Firmament Sword

"AARGH!"

The young man whose wrist had been grabbed suddenly let out a bloodcurdling scream, a sound that sent a chill to the bone.

His remaining, uninjured wrist had been crushed to pieces by the fat old man!

It was an even more thorough job than what Xu Luo had just done!

Huyan Qingshan was furious and attacked the fat old man directly.

His face was murderous, and his strike was incredibly heavy—enough to shatter a mountaintop.

The fat old man's brow furrowed. His round body moved with unbelievable agility. He first kicked the young man with the crushed wrist out of the private room, then turned to meet Huyan Qingshan's attack.

A muffled THUD echoed through the air.

Huyan Qingshan's body was instantly knocked back seven or eight steps, forcing him right out of the private room.

The fat old man's face still wore a pleading smile. "My good sirs... let's not cause a scene here, shall we?"

The remaining people stared at each other, unable to believe what they had just witnessed. They were all utterly shocked.

It wasn't their first time at the Ancient Dao Pavilion. If they didn't know everything about the place like the back of their hands, they were close enough.

This fat old Shopkeeper Zhao, so the story went, was one of the earliest Outer Disciples—the kind who couldn't even get into the Inner Sect. Because he was good at business, he had been given the position of Chief Shopkeeper of the Ancient Dao Pavilion.

Whenever these young masters and noble ladies came to the Ancient Dao Pavilion, Shopkeeper Zhao would always greet them with a fawning smile and maintain a humble attitude.

Who could have imagined that this fat old man, whom no one ever took seriously, possessed such terrifying strength?

'We've definitely messed with the wrong person today...' This thought surfaced in the minds of those who had come with Huyan Qingshan. Under the fat old man's gaze, they lowered their heads and filed out one by one.

Huyan Qingshan's utterly furious voice came from outside. "Luo Tian... You've got guts. If you're so brave, then stay cooped up in the Ancient Dao Pavilion and never come out!"

"Shopkeeper Zhao... You're something else, too. I misjudged you. I, Huyan Qingshan, will remember this!"

"Why would you want to remember a decrepit old fossil like me? If you're going to remember someone, remember some pretty ladies. This old man is getting on in years; I can't handle all this excitement." As Shopkeeper Zhao spoke, his round, ruddy face still held a faint smile, as if he didn't realize he was being threatened.

Then, Shopkeeper Zhao added, "But if you absolutely insist on remembering this stinky old man, then this humble one suggests that Young Master Huyan go home and ask your elders before you make any decisions."

"I most certainly will!" Huyan Qingshan's face was ashen. With a flick of his sleeve, he stormed off in a rage.

Shopkeeper Zhao shook his head and sighed helplessly. Then, his expression turned serious as he bowed deeply to Xu Luo. "Medicine Garden Disciple Zhao Hongzhang has seen Lord Medicine King!"

"Ah!" This sudden turn of events stunned Xu Luo for a moment. He quickly stood up and cupped his fists in a salute. "Senior, you are also a Medicine Garden Disciple?"

"The word 'Senior'... this humble one is truly unworthy. I've just lived a few more years than you. If the Medicine King doesn't mind, you can just call me Old Zhao." The fat old man, Zhao Hongzhang, looked at Xu Luo with a serious expression. "This humble one is indeed from the Medicine Garden. I don't have many skills, just trying to make a living here. I hope the Medicine King will look after me in the future!"

"Oh, so you're actually a disciple from the Medicine Garden! I never knew!" Xie Yurou flashed a smile, then cautiously glanced at Xu Luo's expression.

She knew in her heart that Luo Tian must have figured out her intentions for the day. 'He's probably furious with me right now.' She didn't dare poke the bear at a time like this.

"Miss Xie, your actions today were rash." Zhao Hongzhang looked at Xie Yurou, his smile gone, and said sternly, "What you did has caused a lot of trouble for the Medicine King."

"I know..." Xie Yurou lowered her head, fiddling with the corner of her clothes. She then turned towards Xu Luo, still looking down, and mumbled, "I'm sorry..."

"Is saying sorry going to help now? I've already chased them off for you. So, tell me, what's their background?" Xu Luo pursed his lips, sat back down, and casually took a sip from his wine cup.

A look of astonishment appeared on Zhao Hongzhang's round, red face. He probably hadn't expected the New Medicine King to be so composed. A flash of approval glinted in his eyes.

Afterward, Zhao Hongzhang ordered someone to clean up the room, clear the current table of food and wine, and bring in a new spread.

"If the Medicine King wouldn't mind, how about this humble one hosts this meal and joins you for a few drinks?" Zhao Hongzhang's round, red face once again broke into an amiable smile.

"I'd be delighted," Xu Luo nodded.

Then, Xu Luo glanced at Xie Yurou. She quickly stood up and invited Zhao Hongzhang to take a seat.

By this point, if she still couldn't tell that the Chief Shopkeeper of the Ancient Dao Pavilion was no simple character, she would have to be a complete fool.

"Regarding this Young Master Huyan... allow me to explain."

Zhao Hongzhang had just sat down when he began. "The structure of Celestial Brilliance is very complex. It is a Supreme Great Sect with a million-year heritage, and its foundations run deeper than any ordinary person can imagine. The term of office for each Sect Leader and Elder is roughly five to six thousand years..."

"Of course, some terms last for ten or twenty thousand years, but such cases are rare in the history of Celestial Brilliance."

"To become a Celestial Brilliance Elder, one's strength must be at least in the Venerable Realm, and Venerables have very long lifespans."

"As everyone knows, it's not difficult for someone in the Saint Realm to live for over a hundred thousand years. With Holy Medicine, they can even live for several hundred thousand years. Thus, reaching the Saint Realm is almost like becoming a god in the eyes of ordinary people!"

"The Great Saint Realm is even more incredible. They can live for five or six hundred thousand years, or even up to a million years!"

"Once you reach the Venerable Realm... the lifespan is even more astonishing. Barring any accidents, living for two or three million years in the Venerable Realm... is not a problem."

"This presents a problem. The longest term for any Sect Leader or Elder in Celestial Brilliance is only ten or twenty thousand years. So after they step down... what happens to these people?"

Zhao Hongzhang paused, looked at Xu Luo, and smiled. "After stepping down, they become the old guard of Celestial Brilliance! Some of the even more powerful ones will go to a certain place. Perhaps you've heard of it. That place... is terrifying. People without great wisdom and courage dare not enter."

"The Forbidden Zone," Xie Yurou muttered softly from the side.

Zhao Hongzhang nodded and sighed. "Correct, the Forbidden Zone! Once you become a Venerable and possess a near-endless lifespan, the only things left to pursue... are mystery and the unknown."

"Heh, when a person's lifespan extends to a certain point, life and death... are no longer the most important issues."

"Unless... it's eternal life!"

Zhao Hongzhang sighed again, then continued, "Although most Venerables eventually go to that place, many still choose to stay behind. They might remain in Celestial Brilliance and become part of the old guard, or they might leave Celestial Brilliance, go elsewhere, and establish their own sects, becoming Sect Leaders in their own right..."

"Therefore, after accumulating over countless years, the number of these old-timers in Celestial Brilliance is quite staggering. And so... they've formed powerful factions."

"These factions would never normally interfere with the daily operations of Celestial Brilliance, nor would they openly oppose the Sect Leader and the Elder Council. But their power... is immense!"

"Even the Sect Leader and the Elder Council won't easily provoke them, nor will they carelessly touch upon their interests."

"The descendants of these people are also Heavenly Brilliance Disciples, but they are different from those who join Celestial Brilliance... and become Direct Disciples. Their origins... are very pure."

"It's a matter of bloodline."

Zhao Hongzhang looked at Xu Luo. "Lord Medicine King should understand what I mean, right?"

Xu Luo nodded. 'It's just like the conflict between the old aristocracy and the newly risen nobility in a Secular Dynasty,' he thought. 'The old nobles pride themselves on their pure bloodlines, while the new nobles are always trying to find ways to make their own bloodlines pure.'

"This Huyan Qingshan is one such pure-blooded Celestial Brilliance Disciple," Zhao Hongzhang emphasized. "A scion of the sect, not a mere disciple!"

"He is one of the Celestial Brilliance People, but he is not anyone's disciple. Although he won't compete for the position of Sect Leader, on some level, he is actually considered superior to those who are qualified to compete for it."

"Therefore... these people have always been extremely arrogant and look down on everyone. Especially when they see someone like the Medicine King, who has only recently joined the sect, they are even more so..."

Zhao Hongzhang trailed off, then looked up at Xu Luo. "However, the Medicine King need not worry. It's obvious they were the ones picking a fight today. Although this humble one doesn't have deep roots in Celestial Brilliance, I'm not someone just anyone can step on! In this world, nothing is greater than reason! I don't believe a Heritage Clan like theirs would raise a huge fuss over a matter involving the younger generation."

"My Lord can stay here. When the time for the annual competition comes, you can just teleport over directly. Given their pride, I imagine they won't set foot in the Ancient Dao Pavilion again so easily."

The meaning behind Zhao Hongzhang's words was clear: he did not approve of Xu Luo clashing with a Heritage Clan. In other words—he didn't have faith in Xu Luo's chances!

First, Xu Luo was a young man. Although he had made a great name for himself in Celestial Brilliance in a very short time, in the eyes of a Heritage Clan, such a person, while rare, was by no means unheard of!

At the very least, every Heritage Clan had produced such a stunningly brilliant genius, and often more than one!

Second, Xu Luo's cultivation was limited. He hadn't even reached the Great Saint Realm. What could he possibly use to contend with them?

When Huyan Qingshan and his group came to the Ancient Dao Pavilion today, they hadn't brought some of their servants with them. Otherwise, given Huyan Qingshan's family background, even the servants by his side would be in the Great Saint Realm!

You're a Martial Artist in the Saint Realm; what do you have to fight them with? This was why Zhao Hongzhang had complained that Xie Yurou was being rash.

Xu Luo smiled and looked at Zhao Hongzhang. "Elder Zhao, I appreciate your kind intentions, but running away is never a solution for this kind of thing. I'll have to face it sooner or later. Don't worry, I'll be fine. If that Young Master Huyan is truly so shameless as to use his family to deal with me, I'm not without means to protect myself."

At this, Xie Yurou spoke up with an apologetic look. "I'm the one who caused this mess. Don't worry, I'll go talk to my family about it. I absolutely won't let this matter implicate you! I never expected things to turn out like this today. I'm so sorry..."

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