Firmament Sword

For the next few days, an unusual liveliness filled the entirety of Celestial Brilliance, because news had finally come from the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master.

The Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master… acknowledged the new status of the Senior Brother of the Medicine Garden as the Medicine King!

Not only did he acknowledge it, but he also sent someone… to deliver a batch of exceptionally precious congratulatory gifts!

Although the Sect Leader did not come in person, the person who did was a trusted confidant. On a daily basis, this confidant was responsible for announcing many of the Sect Leader’s major decisions in his stead.

This fully demonstrated the degree of importance the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master placed on this matter.

This news blew countless people’s minds. They simply couldn’t believe it was true.

”His Excellency, the Sect Leader… why would he acknowledge his status?”

”This can’t be real, can it? What kind of status does the Sect Leader have? And what kind of status does that person have? How could the Sect Leader possibly acknowledge this?”

”This Luo Tian… couldn’t be that old man Yuwen Ji’s illegitimate son, could he? Otherwise… on what grounds does he have such good luck?”

”Acknowledging his status and even sending him precious gifts… this is simply too shocking!”

”I can’t believe this is real!”

In an instant, all of Celestial Brilliance was in an uproar. Even many figures from the older generation found it incredible.

Only a very small minority truly understood the relationship between the Medicine King Ancestor and the first-generation Sect Leader of Celestial Brilliance back when the sect was founded in the Ancient Era.

They also understood that the ancestral decree left behind by the first-generation Sect Leader was no empty promise!

”If a Medicine King is born, their status… will be equal to that of the Sect Leader!”

The rise of Celestial Brilliance originated from the Medicine Garden, and the rise of the Medicine Garden began with the Medicine King!

Moreover, the first-generation Sect Leader was a man of true genius and grand ambition, his vision broad and encompassing… How could his gaze be limited to just his own era?

If it were any other matter, the current Sect Leader might have considered changing it. But an ancestral decree with such obvious intent… he wouldn’t dare change it even if he had ten thousand times the courage!

Because as the Sect Leader, he certainly knew far more than others.

There were all sorts of rumors in the world, the most common of which said that the successive generations of experts from Celestial Brilliance had all ascended to become immortals…

So-called ascension was just a pleasant way of putting it. The more realistic way to say it was: they all died!

Death comes for everyone. Whether a Great Saint or a supreme being, there would always come a day when their lifespan reached its end.

So, in many people’s eyes, it was perfectly normal for those people’s lifespans to end, for their bodies to die and their Daos to vanish.

But the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master knew very well that from the first-generation Sect Leader and the Medicine King Ancestor… to all the successive Sect Leaders of Celestial Brilliance, they had all gone to one place after stepping down from their positions!

A portion of these people might truly be gone, but the vast majority of them, nine times out of ten… were still alive, even to this day!

And one day, after he stepped down from his position as Sect Leader, if nothing unexpected happened… he would also go to that place!

If he didn’t obey the decree left by the ancestors, and if that group of people ever actually returned, how would he, the Sect Leader… face them?

Even if no one ever returned, even if no one knew he had changed the ancestral decree, as the leader of a Supreme Great Sect, if he were someone who did not abide by tradition, how would others view him?

Don’t be fooled by the fact that all of Celestial Brilliance was in an uproar over this matter, as if everyone opposed letting a new disciple of the Medicine Garden become a great figure on par with the Sect Leader.

The Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master knew perfectly well in his heart: this was envy! It was jealousy! It was because this person was not one of them!

If the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master truly had his spokesman declare that he would not acknowledge this Medicine King, much less grant him the status stipulated by the ancestral decree, then… it wouldn’t be long before those who had desperately opposed the matter would turn their spears around and focus their fire on him, the Sect Leader!

They would call him narrow-minded and intolerant. They would accuse him of disrespecting the ancestral decree and forgetting his roots!

Moreover, this matter would surely spread. By then, the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master’s reputation for being narrow-minded and disrespectful of tradition… would be known throughout all of Xi Hezhou!

That was a label… he would never be able to shake off!

At that time… it would be a huge disaster for him and for the entire Celestial Brilliance Great Sect!

A lack of strength could be compensated for through hard work. But if one’s reputation was ruined, it would be incredibly difficult to recover!

”The ancestors have left a decree. I shall abide by it.”

”The Medicine King Ring… represents the will of His Excellency, the Medicine King. How could I, a junior, dare to defy it?”

These were the words the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master was rumored to have said. However, another sentence was circulating in private!

”Status and position… are all like floating clouds in the sky. Without a foundation, a strong gust of wind will scatter them.”

No one knew if the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master truly said this, but compared to the first two sentences, this one found a much more receptive audience among the Celestial Brilliance People.

”That’s right! Status and position need to be matched by corresponding strength and influence!”

”That Luo Tian is just a Senior Brother from the Medicine Garden. What does he have?”

”He has nothing!”

”For a person with nothing like him, even if he were made the Heavenly Brilliance Sect Master, could he hold the position?”

”Without any foundation, a status like this would only weigh him down. It would bring him no benefits at all!”

”His fortune isn’t great enough. Forcing the issue will do him no good!”

”If he’s smart enough, he’ll definitely decline this matter!”

”Yes, he could say that his virtue is lacking and his abilities are insufficient… If he turns it down, it would also make him appear noble and virtuous!”

Countless people went from initial disdain, to later disbelief, and now to resentment.

To put it bluntly, it came down to two words: envy and jealousy!

This Luo Tian’s luck… was simply too infuriating!

’How could he be so lucky? Why him and not me?’ People with such thoughts made up at least eighty percent of Celestial Brilliance!

However… the news from the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden made everyone filled with envy and jealousy break down and go mad.

”Decline? Why would I decline? How could I dare to decline? I’m not representing myself, but the glory of the Medicine King Ancestor! If I were to decline, where would that leave the Medicine King Ancestor? And where would that leave the Sect Leader?”

This was Xu Luo’s first reaction upon hearing such talk.

”The Medicine King Ring was left by the Medicine King Ancestor. The ring has a spirit. If it had not met the right person, it would have been impossible for him to wear it.” These were the words publicly spoken by the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden’s Eighth Elder, Lu Xue.

Yuwen Ji was far more direct. ”The rule was set by the first-generation Sect Leader, the ancestor of all of Celestial Brilliance! Your current doubts are not aimed at my Medicine Garden’s disciple, but at the Celestial Brilliance Ancestor!”

The Medicine Garden’s Second Elder, Thunderstorm, also made a public statement. ”One could say that every elder in the Medicine Garden has tried on the Medicine King Ring, not just the Chief Grand Elder… Who wouldn’t want to be the successor to the Medicine King? But not a single person succeeded. The fact that Luo Tian could succeed proves that he has passed the Medicine King Ancestor’s test and received the Medicine King Ancestor’s approval! His becoming the new generation’s Medicine King is what everyone hoped for!”

In the face of various inquiries from elders outside the Medicine Garden, the Third Elder, Gu Ning, said only one thing: ”Do you all think you are wiser and more brilliant than the first-generation Sect Leader of Celestial Brilliance?”

That one sentence from the honest man completely silenced everyone!

If the doubters could still put up a slight struggle against Yuwen Ji’s words, then Gu Ning’s sentence completely cut off all avenues of retreat for the troublemakers!

Who would dare to speak now?

To doubt any further… would be tantamount to declaring: ’I am wiser and more brilliant than the first-generation Sect Leader!’

Not even the current Sect Leader dared to do such a thing. Which of them would dare?

Since they could no longer question on what grounds Xu Luo could become the Medicine King and hold a status equal to the current Sect Leader, they should have, by all rights, given up and fallen silent. But many were not willing to let the matter rest. They turned their sights elsewhere.

”The new Medicine King… should at least show us some results, shouldn’t he?”

”That’s right, with such a high status, he should at least do something to benefit Celestial Brilliance!”

”His Excellency, the Sect Leader, works himself to the bone, managing countless affairs daily to seek benefits for the millions of disciples of Celestial Brilliance, only then is he worthy of his status. We don’t expect the newly-promoted Medicine King to make a contribution as great as the Sect Leader’s, but he must at least do something to win over the masses!”

Faced with these various voices, the people around Xu Luo were also deeply troubled.

At first, everyone was very excited, feeling that their young master was incredible, becoming a major figure watched by all the moment he entered Celestial Brilliance.

But gradually… as the various dissenting voices grew louder, these people fell silent. They didn’t want their young master to be subjected to such doubt.

But this tide was simply impossible to stop!

Many people even stormed the area with various motives, wanting to see this newly promoted Medicine King.

Fortunately, Yuwen Ji and the others had the foresight to dispatch a large number of personnel to guard the surroundings. They also issued a warning: anyone who dared to barge into the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden again would be held responsible for any accidents that occurred!

Although the Medicine Garden had been weak for a long time, it wasn’t a true pushover. Its generations of elders also possessed great power. If they got serious, those who dared to rampage through the Medicine Garden would surely face severe consequences. Getting away with just being utterly humiliated would be getting off easy.

Just because they didn’t pursue matters in the past didn’t mean they wouldn’t do so now.

After all… a new Medicine King had been born!

The Medicine Garden… finally had a spiritual leader again!

Yes, a spiritual leader!

Some might find it a bit incredible, but to the vast majority of people in the Medicine Garden, the birth of a new Medicine King meant the appearance of a new spiritual leader!

This person… didn’t need to have profound attainments in the Dao of elixirs, nor did he need overwhelming power to intimidate the masses. As long as he was the Medicine King, as long as he was here… that was enough!

It was like a Heaven-Reaching Tower built overnight. It was a miracle, but even more so, it was a symbol that stirred the heart!

”Those people outside… are so annoying! They’re jealous of the Young Master, and the things they say are so nasty!” Sun Xiaohong grumbled angrily as she tidied up the room.

”Why bother with them?” Xu Luo smiled, completely unfazed.

”Those people are really too much. They even said… that during the annual competition, they’re going to teach the Young Master a lesson. They say that the Young Master is still the Senior Brother of the Medicine Garden, so he has to participate.” Sun Xiaohong said furiously. ”With the Young Master’s current status, why should he participate in the annual competition? Have you ever seen the Sect Leader participate in an annual competition?”

”Alright, alright, that’s enough… You can say that in front of me, but that’s it.” Xu Luo smiled and took over the conversation from Sun Xiaohong. ”If anyone else heard that, who knows how much more trouble it would stir up… But, the annual competition? Heh, then I’ll see them at the annual competition!”