Firmament Sword

Afterward, as compensation, Xu Luo gave Miaomiao and the giant eagle one Blood Pill each.

Joking aside, Xu Luo was still very grateful to Master Mao. Even though the fellow had initially stuck around for the Star Power, he had never abandoned Xu Luo whenever he faced danger.

After the battle in his fief, Master Mao had even brought him the Deep Sea Treasure Medicine, which had greatly boosted Xu Luo’s power. In the many perilous situations since, Miaomiao had never once retreated.

The same went for the giant eagle. She was the first Spirit Beast follower Xu Luo had taken in... or rather, a little sister.

Master Mao didn’t count. Strictly speaking, he was a partner.

Their strength was a direct benefit to him. More importantly, how could he expect to keep a Spirit Beast—one with an intellect rivaling, and perhaps even surpassing, that of many humans—by his side if he wasn’t willing to give anything in return?

Master Mao was one thing, but his little eagle sister... hmm, Sister Ying, absolutely had to be rewarded.

In truth, Master Mao didn’t really need a Blood Pill to improve. With the essence blood of the Thundering Saint Beast, his cultivation speed was already advancing by leaps and bounds.

But Xu Luo knew that if he only gave one to the giant eagle, the cat would definitely raise hell.

Sure enough, the moment the two beasts saw the Blood Pills, they forgot all about their recent squabble. They rushed over, snatched the pills, and swallowed them in one gulp.

Xu Luo was dumbfounded. ”Hey... were you really in that much of a hurry?”

”Of course... What if you changed your mind?” a muffled, girlish voice came from the giant eagle’s beak. The elixir was clearly already taking effect.

Master Mao did the same, swallowing the elixir instantly before looking at Xu Luo. ”Kid, stand guard for us!”

’Great, now I’m a babysitter for a pair of beasts...’ Xu Luo’s lip twitched. He felt like he was just asking for trouble.

All he could do was watch as the two of them sat there, refining the astonishing medicinal power contained within the Blood Pills.

Fortunately, he still had plenty of time. If he missed the sect assembly, there would be no point in crying.

Unlike other Top-Grade Treasure Medicines that required a long time to refine, the greatest benefit of a Blood Pill was its rapid absorption. In a very short time, its medicinal effects could be completely converted into power and stored within the user’s body.

Before long, an astonishing aura began to radiate from both Miaomiao and the giant eagle.

’This is a sign of a breakthrough!’ Xu Luo was surprised. He glanced first at Master Mao, though he wasn’t shocked that the cat was breaking through.

After all, he had absorbed the essence blood of a Thunder Beast and was a descendant of the Ancient Sacred Beast, the Heaven-Swallowing Fox. It was only natural for him to break through quickly.

But the giant eagle was also on the verge of a breakthrough, which genuinely surprised Xu Luo. ’Could it be this female giant eagle also has some incredible ancient bloodline flowing through her veins?’

Just then, Xu Luo noticed the giant eagle’s wings beginning to slowly change.

The wings, once as black as ink and seemingly cast from iron, began to develop a golden edge. Then, like quicksilver, the gold began to spread across the entire surface of both wings.

A golden light flickered, radiating a sacred brilliance!

”What... what is this?” Xu Luo stared, dumbfounded. The changes happening to the giant eagle were simply too immense.

This once again proved the miraculous efficacy of the Blood Pill, and also spoke to the power of the once-glorious Ancient Emperor Tribe.

It filled Xu Luo with hope for the Pill Scripture in the hands of his sworn brother, Huangfu Chongzhi.

Master Mao’s body was also starting to change. The yellow scales that had previously only covered his four legs and neck were now beginning to spread across his body. Although not many new scales had appeared, there were more than before.

The two palm-sized horns on his head also seemed to have grown a little.

’I wonder what the purity of their awakened bloodlines is,’ Xu Luo mused, looking at Master Mao and Sister Ying. ’If they could advance to become Pure-blooded Holy Beasts... would I ever have to worry about a shortage of Blood Pills again?’

The senses of High-tier Spirit Beasts are exceptionally keen. Just as Xu Luo was lost in his fantasy, the two beasts, deep in the process of their breakthrough, both shivered. If it weren’t for this critical juncture, both of them would have felt the urge to turn and flee.

This human, whom they both loved and hated, was just too shameless!

Several hours passed. Master Mao was the first to awaken. In his true form, he looked utterly majestic—a massive body over ten meters long, moving with the gait of a dragon and the stride of a tiger. His pair of sapphire-blue eyes were impossibly deep, and his entire body radiated a terrifying aura.

He walked up to Xu Luo, seeming to want to say something. However, after releasing an even more powerful aura and seeing that Xu Luo remained unfazed, Master Mao wisely kept his mouth shut.

He pursed his lips and thought, ’You brat. One day, This Master will show you what I’m made of and make you call me Master Mao willingly!’

SWOOSH!

Master Mao’s body shrank in an instant, and he once again became a cute, miniature kitten, diving into Xu Luo’s pocket.

”This Master is tired. I’m going to sleep. Nobody disturb me!”

Xu Luo’s lip twitched. He resisted the urge to grab the cat by the tail and fling him out. His gaze fell upon the giant eagle.

The giant eagle’s evolution was a bit slower. She didn’t stop cultivating until the sun was beginning to set.

By now, the giant eagle’s massive wings had turned completely golden. They shimmered like solid gold, emitting a dazzling light and looking incredibly majestic.

”Still just a little bit off...” The giant eagle sighed in her girlish voice. ”If I had just one more elixir like that, I might have been able to break through!”

As she spoke, her sharp eagle eyes gazed pitifully at Xu Luo.

”Don’t even think about it. I only have one left, and I’m saving it for something important!” Xu Luo retorted, turning his head away.

”Stingy,” the giant eagle muttered. Her body then began to shrink, transforming into a sparrowhawk and landing nearby.

Miraculously, her wings reverted to their original appearance, looking much the same as before.

Only when she fully unleashed her aura would anyone know that this seemingly unremarkable sparrowhawk was a top-tier Spirit Beast!

...

「A few days later.」

Xu Luo, along with Master Mao and the giant eagle, arrived once more at the foot of Divine Maiden Peak. The colossal mountain was as majestic as ever, giving off an unapproachable air.

”What a huge mountain!” the giant eagle exclaimed in awe.

”This Master has seen taller ones. I’ll take you to see them someday,” Master Mao said, somewhat disdainful of the giant eagle’s lack of worldly experience.

”Okay,” the giant eagle replied cheerfully, seemingly oblivious to the condescension in Master Mao’s tone.

’Feather-brains really are a bit slow,’ Master Mao thought.

This visit to Merak was completely different from the last. Instead of using the secret passage from before, Xu Luo entered openly through the Merak Mountain Gate.

As soon as he reached the Merak Mountain Gate, which was concealed by an array, several Merak Disciples appeared, watching him warily.

The young woman in the lead was about to challenge him when she got a clear look at his face and let out a small gasp of surprise. ”Are you Senior Brother Xu Luo?”

Although Xu Luo had no idea on what basis she was calling him ”Senior Brother,” he still nodded. ”I am.”

”Oh, that’s wonderful! You’re finally here!” The young woman’s face lit up. She immediately sent someone inside to announce his arrival, then personally escorted Xu Luo through the Merak Mountain Gate.

”Senior Sister Phoenix has been talking about you a lot lately, Senior Brother. She was wondering when you’d arrive. Are you and Senior Sister Phoenix a couple?”

”I heard that the last time you were here, Young Master Ark of Tianquan got into a conflict with you. Is that true?”

”It’s been really lively here at Merak recently because of the upcoming sect assembly. I wish I could go, but I’m not qualified...”

The young woman was very cheerful, chattering away like a happy lark the entire way. Her mouth never stopped moving, but it wasn’t annoying; in fact, it was rather endearing.

”How has Merak been lately?” Xu Luo asked casually, seizing a moment when the young woman paused for breath.

”We’re doing great! The atmosphere in the sect is very pleasant,” the young woman answered innocently.

Xu Luo gave a wry smile and shook his head. ’The chances of getting any useful information from this naive girl are slim.’

However, he had underestimated the intelligence of Merak Disciples. The girl wasn’t stupid; it was just that Xu Luo’s name was legendary to her. Although she had only seen him from a distance once before, she had personally witnessed Senior Sister Phoenix—a woman who never gave any man the time of day—offend the Young Master of Tianquan for his sake.

Seeing Xu Luo’s expression, the young woman smiled and said, ”The atmosphere in the sect really is good now. The Supreme Elder is in complete seclusion, and the Grand Elder barely gets involved in sect affairs anymore. Now, there’s only the Sect Leader’s voice guiding the entire sect, so of course the atmosphere is good.”

”I see.” Xu Luo nodded. ’Li Wenxi is quite capable,’ he thought.

The thought of Li Wenxi inevitably brought back the memory of the minor incident that occurred while he was helping her heal. He chuckled to himself. ’I hope things aren’t too awkward when I see her later.’

Just then, a fiery red figure suddenly rushed over from the distance, arriving before Xu Luo in an instant.

He hadn’t seen her in a while, and Phoenix, dressed in a red gown, had grown even more beautiful. Her exquisite face was filled with surprise. Her fair neck was like snow, and her skin, smoother than any frost, was as delicate as a newborn’s. Her waterfall of black hair cascaded over her shoulders, accentuating a waist so slender it looked as if it could be encircled by a single hand.

She stood gracefully before Xu Luo, her eyes shimmering with unspoken longing as she gazed at him. ”You’re here...”

A thousand unspoken words were ultimately distilled into those two simple words, yet they held endless longing and affection.

Seeing Phoenix, Xu Luo’s own heart was far from calm. He nodded. ”I’m here.”

Those two words, spoken from his lips, carried a different weight, but they also conveyed the same joy of a long-awaited reunion.

The chattering young disciple tactfully retreated to the side and quietly took her leave.

Master Mao’s voice transmitted disdainfully into Xu Luo’s mind. ’Snap out of it, kid! You’re losing your wits, it’s embarrassing! What’s so great about this little vixen? She’s not nearly as beautiful as a Mother Heaven-Swallowing Fox, ahhhhh!’