Firmament Sword

"Damn it!" the Monkey snarled.

"That guy is a petty one. Remember how we snatched his attack Talismans?" Xu Luo said with a laugh. "They want to use this incident to get on the good side of the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden's Grand Elder and curry some favor. At the same time, they don't want us to get such a massive advantage... That's why there's no way our transaction could have been kept secret."

The Monkey clicked his tongue and muttered, 'Simply despicable! Beasts are truly lacking when it comes to these kinds of schemes!'

"Oh, please. Spiritual Birds and Beasts... not a single one of those races is easy to deal with," Xu Luo said lightly, rolling his eyes.

He wasn't too worried, though. The other party had specified a bank in Baihua City, but it was up to Xu Luo and the Monkey to decide when to go and collect.

Fifty million Top-level Immortal Spirit Stones was indeed a massive fortune, but for Xu Luo and the Monkey, it wasn't an absolute necessity right now.

As for joining the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden, that was a must. It was the only way to get close to the Soul Scripture!

The more he learned about Celestial Brilliance, the more Xu Luo realized how naive his original idea of storming the sect and snatching the Soul Scripture truly was.

Forget storming Celestial Brilliance; a random group of their Inner Sect Disciples could probably surround and kill him on the spot!

The reserves of a Supreme Great Sect were not to be trifled with.

In fact, to deal with someone as isolated and outmatched as Xu Luo, they wouldn't even need to tap into those reserves.

Then, just as Xu Luo and the Monkey were preparing to leave, the back door of their private room... was knocked on once more.

Xu Luo and the Monkey exchanged a look. The Monkey then stepped forward and opened the door.

A splash of red... drifted inside.

Following behind was a young matron, veiled, but with a graceful figure and a noble air.

"Wow, you two are wrapped up so tightly! Are you afraid of being recognized?" The girl, Xie Yurou, a vision of fiery red, looked at Xu Luo and the Monkey with an innocent expression. Then, making herself right at home, she sat down.

The young matron, Xie Yudie, gathered her skirts and curtsied slightly. She bowed to Xu Luo and the Monkey, her voice soft. "My younger sister can be impolite. I hope you will both forgive her."

Xu Luo and the Monkey returned the courtesy. Then Xu Luo asked, "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit, Madam?"

"It is presumptuous of me to visit so abruptly," she began, "but I am truly fond of the Nether Flower Seed. I was wondering if you two gentlemen... might have another? I would like to purchase one!"

The young matron, Xie Yudie, spoke in a gentle voice, quickly adding, "Please, rest assured, gentlemen. I genuinely love flowers and plants; I have no desire to profit from this. I can make two guarantees. First, I will never speak of this matter, nor will I use the seed to make a profit. Second, while I cannot match the terms offered by Celestial Brilliance, I can offer a similar price!"

After speaking, Xie Yudie quietly watched Xu Luo and the Monkey.

'This woman seems to be telling the truth,' the Monkey transmitted to Xu Luo. 'Why not sell her one? We have plenty of them anyway.'

Xu Luo considered this for a moment before asking, "Madam, what makes you so certain we have another? And how do you know we aren't simply acting on behalf of someone else?"

Xie Yudie smiled radiantly. "It would be best if you do, of course. If not, I can only lament that I am not fated to have a Netherworld Flower. In that case... I would have to personally visit Celestial Brilliance in the future to request one. But ultimately, that's not as satisfying as cultivating one myself."

"Besides, whether you are acting for others is not important. As I see it, you two are the ones who can make the decision."

Xie Yurou sat to one side, her lively eyes blinking as she watched Xu Luo and the Monkey with curiosity. Though she remained silent, she exuded a playful aura.

Xu Luo fell silent for a moment. "Madam, you must be aware that we've obtained a spot to enter the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden and become a Direct Disciple of its Grand Elder, Yuwen Ji. Logically speaking, even if we did have another Nether Flower Seed, it seems... we shouldn't be offering it for sale."

"I believe that in this world, it is always better to have more friends," Xie Yudie's voice was soft and pleasant. Through her veil, she gazed at Xu Luo, who was completely cloaked in black. "I'm sure you are also well aware, sir, that collecting those fifty million Top-level Immortal Spirit Stones and then shaking off everyone watching you will be no easy task."

Xu Luo looked up, raising an eyebrow slightly as he stared at Xie Yudie.

Xie Yudie said softly, "However, I can help you accomplish this and guarantee your safety. To show my sincerity, I can help you first, and we can discuss the transaction afterward."

Xu Luo glanced at the Monkey, who nodded.

Then, Xu Luo said with a smile, "Then... a pleasure to work with you!"

Xie Yudie smiled radiantly and took her leave.

The Monkey said, "That little girl in red has eyes that can see through illusions. She almost saw through us!"

Xu Luo nodded. "I felt it too. It's a good thing her cultivation realm is a little lacking. Otherwise, there's a nine-in-ten chance she would have seen our true identities!"

"'The outside world is too dangerous!' the Monkey exclaimed. 'But I can tell that little girl doesn't mean any harm.'"

Once outside, Xie Yurou sent a mental message to her sister, "Those two... their disguise technique is brilliant. I can't see through them!"

"What? Even you can't see through them?" Xie Yudie sounded surprised. She had great confidence in her sister's abilities and was shocked that even she had failed to see through their disguises.

"Yep, and I think they noticed me trying!" Xie Yurou said, sticking her tongue out playfully.

Xie Yudie shook her head with a wry smile. "Don't be so reckless next time. They only let it slide because you're just a young girl and they could tell you meant no harm."

Xie Yurou nodded. "I know!"

Afterward, Xu Luo and the Monkey left through the back door of the Baihua Auction House and boarded an all-black carriage. The carriage sped away, pulled into an inn, and did not reemerge.

Instantly, several groups of people began to stand guard around the inn, simultaneously relaying the news.

"'Target has entered an inn on Peony Street in Baihua City, named Peony Pavilion...'"

"'Target has entered Peony Pavilion!'"

"'Target went inside and has not come out!'"

In a flash, many people received this news. An unknown number of eyes were now secretly fixed on the location.

Inside the inn, Xie Yudie appeared in Xu Luo's room at some point. Beside her stood an old woman, well past seventy. The crone wasn't ugly, but she had a fierce look about her. She stood by Xie Yudie's side, watching Xu Luo warily.

"'The news of your presence here is likely known to many by now, sir,' Xie Yudie said softly, her red lips parting. 'But you need not worry. No one will disturb you before you collect those fifty million Immortal Spirit Stones.'"

"'Then... I am in your debt, Madam!' Xu Luo said sincerely, clasping his fist in a salute to Xie Yudie."

"'Very well. In that case, please stay here for a few days, sir. In ten days, on the day you go to the Celestial Brilliance Bank to make your withdrawal, I will make the necessary arrangements to guarantee you have no worries.' After saying this, Xie Yudie and the old woman took their leave."

The Monkey then entered Xu Luo's room. "Can that woman be trusted?"

Xu Luo thought for a moment. "She shouldn't have any reason to harm me. But nothing is ever certain. We must be careful."

The Monkey gritted his teeth. "If worst comes to worst... we'll just forget about those fifty million Top-level Immortal Spirit Stones! I think this place is too dangerous!"

"'Fortune favors the bold,' Xu Luo said lightly, his eyes glinting. 'Besides... we can use this as an opportunity to get a clear picture of the power dynamics in Xi Hezhou. Some of these powers... may not be so fond of Celestial Brilliance.'"

The Monkey nodded. "Then I'll go take care of my own business first. After you get into Celestial Brilliance, don't contact me for a while. Prioritize your own safety above all else! I hope you get that thing soon and make Celestial Brilliance take a huge tumble, hahaha."

Xu Luo smiled and nodded lightly. "Then... Brother Hui, take care!"

"'You take care too!' The Monkey walked over, gave Xu Luo a hug, and then turned to leave."

This inn was one of Piaomiao Palace's properties in Baihua City, a fact known to very few. Even many of Piaomiao Palace's own upper echelons were unaware of its existence.

Beneath the inn lay a secret tunnel, allowing for discreet passage.

But the tunnel had never been used. This time, Xie Yudie had decisively chosen to use it.

On the way back, Xu Luo and the Monkey had already agreed: the Monkey would leave first. Between the two of them, only one could enter Celestial Brilliance. The fact that he was a monkey, combined with the issue of his uncle... was too sensitive.

Thus, having Xu Luo join Celestial Brilliance was the ideal choice.

The Monkey decided to first search for his uncle's whereabouts. He already possessed some intelligence on the matter. While not detailed, it gave him a clear direction to follow.

The Monkey was therefore eager to go find his uncle. He took the Chaos Heaven Armor and a portion of the treasures from the Saint Emperor's Treasure Vault with him.

Of course, the Monkey would never use the Chaos Heaven Armor unless he had no other choice.

Xu Luo knew in his heart that the Monkey was incredibly loyal. By doing this, he was essentially telling Xu Luo that if the truth about the Saint Emperor's Treasure Vault ever came out, all suspicion... would fall on him alone.

For this, Xu Luo could only commit this act of loyalty to memory.

The Monkey left. Xu Luo secretly brought back Xiaojin and Master Mao, then settled into the inn to wait.

He cultivated quietly each day, never leaving his room, and paid no mind to the events of the outside world.

Outside, however, the auction had caused a tremendous uproar.

People chattered endlessly. It seemed almost everyone... was talking about the auction.

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