Firmament Sword

Hearing him admit it, Su Qianqian was suddenly at a loss, and a wave of fear rose in her heart.

The Artifact Spirit of a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact, no matter how intelligent, was still just an Artifact Soul. It might be clever, even wise, but it was fundamentally different from a human.

No matter what, an Artifact Spirit would never have the thought of possessing and occupying a human body.

At worst, it might leave its master for some reason, and that was already the most severe outcome imaginable.

But for a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact to actually contain a human soul—this joke had gone too far.

Su Qianqian had originally thought herself incredibly lucky. Now, deep in her heart, there was only fear.

The black tower’s Divine Thought let out a soft sigh. ”I knew you’d be afraid if I told you the truth. Young lady, there’s no need to be scared. I won’t harm you. Whether I have the ability to or not, even if I could... I would never possess the body of a young woman.”

Su Qianqian remained silent, but she was thinking, ’Heaven knows if you’re telling the truth. For a human soul sealed within a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact, even a woman’s body would be infinitely better than being trapped in an object, wouldn’t it?’

The black tower’s Divine Thought seemed to see through her thoughts and gave a wry laugh. ”Believe me, I have no reason to deceive you. Besides, I am only a remnant soul, far from complete. I can only exist by residing within this black tower.”

”Can you tell me your story?” Su Qianqian finally asked after a moment of silence.

She had just had a realization. ’I’m someone who isn’t even afraid of death. What else is there to fear?’

The black tower had saved her when she was intent on dying. ’If it really meant me harm,’ she thought, ’it’s unlikely it would be so direct, which would only put me on my guard.’ Though she had never witnessed possession firsthand, Su Qianqian had heard about it. If the host’s own soul was strong enough, the chance of failure was quite high. Unless there was absolutely no other choice, even the world’s most powerful figures wouldn’t resort to such a method.

Failure meant complete and utter annihilation of the soul!

”My story... isn’t complicated. I was once very powerful. During a climactic battle against another powerful being, I was defeated. My soul was nearly annihilated. Only a wisp of a remnant soul survived, merging with my Lifebound Magical Artifact and its Artifact Soul, becoming... this monster.”

The black tower’s Divine Thought spoke simply, a hint of self-deprecation in its tone.

But Su Qianqian sensed something ineffable in his words. It seemed this soul in the black tower had once been a peerless, mighty figure who stood at the apex of the world... one who could grasp the stars and pluck the sun and moon from the sky!

”I don’t remember how many ages I’ve spent in this Small World, with only endless loneliness for company. So, I wish to leave. But in this world, there are truly few who are worthy of my notice. Even you, young lady, I did not initially choose.”

”Then why did you choose me in the end?” Su Qianqian asked.

”Because in that moment when you faced certain death, the origin of your soul erupted with a light of incomparable purity and touched upon the true Great Dao! If, one day, I have even a sliver of a chance to be freed from this black tower, you are the only one who can give it to me!” the Divine Thought exclaimed, its voice filled with excitement.

”I don’t understand,” Su Qianqian admitted honestly.

”You don’t need to understand right now. I only ask that one day, when you do understand my words, you will help me.” The black tower didn’t press the issue. Perhaps its long life and endless years had allowed it to look past matters of life and death.

”Alright, I promise you!” Su Qianqian said earnestly.

...

”Did you go out last night?” Xu Qing asked. She was sitting on a stone by a stream, her head tilted as she looked at Xu Luo. Her two feet, as clear as jade, were dangling in the water, gently kicking at the cool current.

”You saw?” Xu Luo asked with a smile, leaning against a tree by the stream.

”There was such a huge commotion on the horizon. How could I not have seen it?” Xu Qing pouted. ”Did you find anything?”

Xu Luo shook his head. ”I was just trying my luck. It was so far away that by the time I got there, it was long gone.”

”Guess it wasn’t meant for you,” Xu Qing replied with a laugh.

Xu Luo rolled his eyes. ”If I were a little stronger, I could have just suppressed the Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact directly. Then it would have been ’meant for me’.”

’Su Qingyi comes to mind,’ Xu Luo thought. He was sure that if Su Qingyi had truly wanted the Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact, it would have been much easier for him. All he would have needed was an opportunity to suppress it directly.

Xu Qing laughed. ”This Small World is so mysterious. I originally thought these were the ruins of a single, great ancient sect. Now I realize it’s not one sect at all, but the ruins of many different ones.”

She continued, ”I don’t understand how this Small World could have broken off from our own world to form a closed, independent space like this.”

”That’s a question I can’t answer. Haven’t you asked your uncle?” Xu Luo said with a smile.

”I have,” Xu Qing replied. ”My uncle said there are two possibilities. The first is that during the Ancient Era, a mighty being used a Heaven-defying Technique to forcibly fold the space of a region, artificially creating an independent space—in other words, a Small World. The second possibility is that some sort of natural cataclysm occurred, forming an independent space on its own. My uncle believes this Small World is more likely the latter.”

”It’s probably the second one. A space containing the ruins of so many different sects doesn’t seem like something that would be created intentionally,” Xu Luo said, raising an eyebrow slightly. He had no real experience with such profound matters, let alone any special insight, so his opinion was pure speculation.

”Who cares, anyway? Even if people once lived here, they’ve long since turned to dust, buried by the endless river of time.” Xu Qing said, glancing at Xu Luo. ”When we leave here, I want to travel with you in the secular world.”

”You can’t be serious,” Xu Luo said, the corner of his mouth twitching as he looked at her. ”Your uncle would never agree.”

”What, you don’t want me to come?” Xu Qing’s ink-black eyes stared at Xu Luo, flashing with displeasure.

”I wouldn’t dare,” Xu Luo said with an aggrieved look. ”If you really want to go, who could stop you? But I have a lot of things to take care of in the secular world. Besides, it might not be safe to be around me.”

”I don’t believe that for a second,” Xu Qing said scornfully. ”Don’t tell me there’s anyone left in the secular world who can threaten you!”

She had seen Xu Luo’s strength with her own eyes and simply couldn’t believe anyone in the current secular world could pose a threat to him.

Xu Luo gave a wry smile. ”Perhaps not in the secular world, but there are in the sects!”

”It’s just Tianquan, right? Are you still afraid of them?” Xu Qing pouted. ”Or are you afraid the Shaking Light Sect or Kaiyang Sect will come looking for trouble? Don’t worry. Even though you had a conflict with Ancient Star and Jiang Tianhai and injured them, their sect’s Elders would never stoop to attacking you. They have too much face to lose by bullying a junior. Only a minor sect like Tianquan would do something so classless.”

Xu Luo’s thoughts turned to his mother’s sect. ’At the sect assembly, I don’t think I noticed if the Luoshui Nunnery was there. Then again, so many sects came, I didn’t have the energy to keep track of them all. But if the Luoshui Nunnery did attend, they must have noticed me, right? I come from the secular world, from Cangqiong. Even if the Luoshui Nunnery’s Head, Nun Huitong, didn’t suspect me at first, it’s the kind of thing that would raise suspicion with just a little more thought. And then there’s that Elder from Dubhe. I killed several of his disciples, even if it wasn’t my fault. But in these matters, it’s always the strong bullying the weak. Where does reason even factor in?’

Still, what Xu Qing said made sense. Truly important figures wouldn’t easily make a move on a junior like him.

”Let’s hope so,” Xu Luo said.

”Don’t worry. Merak may not be a major sect, but we’re not a doormat for just anyone to walk all over. Most importantly, you’ve already grown strong. Unless they have a deep-seated grudge and are confident they can kill you in one strike, no one will be willing to offend a young prodigy like you,” Xu Qing said with a smile.

”When I return to the secular world, I still have two battles to fight. The only problem is that now I have a sect affiliation. I’m afraid if I get involved, it will draw intervention from other sects,” Xu Luo said.

Xu Qing paused, taken aback. ”A war between nations?”

Xu Luo nodded.

Xu Qing sighed. ”I don’t understand you people. Can’t everyone just live peacefully? Why must there always be war?”

”I don’t want to, either,” Xu Luo said. ”But many things don’t bend to our will. The secular world... has its own rules.”

”Maybe so. But if I go to the secular world, I definitely won’t get involved in that sort of thing. I can help you with strategies and plans, though!” Xu Qing chuckled.

Xu Luo rolled his eyes and ignored her. ’If you could come up with strategies,’ he thought, ’what would we need actual military advisors for?’

The sound of footsteps approached from a distance. Three young women from the Jade Balance Sect had found them. The prettiest one, revealing two cute little fangs, teased, ”We couldn’t find you anywhere! So you were hiding here to whisper secrets!”

Xu Qing’s face flushed slightly. ”You’re the ones who slept in! Stop talking nonsense!”

The pretty girl laughed. ”Don’t worry, Senior Sister, I definitely won’t go back and tell the Sect Leader about this!”

”Why you little...! Getting bold, are we? Guess it’s been a few days since I last put you in your place!” Xu Qing, still barefoot on the soft grass, pounced playfully toward the pretty girl with her arms outstretched.

The two of them quickly dissolved into a fit of playful tussling.

Xu Luo watched them with a grin, thinking, ’This must be their true nature. These so-called sect geniuses... when you get down to it, how different are they really from the young men and women of the secular world?’

...

「Two days later.」

The passage to the Small World opened. A massive crack appeared in the sky, and Xushan’s thunderous voice boomed across every corner of the realm.

”Children, it’s time to return! Make haste! If you miss your chance, you’ll be trapped here forever!”

Having just finished digging up an ancient medicinal herb, Xu Qing looked up at the sky, then glanced at Xu Luo beside her. ”It’s finally time to go back,” she sighed softly.

Leaving this Small World meant she and Xu Luo would have to part ways.