Firmament Sword

”Ahem, it’s... a long story,” Xu Luo said with a smile, rubbing his nose.

”Then tell it slowly. We have all the time in the world, and your mother will listen,” Luo Xinlan said, glancing at Xu Luo. She added, ”And I mean your bandit-queen mother!”

The corner of Xu Luo’s mouth twitched violently, and he gave a wry smile. ”Alright, then I’ll give my dear mother a full report on everything that’s happened these past two years.”

And so, Xu Luo began his story, starting from when his constitution changed.

”My constitution changed, but I’m not entirely sure why.”

Xu Luo didn’t want to lie to his mother, but the truth about the Seven-Star Soul entering his body... It was simply too bizarre, too sensational. The implications were enormous, and Xu Luo wouldn’t reveal this secret until he was absolutely certain he could protect his family.

”I found that my cultivation speed was incredibly fast, so fast that even I was a little surprised... I wasn’t at the True Martial Academy for long before war broke out in the Southern region. Great Yan invaded...”

”Later, my brothers and I earned quite a few military honors in the South. There was some luck involved, some coincidence. First, we...”

”In Hongcheng, I destroyed a branch of the Wei Family. Because of that, that old dog Wei Feng now hates me to the bone.”

”I smashed that branch of the Wei Family to pieces. Consider it a down payment on the debt owed for the Wansong Town massacre. Sooner or later, I will get justice for all those souls who died unjustly!”

”My brothers and I went to our fief in the north. I’ve built it up into a beautiful place. After we get back to the Imperial Capital and see Father, you can go there secretly, Mother. It’s a pure land, your son’s own independent kingdom!”

”Big Brother Huangfu Chongzhi met a woman as beautiful as a goddess, and Second Brother fell in love with an enemy female general, Mo Yun...”

”What happened later? We only found out afterward that the female general had approached Second Brother seeking revenge. Unexpectedly, she developed feelings for him. She couldn’t face the hatred between their nations and families, so she had no choice but to leave...”

”My brother discovered some Ancient Ruins, and we found a lot of treasures inside. When we get back, I’ll give you some of the Elixirs. Then, Mother, you can become a true expert. You won’t have to be afraid of Master Huitong anymore...”

”And Dad, he’s even more incredible...”

On the road, aside from the forbidden topic of the Seven-Star Soul entering his body, Xu Luo told his mother everything else that had happened, down to the smallest detail.

Though Xu Luo glossed over many of the dangerous events, Luo Xinlan listened with extreme tension, asking question after question.

Even though her son was right in front of her, completely unharmed, and had just rescued her from a terrible plight, in Luo Xinlan’s eyes, he would always be the child who needed her protection. Even if he was now a peerless expert admired by all, that would never change for her.

”Xiaoluo, you’ve suffered so much and been wronged so much these past two years. But you’ve grown up. Mother... is so relieved!” Luo Xinlan couldn’t stop tears of joy from streaming down her face.

Xu Luo hugged his mother. ”Compared to you, Mother, you’re the one who has truly been wronged. If I’d known your sect had such scum in it, I would have come looking for you long ago. It was unfilial of me as your son!”

”Silly child, what I went through was nothing. Aren’t I perfectly fine now? And didn’t you cripple the man who was harassing me?”

As she spoke, Luo Xinlan couldn’t help but laugh. ”What you did is actually more painful for him than killing him would have been!”

”A man like that... if I see him again, I will kill him,” Xu Luo said coldly.

”But I suppose this means my connection with the Luoshui Nunnery has truly come to an end. Alas, I’m afraid I’ll never have the chance to go back,” Luo Xinlan sighed with a touch of melancholy.

Xu Luo smiled. ”What’s there to be afraid of? You still have us, and you still have Dad.”

Luo Xinlan gave a faint smile. ”Yes, I still have you all. I’m very content!”

Xu Luo found it hard to understand that kind of deep-seated attachment to a sect, and Luo Xinlan didn’t want to explain it further. Besides, she was truly content now. With such a family and two such outstanding sons, what more could she ask for?

”Oh, right. How come you haven’t mentioned Lianyi?” Luo Xinlan asked casually.

A flash of pain appeared in Xu Luo’s eyes. ”She was taken away,” he said softly. ”The people who abandoned her back then found her and took her with them.”

”What? How could something like that happen?” Luo Xinlan was astonished, then she sighed softly. ”That child has had a bitter life. It’s a good thing that she can be with her family now.”

”I hope so.” Xu Luo had a feeling that Lianyi might not be very happy right now.

”Your transformation is what actually surprises me the most,” Luo Xinlan said, looking at Xu Luo. ”A Seven-Turn Foundation Establishment Pill... while a wonderful treasure, could never have caused such a massive change in you. It seems the Centennial Star Festival brought you some unexpected benefits after all.”

Xu Luo’s heart skipped a beat. ’If Mother can think of this, others must be able to as well,’ he thought. ’It’s just that without any proof, no one will bring it up.’

”I suppose so. In any case, I feel like I’ve undergone a complete transformation,” Xu Luo said.

”You must be careful about this. His Majesty may have been friends with your father since childhood, but an Emperor’s thoughts are the most difficult to predict. We have no ill intentions, but we must still be on guard against others.” Luo Xinlan’s tone was earnest. ”Serving a ruler is like living with a tiger...”

Xu Luo nodded. This was the kind of advice only a mother could give her son.

”It’s alright. Dad has just achieved a great merit, one so great it’s enough to shake the world. As long as the Emperor isn’t a fool, he won’t cause trouble for our family again.”

”The Royal Family isn’t what’s frightening. What’s truly terrifying are the powers hidden behind them,” Luo Xinlan said softly. ”You’re young and don’t know about many things. There’s a reason why the Cangqiong Empire has been able to stand strong for a thousand years.”

”Oh? Is the Royal Family also backed by a major sect?” Xu Luo had suspected as much before, but it was only speculation, never confirmed.

Luo Xinlan nodded. ”That’s right. The ancestors of the Huangfu Family were actually a branch of a super-sect. But that sect is hidden extremely deep and would never easily appear before the world. They only show themselves when the Royal Family faces a great catastrophe.”

As she spoke, Luo Xinlan looked at Xu Luo and said, ”Actually, our Xu Family’s ancestors... also have a sect background. After your grandfather retired back then, he returned to his sect to cultivate. So many years have passed in a flash. I don’t know when we’ll see the old man again.”

”What? Our family has a sect background too?” Xu Luo said, surprised.

”Of course. The sects may seem lofty and otherworldly, but in reality, there are countless intricate ties between them and the mortal world. However, it’s also an indisputable fact that the sects look down on the mortal world... If you want them to look at you with any respect, you not only need to have the corresponding strength, but you also need to be able to bring them sufficient benefits.”

Luo Xinlan gave a cynical laugh. ”In truth, they’re not that different from people of the mortal world.”

”That’s true enough,” Xu Luo nodded. The sect members he had come into contact with, aside from looking down on mortals and being stronger, really weren’t any different from people in the secular world. When you got right down to it, they couldn’t escape the pull of fame and fortune either.

...

The Grand General of National Guardian’s return, with the King of Wu in tow, ignited the entire Imperial Capital!

The entire Imperial Capital was a scene of jubilation. Lanterns and colorful banners were hung everywhere, and every face was beaming with an excited smile.

The main streets were already lined with crowds of onlookers. They laughed and chattered, discussing the King of Wu’s appearance and speculating about his current mood.

This was a victory for the Cangqiong Empire, and... it was a victory for the Cangqiong People!

And of course, it belonged most of all to the Grand General of National Guardian, Xu Ji!

Xu Ji rode a tall, ink-black warhorse. The horse’s coat was as smooth as satin without a single hair out of place. Valiant and proud, it walked in the center of the procession, disdainful of the noisy surroundings.

This was a horse that had seen a hundred battles. More enemies had died beneath its iron hooves than most soldiers had ever killed!

Therefore, despite the gazes of hundreds of thousands of people along the streets, the horse felt not a single shred of pressure.

And atop the horse, Xu Ji was even more composed and steady. Looking at his calm face, it was hard for people to imagine that on their journey back, right here within Cangqiong’s borders, their procession had been ambushed seven or eight times!

This filled Xu Ji with a deep-seated rage. In the enemy kingdom, they had been unstoppable, marching straight in and capturing the enemy emperor alive.

But upon returning to their own territory, they had faced repeated assassination attempts, each wave stronger than the last. The enemy was clearly targeting him, Xu Ji.

They wanted to kill the King of Wu, to greatly diminish the military merit Xu Ji had earned!

If Xu Su hadn’t quietly arrived to help, they might have been in real danger on several occasions.

Xu Su’s cultivation had reached the level of a Sword King, but his mental state and experience were still lacking. By protecting his father during the seven or eight battles on the road back to the Imperial Capital, Xu Su had been perfectly tempered.

The strongest attacker was a Tier Eight Sword Venerable. While suppressing his own strength, Xu Su fought a world-shaking battle against him. In the end, he unleashed his full power and cut the opponent down on the spot.

These experts seemed to have appeared out of thin air; no one knew their identities or origins.

But Xu Su knew with certainty that these people had to have an inseparable connection to Prime Minister Wei Feng and the great, powerful clans that had gathered in the Imperial Capital recently!

But those debts could be settled slowly later. For now, all he had to do was stand by his father’s side and accept the cheers of the Imperial Capital’s residents, and indeed, the cheers of all of Cangqiong!

On this day, the Xu Family was the center of all attention!

Even the sun in the sky seemed to dim before the radiance they emitted!

The Xu Family’s prestige, at this historic moment when Xu Ji escorted the King of Wu into the Cangqiong Imperial Capital, reached its zenith!

And with the Cangqiong Emperor, Huangfu Haoran, personally coming out to welcome them, that zenith climbed to yet another level.

A level called transcendence.