Firmament Sword

”What?” Xu Luo shot to his feet, his expression instantly turning ice-cold. He couldn’t believe that after the massacre he’d committed tonight, someone still dared to touch the people around him.

Everyone else also wore looks of shock, finding the situation completely unexpected.

Although the relationship between Huangfu Shishi and Xu Luo was already clear, they weren’t formally engaged yet, so it wasn’t appropriate for her to spend the night at the Xu Family’s estate. Thus, after Xu Luo had returned, she had gone back to the Imperial Palace, accompanied by several Palace Guards.

Xu Luo hadn’t given it much thought. His slaughter tonight had been enough to firmly establish his dominance in the Imperial Capital. He had even dared to kill people from the Dubhe Sect; was there anything he wouldn’t do? Besides, Huangfu Shishi was quite strong in her own right—an expert at the Transformation Realm. Combined with the Shaking Light Step Xu Luo had taught her, it would be nearly impossible for any ordinary person to capture her.

”The perpetrators... they left a letter. They said... it’s for the Second Young Master’s eyes only...” The Maid’s face was pale as she handed over a letter.

The Maid’s hand was trembling slightly. It wasn’t that she was a coward; as a maid in the Xu Mansion, she held a certain status, position, and worldliness within the Cangqiong Empire. But too much had happened at the Xu Mansion today. For someone who had almost no prior contact with sects, the shock was simply too great. It had shattered all her previous perceptions of the world.

Xu Luo had no energy to comfort the terrified Maid. He took the letter, tore it open, and after scanning it for a few moments, his face contorted with rage, his eyes glinting with a thick killing intent.

Phoenix, who was beside him, glanced at the letter’s contents. Her beautiful face flushed red as she said angrily, ”This is outrageous!”

The others cast questioning gazes his way. Xu Luo calmed himself and said flatly, ”I’m going out for a bit.”

”Xu Luo...” Li Wenxi called out to stop him, but she seemed at a loss for words. Finally, her concern melted into a soft sigh. ”Be careful. We’ll hold things down here!”

Huangfu Chongzhi’s face was as dark as still water. Though he said nothing, his expression was enough to convey the rage in his heart. This young Supreme Emperor, known for his gentle and refined demeanor, was truly angered. He took out a small jade vial and handed it to Xu Luo. ”The elixir in here is a potent poison. Even someone at the Flower Realm Peak, if poisoned, will surely die if they can’t find an antidote within three days!”

Xu Luo nodded, took the jade vial from Huangfu Chongzhi, and said nothing more. With a flicker of his body, he vanished from sight.

The Little Fatty looked at Phoenix and asked cautiously, ”What... what did the letter say?”

Phoenix, her anger still simmering, kept a stony face and snapped, ”Don’t ask! It was utterly shameless, the height of depravity!”

Seeing her reaction, the Little Fatty didn’t dare ask again, though he had a vague idea of what it might be.

Li Wenxi, however, frowned slightly, a feeling of an approaching storm washing over her. After glancing at Phoenix, she whispered a few instructions to someone beside her, then announced to the group, ”I’m going to set up an Array in the Xu Mansion. It might not stop a truly powerful Martial Artist, but it won’t be so easy for ordinary people to just walk in!”

That night was destined to be anything but peaceful. News of Huangfu Shishi’s kidnapping spread like wildfire throughout the Imperial Capital. While members of uninvolved sects were shocked, many also felt a sense of schadenfreude.

Xu Luo had been acting far too arrogantly. He was just a secular disciple; though he had some minor connection to a sect, it was practically negligible. He wasn’t branded by any particular sect, so most preferred to think of him as just a boy from the mundane world.

Killing an Elder from Dubhe and wiping out a large number of their disciples—such audacity left even these sect members breathless. At the same time, deep down, their initial indifference toward Xu Luo had turned into wariness.

They never imagined that at a time like this, someone would still have the gall to cause trouble for Xu Luo—and even kidnap his woman!

Yes, by now, almost everyone considered Huangfu Shishi to be Xu Luo’s woman. At Xu Su’s wedding banquet today, Huangfu Shishi had appeared as a member of the Xu Family, not as a Royal Princess.

”Hahaha, now things are getting interesting! I was originally a little reluctant to come to the Cangqiong Imperial Capital this time, but I never expected to see such a spectacular show. What a treat!” The speaker was Wang Dong, a disciple of the Black Water Sect and Xiaohai’s senior brother.

During the Sect Assembly, Xiaohai had suffered a considerable loss at Xu Luo’s hands. Although Xiaohai’s willing retreat had prevented them from becoming mortal enemies, a grudge had still been formed. Seeing Xu Luo in trouble, Wang Dong, as Xiaohai’s senior brother, naturally gloated.

Xiaohai stood to the side, silent. Seeing this, Wang Dong smiled and asked, ”What, you don’t think so?”

Xiaohai looked up. ”Xu Luo... he’s not someone who’s easily bullied.”

”Heh, being able to kill an old-generation Elder from the Dubhe Sect certainly means he’s got some skill,” Wang Dong said coolly. ”But how many experts are there in this world? There are countless geniuses under the heavens. If he really thinks he’s invincible, then he’s a true idiot!”

Xiaohai gave a slight twitch of his lips but said nothing more. Wang Dong indeed had the right to speak like that. At just twenty-eight years old, his cultivation had already reached the Eighth Layer of the Transformation Realm! When this Sect Assembly was held, Wang Dong had been in closed-door cultivation and missed it. Afterward, he’d heard that a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact had appeared in the Small World, which made him feel some regret. At the same time, he looked down on Xu Luo, the secular boy who had risen to prominence so suddenly at the assembly.

”He’s just a boy from the mundane world. Perhaps he obtained some ancient inheritance and has decent strength, enough to challenge some of the older generation,” Wang Dong asserted. ”But against a true expert, he will suffer a miserable defeat!”

’I hope so,’ Xiaohai thought to himself.

「Meanwhile, in another large inn within the Cangqiong Imperial Capital.」

”Wushang, is this Xu Luo the one you mentioned before?” The speaker was a boy of sixteen or seventeen with fair skin and a handsome face. Although he still looked somewhat green, his eyes held an air of arrogance. He spoke casually, even when addressing Liu Wushang, who was nearly thirty.

Liu Wushang nodded. He seemed very respectful toward the youth and showed no sign of displeasure at being addressed so informally. He smiled and said, ”That’s him. A very interesting young expert.”

”Young expert? Is he even worthy of the title?” the youth said with a conceited look. ”I, Liu Wuyan... I am the true young expert! Xu Luo... What is he?”

”That’s true, but this Xu Luo was able to slay an Elder from Dubhe. His strength should not be underestimated,” Liu Wushang reminded him.

”An Elder from Dubhe? You mean that bunch of clay chickens and pottery dogs? Wushang, don’t make me laugh. Are you telling me Xiang Wentian didn’t send them to the Imperial Capital to deal with Xu Luo with the intention of ’recycling trash’?” Though young, Liu Wuyan spoke with immense arrogance, even referring to the Sect Leader of the Dubhe Sect, Xiang Wentian, directly by his name.

”Even if they weren’t Dubhe’s top-tier Elders, they were still figures with names and reputations,” Liu Wushang explained casually, as if long accustomed to Liu Wuyan’s manner of speaking.

”Alright, no need to make excuses for a pile of trash. Dubhe has always proclaimed itself the number one sect, but in reality, aside from their ’hidden reserves,’ they’re completely useless! If you don’t count those ’reserves,’ the only one in the entire Dubhe Sect with any real skill is Xiang Wentian,” Liu Wuyan stated arrogantly.

Liu Wushang glanced at Liu Wuyan, wanting to say something, but swallowed his words. This boy was his younger half-brother. From a young age, he had displayed extraordinary talent and was hailed as a peerless genius the likes of which the Willow Leaf Sect hadn’t seen in a thousand years. He had grown up surrounded by praise.

He might be conceited, but his strength was truly astounding. At only sixteen, he had already reached the Seventh Layer of the Transformation Realm. Liu Wuyan truly had the right to be proud.

”I wonder what kind of background the guy who snatched Xu Luo’s woman today has. He seems like my kind of person. Haha, if I meet him someday, maybe we can become friends!” Liu Wuyan added with a laugh.

”...” Liu Wushang was rather speechless. Faced with a younger brother who was undeniably powerful but also naively overconfident, he found that silence was often the best response.

On this night, many other figures from various sects were silently watching the situation unfold. They all wanted to see if Xu Luo, this young man from the mundane world, could maintain his usual dominance, or if, after his show of force, he would be put back in his place.

...

Xu Luo’s figure transformed into a streak of light as he sped toward the address written in the letter.

”Xu Luo, I have a feeling the guy who kidnapped your woman is targeting you!” Master Mao’s voice transmitted from Xu Luo’s pocket. ”Don’t be so impulsive, you’re walking right into a traaaaaap!”

”Even if it’s a trap, I’m walking into it! Because... I can’t let any harm come to Qiqi!” Xu Luo said.

”You idiot! AAAAAHHH! If they’re targeting you, they won’t hurt your little lady so easily...” Master Mao roared, trying to snap Xu Luo to his senses.

”I know. In a moment, I’m giving this vial of elixirs to you. You should have a way to dissolve them and coat your claws with the poison, right?” Xu Luo asked.

As Master Mao continued to absorb and refine the essence blood of the Thundering Saint Beast, his power had been steadily increasing. Although he hadn’t yet reached the realm of a Holy Beast, his physical body was now incredibly close, so tough that even Xu Luo would have a hard time harming it.

”AAAAAAHHH! Why me?! This stuff is lethally poisonous... Are you trying to poison Master Mao to death?” Master Mao was furious. He felt this kid was completely unreliable. It was one thing to use his claws to give others the death of a thousand cuts, but now he wanted to use the claws of the great Heaven-Swallowing Fox as poisoned hidden weapons! This was simply too much!

”Star Power,” Xu Luo said flatly, uttering two words.

”I want it for three straight days and nights!” Master Mao demanded.

”No problem!” Xu Luo agreed readily.

”Huh? Why do I feel like something’s not right here?” Master Mao racked his brain and, finally, exploded in anger, ”You’ve been cultivating every day this whole time anyway! Even if you didn’t agree, wouldn’t Master Mao have been cultivating right next to you regardless? AAAAAHHH, you damn swindler!”

Xu Luo chuckled. Then, his gaze fell upon a residential house not far away. A lone figure was standing there.