Firmament Sword

”Yeah, why?” Xu Luo glanced at Xushan and asked.

”Nothing, nothing.” The corner of Xushan’s mouth twitched. ’The way you are...’ he thought, ’you don’t look like a boy from the mortal world at all. You’re clearly a greedy, ancient fiend!’

Master Mao didn’t mind the task at all. He was still brooding over the meager loot from the people of Dubhe and Tianquan, grumbling, ”What a bunch of paupers!”

Xushan was left speechless. ’Like master, like pet,’ he mused.

In the end, they made a sizable haul from the Chengfeng Manor group. The fact that all three Manor Masters had Storage Rings came as a bit of a surprise even to Xushan.

Xu Luo watched Xushan warily. ”A big shot like you can’t be interested in this too, right?”

Xushan’s face was lined with exasperation. He rolled his eyes and cursed with a laugh, ”You think I’m like you?”

Xu Luo was unfazed and let out a sigh of relief. ”That’s good! That’s good!”

”You’ve gotten yourself into some deep trouble this time, kid. Killing so many people from Tianquan and Dubhe... They won’t let you off the hook. Have you thought about how you’re going to handle this?” Xushan took a sip of wine, a grin spreading across his face as he watched Xu Luo.

Seeing the conspiratorial glint in Xushan’s otherwise pure eyes, Xu Luo pursed his lips. ”What do you mean, *I* killed them? Didn’t these people get killed in a conflict with the folks from Chengfeng Manor? And then Sect Leader Xu arrived just in time... well, not *that* timely, but he got there in the end. He killed the villains from Chengfeng Manor and avenged the tragic deaths of the brave heroes from Tianquan and Dubhe...”

Xu Luo even let out a sigh as he spoke. ”Now Tianquan and Dubhe both owe Sect Leader Xu a huge debt of gratitude!”

”Pah! Utter nonsense,” Xushan cursed with a laugh, then said seriously, ”Do you really think anyone will believe that story?”

Xu Luo chuckled. ”It doesn’t matter if people believe it or not. What matters is who’s telling the story. My words mean nothing; no one would believe me. But if *Sect Leader Xu* were the one to say it… I’m sure people would have no choice but to believe, wouldn’t they?”

”You little rascal. We’re not friends or family. Why on earth should I help you like that?” Xushan asked, a sly smile playing on his lips as he watched Xu Luo.

”How should I know? For that matter, I still don’t understand why the people from Dubhe want me dead. If we’re talking about people who want me dead, that Elder Xiao of yours... seems to have a much more solid motive,” Xu Luo said.

”Elder Xiao? He’s getting a bit senile,” Xushan said dismissively, then looked at Xu Luo. ”I don’t know why the people from Dubhe are after you, but it’s true I didn’t help you for no reason. I need you to do something for me.”

Xu Luo glanced at Xushan, handed the wine gourd in his hand to Master Mao, and said, ”What help could I possibly be to you...”

”Don’t be so quick to refuse. For this task, it has to be you.” Xushan sighed, then said, ”I have a niece named Xu Qing. You’ve probably seen her. She’s a stunning beauty, a true goddess among women...”

”Sect... Sect Leader Xu, um... *cough cough*, I’ve already got a few girls like that around me,” Xu Luo said cautiously.

The corners of Xushan’s mouth twitched violently. He looked at Xu Luo, completely exasperated. ”Did I say I was going to marry my niece to you?”

”Then what is it?” Xu Luo let out a long sigh of relief, his expression relaxing as he asked.

Xushan was speechless with anger. ’My niece! The niece of the great Jade Balance Sect Master! She is exceptionally talented and beautiful beyond compare. What kind of genius couldn’t she have? Did you really need to get so scared? Besides, even if you were interested, I wouldn’t allow it!’

Xushan was furious. His face fell as he said, ”This time, when we enter the mysterious space within the Ancient Ruins, Xu Qing will be looking for a certain item. I want you to help her. If you agree, then I’ll take responsibility for what happened today. Furthermore, once the task is complete and you return, I will publicly show my favor toward you. For you, there’s absolutely no downside to this deal. What do you say?”

”Looking for something?” Xu Luo glanced at Xushan curiously.

Xushan nodded. ”That’s right. I won’t hide it from you. Our people discovered the item the very first time they entered that mysterious space. Unfortunately, we didn’t understand the rules of the place back then. We sent in members of the older generation, and the casualties were devastating...”

Glancing at Xu Luo, Xushan continued in a somber tone, ”Later, we figured out the rules of the place and sent in some younger disciples. Unexpectedly, they ran into the offspring of a Holy Beast. We had no other choice, so we decided to make it the trial ground for this sect conference.”

Xu Luo raised an eyebrow. ”I get it. You’re using this as an excuse to launch a full-scale assault on the mysterious space.”

Xushan nodded. ”I act with integrity and have nothing to hide. That mysterious space contains countless treasures. I only want that one item. The rest can go to whichever fated young experts are lucky enough to find them. Finders keepers. So you see, I’m not scheming against anyone. I’m simply pooling our strength to accomplish a single goal.”

Xu Luo nodded. ”I’m curious. What kind of treasure could possibly be so important to a man like Sect Leader Xu?”

”You’ll find out sooner or later anyway, so I might as well tell you. It’s a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact!” Xushan said, giving Xu Luo a profound look. ”Just like the sword you’re carrying!”

Xu Luo couldn’t help but gasp. He stared at Xushan in shock, never imagining that the man could see the secret of his Seven Star Sword.

’After all, he’d only just discovered it himself a short while ago!’

”Don’t worry, I’m not after your sword. I told you, I, Xushan, act with integrity, and I’m not just saying that to make myself sound good.” Xushan said, then continued, ”That Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact is a string of bells. I had originally intended to acquire it for my niece. I just hope you can help her obtain it.”

”Well, since you’ve put it that way, it would be unreasonable of me to refuse,” Xu Luo said with a smile. ”Rest assured, Sect Leader Xu. Once we’re inside, I will do my utmost to help Miss Xu Qing obtain that string of Spirit-Connected bells.”

Xushan nodded, looking at Xu Luo. ”Then it’s settled!”

Xu Luo also nodded. ”It’s settled!”

...

”Xu Luo, where did you go? How were you out for so long?” Phoenix looked at Xu Luo, her face etched with worry. She pouted and said, ”When I got back, my master scolded me. She said I shouldn’t have let you wander off on your own. What if your enemies had found you?”

’Chased by enemies?’ Xu Luo thought. ’It was more than that. I was the one doing the killing and looting...’

But since Xushan, the Jade Balance Sect Master, had already agreed to take the fall, there was no need to tell anyone else. While Phoenix would never spread it around, she would surely be terrified for him in hindsight.

”I’m back in one piece, aren’t I?” Xu Luo said with a smile.

”Sister Lianyi was just here; she’s been worried about you too,” Phoenix said to Xu Luo. ”She said that when we enter the mysterious space, we should all stick together. That way, anyone who wants to cause trouble for you will have to think twice.”

A warmth spread through Xu Luo’s heart. He nodded. ”I understand.”

After saying goodbye to Phoenix, Xu Luo returned to his tent and took out the Seven Star Sword from his Storage Ring.

The ink-black blade seemed to devour the very light around it. The edge, once relatively dull, was now honed to an incredible sharpness. A single glance was enough to send a chill down one’s spine.

Xu Luo gently caressed the blade and felt a wave of pleasant energy emanate from it. He felt that the sword was now connected to him, mind and soul!

”It seems those seven strange pieces of metal I paid a fortune for actually turned the Seven Star Sword into a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact. It would have been worth it even if it had cost twice, or even ten times, as much!” Xu Luo muttered to himself.

Putting the Seven Star Sword away, Xu Luo looked inward at his Dantian. The three Star Souls, having benefited from the Monkey Wine he’d drunk, were slightly brighter than they had been right after the battle. However, they were still a far cry from their brilliance before he had manifested the Three-Star Dharma Aspect.

”Looks like using a technique far beyond my level isn’t so simple after all. I wonder when they’ll fully recover,” Xu Luo murmured.

Today, Xu Luo had witnessed the true power of a High-Tier Transformation Realm Powerhouse. By unleashing Dharma Heaven and Earth, their combat prowess could multiply several times over—at critical moments, it could even double, triple, or more!

A Transformation Realm Powerhouse who could use Dharma Heaven and Earth was on a completely different level from one who couldn’t!

Even among Sword Kings of the Transformation Realm, the difference in power… was like heaven and earth!

’I have to train hard and reach the stage where I can use Dharma Heaven and Earth as soon as possible!’ Xu Luo swore to himself.

Finally, he began to take stock of his haul for the day.

The men from Dubhe and Tianquan weren’t necessarily all paupers, but they had been hunting him and hadn’t been carrying much of value. All Xu Luo got from them were a little over two thousand Spirit Stones of mixed quality, plus a few common Healing Medicines and Spirit Pills.

In the mortal world, these Healing Medicines and Spirit Pills would be considered treasures, but among the sects, they were nothing special.

The real prize was the loot from the Chengfeng Manor men!

Aside from the three Manor Masters, Master Mao found over thirty-three thousand high-quality Spirit Stones on the rest of the men, along with a large quantity of superior-grade Healing Medicines and Spirit Pills. There was also a stash of excellent quality Refining Materials like refined gold, Mithril, and Darksteel.

This haul alone was enough to excite Xu Luo and Master Mao, but what truly made them grin from ear to ear… was the loot from Chengfeng Manor’s three Manor Masters!

Who knew if these bandits had a habit of carrying their entire net worth on them? Hu Chengfeng’s Storage Ring alone held around thirty thousand Top-Grade Spirit Stones!

The Spiritual Qi contained within these Spirit Stones was so rich it was practically overflowing, infusing the very storage space of the ring with its spiritual essence!

There were also over two hundred thousand medium-grade Spirit Stones, all neatly stacked in the storage space—a massive fortune!

In addition to these, there were huge quantities of top-grade refined gold, Mithril, Darksteel, and Colorless Iron... There were Spirit Medicines of various ancient vintages, the corpses, bones, and pelts of many High-tier Spirit Beasts, and Xu Luo even found two drops of essence blood from a peak-tier Spirit Beast!

Naturally, these two drops of essence blood went to Master Mao.

In addition to these priceless treasures, tucked away in a corner of the storage space, Xu Luo found an ancient map.