Firmament Sword

The loyalty of Huo Wanchong, Huo Wanyu, and Huo Wanhua belonged to "Young Master Feng," the one who could grant them a better future—not Xu Luo.

At the mention of Xu Luo, the three Huo Family elders eagerly rubbed their hands together, vowing to capture him and present him to their Ancestor to be refined...

This conflict was irreconcilable. So, although Xu Luo sighed inwardly, he would not show them any mercy.

Leading the three men, he headed south, barging directly into the territory of Song Chengfeng—a man known to many on the Ancient Race Continent as a Demon King.

"Young Master Feng... doesn't this direction seem a bit off?" Huo Wanchong had traveled to the Sect Continent in his youth, and he noticed their current path was different from the one he had taken before, prompting his question.

"According to the route the Ancestor gave me, this is the way we should go," Xu Luo said calmly, invoking the name of the Huo Family Ancestor.

"If the Ancestor gave the instructions, then it can't be wrong!" Huo Wanyu remarked.

Huo Wanhua nodded in agreement. "I've never been to the Sect Continent, but I know there are many roads that lead there! Wanchong, just because you haven't traveled a certain path doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

Huo Wanchong could only nod helplessly. Although the path he had taken years ago was the fastest shortcut to the Sect Continent, perhaps the Ancestor had a deeper reason for this route.

In the Huo Family, as long as a matter involved the Ancestor, all disputes would vanish. Everyone treated the Ancestor's word as law.

It was precisely because of this unity that despite the Huo Family's many injustices, few in the entire Ancient Race dared to provoke them openly.

"Young Master Feng, you've met Beidou's Eighth Star face-to-face. Could you describe what he looks like?" Huo Wanhua asked. "That way, we'll know what to look for."

Huo Wanchong added, "Yes, Young Master Feng. Tell us what Xu Luo really looks like and what Cultivation Techniques he specializes in."

Huo Wanyu also chimed in, "I've heard that Beidou's Eighth Star grows in strength with incredible speed. Do you know what realm he has reached?"

Xu Luo looked at the three men and smiled, giving them a rough description of his own appearance. He then mentioned a few of his unique techniques that the Huo Family was already aware of. As for his cultivation realm, Xu Luo claimed he wasn't sure.

After hearing this, Huo Wanyu sighed. "It seems this Beidou's Eighth Star is likely capable of fighting opponents in higher realms!"

"What makes you say that?" Huo Wanchong asked.

"Think about it," Huo Wanyu said in a low voice. "Back when Huo Wanzhang led a group of juniors to capture Xu Luo, they suffered immense casualties and paid a terrible price, yet they came back completely empty-handed... At the time, we suspected someone else had helped Beidou's Eighth Star. But after repeated investigations, we discovered he has no powerful allies to speak of!"

"But... what about those ten great experts of the Fifth Layer Realm from our family?" Huo Wanhua asked, still doubtful.

"There must be a Saint on the Central Plains Star Continent," Huo Wanyu explained. "At the time, one of the ten acted too arrogantly, using his vast Magical Power to project his voice, trying to crush all opposition and force Beidou's Eighth Star to show himself. This act angered that Saint, who merely gave them a warning. Think about it: if that terrifying Saint Realm being was truly on Xu Luo's side, why didn't he just kill all ten of them?"

Huo Wanchong nodded in deep agreement. "That's right. A Saint can kill a Divine Power Realm expert with a single glance. If they wanted to kill someone, no one could possibly stop them!"

"So, Huo Wanzhang and the others weren't lying. At the time, it was Beidou's Eighth Star alone against the five of them! Then, in an attack that risked mutual destruction, he killed Huo Wei, Huo Danqiong, and Huo Jinwen, gravely wounded Huo Jinwu, and injured Huo Wanzhang!" At this, Huo Wanyu gave a bitter smile. "When Huo Wanzhang returned, he said Beidou's Eighth Star had vanished. But right after that, the Ancestor's divination revealed that the Eighth Star had arrived on the Ancient Race Continent!"

As he spoke, Huo Wanyu glanced at Xu Luo. "But then Young Master Feng told us the *true* result of the Ancestor's divination: that Beidou's Eighth Star is actually on the Sect Continent. I believe this must be the correct information!"

Xu Luo looked at Huo Wanyu. "Why do you say that?"

"Since Xu Luo is the reincarnation of Beidou's Eighth Star and possesses Star Power, traversing space should be much easier for him than for anyone else. Therefore, tearing a hole in space—something even experts at our realm can't do—is probably not a difficult task for him," Huo Wanyu analyzed, then continued, "So, what really happened must have been this..."

"During his fierce battle with Huo Wanzhang's group, after killing three people and gravely wounding Huo Jinwu, Xu Luo himself was afflicted by Huo Jinwu's strange poison and completely exhausted. So, while locked in a life-or-death struggle with Huo Wanzhang, he must have used a life-saving ability to tear through space... and escaped to the Sect Continent!"

"And that's why, upon his return, Huo Wanzhang reported that Beidou's Eighth Star had simply vanished... his fate unknown!"

At this, Huo Wanyu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, "Even though he is our enemy, I must admit that this Beidou's Eighth Star, Xu Luo, is a true youthful prodigy! To possess such strength at his age... I've never seen anything like it in my life!"

"Heh, no matter what kind of prodigy he is, he'll just end up as a stepping stone for the Ancestor!" Huo Wanchong chuckled.

Huo Wanhua nodded, but a thought crossed his mind: 'Does he have to be the Ancestor's stepping stone? Why can't he be *our* stepping stone?'

However, Huo Wanhua didn't voice this idea. After all, for the Huo Family, who revered their Ancestor as a god, such a thought was utterly treasonous.

Xu Luo sighed to himself. 'There's a good reason the Huo Family has stood firm on the Ancient Race Continent for so many years. The clan is full of outstanding talents, and its fiercely competitive system ensures that any disciple who manages to stand out possesses extraordinary skills.'

'Whether it was Huo Wanzhang's group I met before, Huo Wanchong and his men now, or even "Huo Feng's" rival, Huo Lin, and his faction—none of them were people to be trifled with.'

Xu Luo was well aware that if his impersonation of Huo Feng weren't so flawless, and if he hadn't been able to observe from an outsider's perspective, he would have struggled to gain any advantage against Huo Lin's faction.

'His status as an outsider gave him a huge advantage within the Huo Family, because his real enemy was the *entire* clan!'

'Therefore, no matter which members of the Huo Family met with misfortune, it was a good thing for him.'

As these thoughts ran through his mind, Xu Luo looked up and suddenly asked, "Beidou's Eighth Star... is he really that miraculous? If someone refines him, are they guaranteed to achieve immortality?"

Huo Wanchong, Huo Wanyu, and Huo Wanhua all grew pensive. Huo Wanyu spoke first. "It's an ancient legend that dates back to when Beidou's Eighth Star first fell from the sky... As for whether refining him truly guarantees immortality... I doubt even the Ancestor himself could be certain of that."

"If that's the case, then why must we capture Beidou's Eighth Star at all costs?" Xu Luo asked, feigning confusion.

"Young Master Feng, you are still young. You don't understand the fear that grows in an old man's heart," Huo Wanyu said in a low voice, as if speaking from deep experience. "Faced with the relentless passage of time, the longer you live, the less you want to die. Every mortal in this world dreams of eternal life, let alone cultivators like us."

Huo Wanhua nodded beside him, adding in a soft voice, "Wanyu is right. The longer a person lives, the more they fear death. Surpassing mortals isn't enough; we crave true immortality."

Huo Wanchong's face was filled with anticipation. "I don't dare to ask for immortality. I only hope that if we capture Beidou's Eighth Star ourselves, the Ancestor might share a little of the spoils when he refines him... That would be more than enough!"

At that moment, Huo Wanhua suddenly interjected, "What if we were to refine him ourselves?"

The expressions of both Huo Wanchong and Huo Wanyu changed slightly, and they immediately looked toward Xu Luo.

Huo Wanyu said, "Don't you ever repeat such treasonous words again!"

Huo Wanchong also chimed in, "Brother Wanhua... it's wrong for you to think that way. The Huo Family has endured for millennia because of elders like our Ancestor, and because of the unity of our entire clan!"

Huo Wanhua's question had only been a test. Seeing that the other two didn't dare defy the Ancestor's will in the slightest, he offered a humble smile and lowered his head. "My apologies, Brother Wanyu, Brother Wanchong. I was just speaking carelessly. Please don't take it to heart."

Then, looking at Xu Luo with a chagrined expression, he added, "Young Master Feng won't report me, will you?"

"Well..." Xu Luo put on a troubled expression while cursing inwardly. 'So every last one of you wants to refine me, is that it? Fine. In just a little while, I'll give you all the perfect opportunity!'

"Young Master Feng, I only spoke so bluntly because I consider you my master..." A barely perceptible, cold glint flashed through Huo Wanhua's eyes.

He was an absolutely decisive and ruthless man; otherwise, Huo Jinshan would never have died by his hand.

Seeing "Huo Feng" hesitate, a faint killing intent rose in Huo Wanhua's heart.

Although Huo Wanchong and Huo Wanyu couldn't sense it, Xu Luo's Divine Sense was powerful enough to detect Huo Wanhua's killing intent with perfect clarity.

He immediately sneered to himself. 'Huo Wanhua... To think you're so cold-blooded and murderous that you wouldn't even spare your own master.'

With that thought, Xu Luo suddenly smiled and said, "Actually, I was just thinking... if it were possible, refining Beidou's Eighth Star ourselves could perhaps... yield far greater benefits!"

"Young Master Feng, you think so as well?" Huo Wanyu's expression changed slightly, his face becoming a mixture of uncertainty as he stared at Xu Luo.

Huo Wanchong, however, remained silent, his gaze flickering as he watched Xu Luo.

Xu Luo looked up at Huo Wanyu and said with a smile, "Don't tell me the thought hasn't crossed your mind as well."

Huo Wanyu was deeply conflicted. After a moment of internal struggle, he finally gave in to his true feelings and nodded. "I admit I have... It's just, our Huo Family's clan rules..."

"The clan rules... are bullshit!" Xu Luo said with a smile, his words a devil's sweet temptation.

Originally, Xu Luo had planned to use his brother, Song Chengfeng, to kill these three men. However, after discovering their true intentions, he changed his mind.

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