The anger at the memory of his defeat but more so the pain than the defeat simmered in Li Yu’s gut. He had a body tempered to an incredible degree, a nascent soul of incredible power, and yet, he had been helpless. His weapon had also been shattered like glass which brought him back to the present.

He looked at the colossal being before him. “Khaos,” he began in the nicest voice he could muster. “I have a favor to ask and if it's not too much trouble. My weapon was destroyed by that ugly old man that isn’t even fit to polish your shell. Could you please, please forge a new one for me? I can have Kui gather better ores than what was used last time for my staff, something more dense and strong so it doesn’t break again. Once it’s here could you please just consider it?”

To Li Yu’s surprise, a void portal appeared in front of him. It swirled into existence, a silent tear in the fabric of the sanctuary’s reality. From its depths a black staff emerged, floating gently towards him. It was black but with shimmering specks of white scattered throughout, looking like the stars in a clear night sky.

There was no doubt about it; the material was unmistakable. This staff was made from Khaos’s own molted shell. He had been rejected the last time he had asked, so he didn’t even hope for such a thing.

He thought the best result would be getting a new staff made of better ores than last time. But it looked like Khaos had gone ahead and made one for him already. He didn’t know if Khaos went ahead and made it after his request, waiting for when he was ready or perhaps made it after his own staff was broken.

Either way, Li Yu was extremely grateful. But before he could even form the words to thank him, out floated some armor clearly made of the same material. It was at this point that Khaos finally spoke, his voice echoing in Li Yu’s mind.

“The armor I gave you before is now completely useless, so use this. Like before, it will activate on its own when you are endangered. It won’t stop an attack on the level of that old naga but it should stop a single blow from below the Divine Transformation realm.” The armor then flew at him, passing through his robes and disappearing as it fused seamlessly with his body somehow.

Li Yu was at a loss for words at Khaos’s generosity. A new weapon and a new set of armor, both forged from his shell. It was the greatest gift he had ever received in his entire life. It took him a moment to process it all, and finally, he simply looked up at the great king and said, “Thank you. For everything.” The gratitude came from deep within his heart. Khaos said nothing back, simply closing his massive eye once more.

Li Yu then looked at the staff more closely. It wasn’t right to call it a staff either. While it retained a staff’s general length and shape, each end had small spikes poking out of it, like the spikes on Khaos’s shell. It looked more like two spiked clubs had been joined together end to end. It was hard to tell since the staff was so black but those spikes would hurt when he smashed them against his enemies.

It was definitely a more intimidating weapon than before and he decided it needed a name. He thought of its appearance, the star-like flecks and its immense crushing potential.

“This weapon is so great, it needs a name, I am going to name it ‘Star-Crusher’. I think it’s quite fitting.” Li Yu said to the now closed eye Khaos. The Void King’s voice echoed one last time in his mind. “Only weaklings name their weapons.” But Li Yu could sense that he didn’t seem displeased by the name.

Li Yu finally grabbed hold of the staff and it nearly fell to the ground, plummeting through the water and embedding itself in the seabed. It was beyond heavy. He actually had a hard time holding it using both his hands.

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He knew that if this was a week ago when he had just gotten back to the sect still injured, he wouldn’t have been able to even budge it. Khaos gave him a knowing laugh like he was waiting for this. “You need to get stronger little boy,” his voice was full of cheer. “You can use the staff to train. When you can hold it without issue, you will be worthy of using it.”

Li Yu wasn’t concerned. It was now a short-term goal of his, and he immediately started practicing with it, getting used to the immense weight. His first step was just lifting the staff up and down.

Another two weeks quickly passed by and Li Yu was fully healed for a while by now. One quiet afternoon, he was drinking tea with his master, Elder Ning, in her tranquil courtyard. He had been bringing her different types of teas for her to try from his travels and today he had brought a rare, fragrant blend from the southern coast.

“This is excellent,” she said after a delicate sip. “It has the taste of the sea breeze in it, how unique.” They spoke for a while about mundane things.

“Have you traveled the continent much master?” Li Yu asked her.

“I’ve been all over the continent on sect missions in my youth,” she reminisced a bit about some of the more dangerous missions.

Li Yu’s mind couldn’t help but turn to thoughts of family, the recent events with Lireal and Zephyr prompting it. This was a topic that he had never brought up with his master and a topic his master never talked about. Since she never talked about it at all, he figured she didn’t want to talk about it but he couldn’t help himself today.

“Master,” he asked, his tone becoming more serious, “do you have any family?”

His master paused, her teacup hovering in the air. The question seemed to hang in the quiet courtyard. Li Yu, seeing her reaction, knew he made a mistake by asking.

“I do,” she said softly, her voice losing some of its usual warmth. “I have a sister.” This revelation was surprising to Li Yu. “A sister? Really? Why have you never mentioned her? Where is she?” he asked even though he was a bit hesitant.

“She runs a tea house in a city called Willow Creek City, to the east of here. Her name is Ning Yue. She is also a cultivator at the 1st level of the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“A tea house? That's wonderful,” Li Yu said, but he could sense the deep sadness behind her words. “But… you seem sad when you speak of her. Do you not visit?”

Elder Ning sighed, a deep, sorrowful sound. “I do, occasionally, when I have a long period of free time. And we keep in touch via communication token. But… our past is complicated. I don't speak of it because the memories are painful.”

Li Yu fell silent, respecting her privacy. But seeing her vulnerability, he felt a need to explain his own sudden curiosity. “You don't have to tell me if you don't want to,” he said gently. “It's just... after what happened with Lireal, finding her great-grandfather… family has been on my mind.”

His master seemed to appreciate his sincerity. She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself. “It’s alright. You deserve to know. I… did not leave home on good terms with my parents.”

“You argued?” Li Yu asked softly.

“Yes,” she confirmed, her gaze distant. “I was young, blessed with talent, and arrogant. They were not any cultivators of note and were cautious, wanting me to take a slower, safer path for a girl.”

“We argued. I left to join a sect, this sect, believing I knew better. I focused only on my cultivation, climbing the ranks, proving I was right. By the time I finally came back to visit them, to show them what I had accomplished and to apologize… they were gone. A plague had swept through their town a year prior. With only their slight cultivation they weren’t able to avoid it.”

“Master…” Li Yu’s voice was filled with sympathy.

“My sister had already been taken in by a small local sect by then,” she continued, her voice trembling slightly. “When I found her, I tried to bring her here. I was an inner disciple by then, with some influence. I thought I could give her a better life. But she was angry. She… she blamed me for their deaths. She said if I had been there, with my skills, I could have saved them.”

“Is she still angry?” Li Yu felt like he had to ask even if he shouldn’t, his heart aching for his master.

Elder Ning shook her head slowly. “No. She forgave me, years ago. But some things, once broken, can never be perfectly mended. Our relationship is… distant. Strained. A reminder of a past I cannot change.”