Firmament Sword

”But I want to give it a try.” The excitement in the young man’s eyes intensified as he said, ”They say a true man settles scores with swift pleasure—killing one in ten paces, leaving no trace for a thousand miles! I want to be that kind of person, to kill until a river of blood flows!”

’I’m already cold-blooded enough, with a heavy thirst for blood,’ Wan Tong thought, the corner of his mouth twitching. ’I never thought my Junior Brother—the Sect Leader’s beloved son, the most gifted disciple in the entire sect, a genius they say only appears once every three thousand years—would have an even greater thirst for blood than I do.’

’But he really is a genius. Just seventeen years old... and his power has already reached the level of a Tier Nine Sword Venerable!’

’No wonder the Sect Leader dotes on his youngest son, even decreeing long ago that he would be the next Sect Leader. And for once, the sect’s complex factions have been unusually silent, with no one voicing any opposition!’

’This is a true genius, someone who will very likely step into the Divine Power Realm within his lifetime!’

’Faced with such a genius, who could possibly compete?’

As these thoughts crossed his mind, Wan Tong felt the immense pressure on his shoulders.

The Sect Leader had entrusted his Junior Brother to him, tasking him with guiding the boy’s training in the mortal world. The goal was for his Junior Brother to spend several years experiencing the full spectrum of human emotions and desires.

’He’s meant to temper his state of mind!’

’It seems the Sect Leader truly expects Junior Brother to enter the Divine Power Realm and become a supreme expert someday.’ Wan Tong felt a pang of envy, but a smile touched his lips. ’A peerless genius who might become one of the greats is right here beside me. How could I pass up the chance to get on his good side?’

’Once Junior Brother completes his training and returns to the sect, my family will become the supreme power in the Da Han Empire for the next one or two hundred years!’ A fervent glint flashed in Wan Tong’s eyes. ’Even... the Emperor’s throne... wouldn’t be out of the question!’

”Slaughter is just a tool,” Wan Tong said suddenly after a moment of silence.

”Like when you trained that platoon of pampered soldiers a few years back?” the younger man asked, his wide eyes twinkling as he looked at Wan Tong.

Wan Tong nodded. ”Back when I was training them, many refused to follow my lead. Some even challenged me openly. Of course, I couldn’t let them stay. But I couldn’t just kill all of them, either. If I had, where would my army be today? Who would fight my wars for me?”

”I understand, Senior Brother! You mean killing is acceptable, but it must be controlled. You have to kill with your head, right?” the young man said, his face alight with excitement.

Wan Tong nodded. Looking at his naive yet bloodthirsty Junior Brother, he smiled and said, ”We both possess power beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Most of the time, killing is just one of many tools. The goal is to make others cower, to inspire awe and fear. Ultimately, you want them to submit to you completely, to worship you... *That* is the superior path!”

”Yes, just like your soldiers now. If you ordered them to die, they would never choose to live.” The young man’s wide eyes blinked in admiration. ”Senior Brother, you know so much!”

”Haha, be patient. I didn’t understand these things at first, either. They’re all lessons honed bit by bit through experience. Stick with me, and it won’t be long before you learn all this and even surpass me!” Wan Tong said.

”I’ll be content if I can just become like you, Senior Brother!” the young man said earnestly.

Wan Tong smiled. ’I’m so incredibly lucky,’ he thought. ’To be the person a future peerless expert worships in his youth... not just anyone gets an opportunity like this.’

’Especially when Junior Brother’s current power already far surpasses my own. A Tier Nine Sword Venerable!’

’A seventeen-year-old Tier Nine Sword Venerable!’

This filled Wan Tong with confidence for their current mission.

’Xu Luo, youngest and most favored son of Grand General of National Guardian Xu Ji. Drummer for the Cangqiong Empire’s Centennial Star Festival. Nicknames: the Medicine Jar, the Little Waste, the Civil Servant’s Rice Bowl...’ Wan Tong reviewed the information on his target and couldn’t help but smile. ’For a boy like that to influence the entire Southern war front in just over a year, becoming the key to the Cangqiong Empire’s victory there... Heh, how interesting.’

”What are you smiling about, Senior Brother?” the young man asked.

Wan Tong said, ”I was just thinking about that Grand General of National Guardian’s youngest son.”

”That Xu Luo guy? The one we’re supposed to capture?” The young man blinked, his tone dismissive. ”What’s so special about some ordinary person?”

”He’s... a little different,” Wan Tong said.

”How different can he be? When the time comes, you won’t even have to do anything, Senior Brother. I’ll capture him and hand him over to you myself!” the young man declared, full of vigor.

”Haha, with my Junior Brother’s help, I’ll have nothing to worry about!” Wan Tong laughed heartily.

”Who’s there?” the young man suddenly called out coldly, his gaze fixed on the distant mountains.

”Hm?” Wan Tong started, then narrowed his eyes to follow the young man’s gaze.

In the distance, rolling mountains were covered in groves of towering ancient trees. Birds occasionally took flight, but he saw nothing out of the ordinary.

”What is it, Junior Brother?” Wan Tong knew the extent of his Junior Brother’s abilities and didn’t think he was causing trouble for no reason.

The young man suddenly shot into the air, his figure as agile as a bird. He soared through the sky, and in the blink of an eye, dived toward the grove of towering trees.

All the men behind Wan Tong stared, dumbfounded, at the young man in the sky, their eyes filled with awe and envy.

’No wonder the General places so much importance on this kid. He’s truly got incredible abilities!’ This thought surfaced in nearly everyone’s mind.

The young man plunged into the forest of towering trees, but quickly flew back out with a frown.

”Was something wrong?” Wan Tong asked, stepping forward.

The young man shook his head slightly. ”It was probably a Spirit Beast. Very alert. It fled the instant I sensed it. If I see it again, I’ll be sure to capture it for you as a Spirit Pet, Senior Brother!”

Wan Tong smiled, not giving it much thought. Their army might look like it was marching unguarded, but in truth, every movement within a radius of hundreds of miles was under his control.

The elite Reconnoitre units under his command were no mere decorations!

...

”Bah! Spirit Pet my ass! Dammit, that little punk has a sharp nose. Master Mao almost got discovered! Aaaah!” Master Mao, who looked like a small yellow cat, had already fled far away. He was now dozens of miles from the army, perched atop a towering ancient tree, muttering as he gazed toward Wan Tong’s forces.

”Xu Luo, you idiot! Your home turf is about to get raided! Hmph. If Master Mao wasn’t here, what would you do then?”

This little yellow cat was none other than the Heaven-Swallowing Fox who had vanished long ago... Master Mao!

Back at the Merak Sect, Master Mao had watched with his own eyes as Xu Luo was swallowed by a giant boulder deep within the mountain. He had dug for a long time but couldn’t find a single trace of him. Overcome with grief and indignation, he had left.

Afterward, Master Mao returned to his Heaven-Swallowing Fox clan, planning to find a Mother Heaven-Swallowing Fox to be his companion for the rest of his life.

In truth, even Master Mao himself hadn’t realized how deep his feelings for that detestable human brat had become. He always claimed not to care, but in the quiet of the night, he would inevitably recall his days with Xu Luo.

”Those were Master Mao’s happiest days! Aaaah!” he would often sigh.

That was, until the day Master Mao suddenly saw the Big Dipper erupt with powerful Star Power once again. That was the very moment Xu Luo was locked in a massive battle.

Master Mao could hardly believe Xu Luo was still alive. Yet, he knew with certainty that besides that detestable human boy, there was almost no one else in the world who could channel Star Power.

So, Master Mao ran away from home once more...

As he passed through the Da Han Empire’s territory, Master Mao wondered, ’Should I kill a few of their high-ranking generals? I could show off to that detestable Xu Luo later.’

But he soon discovered that was easier said than done. Nearly every high-ranking general in the Da Han Empire was heavily guarded, with powerful experts protecting them from the shadows.

’Looks like the mortal Human World isn’t as simple as I thought!’ Master Mao mused as he rushed toward the Cangqiong Kingdom.

He never expected to stumble upon Wan Tong’s army. By listening in on them, he learned a great deal and discovered that their target was none other than Xu Luo!

’Even though that brat Xu Luo is cunning and detestable, I can’t let anyone else mess with him!’

”That’s Master Mao’s person! How dare you try to bully him?” Master Mao desperately wanted to rush out and squash that irritating Golden Armor General with a single swipe of his paw. But he never imagined the little punk beside the General would be strong enough to sense him, especially when he was getting angry!

’Good thing that, even though that punk is strong, Master Mao has improved a lot recently, too! Aaaah!’ Master Mao thought smugly. He glanced back in their direction, then his figure flickered and vanished into the dense woods.

...

「On Xu Luo’s end」

Pre-war mobilization had already begun. Nearly everyone in the fiefdom knew that a war was imminent.

Although Xu Luo, Huangfu Chongzhi, and the others had stressed the gravity of the coming war, most of the people remained optimistic. After all, they were still a considerable distance from the Da Han Empire’s border.

Besides, with the rolling mountains and lack of roads, it was nearly impossible for a large army to cross through the region.

And that wasn’t to mention the various traps Fifth Master Sui Yan had set in the dense forests. Watching them being tested was enough to make one’s skin crawl. As a result, people subconsciously felt that even if the Da Han Empire’s army did show up, they wouldn’t be too difficult to handle.

Finally, Wan Tong’s army silently closed in on Xu Luo’s fiefdom. When they were still more than fifty li away, they were discovered by the Reconnoitre units sent out by Xu Luo.