Firmament Sword

The middle-aged man beside Ark remained silent, his eyes flashing with a cold light. He shot Xu Luo a sideways glance, then followed, carrying his companion on his back.

”Xu Luo, don’t be angry…” Phoenix bit her lower lip, looking at Xu Luo with concern. ”He’s much older than you. You’ll surpass him sooner or later…”

Xu Luo smiled casually and waved his hand. ”It would be a lie to say I’m not a little angry. Phoenix, I really can’t compare to you prodigies from the great sects.”

Phoenix’s starry eyes twinkled as she gazed at Xu Luo, wanting to say something but holding back.

Xu Luo raised a hand, stopping her. ”But you don’t have to worry about me. I’m not so fragile that I can’t take a hit. I’ve faced far worse ridicule than this growing up… It’s nothing. I’m not going to take it out on you, and I don’t feel like I’m losing face because you’re protecting me right now.”

With that, Xu Luo smiled. ”That’s not what a man’s dignity is for. I’m not going to make any grand vows, but the next time I see him, I will win!”

Phoenix gazed at Xu Luo with her stunningly beautiful eyes for a long moment before breaking into a smile that could captivate the world. ”When I first met you, you were just a Sword Disciple, right? Not even a Swordsman. And now… in less than a year, you’re already a Great Sword Master. Based on that cultivation speed alone, no one I know of in any sect can keep up with you! So, Xu Luo, I believe you can do it!”

As she spoke, Phoenix smiled at Xu Luo. ”In the future, when you’re stronger, you have to protect me!”

Xu Luo grinned. ”Right now, I’m the one who needs you to protect me. We’ll worry about the future when it gets here.”

”Oh, right. My master… is she really completely healed?” Phoenix asked, looking at Xu Luo.

”That’s right. She’s… all better. And… she even broke through.” As Xu Luo spoke, a strange expression flickered across his face, as if he were hiding something. Lost in her excitement, Phoenix didn’t notice anything unusual.

”Really?” Phoenix exclaimed, excitedly grabbing Xu Luo’s arm, so happy she nearly forgot where she was.

”Ahem… Your junior sisters are watching,” Xu Luo reminded her in a whisper.

”…” Phoenix’s pretty face flushed. She let go of Xu Luo’s arm and muttered, ”Oh no, my image as a Saintess is ruined!”

”When have I ever seen you with this legendary ’Saintess image’?” Xu Luo muttered back, a puzzled look on his face.

”Xu Luo, have you… truly… never noticed… this one’s… noble… Saintess-like disposition?” Phoenix’s voice suddenly changed, becoming lazy and aristocratic, just as it had been when they first met at the Fengyue Building.

Xu Luo felt a wave of goosebumps crawl over his skin and quickly begged for mercy. ”Sister Phoenix, Granny Phoenix, I’m begging you, spare this humble servant! I’d like to live a few more years…”

”Xu Luo, you ungrateful wretch!” Phoenix feigned rage, then glanced at her junior brothers and sisters craning their necks to watch. Her expression immediately stiffened into one of noble aloofness. In a low voice, she said, ”Xu Luo, you just wait!”

The two walked off, laughing and joking. The Merak Disciples, who didn’t understand what was going on, stared in astonishment at the young man in the low-level disciple’s uniform. They wondered who on earth he was to be walking so comfortably with their Saintess.

Also… wasn’t the Saintess supposed to be in a marriage alliance with the Young Master Tianquan? Why did they just see the Young Master Tianquan leave looking so utterly defeated?

…

Li Wenxi sat in the head seat, her icy gaze sweeping over everyone in the hall. Nearly all who met her eyes lowered their heads.

This was especially true for the Merak Elders who staunchly supported the Grand Elder. One by one, they lowered their heads guiltily, not daring to meet Li Wenxi’s eyes.

The Grand Elder, however, after regaining her composure, looked at Li Wenxi with a show of indifference. She sneered inwardly. ’To think you’d survive by a fluke and even manage to break through because of it. But… it doesn’t matter. My master is still here!’

’Even though she’s no longer the Grand Elder, she has the most prestige in the entire Merak Sect right now. You may be a strong Sect Leader, but let’s see how much confidence you have when you’re up against my master!’

But she didn’t know that beneath Li Wenxi’s calm and majestic facade, a heart was in turmoil.

An indescribable feeling was growing rapidly in her heart. It made her angry, panicked, and afraid, yet she couldn’t forget it, her mind constantly replaying the scene that had just occurred.

Li Wenxi’s thoughts drifted uncontrollably back to the scene that had just unfolded in her room.

After Phoenix left, she had been worried about security and had specially activated a protective array. She instructed several of her junior sisters not to allow anyone near their master’s courtyard, explaining that their master was in a critical recovery period.

Those young girls were all Li Wenxi’s disciples, orphans she had raised since childhood, just like Phoenix. Their loyalty to their master was unquestionable.

Thus, Li Wenxi’s courtyard was very quiet, with the young women standing guard loyally all around.

Li Wenxi, meanwhile, sat in a chair, silently circulating her technique to restore her depleted Dantian.

After managing to gather a sliver of power, Li Wenxi couldn’t help but worry about Xu Luo’s safety. She stood up and walked toward him, where he sat on the carpet leaning against a chair, seemingly asleep.

This, however, was the critical period when the Kaiyang Star Soul was nourishing and transforming Xu Luo’s body!

Within Xu Luo’s body, the Shaking Light Star Soul also shone brilliantly, continuously releasing energy to assist the Kaiyang Star Soul in its constant remodeling of his meridians, bones, and flesh!

As a result, the surface of Xu Luo’s body was currently shrouded in a layer of mysterious power.

Li Wenxi, who had just recovered a tiny bit of power and was still very weak overall, had just reached out to place a hand on Xu Luo’s wrist when she felt an immense pulling force suddenly yank her forward…

Caught completely off guard and with no strength to resist, Li Wenxi fell right on top of Xu Luo.

”Ah!” Li Wenxi let out a short cry of alarm but immediately clamped her mouth shut.

She was afraid her cry would attract the disciples outside. If they saw this, given her status and identity, what would they think?

Even if word of this never got out, she, the majestic Merak Sect Master… could not afford such a loss of face!

At this thought, she struggled desperately to break free from the force, but the inexplicably powerful energy coming from Xu Luo’s body left her completely unable to move!

To make matters worse… Xu Luo suddenly opened… his eyes!

”Uh…” Xu Luo stared at the stunning woman before him, surprised and bewildered, with no idea what was happening.

As for Li Wenxi, she looked like she was about to burst into tears…

The great Merak Sect Master, a woman of high status who looked down upon the secular world—when had she ever encountered a situation like this?

And the worst part was, you couldn’t blame Xu Luo for it; it was entirely her own fault…

But who would believe her if she tried to explain?

”I… I can’t move. What Cultivation Technique are you practicing?” Li Wenxi forced herself to remain calm, her breath like fragrant orchids as she spoke to Xu Luo.

”I don’t know either…” Xu Luo looked at Li Wenxi innocently.

”You…” Li Wenxi was rendered speechless. ’This kid looks so innocent, but how can he be so… wicked!’ she thought. ’And he’s still putting on that guiltless act!’

With this in mind, she couldn’t help but shoot Xu Luo a fierce glare.

But Xu Luo felt truly wronged. He really didn’t know what was happening. Before, when his Shaking Light Star Soul was absorbing energy, it could indeed produce a powerful suction.

But the problem was, there wasn’t a single shred of energy in Li Wenxi’s body right now!

Xu Luo was also baffled as to why she was stuck to him…

”Can you… let me go first?” Li Wenxi asked cautiously, feeling utterly aggrieved. She, Li Wenxi, was as pure as jade. When had she ever been in such an awkward situation?

Though they were still clothed, for Li Wenxi, this was already a shocking level of contact!

”I… I can’t move either!” Xu Luo looked at Li Wenxi helplessly. ”Senior, I’m really not lying to you. I really can’t move, and I have no idea what’s happening to me…”

”…” Dark lines appeared on Li Wenxi’s forehead. She stared coldly at Xu Luo, believing the young man was deceiving her. ’If you dare to violate me,’ she thought, ’I won’t spare you, even if you did save my life! If it comes to it, I’ll kill you and then myself. I will not let you ruin my purity!’

Just then, a majestic and boundless power suddenly surged out from the Kaiyang Star Soul in Xu Luo’s Dantian, enveloping them both!

Though it was invisible and intangible, they both felt this vast and unparalleled power!

Instantly, they both fell silent, their faces etched with surprise.

Li Wenxi’s face, in particular, was filled with awe. From this power, she could intuitively feel a vast, invincible presence!

’How can a young man possess such tyrannical power?’ Li Wenxi’s heart was shaken. ’Could it be… he’s from one of *those* places?’

As she was thinking this, the power, as unstoppable as the galaxy crashing down from the heavens, surged into Li Wenxi’s body with a thunderous roar!

Li Wenxi’s Dantian was suddenly filled with this majestic power, causing her essence, qi, and spirit to reach an unprecedented peak in a single instant!

Li Wenxi didn’t even have time to think before she felt the bottleneck in her cultivation shatter!

The rush of power left Li Wenxi’s mind muddled and dazed. Though she knew what was happening, she could only passively… subconsciously… begin to circulate her cultivation technique, guiding the power to assault a higher realm!

And just like that, in this incredibly awkward situation, the great Sect Leader of the Merak Sect entered a state of profound meditation, oblivious to herself and the world.

What she didn’t know was that once the power began pouring into her body, the strange suction force from Xu Luo had quietly dissipated…