Firmament Sword

Ever since he was enveloped by the curtain of light, the young man in the Golden Battle Garment had made no move to attack. He stood there quietly, channeling his energy to resist the ravages of time invading his body, a glint flashing in his eyes, his thoughts unknown.

The others, however, had begun a frantic counterattack.

The aged Suffering Ascetics from Western Buddhism produced their respective Magical Artifacts, launching fierce attacks against the curtain of light.

One of them, the oldest Suffering Ascetic, had such deep-set eye sockets that his eyes were nearly invisible. He was so emaciated he looked like a walking skeleton.

Around his neck hung a long string of prayer beads that emanated a desolate and ancient aura, warding off the ravages of time.

In his hand, he held a Vajra Pestle that emitted a boundless Buddhist radiance. This light shielded the Suffering Ascetic's entire body, and together with the prayer beads, it blocked nearly all of the ravages of time.

It was safe to say that this Suffering Ascetic was the only person, aside from the man in the Golden Battle Garment, who remained unaffected by the erosion of time.

A look of profound suffering was etched onto the Suffering Ascetic's skeletal face. He chanted sutras unceasingly, every word booming like thunder, forming mystical symbols that continuously reinforced his protective Buddhist light and created an indestructible defense.

As for the others, those with lesser strength were utterly unable to resist the power of time. They first regressed from old age to their youth, their vitality soaring to its absolute peak. But then, that vitality was drained away by the Grand Array, and they began to age rapidly once more...

They grew ever older and weaker until, at last, the final shred of their vitality and life force was stripped from them. Their bodies gradually curled into balls, shrinking smaller and smaller...

...until they became small, fingernail-sized orbs. If one of these orbs were magnified countless times, one would discover it had the appearance of a star!

Those still struggling to resist watched this unfathomably terrifying scene unfold, and Xu Luo's words echoed in their minds.

"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, am here today to refine you into stars and enshrine you as gods! From this day forward, you shall be the Companion Stars next to the seven great stars of my Dharma Heaven and Earth! I... grant you... eternity!"

They hadn't taken the Eighth Star's words seriously, dismissing them as empty threats. But now, everyone understood. This wasn't some harsh threat, nor was it a bluff made in anger. It was the absolute, terrifying truth!

"Don't refine me... I don't want to become a star!" Pang Rui, the living fossil and foundation of the Honglou Sect, let out a cry of utter terror. If a Regret Pill existed in this world, he would buy one, no matter the cost.

He had never regretted anything as much as he did today!

'Why was I so tempted by greed? Why did I become so avaricious? If I had just remained in slumber, continued to serve as the foundation of the Honglou Sect... perhaps my remaining lifespan was short, and I couldn't have lasted much longer, but at least I wouldn't be dying so helplessly now!' Pang Rui could clearly feel the power of time working on him, leaving him no way to resist.

His body regressed from old age to the prime of his middle-aged years, when his vitality was at its peak. Then... that very vitality was siphoned away by the Grand Array. The power of time surged into his body, causing him to age rapidly once more, until... he became a tiny, longan-sized star.

A great expert at the Divine Power Realm Peak, once renowned throughout the Sect Continent, had been reduced to nothing more than an insignificant, dust-like star after being refined.

If they had known this would be the outcome, how many of these people... would have still insisted on refining Beidou's Eighth Star?

But alas, this world has no 'what ifs'.

The Array churned on, and no one could break out. The initial battle with the young man in the Golden Battle Garment had been nothing more than a ruse to lure more people in!

After all, at Xu Luo's current level of cultivation, he could only activate this Array once.

And he would only ever use it once in this world. Even if he could activate it a second time, who would be foolish enough to rush in and offer up their lives?

Xu Luo was the core of the entire Grand Array. As long as he remained unharmed, the Grand Array would continue to run indefinitely.

By now, over a thousand experts had been refined within the Grand Array, transformed into tiny stars that adorned the formation. They revolved in tandem with the seven great stars, and though each was minuscule, the combined power they released was not to be underestimated.

Now, only a hundred or so people remained within the Grand Array, still desperately holding on.

Every last one of them held a resounding reputation and an unimaginably lofty status on either the Sect Continent or the Ancient Race Continent.

Here and now, however, they had long since lost the dignified bearing of lofty experts. They were all desperately struggling, hoping to hold on a little longer, praying for the Grand Array to cease its operation...

From within the carriage carved from a single trunk of Celestial Yang Wood, roars echoed unceasingly. The person inside was resisting, fighting for his very life!

The two Quasi-Saint Jiao Long Beasts pulling the carriage had long since turned into tiny stars and vanished into thin air.

The carriage, supported by Celestial Yang Wood, was not a living thing, so the power of time had little effect on it. But the person inside...

BOOM!

The carriage door was blasted open from the inside, and an old man with disheveled hair rushed out.

The old man had a full head of red hair and a withered, emaciated frame. Bare-chested, he let out an earth-shattering roar, "You can't kill me! I'm from the Upper Realm Divine Domain! If I die here, the people of the Upper Realm will not spare you!"

The young man in the Golden Battle Garment raised his head, glanced at the red-haired old man, and said in a cold voice, "Idiot!"

The red-haired old man ignored him and continued to scream, the aura of a Half-Step Saint pouring from his body to resist the erosion of time.

It had to be said, he was exceptionally powerful.

After all this time, many other experts who were also Half-Step Saints had fallen and turned into tiny stars. Yet he remained unchanged, as if the power of time had little effect on him.

The Suffering Ascetic, bathed in Buddhist light, glanced thoughtfully at the red-haired old man and sighed. 'He's used a Secret Technique. He has severed his own foundation and sacrificed his Dao Fruit... Even if he survives this, he'll never have a chance to enter the Saint Realm.'

The red-haired old man glared at the Suffering Ascetic and cursed, "Shut your damn mouth! What the hell does a bald-headed monk like you know? Surviving is all that matters right now! Who gives a damn about a Dao Fruit? It's not like you can eat it!"

Saying this, the red-haired old man began to roar again, "Xu Luo! Xu Luo! You can't kill me! I admit I was wrong to try and refine you, but this world is ruled by the law of the jungle—the strong devour the weak! Just let me go this once, and I'll become your servant... I'll follow you forever! I'm willing to make a blood oath... no, a soul vow!"

The young man in the Golden Battle Garment watched the red-haired old man coldly. 'He was somewhat surprised. For an expert of this caliber to have absolutely no integrity... to save his own skin, he was truly willing to do anything.'

From his place on the small island, Xu Luo watched the red-haired old man with cold detachment, a wave of emotion washing over him. 'The first time I saw this man, he gave me a single cold glance from his carriage window, and it felt like my world was ending. Back then, I guessed his strength was at least at the Fourth Layer of the Divine Power Realm... I never imagined his true power was at the level of a Half-Step Saint.'

'I also never imagined that this great expert, who could have once killed me with a single glance, would now be bowing and groveling before me, willing to swear a soul vow just to stay alive.'

As Xu Luo reflected on this, he experienced a moment of Dao Heart Clarity. He now knew that he was fundamentally different from every other Martial Artist in the world.

His path was also completely different from anyone else's!

"Xu Luo! If you don't agree, I'll self-destruct and take you down with me!" the red-haired old man roared. "This Array may be formidable, and I am no match for it, but refining me alive won't be so easy!"

"You talk too much," the young man in the Golden Battle Garment said quietly. He suddenly attacked the red-haired old man, his green bamboo stick sweeping out a swath of emerald light that struck the old man's body with a dull thud.

The red-haired old man never imagined he would be attacked here. Caught completely off guard, he took the hit directly and spat out a mouthful of blood. He glared furiously at the youth in the Golden Battle Garment. "We're in the same boat! What do you gain by attacking me?"

"There are benefits, of course..." the young man in the Golden Battle Garment said coolly, before striking again.

The red-haired old man was enraged. A golden light flew from his body, revealing a palm-sized mirror. The mirror shot out a searing beam of light directly at the young man in the Golden Battle Garment.

"Petty tricks. And you dare claim you're from the Divine Domain?" The youth sneered. A brilliant light erupted from his green bamboo, sweeping aside the mirror's beam. The bamboo then slammed viciously into the mirror itself.

CRACK!

The treasured mirror, made of some unknown material, was actually shattered by the youth's green bamboo stick, breaking into pieces that scattered in the air.

The youth then opened his mouth wide. A phantom Kunpeng emerged from his body, pounced on the red-haired old man, and swallowed him whole!

The red-haired old man let out a bloodcurdling scream, which then came to an abrupt end...

The phantom Kunpeng, after swallowing the red-haired old man, transformed into a streak of light and returned to the youth's body.

The youth's complexion immediately improved a great deal. He then turned his gaze towards the other experts who were still struggling to hold on.

A look of horror appeared on the faces of the others. Even the Suffering Ascetic, bathed in Buddhist light, now watched the youth with a gaze full of wariness.

The youth walked directly towards the nearest old man. The old man let out a terrified shriek and tried to flee.

The Kunpeng phantom rushed out again, swallowed the old man in one bite, and then returned to the youth's body.

In just a matter of moments, the young man in the Golden Battle Garment had swallowed seven or eight top-tier experts, all at the level of a Half-Step Saint!

His complexion grew progressively healthier, and the vitality coursing through him became increasingly vigorous.

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