Firmament Sword

Master Tao wasn’t trying to go back on his word; he was just a bit bitter. He had never imagined that a human youth could be so powerful. To think he had actually destroyed the Puppets created by the renowned Behemoth Alchemy Masters of the Ancient Era—it was simply unbelievable!

’How on earth did he do it?’ Master Tao still couldn’t figure it out.

Master Tao had lived for countless years and seen all sorts of powerful experts, but he had almost never encountered someone like Xu Luo, who possessed such strength at such a young age.

He was a king, a sovereign among his peers!

But it would never say such things to Xu Luo. ’This damned brat is already arrogant enough,’ it thought. ’If I told him this, he’d only become more domineering.’

A single Immortal Peach contained an unimaginable amount of energy. The moment it entered his body, it was immediately absorbed by his three awakened Star Souls.

”Ahem… leave some for me! I need it to break through to the Fifth Layer of Transformation Realm so I can use Dharma Heaven and Earth.” Xu Luo’s mouth twitched as he watched helplessly, the peach’s energy completely devoured and divided among the three Star Souls.

”Your strength is advancing too quickly. It will not benefit you,” the ancient and ethereal voice of the Shaking Light Star Soul sounded.

”Fine…” Xu Luo pursed his lips, knowing there was no point in arguing. His awakened Star Souls were all cut from the same cloth. They’d help in a pinch, but they were utterly merciless when it came to absorbing energy.

”By the way, where did that giant tiger and the large golden bird go?” Xu Luo asked.

”How would I know? The moment my seal was undone, I left. Who’s interested in paying attention to those little things?” Master Tao said.

”Then how are you going to follow me? Are you going to hide in my Storage Ring?” Xu Luo asked.

”Hide… hide in… a Storage Ring? A place like that is fit for habitation? Are you kidding me?!” Master Tao flew into a rage, feeling deeply insulted.

”Then how are you going to stay with me?” Xu Luo raised an eyebrow, suspecting this ancient tree possessed Divine Techniques beyond his imagination.

Just as he thought, the Chaos Peach Tree before him began to shrink rapidly. In the end, it became a small, purple tree just over an inch tall, looking just like an ornament.

It was translucent and sparkling, as if carved from purple jade. Iridescent light flowed across its surface, and it shimmered with a radiant glow.

Then, one of its branches transformed into a cord, and it hung itself around Xu Luo’s neck. Anyone who didn’t know the truth would never have imagined that such a treasure of a tree could leave the soil and turn into a simple decoration.

’This Ancient Peach Tree… is certainly not simple,’ Xu Luo thought, suddenly recalling the words of the final statue.

But even if the statue’s words were true, Xu Luo would never choose to give it up. The value of this Ancient Peach Tree was simply too immense!

It was no exaggeration to say that with a tree like this, the only thing standing in the way of founding a supreme sect that could look down on the entire world was time.

It was no wonder the Behemoth Race had suppressed the Chaos Peach Tree here all those years ago. Who wouldn’t be green with envy at the sight of such a treasure?

Earth-shaking rumbles echoed from the distance. Xu Luo strained his eyes and saw the giant black tiger and the large golden bird fighting once again.

”Poor fools. The thing they were fighting over is gone. What’s left to fight about?” Xu Luo muttered to himself before turning and heading in the opposite direction.

He had no desire to get involved in the commotion. He’d already claimed the grand prize, so what would be the point?

...

Ji Bingyu’s expression was as cold as ice as she stared at the group surrounding her and Lianyi. Her gaze landed on a tall, handsome, yet somewhat disheveled young man. ”Jiang Tianhai, what is the meaning of this?”

”The meaning? Surely you understand, Miss Bingyu? Or do you need me to spell it out?” Jiang Tianhai sneered at Ji Bingyu. ”We risked life and limb while you reaped a heavenly reward. It’s not a good habit to hoard treasures for yourself. Bring it out so we can all share, and we can forget this ever happened.”

”Bring what out?” Lianyi asked coolly, looking at Jiang Tianhai.

”The Immortal Peaches, of course!” Jiang Tianhai sneered. ”Stop playing dumb. You took the Immortal Peaches that belonged to Brother Gu Xing. Are you going to deny it?”

”How ridiculous. What do you mean, we took Gu Xing’s Immortal Peaches? Did you see that with your own eyes?” A flicker of disdain crossed Lianyi’s face as she sneered. ”A whole group of grown men ganging up on two young women. Aren’t you afraid of becoming a laughingstock?”

”We are all young prodigies from our respective sects; let’s not resort to such words. Just hand over the items obediently, and we’ll distribute them fairly!” Gu Xing’s face was livid. He had managed to obtain two Immortal Peaches, but he hadn’t been able to hold onto them, and his heart burned with rage.

”And who agreed to any fair distribution with you?” Ji Bingyu said coldly. ”If you have the guts, go find that Peach Tree yourselves.”

”Enough nonsense. You have two choices: hand over the Immortal Peaches for us all to share, or we’ll take them from you by force!” Xiaohai of the Black Water Sect declared, his tone unyielding. ”If it comes to that, however, it won’t be a pretty sight for you.”

”That’s right. It would be best for you to hand them over willingly. Seeing as we’re all from major sects, we won’t speak of this again once we get out of here,” Jiang Tianhai added.

”First, those peaches have nothing to do with you. Second, we’ve already eaten them. If you’re looking for trouble, just say so. Make your move, and my sister and I will take you on!” Ji Bingyu said, her face flushed with anger.

”Haha, excellent! Miss Bingyu is truly worthy of being called the number one of the Celestial Cauldron Sect’s younger generation. So impressive! I hear the Celestial Cauldron Sect has some fine Magical Artifacts. You must have them on you, right? Since we can’t seem to reach an agreement, well… let’s settle this with our fists!” Jiang Tianhai sneered.

In truth, even without this incident, Jiang Tianhai had long found Ji Bingyu and Lianyi to be an eyesore. They were far too close to that youth, Merak!

And Jiang Tianhai couldn’t stand the sight of Xu Luo, always suspecting that something was going on between his junior martial sister, Huangfu Shishi, and him.

Seizing this opportunity, he had no intention of letting them off easily.

Besides, a single glance was enough to tell that the peaches from that tree were rare medicinal treasures capable of fleshing out skeletons and reviving the dead. Who wouldn’t be tempted by such a thing?

That was why these talented disciples from the major sects had immediately surrounded Lianyi and Ji Bingyu, hoping to get a piece of the pie. They just hadn’t expected the two women to be so unyielding, showing no fear even when faced with so many powerful opponents.

None of them believed Ji Bingyu and Lianyi. A rare medicinal treasure like that needed to be refined into a pill with various other Spirit Medicines to maximize its efficacy. To just eat the peach raw was an outrageous waste of a priceless treasure!

They refused to believe that Lianyi and Ji Bingyu would be ignorant of the difference.

Of course, Lianyi and Ji Bingyu understood. But they understood the principle that ”possessing a treasure invites disaster” even better. It would have been impossible to hold onto them.

Ji Bingyu pulled a peach pit from her robes, brandishing it at Jiang Tianhai. ”See this? We’ve already eaten the peach. Jiang Tianhai, are you sure… you want to keep making things difficult for us?”

Upon seeing the peach pit in Ji Bingyu’s hand, the faces of Jiang Tianhai and his followers turned livid. They couldn’t believe the two women had been so ruthless as to actually eat the peaches.

Gu Xing of the Shaking Light Sect, in particular, felt like he was about to vomit blood. He had risked his life for those two Immortal Peaches, only for someone else to reap the benefits…

The more he thought about it, the more wronged and frustrated he felt. He couldn’t help but let out a furious roar. ”You ate the Immortal Peaches I paid for with my life’s blood! Now, you’ll pay for them with yours!”

As he spoke, Gu Xing’s figure moved like a bolt of lightning, charging straight for Ji Bingyu and striking out with his palm.

A force with the power to topple mountains and overturn seas surged forth!

As a cultivator at the Third Layer of Transformation Realm, Gu Xing was practically invincible among his peers. He didn’t even consider Ji Bingyu and Lianyi a threat.

Jiang Tianhai shot a look at his companions and ordered, ”Subdue them!”

WHOOSH!

A group of Kaiyang Sect disciples instantly charged toward Lianyi and Ji Bingyu.

Though these young disciples weren’t as famous as Jiang Tianhai, none of them were weak. A few had even reached the Transformation Realm. United in an Array, their power multiplied, making them a force that could not be underestimated.

Xiaohai also watched Ji Bingyu and Lianyi with a cold gaze. He didn’t charge forward, but his intention to provide reinforcement was obvious.

Lianyi and Ji Bingyu had been too lucky. Two Immortal Peaches were enough to make anyone burn with jealousy.

BANG!

Ji Bingyu exchanged a palm strike with Gu Xing. Turbulent power blasted outward, forcing them both to retreat several steps.

A hint of surprise showed on Gu Xing’s face. Before, while both had been at the Third Layer of Transformation Realm, Ji Bingyu’s combat prowess had been far inferior to his.

He never expected that after eating a single Immortal Peach, she would be able to fight him on even footing. The flames of jealousy in Gu Xing’s heart burned even hotter. ’All of this should have been mine!’

Meanwhile, Lianyi single-handedly blocked the attacks of the Kaiyang Sect disciples. Wielding her Long Sword, her movements were as graceful as a celestial Fairy’s.

But in the eyes of the others, no matter how beautiful the two women were, the treasures they possessed were far more tempting.

The peaches might be gone, but the pits remained. And those were still priceless treasures!

Not to mention, one was the top prodigy of the Celestial Cauldron Sect, and the other was the Sect Leader’s daughter. How could they possibly not have other treasures on them?

In a place so isolated from the rest of the world, the darkest parts of the human heart are magnified. This Small World was filled with peril at every turn; even if the top prodigy of a sect were to die here, no one would be particularly surprised.

This was precisely Jiang Tianhai’s plan: to ensure Lianyi and Ji Bingyu remained in this Small World forever!

Jiang Tianhai sidled up to Xiaohai and chuckled lewdly. ”Once we’ve captured them, Brother Xiaohai, would you like to… hehe.”

Xiaohai frowned slightly. He glanced at Jiang Tianhai’s lecherous grin and shook his head. ”I only want a peach pit.”

Jiang Tianhai laughed heartily. ”Fine by me! Just don’t get jealous of the fun your brother is about to have when we capture them!”

”I’m not interested,” Xiaohai replied, his face an emotionless mask.

Lianyi and Ji Bingyu, however, had overheard Jiang Tianhai’s words. Their faces flushed crimson with fury. Ji Bingyu raged, ”Jiang Tianhai, you’re shameless! You’re worse than a beast!”

”I just want to teach you… a harsh lesson!” Jiang Tianhai sneered. ”So you’ll understand that in this world, a pretty face doesn’t mean everyone has to bow down to you!”