Firmament Sword

”What’s the cultivation level of the Blazing Fire Sect’s strongest expert?” The young woman, Yang Dan, gave Xu Luo a teasing look. ”What? You’re not thinking of helping, are you?”

”Yang Dan! Watch your tone!” Yang Ming asserted his authority as her older brother, scolding her with a frown. He then said, ”The strongest person in the Blazing Fire Sect... is likely their Supreme Elder. That man... is said to have already entered the Divine Power Realm.”

Yang Dan stuck out her tongue, set her bowl aside, and pouted. ”If our great-grandfather could take that step, we wouldn’t have to be afraid of them. Those people are so detestable!”

’An expert who has entered the Divine Power Realm...’ Xu Luo smiled wryly to himself. ’If I weren’t injured, I certainly wouldn’t be afraid of some expert who just broke through to the Divine Power Realm. But now...’ He could only entertain the thought. If he said anything out loud, the siblings would definitely think he was just bragging.

”Alright, since you have no grievances with any of these sects, we won’t ask where you came from. After all, everyone has their own secrets.” The young woman, Yang Dan, stood up and looked at Xu Luo. ”Just focus on recovering here!”

”Thank you both,” Xu Luo said earnestly.

If he hadn’t met such kind people, his corpse might have been left to rot in the wilderness. Xu Luo knew he had to etch this life-saving debt into his heart.

”It was no trouble at all,” the young woman said with a grin before turning to leave.

Yang Ming looked at Xu Luo and said, ”Brother Xu, just focus on your recovery for now. If you need anything, just let the servants know. I’ve already given them instructions, so don’t feel awkward about asking.”

Xu Luo thanked him again and watched him leave.

Lying in bed, Xu Luo’s mind was in turmoil.

He couldn’t help but marvel at the twists of fate. He had actually managed to escape from five Divine Power Realm experts. Not only that, he’d killed three of them and crippled another. ’Even the strongest one must have suffered some serious injuries, right?’

A wave of exhaustion washed over him, and Xu Luo sank back into a deep sleep.

Over the next few days, Xu Luo’s injuries healed a little more each day. Before long, he was able to get out of bed and walk around.

However, the poison in his body had yet to be completely purged.

For some reason, his five awakened Star Souls remained dormant. Xu Luo could sense their presence, but when he tried to communicate with them, they were completely unresponsive.

If it weren’t for the faint light still glimmering on all five, Xu Luo would have assumed they had suffered heavy damage and fallen dormant again, just like his Jade Balance Star Soul had before.

’Perhaps... they’re the ones who brought me here, but fell dormant after using up too much energy,’ Xu Luo guessed.

His power had also plummeted from the Divine Power Realm... all the way down to a Tier Three Sword Venerable.

While this outcome was difficult to stomach, it was understandable.

Having been afflicted by so many deadly poisons from that venom-wielding Divine Power Realm expert and fighting for so long, just surviving was a small miracle in itself.

At least his power wasn’t completely gone. He could still slowly cultivate his way back.

Xu Luo’s will had already been forged into something incredibly strong during his trials on the ancient Star Path in the mysterious cosmos.

His hundred years of enlightenment while sitting under that small tree... were not spent in vain.

It was enough to allow him to maintain a calm state of mind in the face of such a devastating blow, cultivating patiently without anxiety or haste.

A little over a month later, Xu Luo had cultivated his strength back to the Sword Venerable Peak, but then he hit a bottleneck.

There were no blockages in his meridians, but the large amount of residual poison in his body was constantly affecting him.

Xu Luo did all of this in secret, so no one, including the Yang siblings, knew that he was already recovering his strength.

One day, Yang Qingchuan, the Sect Leader of the Starlight Sect and the father of the Yang siblings, finally returned. A lively atmosphere instantly spread throughout the entire Starlight Sect.

Everyone knew that the Sect Leader had gone out to find reinforcements.

The Sect Leader’s return meant that there might be a resolution, so everyone in the Starlight Sect was hoping for good news.

But before long, a gloomy atmosphere descended upon the entire Starlight Sect.

Yang Dan and Yang Ming came to Xu Luo’s room together. The moment she entered, Yang Dan couldn’t help but complain, ”Honestly... what kind of people are they? If it weren’t for our great-grandfather back in the day, that sect would have been wiped out long ago! Now that they’ve gotten stronger... they’ve become completely heartless! They actually want our Starlight Sect to become their subordinate... Ptooey! They’re ambitious wolves! Even worse than that bunch from the Blazing Fire Sect!”

”Sigh... Forget it. Things are different now. They’ve truly become a major power, so it’s only natural they’d look down on a small, struggling sect like ours,” Yang Ming sighed, his eyes filled with worry.

The two siblings had become quite close with Xu Luo, so they didn’t hide their true feelings in front of him.

Xu Luo smiled faintly. ”No matter the situation, you ultimately have to rely on yourselves. It’s hard to count on others.”

”Easy for you to say... If we were powerful enough, if we had a whole host of Sword King Realm experts, we wouldn’t be afraid of them at all!” Yang Dan grumbled, pouting with a look of resignation.

”By the way, what cultivation level are you two at now?” Xu Luo asked, glancing at Yang Dan and Yang Ming.

”Why are you asking?” Yang Dan eyed Xu Luo warily. Then, like a deflated balloon, she flopped into a chair, propped her chin in her hand, and said glumly, ”We’re... both pretty weak. I’m a Tier Seven Sword Venerable, and my brother is eighth-tier, so he’s a tiny bit stronger than me...”

”It’s not a tiny bit, it’s a lot,” Yang Ming corrected her.

”What good is that? The Blazing Fire Sect’s younger generation has over a dozen experts with Transformation Realm Cultivation... to say nothing of their older generation, which has dozens of Transformation Realm Powerhouses!” Yang Dan said. ”But us... in our entire sect, all our Transformation Realm Powerhouses combined don’t even add up to fifteen... We thought the Cyan Leaf Sect would help, but who would’ve thought... that bunch of ungrateful bastards...”

”Ahem...” Two soft coughs suddenly came from outside the door.

Yang Dan, who had been full of righteous fury, immediately swallowed her words upon hearing the sound. ”Why is Father here?” she asked, surprised.

Yang Ming, who had been lounging casually in his chair, instinctively sat up straight, his expression turning serious.

The door opened and a middle-aged man walked in. It was none other than the Sect Leader of the Starlight Sect, Yang Qingchuan.

He appeared to be in his forties, with a dignified and scholarly air, though his face carried a hint of weariness.

After entering, Yang Qingchuan first smiled at Xu Luo. ”I heard my two children rescued someone,” he said, ”but I’ve been so busy I haven’t had a chance to come visit. Please forgive me for neglecting our guest.”

Xu Luo stood and bowed to Yang Qingchuan. ”Sect Leader Yang, you’re too kind. If you hadn’t taken me in, I would have died long ago. I should have been the one to pay my respects to you. Please forgive my rudeness.”

”There’s no need for such formalities... Hmm?” Looking at Xu Luo, Yang Qingchuan suddenly let out a soft sound of surprise. ”Your cultivation... it’s actually this high?”

Xu Luo had just intentionally revealed a sliver of his Sword Venerable Peak aura for Yang Qingchuan to sense. His goal, naturally, was to find a way to repay the Starlight Sect.

Yang Ming and Yang Dan stared at Xu Luo in astonishment. They had always assumed that even before he was injured, he probably hadn’t been very powerful.

They hadn’t thought much of it when they saved him; they simply felt that leaving someone to die would weigh on their conscience. They had never expected anything in return from Xu Luo.

Thus, the siblings were both stunned to discover that Xu Luo was actually a master who had been concealing his strength.

”Forgive my forwardness, young man, but you’re not yet twenty, are you?” Yang Qingchuan asked, looking at Xu Luo.

Xu Luo smiled faintly. ”I turned twenty this year.”

”Truly a promising young talent. Reaching the Sword Venerable Peak at twenty is already an incredible achievement!” Yang Qingchuan praised.

While he might not compare to the disciples of major sects, for a sect like the Starlight Sect, a twenty-year-old at the Sword Venerable Peak was considered an exceptionally talented genius.

”Sect Leader Yang, you flatter me. There are countless geniuses more talented than I am. My achievement is nothing special,” Xu Luo said.

”Whoa... you’re a Sword Venerable at the Peak Realm? I can’t believe it... You hid it so well! Hmph!” Yang Dan shot Xu Luo a fierce look, a hint of displeasure in her eyes. She felt he shouldn’t have kept it from her.

Yang Ming, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised. ”Brother Xu, you’re this powerful? I never would have guessed!”

Yang Qingchuan glanced at Yang Dan and said softly, ”Dandan... be polite!” Then, turning his intense gaze on Xu Luo, he said, ”Young man, though I do not know your origins, our meeting here is fate. I heard from Ming’er that you have no sect affiliation. What do you say... would you consider joining my Starlight Sect? I can immediately offer you the position of an Outer Elder!”

At the side, Yang Ming and Yang Dan also looked at Xu Luo expectantly. In their eyes, although Xu Luo wasn’t much older than them, he was mature and steady. His speech and mannerisms carried a noble air, making him seem like a true big brother. To their greater surprise, Xu Luo was also a Sword Venerable at the Peak Realm!

That was a true genius with one foot already in the Transformation Realm!

If he were to join the Starlight Sect, it would be the best possible outcome.

Xu Luo smiled and shook his head. ”I appreciate your kind offer, Sect Leader Yang, but I currently have no desire to join any sect...”

Beside him, Yang Ming and Yang Dan turned away in disappointment. Yang Dan grumbled to herself, ’Coward... he must be afraid of the Blazing Fire Sect!’

Yang Qingchuan was taken aback for a moment, then gave a wry smile. He thought to himself, ’It seems the children told him about the Blazing Fire Sect... Oh well. Seeking fortune and avoiding disaster is only human nature.’

Just as he was about to speak, he heard Xu Luo say, ”However, while I have no intention of joining a sect, I think... I should be able to help with the Starlight Sect’s troubles.”