Firmament Sword

All five Star Souls opened completely, and the entire Spirit Stone Vein, like a river of stars pouring down from the heavens, surged madly into Xu Luo’s Dantian.

In the process, Xu Luo gained unimaginable benefits. The Shadow Shaking Heart Method circulated continuously, guiding the immense streams of energy while simultaneously raising his cultivation level.

Such a thing was unheard of in heaven or on earth, a once-in-an-eternity opportunity!

It could even be said to be utterly unprecedented, never seen before and never to be seen again.

By the end, the vast energy contained within the entire Spirit Stone Vein had been completely drained, just as the first hint of dawn appeared in the sky outside.

When he began absorbing the powerful Life Energy he had sensed earlier, the Star Souls seemed to grow excited, glowing brilliantly and flashing with light inside his Dantian.

That pure and powerful Life Energy struggled desperately, but it was helpless against the Star Souls. It was torn apart and pulled into Xu Luo’s body.

However, the five Star Souls didn’t absorb this energy into Xu Luo’s Dantian. Instead, they guided it to repeatedly assault the shackles on his meridians!

”This is...” Xu Luo was startled.

”This is a gift for you,” Shaking Light’s ancient, desolate voice rang out. ”Now, you can find a place to focus on breaking through to the next realm!”

Xu Luo was overjoyed. Feeling the powerful Life Energy coursing through him, he calculated internally, ’This should be enough to break through the shackles and reach the Sword Saint Realm!’

Nearly all the meridians in his body were already open, with only a few shackles remaining.

The shackle between the Transformation Realm and the Divine Power Realm was particularly indestructible. Even this supremely potent and pure Life Energy would struggle to force open the slightest crack.

It would be a difficult process, but Xu Luo was both patient and confident.

He hoped to become the first great expert in history to break through to the Divine Power Realm at the young age of twenty.

It seemed like a grand ambition, but... it wasn’t unreasonable.

With the help of five fully awakened Star Souls and this supremely pure and powerful Life Energy, Xu Luo believed... ’I can do this!’

...

The first ray of sunlight finally broke over the eastern horizon, illuminating the land and casting a golden haze.

It was time for the young disciples from the various factions guarding the mine to change shifts.

Large groups of people hurried over, their faces alight with joy.

”Senior Brother, why are you so happy? Did something good happen?” a young disciple just coming off the night shift asked a beaming senior.

”Haha! The higher-ups finally reached an agreement! Soon... we’ll be getting tons of Spirit Stones!”

”Wow... That’s amazing! I’ve been waiting for this day! I can’t wait to break through to Tier Nine of the Sword Venerable realm!” the young disciple exclaimed, giddy with excitement.

Similar conversations broke out throughout the crowd. Even though the disciples from the different factions had previously been at odds, the tense atmosphere vanished in an instant.

They never had any personal grudges or feuds; their opposition was merely a product of their different affiliations.

Now that the higher-ups had reached a consensus through mutual compromise and divided the spoils, the factions would naturally begin mining together. Barring any major surprises, the disciples of these sects would likely enjoy a period of peace and harmony.

After all... no one would pass up a chance at Spirit Stones, right?

”Sigh... They’ve finally reached an agreement. It wasn’t easy. I just never thought *he* would be the reason they did...”

Nangong Yu Yan and Lin Luoxue stood on high ground, looking down at the bustling disciples gathered around the mine pit. ”It’s only been a few years,” Nangong Yu Yan said with a sigh, ”and he’s already become powerful enough to stand against entire sects.”

Lin Luoxue’s expression was forlorn as she whispered, ”But things between us... can never go back to how they were in Black Wind Town.”

”Luoxue... I know you have feelings for him. But setting aside the fact that he already has three fiancées, and just looking at the Sect’s attitude toward him... I think it’s best if you give up on that notion sooner rather than later. If you don’t... you’ll be the one who gets horribly hurt!” Nangong Yu Yan sighed.

”There’s no point in talking about that now. There’s... no longer any possibility between us. I imagine when he looks at me now, he sees no difference between me and the Dubhe Sect Members who died in the Imperial Capital,” Lin Luoxue lamented with a soft, self-pitying sigh.

”I don’t think... that’s true.” Nangong Yu Yan didn’t want to say it, but she wasn’t one for lying, so she couldn’t help but add, ”From what I understand, Xu Luo is a very loyal person. He’s always considered you a friend.”

”Really?” A hopeful light flashed in Lin Luoxue’s beautiful eyes as she looked at Nangong Yu Yan. ”You really think so?”

Seeing Lin Luoxue’s expression, Nangong Yu Yan couldn’t bear it and gave a wry smile. ”But even if it is true, so what? Luoxue, you’re different from that little Princess from Cangqiong. She and Xu Luo were childhood sweethearts; their bond is incredibly deep. Besides, the Kaiyang Sect wronged the Cangqiong Royal Family first. That’s why the Princess could make the choice she did. But you... you can’t!”

”You’re right... I can’t. I grew up in Dubhe. It’s my home. The Sect Leader has always treated me like his own daughter, doting on me, always giving me the best of everything, even if it angered the other Elders. He never cared...” Lin Luoxue said wistfully. ”I just never understood why he hates Xu Luo so much...”

”The Sect Leader doesn’t hate Xu Luo, it’s just that...” As Nangong Yu Yan spoke, a look of surprise suddenly flashed in her eyes and she glanced toward the northern sky.

”Just what?” Lin Luoxue asked, then followed Nangong Yu Yan’s gaze. Her own face filled with astonishment as she cried out, ”What is that?”

In the distant northern sky, a colossal bird was flying toward them!

The massive bird was like a dark cloud, blotting out the sky and sun. Its wingspan was easily several thousand meters across! It flew at an incredible speed; one moment it was a mere black dot on the horizon, and the next it had arrived and stopped, hovering directly overhead.

”Is that a peak-level Spirit Beast? What is it doing here?” Lin Luoxue stared at the giant bird that blotted out the sky, her expression suddenly changing. ”Don’t tell me it’s people from the Ancient Race Continent...”

”I don’t know...” Nangong Yu Yan was just as stunned, murmuring, ”Maybe... it is!”

Everyone else saw it too, and they were all so shocked they were nearly speechless.

Not everyone had seen a Spirit Beast of this size. It was hard to remain calm when faced with a creature that looked like a living thundercloud.

The great bird slowly descended toward the ground.

When it finally touched down, it loomed like a small mountain...

Only then did people see that four or five figures were standing on the bird’s back. They were all dressed in gray robes and appeared to be quite advanced in age.

The youngest among them looked to be at least fifty.

There were five in total: one woman, an old crone who looked to be in her seventies, and four old men.

There was no need for a report. With such a commotion, it was impossible for the leaders of the major sects not to notice. As the great bird descended, the various Sect Leaders, Elders, and other high-ranking members were already rushing over.

The five elders on the bird’s back didn’t dismount immediately. They stood with their eyes slightly closed, as if sensing for something.

Soon, all five of them frowned.

The lone woman, the old crone, frowned and said, ”Weren’t we told there was a massive Spirit Stone Vein here? Why can’t I feel the slightest trace of spiritual energy? Is the vein too deep? Or is there something wrong with my senses? This makes no sense!”

”Dan Qiong, your senses are fine... I can’t feel any spiritual energy here either,” said the youngest of the group, a refined-looking man in his fifties with a long goatee who carried an almost ethereal air. ”If the news was fake, then why are all those young people guarding this place? But if the news was true... why can’t we sense anything? What’s going on?”

”Huo Wei, you feel it too?” The old woman’s brow furrowed even deeper. She turned to the other three. ”And you?”

”It’s strange...” said the oldest-looking of the men. He had the classic appearance of a master—white hair but a youthful, ruddy complexion without a single wrinkle, a pair of long, snow-white eyebrows, and eyes that were deep and clear.

The old man muttered to himself, ”I can feel a... residual aura of energy... It seems to carry a hint of unwillingness. Hmm... It’s as if... as if there was once a vast amount of energy here, energy that had even begun to form its own consciousness... but someone... drained it all dry...”

”Impossible, surely?” another elder said. ”Uncle Wanzhang, isn’t that a bit too far-fetched? A Spirit Stone Vein... developing its own consciousness?”

The old man with the youthful face shook his head. ”I didn’t say it was the vein that gained consciousness. Perhaps... it was something else. Or perhaps my senses are mistaken. But I can’t shake the feeling that something is very wrong here.”

A gaunt elder who had been silent until now finally spoke up. ”Regardless of what it was, one thing is certain: there is no Spirit Stone Vein here anymore.”

”Correct. Even if there was one before, it’s gone now,” the man with the youthful face affirmed with a nod.

”Let’s ask those people and see if they know anything,” Huo Danqiong said suddenly.

In the distance, the Sect Leaders and high-ranking members of the various sects were rapidly approaching, their faces grim and even a little nervous.

The gaunt elder raised an eyebrow. ”Looks like... they don’t know anything either. Why else would they be so nervous?”

”Exactly. Look at their faces. It’s like they think we’re here to fight them for scraps... How amusing,” Huo Wei, the fifty-year-old, said with a sneer.