroughly dashed.

This was the full picture Lou Yun pieced together—and it was almost entirely correct. For a fifteen-year-old to deduce this much from snippets of conversation was remarkable. He truly hadn’t wasted his early “prodigy” title.

But why pick Lou Fei as his guard? His father knew full well how much Lou Fei’s line despised him. Pondering briefly, Lou Yun guessed: Lou Fei, arrogant and brash, flaunted his grandfather’s standing and his own above-average skill. Without a task to occupy him, he might foolishly provoke tonight’s invaders and suffer for it.

Yet even with this understanding, Lou Yun knew being confined rendered him powerless. Lou Fei had mentioned these “invasions” never dealt devastating blows to the Lou Family. All Lou Yun could do was stay put and wait anxiously for dawn.

Lou Yun barely slept through that long night. His senses remained stretched taut, straining to detect any disturbance outside. Sadly, he sensed nothing unusual until daybreak approached.

Suddenly, whooshing fabric sounds broke the pre-dawn stillness outside his door, followed by a hushed voice: “The enemy withdrew. But the Clan Head suffered grave injuries!”

“What!”

The exclamation came almost simultaneously—from the guards outside and Lou Yun within. He couldn’t stay put any longer. Bursting through his door, he sprinted headlong towards his father’s chamber. Behind him, Lou Fei and his cronies exchanged a look before sinister smiles crept onto their faces. They trailed after Lou Yun without haste.

Outside his father’s room, a crowd had gathered. Seeing Lou Yun, most faces displayed unconcealed contempt.

Lou Yun ignored them and barged inside.

The sight upon entering froze him completely. His father, Lou Tianming, lay bloodied on the bed. His right hand still gripped his magical weapon—the advanced one-star Sky Crystal Spear. Yet what should have been a solid shaft flickered indistinctly, seemingly on the verge of phasing away. Several Lou Family elders and powerful seniors encircled the bed.

Spotting Lou Yun, Third Elder Lou Runhuo sneered coldly. “The Clan Head’s coma is minor compared to his true peril. His magical weapon got fractured. Without urgent repair, his life could hang in the balance. Even if repaired… he’ll probably live as a cripple henceforth. Repairing a weapon? Such a fiendish task…”

Magical weapons initially manifest or retract per their master’s will. Yet upon reaching intermediate levels, they gain autonomous control. That Lou Tianming’s spear remained materialized despite his unconsciousness proved its critical damage.

Lou Runhuo’s words sent Lou Yun’s blood pounding into his skull. Darkness swallowed his vision. His young frame swayed several times before collapsing with a thud onto the floor, unconscious.

For inhabitants of the Spirit Weapon Star, a magical weapon mattered as deeply as one’s soul. Normally, severe physical wounds proved survivable if the weapon remained intact. But catastrophic damage to the weapon utterly reversed those odds—a truth Lou Runhuo’s announcement drove brutally home. Lou Yun’s mind simply shut down under the shock.

Lou Yun awoke, disoriented, an unknowable time later. The worried face of Lou Qian greeted him as his eyes fluttered open.

Seeing him conscious, Lou Qian brightened with relief. “Brother! You’re finally awake! Are you alright now?”

Lou Yun had only fainted due to a sudden surge of anger, and it wasn\’t serious. Now he leaped up, shaking his head repeatedly, and asked, \"Sister, where is my father? How is he? I want to see him.\"

Lou Qian\’s expression darkened instantly. She reached out to press Lou Yun\’s shoulder and said, \"Brother, don\’t rush just yet. Great Uncle has emerged from seclusion now and personally sought out several masters. They\’re helping the clan head with his treatment, so I believe no big trouble will befall him.\"

Lou Yun struggled free from Lou Qian\’s hands, pointing at her and shouting loudly, \"You\’re lying! I just heard the Third Elder say that father\’s magical weapon was cracked and impossible to heal. I need to see my father!\"

After finishing, Lou Yun turned and ran out. Lou Qian originally rose to chase him but ended up sitting down again, shaking her head with a bitter smile and muttering to herself, \"Right, only an earth-level magical weapons master or above has the ability to repair a magical weapon.\"

Lou Yun came once more to his father\’s room. However, four people were standing at the door: Lou Fei and the three others, acting like four solid walls, blocking Lou Yun directly.

\"Let me in!\"

Lou Fei stared at Lou Yun disdainfully and said, \"No, Uncle is receiving treatment, and no one is permitted to disturb him.\"

Another guard retorted even more rudely, \"What are you staring at? What could you possibly do even if you entered? If we hadn\’t been sent to protect you, worthless fool, with Brother Fei and us here, your father wouldn\’t have gotten so badly hurt!\"

\"Worthless!\"

\"Worthless!\"

The repeated cries of \"Worthless!\" rang clearly in Lou Yun\’s ears, causing his small body to tremble uncontrollably. He clenched his fists tightly and gritted his teeth fiercely.

At that moment, a voice suddenly spoke out, \"Such insolence! Lou Fei, what nonsense are you spouting? How can you blame Yun\’er entirely? This doesn\’t involve him at all. Step aside—I\’ll take Yun\’er inside.\"

It was a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar. He was Lou Yun\’s Second Uncle, Lou Tianzhi, and he cared for Lou Yun more than anyone else in the Lou Family besides Lou Tianming. Now, with a stern face, he walked over, took Lou Yun\’s small hand, and said softly, \"Yun\’er, Second Uncle will bring you in, but keep quiet once inside.\"

\"Mm!\" Lou Yun wiped the tears from his face messily and nodded firmly.

…

Three days later, in Lou Tianming\’s room, Lou Yun looked at his still-unconscious father. His mind echoed Great Uncle\’s words from two days ago at the whole-family gathering: \"Tianming\’s life is saved, but since we can\’t repair his internal magical weapon, he may as well be useless from now on. You, select a new clan head!\"

Just then, Lou Yun felt his shoulder pressed down; Lou Tianzhi patted his nephew\’s shoulder lightly and said, \"Yun\’er, you haven\’t slept for three days and nights—go rest a bit. I\’ll keep watch here.\"

Lou Yun shook his head, looking at Lou Tianzhi, and asked, \"Second Uncle, is there any way to repair the magical weapon?\"

Lou Tianzhi first checked on his elder brother, then answered, \"There are only two ways: first, an earth-level magical weapons master or above can fix it; second, it requires a special elixir.\"

\"Why didn\’t Great Uncle find an earth-level magical weapons master to help?\"

Lou Tianzhi gazed at Lou Yun\’s anxious face, smiling bitterly, and said, \"Yun\’er, do you think earth-level magical weapons masters are that easy to find? Let me ask you—what are the ranks for magical weapons masters?\"

Lou Yun replied immediately, \"The ranks of magical weapons masters are divided by their internal magical weapon level. There are ten total ranks, from lowest to highest: entry-level, intermediate-level, advanced-level, mystery rank, human level, earth level, heavenly level, king rank, emperor rank, and the top-tier Weapon Emperor. Each rank is split into five phases, called the five-star ten-tiers.\"

Lou Tianzhi nodded and said, \"You\’re correct. Your father was the strongest in our family, with the highest cultivation, but he was only an advanced-level one-star magical weapons master. As for the number of earth-level magical weapons masters, likely you could count them on one hand across the whole Gu Feng Nation. Our Lou Family is just a small family in Lingjiang City, so it\’s impossible for us to know such high-ranked experts.\"

In truth, Lou Yun already knew this. Despite the mere three ranks between advanced-level and earth-level, the power gap between the two was astronomical. The Lou Family was decently strong but confined to Lingjiang City, yet Lingjiang City was but a small city in Gu Feng Nation. Thus, the Lou Family had no way to engage earth-level magical weapons masters, let alone hire one to repair his father\’s magical weapon.

After a pause, Lou Yun pressed on unwillingly, \"What type of special elixir? Can we buy it?\"

Lou Tianzhi shook his head with another bitter smile and said, \"This elixir that fixes magical weapons is astronomically expensive.\"

\"Can\’t the Lou Family afford it?\"

Lou Tianzhi stared at Lou Yun briefly, then nodded gently and said, \"Actually, we could probably afford it, but we won\’t buy it.\"

\"Why?\"

\"For one, such an elixir is a rare treasure—hard to come by even with money; for another, it would likely drain almost all the Lou Family\’s wealth just to buy one pill. Do you think the family elders and leaders would agree to pay that price for it?\"

Lou Yun shut his mouth. Though he usually ignored family affairs, his keen mind understood clearly: despite all sharing the Lou surname, internal factions competed fiercely for influence. Even when his father was clan head, many decisions weren\’t solely his call—much less now, when his father was no longer clan head and hardly more than a useless cripple. The family wouldn\’t spend so much to rescue his father, not even with Great Uncle\’s intervention.

Still stubborn, Lou Yun continued, \"Second Uncle, then isn\’t there any other way?\"

Lou Tianzhi closed his eyes, pondered a moment, opened them, fixed on Lou Yun, and said, \"Yes, there is… but…\"