Firmament Sword

Every time his Star Soul absorbed a massive amount of energy, it was the moment of greatest agony for Xu Luo.

The vast energy coursing through his meridians felt as if he were being torn apart alive—a fate worse than death.

Compared to this, the fainting spells he had on starless nights could be called blissful.

But this experience, something most Martial Artists would never have in their lifetime, also brought unimaginable benefits to the transformation of his meridians.

His meridians, once incredibly fine—less than one-thousandth the width of a hair—had now been forcefully expanded by several dozen times.

In other words, Xu Luo’s current speed of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi was also several dozen times faster than that of an ordinary Martial Artist!

Those exceptionally talented Martial Artists, who boasted of having all sorts of special constitutions and bloodlines, ultimately just relied on meridians that were stronger, clearer, and wider than those of ordinary people!

What was Li Wenxi’s realm?

She was the leader of a Hidden Sect!

Even if she wasn’t the most powerful person in the Merak Sect, she was still leagues ahead of Xu Luo.

The Kaiyang Star Soul was like a starving ghost, not picky in the slightest, sucking over all the poisoned True Essence from Li Wenxi’s Dantian in one go!

It was only thanks to the protection of his Star Soul that his meridians hadn’t already burst from such a frenzied absorption, which would have crippled him.

The main reason Li Wenxi was so extremely weak was that after her failed attempt to break through to the next realm, the potent poison from that Spirit Medicine had suppressed her abundant True Essence, seeping into it and causing her to suffer qi deviation.

Under the ravages of the poison, she couldn’t even walk, let alone circulate her energy!

It was only due to Li Wenxi’s profound cultivation that she could hold on until now. Anyone with slightly less power would have perished long ago!

Moreover, because of the qi deviation, the True Essence in Li Wenxi’s Dantian had become extremely chaotic and volatile.

It tormented her ceaselessly, and if she wasn’t careful, the poisoned True Essence in her Dantian could detonate completely!

So now, as this energy that was completely beyond her control was suddenly siphoned away, Li Wenxi instantly felt a great sense of relief. It was as if a great mountain had been lifted from her… no, it was as if she had been freed from a sea of fire!

The pain, so excruciating it could drive a person to suicide, was diminishing at an incredible speed!

Li Wenxi couldn’t spare a thought for anything else. As the poison in her body lessened, her face gradually adapted to the powerful suction of the Kaiyang Star Soul, and her heart slowly relaxed completely.

Her beautiful eyes were fixed on Xu Luo’s face, her heart filled with disbelief.

’This boy… what kind of Cultivation Technique is he practicing?’ Li Wenxi knew perfectly well the problems within her own body. Seeing Xu Luo’s face flush crimson, his handsome features contorting in pain, she couldn’t help but worry for him.

’My body is filled with a massive amount of poison, and now this boy is drawing it all away… He… he’s practically risking his life to save me!’

Li Wenxi thought to herself, but at a time like this, she could neither speak nor move. Even if she wanted to stop him, she was utterly powerless!

The two of them sat close together, their hands clasped tightly, creating a rather strange scene.

Phoenix watched them with a nervous expression. When she saw her master’s complexion gradually return to normal while Xu Luo’s face was twisted in a ferocious grimace, her heart leaped into her throat once more.

Just then, a young girl’s voice came from outside. ”Senior Sister, the Grand Elder sent someone to fetch you. She said… she said that the Ark from Tianquan… that Young Master Fang has arrived and wants you to receive him.”

Phoenix stood up, glancing worriedly at her master and Xu Luo. ’At a time like this, I absolutely cannot let anyone disturb them,’ she thought. ’If I don’t go, those people will definitely come looking for me. In their eyes, Master is a cripple now, so why would they care about her status as Sect Leader?’

With that thought, Phoenix said softly, ”Alright, I understand.”

Saying this, she looked at Li Wenxi and Xu Luo and continued in a low voice, ”Master, Xu Luo, you heard. Someone has come. I need to go and deal with them. Don’t worry, I will give orders that no one is to enter this room.”

With that, Phoenix left the room. She gave a few instructions to the junior sisters outside, and then, one by one, the gates of the Merak Sect Master’s multiple courtyards were locked. Finally, still uneasy, Phoenix activated the Defensive Array, which had almost never been used before.

This Array operated automatically, launching an indiscriminate attack on anyone who dared to step into the Sect Leader’s residence.

Only after instructing her junior sisters to be careful did Phoenix finally leave with peace of mind.

Inside the room, Xu Luo was still enduring the feeling of being sliced to death by a thousand cuts. He gritted his teeth and continuously operated the Shadow Shaking Heart Method, biting his tongue until it bled. The sharp pain kept his mind clear.

An unknown amount of time passed before the True Essence in Li Wenxi’s Dantian was completely empty, not a single trace left!

It had all been drained away by the Kaiyang Star Soul!

At the same time, the agony that had plagued Li Wenxi for months was finally, completely gone!

The deadly poison in her Dantian had also vanished!

Having had all the True Essence in her Dantian depleted, Li Wenxi’s face was frighteningly pale, without a trace of color.

She looked weak to the extreme, while Xu Luo, at the very moment their hands separated, blissfully fainted.

In the last instant before he lost consciousness, Xu Luo was still thinking, ’All the True Essence from such a powerful expert’s Dantian… that should be enough to get the Kaiyang Star Soul half-full, right?’

Li Wenxi watched, wide-eyed, as Xu Luo collapsed, sliding down from his chair. His pale face was also completely drained of color.

Instantly, she panicked. She wanted to stand up, but she found she couldn’t move at all!

She grew flustered. Her greatest fear now was that if something happened to Xu Luo, she would be racked with guilt for the rest of her life.

She subconsciously wanted to call for help, but the words died on her lips. ’Although the disciples outside are all trustworthy, idle gossip spreads,’ she thought. ’If word of this gets out, it will cause a massive uproar, and this boy will probably never know a peaceful day again.’

’He saved me. I cannot bring harm to him!’

With that thought, Li Wenxi forced herself to calm down and began to try circulating her Heart Method. At once, a long-absent trace of joy appeared on her face!

She had… recovered!

The qi deviation… the deadly poison… it was all gone!

Although her Dantian was completely empty, without a wisp of True Essence, True Essence was something that could always be replenished through slow cultivation!

At the very least, her realm hadn’t fallen!

Her cultivation base hadn’t diminished!

She… it wouldn’t be long before she was once again that powerful Tier Nine Sword Venerable Peak!

Once again the commanding Sect Leader of the Merak Sect!

Calming her turbulent emotions, a trace of… a cold smile gradually appeared on Li Wenxi’s face.

’You’ve pushed my disciple so hard and shown me such blatant disrespect… I’ll be sure to settle this score with you all later!’

As Li Wenxi entered a meditative state, the room gradually returned to tranquility.

Xu Luo was slumped against his chair, a soft carpet beneath him. His breathing was calm, and he looked as if he were merely asleep.

The Shadow Shaking Heart Method was now operating silently and automatically within him.

Inside his body, the Shaking Light Star Soul shone brilliantly, and the Kaiyang Star Soul was glowing with equal radiance!

Streams of warm power emanated from the Kaiyang Star Soul, spreading throughout Xu Luo’s body, silently nourishing and transforming him.

...

”Junior Brother Qiushuiduan, you see, the sect has another distinguished guest. We naturally understand your desire to see Wenxi, but right now… sigh… in her current state, she really can’t see you,” a beautiful, middle-aged woman in her forties said, looking at Qiushuiduan with a gentle expression and a soft voice.

Qiushuiduan’s expression was cold. He looked at the middle-aged woman and said flatly, ”I never imagined that after so many years, Eldest Senior Sister would become the Grand Elder. When we were young, we were under your care. Thinking back on it now, I, Shuiduan, am still filled with gratitude.”

The middle-aged woman’s expression became a little unnatural. She forced a smile and said, ”What are you saying, Junior Brother? Back then, as the Eldest Senior Sister, it was my duty to look after you children. To be honest, although I was a bit strict at the time, my intentions toward you were always sincere.”

Qiushuiduan gave a faint smile and said, ”Yes, which is why to this day, I, Shuiduan, still have the utmost respect for you. In that case, for the sake of old times, could you let me see Wenxi? I have brought a Nine Profound Celestial Heart. Even if it can’t cure Wenxi completely, it is at least a token of my sentiment…”

”Junior Brother, look, it’s really not that the Grand Elder won’t let you see the Sect Leader. The Sect Leader is suffering from qi deviation and simply cannot receive guests. Even if you went, it would be pointless. She can’t even speak!”

A woman beside her, also looking to be in her forties, added, ”Also, we are all very grateful that you found a Spirit Medicine to treat the Sect Leader. In fact, you can just give the Spirit Medicine to us. We will naturally refine an Elixir for the Sect Leader.”

”That’s right, Junior Brother. Look, since we have an outside guest arriving, why don’t you stay here and help us receive them? Once the guest is settled, we can arrange for you to see the Sect Leader. How about it?” The Grand Elder’s attitude was very gentle, her tone as if she were merely negotiating.

But Qiushuiduan, who knew her temperament well, was perfectly aware that the woman before him, who appeared so gentle and kind, was, in her bones… an utterly insidious and ruthless villain!

How many people in the sect had been killed by this woman back in the day? Qiushuiduan remembered it all clearly.

Seeing that there was almost no hope of seeing Li Wenxi today, and that he couldn’t use force here, he could only nod sullenly in agreement.

Seeing him agree, the gentle-faced Grand Elder’s smile widened, and she shot a subtle, meaningful glance at the other Elders.

At that moment, a set of footsteps was heard outside. Phoenix walked in and bowed to everyone.

Qiushuiduan asked anxiously, ”Phoenix, your master… how is she?”

Phoenix first gave a friendly smile to Yaya, who was huddled close to Qiushuiduan, then said with a bitter smile, ”Master’s condition worsens by the day. Now, she even has difficulty speaking.”

”Sigh!” A look of desolation flickered in Qiushuiduan’s eyes. His once straight posture seemed to stoop in an instant.