Firmament Sword

A great calamity, born of greed, ended with thousands of powerful experts reduced to ash.

However, people still came pouring in from all directions. The news of the calamity shook them all. Some turned and left, but others continued to press forward.

Above this Endless Ocean, figures streaked by like beams of light. The heavens high above were crisscrossed with glowing trails as powerful experts from every corner of the world appeared.

Nearly everyone who believed themselves qualified to participate had arrived on the scene.

But what struck many as odd was that the Elder Saint from the Huo Family—the one who first predicted the birth of Beidou's Eighth Star—had not appeared at all.

Only after the calamity struck did many people finally understand. They sighed in admiration; as expected of the Elder Saint whose Inference Skill was hailed as the best in the world. He had likely foreseen this disaster long ago.

Thus, even as the vast majority of peak experts from both the Ancient Race Continent and the continent of the great sects gathered above the Endless Ocean, the Huo Family's Elder Saint still remained unseen.

「Ancient Race Continent, Huo Family.」

The Heaven-Reaching Ancestor sat silently in his place of seclusion. A trickle of blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, and a look of horror filled his eyes. He murmured, 'The celestial secrets are growing more chaotic. The Eighth Star's trajectory of fate has vanished without a trace. Could it be... that Saint has made a move? It seems... I must make a trip to the Central Plains Star Continent when the time is right.'

As he spoke, a dark light flickered in Huo Tongtian's incredibly profound eyes. 'No matter what,' he muttered to himself, 'the only path left for me is to refine Beidou's Eighth Star. Otherwise... my life will end, and I will be nothing but a pile of dust. Even with reincarnation, would that still be me?'

...

The youth in the Golden Battle Garment fought against the seven great stars, causing the void around them to constantly collapse. Countless tribulation clouds gathered high above in the endless Cangqiong, heralding the arrival of yet another great calamity.

The experts who drew near were all stunned by the scene. They found it especially unbelievable to see the youth in the Golden Battle Garment, wielding a green bamboo staff, locked in a massive battle with the seven great stars.

Among them, the 'Living Fossils' from the Liejiang Daoist Sect were dumbfounded when they saw the youth in the Golden Battle Garment.

"Why is he here? Is he also trying to seize this heavenly creation?" a wizened old Daoist murmured, a complex light flickering in his eyes. He was already on the verge of death.

"If he's set his mind on it too, then what are we to do...?" another ancient Daoist said, his face troubled.

"We can't worry about all that! This heavenly creation belongs to our world. He's from the Divine Domain, yet he wants to come here and snatch it? Did he ask for our permission?" someone else interjected coldly.

"That's right! This creation belongs to our world! It belongs to whoever is capable enough to take it!"

This group of Living Fossils from the Liejiang Daoist Sect recognized the youth's identity, and their feelings were complicated. In terms of pure combat strength, none of them were his match.

But with so many people gathered here, how could they possibly stand by and watch him seize the heavenly creation all for himself?

"What are you all gawking at? Plotting how to deal with me?" the youth in the Golden Battle Garment said coldly, his voice booming like thunder in everyone's ears. "Instead of wasting time on that, why don't you break this Array first? We can discuss who gets Beidou's Eighth Star after that!"

"He's right. We can discuss who gets the Eighth Star's heavenly creation after the Array is broken! For now, let's all strike together, shatter this Array, and capture Beidou's Eighth Star!" Pang Rui, a heritage expert from the Honglou Ancient Sect, proposed.

"That makes sense! We'll break the Array first and then settle things!" someone else called out in agreement.

The seven great stars formed an indestructible, peerless Array. It cast down curtains of starlight that formed a screen, shrouding the small island below and obscuring it from view.

High above, their various discussions all reached Xu Luo's ears. A flicker of rage passed through his eyes.

'These people... they have no scruples at all. They don't care that I'm a living, breathing person. All they talk about is the 'heavenly creation,' treating me like some kind of Divine Medicine... I have no reason to show you any mercy. Today, I'll set a trap and slaughter you all right here!' Xu Luo muttered to himself, a look of grim resolve flashing across his face.

He was not an inherently cruel or bloodthirsty person, but the situation had forced his hand. The world was ruled by greed. They saw him as a Divine Medicine that would grant them godhood if consumed. If he didn't fight back, he would not survive.

'You... forced my hand!' Xu Luo ground out through clenched teeth. He watched as more and more people gathered outside the Beidou Soul Star Array, forming a dense black mass in the sky like a storm cloud. A chilling, mocking sneer spread across Xu Luo's face. Then, he whispered, "Beidou Soul Star Array... activate!"

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG BANG BANG BANG!

A succession of seven thunderous booms erupted from the seven great stars, their sound drowning out the roar of thunder. Some of the weaker great experts of the Divine Power Realm were instantly blasted by the sound, blood pouring from their eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. Some were knocked directly out of the sky and plunged into the Endless Ocean below, where they were instantly devoured by raging waves thousands of meters high!

Then, from the seven great stars, tens of thousands of ribbon-like strands of starlight cascaded down. They wove together into a massive curtain of light that, in an instant, enveloped everyone outside the Grand Array!

Some, seeing that things had taken a bad turn, tried to flee, but they were not faster than the speed of light. Every single one of them was caught within the shroud.

Then... a peerless, surging power erupted within the curtain of light. Mixed within it was a force that reversed the flow of time. The experts of the Living Fossil Realm felt it most keenly. To their astonishment, they discovered they were growing younger at an unbelievable rate!

Wrinkles vanished from their faces, and their aged bodies suddenly became vigorous and full of vitality.

Someone cried out in alarm, "Heavens... w-what is this? Am I reverting to my youth?"

"This is bad! My power is regressing just as fast!"

"Me too! My power has already dropped from the Ninth Layer Peak of the Divine Power Realm to the Eighth Layer... and it's still falling!"

"What is happening?! No... I don't want to return to my youth... I don't want to grow weaker!"

In that single moment, countless people cried out in terror.

The youth in the Golden Battle Garment was also trapped within, having failed to escape. He remained calm, standing firm in the void as he coldly observed the reactions of those around him. Yet, ripples of shock spread through his heart. 'This is the power of time itself...' he murmured. 'What an unparalleled trap. The intent is to... refine every single person here!'

No matter how powerful one becomes, they are no match for time!

When a Cultivator reaches the apex of their journey, their greatest enemy is not the world, nor other Cultivators, but the formless passage of time!

As the most powerful force in existence, it can turn oceans into fields and make the present into the past. No matter how mighty a person, none can withstand the erosion of time!

It never stops. It can neither be seen nor touched, yet it is the number one killer of all living things in the world!

More creatures have died at the hands of time than by any other cause. Nothing alive can escape its deadly grasp.

And today... inside this Grand Array, the power of time had been amplified, and its pace... accelerated!

The Golden Battle Garment on the youth began to hum with unwillingness, trembling violently as if buffeted by a gale-force wind.

"Xu Luo... are you going to refine every single one of us here?!" one of the Living Fossil patriarchs from the Honglou Sect shrieked. He had already regressed to the appearance of a middle-aged man—dignified, handsome, and refined—but his eyes were filled with pure terror, and his entire body was trembling. "Aren't you afraid of shouldering such immense karma?"

Many more people tried to break out of the light curtain, unleashing all kinds of techniques and frantically attacking the barrier, but to no avail!

No matter who they were, they were powerless to break through the barrier!

RUMBLE!

Within the Grand Array, now shrouded by the curtain of light, thunderous booms echoed continuously as powerful Martial Artists desperately tried to break free. But the light curtain was connected to the very fabric of the world; it remained utterly motionless, no matter how they attacked.

And no matter how powerful a Cultivator, they could not possibly shatter the world itself!

This curtain of light was now linked to the Great Dao of this world, drawing from the same source as the world itself. To attack the curtain was to attack the world!

It was completely useless!

Song Chengfeng and Chu Xiaoya stood outside, watching this scene unfold in utter horror.

"In this world, people call me the Demon King because I've slaughtered countless people, and none who died by my hand were nobodies," Song Chengfeng muttered, the muscles on his face twitching violently. "But today... I think my title of Demon King ought to be passed on. No... he's not a Demon King. He's a Demon Saint!"

Chu Xiaoya added, "Every single person who dies by his hand today... is a regional overlord. So many of them are great experts famed throughout the world. After this battle, I fear it will take at least a hundred thousand years for the world to recover!"

A moment ago, the two of them had also been inside the Array, preparing to make a move and secretly kill some of the others, but they were suddenly thrown out by an irresistibly powerful force.

Immediately after, the Grand Array activated, beginning the process of refining everyone inside alive.

The couple naturally understood that Xu Luo had discovered them and had intentionally sent them out. Otherwise, even with their heaven-defying power, they would now be trapped inside the Grand Array, left to the mercy of time's ravenous corrosion.

At that moment, Xu Luo's voice suddenly rang out. It was calm, almost like a sutra being chanted, and it compelled everyone to fall silent.

"Didn't you want to refine me?"

"Didn't you want to enter the Divine Domain and become gods?"

"Didn't you feel your lifespans were too short and desire eternity?"

"Today... I will grant you your wish!"

"I, Xu Luo, will refine you into stars here today and deify you all! From this day forward, you shall become the Companion Stars to the seven great stars of my Dharma Heaven and Earth! I... grant... you... eternity!"

Xu Luo's voice was calm, yet it contained a supreme resonance of the Great Dao. The instant he spoke, the very sky and clouds seemed to warp and change color!

An endless roar filled the air!

All kinds of Powers of Laws permeated the Grand Array, bearing down on everyone within!

It was as if his words represented the will of the world itself, causing it to resonate in sympathy and grant its approval!

"No!" A piercing shriek of despair rose from the crowd trapped in the light. "I don't want this kind of eternity! Xu Luo... let me go! I'll be your slave, your servant...!"

"Too late," Xu Luo's voice drifted in, followed by a single, ice-cold word: "Refine!"

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