Firmament Sword

”The green lotus blooms,” Xushan said calmly. Then, atop the vibrant, jade-like green lotus behind him, a tender pink flower bud slowly emerged, emanating an alluring fragrance!

Then, the flower bud instantly blossomed, its petals unfurling one by one. With each opening petal, a wave of pink light swept out. The heart of the flower faced Hu Chengfeng and He Chengfeng, its iridescent light shimmering between reality and illusion as it continuously washed over them.

The moment they saw the green lotus, the faces of Hu Chengfeng and He Chengfeng turned deathly pale. Beads of sweat rolled down their foreheads as they struggled desperately to maintain their Dharma Aspects.

He Chengfeng’s voice trembled. ”A single lotus under the eternal green sky... Dammit, that’s one of the legendary, most powerful Dharma Aspects from the Ancient Era! You... How could you possibly possess it?”

Beside him, Hu Chengfeng let out a sudden, furious roar. The tiger Dharma Aspect at his back opened its cavernous maw and lunged at Xushan with a piercing shriek.

At the same time, he bellowed, ”Xiaoliuzi, run! Go back and tell our brothers we will fight the Jade Balance Sect to the death!”

Upon hearing the order, a slender man among the gray-robed, masked figures shot down the mountain with incredible speed.

In that same instant, the other gray-robed, masked men, along with Hu Chengfeng and He Chengfeng, all charged recklessly toward Xushan, attempting to block him and buy time for the man who was escaping.

A murderous glint flashed in Xushan’s pure eyes. Just as he was about to act, he saw a yellow streak of light shoot out from Xu Luo, streaking like a bolt of lightning toward the fleeing Chengfeng Manor member, Xiaoliuzi.

”AAAAAHHH! Leave your pathetic life for Master Mao!” Master Mao roared, his mouth agape. His body instantly swelled in mid-air, transforming into a terrifying, ancient beast!

The scales on Master Mao’s body glinted like armor, and the two palm-sized horns on his head grew sharp and pointed. He swung an enormous paw, viciously swatting at the man named Xiaoliuzi.

Xiaoliuzi was also a Transformation Realm Powerhouse. Although only at the first tier, he was no pushover. Seeing the terrifying Spirit Beast attack from behind, a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He whirled around and thrust his sword toward Master Mao’s claw.

CLANG!

Master Mao’s claws were sharp and hard. They collided with Xiaoliuzi’s sword, creating a deafening crash, like the sound of metal striking metal.

Horrified, Xiaoliuzi stumbled back several steps, but Master Mao roared and lunged again. ”Weak little human, die!”

He swiped his claw again. After several power-ups and consuming a Blood Pill, Master Mao’s physical body had become terrifyingly robust. This one swipe carried the force of tens of thousands of pounds!

BANG!

The claw slammed viciously onto the sword Xiaoliuzi had hastily raised to defend himself. The sword shattered, and his bone broke!

One of Xiaoliuzi’s arms was instantly crippled, and he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood!

Master Mao raised his claw once more and brought it down viciously on Xiaoliuzi’s head. The Tier One Sword King only had time to throw a suicidal punch with his right hand, which landed on Master Mao’s body. But in the next moment, his head was crushed to a pulp by that single swipe.

His brains splattered. He died instantly.

Master Mao, having been punched by Xiaoliuzi, grimaced and shrieked in pain. ”AAAAAH, THAT HURT! DAMN HUMAN! YOU SHOULD’VE JUST DIED QUIETLY! WHY’D YOU HIT ME?”

On the mountaintop, the eyes of the Chengfeng Manor group were practically splitting with rage, so furious they could have spat blood. They never imagined their desperate sacrifice would lead to this.

No one had ever imagined that Xu Luo was hiding such a powerful Spirit Beast, one capable of killing a Tier One Sword King.

Xiaoliuzi was the fastest among them. With him dead, the others... had almost no hope left.

After seeing Master Mao kill Xiaoliuzi, Xushan’s expression returned to one of calm. He didn’t look like a man locked in a life-or-death struggle, but rather someone taking a leisurely stroll.

Atop the green lotus behind him, the petals of the pink flower, which radiated a bewitching and dazzling light, continued to unfurl. Wave after wave of resplendent pink light swept toward the men from Chengfeng Manor.

With the exception of Hu Chengfeng and He Chengfeng, the other Transformation Realm Powerhouses were utterly unable to resist the pink light. If it brushed against an arm, the arm fell off. If it touched a leg, the leg was severed. If it grazed a head... it meant instant death!

Xu Luo watched from the side, his heart reeling with shock. ’This is a true slaughter! This is what it means to be invincible!’

’So this is the kind of power one has at the High Tier of the Transformation Realm... Dharma Heaven and Earth, I have to master it too!’

Xu Luo turned his gaze inward to his Dantian. After activating the Three-Star Dharma Aspect, all three of his awakened Star Souls had lost their luster and grown dim. This was especially true for the recently awakened Jade Balance Star Soul. Without careful inspection, one might even think it was completely dark.

Strangely, the Seven Star Sword in Xu Luo’s hand was transmitting an intense feeling of indignation to him!

’A spirit-connected object!’ The three words suddenly flashed in Xu Luo’s mind.

He remembered his second brother, Xu Jie, once saying that the truly supreme weapons were Spirit-Connected Magical Artifacts! Such treasures could connect with their owner’s will and could even erupt with power far beyond their normal capabilities when their master was being suppressed.

’Could it be that this Seven Star Sword in my hand, with its mysterious origins... is actually a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact?’

Xu Luo’s mind reeled with the possibility, and he desperately wanted to investigate it at once.

The battle on the other side was already nearing its conclusion. The lower-tier Sword Kings were utterly defenseless against Xushan. The pink petals on the green lotus seemed endless, constantly unfurling to release waves of dazzling pink light.

Hu Chengfeng and He Chengfeng could barely defend themselves, let alone harm Xushan. That would be next to impossible.

Hu Chengfeng’s eyes turned red as he roared at Xushan, ”Sect Leader Xu, must you really kill every last one of us?”

Xushan chuckled. ”You brought this upon yourselves. You seem to have forgotten that while I haven’t made a move in years, there’s a reason I became the Jade Balance Sect Master.”

The faces behind Hu Chengfeng’s and He Chengfeng’s masks turned ashen. As neighbors, how could they not know about what happened all those years ago?

Blood had flowed like a river through the Jade Balance Sect. The old Sect Leader had departed in disgrace, and every single high-ranking member who had harmed Xushan’s family had met a grizzly end. All of them had fallen.

But it was too late for regrets. Hu Chengfeng roared, ”If that’s how it is, then let’s all die together!”

As he spoke, his body began to swell as if being inflated, rapidly transforming into a giant over ten meters tall. His movements mimicked his Dharma Aspect—the ferocious tiger!

Each punch could shatter massive boulders, and a single stomp of his foot cracked the mountainside. His power was world-shaking!

He Chengfeng, however, spread his arms like a great bird, shot out of the main battle, and lunged toward Xu Luo, who was meditating to recover his energy. ”You little bastard!” he roared. ”This is all your fault! Die for me!”

SHIIING!

The Seven Star Sword shot from its scabbard on its own, transforming into a ray of light that resembled an upside-down Star River. A grand illusion appeared in the sky as the sword slashed toward He Chengfeng.

THWIP! The Seven Star Sword pierced straight through He Chengfeng’s brow, leaving a massive, bloody hole in his head. It then shot high into the sky, emitting a sound like a dragon’s roar!

The blade quivered, instantly shaking itself clean of all blood. Then, with a WHOOSH, it flew back into its scabbard.

Xu Luo felt that the Seven Star Sword in his hand had suddenly become somewhat weaker, yet it also conveyed a feeling of deep satisfaction to him.

’A Divine Sword... must drink blood!’

He Chengfeng’s corpse fell just a few steps from Xu Luo. A gruesome mixture of blood and brain matter oozed from the hole in his head. His eyes were wide open, unable to find peace in death.

”Second Brother!” Hu Chengfeng let out a roar of pure grief and fury, about to charge at Xu Luo.

Just then, from the fully bloomed pink lotus atop the green lotus behind Xushan, a long, pink ray of light shot out and pierced through Hu Chengfeng’s brow.

Hu Chengfeng’s enormous body crashed to the ground, collapsing a large section of the mountainside. His body then shrank back to its original size. His mask fell away, revealing lifeless eyes that stared at the sky, unable to find peace in death.

Xushan then quickened his pace. The pink light swept continuously over the remaining survivors, including the already heavily-injured Yuan Chengfeng. All of them perished beneath its glow.

Afterward, the petals of the lotus flower folded back in on themselves, reverting to a bud before sinking into the green lotus. The green lotus itself then retracted back into Xushan’s body.

Looking at the field of corpses around them, a trace of exhaustion finally showed on Xushan’s face. He turned to Xu Luo. ”If you hadn’t injured them beforehand, it would have been quite difficult for me to ensure none of them escaped.”

Xu Luo stood up and bowed to Xushan, saying gratefully, ”Xu Luo thanks you for your help, Senior!”

Xushan waved a dismissive hand and plopped down on a large rock. He pulled a wine gourd from his Storage Ring, hesitated with a pained look on his face, and then tossed it to Xu Luo. ”No need to thank me, kid. Have a drink and get some of your strength back.”

Xu Luo caught it. Seeing Xushan take out an identical wine gourd for himself, he nodded his thanks again before uncorking it. A fruity aroma that soothed the soul immediately wafted out.

”This is...” Xu Luo was stunned, suddenly recalling a legend.

”Monkey Wine, brewed by a troop of Spirit Beast Monkeys deep in the Celestial Break Mountain Range. It contains a hundred different Spirit Medicines. This stuff is a true treasure, kid. I’ve taken a liking to you, so this is your lucky day!” Xushan said before tilting his head back for a large gulp. He let out a long breath. ”So satisfying!”

Xu Luo also took a drink. A fragrant taste filled his mouth, and at the same time, the three dim Star Souls in his Dantian flickered, actually beginning to absorb the power within the Monkey Wine.

”Thank you for your generosity, Senior!” Xu Luo said again.

”Ooh, that wine smells good! Master Mao wants some too, AAAAAH!” A yellow streak of light shot up from below, accompanied by Master Mao’s roar.

”Go collect the spoils of war first, and then I’ll let you have a drink,” Xu Luo said, his eyes shifting. Looking at the corpses on the mountaintop, he muttered, ’You tried to rob me first, so don’t blame me for what comes next.’

Xushan nearly spat out his wine. The corner of his mouth twitched as he stared speechlessly at Xu Luo. Then, with a dead-serious expression, he asked, ”Are you sure you’re from the mortal world?”