Firmament Sword

Zuo Mingyu gasped, a sudden chill running down his spine. The face of this expert, who had long since stepped into the Venerable Realm, turned pale. A flash of fear flickered in his clear, youthful eyes, and he remained silent for a long time.

The Scripture Pavilion was deathly quiet, so much so that even the sound of breathing could be heard. In truth, at their realm, they had no need to breathe like mortals.

But at this very moment, Zuo Mingyu was indeed breathing heavily. He suddenly felt that it was good to be alive—truly, wonderfully good. The feeling... was stronger than ever before.

”Really?” After a long, long time, Zuo Mingyu finally asked in a hollow voice. But his expression had already told him the answer. He believed it.

Asking the question was like a fish, about to be scaled and gutted, hoping it was still swimming free in a great river and not trapped in a person’s basin.

”We are all fish in a basin. Though we haven’t been put on the chopping block yet, we will be, sooner or later,” Yuwen Ji said with a faint sigh.

By the fifty-second day, Xu Luo had still not emerged. Yuwen Ji, however, could not wait there any longer. He needed to return to oversee matters in the Medicine Garden and make preparations for certain impending events.

Whatever the case, it was better than simply waiting to die.

Zuo Mingyu promised Yuwen Ji that as long as Luo Tian did not emerge, no one else would enter the Scripture Pavilion.

...

...

In the world of the Bronze Divine Hall, the ancient and fractured stone stele still stood tall.

Little Nannan was still in a deep sleep. Nearly all the blood in her body had been consumed by Xu Luo. What an ordinary person could never imagine was that this little girl, the physical manifestation of a Holy Medicine, had given her entire cultivation of several hundred years... to Xu Luo!

In that chaotic space, Xu Luo was still comprehending the scripture—a text of only three thousand characters that represented the three thousand Great Daos.

The figure stood with its back to him, as if its back was turned to all of creation. Towering between heaven and earth, it ceaselessly recited the scripture.

Xu Luo could now discern different nuances within the scripture’s recitation: compassion, anger, joy, sorrow, and tranquility.

The voice was eternal, the recitation constant. Even the intonation never wavered. Yet each time he listened, Xu Luo gained a completely new understanding.

Just like that, he remained in that space for ninety-nine days... then opened his eyes.

Then, Xu Luo stood up and walked toward the back of the figure. He wanted to get closer, to move around to its front and see... ’Just who is this person?’

’Why does he turn his back on all creation? Why does he recite the scripture without end?’

’Who is he?’

This was what Xu Luo wanted to know most of all.

But as he tried to approach the figure, he suddenly discovered that no matter how hard he tried, he could not truly get any closer to it.

Whether using Shrinking Inches, flying through the air, or executing the Shaking Light Step... Xu Luo even tried to use the Third Realm of the Time Reversal Skill!

This was a brand-new realm he had comprehended from the Soul Scripture, one that could, to some extent, reverse the flow of time!

He could only maintain it for a short time—a matter of breaths—but the ability was already heaven-defying. In the end, however... Xu Luo discovered with disappointment that while the figure was always right there, it was forever beyond his reach.

With a light sigh, Xu Luo left that space with a stir of his Divine Sense.

Familiar faces and a familiar scene appeared before him.

Master Tao and Song Banban stared at him with expressions of pure astonishment. On a small bed to the side, Little Nannan lay there like a quiet little fairy.

”You’re finally out! If you’d taken any longer, I was going to smash this busted old stele to pieces!” Master Tao said with a wide, toothy grin.

Song Banban immediately shot him down. ”Oh, stop posturing. You can’t even get close to that stele. What were you going to hit it with, a twig?”

Looking at the two familiar faces, Xu Luo felt a sense of warmth.

He walked over to Little Nannan’s side, crouched down, and said softly, ”Little Nannan... thank you!”

As he spoke, Xu Luo placed a finger between Little Nannan’s brows, directly engraving the Soul Scripture into her Sea of Spiritual Consciousness.

He himself didn’t know why he made such a move. It simply felt like it would benefit this little girl—a Holy Medicine who had lived for millions of years—and so he did it.

Afterward, Xu Luo bid farewell to Master Tao and Song Banban and went directly to the place he had sealed.

Here, rested the coffin made of Top-level Immortal Spirit Stone.

Su Qianqian... was still lying quietly in the transparent coffin, her face as beautiful as ever, as if she were only sleeping.

Xu Luo sighed, opened the coffin lid, and similarly placed a finger between Su Qianqian’s brows. Then he stood there quietly, watching.

Slowly, Su Qianqian’s eyelashes began to flutter, and then she opened her eyes.

Looking at Xu Luo, Su Qianqian gave a faint smile.

”I slept so soundly, I didn’t even dream. Xu Luo, lift me out!” Su Qianqian said, her gaze soft as she looked at him.

Xu Luo did as she asked, bending down to lift Su Qianqian out of the coffin. Her body was soft and limp, without a trace of strength. Leaning in Xu Luo’s arms, she whispered, ”How much time has passed? It must have been many years, right?”

Xu Luo chuckled lightly. ”Not many years at all. It hasn’t even been a year, just a few months!”

”How is that possible? You’re lying to me!” Su Qianqian laughed, then said softly, ”But I don’t care how many years have passed. As long as you’re by my side, I’m not afraid of anything.”

Xu Luo lightly kissed Su Qianqian’s forehead and said softly, ”Alright, don’t talk for a moment. Let me check on you again.”

What Xu Luo had transmitted to Su Qianqian was a scripture he had comprehended from the Soul Scripture. It was one of the three thousand Great Daos, called the Liberation Chapter!

It could resolve all worldly suffering and release all living beings from their bonds!

But Xu Luo wasn’t confident that it would be enough to make the Ancient Fire Dragon dissipate completely.

”No need to check. It’s still here.” Su Qianqian chuckled lightly and said softly, ”But it’s quiet now. The Liberation Chapter you gave me actually went to it...”

As she spoke, Su Qianqian looked up, gazed at Xu Luo, and said gently, ”The only reason it wanted to possess my body was to seek liberation. Now that it has the Liberation Chapter, it won’t pester me anymore!”

”But... it’s still inside your body, after all,” Xu Luo said in a grave voice.

”It’s fine. I can coexist with it,” Su Qianqian said with a radiant smile.

Xu Luo’s brow furrowed slightly. He looked at Su Qianqian seriously for a long moment, then sighed, ”You’ve gained the upper hand after all. Speak. If the Liberation Chapter isn’t enough, what else do you want?”

”How did you figure it out?” The expression on Su Qianqian’s face gradually grew cold, and a faint crimson glint appeared in her eyes.

”A gut feeling,” Xu Luo said. ”You aren’t her. Even though your souls have almost completely merged and you know all of her secrets, you are not her.”

”Actually... you can’t really say that. Right now... I am her, and she is me. The tenderness for you in my heart... is real! Although it wasn’t my intention, it is hers, and she can influence me, too!”

”Su Qianqian” frowned and muttered, ”You can only say... that I have a slight upper hand. But I can’t eliminate her. Just like... I can’t possibly kill you right now, because she won’t allow it.”

”This feeling... it’s strange, but also fascinating. It’s an unprecedented experience, quite refreshing, actually.” As she spoke, ”Su Qianqian” glanced at Xu Luo, her eyes filled with a seductive allure. ”She has always wanted to be your woman. Care to give it a try?”

”Keep talking nonsense... and I’ll suppress you again!” Xu Luo said, his face cold. ”Don’t test my patience. You know I keep my word!”

”So heartless!” ”Su Qianqian” pouted, then said, ”I want the Transcendence Chapter!”

”The Transcendence Chapter?” Xu Luo frowned. ’The Three Thousand Great Daos are all in my head, but the part of the Soul Scripture I comprehended only contained a Liberation Chapter, not a Transcendence Chapter.’

”Yes, the Transcendence Chapter. With it... I can truly transcend and gain my freedom. Xu Luo, surely you can believe that I... as an Ancient Fire Dragon who once soared through the heavens and looked down on all creation, am unwilling to be trapped in a human body like this!”

”Besides... I have already obtained the Liberation Chapter and seen a glimmer of hope. As long as you promise to find the Transcendence Chapter for me, then... I can promise you one thing in return!”

”Go on,” Xu Luo said in a low voice, looking at Su Qianqian.

”If you promise to find the Transcendence Chapter within three years, then I can give her three years. During these three years, I will enter a deep sleep! This way... you can truly be with her!”

As she spoke, a suggestive smile played on ”Su Qianqian’s” lips. ”Don’t worry. From a human perspective, I’m female, and I’ll be in a deep sleep. I won’t sense a single thing that happens between the two of you!”

The corner of Xu Luo’s mouth twitched. He said, ”I don’t want to lie to you. I have no clue about this Transcendence Chapter you speak of. I have no idea where to even start looking...”

”It doesn’t matter. You are the reincarnation of a star. The fortune you carry is astonishingly great! In this world... there’s nothing you can’t do. If all the fortune in the world were divided into ten parts, you’d possess at least six of them!” ”Su Qianqian” said with a smile. ”Just like the Soul Scripture... a Holy Scripture that others could never hope to even see. You not only saw it, but you also gained its acknowledgment!”

”You know about the Soul Scripture?” Xu Luo asked.

”Have you forgotten... my mind and hers are connected!”

”Fine. Since you have so much faith in me, I’ll agree. But I expect you to keep your word...”

Before Xu Luo could finish, ”Su Qianqian”—no, the Ancient Fire Dragon—laughed. ”Relax. Now that I have the Liberation Chapter, the hostility in my heart is gone. There’s no need to deceive you. This is... a tremendous stroke of fortune for me, too! If anything, I should be thanking you. Why would I trick you? I will not sense a single thing that happens between you two, I swear it!”

Xu Luo’s main concern wasn’t about the female dragon spying on them, but about her honoring her promise. He hadn’t expected her to misunderstand, but it didn’t matter. At least... he now had three years to change his reality.

Then, a question suddenly occurred to Xu Luo, and he asked, ”And if after three years...”