Firmament Sword

The vast, ocean-like energy within the Blood Pill instantly flooded Xu Luo’s entire body. For a moment, he could barely control it as a brilliant divine light erupted from him.

Fortunately, Xu Luo had a habit of setting up a barrier to seal his aura from the outside world before cultivating. Otherwise, this surge would have surely shocked the entire Merak Sect, probably even startling the old ancestor who had been in seclusion for countless years.

Miaomiao, who had been happily absorbing Star Power nearby, jumped up as if its tail had been stepped on, its sapphire-like eyes flickering with disbelief.

A look of ecstasy then filled Miaomiao’s eyes, because the Star Power now erupting from Xu Luo’s body was hundreds, even thousands of times more potent than during his usual cultivation!

”Aha, I’ve struck it rich! It’s a jackpot! I’m rich! AAAAAH!” Miaomiao, face alight with excitement, quickly leaped to Xu Luo’s side and began to absorb the energy with all its might.

Xu Luo was oblivious to the outside world, his gaze fixed on the Jade Balance Star Soul in his Dantian. He watched the light on the Star Soul grow increasingly intense and brilliant as it frantically absorbed the immense power from the Blood Pill, and his heart filled with immense joy.

The melodious sound of a flute still drifted from outside. Inside the room, the Jade Balance Star Soul in Xu Luo’s Dantian was slowly awakening.

It didn’t stop its terrifying absorption until it had drained the entire Blood Pill of its power and, on top of that, drawn half the energy from Xu Luo’s Dantian.

Then, the Jade Balance Star Soul activated, shining with a brilliant light!

For some reason, Xu Luo also felt a profound joy, as if they were connected by blood.

The sensation was mystical, and he found it difficult to put into words.

However, the verses of a cultivation technique that then appeared in his mind left Xu Luo overjoyed!

’Finally… another new cultivation technique!’

The name of this cultivation technique was the Jade Balance Demon Sound. When used, it could directly attack an opponent’s spirit through sound!

Killing without a trace!

Xu Luo never expected that the awakening of the Jade Balance Star Soul would grant him such a miraculous cultivation technique.

When cultivated to a high level, one could even influence an opponent’s consciousness just by speaking normally!

Such a method was simply unheard of!

Moreover, Xu Luo had yet to realize that with the awakening of his Jade Balance Star Soul, his entire disposition had also undergone a distinct change.

The already handsome young man now seemed to be veiled in an invisible divine radiance, as if bathed in holy light. This gave him the air of a deity, adding to his endless charm.

Although this change might not seem to have a major practical effect, first impressions are extremely important in interpersonal interactions.

Now, even his enemies would find it hard to feel any aversion upon seeing him, let alone those who were already close to him.

This change lasted for about two hours. Only when Xu Luo stopped circulating the Shadow Shaking Heart Method did the layer of divine light shrouding him slowly recede into his body.

Although the overwhelming charm from before was gone, his entire spiritual demeanor had been transformed.

Although his cultivation realm hadn’t broken through—he was still a Half-Step Sword King, just half a step away from the true Sword King Realm—his actual strength was on a completely different level.

When he unleashed his power, his vitality would become so vigorous it could rival that of a young Ancient Sacred Beast!

...

「Several days later.」

Li Wenxi, the Sect Leader of the Merak Sect, led the delegation, accompanied by seven or eight Elders and over a hundred young disciples. They were heading to the Celestial Break Mountain Range to participate in the Sect Assembly!

Among them was Qiushuiduan, his hair completely white. He saw Xu Luo and gave him a slight nod.

Xu Luo nodded back in acknowledgment, feeling a great deal of admiration in his heart for this deeply devoted man.

Xu Luo had previously thought the Merak Sect wasn’t that large, but seeing so many people as they departed, he couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. ’The foundation of a sect is truly beyond what an ordinary person can imagine. Even a sect like Merak, one that a child of the Ancient Races like Su Qianqian would scorn, can still dispatch over a hundred outstanding young disciples.’

’Not to mention the truly major sects, which must be teeming with talent.’

Similarly, these outstanding young disciples dispatched by the Merak Sect were also extremely curious about Xu Luo, the Sect Leader’s new Registered Disciple.

The matter of Sun Wu suffering a setback at Xu Luo’s hands a few days ago had already spread. Coupled with Phoenix’s warning, no one had come to provoke Xu Luo these past few days.

For most of them, this was also the first time they had seen this legendary youth from the secular world.

”Wow, he’s so handsome! Are there men this good-looking in the secular world?” a female disciple whispered to her companion, sounding utterly smitten.

Sun Wu, standing not far away, shot a hateful glance in Xu Luo’s direction, then said coldly, ”What’s the use of being handsome? He’s just an embroidered pillow—all looks and no substance!”

”How would you know, Senior Brother?” The smitten girl didn’t seem afraid of Sun Wu. She retorted from several people away. Before he could answer, she continued with a look of sudden realization, ”Oh, I know! You must think you lost that day because of his pet. The pet might be powerful, but the master is useless, right?”

”You... Shut your mouth!” Although Sun Wu’s face had healed, it burned with shame as if everyone around was looking at him with mocking eyes. He snarled, ”Words are useless! We’ll see who’s the real deal at the Sect Assembly!”

”Hehe, that’s true,” a girl giggled, fantasizing with a look of longing. ”But I heard this year’s Sect Assembly involves training in a vast set of Ancient Ruins. If we’re lucky, we might even find some treasures inside.”

In the crowd, there was a small clique of young disciples in their twenties, both male and female. They were silent and expressionless, keeping their distance from the other disciples.

The occasional glances they shot toward Phoenix and Xu Luo were filled with icy coldness and venomous resentment.

”Do you feel it?” Phoenix walked beside Xu Luo, her voice a soft whisper in his ear. ”Those disciples over there are all the Grand Elder’s Direct Disciples. They’re very strong. Now that the Grand Elder has fallen from power, they hate me and Master to the bone, but they’re powerless to do anything. This assembly is probably an opportunity for them. You should be careful, too. I’m afraid they’ll start hating you because of me.”

Xu Luo nodded. He had noticed their cold gazes from the very start of the journey and had guessed they might be Crystal’s martial brothers and sisters. It seemed his guess was correct.

The Celestial Break Mountain Range was located in an immensely vast territory west of Cangqiong, north of Great Yan, and south of Da Han.

This region was considered a forbidden zone. None of the great nations—be it Cangqiong, Great Yan, or Da Han—had ever harbored any designs on it throughout history.

For people of the secular world, this place was a forbidden zone of life!

The entire region was at an extremely high altitude, with massive peaks stretching for hundreds of thousands of miles. The air was thin, and it was overrun with powerful beasts, deep abysses, canyons, swamps, and rivers.

It was a paradise for all kinds of ferocious beasts, exotic beasts, and Spirit Beasts, but for humans, survival here was simply impossible!

At the same time, this region was also where the sects of the Central Plains Star Continent were most concentrated.

The truly powerful sects had minimal, if any, contact with the secular world. They were self-sufficient and had, since ancient times, grown accustomed to looking down on the mortals of the world.

Therefore, in their eyes, a sect like Merak, which had relatively more contact with the secular world, was just a small, powerless school.

Along the way, Li Wenxi told Xu Luo many things about the sects hidden within this forbidden zone, and Xu Luo listened with great interest, learning much that he had never known before.

The Celestial Break Mountain Range lay in the center of this forbidden zone, which spanned a million square li.

Even for the sects, it was an extremely terrifying place!

Legend had it that many descendants of the Ancient Sacred Beasts existed there. Although not as terrifying as their ancestors, they still possessed a variety of the Ancient Sacred Beasts’ powers, and even the sects didn’t dare to provoke them lightly.

The reason the Sect Assembly was being held in the Celestial Break Mountain Range this time was because a massive set of Ancient Ruins had been discovered there!

Moreover, the ruins were located on the outskirts of the Celestial Break Mountain Range. As long as they were careful and didn’t provoke the terrifying beings within the mountains, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Not long after Xu Luo and his group entered the forbidden zone of life, they encountered a party from another sect. Coincidentally, there was an acquaintance of Xu Luo’s among them.

Ark, the Young Master of Tianquan!

And standing beside Ark was the middle-aged man Xu Luo would never forget—the man who had nearly killed him!

At that moment, Ark and the middle-aged man also spotted Xu Luo in the Merak Sect’s party. A thick killing intent shot from Ark’s eyes, while the middle-aged man’s expression was one more of surprise.

”Hahaha, what a coincidence, Sect Leader Li. To think we’d meet here,” a refined-looking middle-aged man said, walking toward Li Wenxi with a hearty smile in his eyes.

”Sect Leader Fang, hello,” Li Wenxi replied with a faint smile, watching the man approach.

He was none other than the Sect Leader of Tianquan, Fang Jing.

”Have you been well, Sect Leader Li? I heard you suffered a cultivation deviation earlier. I was quite saddened for you at the time. But now, it seems you have fully recovered and even improved your cultivation. This is truly worthy of congratulations!” Fang Jing was all smiles, looking as if he were genuinely happy for Li Wenxi.

But in reality, anyone who knew the inside story was well aware that not only was there no friendship between Fang Jing and Li Wenxi, one could even say... there was enmity.

Back when Li Wenxi had her cultivation deviation, the Merak Grand Elder, Leng Yu Lian, tried to eliminate her rivals by marrying Phoenix off to the Young Master of Tianquan, Ark. After Li Wenxi recovered, she directly drove Ark away, thus creating a grudge with Tianquan.

Fang Jing had always been on good terms with Leng Yu Lian and the Merak Sect’s Supreme Elder, so he naturally didn’t get along with Li Wenxi.

”Thank you for your concern, Sect Leader Fang,” Li Wenxi said with a faint smile.

At this, Fang Jing’s gaze fell upon Phoenix, who stood beside Li Wenxi. He chuckled, ”This must be your Merak Sect’s Saintess Phoenix, yes? Truly a peerless beauty. A perfect match for my son, haha.”

Li Wenxi’s gaze hardened. ”You jest, Sect Leader Fang,” she said coolly. ”My disciple is still young and not yet of an age for marriage.”

”Heh heh, as far as I know, your sect had already betrothed Miss Phoenix to my son. I’m just not sure what happened later for the engagement to be canceled. I have been waiting for an explanation from Sect Leader Li,” Fang Jing said. As he spoke, his aura shifted, and a mountain-like might filled the air, so oppressive that many of those nearby found it difficult to breathe.

Xu Luo looked at Fang Jing, his heart stirring. ’A Sword King!’

’To think that the Sect Leader of Tianquan has also reached the Transformation Realm!’