Firmament Sword

A dashing and poised young man over there was stunned for a moment before erupting in fury. Pointing at Bai Mountain, he roared, ”Bai, have you lost your fucking mind? When did I ever steal a girl you liked?”

”I had a secret crush on her!” Bai Mountain bellowed and charged at Ding Xiao.

Ding Xiao’s handsome face was momentarily bewildered, then his expression shifted between livid and pale with rage. He had only ever loved one woman in his entire life: his current wife. They were childhood sweethearts who had grown up together, gotten married, and had a very harmonious relationship.

Ding Xiao loved his wife dearly, but he never imagined she would be the subject of lewd fantasies by this man from a rival family he already despised.

He roared in fury, ”Bai, you think I’m afraid of you? I’ll kill you today, you son of a bitch!”

Then, the two experts of the Divine Power Realm began to fight, their blows ringing out.

Soon, of the several hundred people outside the city, only a few dozen remained standing aside, looking at each other in bewilderment. They had no idea what had happened or why this group of people had suddenly gone mad and started fighting out of nowhere!

In truth, even with Xu Luo absorbing the Source of Creation, the effects shouldn’t have been this obvious. However, the timing coincided with the Seven-Star Pearl alignment and the Five-Colored Divine Light that shot into the heavens. Almost the entire Shooting Realm was shrouded by the Source of Creation, which in turn immediately began to affect matters related to Xu Luo.

On the city walls, everyone looked at each other, utterly baffled.

Little Fatty cheered while muttering, ”What in the world is going on?”

Sui Yan said coolly from the side, ”It’s just dogs biting dogs. Why bother with them?”

Little Fatty nodded in deep agreement. ”Right! Let’s hope a few more of them bite the dust!”

Just as he said that, people outside the city had already begun to fall!

After all, even among those in the Divine Power Realm, there were differences in strength. With their minds clouded by the Power of Creation, they struck with killing blows from the very start. For many, victory and defeat were decided in an instant.

Outside the Imperial Capital City, the battle was so intense it seemed the very earth would shatter. Even their desperate attacks on the Cangqiong Imperial Capital’s Grand Array in the preceding days hadn’t caused this much terrifying destruction.

Rivers of blood flowed, and severed limbs were strewn everywhere. A thick, metallic stench filled the air, and a bloody light shot toward the heavens, nearly staining the sky crimson.

An unknown amount of time passed. The legion from the Ancient Race Continent, which originally numbered in the hundreds, had been reduced to less than one hundred men. At that moment, the celestial phenomenon began to fade. The stars in the azure sky started to recede, and the five pillars of light that shot into the heavens gradually vanished.

Only then did the brawling crowd stop, looking at one another in confusion. Many were so severely injured they could no longer fight.

”What... what in the world just happened?” Bai Mountain’s arm had been severed. Although his Divine Power Realm cultivation would allow him to regrow it, the process would take at least a few months, drastically reducing his combat strength in the meantime.

Over on the other side, Ding Xiao had also been grievously wounded; a massive, bloody hole had been punched straight through the right side of his chest. Hearing Bai Mountain’s question, Ding Xiao roared, ”What the fuck do you mean, ’what happened’? You lunged at me like a rabid dog!”

”Bullshit! You attacked me first!” Bai Mountain’s eyes turned red. Losing an arm was a more severe injury than any he had ever suffered, and it filled him with a murderous hatred for the man before him.

”It was you!” Ding Xiao shot back, not to be outdone, as he glared at Bai Mountain.

”You still want to fight?” Bai Mountain asked, staring coldly at Ding Xiao.

”If you want a fight, you’ve got one! Am I supposed to be afraid of you?” Ding Xiao roared and charged at Bai Mountain again.

Even without the influence of the Power of Creation, the two had... already fought to the point of a bitter grudge, stoking the flames of rage in their hearts.

At that moment, from high above in the endless Cangqiong, numerous beams of light shot down, raining upon Xu Luo’s family and friends on the city wall.

They had no time to dodge before they were completely enveloped by the light. Then, to their utter shock, they felt an unimaginably powerful energy coursing through the beams!

This energy surged wildly into their bodies. They didn’t even need to circulate their Cultivation Techniques to clearly feel their strength soaring at a tremendous pace!

None of these people were fools. They immediately understood that this was a heaven-sent karmic opportunity, a golden chance!

Everyone immediately focused their minds, calmed their spirits, and began to circulate their Cultivation Techniques, guiding the energy to shatter their bottlenecks and rapidly increase their power!

This strange phenomenon finally caught the attention of the group outside the city.

The several dozen experts from the Ancient Race who hadn’t joined the fight watched all this with cold detachment. Their hearts turned to ice. They all knew. ’It’s over. We’ve lost our chance!’

If moments ago they still harbored doubts about whether Xu Luo was the cause of this celestial phenomenon, then at this very moment, not a single shred of doubt remained!

The people on the city wall... had given them the most direct answer possible!

All of Xu Luo’s relatives and friends were receiving this heaven-sent opportunity!

It wasn’t just here in the Cangqiong Empire. Even in the Southern Domain, the siblings Yang Dan and Yang Ming were enveloped by two pillars of light, causing their strength to advance by leaps and bounds!

Song Chengfeng and Chu Xiaoya, the couple who had both been injured for Xu Luo’s sake and were now recuperating in a secret location on the Sect Continent, were also enveloped by two pillars of light. Their once-grievous injuries began to heal at an incredible speed!

Su Qianqian was staying in an inn, keeping a low profile while constantly gathering intelligence. ’Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be defeated,’ she thought. She knew she wasn’t strong enough to stop everyone herself, so she desperately collected information on her foes. She paid special attention to the most powerful ones, leaving no stone unturned, preparing to hand it all over to Xu Luo the moment she had the chance!

This... was the most she could do for Xu Luo as his friend!

Su Qianqian was cupping her chin in her hand, deep in thought, when a pillar of light instantly enveloped her body. The indescribably profound sensation caused her to break through a minor realm in a single moment!

Without even having time to wonder what was going on, Su Qianqian’s first instinct was to circulate her Cultivation Technique, guiding this new power to fuel her breakthrough!

The brothers Li Ye and Li Hua were still at the cave entrance at the foot of Old Baldy Ridge, staring blankly at the celestial phenomenon above. They had even personally witnessed a pillar of white light erupting from Old Baldy Ridge itself.

Although they didn’t know exactly what had happened, the two brothers were certain that this event had to be related to Xu Luo!

Once the phenomenon in the Cangqiong faded, two more pillars of light descended and enveloped the brothers. Their hearts filled with disbelief and immense joy, and they immediately sat down cross-legged and began to cultivate frantically.

”AAAAHHHHH! Master Mao feels it! This is the power! AHHH, this is incredible! Master Mao is breaking through! Master Mao is advancing to the rank of Holy Beast! All you bastards... you’d better wash yourselves clean and wait for me! Once Master Mao breaks through, I’m going to chew you all up, slowly, bite by bite by bite by bite! AHHHHHHH! I’m going to turn you into this lord’s poop, piece by piece by piece by piece! AHHHHHH... WOOO!”

Master Mao roared from within the enveloping light.

Across the entire world, on all four continents, every single one of Xu Luo’s relatives and friends received this karmic opportunity at the exact same moment!

...

Pangtian Star, the Grand Elder of the Honglou Sect, was in the midst of his painstaking search for Li Kai’an. He stood atop a great mountain, his eyes vacant as he stared up at the Cangqiong. In that moment, he was struck by his own insignificance.

’Compared to this vast and magnificent celestial phenomenon,’ he thought, ’I’m not even worthy of being called an ant!’

But then, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He muttered, ”Stars in broad daylight, the Seven-Star Pearl, the Five-Colored Divine Light... This is the sign of Beidou’s Eighth Star truly awakening and emerging into the world! Could it be... that bastard Li Kai’an is already trying to refine Beidou’s Eighth Star?”

As he spoke, Pangtian Star’s gaze shifted toward the direction where the white light had risen. He suddenly frowned. ’That place... doesn’t it look like Old Baldy Ridge?’

Suddenly, a shudder ran through him, and his expression changed drastically. ”Damn it, I fell for that brat’s trick! Beidou’s Eighth Star... it’s at Old Baldy Ridge!”

Pangtian Star still believed that Li Kai’an had bribed the Li brothers, Li Ye and Li Hua. He didn’t think an undeveloped Beidou’s Eighth Star would be any match for Li Kai’an.

His face ashen, Pangtian Star stomped his foot and shot off in the direction of Old Baldy Ridge.

...

Xu Luo, the cause of all this, was currently sitting cross-legged hundreds of meters beneath Old Baldy Ridge within the Celestial Extinction Array. He was as motionless as a statue, but inside his body, a storm was raging. His original Dantian had transformed into a vast Dan Sea!

Within the Dan Sea, seven brilliantly shining stars were linked together, arranged in seven distinct positions and rotating continuously.

Every single drop of water in this sea contained endless Divine Power!

The Seven Star Souls had fully awakened!

The Beidou Sword shot out of Xu Luo’s Storage Ring, transformed into a streak of light, and entered his Dan Sea. It hovered high above the sea’s center, continuously nourished by the immense Divine Power.

Seven-Star Heaven-Slaying Skill!

A new Cultivation Technique was transmitted into Xu Luo’s Sea of Spiritual Consciousness. This was a truly great art, one that used Star Power as its core and endless light as its support. It was as heavy as a star and as fast as the light!

Xu Luo’s eyes remained tightly closed. In his mind, his entire being was now standing above the endless Cangqiong, transformed into an incomparably massive star!

Xu Luo could clearly perceive every corner of this great star!

He had never felt anything like it before!

’I... I’ve become a star?’ Xu Luo wondered. He tried to open his eyes, but suddenly discovered that the entire great star... was as if it were his eyes!

He could effortlessly ”see” everything in all directions!

It was... a vast, boundless universe!

Then, a torrent of profound information flooded into Xu Luo’s Sea of Spiritual Consciousness. In that instant, he came to understand many things.

Then, he opened his eyes. He saw that he was still deep within the cave. As he blinked, it was as if two new worlds... were forming within his eyes!