Firmament Sword

In the vast reception hall, Sect Leader Li Wenxi was alone, sitting quietly and sipping her tea.

Hearing the knock on the door, Li Wenxi’s heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath, then said softly, ”Come in.”

The door was pushed open, and a ray of sunlight streamed in, illuminating Li Wenxi’s exquisite face and bathing it in a golden glow.

Li Wenxi smiled, stood up, and walked toward Xu Luo. ”You’re finally here,” she said. ”I haven’t had the chance to properly thank you for what happened last time.”

Xu Luo smiled and bowed to Li Wenxi. ”Sect Leader Li, you’re too kind. It was nothing, hardly worth mentioning.”

Phoenix, standing to the side, felt a ripple of emotion in her heart—all because of the respect her master was showing Xu Luo!

Her master was the Sect Leader, usually stern and frosty. But for Xu Luo to make her stand in greeting... if any outsider saw this, they would be utterly astonished.

After all, the only people worthy of such a reception from Li Wenxi were the leaders of other major sects!

For an ordinary person, it was nearly impossible to even get an audience with her!

But on second thought, Phoenix relaxed. After all, when her master was on her deathbed, barely clinging to life, she would have long since fallen prey to the Grand Elder’s schemes if not for Xu Luo. She wouldn’t be enjoying her current glory.

No amount of respect shown to the one who saved her life could ever be too much.

With that thought, Phoenix quietly stood to the side.

Li Wenxi’s beautiful eyes fell upon Xu Luo’s young, handsome face, and her heart fluttered in disarray. She hastily calmed the ripples within, chiding herself internally. ’How could I possibly develop feelings for a boy so much younger than me? And he’s my own disciple’s sweetheart... This is completely taboo! I can’t play with fire!’

After they took their seats, Li Wenxi had completely composed herself. She was, after all, the leader of a sect and an expert at the Transformation Realm. She certainly had ways of controlling her emotions.

”Phoenix has probably told you a few things about the upcoming Sect Assembly. I’d like to hear your thoughts,” Li Wenxi said, looking at Xu Luo amiably.

By suppressing that inappropriate thought, Li Wenxi instantly felt much calmer. It seemed her mental state had even improved slightly, a pleasant surprise for her.

One had to understand that after entering the Transformation Realm, every single step forward was immensely more difficult than before.

”I want to participate,” Xu Luo said directly, making no effort to hide his eagerness for the event.

”That’s good, but...” Li Wenxi began, glancing at Xu Luo. ”For any previous Sect Assembly, I could have simply taken you with me. This time, however, you’ve likely heard that they’ve discovered vast Ancient Ruins. The place is fraught with peril, but it also holds immense opportunities. Because of that, the organizers have stipulated that all participants must be disciples of a sect.”

”Ah...” Xu Luo was taken aback for a moment, but he quickly realized the regulation was perfectly reasonable.

Li Wenxi continued, ”So, if you want to participate, I’m afraid I’ll have to ask you to temporarily join my Merak Sect. You can choose to leave once the assembly is over. Xu Luo, what do you say?”

As she spoke, she watched Xu Luo with a mixture of nervousness and anticipation.

She had wanted to recruit Xu Luo into the Merak Sect for some time now. Li Wenxi had recognized his immense talent the last time they met, but back then, she had too many internal sect matters to deal with.

By the time the dust settled, Xu Luo was already long gone, a fact Li Wenxi had lamented for quite some time.

The young man, Xu Luo, was truly a once-in-a-generation genius. If he were left to develop in the secular world, his talent would likely be squandered.

But this time, the sharp-eyed Li Wenxi had already spotted the miniature eagle on Phoenix’s shoulder and the tiny kitten peeking its head out of Xu Luo’s pocket. Unlike Phoenix, she could immediately recognize that the bird and the beast were High-tier Spirit Beasts.

She was inwardly astonished. ’To think he’s grown this much in such a short time!’

This made Li Wenxi even more determined to have Xu Luo join the Merak Sect.

If Xu Luo weren’t so young, she would have even wanted to offer him the position of Guest Elder, but she feared it would cause a backlash.

Xu Luo glanced at Phoenix, who wore the same look of anticipation, and then gave a wry smile. ”Under normal circumstances, I wouldn’t refuse, but... I have my own troubles. My joining the Merak Sect might not be a good thing for you.”

The thought of Su Qianqian’s entire family being massacred and her own unknown whereabouts made Xu Luo’s heart tighten. ’The Ancient Race... it’s like a sword hanging over my head. I have no idea when they’ll come knocking on my door.’

’When that happens, I’m afraid everyone connected to me will be dragged into it and affected.’

’My parents are in the secular world; perhaps the high-and-mighty Ancient Race won’t bother with them. But a sect is a different story.’

’In any case, sects are powerful forces that stand above the secular world. If I were to bring disaster upon the entire Merak Sect, upon Li Wenxi and Phoenix, I would never be able to live with myself.’

Seeing Xu Luo refuse, a flicker of disappointment crossed Phoenix’s face.

Li Wenxi, however, was as perceptive as ever. She looked at Xu Luo and asked, ”Have you... run into some kind of trouble recently?”

Xu Luo sighed internally. ’As expected of a Sect Leader. She’s remarkably sharp.’

After a moment’s thought, Xu Luo asked, ”Sect Leader, have you heard of the Ancient Race?”

Li Wenxi’s expression changed instantly. She stood up, glanced around, and released her Divine Sense to envelop the entire reception hall before turning back to Xu Luo in shock. ”What? You’ve provoked someone from an Ancient Race?”

With a wry smile, Xu Luo told Li Wenxi what had happened with Su Qianqian. He concluded, ”You could say I was just dragged into it, but these things are impossible to explain. I’m sure those powerful members of the Ancient Race won’t listen to any explanation I might have. Since they could wipe out a powerful family of their own kind, they certainly... wouldn’t think twice about crushing an ant like me.”

There was a trace of bitterness in Xu Luo’s voice. He was already very powerful, but he was simply too young. Fate hadn’t given him enough time to grow. ’I truly wish I could borrow another ten years from the heavens,’ he thought.

”To think you’d run into something like this... I don’t know whether to call you lucky or unlucky.”

Li Wenxi sighed. ”The Ancient Race... it’s a taboo subject for many sects. They are clans passed down from the Ancient Era, possessing peerless Cultivation Techniques and Pill Formulas. Every single one of their members is powerful to a suffocating degree... However, they almost never meddle in the affairs of the secular world, because in their eyes, secular people are no different from ants!”

Phoenix watched Xu Luo from the side, a mix of worry and a faint pang of jealousy stirring within her. ’I can’t believe he’s met a girl from an Ancient Race. I wonder what that Su Qianqian is like? Is she really just an ordinary friend, as he says?’

Li Wenxi continued, ”But it’s precisely because the Ancient Race disregards the secular world that you don’t have to worry too much. They won’t make a move against you easily unless they find concrete evidence. After all, besides a mischievous child, how many adults do you see going out of their way just to step on an ant?”

Xu Luo nodded with a wry smile. ”But I’m an ant who’s already been dragged into it...”

”Say no more,” Li Wenxi declared, her expression resolute. ”It doesn’t matter if it’s possible or not. Even if it really happens, I will absolutely not stand idly by!”

Phoenix added from the side, ”Neither will I!”

Xu Luo was deeply moved. ’Most people would run as far as they could from this kind of trouble. Who would dare get involved?’

’I may have saved Li Wenxi’s life by chance, but a debt like that doesn’t have to be repaid with another life.’

”It’s settled. From this day forward, you, Xu Luo, will be an Outer Disciple of the Merak Sect. For now, you’ll have to settle for being my Registered Disciple,” Li Wenxi said softly, forcibly suppressing the ache in her heart.

’This is for the best,’ she thought. ’It will sever any inappropriate ideas at the root!’

Li Wenxi was a decisive person. She didn’t want a moment of confusion to lead to irreparable consequences.

Phoenix was taken aback for a moment, then felt a pang of shame. ’I completely misunderstood Master.’

Xu Luo looked at Li Wenxi and asked, ”Is that really a good idea?”

Li Wenxi gave a faint smile. ”What does it matter if they’re the Ancient Race? They’re still human. Besides, even the Ancient Races don’t dare to go on wanton killing sprees. If they did, someone would step in to take care of them. After all, ’Ancient Race’ refers to a collective, not a single, unified power.”

The Sect Leader had taken on a Registered Disciple!

The news spread like wildfire throughout the entire Merak Sect, and many were filled with envy. Everyone knew that the Sect Leader was now an expert at the Transformation Realm; becoming her Registered Disciple meant one’s future would be limitless.

But many also questioned Xu Luo. On what grounds did the Sect Leader make an exception for an ordinary boy from the secular world, taking him on as a Registered Disciple? What had he done to deserve it? What right did he have?

Although no one said it aloud, more than a few Merak Disciples harbored such thoughts.

After all, aside from Li Wenxi and Phoenix, hardly anyone knew the full story of how Xu Luo had saved her. Even the trusted disciples who guarded her courtyard that day only knew a vague version of events.

How Sect Leader Li had recovered remained an unsolved mystery for the entire Merak Sect.

But the Sect Leader’s decision was final. So, despite the dissatisfaction many felt, there was nothing to be done.

However, the Merak Sect’s most recent rising star, a young girl named Yaya who had been Sect Leader Li Wenxi’s youngest disciple, was delighted by the news.

”That big brother is really nice! Oh, does this mean Yaya is his senior martial sister now? Hee hee!”

Yaya’s words stunned many people. For one, if Li Wenxi hadn’t taken on another disciple, Yaya would have been her final, last-in-line disciple.

And second, who was Yaya?

She was the greatest genius the Merak Sect had seen in centuries!

Her innate talent had already surpassed that of the previous prodigy, Phoenix!

In the less than a year since she had entered the sect and begun to formally cultivate, Yaya had already reached the realm of a Tier Four Sword Venerable!

Such a speed was nothing short of terrifying!

And one had to remember, Yaya wasn’t even ten years old!

Many in the Merak Sect already believed that Yaya... would become the sect’s most outstanding expert in the future!

For such a young prodigy to hold such a favorable impression of a boy from the secular world...

Xu Luo... Who on earth was he?