Firmament Sword

Pangtian Star snorted, his eyes fixed indifferently on the two. "That's right. I already know everything," he said. "So don't try to play games with me. Your combined ages don't even add up to a fraction of mine. By the time I was scheming against others, your grandfathers hadn't even been born!"

"Er... Of course we wouldn't dare play games with you, Grand Elder," Li Ye said, a look of terror on his face. 'It had to be that shameless bastard Pang Xiaogou,' he knew in his heart. 'Since he couldn't get Beidou's Eighth Star for himself, he must have tattled to Grand Elder Pangtian Star.'

'He must have told the Grand Elder that we brothers were in cahoots with Li Kai'an...' Li Ye thought. Just as Pang Xiaogou understood Li Ye, Li Ye knew Pang Xiaogou's character all too well.

The person who understands you best is often not a friend or relative, but your rival. They are always watching for your weaknesses, and the slightest misstep gives them leverage over you.

Before escaping, Pang Xiaogou had already concluded that Li Kai'an was sure to win and that the brothers Li Ye and Li Hua would almost certainly meet a bad end. That's why he had lied to the Grand Elder, hoping to sling mud at the Li Family. He figured that, in any case, with them dead, no one would be able to contradict his story.

But Pang Xiaogou had never imagined that not only were the brothers Li Ye and Li Hua alive, but even Beidou's Eighth Star, Xu Luo... was alive and well!

The one who was truly dead was Li Kai'an!

The moment Pangtian Star saw the two brothers, Li Ye and Li Hua, a wave of relief washed over him. 'Thank goodness I didn't believe that little bastard Pang Xiaogou and go straight to the Li Family to make trouble,' he thought. 'Otherwise... once these two brothers returned and their stories were compared... Pang Xiaogou's future would be ruined.'

Li Ye's gaze flickered. 'I have to find a way to get through this,' he thought, 'to buy Xu Luo enough time!'

With this in mind, Li Ye looked at the Grand Elder with a pained expression. "I happened to run into Beidou's Eighth Star and had just managed to trick him, but then Pang Xiaogou captured my brother and threatened me to hand over the treasure. I had no choice but to bring Beidou's Eighth Star here. I never imagined that Li Kai'an would not only betray my Li Family but your Pang Family as well!"

At this, Li Ye looked up at Pangtian Star, a hint of accusation in his eyes, and then said earnestly, "Grand Elder, if I may speak my mind, I have never aspired to a higher position. So I implore you, Senior, to pass a message to Pang Xiaogou. Tell him that I... I never intended to compete with him for anything."

"Then... why didn't Li Kai'an kill you?" Hearing this, Pangtian Star was already beginning to believe Li Ye's story, as it corroborated what Pang Xiaogou had told him. As for how Li Ye had tricked Beidou's Eighth Star or where he was taking him, Pangtian Star couldn't be bothered to even think about it.

'Tricking someone... it's always threats or bribes. And where would he take him? To the Li Family ancestor's seclusion, of course!'

At this thought, Pangtian Star inwardly cursed that little bastard Pang Xiaogou. 'He only thought to tell me after he'd completely failed to get it himself. Compared to him, this Li Ye kid is far more sensible.'

'Not only is he loyal to his brother, refusing to abandon him, but he also knows to show respect to his ancestors. This is a model child, truly one who respects his elders and cares for the young!'

"Actually, even if Pang Xiaogou hadn't fled, Li Kai'an... probably wouldn't have killed him, right?" Li Ye scratched his head and looked at Pangtian Star. "I'm not sure if I'm right, but if I've said anything amiss, please correct me, Grand Elder."

Li Ye was using every trick he could think of to stall for time, but in Pangtian Star's eyes, the young man from the Li Family was just being courteous and respectful.

He waited patiently and said, "Go on."

"Once Li Kai'an discovered I was with Beidou's Eighth Star, his mind... was completely preoccupied. How could he have the energy to consider anything else? Of course, he might have wanted to kill us to silence us, but this place... it's Pang Xiaogou's base, after all. And you, Senior, surely knew they were working together..." Li Ye said, cautiously glancing up at Pangtian Star.

Pangtian Star's old face flushed, and he waved his hand. "Continue."

"In that case, killing him or not... wouldn't have made much of a difference. But if he had killed him to silence him, that would mean offending you, Senior, to the point of no return. I... I believe anyone with half a brain wouldn't do that, right?" Li Ye said earnestly.

"You're right!" Pangtian Star nodded. The more he looked at the boy, the more he liked him, and he couldn't help but feel a twinge of regret. 'Why isn't such an outstanding young man from my Pang Family? What a shame!'

'This boy can think things through so clearly, whereas Pang Xiaogou... at the critical moment, all he cared about was running away. And even after seeing me, he still tried to frame someone else, using lies to cover up his own incompetence!'

'What a little bastard!'

A surge of anger toward his great-grandson welled up inside Pangtian Star, but he didn't let it show. Instead, he looked at Li Ye with a kindly expression and said, "Continue. You can rest assured. You've spoken the truth today, and I, this old ancestor, will remember you for it. Although you are not a descendant of my Pang Family, I can promise you one thing: if you were to compete with Pang Xiaogou for the position of Sect Leader, I would remain on the sidelines!"

With Pangtian Star's status, his word was his bond. A promise made would not be broken. This was an extremely significant pledge.

Li Ye looked grateful and gave Pangtian Star a deep bow. "Although I have no intention of competing for the position of Sect Leader, I am deeply grateful that you think so highly of me, Senior!"

"You are all disciples of the Honglou Sect. The more outstanding you are, the more the Sect will flourish! As the Grand Elder, I am not so narrow-minded as to be biased toward one family!" Pangtian Star said with a noble air.

"I thank you again, Grand Elder, for your magnanimity!" Li Ye cupped his fists and bowed once more.

"Enough of that. Do you know where... Li Kai'an might have fled?" Pangtian Star asked, looking at Li Ye.

Li Ye shook his head with a bitter smile. "I wouldn't dare deceive you, Senior. If I knew, I wouldn't still be here."

Pangtian Star was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile. 'Truly a youth with a pure and innocent heart,' he thought. 'It seems the rumors were right after all. Only one with such a heart could receive a treasure from the ancestor! He's right, too. If he knew where Li Kai'an went, Li Kai'an probably wouldn't have let him and his brother live. More importantly, if he knew, he would have run back to the Li Family ancestor's seclusion to report it long ago.'

'And the boy is so tactful, subtle without being evasive. He understands how to choose his words, and even before me, a Grand Elder of great power and authority, he is neither servile nor arrogant...'

Pangtian Star was thoroughly pleased with Li Ye. The thought that he would soon obtain Beidou's Eighth Star put him in such a good mood that he took out a golden spear and tossed it to Li Ye.

In the sunlight, the golden spear flashed, its entire length radiating a dazzling light as if forged from pure Gold!

Li Ye caught it reflexively. It was heavy in his hands. He channeled a bit of True Essence into it, and a dragon's roar erupted from the golden spear as a sharp wave of energy shot out over a hundred feet!

"What a fine treasure!" Li Ye couldn't help but exclaim. It was a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact!

Beside him, Li Hua's eyes went wide with disbelief. Li Ye might not have fully understood the spear's significance, but Li Hua, who used to be on good terms with Pang Xiaogou, knew exactly what it was.

Pang Xiaogou had once said that his great-grandfather owned a Spirit-Connected Magical Artifact—a golden spear named the Blazing Golden Dragon Spear!

When infused with True Essence, it would let out a dragon's roar, and when used in battle, Golden Dragons would fly from its tip, possessing astonishing power.

Pangtian Star had obtained it in his youth from a set of Ancient Ruins, and it was considered a supreme treasure!

Pang Xiaogou had pleaded with his great-grandfather for it several times, but Pangtian Star had never been willing to part with the spear. Yet now, he had actually given it... to Li Ye!

Li Ye quickly bowed in thanks. A flash of guilt shot through him, but it couldn't be helped. They were on different paths. Even though Pangtian Star was showing him great kindness now, it was ultimately all because of Beidou's Eighth Star!

'Without Beidou's Eighth Star, why would the ancestor of the Pang Family, the Grand Elder of the Honglou Sect, ever look upon me with such favor?'

Pangtian Star waved his hand magnanimously. "No thanks are needed. Consider it a reward for being an honest young man!"

With that, Pangtian Star extended his Divine Sense, searching for Li Kai'an's aura. He searched for a good while but found nothing. Shaking his head slightly, he muttered to himself, "Since he dared to run... he must have made thorough preparations. But... Hmph. How naive. You can conceal your aura... but only for a thousand miles at most. For an old ancestor like me, I can search a three-thousand-mile radius in half a day! Once I find your trail, you'll have nowhere to hide, not even at the ends of the earth!"

As he spoke, Pangtian Star's body faded into the void and gradually disappeared from sight.

At the same time, his voice drifted through the air. "You two youngsters shouldn't linger here. Hurry home!"

Then, his voice slowly faded away.

The two brothers looked at each other, and silent smiles slowly spread across their faces. Then, they both plopped down on the stone mountain beneath them.

"What are you sitting down for?" Li Ye glared at his brother. "I was the one under pressure!"

"My... my legs gave out. I was scared to death just now!" Li Hua's face was a little pale as he grumbled, "If he knew we were lying, he'd fly into a rage and probably blast us to smithereens, don't you think?"

"Damn it, my legs gave out too!" Li Ye muttered a curse, then rolled his eyes. "So, what we need to do now is get rid of Li Kai'an's body, fast! Make him disappear from this world for good! We'll just let the Grand Elder... take his sweet time searching!"

The poor Grand Elder of the Honglou Sect would never have imagined that not only had his own great-grandson lied to him, but even Li Ye, the exceptionally outstanding young man he so admired, was deceiving him as well!

If he were ever to learn the truth, the high and mighty Grand Elder of the Honglou Sect would probably cough up a mouthful of blood in sheer fury.

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