Firmament Sword

The old man took another deep look at the bottomless crater at his feet, his expression ugly. He grumbled, "Damnable thief! You dog!"

As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve. A blast of power shot out, tearing open the bottomless crater and instantly transforming it into a valley that stretched for dozens of miles!

It was completely unrecognizable. Even if Xu Luo and Monkey were to return now, they likely wouldn't be able to recognize it.

CROAK!

Then, a gurgling, frog-like croak emanated from the old man's throat.

Letting out a satisfied breath, he transformed into a streak of golden light, pierced through the void, and vanished.

...

...

A great river lay before Xu Luo and his companions. It was Wanzhang wide and seemingly bottomless. The current was incredibly swift, its waters churning in turbulent, surging waves!

"This river is called the Forbidden Spirit River. To cross it, you have to take a boat," Monkey said, pointing at the great river before them as he explained to Xu Luo.

"The Forbidden Spirit River?" Xu Luo raised an eyebrow. "I was wondering why something felt off. So that's the strange thing about this river?"

Monkey said, "There are plenty of strange places in the Divine Domain. For example, there's a place called Flame Mountain. It's been burning fiercely since the Ancient Era and has never once been extinguished. It never rains there, either. Then there's another place, the Valley of Extinct Beasts. It looks like an ordinary valley, and humans can enter it completely unharmed—even ordinary people with no cultivation at all. But if any beast-type creature sets foot inside, they will die without a doubt!"

"Heavens... a place that cruel exists? That's just too unfair!" Master Mao exclaimed from the side. "If one of us accidentally wandered in, wouldn't we be in for some terrible luck?"

Monkey nodded. "A long time ago, a powerful avian expert refused to believe it. It was a Fire Crane whose cultivation had reached the Quasi-Emperor Level, making it a hegemon in its own right. To disprove the rumor, it personally went to the Valley of Extinct Beasts..."

"It was actually quite cautious, first transforming into a human to walk in. But to its surprise, it coughed up a mouthful of blood with every step. After taking less than three steps, it had spat up three mouthfuls of blood and turned, wanting to escape..."

"Three steps and three mouthfuls of blood..." Even Xu Luo was shocked.

Master Mao and Xiaojin stared at Monkey in disbelief. Master Mao said, "It's only three steps. For a powerful expert, getting out would take but a single thought."

Monkey sneered, "It seems you aren't convinced either. That's fine. You can give it a try when you get the chance."

Master Mao gave a hollow chuckle and asked, "So what happened to the Fire Crane?"

Monkey said, "That Fire Crane actually only managed two and a half steps! It spat up three mouthfuls of blood, and the instant it turned to flee, its body exploded without any warning!"

HISS!

Xu Luo, Master Mao, and Xiaojin all couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. They never imagined the outcome would be so gruesome.

In a place where ordinary people were fine, a powerful Quasi-Emperor Level avian had walked less than three steps, spat up three mouthfuls of blood, and exploded before it could even try to escape. 'What a truly miserable end.'

"After that, the Valley of Extinct Beasts became infamous," Monkey said with a sigh. "No beast-type creature has dared to set foot there ever since."

"Damn!" Master Mao rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Isn't that just too unfair?"

Monkey said, "You can't really call it unfair. The Divine Domain has too many places like this. For instance, there's a place called the Valley of Desolation..."

"..." Xu Luo was left speechless.

Monkey chuckled. "That place is the exact opposite of the Valley of Extinct Beasts. Any beast-type creature can enter without a problem. In fact, the Spiritual Qi inside is so abundant it's a perfect place for cultivation. But if a human enters—even a mighty Emperor-level expert—they will also suffer a sudden and violent death!"

"Tsk, tsk... now that place sounds nice!" Master Mao remarked from the side, shooting Xu Luo a malicious glance.

Xu Luo couldn't be bothered to respond to it. He sighed. "The world is vast and full of strange things. Does that mean many unknowing creatures also meet their doom at this Forbidden Spirit River?"

"You're a sharp one," Monkey said approvingly. "This river... it devours countless lives every year. Anyone unaware of its nature who tries to fly over it will inevitably fall into the water. On top of that, the river itself is home to a host of terrifying creatures. Any person or beast that falls in almost never makes it out alive."

The corner of Xu Luo's mouth twitched. "Then how are we supposed to cross?"

Monkey gave a mysterious smile and said, "We just need to find a ferryman!"

Master Mao strained his eyes, gazing into the distance. He could only see the surging, churning waves. "Where are you going to find a ferryman out here?" he couldn't help but ask.

Monkey put his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle.

In the far distance, the water's surface suddenly began to churn violently. A column of water shot toward the sky, and then, a massive figure slowly emerged, rising before the group like a great wall and completely blocking their view.

"What is that?" Master Mao couldn't help but take two steps back, his face a mask of terror as he watched the creature swim slowly toward them.

"A River Whale," Monkey said with a smile. "A respectable and powerful water-type expert!"

By now, the massive figure had slowly swum to the bank. The portion of its body above the water was hundreds of yards long and dozens of yards high. This was clearly not its full size; the part hidden beneath the water had to be even larger.

Half of the River Whale's enormous eyes were visible above the water. It glanced at Monkey, then sized up Xu Luo for a moment before blinking slowly. It didn't speak, but everyone understood its intent.

Xu Luo cupped his fist toward the River Whale. "Thank you, Senior, for carrying us across the river!"

"There is no need for thanks. Ferrying a trillion beings across the river is my Path," a heavy, ancient voice emanated from the River Whale.

Xu Luo's eyebrow twitched slightly, and he seemed lost in thought.

Then, Xu Luo and Monkey, with Master Mao and Xiaojin in tow, jumped onto the River Whale's impossibly broad back. The whale turned slowly and began swimming toward the opposite bank.

Monkey looked at Xu Luo and said, "This is the Path that Lord River Whale cultivates. Once it has ferried a trillion beings across the river, it will complete its Path!"

"I see." Xu Luo was filled with admiration. 'Ferrying a trillion beings... It sounds simple, but how many years would that actually take?'

'And among a trillion beings, there are bound to be some with dark intentions who might get ideas about the River Whale.'

'The kind can never truly fathom the minds of the wicked.'

"Lord River Whale has carried countless beings, including its fair share of dark and evil individuals. It's just that no one dares to make a move against it." Monkey, seeming to have read Xu Luo's mind, explained, "That's because Lord River Whale has been an Emperor-level expert since the Ancient Era!"

Xu Luo was utterly shocked. 'An Emperor-level expert since the Ancient Era?'

'In the human Cultivator system, King-level is equivalent to a Saint. That means Emperor-level... must be the Great Saint Realm!'

'A Great Saint from the Ancient Era who has survived to this day... what realm must it be in now?'

"Besides, Lord River Whale has built up immense goodwill over the ages," Monkey said with a solemn expression. "Even if some fool who didn't know what's good for them wanted to cause trouble, they'd have to consider the consequences of incurring public wrath. Forget everyone else—the Emperor Venerable of the Vast Mountains himself once publicly declared that he would have an endless score to settle with anyone who dared to touch Lord River Whale!"

"I see..." Xu Luo had always been curious about this Emperor Venerable, but he knew that getting a chance to meet him would be incredibly difficult.

For the River Whale, crossing the Wanzhang-wide Forbidden Spirit River took only a few moments.

After reaching the opposite bank, Xu Luo and the others jumped off the River Whale's back, cupping their fists in a salute to express their thanks.

The River Whale blinked, its massive body slowly sinking into the water. At the exact moment it submerged completely, it sent a Divine Thought directly into Xu Luo's Sea of Spiritual Consciousness.

"Young human, I observe that you bear the mark of a Star Monarch and wield Star Power. Your destiny is extraordinary. Further ahead lies the Supreme Great Sect, Celestial Brilliance. If you go there, you must be extremely careful. Should they offer to take you as a disciple, you must refuse. Otherwise, it will bring you great misfortune."

Just that one sentence, transmitted so suddenly into Xu Luo's mind. Then, no matter how Xu Luo tried to inquire further, the River Whale gave no other response.

Seeing the strange expression on Xu Luo's face, Monkey couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"

"Ah... it's nothing." Xu Luo shook his head, but he couldn't help but start to ponder.

'Why would the River Whale suddenly send me a message like that, out of the blue? What's more, it could tell I was the reincarnation of a Star Monarch at a single glance... That's what really surprises me.'

'After reaching the Saint Realm, I can freely convert my power into Holy Power. When I fight, my star-aspected aura doesn't leak out anymore. Even a Great Saint shouldn't be able to see through me so easily.'

'But to think that before this River Whale, which has lived for countless ages, I was like an open book, seen through completely.'

'It's a good thing this River Whale has no ill intent toward me. Otherwise...'

Xu Luo didn't dare to let his thoughts stray further. His understanding of the Divine Domain had deepened once again.

'Most importantly, why did the River Whale warn me against joining Celestial Brilliance?'

'Logically, a Supreme Great Sect like that would have incredibly strict standards for recruiting disciples. Accepting only geniuses would be just the most basic requirement.'

'An ordinary person wouldn't even be able to find the gate.'

'I haven't really thought about this before. I just want to get the Soul Scripture. But if the Supreme Great Sect, Celestial Brilliance, really wanted to take me as a disciple, I'm not so sure I would refuse!'

'A Supreme Great Sect like that has a foundation so deep it's unimaginable. The so-called ancient sects of the Lower Realm could never compare.'

'But the River Whale brought it up with such gravity and even warned me. Clearly, there's something I don't know.'

With this in mind, Xu Luo looked at Monkey and asked, "This Supreme Great Sect, Celestial Brilliance... what kind of disciples do they recruit?"

"The disciples of Celestial Brilliance?" Monkey frowned slightly. "Every single one of their disciples is a genius among geniuses, a prodigy among prodigies. Even a random Outer Sect Disciple, just by walking through the world, carries the air of invincibility!"

"That amazing?" Master Mao muttered skeptically from the side. "How can there possibly be so many geniuses!"

"The beings in the Divine Domain number far more than a trillion."

Monkey shot Master Mao a disdainful look and said, "Across the entirety of Xi Hezhou, Celestial Brilliance is the undisputed titan! The number of geniuses hoping to join is simply countless! With a reputation like that, what need do they have to go out and recruit disciples? They just open their gates and take their pick!"

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