Firmament Sword

Yingying carefully laid Xu Luo on the bed. Her cheeks flushed as she gazed at the sleeping man. Biting her lip, she hesitated for a moment before sitting beside him. She slowly lay down, and then... drew the bed curtains closed.

When Xu Luo opened his eyes, he immediately felt that something was off. Floating in the air... was a scent both familiar and foreign.

Then, he felt someone lying beside him. In that instant, Xu Luo understood what had happened and froze on the spot.

During his drinking contest with Du Qingteng, Xu Luo had not circulated his energy to resist the alcohol. Even after he was drunk, he hadn’t used his power to sober up. He had needed to get completely drunk; opportunities like this were rare.

Because of this... unless someone directed killing intent toward him, he wouldn’t wake up.

But he had never expected something like this to happen.

With his cultivation base, he didn’t need to look to know who was lying beside him.

’But... this really wasn’t what I intended!’

He had to admit, Yingying possessed a devastating, nation-toppling beauty. Whether it was the confidantes he’d left behind in the Lower Realm, or Su Qianqian and Xie Yurou in the Divine Domain, they were all just a fraction less beautiful than her.

Deep down, Xu Luo was also fond of this breathtakingly beautiful woman. But fondness was one thing; he had never imagined taking a woman like her for his own.

Even though he had agreed to help Yingying deal with the trouble that was Du Qingteng, it had been more out of a sense of duty.

Just then, a soft voice whispered beside him, ”You don’t have to feel burdened. I won’t ask you to take responsibility for me.”

”Bullshit. You’re my woman now. What’s the point of saying something like that?” Xu Luo rolled his eyes. ”Tell me. What’s your real name?”

”I... My name is Yingying.”

”Do you think I’d believe that?” Xu Luo said. ”I refuse to be with a woman whose real name I don’t even know.”

”I... My name is Xue Chuqing,” the woman beside him answered faintly.

”Xue Chuqing... Not bad,” Xu Luo said. ”I don’t care what your reasons were for approaching me or for giving yourself to me. None of that matters anymore. You are my woman now. So from this moment on, make a clean break with your past!”

Domineering!

So utterly domineering!

He didn’t ask why, he didn’t ask how—he just presented her with the outcome: You are my woman!

Xue Chuqing was stunned as well.

”Nonsense!” Xu Luo said angrily. ”You’re a peerless beauty, and your strength has already reached the Great Saint Realm. If you wanted to leave the Divine Maiden Tower, who could possibly stop you?”

”You’re underestimating the Divine Maiden Tower,” Xue Chuqing said softly. ”Actually... I didn’t lie. I truly do want to leave, but not because of Du Qingteng’s harassment.”

”Du Qingteng... he may be domineering and assertive, but he’s not an unreasonable person. He’s never forced me to do anything.”

”But I... have no feelings for him.”

”I know that if I asked him to help me leave, he would. He’d help me even if I refused to be with him.”

”But I didn’t want to use someone like that.”

Xu Luo couldn’t help but roll his eyes. ’So you have no qualms about using me, then?’ he thought.

Regardless, he had to see this through.

”You probably think I’m just using you, that there are no feelings between us.”

Xue Chuqing whispered, ”You might not believe it, but from the first moment I saw you... I was captivated.”

”You’re destined to shake the world. They say a wise bird chooses the best tree to nest in. It’s the same for people. What woman... doesn’t want to find a powerful patron?”

”I like you, I have feelings for you, and you’re destined to become incredibly powerful. My choosing you is only natural.”

”But I know you don’t truly like me. Even with... this peerless face of mine, I’m still not the one in your heart.”

”So, in the moment I gave myself to you... I felt a flicker of regret. But after becoming your woman, I suddenly saw things clearly.”

”Since I’m destined to never truly have you, and the path of cultivation is so long, I should at least have something worth remembering.”

Hearing the slightly plaintive tone in the beauty’s voice, Xu Luo sighed. ”So when you approached me, you had no ulterior motives whatsoever?”

”You’re the peerless prodigy of Celestial Brilliance, the legendary Senior Brother Medicine Garden, the champion of this year’s Celestial Brilliance Annual Competition, and the key person behind Jin Ming’s expulsion. You tell me... did I have ulterior motives?” Xue Chuqing suddenly chuckled.

Xu Luo raised an eyebrow. ”I didn’t realize I was so famous.”

”You’re even more famous... than you think!” Xue Chuqing said. ”Do you know how much your head is worth?”

’Finally, the real topic.’

Xu Luo thought.

”How much?”

”Fifty million... Top-level Immortal Spirit Stones!” Xue Chuqing’s voice was tinged with awe. ”That’s one valuable head. I was almost tempted myself.”

”Isn’t the Divine Maiden Tower... primarily an intelligence network? Why... are they taking on assassination jobs?” Xu Luo found it strange.

”Hehe. Do you know where the assassins Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon come from?” Xue Chuqing suddenly asked.

Xu Luo paused, then, as if realizing something, he asked, ”The Divine Maiden Tower?”

Xue Chuqing suddenly turned on her side, wrapping herself in the blanket. She rested a hand on Xu Luo’s waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. ”Wind, Flower, Snow, and Moon—all four of those master assassins come from the Divine Maiden Tower. Of course, this is a top secret. Even within the Tower, the number of people who know... could be counted on one hand.”

”But you know,” Xu Luo stated flatly.

”Because I’m the Master of the Divine Maiden Tower!” Xue Chuqing said.

”Isn’t that Fuqu?” Xu Luo asked.

”Sister Fuqu is the master of the Divine Maiden Tower *in* Qingchuan Ancient City. I... am the Master of *the* Divine Maiden Tower!” Xue Chuqing declared.

This time, Xu Luo was genuinely surprised. He understood her meaning and found it unbelievable.

’She’s the master of the Divine Maiden Tower, a top power renowned throughout all of Xi Hezhou!’

’If that’s the case... then who could possibly threaten her? Who could force her to do anything? And why would she need to leave the Divine Maiden Tower?’

’What a bewitching woman. Which of her words are true, and which are false?’

Even someone as brilliant as Xu Luo couldn’t help but feel confused at this moment.

”It’s true that I am the Master, but... I’m merely a puppet. After my own master passed on, I followed her final wishes and took the title. But I hold no real power, and no one is loyal to me. Of the entire, vast Divine Maiden Tower, only this branch in Qingchuan Ancient City is actually under my control.”

Xue Chuqing whispered, ”The true power in the Divine Maiden Tower is held by someone else. He wants me, not just for my looks, but more importantly, for the... Su Nu Celestial Scripture my master passed down to me!”

”It’s a miraculous ancient scripture. By itself, it isn’t particularly special. Cultivating it feels similar to any top-tier Cultivation Technique from a major sect. However, it has one enormous benefit.”

As she spoke, she stared at the profile of the man beside her. ”Don’t you... feel anything right now?”

”Feel?” Xu Luo was puzzled.

”Try circulating your Heart Method. You’ll understand,” Xue Chuqing said gently.

Xu Luo circulated his Shadow Shaking Heart Method slightly and was immediately shocked. Its circulation speed was a full ten times faster than before!

The Shadow Shaking Heart Method was already a top-tier cultivation Heart Method. Xu Luo didn’t know about the various Holy Lands, but throughout all of Celestial Brilliance, no other Heart Method could compare to it!

For a Heart Method of this caliber to increase its speed tenfold... it was simply terrifying!

The very thought... was unbelievable to Xu Luo.

”Well? Did you find that your Heart Method’s circulation speed increased by at least thirty times?” Xue Chuqing asked.

’Thirty times...’

Xu Luo thought to himself, ’If I were using any other top-tier Cultivation Technique, that would probably be accurate.’

But his own Heart Method had only increased tenfold, and even that... was enough to leave Xu Luo utterly astounded, almost horrified.

Because he hadn’t felt a thing before he tried it!

’Thank goodness the Su Nu Celestial Scripture’s effect is beneficial. If it were harmful... I wouldn’t even have known what hit me!’

Xu Luo nodded. ”How can such a miraculous Cultivation Technique exist?”

”And that’s not all. When used to help, the Su Nu Celestial Scripture can increase the user’s Heart Method circulation speed by thirty times. But when used to harm... it can also decrease your Cultivation Technique’s speed by thirty times!”

Xue Chuqing said in a low voice, ”So many people were offering a fortune for your head. I couldn’t resist the temptation, so I accepted the job. With that money, I could build a force of my own!”

”But after meeting you, I hesitated. After sensing your aura, I regretted taking the contract. Then, after you fought Du Qingteng and became friends through combat, I changed my mind completely.”

”A living you is worth infinitely more... than that money!”

”I couldn’t kill you, and I certainly couldn’t harm you!”

”I wouldn’t claim to be a good person, but I’m not willing to destroy someone with such a limitless future.”

Only then did Xu Luo realize that he had, completely unknowingly, just had a brush with death.

If Xue Chuqing had truly wanted to harm him, all she would have had to do... was use the Su Nu Celestial Scripture in reverse. The consequences...

A chill ran down Xu Luo’s spine.