Firmament Sword

There were too many things he saw but was powerless to change.

There was his wife, whom he once adored and still did, despite how much she had changed. There was his son, in whom he had once placed such high hopes, believing he could remain pure despite his surroundings and grow into a man of noble character. Yet everything had turned out to be a far cry from what he had hoped for. This filled Huo Fengyan with a sense of despair, and he’d even had fleeting thoughts of becoming a recluse.

But he couldn’t.

Because he was the Seventh Master of the Huo Family!

The six masters before him, as well as the older generation, were all focused on their cultivation. No matter how unwilling he was, he had to shoulder a portion of the Huo Family’s affairs. It was his inescapable responsibility.

So, most of the time, Huo Fengyan chose to remain silent. With no news of his son from the Central Plains Star Continent, he couldn’t help but worry. After all, no matter what, that was his son.

At the same time, a worry had always lurked in the depths of Huo Fengyan’s heart: ’Could something have truly happened to my son?!’

With Huo Feng’s temperament, he was bound to stir up trouble in the Central Plains Star Continent. Before, they thought the natives of the Central Plains Star Continent were all weak and couldn’t withstand a single blow. But now, especially within the Huo Family, who would dare to think that?

Of Huo Wanzhang’s group of five, three had been killed and one was crippled by their injuries. Even Huo Wanzhang himself had returned bearing obvious wounds. And all of this... was done by Xu Luo, someone they had never even deigned to notice.

Then, ten great experts of the Divine Power Realm—true, peerless masters who stood at the apex of this world—had just set foot on the Central Plains Star Continent. Before they could do anything, they were driven back by a single word. This wasn’t just a loss of face; it struck fear into the hearts of every member of the Huo Family!

Yes, the Huo Family did indeed have a Saint Realm expert, but their Supreme Elder was the only one at that level of cultivation...

No matter the circumstances, a Supreme Elder was a family’s ultimate deterrent. How could they be deployed so easily?

’Who could that expert on the Central Plains Star Continent be... the one who repelled ten Sword Saints with a single word?’ Huo Fengyan wondered.

”Re... Report, Master... Report, Madam! The... the Young... the Young Master... he...” A panting voice suddenly called from a distance.

Huo Fengyan and Bai Jie shot to their feet. Bai Jie’s cold shout carried outside the room. ”Speak properly! What’s with all the panic! The Young Master... what about him?” Her first sentence was imposing, but by the end, only deep worry remained in her voice.

”The Young Master is back!” The servant was likely overcome with excitement. He only snapped back to his senses when he heard his mistress’s voice, breaking out in a cold sweat. ’In this household, offending the Master is no big deal; a scolding at worst. But if you offend the Mistress... it’s a serious matter. A beating is the light punishment, death is the heavy one!’

A while ago, some clueless servant had been spouting nonsense behind her back, saying the Young Master had probably met with disaster in the Central Plains Star Continent. After all, with the Young Master’s promiscuous nature, he might have taken a fancy to some big shot’s mistress and gotten himself killed...

Normally, such talk was just idle gossip that no one would report. But as fate would have it, the mistress overheard that servant’s words. She slapped him into a meat paste on the spot, scaring the other servants half to death.

Therefore, everyone knew the mistress had been in a foul mood lately. Hardly anyone dared to linger in her presence unless absolutely necessary.

As a result, when the Young Master returned, many people actually didn’t think to report it here immediately.

A joyful expression instantly appeared on Bai Jie’s exquisite face. ”Really?” she asked, overjoyed. ”Is my precious son really back? Quick... where is he? Where is he? I... I want to see him right now!”

As she spoke, she strode forward and threw open the door. Glancing at the breathless servant, she declared, ”From this day forward, your rank is raised by one level. Go to the storehouse later and withdraw one thousand Spirit Stones. They’re your reward!”

The servant immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed, cheering internally. ’I bet right! The mistress has been in a bad mood because she was worried about the Young Master!’

”The Young Master said that he was exhausted from his long escape. He’s tired, worn out, and travel-stained, so he feels it’s not appropriate to see his parents right away. He will come to pay his respects to the Master and Madam after he has washed up!” This servant had a clever mind; in reality, the Young Master hadn’t said any of this, because this Young Master was not the same one as before!

This Young Master of the Huo Family was Xu Luo. He had little interest in meeting his enemy’s parents and needed to adjust his own mentality first.

Unexpectedly, the servant’s initiative brought tears to Bai Jie’s eyes. Her rims reddened, and this normally formidable woman’s voice choked with emotion as she looked at the servant. ”Did he really say that?”

The servant’s heart skipped a beat, and he grew nervous. He knew the consequences of lying all too well. But the die was cast, and there was no turning back now. He nodded forcefully. ”Yes, that’s exactly what the Young Master said!” Internally, he prayed, ’My dear Young Master, I’m begging you, please don’t let my lie be exposed... The rest of my life’s happiness depends on today!’

”Good boy, what a good boy... My son, he’s grown up!” Bai Jie murmured, her eyes brimming with tears. ”My son is so filial, but I can’t wait. I’m going to see my son right now! I can’t wait another moment!” With that, she went straight out the door, rushing off in a flurry.

Huo Fengyan, however, glanced at the servant a few times with suspicion. He found it hard to believe that his own prodigal son would say such things.

At this point, Sanmao had thrown caution to the wind. He held his head high and puffed out his chest, his face a picture of a clear conscience.

After a moment’s thought, Huo Fengyan also headed for his son’s courtyard.

...

Using Huo Feng’s memories, Xu Luo navigated to the Huo Family’s residence and returned to ”his” own living quarters—an estate spanning several hundred acres.

The estate was planted with all sorts of precious trees. There were rockeries and ponds, with streams gurgling and schools of golden fish swimming playfully, looking utterly carefree. Lotuses bloomed in the ponds, releasing a delicate fragrance. Xu Luo looked closer and discovered that these lotuses were no Mortal Grade specimens!

One lotus, growing in the very center of a pond, was even emitting halos of light!

’Spirit Medicine! And Top-Grade Spirit Medicine at that!’ Xu Luo was inwardly stunned. Although he had refined most of Huo Feng’s memories, there was nothing about these plants. Apparently, the Young Master of the Huo Family had never paid them any mind.

’What a blasphemous waste!’ Xu Luo muttered to himself. ’If someone at the Sword Venerable Realm got their hands on such fine Spirit Medicine and refined it, they could probably break through to the Transformation Realm!’ His gaze swept elsewhere, and he discovered that this private estate belonging to Huo Feng was planted with Top-Grade Spirit Medicine everywhere. Plants over several hundred years old were common. Xu Luo even spotted two Medicine Kings... each at least ten thousand years old!

Around the two Medicine Kings, Spirit Gathering Arrays had been set up. Spiritual Qi overflowed within the arrays, nourishing the two ancient medicines.

Outside the Spirit Gathering Arrays, there was another array that served both offense and defense. It was meant to prevent outsiders from stealing them and to stop the two old medicines from escaping.

This showed that even in the Huo Family, these two old medicines were considered extremely valuable. It was just a shame that Huo Feng’s memories contained nothing about them... He really was the epitome of a spoiled brat, not even caring about treasures of this level.

In Xu Luo’s opinion, the main purpose of the outermost array was likely to prevent these two old medicines, which had surely gained sentience, from escaping. As for outside invaders, if someone could penetrate this deep into the Huo Family’s core territory, this array wouldn’t be able to stop them anyway.

’The Huo Family... truly lives up to its reputation as a top family on the Ancient Race Continent. Their resources are astonishingly deep!’ Xu Luo narrowed his eyes, thinking to himself, ’One day, when I leave the Huo Family, I’m definitely taking these two Medicine Kings with me!’

He had just arrived at the Huo Family residence and hadn’t even entered his own door, yet he had already seen so many good things. ’Will there be an even bigger surprise waiting for me later?’

Xu Luo couldn’t help but feel a flicker of anticipation.

Then, people began to emerge from inside, one after another, to respectfully greet him, their Young Master.

Gradually, Xu Luo found himself dumbfounded. He suddenly recalled that when Huo Feng was begging for his life, he had mentioned having a harem of... ”dozens of beauties.” Xu Luo hadn’t paid it much mind at the time, but now it seemed the Young Master of the Huo Family had been far too modest...

In just a short while, over a hundred... curvaceous, stunning women had come out to greet him!

And every single one of them looked at him with eyes full of... amorous desire.

Xu Luo was no longer a virgin. He and Qiqi had already shared the joys of intimacy, so he naturally understood what those looks meant. His previous anticipation of a ”bigger surprise” vanished into thin air. ’This isn’t a surprise! This is a nightmare!’

A quick search of Huo Feng’s memories confirmed it. These women were all top-tier beauties he had collected from all over the Ancient Race territories. He had already ”plucked” most of them, not using them as Furnace Cauldrons, but keeping them as concubines.

’This guy... is a total stud!’ The corner of Xu Luo’s mouth twitched uncontrollably. He could only do his best to remain calm and, following Huo Feng’s usual habit, walk past them with a blank expression, ignoring the women’s heated gazes.

Sure enough, although the women looked somewhat mournful, none dared to show any resentment. Xu Luo breathed a sigh of relief. ’Thankfully, this was Huo Feng’s usual style,’ he thought. ’Otherwise, having to flirt with such a huge group of women... that would be a super-sized headache!’

It would be more of a headache than facing a master at the Fifth Layer of the Divine Power Realm!

However, from Huo Feng’s memories, Xu Luo also knew that at night, Huo Feng would become an extremely debauched person, often holding wild orgies with these women... There wasn’t a single other man in the entire estate, only these peerless beauties.

’So, no matter what, I have to find a way to leave this estate as soon as possible. Otherwise, I’ll either expose myself or get eaten alive by this pack of women!’ Xu Luo had not the slightest interest in another man’s women, especially since he hadn’t come to the Huo Family to be some damn Young Master.

It wasn’t until he arrived at Huo Feng’s personal residence that Xu Luo truly understood... the meaning of ultimate debauched luxury!