Chapter 5

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

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

Chapter 5: Skilled Weapon Maker

A common weapon refers to a blade artificially forged and crafted.

On Spirit Weapon Star, a significant number of people were unable to condense a magical weapon. These individuals could only choose to use common weapons for cultivation. However, even though their strength could improve via common weapons, they could never match those who wielded magical weapons.

The simplest reason was that magical weapons could continuously undergo growth and evolution through cultivation. Each major level up granted the magical weapon a new ability, amplifying its power further. Common weapons were entirely incapable of these traits; a common weapon remained unchanged from start to finish—what it was upon forging was what it remained until death. Therefore, Spirit Weapon Star had never seen a true powerhouse emerge solely through reliance on common weapons.

Chang Xiang\’s words instantly doused Lou Yun\’s anticipation with disappointment. His small face hardened as he coldly addressed Chang Xiang, \"If you’re here just to toy with me, you’ve chosen the wrong person. I don’t have time for this.\"

Having said this, he turned to leave. Yet, Chang Xiang suddenly let out a cold laugh, \"Do you think I’d be so idle as to come and waste your time? Boy, let me tell you, I’ve been watching you from the shadows ever since the day you were born. By age six, you had autonomously cultivated your weapon spirit power to the tenth rank. But since then, your progress has stalled completely. Until now, you still can’t condense a magical weapon, isn\’t that right?\"

Though the other’s description of his situation was completely accurate, Lou Yun wasn’t overly shocked. After all, not just his Lou Family, but likely the whole of Lingjiang City knew about his predicament.

Chang Xiang continued, \"Despite failing to condense a magical weapon for nine years, your body has continuously absorbed spiritual energy from the heavens and earth. This has driven your weapon spirit power to an unprecedented intensity.\"

Lou Yun couldn\’t help but cry out, \"No matter how strong the weapon spirit power is, it’ll still only be the tenth rank! What I need is a magical weapon! Only with a magical weapon can I choose cultivation techniques and weapon manuals for further cultivation!\"

\"A magical weapon’s strength, in the end, boils down solely to possessing sufficiently powerful weapon spirit power for use!\" Chang Xiang seemed unwilling to explain further to Lou Yun. Changing tack, he said, \"I ask you just one thing now: Do you, or do you not, wish to gain your family’s recognition within ten months, reclaim your title as a genius, and have them recommend you for admission to the Ancient Weapon Academy?\"

This time, Lou Yun was genuinely taken aback. His desire to gain the family’s recognition and enter the Ancient Weapon Academy was a very recent development. Besides his Second Uncle, not a third soul knew. If Chang Xiang had simply been lurking nearby, eavesdropping on their conversation, and Second Uncle, with his cultivation level, hadn’t sensed him—that meant Chang Xiang’s strength far exceeded Second Uncle\’s.

These thoughts flashed through Lou Yun’s mind only briefly. His focus now was primarily on Chang Xiang’s proposition—an immense temptation. After a lengthy silence, Lou Yun slowly asked, \"Can you truly help me?\"

\"I can help you. But achieving your goal depends entirely on your own effort!\" An expression of pride crossed Chang Xiang’s stern face.

\"Alright! As long as you are willing to help me, I will definitely not disappoint you!\"

Lou Yun noticed that as he spoke, a fleeting smirk, like that of a successful conspirator, seemed to flicker across Chang Xiang’s cold features.

\"However, I have one condition: You must not let any other person, including your father, know about my assistance!\"

Lou Yun nodded, \"That\’s no problem. But where do I find you?\"

Chang Xiang waggled a finger back and forth, \"You don’t need to find me. I will be with you constantly. Rest assured, apart from you, no one else will be able to detect my presence!\"

Internally, Lou Yun couldn’t help but balk at these words. How was that possible? Constantly by his side, yet undetectable? Are you a ghost or something?

Before this thought even fully formed, Lou Yun felt a dazzle before his eyes. A flash of nine-colored light, and Chang Xiang vanished!

Immediately after, Lou Yun heard Chang Xiang’s distinct voice, filled with triumph, echo inside his head: \"See? Absolutely impossible for anyone else to discover me, right?\"

\"Where are you!?\" Lou Yun spun around rapidly, searching, but saw no trace of Chang Xiang.

\"Stop looking. I’m inside your body!\"

\"What!?\" Lou Yun yelped aloud. His hands instinctively began to explore his body frantically.

\"Stop flailing! You can\’t feel me. Calm down. Though I’m inside you, I won’t cause any harm. Now, time is short. You should focus on starting your cultivation immediately!\"

Despite his head being full of confusion, Lou Yun also knew the time left truly wasn’t long. He decided to set aside his queries about Chang Xiang for now. \"How do I cultivate? Go buy a common weapon now?\"

\"No. You are not yet ready to use a common weapon. Your first task is to cultivate your physical body!\"

\"Cultivate my body?\"

\"Exactly. To become a true powerhouse, one must first possess a sturdy physical foundation—a point almost universally overlooked!\"

Indeed, for the people of Spirit Weapon Star, becoming a Magical Weapons Master was the primary goal, followed by cultivating the magical weapon according to specific techniques. Only those incapable of condensing a magical weapon spent time physically cultivating, hoping to gain some minor advantages or extra strength.

Effectively harnessing the power of a common weapon required the wielder to wield it through their own physical strength. Magical Weapons Masters cultivated their magical weapons, channeling all absorbed spiritual energy into them. The magical weapon grew stronger this way, only evolving when saturated with energy. Common weapon wielders couldn\’t do this; a common weapon served merely as a conduit. They couldn\’t cultivate it, forcing them to strengthen only their own bodies. They relied solely on physical power to activate the weapon\’s potential—naturally placing them on a distinctly inferior cultivation path.

\"Once you cultivate your physical body to its limit, under certain circumstances, you could defeat opponents without even needing your weapon. Furthermore, becoming a skilled weapon maker also necessitates possessing a robust physical constitution!\"

A skilled weapon maker on Spirit Weapon Star referred to those who specialized in forging common weapons. Yet becoming one demanded exceptionally harsh conditions, resulting in their scarcity and extraordinary status.

For though the common weapons crafted by masterful hands couldn\’t match magical weapons in upgrade potential, many achieved outstanding quality, even rivaling magical weapons of equivalent grades!

Skilled weapon makers also had hierarchical tiers, aligning with magical weapons masters. Ranging from low to high, they spanned ten ranks. No five-star differentiation existed within each rank, only low, mid, and high tiers. Presently, the highest-ranked skilled weapon maker on Spirit Weapon Star reached only seventh rank. Yet the common weapons he forged were all seventh-rank common weapons.

What did seventh-rank mean? Seventh rank corresponded to the Heavenly level for magical weapons masters. Thus, a seventh-rank common weapon could attain the tier of a heavenly-grade magical weapon!

Naturally, not every common weapon forged yielded such lofty tier—only with low probability.

Though becoming a skilled weapon maker was enticing, Lou Yun resisted. “You want me to be a skilled weapon maker? But I seek strength…”

“You think skilled weapon makers aren’t strong? Let me tell you: weapon forging itself is cultivation. To excel, your personal power must be formidable. Truly masterful makers craft common weapons that, like magical weapons, can level up!”

Lou Yun froze. The fundamental reason users of common weapons lagged behind magical weapon wielders was their inability to upgrade. Yet Chang Xiang claimed common weapons could evolve—a staggering notion!

“Th-this… how is that possible?”

“What’s impossible? Just because you’ve never witnessed or encountered it? Listen, kid—there’s vastly more beyond your disbelief!”

Lou Yun fell silent, picturing it: if he could create upgradeable common weapons, his status would be undeniable. Not just earth-level magical weapons masters—even Heavenly level and King rank magical weapons masters would flock to curry his favor. His father’s illness, years of humiliation—all could be swept away!

Chang Xiang urged impatiently, “Kid, why dither? Stop wasting time!”

Lou Yun snapped from his reverie. “Right. How do I begin training?”

After a pause, Chang Xiang replied, “These past nine years, though you never manifested a magical weapon, you ceaselessly drew spiritual energy. With nowhere else to go, it cycled endlessly through your body, tempering it relentlessly. Your foundation is unshakable—you merely lacked conscious guidance for this energy.”

“Simply put, your cultivation was passive until now. From this moment, transform passivity into action: absorb spiritual energy while actively wielding it to train your body.”

“Sit cross-legged. Follow my method to begin cultivation.”

Much of Chang Xiang’s words upended Lou Yun’s understanding, but cornered with no retreat, he trusted Chang Xiang to defy fate. He sat as instructed.

The method was simple: first sense the ambient spiritual energy.

Naturally gifted with heightened perception, Lou Yun closed his eyes, calmed his mind, and tuned his intuition to the environment. Swiftly, unnoticed streams of drifting spiritual energy filled his awareness.

Though invisible, intangible, his spirit revealed them: spiritual energy like willow catkins drifting gently, saturating the world, floating around him. Next came absorption.

Truthfully, though Lou Yun’s weapon spirit power reached ten tiers by age six, it wasn’t his own training—never considering Chang Xiang bestowed this upon him.

For nine subsequent years, he’d focused solely on manifesting a magical weapon, never seeking strength through spiritual energy absorption. This was his first true cultivation.

As threads of energy flowed steadily through his pores, a light, gentle radiance warmed Lou Yun’s face. Simultaneously, unprecedented fullness within drew his lips into a smile of comfort and resolve—vanished since he was six.

With the energy’s influx, confidence grew. Perhaps he could achieve his goal within ten months.

Gradually, he sank into meditative oblivion, undisturbed by the outside world. Concurrently, Chang Xiang mused aloud, “Given his physical conditioning now… he’ll likely wield the lowest common weapon in merely three months. With seven months more and the weapon techniques I’ll impart… he should surpass a beginner two-star magical weapons master.”

“But… should I tell him his inability to manifest a magical weapon was my intervention all along?”