Firmament Sword

'This is bad... This person is incredibly powerful. It seems the Beidou Soul Star Array is struggling to grind him down. The power of time has no effect on him. Instead, he's using this opportunity to devour so many experts...'

A glint flashed in Xu Luo's eyes as he thought to himself, 'I have to find a way to stop him. Otherwise, he'll eventually devour every expert in this array and grow even stronger. If that happens, he might just break out!'

Just then, the youth in the Golden Battle Garment spoke coolly, "I seem to have underestimated your abilities. I fell for your scheme. This Grand Array contains the Heaven and Earth Laws, the power of time, and the mysteries of the Era of Opening the Heavens... It is indeed powerful. It even forced me to use this Secret Skill. However... it's impossible for you to trap me to death with this array!"

The Suffering Ascetic, who had been bathed in Buddhist light and chanting sutras, suddenly spoke in a faint voice, "This Secret Technique you're using has already damaged your very essence. Is it really worth it for a mere clone?"

"Who are you?" The youth in the Golden Battle Garment was slightly taken aback. He studied the Suffering Ascetic for a long moment, his eyes shooting out two beams of light composed of mystical runes, as if trying to see through the Buddhist light and discern the ascetic's true identity.

"Just an old monk chanting sutras. Not worthy of you using your Kunpeng's Eye on me," the Suffering Ascetic said faintly from within the light.

The youth in the Golden Battle Garment, however, was astonished. If Dubhe had recognized his true form, he would have considered it normal. But for this old monk of unknown origin to see through him as well? That was truly shocking.

"I don't believe it. I'll devour you and see for myself!" The youth's Golden Battle Garment rippled as his battle intent surged. This time, he didn't use the Kunpeng phantom. Instead, he personally lunged at the Suffering Ascetic. As he leaped, his body suddenly expanded hundreds of times, transforming into a towering giant. He opened his cavernous maw and lunged to swallow the Suffering Ascetic whole.

The Suffering Ascetic sighed. "Why must you do this?"

With that, he hurled the Vajra Pestle in his hand directly at the giant the youth had become.

The Vajra Pestle erupted with boundless Buddhist light, which contained an endless, sacred power, as if it could cleanse all evil from the world.

"That thing can't hurt me!" the giant roared, his voice like a clap of thunder.

The giant green bamboo staff swept directly toward the Vajra Pestle. The two collided with a tremendous clang of metal.

CLANG!

The sound sent countless ripples vibrating through the air, crashing against the Beidou Soul Star Array!

HUMMM!

The seven great stars hummed in unison, showering down a continuous stream of starlight that smoothed out the ripples.

A flash of disappointment crossed the eyes of both the Suffering Ascetic and the youth. Although they were fighting, they had also hoped to use the impact to strike at the array. They hadn't expected it to be so sturdy that even with their level of power, they couldn't open a single crack.

Immediately after, the youth relentlessly whipped the green bamboo staff in his hand, striking viciously at the glowing Vajra Pestle. A continuous series of deafening bangs rang out.

Inside the Beidou Soul Star Array, the two top-tier experts battled fiercely, ignoring the erosion of time's power.

A moment later, the youth's attacks grew more ferocious, and the Vajra Pestle seemed to be losing ground...

The Suffering Ascetic beckoned, and the Vajra Pestle returned to his hand. The Buddhist light it emitted had dimmed slightly, and the expression on the ascetic's face grew even more pained.

This Vajra Pestle was an incredibly powerful Magical Artifact, blessed with a lifetime of will and tempered over countless eons to emit such potent Buddhist light. He never imagined it would suffer such a heavy blow here.

"If you insist on devouring me, then come..." the Suffering Ascetic said. He put away the Vajra Pestle and placed his palms together. A look of compassion appeared on his pained face, making him resemble a Buddha.

"Cut the act! Fake compassion? I'm not falling for that!" the giant roared. He opened his mouth and swallowed the Suffering Ascetic in one gulp.

Of course, he knew the Suffering Ascetic wasn't the type to just close his eyes and wait for death. Otherwise, why would he have fought so desperately against the erosion of time just moments ago?

'He was willing to be swallowed, so he must have a trump card,' the youth thought. 'But... you're not the only one with a trump card. Since you know I'm a Kunpeng Clone and still dared to let me devour you, you can just go ahead and die!'

As the youth thought this, a vast expanse of Chaos Qi instantly appeared inside his body.

He was going to refine the Suffering Ascetic!

Down below, Xu Luo took in the whole scene, his heart pounding in terror. He wondered, 'Who on earth is this youth? Dubhe said he's a clone of *that person*? Who is *that person*? Could it really be the Kunpeng?'

When the Kunpeng phantom on the youth's body had been devouring the others, Xu Luo had seen it clearly and already had his suspicions. Now, he was almost certain of the youth's identity.

But what made Xu Luo even more curious was why the Suffering Ascetic, knowing the youth's identity, would still dare to be devoured willingly. Where did he get such confidence?

At this moment, a powerful emotion surged within Xu Luo. He swore to himself, 'I must become stronger! In a battle like this, I don't want to be a mere spectator. I want to participate myself!'

Even though the entire operation of the Beidou Soul Star Array relied on him as its core to suppress everything, Xu Luo still felt dissatisfied.

Deep in his heart, he felt that the one anchoring the Beidou Soul Star Array was... Beidou's Eighth Star! Not him, Xu Luo!

Even now, though Xu Luo had accepted the fact that he was Beidou's Eighth Star and had even awakened its memories, he subconsciously still didn't want to feel like he was just riding on the Eighth Star's coattails.

Xu Luo could find plenty of excuses for himself, like his youth, or how little time he had spent cultivating... but they were all just excuses.

The fact was, he, Xu Luo... had been pushed into this position. He was Beidou's Eighth Star. In the eyes of the world, he was an unparalleled panacea!

The situation was forcing him to become strong, stronger, and stronger still!

The Beidou Soul Star Array continued to refine everyone within it. By now, apart from the youth, only a few dozen people were left in the entire array. They huddled in a corner, watching everything unfold in terror.

They had all once been the top experts in this world!

But now, they were as fragile as eggs. Any random stone could shatter them to pieces.

They were unwilling, and their hearts were filled with intense fear, but they were powerless. They could only watch helplessly as the power of time manifested on their bodies.

Another hour passed. Inside the Grand Array, only the youth who had transformed into a giant remained.

Everyone else had been refined by the Beidou Soul Star Array into small stars of varying sizes. They hung suspended within the array, emitting powerful fluctuations along with waves of a mournful aura.

It was the last trace of these experts' defiant will!

They had wanted to refine Beidou's Eighth Star, but were instead trapped in a Grand Array set by the Eighth Star and refined themselves. The karma was too great, so great that it cost them their lives.

The saying "what goes around comes around" was perfectly demonstrated by this group of experts from the Sect Continent and the Ancient Race Continent.

The Beidou Soul Star Array was still running, emitting a heaven-shaking aura as it sought to refine the youth. The stars of various sizes, which were once the other experts, began emitting an equally intense aura and swarmed toward the youth!

This was the defiant will of those experts.

It's not scarcity they resent, but inequality!

'Why were we all refined, while you alone are left?'

If they still had any consciousness, this thought would surely be broadcast from the vast majority of the small stars.

It wasn't that the power of time had no effect on the youth. He was simply too powerful, so the erosion of time had a limited effect on him.

The Grand Array was refining the youth, and the youth was refining the Suffering Ascetic!

It was a race between them to see who was faster!

The youth let out a thunderous roar. "You've already been devoured by me! What power do you have to resist? Just obediently let me refine you!"

The Suffering Ascetic's voice emerged from the giant's abdomen. "I only seek completion."

"You'll be complete when I've refined you to death!" the youth bellowed, the Aura of Chaos surging inside his body.

Although it wasn't as powerful as the Chaos Qi from before the heavens were opened—a single wisp of which could sweep away a Star River—it was still not to be underestimated. This was something the youth had simulated based on his comprehension of Chaos Qi from the dawn of creation, and its power was equally astonishing.

But inside him, the Suffering Ascetic was like an incomparably hard stone. No matter how desperately the youth tried to refine him, he remained calm. Bathed in Buddhist light, he looked incredibly benevolent as he chanted sutras. The scriptures formed mystical runes inside the youth's body, as if trying to suppress him in return!

"You? You want to suppress me? You're far from worthy!" the youth roared. The Chaos Qi in his body transformed into streams of Sword Qi that slashed toward the Suffering Ascetic.

The Buddhist light around the Suffering Ascetic fluctuated, blocking all the streams of Sword Qi. He said calmly, "As I said, I only seek completion."

The Suffering Ascetic's voice was calm and kind. "I was born between heaven and earth, took human form, and came into this world never knowing what parents were. It was difficult to find completion. Today, I am borrowing your womb to comprehend the reincarnation of the Celestial Dao and the continuation of life. I seek completion. Therefore... if I emerge, I will recognize you as my father!"

"AHHHHHH!" The youth could no longer remain calm. He raged, "Are you an idiot? Where in this world do men give birth to children? You... why the fuck can't you just find a woman to gain your enlightenment from?"

"Our paths have crossed," the Suffering Ascetic said calmly. "This is the fate between us."

"Get the hell out of me! Bullshit fate! I am a wisp of Spiritual Qi born before the creation of the heavens and earth! In this world, only one person can compare to me! What the hell are you? You think you're worthy of speaking about fate with me? Go die!"

The youth was truly enraged, so furious at the Suffering Ascetic's world-shaking idea that he was practically fuming.

His true form was a Kunpeng—how could he not be proud? He could soar through the nine heavens and devour the sun, moon, and stars. He didn't even care about the will of heaven and earth. Yet now, this Suffering Ascetic was forcibly creating a connection with him in such a manner.

The youth felt like he was about to cough up blood. He swore to completely refine this damn bald-head.

Sensing the youth's earth-shattering rage, the Suffering Ascetic was also somewhat moved, but he still said, "Inside your body, I can feel your joy, your anger, your sorrow. So this... is the mystery of life? You and I are now connected by blood! I've comprehended it!"

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