Firmament Sword

After bidding farewell to the others, Xu Luo set off alone, speeding toward the largest mountain range in the Cao Kingdom.

This mountain range stretched from the Endless Forest Sea in the east to the Peak of the Gods in the west.

The Peak of the Gods was the very range that lay between the Great Yan and the Cao Kingdom. It was precisely this natural barrier that made it so difficult for the Great Yan to invade the Cao Kingdom.

If the Cao Kingdom had resolutely defended the ancient pass carved through the mountains, the Yan Army would have had to pay an immense price to break through.

Unfortunately, the current Emperor of the Cao Kingdom was dim-witted and incompetent. Out of fear and jealousy of his own brother, he actually collaborated with the Great Yan, allowing their army to enter.

If not for the Martial Soul Squad’s fortuitous involvement in this war, the Cangqiong Kingdom would have suffered a crippling blow, even if they had managed to win!

Fighting a war on two fronts, both north and south, would have drained the nation’s strength at a terrifying rate.

This was the fundamental reason why the Martial Soul Squad had become famous throughout the land, and why the Emperor, who had previously disliked Xu Luo, was now showering him with praise.

Just a dozen or so youths had single-handedly rewritten the course of the Southern war!

With no one else around, Miaomiao finally emerged from Xu Luo’s pocket and perched on his shoulder, letting Xu Luo carry him along.

Lately, Master Mao had grown much quieter. Although he was still quick to mock and belittle Xu Luo whenever he spoke, he didn’t talk as much as he used to.

”Miaomiao, is something on your mind?” Xu Luo asked while performing the Shaking Light Step. He didn’t seem to be moving fast, but in the blink of an eye, he would reappear a great distance away.

”On my mind? What could Master Mao possibly have on his mind?” Miaomiao replied listlessly.

”Then why have you seemed so preoccupied lately? Are you thinking about a female cat?” Xu Luo asked with a grin.

”Screw you!” Miaomiao said furiously. ”You’re the one thinking about a female cat! If this Master were thinking about anyone, it’d be a female Heaven-Swallowing Fox! A female cat? Is she even worthy of this Master, huh?!”

”Alright, alright, a female Heaven-Swallowing Fox... But you’re so small. Are you already in heat?” Xu Luo muttered.

Miaomiao placed a paw on Xu Luo’s face and threatened, ”Say one more word of nonsense and I’ll claw your face up! We’ll see if any pretty little things still like you then!”

”Hmph.” ’A wise man doesn’t fight a losing battle.’ There was no benefit in angering this cat. Xu Luo was just bored on the journey and wanted to tease Miaomiao a bit.

”But speaking of which, Master Mao, are you getting a little homesick?”

”Home? Master Mao would love to know where his home is,” Miaomiao’s voice was tinged with sadness, but he quickly added, ”You bastard! You damn, cunning human, trying to trick me into revealing my secrets? Hmph, hmph, hmph, hmph, Master Mao won’t let you succeed! You should worry about yourself! That pretty little thing of yours might have already been married off, hahaha!”

Miaomiao added with extreme malice, ”And that master of hers who suffered a cultivation deviation? She’s probably already dead, hahaha!”

Xu Luo wisely shut his mouth. Trying to out-snark this shameless Tier Nine Spirit Beast was a foolish endeavor.

「Several days later」

Xu Luo’s figure appeared at the edge of the Peak of the Gods. Gazing from afar at the majestic and beautiful mountains in the undulating range, he sighed in admiration. ”It truly deserves the name ’Peak of the Gods.’ It’s so fitting!”

Each peak stood like a deity, unchanging since time immemorial, grand and magnificent, exuding a majestic aura!

Xu Luo took out the map Cao Tianyi had given him and studied it for a moment. Then, he activated his Shaking Light Step and sped toward one of the magnificently beautiful peaks.

Divine Maiden Peak!

Merak.

As the saying goes, ”a mountain in sight can run a horse to death.” Xu Luo was much faster than any horse, but he still had to travel for a full day and night!

By the end, he had nearly exhausted all the True Essence in his body before finally arriving at the foot of Divine Maiden Peak, which stood tall like a goddess.

From a distance, the mountain was grand and majestic, but up close, one felt even more insignificant!

The mountain pierced the clouds, its height an unknown number of tens of thousands of meters!

Layers of clouds encircled the mountain, with Spirit Beasts circling and soaring around the peak. Ancient, towering trees that had grown for countless years stood there, the largest of them the size of a small hill!

The occasional roar from a terrestrial Spirit Beast added another layer of mystery to the mountain range.

”So... this is where the world’s most mysterious Hidden Sect is located?” Xu Luo muttered to himself as he began to walk up the mountain.

’Phoenix... grew up in a place like this?’ Xu Luo thought. Then another thought occurred to him: ’She was sent to the Cangqiong Kingdom when she was very young. Perhaps she doesn’t know much about this mountain either?’

Divine Maiden Peak was extremely steep. From afar, it appeared to be covered in lush trees, but up close, he discovered that the lower several thousand meters were all sheer cliffs!

All those lush, towering ancient trees grew up from the base, and some even sprouted from crevices in the cliff face!

”This sect is really something else... A normal person wouldn’t even dare to climb a mountain like this!” Xu Luo grumbled as he slowly scaled the cliff face.

”Hmph, this is only an obstacle for you humans. To Master Mao, this cliff is nothing! I can fly up if I want, or climb up if I feel like it!”

Miaomiao perched on Xu Luo’s shoulder, his deep blue eyes filled with schadenfreude.

But then, Miaomiao suddenly let out a short, sharp gasp and sent a telepathic message: ”Xu Luo, don’t move!”

Xu Luo instinctively pressed his body against the cliff. At that moment, he heard the faint sounds of a fight coming from high above.

”There are people up there with strong auras. Master Mao is out!” Miaomiao said, zipping into Xu Luo’s pocket with a SWOOSH. He sealed his aura and sent another telepathic message: ”Be careful. Or maybe you just shouldn’t go up.”

”I’ve already come all this way, how can I not go up?” Xu Luo said, cautiously continuing his climb up the cliff face.

The several-thousand-meter cliff was a strenuous climb for Xu Luo. However, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was so abundant here that by continuously circulating the Shadow Shaking Heart Method, he was just barely able to replenish his consumed True Essence!

This was something that would be nearly impossible anywhere else.

’As expected of a Hidden Sect, they chose such a prime location. If you can’t cultivate faster here, you must be a real idiot,’ Xu Luo thought, finally reaching the top of the cliff.

What greeted his eyes was a relatively gentle slope.

Towering ancient trees grew in dense thickets, obscuring the sky to the point that he could barely see what was above. Higher up, the sky was filled with clouds formed from condensed water vapor.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The sounds of battle drifted faintly to Xu Luo’s ears on the mountain breeze.

Xu Luo knew the fight was still far away, but he was curious. Who on earth would be fighting in a place like this?

’Could it be disciples of the Merak Sect sparring?’

That seemed to be the only possibility. Xu Luo headed in the direction of the fight.

This part of the mountain was not as steep and much easier to traverse. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Xu Luo finally neared the source of the fighting.

It was a large basin!

That’s right, halfway up Divine Maiden Peak, there was a basin that was completely invisible from a distance!

The basin was over ten li in circumference!

The scenery in the basin was breathtakingly beautiful. In the very center was a small lake, a few hundred meters across, with shimmering, crystal-clear water. There were almost no trees around it; instead, the ground was covered in colorful flowers and grasses!

A few thatched cottages were built by the lakeside. The water reflected the blue sky, creating a scene so beautiful it was intoxicating.

”It’s a whole other world in here!” Xu Luo, hidden from view, couldn’t help but exclaim in amazement. Miaomiao also poked his head out of Xu Luo’s pocket, glanced around, and then pulled it back in, grumbling, ”It’s just a bunch of flowers and grass. What’s there to see?”

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The sound of fighting drew Xu Luo’s attention. At the edge of the basin, directly opposite him, a figure in white was surrounded by a group of people, engaged in a fierce battle.

Neither side spoke a word. The fight was so intense that after just a few glances, Xu Luo knew this was no friendly spar!

That group of people genuinely wanted to kill the person in white!

The white figure moved with extreme speed, dodging left and right like a flash of lightning.

”Huh?” Taking advantage of a gap in the crowd, Xu Luo suddenly saw that the white figure had a head of white hair dancing in the wind. He froze on the spot and murmured, ”How can it be him?”

Xu Luo’s vision had grown stronger along with his power, and he instantly recognized the surrounded white figure. It was none other than Qiushuiduan, whom he had met once before and had also heard about from Cao Tianyi!

Immediately, Xu Luo realized why Qiushuiduan was here!

Back then, he had snatched the Nine Profound Celestial Heart from one of Cao Tianyi’s subordinates. Later, he heard from Cao Tianyi that Qiushuiduan had been in love with the Merak Sect Leader, Li Wenxi, for many years. He must have stolen the Nine Profound Celestial Heart to cure her illness!

”But why was he stopped here?” Xu Luo raised an eyebrow slightly and thought to himself, ’It’s been a long time since Qiushuiduan stole the Nine Profound Celestial Heart!’

Just then, Xu Luo keenly sensed a faint breath a few hundred meters away from him.

’Someone’s there?’ Xu Luo was slightly startled but quickly composed himself. He had been extremely cautious upon arriving, concealing his aura completely. Even if someone was over there, they shouldn’t have been able to discover him.

He then looked in the direction of the breathing sound. His gaze pierced through layers of obstacles, finally landing on a little girl, about seven or eight years old, who was lying behind a huge rock, cautiously watching the distant battle through a crack.

The little girl was as exquisite as a porcelain doll, very pretty, dressed in simple blue cloth garments, with her hair tied in two pigtails.

”Who is she?” Xu Luo frowned, suddenly recalling something.

There had been a rumor that Qiushuiduan had appeared in a small town on the edge of the Cao Kingdom’s Endless Forest Sea, killed an old man who owned a small tavern, and razed the tavern to the ground.

According to the eyewitness’s description, it seemed that Qiushuiduan had left carrying the old man’s granddaughter.

’Could this little girl be the granddaughter of that tavern owner?’ At that moment, Xu Luo felt a slight stinging sensation in his eyes. He immediately withdrew his gaze, calming his mind and steadying his breath.