Firmament Sword

Three days later, Xu Luo's figure vanished from the skies above the Dubhe Sect.

Lin Luoxue stood in a daze before the gates of Dubhe Palace, gazing up at the vast sky. After a long while, a smile finally appeared on her face as she murmured, "The Tenth Layer of the Divine Power Realm... It feels this good!"

Then, a flicker of sadness crossed her eyes. 'It's a shame I can't be by your side for these ten years. Those other girls are getting lucky! Still, when it's my turn to step into the Divine Power Realm, I'll definitely be ahead of all of you!'

Nangong Yu Yan's figure appeared beside Lin Luoxue. She joined her in gazing up at the endless sky and asked softly, "Is it worth it?"

"This was something I did willingly. He once called me his wife... and even though it was just to escape a crisis, from that moment on, I had already decided in my heart: in this life, I would either never marry, or I would marry only him!" Lin Luoxue gave a radiant smile. "So, whether it's worth it or not doesn't matter. What matters is that I feel very happy!"

"That's true. Not having to marry someone you don't like is already a kind of happiness. So, being with the person you love, even if it's just for one night of bliss, is an even greater happiness!" Nangong Yu Yan said, her gaze growing distant and hazy.

Lin Luoxue gave a light laugh, her beauty breathtaking.

...

Xu Luo strode through the air toward his second destination: the Kaiyang Sect!

He himself was a bit confused about his relationship with Lin Luoxue. Were they lovers? Something still felt... missing. Were they friends? They had already crossed that boundary.

In Lin Luoxue's own words: "I only want one night of passion..."

But Xu Luo was no heartless man. The very path he walked was that of the Heart as Proof of Dao. Anything that could affect his state of mind was a fetter on his cultivation.

Yet, he couldn't become a heartless person. If he were unfeeling and without a heart, how could he possibly use the Heart as Proof of Dao?

Therefore, no matter what he encountered, the only thing he could do was face it head-on!

After a long while, Xu Luo finally let out a long breath and sighed softly. 'Why am I overthinking this? She is my woman!'

As he spoke, his figure moved like lightning and vanished into the void.

The Kaiyang Sect was situated deep within a mountain range, where a great river surged through a valley.

The peaks were a dense cluster, the waves a furious torrent!

From the outside, it was a perilous land, a place ordinary mortals could never hope to enter.

Within the true gates of the Kaiyang Sect, however, it was a different scene entirely!

Mists drifted and swirled, the Spiritual Qi was immense, all kinds of Spirit Medicines were visible everywhere, and various Spiritual Birds and Beasts roamed freely throughout the area.

It was like an immortal's paradise in the Mortal World!

"Truly a wonderful place!" Xu Luo couldn't help but praise. This was where Qiqi had trained back in the day.

This was the patron sect of the Cangqiong Empire's Royal Family!

It was said that many past Emperors of the Cangqiong Empire were in secluded cultivation within the Kaiyang Sect, so the relationship between this sect and the Cangqiong Empire was incredibly profound.

Unfortunately, Shangguan Qing had destroyed all of this with his own hands.

He had gravely misjudged the developing situation, creating an irreconcilable conflict between the Kaiyang Sect and the Cangqiong Royal Family. Then, his disciples, such as Jiang Tianhai, committed such heinous acts that they only deepened the rift.

Shangguan Qing had remained hard-nosed for a time, not even bothering to react when Huangfu Shishi left the sect.

In the end… the massive Spirit Stone Vein discovered in Cangqiong only benefited Xu Luo. The sects got nothing and were left with a foul reputation.

By that point, even Xiang Wentian, the Sect Leader of the Dubhe Sect, had seen how things stood, but Shangguan Qing… still hadn't woken up to reality.

During the period when Xu Luo was missing, Shangguan Qing even contemplated taking down the Cangqiong Royal Family!

But Sui Yan activated the City Defense Array, barring his entry and forcing him to give up.

What happened next completely exceeded Shangguan Qing's expectations. No one could have imagined that the son of a worldly General would be connected to the stars in the sky, that he would be the reincarnation of a Star Monarch.

Even less could anyone have imagined that under the combined assault of over ten thousand powerful experts from two continents filled with countless terrifying masters, they would not only fail to capture Xu Luo but would instead cement his increasingly illustrious fame!

When the fearsome reputation of Beidou's Eighth Star traveled from the distant Sect Continent and Ancient Race Continent back to the Central Plains Star Continent, Shangguan Qing finally felt true fear.

At the same time, he found it hard to believe. Why had a young punk who was a nobody just a few years ago undergone such a massive transformation in such a short time?

The hard-headed Shangguan Qing had never truly believed those rumors!

Because rumors have a way of changing every hundred miles... and now, separated by millions of miles and two continents... who knew how twisted the stories had become.

Until…

Xu Luo arrived.

The instant Xu Luo descended above the gates of the Kaiyang Sect, more than a dozen powerful auras erupted from all corners of the sect, rocketing toward the heavens!

Xu Luo was somewhat surprised. These auras… were all incredibly powerful!

One aura, in particular, even gave Xu Luo pause, making him feel a sense of pressure!

'A Half-Saint?' Xu Luo was astonished. He hadn't imagined the Kaiyang Sect's hidden reserves were so deep that they had a Half-Saint in their midst!

It had always been the consensus that the Central Plains Star Continent was weak, a state of affairs resulting from the ancient divine wars.

As the main battlefield of those wars, the Central Plains Star Continent had become incomparably desolate in the aftermath, and its ancient inheritances had nearly all been wiped out.

Even if later generations managed to pick up the pieces, they could never restore its former glory.

Shangguan Qing slowly emerged, surrounded by a group of powerful experts. Beside him stood an old man with a white beard, white hair, and cloudy eyes—the very same one who was exuding the aura of a Half-Saint.

"Sect Master Shangguan, I trust you've been well," Xu Luo said indifferently, his gaze on Shangguan Qing.

Shangguan Qing looked at Xu Luo with a complex expression. A few years ago… he could still look down on this young man with condescension. A few years later, the tables had turned; the young man was now his equal… and perhaps even his superior.

"Young Master Xu… it has been a while," Shangguan Qing replied with a slight smile, though it looked rather bitter.

"I've come to settle the karma of the past," Xu Luo stated bluntly.

"Young friend, would you allow an old man a word?" the white-haired, cloudy-eyed elder suddenly asked, looking at Xu Luo calmly. There was no hostility in his eyes.

"Please speak, senior," Xu Luo said calmly.

A Half-Saint might exude pressure, but he was not afraid. He was in the prime of his life, his vitality surging. With Star Power as vast as an ocean and immense combat strength, he had no fear of fighting this Half-Saint.

"This old man is Huangfu Youran, the founding emperor of the Cangqiong Empire!" the old man stated calmly.

"What?" Xu Luo couldn't help but startle. He immediately recalled that his own ancestor had been sworn brothers with the founding emperor of the Cangqiong Empire. The two of them had campaigned from north to south, conquering the vast territory of Cangqiong…

In that case, this man before him was someone even he... should address as Old Ancestor!

"Alas… the Mortal World feels so distant to this old man now. Though I sometimes recall it as if it were yesterday, the years have passed, and time, like an arrow, has carried too much away."

The old man spoke as if in a daze, murmuring, "I have already heard what transpired. The Kaiyang Sect was in the wrong…"

"If not for a stroke of luck, my family and I—along with your descendants—would have already been wiped out by them," Xu Luo said flatly.

"Luck is also a form of power. The fact that you were not destroyed proves your luck still holds. Young friend, can you see it in your heart to let go of this karma, for my sake?" the old man said softly.

The crowd of Kaiyang Sect experts didn't dare to breathe. Shangguan Qing stood to the side, his face grim, but a closer look would reveal his expression was unnaturally rigid.

Xu Luo pondered for a moment before raising his head to look at the old man who was once his ancestor's sworn brother. "Is there still sentiment left in your heart?"

The old man faltered for a second, then shook his head with a bitter smile. "I am old and near death. I have seen too many empires rise and fall. There are no eternal dynasties, nor are there people who do not die. After the cycle of reincarnation, who can even say who is who?"

"I am only asking you, is there still sentiment left in your heart?" Xu Luo asked again, watching the old man quietly.

Two sharp rays of light suddenly shot out from the elder's cloudy eyes, and a violent, domineering aura exploded from his body.

In that instant, the Heaven and Earth Laws twisted, and the entire void seemed to destabilize.

He stared at Xu Luo and said in a heavy voice, "This old man is ancient. I was your ancestor's sworn brother. For me to shamelessly beg you like this, are you truly going to refuse?"

Xu Luo smiled faintly. "Old man, I am only asking if you still have sentiment in your heart… Must you keep avoiding such a simple question? The answer is either yes… or no!"

"You're trying to shatter my Dao heart! Unforgivable!" Huangfu Youran suddenly flew into a rage and thrust a hand out, striking at Xu Luo.

A gigantic golden palm instantly formed in the sky, descending upon Xu Luo's head with infinite pressure!

SHING!

The Beidou Sword left its sheath. A blinding ray of light, like a rainbow piercing the sun, sliced the golden palm in the sky clean in two!

Flecks of golden light scattered and fell like golden raindrops.

Xu Luo's voice was calm. "If you had sentiment in your heart, you would know your descendants are in trouble and need your help. They are your flesh and blood. You say no one lives forever… but your descendants are the Inheritors of your will! As long as your bloodline continues, you are not truly gone from this world!"

The white-haired elder faltered, withdrawing the hand he was about to attack with again. A dazed look appeared in his eyes.

Xu Luo shouted, "Are you going to remain stubbornly unenlightened? At this rate, how long will it take you to fall from a Saint to a Half-Saint, and from a Half-Saint back to the Divine Power Realm?"

HUM!

A vast aura suddenly erupted from the elder, pushing everyone around him away.

This aura was righteous and serene, completely different from the violent, domineering aura from before. The elder then opened his eyes, and their original cloudiness gradually gave way to clarity.

He looked at Xu Luo calmly. "Young friend, thank you. You have awakened me with the voice of the Great Dao and allowed me to achieve enlightenment. Thank you! This old man will no longer interfere with this matter's karma!"

With that, the elder glanced at Shangguan Qing and sighed softly. His figure then transformed into a ray of light and shot straight up into the endless sky.

Shangguan Qing was dumbstruck and cried out, "This… This is… daytime ascension!"

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