Firmament Sword

Xu Luo spent several more days journeying through some of the wondrous lands of the Central Plains Star Continent. He visited places rumored to be forbidden and encountered some incredibly powerful creatures.

Within the Southern Great Yan Empire lay a great lake, spanning nearly a thousand li. When the winds rose, tempestuous waves would churn and roll, making it seem just like an ocean!

The lake had a name: Yanhai.

Its name meant "the sea within the Yan Kingdom."

The local residents all said the lake possessed a spirit, for in all these years, no one had ever drowned in its waters.

It sounded unbelievable!

Water and fire are merciless. The lake was so vast you couldn't see the other side, and many fishermen and ferrymen spent their lives there, relying on its waters to support their families. Yet when the wind rose, the great lake's churning waves could often reach dozens of feet high!

Waves like that could capsize a boat with ease.

Under such conditions, for no one to have drowned here in so many years... it seemed utterly impossible.

There were many other legends about Yanhai that seemed to prove it possessed a spirit.

Decades ago, a scholar from the Yan Kingdom was on his way home after failing the imperial examinations. Despondent and heartbroken, he decided in a moment of despair to throw himself into the lake and end his life.

There were quite a few other people on the boat with the scholar. At the time, the wind was high and the waves were rough, tossing the vessel about so violently that people could barely keep their footing. And so, they could only watch helplessly as the scholar leaped into the lake. It all happened so suddenly that no one had time to react, and they could only lament his fate.

Just as everyone on board thought the scholar was surely done for, another great wave crashed against the boat, tossing the man who had just leaped into the lake right back onto the deck.

Even more surprisingly, the scholar was perfectly conscious. Soaking wet like a drowned rat, he was thrown back onto the boat, where he immediately fell to his knees. He began kowtowing toward the great lake, his face a mask of shame as tears streamed down his cheeks.

When the others asked him what had happened, the scholar refused to say a word.

The truth of the incident wasn't revealed until this very year.

The scholar who had tried to drown himself all those years ago had since become a rising political star in the Great Yan Empire. He was a brilliant strategist, and the policies he proposed were full of insight.

His advocacy for friendly diplomatic relations with Cangqiong, in particular, had allowed the Great Yan Empire to successfully avoid the crisis of annihilation!

And while Mo Yun had played a part in this, it was also directly related to the wisdom of that once-suicidal scholar.

The reason the story of what happened on the lake was finally revealed was also related to Xu Luo. When he had previously caused a stir in heaven and earth, all sorts of colorful phenomena had filled the sky.

This astonishing scene was so clear that even ordinary people saw it. The once-suicidal scholar, now a high-ranking minister in the court of the Great Yan Empire, was overcome with emotion and finally told the story of his experience at the great lake.

"I was heartbroken back then. On a sudden impulse, the thought of suicide came to me... Don't laugh. Weren't we all young once?"

The old man, now in his sixties and holding immense power in the court, was quite amiable. Perhaps that long-ago experience had allowed him to let go of many things.

"The wind was high and the waves were rough. My mind was a blank as I leaped from the boat. In that instant... I immediately regretted it."

The old man's wise eyes were now filled with reminiscence.

"But it was too late for regrets. I just closed my eyes, not even bothering to struggle, because struggling would only have made my death more painful..."

"But who would have expected it? The moment I hit the water, it was as if someone had deliberately parted it around me! That's right... the space I occupied had no water in it at all!"

"Just as I was wondering what was happening, a voice rang in my ears. I've never forgotten it, even to this day. It was a woman's voice, cold and sharp, and it was scolding me..."

"She said I couldn't handle a single setback and had no ambition. That I had talent and should have been serving my country, so to die like this was an act of disloyalty. She said my friends would grieve my death, but they would also feel it was a worthless end and would never approve of my choice—an act of injustice. And by taking my own life, what of the parents who gave me life? That was an act of unfilial piety..."

"I asked her then, 'Are you a god?' But she ignored me and just said, 'Get back on the boat and go take the examinations again...'"

The group of officials listening to the old minister's tale all chuckled, but most fell into deep thought. For the great lake to possess a spirit was truly a blessing for the Great Yan!

Otherwise, the Great Yan Empire would have lost a man skilled in both civil and military arts.

The story spread quickly, and Xu Luo heard it as well. As a result, he grew very interested in the great lake known as Yanhai.

By the time Xu Luo reached the shores of Yanhai, dusk was falling. He looked out upon an endless expanse of emerald waves under a gentle, warm breeze. A crimson sun hung on the horizon, its lower half already touching the lake's surface.

'The legendary lake with a spirit... So this is the place?'

A divine light shone in Xu Luo's eyes as he gazed at the great lake, as if trying to peer into its very depths.

"Eighth Star Monarch, I trust you have been well." A woman's voice, cold yet not unfeeling, suddenly rang out.

"You are... the lake?" Xu Luo was greatly intrigued. He had seen no shortage of strange things over the years, but a sentient great lake truly surprised him.

A light chuckle echoed. Then, out in the center of the great lake, the air began to distort. Gradually, a humanoid figure made of flowing water appeared, taking the form of a woman who began to walk gracefully toward Xu Luo.

On the great lake at dusk, many fishing boats were returning to shore, but not a single person on them could see the woman on the water.

'It really is a lake spirit!' Xu Luo thought, his heart stirring as he watched the woman made of water.

"What brings the Eighth Star Monarch here?" the woman asked, walking closer to Xu Luo with a radiant smile.

"I am traveling to perfect my state of mind," Xu Luo replied.

"Indeed. The path Lord Star Monarch walks is naturally different from that of ordinary people. To experience the cycles of life and temper your heart in the mortal world... not every being has such courage," the woman said.

"And what about you? Do you have any wishes?" Xu Luo asked, looking at the woman.

The woman smiled. "I have survived several great worldly calamities by sheer luck. My only wish is to one day break free from the shackles of this land and become an ocean that will never run dry!"

"That's a fine wish!" Xu Luo exclaimed in admiration.

Afterward, Xu Luo sat by the shore and spoke with the woman for a long time, talking and laughing until the sky was completely dark.

To any onlookers, he was just a young man sitting by the shore in a daze. At times a smile would grace his lips, and at others his brow would furrow, as if he were deep in thought.

No one could have imagined that this young man was a true legend of his time, and that he was in the middle of a pleasant conversation with the being they revered as the Lake God.

In the end, the Yanhai Spirit gave Xu Luo a pearl. It was a Water-Repelling Pearl, but not an ordinary one. It was a true Treasure Pearl capable of repelling all the waters of the world!

"Be it the waters of the Yellow Springs or the Boundary River, or even the waters of a Divine Domain—all manner of grim and stagnant waters must retreat before this pearl!"

"I myself am a spirit of water, so this pearl is of little use to me. I give it to you today in the hope that it might be of help to you one day!"

Xu Luo was very grateful. He knew this was a true treasure; even Spirit-Connected Magical Artifacts paled in comparison.

Xu Luo then made a promise to the Yanhai Spirit. "If the day comes when I can cleave the heavens asunder, I will surely help you become an ocean!"

With that, Xu Luo took his leave.

As he continued his travels, Xu Luo slew a Fire Evil Dragon in a small southern kingdom.

Although its bloodline wasn't as pure as that of an Ancient Divine Dragon, it was a rare member of the Dragon Race for this era. It had twin wings upon its back that, when spread, could blot out the sun for thousands of miles.

It hid in the magma deep within the small kingdom's Earth Core, calling itself the Fire Dragon God and demanding the sacrifice of one thousand young maidens each year.

If the number was not met, it would emerge to wreak havoc, slaughtering everything in its path...

The small kingdom dared not resist the evil dragon's tyranny, until news of its deeds happened to reach Xu Luo's ears.

After a great battle, the evil dragon, whose power had already reached the level of a Half-Step Saint, was slain by Xu Luo!

Although he sustained some injuries, they were not serious. From the body of the Fire Evil Dragon, Xu Luo obtained a Fire-Avoiding Pearl, which could, likewise, ward off all the fires of the world!

These were wondrous items born from the very essence of heaven and earth, and their intrinsic value far surpassed that of their hosts.

For example, Yanhai, and this evil dragon.

In the Eastern Sea, Xu Luo also encountered a terrifying Large Lobster. The two fought a great battle that blotted out the sun and moon. If not for their mutual apprehension and fear of destroying this world, their battle likely would have caused a great calamity.

In the end, they fought to a draw, with neither able to overcome the other.

In terms of cultivation realm, this Large Lobster had already reached the Saint Realm!

But it didn't have many methods of attack, and it struggled to land a blow on Xu Luo, who possessed the Shaking Light Step.

Xu Luo, on the other hand, could land hits on the Saint Realm Large Lobster, but he simply couldn't penetrate its incredibly hard shell!

So, in the end, they could only call a truce.

At the same time, Xu Luo came to a full realization: this world was filled with countless powerful beings. It wasn't that the Central Plains Star Continent lacked hidden depths, but that many of the truly powerful beings simply couldn't be bothered to appear before mortals!

In the northern Land of Extreme Cold of the Da Han Empire, Xu Luo had also sensed a terrifying Divine Thought. Even at his realm, he could barely withstand it and felt a sudden urge to kneel in worship.

After barely suppressing the urge, Xu Luo quickly put distance between himself and that place.

He didn't know what that creature was, nor how powerful it might be. All Xu Luo knew was that if that entity had truly wanted to harm him, he would not have been able to escape with his life!

He had no confidence in his survival whatsoever!

Xu Luo decided that once his strength reached the Saint Realm, he would return to see for himself just what kind of powerful being was hidden in the Land of Extreme Cold.

「Half a year later.」

Xu Luo concluded his travels across the Central Plains Star Continent and returned to the Cangqiong Imperial Capital.

It was a warm and happy reunion.

The girls were quite displeased. He had promised he would only be gone for a few days, but he ended up being away for half a year.

Then, Xu Luo took out the various gifts he had brought back for them: all sorts of gemstones from the depths of the sea, crystal clear and sparkling with light; the most beautiful coral from the ocean, so gorgeous one couldn't bear to look away...

There were also all kinds of rare flowers and plants, as well as various strange and wonderful trinkets that the girls loved.

After finally placating his disgruntled fiancées, Xu Luo wiped a cold sweat from his brow and stepped out of the room.

At that moment, Xu Luo suddenly sensed something. He raised his head and looked toward the sky.

The sky was clear and bright, a pristine, washed-out blue. An ordinary person would not have noticed anything unusual.

But in Xu Luo's eyes, it was a completely different scene...

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