Firmament Sword

Xu Luo met Su Qianqian's pleading gaze, and his heart softened. He understood that Qianqian was creating an opportunity for him, but she also wanted to revisit the place where her own destiny had taken a turn.

'But... you can't just play matchmaker like this!' Xu Luo felt a bit helpless, but he couldn't bring himself to refuse Su Qianqian.

After all, in the entire Divine Domain, she was currently the only true confidante he had by his side.

Huangfu Chongzhi, Xu Jie, Sui Yan, Song Chengfeng, and Chu Xiaoya... Although these people had all ascended to the Divine Domain, the Divine Domain was vast and boundless, leaving him with no way to find them.

Xu Luo had even secretly dispatched people to investigate whether any Pill Masters, Artifact Refiners, or Array Masters had suddenly risen to fame in recent years. The people from the Medicine Garden who traveled outside brought back plenty of relevant news, but all of it left Xu Luo disappointed.

Because the lists didn't contain any of the brothers he knew.

"Alright, after the Annual Competition is over, we'll take a trip to Baihua City." Xu Luo thought for a moment and finally nodded in agreement.

It wasn't entirely because of Su Qianqian. Xu Luo also wanted to go to Baihua City to see Xie Yudie.

His current identity was probably no longer a secret to Xie Yurou. Although he didn't know how she had seen through it, Xu Luo could feel that Xie Yurou's current infatuation with him was definitely not because of his status as the Senior Brother of the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden.

It was for the mysterious man who had once pulled all the strings in Baihua City!

Since Xie Yurou knew, Xie Yudie would certainly know as well. That being the case, there was no longer any need to be secretive.

It was a perfect opportunity to go to Baihua City and thank Xie Yudie in person.

Although this identity was somewhat sensitive and could even attract the pursuit of the Infinite Saint Emperor, Xu Luo believed that even if Xie Yudie knew who he was, she wouldn't reveal it.

Because not only were they now from the same sect, but they also shared many secrets!

For example... the Netherworld Flower... which Xie Yudie should be on the verge of successfully cultivating!

Xie Yurou hadn't expected Xu Luo to actually agree to go to Baihua City. She was surprised at first, but then... a bitter and angry emotion surged in her heart.

Because she happened to catch the flirtatious glances exchanged between Xu Luo and Su Qianqian!

'So... it was because of her that you agreed to go to Baihua City...' Xie Yurou's heart ached.

Just a moment ago, Xie Yurou had been excited about going to Baihua City to see her sister. She wanted to tell her that not only had she avoided finishing last this year, but she had even made it into the top one hundred. But now, she suddenly felt crestfallen.

The quick-witted Su Qianqian instantly guessed the reason for Xie Yurou's mood shift. She glanced at Xu Luo, then said with a smile, "Yu Rou, do you have a moment? There's something I'd like to talk to you about."

"Oh?" Xie Yurou felt a flare of irritation. 'Is she trying to show me who's boss this quickly?' she thought. But when she looked up, she saw Su Qianqian's gentle smile, which held not a trace of smugness or arrogance. Xie Yurou was momentarily taken aback.

"Perhaps, after we talk, you'll feel much better," Su Qianqian said with a radiant smile.

Xie Yurou nodded subconsciously. "Alright, then."

"Qianqian, you..." Xu Luo didn't want to reveal too much about himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust Xie Yurou, but his background was a serious matter. If word got out, it would likely stir up another storm.

"This is girl talk, you shouldn't get involved!" Su Qianqian gave Xu Luo a reassuring look, took Xie Yurou's hand, and left with a smile.

Left by himself, Xu Luo scratched his head, gave a wry smile, and muttered, "Qianqian knows what's important. It's me... I'm getting a bit paranoid."

As he thought this, Xu Luo casually picked up a new file from the table. He froze for a second, then gave a wry smile. 'A beauty's favor is the hardest to repay!'

This file, of course, was the one Xie Yurou had just brought him.

Celestial Brilliance Annual Competition, his opponent for the round of 32 advancing to the top 16—the Sword God, Nie Yunfeng!

"Nie Yunfeng, Direct Disciple of the Artifact Refining Pavilion's Chief Grand Elder Ye Jinghong. His saber techniques are transcendent, earning him the title 'Sword God' within Celestial Brilliance!"

Although it was just a title, it carried great weight. Especially in the Divine Domain, the word 'God' was not something just anyone could use.

It was especially surprising for a young disciple like Nie Yunfeng to be crowned with the title of 'God'.

Because even Senior Brother Tianhuang, Jin Ming, didn't have such a title!

Of course, this had a lot to do with the fact that Jin Ming was a future successor and it was unsuitable for him to have a nickname.

"Nie Yunfeng's strength is immense, making him one of the peerless geniuses of Celestial Brilliance's younger generation. He usually keeps a low profile, has a gentle temperament, and spends all his time cultivating. He rarely leaves the territory of the Artifact Refining Pavilion, so his reputation is not particularly widespread."

"But his overall strength... is estimated to be only a notch below Jin Ming's. In fact... their strength might even be about the same!"

"Someone like An Yu, who has always been very high-profile, probably wouldn't even last a hundred moves against Nie Yunfeng before being defeated!"

"When fighting him, the thing to watch out for most is his signature technique—the Thirteen Tyrannical Sabers! Thirteen strikes, each one earth-shattering and imbued with terrifying might. The strikes come one after another, each stronger than the last! The final strike is the most astonishing, containing the power of the previous twelve combined!"

"Additionally, the strength of Nie Yunfeng's physical body is also well-known among the younger generation of Celestial Brilliance. It used to be second only to Lv Di, but now he should rank third."

"Because you're number one!"

When he read this line, a smile couldn't help but appear on Xu Luo's face. 'Xie Yurou... is actually a really great girl,' he thought.

'Beautiful, clever, and empathetic, but also innocent and kind. She has the family background, she has the talent. A girl like her is the ideal partner for any man.'

'It's a shame... I already have so many people to care for, so... I can only let your feelings go unrequited.' Xu Luo sighed. 'I'm sorry...'

...

...

"You're saying... he entered Baihua City, auctioned the Nether Flower Seed, and got the chance to enter the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden... all to save you?"

"But that's not right! The opportunity to enter the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden was clearly given by Grand Elder Yuwen Ji!"

"I heard Elder Yuwen used the Heart Inference Skill for this matter. Could he have used it back then? Did he just happen to calculate that he was coming? No, no... that's still not right. There's definitely something wrong with this picture!"

Xie Yurou looked at Su Qianqian in a state of confusion. She hadn't expected that Su Qianqian would call her to a private place only to tell her something like this, leaving her utterly astonished.

"Back then, before he entered Baihua City, he stole the Immortal Cold Jade Vehicle from your sister's good-for-nothing 'son'. He wanted to give it to your sister and then, by befriending her, get a recommendation to enter Celestial Brilliance." Su Qianqian looked at Xie Yurou and said softly, "But things didn't go as planned, so... he never ended up giving her that Immortal Cold Jade Vehicle."

"So he's the one who stole that vehicle... Good!" Xie Yurou said viciously. "That waste of space... he deserved a harsh lesson!"

With that, Xie Yurou looked up at Su Qianqian and said, "I understand now. So you and Luo Tian... have known each other for a very, very long time. For your sake, he was willing to do so much, even putting himself in danger without any complaint. I'm sorry... I didn't know any of this before."

As she spoke, Xie Yurou's eyes began to redden, but she said bravely, "Now I know. From now on... I won't appear before you two again! At least, not for a little while... You have to give me some time to adjust. Maybe... once I've adjusted, I'll be able to face it more calmly, but right now, I can't!"

"But don't worry, Qianqian, I won't ruin the relationship between you two!"

Smiling wryly, Su Qianqian shook her head. She knew Xie Yurou had misunderstood.

Xie Yurou was taken aback and muttered, "Is that... still not enough to put you at ease? What do you want me to do?"

"No, you've misunderstood." Su Qianqian looked at Xie Yurou with a wry smile and said softly, "If we're talking about who holds the highest place in his heart, it's definitely not me. It's only because I was accidentally injured back then and he couldn't just stand by and watch me die that he brought me along. In fact, in a way... you and I aren't that different! It's just that we've known each other for a very long time, I'm thick-skinned enough, and lucky enough, that he can't get rid of me, I guess?"

Looking at the charmingly smiling Su Qianqian, Xie Yurou was a bit stunned. She stammered, "Don't tell me... he has other women?"

Xie Yurou was truly shocked. Luo Tian didn't seem like the type of man whose heart was easily swayed by women, even though he had a gentle temperament, rarely lost his temper, and seldom refused anyone.

But the moment a critical issue came up, he would immediately go into 'play dumb' mode, acting just like a dense block of wood who didn't have a clue about a girl's feelings.

How could a man like that possibly be a philanderer with wives and concubines in droves?

"It's not that he's a womanizer; he's just too outstanding. But I won't tell you those stories. If there's a chance in the future, it's better to let him tell you himself." Su Qianqian said with a smile, "That way, he won't think I'm being a busybody. I'm telling you this today because I've seen how much you've done for him. You're different from that Qi Yue. Qi Yue's feelings for him... are more of a kind of worship. That's something Qi Yue herself probably doesn't even realize."

Xie Yurou nodded and said, "The one involved is always confused. I could see that as well."

"But you... you truly like him. Besides, even if I hadn't said anything today, you probably would have figured out that he's the mysterious man from Baihua City!" Su Qianqian said with a smile. "So, you like him for who he is, not for his influence in Celestial Brilliance."

Xie Yurou glanced at Su Qianqian in surprise. She suddenly had a feeling that this woman, who appeared so innocent and gentle, was completely unfathomable.

She was also... a woman whose intelligence was almost demonic!

"So... if you like him, just go ahead and pursue him. If it comes to it, I can even help create some opportunities for you," Su Qianqian said with a smile.

"Why?" Xie Yurou was confused. No matter how many other women were by his side, as a woman herself, surely no one would want one more person to compete with for his affection, right?

"The path of cultivation is long and arduous, our lifespans stretch across the river of time. In the beginning, we might compete for affection, but later on... I'm afraid we'd just grow tired of looking at each other. At that point, who would even care about one more competitor?"

Su Qianqian sighed softly, looking into Xie Yurou's bright, pure eyes, and said in a deflated tone, "Alright, fine. I'm actually looking for an ally. The other women around him... they're actually all terrifying!"

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