Firmament Sword

”What?” Phoenix shot to her feet, her face turning grim.

Xu Luo opened the tent flap, let the young woman inside, and then asked, ”What happened?”

The young woman had a panicked expression. ”I don’t know either,” she said frantically. ”Just now, the Sect Leader and the others were about to head to the market to see if they could find any Spirit Medicine. A group of people suddenly showed up, saying they wanted to pay a visit. It turned out to be the Tianquan Sect Master, Fang Jing, with his son. And... there’s also a group from the Jade Balance Sect...”

”The Jade Balance Sect?” Phoenix and Xu Luo exchanged a look, their expressions turning solemn.

”How did the Jade Balance Sect get involved with Tianquan?” Xu Luo frowned slightly, sensing that things were getting tricky.

Though both the Jade Balance Sect and the Merak Sect were named after stars in the Big Dipper, there was a vast difference in their power.

The Jade Balance Sect was one of the true super-sects on the Central Plains Star Continent. The sect had tens of thousands of disciples, hundreds of affiliated smaller sects, and countless Outer Sect Disciples.

The Jade Balance Sect was situated on this very plain and was the host of the current sect gathering. The Ancient Ruins hidden within the Celestial Break Mountain Range had been discovered by them!

For such a super-sect to get involved with Merak’s rival sect was truly not a pleasant matter.

”Who came from the Jade Balance Sect?” Xu Luo asked the young woman.

”An Elder...” The young woman’s gaze was fraught with anxiety. Looking at the two of them, she said, ”The Sect Leader sent me to get you, Phoenix. It seems she has no intention of agreeing, but the people from the Jade Balance Sect are being too aggressive...”

”It’s fine. Don’t worry. We’ll go take a look.” Xu Luo quickly calmed down. Faced with this situation, they could only take it one step at a time.

Phoenix’s face was a little pale, and a chill ran through her. Faced with this pressure, she finally showed her vulnerable, helpless side.

Xu Luo gently held Phoenix’s cold hand and said, ”Don’t be afraid. I’m here!”

Phoenix looked up at Xu Luo, her expression heart-wrenchingly vulnerable.

Sister Ying, on Phoenix’s shoulder, said, ”If worst comes to worst, I’ll just fly away with you!”

Master Mao poked his head out of Xu Luo’s pocket. ”That’s right! If worst comes to worst, we’ll just leave and never come back!”

Spirit Beasts were intelligent, but their thinking lacked human foresight. Phoenix and Xu Luo both knew that escaping wouldn’t be difficult. The real question was, if they left, what would happen to Li Wenxi? What would happen to the Merak Sect?

How many people had the courage to refuse a super-sect like the Jade Balance Sect?

As soon as Xu Luo and Phoenix entered Merak’s reception tent, they could feel the heavy atmosphere inside.

Li Wenxi sat in the host’s seat, with Qiushuiduan standing behind her, appearing to be her guard.

Next to Li Wenxi, in the seat of the guest of honor, sat a man in his sixties. He had an ethereal, sage-like air about him, dressed in a gray robe, with a hint of impatience on his face.

A stunningly beautiful young woman stood behind the old man. She was tall and slender with fair skin, dark brows, almond-shaped eyes, and cherry-red lips. She looked to be about eighteen or nineteen.

Most striking of all was the young woman’s short, choppy hair. Unlike most women, who wore their hair long and elegant, her hairstyle was refreshingly different and gave her a valiant and dashing air.

In a lower seat sat a man in black, appearing to be around thirty. He was quite handsome, and there was a slight resemblance between his features and those of the Tianquan Sect Master, Fang Jing, who sat nearby.

Fang Zhou stood behind his father. When he saw Phoenix and Xu Luo arrive together, a venomous look flashed in the depths of his eyes. Immediately after, a cold sneer appeared on his lips as he thought to himself, ’Xu Luo, you might have gotten the upper hand before, but now... faced with the Jade Balance Sect, let’s see if you still have the courage to fight.’

Fang Zhou desperately hoped Xu Luo would clash with the Jade Balance Sect. The Jade Balance Sect would never let anyone who dared to provoke them go. If that happened, Xu Luo would be a dead man!

Xu Luo’s gaze lingered on the man in black for a moment. He was already beginning to understand.

”Merak Disciples Xu Luo and Phoenix pay our respects to our Sect Leader and to everyone present!” Xu Luo and Phoenix stood side-by-side, bowing to the people in the tent.

Standing behind the old man, the short-haired girl curiously sized up Xu Luo and Phoenix. Her gaze swept past Xu Luo, but she seemed surprised by Phoenix’s beauty and took a few extra glances.

Li Wenxi nodded slightly. Just as she was about to speak, the young man in black suddenly spoke up, saying coolly, ”Sect Leader Li, didn’t you just say you were only fetching Miss Phoenix? What’s going on with this other person?”

A flash of anger passed through the depths of Li Wenxi’s eyes. By now, she had a general idea of the relationship between Tianquan and Jade Balance.

Judging by the young man in black’s appearance, he was, in all likelihood, Fang Jing’s brother. With that connection, he would certainly help his own brother.

”This young man is also a disciple of my Merak Sect. Furthermore, he is the fiancé of my disciple, Phoenix. The reason for my hesitation just now was because I needed to bring both of my disciples here to discuss this very matter.” Li Wenxi looked at the man in black and explained coolly, ”So, our friends have come at a truly inopportune time. If these two were not engaged, this matter might have been negotiable...”

”You’re lying! They’re obviously not engaged! You’re a liar!” Fang Zhou, standing behind Fang Jing, instantly lost control and roared at Li Wenxi.

”Silence! Have you no manners?!” Fang Jing only barked out a stern reprimand after his son had finished speaking.

Fang Zhou’s face was flushed red as he shot a vicious glare at Xu Luo.

The man in black seemed completely unaffected. He looked at Li Wenxi with a smile and said, ”There was a small misunderstanding between my elder brother and your esteemed sect before. I don’t think it’s a big deal. Add to that the fact that my good-for-nothing nephew is so fond of Miss Phoenix, so today I’ve taken the liberty of asking Elder Xiao of our Jade Balance Sect to come and act as a matchmaker...”

As he spoke, the man in black glanced at the man in his sixties, then said coolly, ”I just didn’t expect that Sect Leader Li would still be... unwilling to grant me this small bit of face.”

Li Wenxi said, ”It’s not that I won’t give you face, it’s just that... my young disciple is already engaged. It’s not right to change something like this. Fang Zhou is a young hero; he will have no trouble finding a good woman. Why must you make things difficult for others...”

Before Li Wenxi could finish, the man in his sixties, who had been silent all this time, suddenly waved his hand, cutting her off. He said flatly, ”Enough. This old man is a bit tired. Let’s just settle the matter like this.”

Everyone in the room was stunned. ’How is it settled?’ they all wondered.

The old man stood up and said very plainly, ”This little girl is indeed quite pretty. The Young Master of Tianquan, Fang Zhou, is a good match for her, whether in character, family background, or cultivation level! With your two sects joined by marriage, my Jade Balance Sect will also take good care of you in the future!”

An ecstatic expression instantly appeared on Fang Zhou’s face. Even Fang Jing, who was still seated, showed a look of pleasant surprise.

A promise from an Elder of the Jade Balance Sect was truly a tremendous honor!

With such a promise, the two sects might not be able to swagger across the entire Central Plains Star Continent, but at least no one would dare to provoke them again!

Even other super-sects would have to think twice about the Jade Balance Sect’s reaction before making a move against the Tianquan and Merak sects.

The value of this promise could not be overstated!

The old man’s expression was placid, as if he were discussing a trivial matter. From beginning to end, he didn’t even glance at Li Wenxi. As for Xu Luo, in his eyes, he was like thin air, utterly nonexistent.

The light in Phoenix’s eyes dimmed instantly. Her face went pale, and it felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body.

Xu Luo reached out and steadied Phoenix, a flash of anger crossing his solemn face.

’What an overbearing sect. They’re going too far!’ The anger in Xu Luo’s chest blazed uncontrollably.

Seeing Xu Luo steady Phoenix, Fang Zhou’s face instantly turned ugly. He pointed at Xu Luo and shouted, ”Bastard, let go of my fiancée!”

”Weakling, what are you yelling about?” Xu Luo raised an eyebrow, looking at Fang Zhou with disdain. ”Are your ears not hurting anymore?”

Fang Zhou’s expression changed. He subconsciously reached up to cover his ears, his face turning deathly pale. Xu Luo’s demonic sound attack from a few days prior had left him with severe psychological trauma.

The man in black watched Xu Luo coldly. The man in his sixties also seemed a bit surprised, glancing at Xu Luo with his half-closed eyes before letting out a soft snort.

The pretty, short-haired girl behind the old man, however, sized Xu Luo up with considerable interest, seemingly surprised that the young man would still dare to speak under such circumstances.

Fang Jing looked at Li Wenxi with a smirk that didn’t reach his eyes. ”Sect Leader Li, your disciple... seems to be quite unruly!”

A hint of worry also flashed in Li Wenxi’s eyes. She looked at Xu Luo, wanting to say something, but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

She had no desire to involve Xu Luo, but she also didn’t want Phoenix to marry into Tianquan and become the wife of an enemy! But she was a Sect Leader and had to consider the future of her entire sect. If she refused today, the Merak Sect would likely face difficult days ahead.

They might not even be able to get past the current crisis!

After all, the Jade Balance Sect was a super-sect, and they were the hosts of this sect gathering!

But if she agreed... it would completely violate her personal principles.

For a moment, Li Wenxi was caught in a dilemma.

At this moment, Xu Luo raised his head, looked at Fang Jing, and said coolly, ”In this world, there are always some self-righteous people who think everyone should submit to them, that their words are imperial edicts, and once issued, no one under heaven dares to disobey... However, this world has also never been short of people who dare to resist.”

As Xu Luo spoke, his gaze shifted to the man in his sixties. He cupped his fist and said, neither obsequious nor arrogant, ”Senior, as an Elder of Jade Balance, you are of high prestige and command great respect. But perhaps Senior is unaware of the cause and course of this matter. This junior implores Senior to make a decision only after investigating the full story. Otherwise, if you were to be used by others, I’m afraid it would reflect poorly on your reputation, would it not?”

”Hmm?” The old man opened his eyes, his gaze falling upon Xu Luo. He felt the kid’s last few words were spoken rather cleverly. He looked at Xu Luo with a faint, unreadable smile. ”Little whelp, you’ve got some nerve. Why don’t you tell me, then? What’s the inside story here?”