Firmament Sword

However, Xu Luo’s next words wiped the smiles from their faces.

”Gu Xing, the son of the Shaking Light Sect’s Sect Leader, and I... had a bit of a disagreement in the Small World. I don’t think anyone in the Shaking Light Sect is going to like me very much,” Xu Luo said, scratching his head. He then gave a rough summary of the conflict between himself, Gu Xing, Jiang Tianhai, and Xiaohai in the Small World.

”...” Huangfu Chongzhi and the other two could only stare at Xu Luo, utterly speechless.

’You call that ”a bit of a disagreement”?’

’What do you mean, ”won’t like you”? You’ll be lucky if they don’t hate your guts!’

’I see it now. When it comes to stirring up trouble, no one beats you, Third Brother!’

Although the three of them knew in their hearts that Xu Luo wasn’t to blame for making an enemy of Gu Xing from the Shaking Light Sect, they couldn’t help but wish it had never happened.

Of the five major sects, three were now their enemies. As for the two friendly ones, how much effort would they really expend for an outsider? That was a huge question mark.

They were all still young, but they weren’t children anymore. They couldn’t afford to harbor unrealistic fantasies. In the end... they could only rely on themselves.

”Third Brother, what is your exact realm now?” Huangfu Chongzhi’s gaze was intense as he looked at Xu Luo. He was clearly very curious about his current level.

Little Fatty and Sui Yan also stared with wide, expectant eyes. Xu Luo was no longer just the core and spiritual leader of their old Martial Soul Squad. To the many who knew the truth, he had become the spiritual leader of the entire Cangqiong Empire!

If Xu Luo was strong, Cangqiong was strong!

This wasn’t just the opinion of one or two people; it was a view shared by almost the entire upper echelon of the Cangqiong Empire!

So, when Huangfu Chongzhi asked this question in private, he wasn’t just asking for himself—even though he would never reveal Xu Luo’s true realm to anyone.

”Right now, I’m at the Fourth Layer Peak of the Transformation Realm. I’m just half a step away from entering the Fifth Layer.” In front of the brothers he’d grown up with, Xu Luo would never hide the truth or be evasive if they asked.

”The... Fifth Layer of the Transformation Realm? You mean the Fifth Layer of the Sword King Realm? Heavens... Is that for real?” Little Fatty was grinning and flailing his arms in ecstatic disbelief. He couldn’t believe it was true.

”The Fourth Layer Peak,” Sui Yan reminded him from the side. A rare look of joy finally appeared on his face as he pumped his fist. ”This is great!”

Huangfu Chongzhi was stunned speechless for a good while. Finally, he shook his head with a wry smile. ”I used several types of Spirit Medicine that Yueru gave me and followed an ancient formula from the Pill Scripture to refine an elixir. Because I didn’t know what its effects would be, I was selfish and took it myself... After a near-death experience, I barely managed to break into the First Layer of Transformation Realm. I already thought that was incredible, but I never expected that you, Third Brother, would have quietly traveled so much farther...”

Huangfu Chongzhi was being sincere, admitting he had used an ancient formula from the Pill Scripture to break through to the First Layer of Transformation Realm. At the same time, he lamented that Xu Luo’s fortuitous encounters were far greater than his own.

Little Fatty and Sui Yan both stared at Huangfu Chongzhi with wide eyes. Little Fatty knew about the three legendary books. Since he spent every day with Sui Yan, he understood the power of the Mechanical Skill better than anyone. So, when he heard that Huangfu Chongzhi had reached the First Layer of Transformation Realm just by following a recipe from the Pill Scripture, Little Fatty instantly lost his composure.

”Big Brother! An elixir, please!”

Although Sui Yan wasn’t as shameless as Little Fatty, he also looked at Huangfu Chongzhi with hopeful eyes.

Huangfu Chongzhi shrugged helplessly. ”Those types of Spirit Medicine are extremely difficult to find, and the alchemy process is filled with uncertainty. One small mistake and all your work is for nothing. I used up all of those Spirit Medicines and only managed to refine a single elixir...”

”Sigh...” Even though they had expected as much, Little Fatty and Sui Yan were still very disappointed.

Just then, Xu Luo took out six Chaos Peaches and gave two to each of them. He smiled and said, ”These might not be as effective as the elixir Big Brother refined, but I don’t think they’re much worse. Take them and keep them safe. You can eat them after the banquet tonight. You should... see some significant gains.”

”Whoa!” Little Fatty’s hands were a blur. He snatched two, and before Xu Luo had even finished speaking, he’d already taken a huge bite. By the time Xu Luo was done, Little Fatty had swallowed half of one peach.

”Mmph...” Hearing Xu Luo’s words, Little Fatty, who had already bitten into the peach again, froze with his eyes bulging. He was stuck, not knowing whether to swallow or spit it out. Just then, he felt a powerful, hot current surging through his entire body!

Sui Yan put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes, unable to even look at Little Fatty’s idiotic display.

Huangfu Chongzhi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry as he watched Little Fatty. ’Sometimes this guy’s mind is terrifyingly sharp,’ he thought, ’but in front of his brothers, he pulls these idiotic stunts. If you didn’t know his age, you’d think he was younger than Sui Yan.’

Xu Luo was also at a loss for words. ”Well, you’ve already started,” he said helplessly. ”Just finish the whole peach and try to circulate your energy for a breakthrough...”

With a miserable look, Little Fatty finally swallowed the bite. ”You guys scared me so much my jaw hurts...” he mumbled.

As he spoke, Little Fatty finished off the Chaos Peach. Instantly, his already ruddy face turned beet red, and his entire body began to swell up like a balloon.

”Not good!” Xu Luo reacted instantly, rushing to Little Fatty’s side. He slapped him on the back and yelled, ”Calm your mind and focus! Circulate your energy, now!”

When Xu Luo had given the peaches to Lianyi and the others, their realms were already quite high, and their cultivation techniques were far more advanced than Little Fatty’s. That’s why this hadn’t happened before. Xu Luo had overlooked it, forgetting that Little Fatty hadn’t even reached the Transformation Realm and his cultivation technique wasn’t nearly as powerful. He hadn’t expected this kind of accident.

Huangfu Chongzhi and Sui Yan grew tense, watching from the sidelines without blinking.

Master Tao scoffed in Xu Luo’s mind, ’No need to be so nervous. Master Tao’s peaches can’t kill anyone. The worst that can happen is he’ll lose all his cultivation!’

’You shut up!’ Xu Luo had no time to deal with Master Tao. He continuously poured his own energy into Little Fatty’s body, trying to balance the surging power within him.

Luckily, Little Fatty had only eaten one. If he had eaten both, even Xu Luo would have struggled to suppress the immense power.

According to legend, the Chaos Peach Tree was formed from a wisp of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi at the dawn of creation. Its peaches contained immense energy that could cleanse a person’s body down to the marrow and raise their power by several levels.

Little Fatty didn’t dare to be careless, focusing all his mental energy on refining this power. At the same time, Xu Luo’s Star Power combined with it, forming a unique force inside his body. In an instant, his realm broke through the barrier to the Transformation Realm and kept climbing!

BOOM!

A vast aura erupted from Little Fatty’s body, flooding the entire secret chamber and pressing down on Huangfu Chongzhi and Sui Yan until they could barely breathe.

A sliver of this aura escaped the chamber, instantly soaring into the high heavens and blanketing the entire Imperial Capital!

In a guesthouse, Shangguan Qing, who had been resting with his eyes closed, snapped them open. He stared toward the Imperial City with a mixture of shock and suspicion, muttering, ”No wonder they’ve been so unyielding. So this is the source of their confidence. But... which faction is secretly backing the Cangqiong Royal Family? It seems that completely controlling them won’t be as easy as I thought.”

At that same moment, in several other locations across the Imperial Capital, powerful individuals opened their eyes and looked toward the Imperial City, their gazes flickering with shock and uncertainty.

Back in the secret chamber, Xu Luo couldn’t spare a thought for whether the aura had leaked out. He was completely focused on helping Little Fatty break through to an even higher level.

In truth, Xu Luo had always underestimated the effects of the Chaos Peaches. Even Master Tao himself wasn’t entirely sure of the miraculous properties of the fruit he bore.

A peach containing such a vast amount of the Essence of Heaven and Earth could be called a Divine Medicine without exaggeration. Its effects were no less potent than the Blood Pills Xu Luo had previously obtained; the only difference was that the amount a person could absorb varied depending on their individual condition.

With Xu Luo’s help, Little Fatty absorbed far more of the medicinal power than Xu Qing’s junior-martial sisters had. Therefore, after breaking through to the Transformation Realm, he didn’t stop, but continued to surge upward!

BOOM!

He shattered the barrier to the first minor stage of the Transformation Realm.

With unstoppable momentum, he charged toward the peak of the second minor stage!

Little Fatty was ecstatic, but he held fast to his core, remaining outwardly impassive. He desperately circulated his cultivation technique, guiding the energy to break through the next barrier!

BOOM!

The barrier to the second minor stage of the Transformation Realm was broken, and the energy surged onward to the third!

The power showed no signs of weakening, only slowly coming to a halt after reaching the advanced level of the third minor stage of the Transformation Realm. The remaining energy, still a considerable amount, began to course through Little Fatty’s meridians, cleansing his marrow and refining his physical body!

This... this was a true Spirit Medicine of heaven and earth. Not only could it shatter the shackles of one’s realm, but it could also transform one’s physical constitution!

Little Fatty was completely enveloped in a layer of divine radiance, exuding a mystical aura that was simply indescribable.

Even Huangfu Chongzhi and Sui Yan, who were watching from the side, gained some insight just from witnessing this aura. They felt they could use it to affirm their own cultivation techniques!

Finally, Xu Luo let out a long breath and slowly opened his eyes. He looked at Little Fatty, who was still cultivating with his eyes closed, and a pleased smile appeared on his face.

Just then, Sui Yan looked at Xu Luo from the side. ”Third Brother, I want to advance now, too!”

Xu Luo glanced at Sui Yan, thought for a moment, and gave a silent nod.

There was a time when Sui Yan, who was completely absorbed in his Mechanical Skill, didn’t care much for personal cultivation and had no desire for power.

That was until the palace coup.

Sui Wanli was brutally murdered, and their enemies were the overwhelmingly powerful sects. This made Sui Yan, a young man who had never paid much mind to the Martial Dao, finally understand the importance of power. He finally began... to crave strength.

”I need to get stronger, fast!” Sui Yan said, his face resolute. ”And then... get my revenge!”