Firmament Sword

Xu Luo, however, paid Yang Ming no mind. He sat down directly behind Yang Dan, placed a hand on her back, and said in a deep voice, ”Calm your mind. Focus all your energy on shattering the shackles on your meridians. I will lend you a hand!”

At this point, Yang Dan was like an arrow drawn on a bowstring. Even without Xu Luo’s reminder, she understood what was happening. With no energy to spare for other thoughts, she immediately began circulating her Heart Method, guiding this sudden, powerful surge of energy to smash directly against the shackles of her meridians!

Yang Ming stood to the side, his mouth slightly agape. He stared blankly at the fragrant, purple Peach of Immortality in his hand, then looked over at his sister, who was in the middle of breaking through. An expression of disbelief crept over his face as he mumbled, ”Is this what they call ’good deeds are rewarded’? We randomly save someone, and he turns out to be a peerless, hidden master?”

Meanwhile, Yang Dan felt better than she ever had before. Her mind was completely immersed in her cultivation, deaf to the outside world, having reached a state of unity between heaven and man.

The immense energy rampaged through her body. The shackles on her meridians were obliterated as if they were rotten wood. The innate flaws in her meridians were rapidly repaired... Yang Dan could even feel her physical constitution growing stronger!

BOOM!

The barrier to Tier Eight Sword Venerable was shattered. In the blink of an eye, Yang Dan had broken through from Tier Seven Sword Venerable!

In the past, breaking through even a single minor tier would have been impossible without one or two years of effort!

And that was for exceptionally talented Martial Artists with the backing of powerful resources. For an ordinary person, taking several years, or even more than a decade, to break through a single minor tier was a very common occurrence.

To Yang Dan’s delighted surprise, after shattering the barrier to Tier Eight Sword Venerable, the energy didn’t stop. Instead, it charged directly toward the barrier of Tier Nine!

’Could... could this one peach... really let me reach Tier Nine Sword Venerable?’ Yang Dan was overcome with elation as she circulated her Cultivation Technique with all her might, guiding the force.

’This process... it’s just too easy!’ Yang Dan discovered she could command this tyrannical energy as if it were an extension of her own arm, unaware that it was because someone was helping her from behind.

With Xu Luo’s help, it would have been impossible for Yang Dan *not* to break through!

BOOM!

The barrier to Tier Nine Sword Venerable was smoothly shattered. An incredibly powerful aura erupted from Yang Dan’s body!

This aura shot up through the roof of the living room!

Because Yang Dan’s breakthrough was so unexpected, she wasn’t in a sealed chamber that could block auras. As a result, this powerful aura soaring into the sky was immediately sensed by many people.

Yang Qingchuan, who was just outside his grandfather’s seclusion chamber requesting him to come out, was suddenly stunned. He stared at the powerful aura soaring into the heavens, his heart filled with shock and doubt.

As the Sect Leader of the Starlight Sect, he had a very clear grasp of the situation of his outstanding disciples. Recently, no one in the entire Starlight Sect had been at the Tier Eight Sword Venerable Peak. How could someone possibly be breaking through right now?

Just then, Yang Qingchuan’s grandfather also emerged from his seclusion. He was a powerfully built old man with a full head of white hair that danced in the wind. His eyes were like lightning. He first glanced at Yang Qingchuan, then looked toward the source of the aura and asked in a deep voice, ”Which young disciple is breaking through? Why didn’t they choose to do it in a sealed chamber?”

Every sect was deeply secretive about the strength of its members, especially when it came to breakthroughs of young disciples. Most of the time, the outside world would only learn of such events long after they occurred.

Otherwise, having one’s strength completely figured out by others was tantamount to exposing all of one’s trump cards to outsiders—a grave taboo!

Yang Qingchuan gave a bitter smile. ”Recently, no disciple has been at the Tier Eight Sword Venerable Peak, so... I have no idea what’s going on either.”

”Oh?” The old man’s eyes glinted as he looked toward the source of the aura, his brow furrowing slightly.

Just then, an even more powerful aura shot skyward from the same direction!

The powerful aura stirred the winds and clouds in every direction!

The entire Starlight Sect was in an uproar. Everyone looked toward that direction in astonishment. Many of the older generation figures stepped out of their rooms, staring in surprise.

”What’s happened?”

”Someone must be breaking through... But this aura... it seems to have reached the Transformation Realm!”

”As far as I know, no one was close to breaking through to the Transformation Realm recently.”

”I haven’t heard about anyone being on the verge of a breakthrough either...”

”This is great! Our Starlight Sect has gained another Transformation Realm Sword King!”

The people of the Starlight Sect were all buzzing with discussion.

At the ancestor’s seclusion site, Yang Qingchuan and his grandfather stood frozen, utterly stunned. The shock they felt was far more intense than that of the others!

Because deep down, they had both faintly... considered a certain possibility!

”Let’s go... and take a look!” the old man said. With wide strides, his figure vanished from the seclusion site in the blink of an eye.

Yang Qingchuan had originally planned to ask his ancestor to come out of seclusion and then bring Xu Luo over... Even though he had decided to trust Xu Luo this one time, he still didn’t believe Xu Luo truly possessed such ability. That was why he still wanted Xu Luo to meet the ancestor.

But now it seemed... the situation might be very different from what he had imagined!

”AHHH!” From a distance, an extremely excited shriek could be heard. ”I... I broke through... I... I actually... became a Transformation Realm Powerhouse! Heavens... I’m so excited! Brother Xu Luo... Brother Xu Luo, I could just die for you!”

Dark lines formed on Yang Qingchuan’s forehead, as that was the voice of his most beloved, precious daughter. But immediately after, he was struck with boundless astonishment.

”Dandan... actually broke through to the Transformation Realm? This... This is absolutely impossible!”

No one knew Yang Dan’s strength better than him, her father. Although she was already a Tier Seven Sword Venerable and her talent was considered quite good, she was still a long way from being a true, peerless genius.

Forget the Transformation Realm... even reaching Tier Eight Sword Venerable would probably take her one or two years... and that was only if Dandan trained diligently.

”The Transformation Realm... How is that possible?” Yang Qingchuan muttered to himself. ”Could it really be that kid? How did he do it?”

At a time like this, Yang Qingchuan was able to completely ignore the words his daughter had shouted in her giddy excitement.

His grandfather, meanwhile, had already arrived at the location. Watching his great-granddaughter excitedly jumping up and down in the courtyard, the old man’s eyes were exceptionally bright.

”Little Dandan... actually broke through to the Transformation Realm!” the old man murmured to himself. ”I remember assessing her before. For this little girl to break through to the Transformation Realm... it should have been nearly impossible without five to ten years of work!”

”Whoa, Great-Grandpa, you’re here! Look, look, I broke through to the Transformation Realm!” Yang Dan, who was normally somewhat afraid of her great-grandfather, now flew over like a lark and threw herself into the old man’s arms.

A gentle smile appeared on the old man’s face. He lightly patted the young girl’s back and said with gratification, ”Little Dandan is truly amazing!”

”It’s not me who’s amazing, it’s Brother Xu Luo... He’s just too incredible!” Yang Dan said, her face flushed with excitement.

By this time, Yang Qingchuan had also rushed over. He had just sternly warned the sect members not to let word of this matter spread. Otherwise, news of a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl breaking through to the Transformation Realm... would be far too shocking!

If the Blazing Fire Sect were to find out, they might send assassins after Yang Dan!

Yang Qingchuan had to take precautions, which was why he arrived a little late. Looking at his excited daughter and his grandfather’s gentle expression, Yang Qingchuan’s eyes, for some reason, grew a little moist.

How many years had he longed to see such a scene!

Small sects had their own difficulties, especially when surrounded by a pack of larger sects. How to survive, how to protect themselves—these became their most important concerns.

The entire Starlight Sect hadn’t experienced such a joyous atmosphere in many, many years.

”Dandan, alright, calm down. You’re a Transformation Realm Powerhouse now! Remember... you still have a long road ahead of you!” Yang Qingchuan did his best to keep a straight face, but anyone could see the irrepressible excitement in his eyes.

”Yes, I know, Dad!” Yang Dan skipped over to him.

”By the way, where is Little Friend Xu Luo?” Yang Qingchuan now understood that his daughter’s transformation was definitely related to Xu Luo. Although he didn’t know how he had done it, his opinion of Xu Luo had drastically changed for the better.

”Brother Xu Luo... After I broke through, my brother got jealous and said he wanted to break through right away, too. Brother Xu Luo is in the room helping him now!” Yang Dan said with a grin, a hint of smugness on her delicate little face.

For all these years, she had been overshadowed by her brother, unable to catch up no matter how hard she tried. Now that she had finally surpassed him, she was incredibly thrilled.

”Helping your brother... This...” Yang Qingchuan was truly stunned this time, almost stupefied.

’Is this Xu Luo a god?’

’Can he just make someone break through whenever he wants?’

”What... What method did he use?” Yang Qingchuan hadn’t wanted to ask right now, but he simply couldn’t contain his curiosity.

”I think it was some kind of Spirit Fruit. Anyway, after I ate it, I felt the energy in my body suddenly explode and grow. Breaking through the barriers was easier than ever before!” Yang Dan said.

”Qingchuan... it seems you’ve done a truly great thing this time! You’ve brought back... a great benefactor!” the Starlight Sect’s old ancestor said softly from the side. ”Even if he can’t do anything to help me, just having him help Ming’er and Dandan break through to the Transformation Realm... I am already content!”

”Great-Grandpa... I’m sure Brother Xu Luo can help you!” Yang Dan said.

”Yes, Grandfather. Dandan’s breakthrough... is already a miracle. I believe an even greater miracle will happen!” Yang Qingchuan was now finally full of confidence in Xu Luo.

BOOM!

Another powerful aura erupted from the room right in front of them.

”Tier Nine Sword Venerable!” Yang Qingchuan’s face was filled with delighted surprise, and he trembled with excitement.