Firmament Sword

”One more thing. Once Merak awakens, six Star Gates will open to you. When that happens, you can enter the different Star Gates to train!” Shaking Light’s desolate and ancient voice sounded once more. ”And you might even find some surprises.”

Only then did Xu Luo recall that Shaking Light had told him long ago that once he ascended to a new major realm, he would be able to open the Star Gates and see the worlds behind them!

At this thought, Xu Luo’s heart filled with anticipation.

”Surprises, you say? I’m looking forward to it!” Xu Luo murmured to himself.

Meanwhile, the Merak Star Soul in his Dantian was on the verge of awakening. It began to radiate a vast and majestic Star Power. The fluctuations of this power rippled out, layer by layer, like endless ocean waves, brimming with vitality. It carried both a strong life force and a sense of invincible might.

It was astounding!

It was shocking!

It was terrifying!

Each of the Seven Star Souls was different.

Among the five previously awakened Star Souls, Shaking Light’s provided the most numerous and diverse Cultivation Techniques, forming the foundation of Xu Luo’s strength!

Kaiyang transformed his meridians, granting Xu Luo an incomparably tough physical body. It was practically impossible for a Martial Artist of the same level to surpass Xu Luo in physical strength! Even experts a full major realm above him were likely inferior to Xu Luo in physical toughness—by a large margin!

The awakening of Jade Balance gave Xu Luo formidable Spiritual Power, far exceeding other Martial Artists of the same level. Even many experts a major realm above Xu Luo couldn’t hope to suppress him with spiritual pressure. The Jade Balance Demon Sound brought by the Jade Balance Star Soul was even more stunning, merging Sonic Attacks with Spiritual Power to create a unique and powerful Cultivation Technique.

The Tianquan Star Soul and the Phecda Star Soul awakened simultaneously... The Tianquan Star Soul brought Xu Luo the heaven-defying Time Reversal Skill, a Cultivation Technique that had even reached the level of a spell, its power overwhelming. The Phecda Star Soul, on the other hand, brought Xu Luo endless wealth with its powerful Treasure Hunting Skill, enough to put the world’s best explorers to shame!

The five Star Souls each bestowed different abilities upon Xu Luo. It was hard to say which was superior, nor could one claim that the later-awakened Star Souls were necessarily stronger than the earlier ones.

But now, Xu Luo was truly stunned by the powerful energy emanating from the Merak Star Soul!

Because he could mobilize this energy anytime, anywhere!

Unlike the other independent Star Souls, after the Merak Star Soul awakened, the power within it felt as if it was one with Xu Luo, just like another stream of energy in his Dantian... except this stream of energy was a bit too immense.

It took Xu Luo a long while to snap out of it. He mumbled, ’In the future, I’m afraid it’ll be impossible for anyone to exhaust my power!’

It wasn’t just about being inexhaustible... In future battles, unless someone could completely suppress Xu Luo in terms of realm, anyone trying to wear him down over time was in for a very nasty surprise.

’No Cultivation Technique... just endless power,’ Xu Luo grumbled, then immediately felt he was being a bit too greedy.

”By the way, Shaking Light, you said that Original True Blood shouldn’t exist in this world. So... does Original True Blood exist in the Divine Domain?” Xu Luo suddenly thought of something and asked.

Shaking Light was silent for a long moment before replying, ”Original True Blood is the most fundamental energy in this vast universe. It is rare even in the Divine Domain. If a single drop of Original True Blood were to appear and be discovered, it would undoubtedly cause a storm of blood. So, you must not speak of this to anyone!”

Xu Luo nodded silently. Only now did he realize how lucky he was to have obtained something that was rare even in the Divine Domain. If that purple-haired youth knew the origin of that Blood-Colored Seal, he would probably be kicking himself!

Taking a deep breath, Xu Luo stood up, smiled faintly, and then...

The Huo Family’s young master, Huo Feng, who had not been seen on the Ancient Race Continent for a long time... appeared here. Holding a folding fan, he strode leisurely toward the Huo Family’s estate.

...

”Huo Wanzhang and the others have been back for so long, so why isn’t my Feng’er back yet? What? He’s just a kid having fun? I don’t care! I want you to find Feng’er and bring him back! Yes! Right now! If anything happens to my Feng’er, you listen to me, Huo Fengyan, I will make your life a living hell!” A middle-aged woman with a pretty face glared coldly at the middle-aged man opposite her.

”Jie, I’ve said it before, I never agreed to Feng’er going to the Central Plains Star Continent. What’s the point of going to such a desolate and backward place? What kind of training could he possibly get there?” The middle-aged man frowned, a look of helplessness on his face. ”You were the one who insisted on sending him, saying you wanted our son to go ’gild’ himself so he could have a significant position in the family in the future...”

”Was I wrong? You’re a man too! In this life, what do men pursue if not status, fame, fortune, and women? Who’s like you, completely worthless!” the beautiful middle-aged woman said coldly. ”My son will definitely have a place in the Huo Family in the future!”

”But you know what kind of person Feng’er is...” the middle-aged man sighed. ”And the Cultivation Technique he practices... Jie, do you really think there’s nothing wrong with it?”

”What’s wrong with it? Listen, Huo, I say you’re worthless, and you really are a disappointment! Let me ask you, whose Cultivation Technique is that?” the beautiful middle-aged woman stared coldly at her husband.

Huo Fengyan stammered, ”Our Huo Family’s...”

”Then what’s the problem? Is my Feng’er the only one who practices it? I don’t think so. Many of the older generation practice this kind of Cultivation Technique, don’t they?” The beautiful middle-aged woman sneered. ”Since everyone else can practice it, why can’t my Feng’er?”

”But this... it’s truly unconscionable! If you do too many things like this, there will be karmic retribution!” Huo Fengyan said with a pained expression.

”Unconscionable? Retribution?” The beautiful middle-aged woman let out a laugh, looking at Huo Fengyan with disdain. ”How did the Huo Family produce a weirdo like you? I’m honestly baffled. Did you grow up a vegetarian? That little Maid who’s always flirting with you—you’ve really never touched her?”

”That... I... Jie, how can you say that? How is that the same thing?” Huo Fengyan stared at his wife, dumbfounded.

The beautiful middle-aged woman sneered, ”How is it different? Those beautiful women with no status or position are just Furnace Cauldrons! They’re meant to be used! ’Beauty is a curse’... haven’t you heard that? That’s their fate! So, for my son to be willing to use them as Furnace Cauldrons, he’s doing them a favor!”

This was an issue the couple had likely argued about many times, and Huo Fengyan had probably never won. So he just sighed, a touch of melancholy flashing in his eyes.

Huo Fengyan was a direct descendant of the Huo Family. In his generation, he was ranked seventh and was known as Master Huo Qi.

Unlike all the other descendants of the Huo Family, Huo Fengyan had shown a great aversion to cultivation from a young age. Despite this, this direct descendant of the Huo Family was uniquely blessed with talent, as if he were a genius favored by the heavens. Having almost never cultivated diligently, Huo Fengyan had already reached the Fourth Layer of the Divine Power Realm before the age of fifty!

It was also because of this talent that he was able to marry Bai Jie, a direct descendant of the Bai Family, another major family on the Ancient Race Continent.

In her youth, Bai Jie had been considered a beautiful flower on the Ancient Race Continent, with many suitors. Among them were some of the most outstanding young men of that generation, many of whom later became influential figures famous in their own right.

In the end, he was able to win the beauty’s heart because of his exceptional literary talent, noble character, and upright nature. This made him a great anomaly among the members of the Huo Family, where every roll of the eyes was a new scheme.

In her girlhood, Bai Jie had greatly admired the upright and noble Huo Fengyan. But after becoming a wife and mother... once she lost the innocence and romanticism of her youth, her attitude gradually began to change. She came to feel that the ”upright” Huo Fengyan was simply out of his mind!

He had such a good status and such great talent, yet he didn’t strive to get ahead and become one of the great figures deciding the Huo Family’s future. Instead, he spent his days lost in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. A man nearing fifty, yet his mind was still filled with romantic notions... Perhaps this held a fatal attraction for a young girl, but for the highly ambitious Bai Jie, it had become the one thing she could not tolerate... a lack of ambition!

Therefore, Bai Jie had placed almost all her hopes on her son, Huo Feng.

Huo Feng’s appearance inherited the best of both his parents: he was tall, handsome, and dashing!

Huo Feng’s talent also inherited their strengths. He was very gifted and was favored by the older generation of the Huo Family since childhood. Even today, Huo Feng still ranked among the top three most favored juniors of the Supreme Elder!

But, to Bai Jie’s utter frustration, Huo Feng’s temperament... also took after his father... inheriting Huo Fengyan’s romantic, unrestrained, and lazy nature.

That was the nice way of putting it. The more realistic way was that Huo Feng, with his exceptional looks and talent, was a bona fide silk-pants dandy!

The only thing that brought Bai Jie any comfort was that her son, Huo Feng, unlike his father, Huo Fengyan, was not an upright person. Beneath his handsome exterior and dandyish facade was a dagger hidden behind a smile, masking an extremely insidious nature!

’This is a real talent! No... my son is a true genius!’ When Bai Jie discovered this side of her son’s personality, she was overjoyed, feeling that her long-suppressed ambitions finally had an heir.

Thus, Bai Jie had always spared no effort in cultivating her son, Huo Feng. When Huo Feng practiced the Huo Family’s evil technique, he needed virgins as Furnace Cauldrons. As his mother, she had committed countless unconscionable acts behind the scenes, searching far and wide for virgins for her son.

To others, Bai Jie might have been a demonic woman, but to Huo Feng, his mother... was the best person in the world!

”Hmph, as long as my son returns this time, I believe the family will definitely reward him!” Bai Jie glanced at Huo Fengyan with a hint of smugness.

”I’m not so sure. Uncle Wanzhang and his group suffered a crushing defeat, and then that Sword Saint at the Fifth Layer or above met such a miserable end...” Huo Fengyan’s mouth twitched slightly as he spoke softly.

”What do you know? So many people stronger than Feng’er were defeated, unable to even escape the Central Plains Star Continent unscathed! So, as long as my Feng’er can return completely unharmed... doesn’t that just prove that Feng’er is more capable than all of them?” Bai Jie sneered.

Huo Fengyan wanted to say it out loud: ’How is that the same thing? They went to the Central Plains Star Continent to risk their lives, while your son went sightseeing and chasing women!’

In the end, however, he didn’t say it. He just let out a soft sigh.