Firmament Sword

”For this worthless sword, our group turned on each other! Huo Xuan Ting was forced to use his Green Ghost, and I was forced to use my still-immature Profound Nether Leech!”

”Do you have any idea what that means?”

”It means I might have to spend hundreds of extra years to suppress and refine it again!”

”Argh! Hundreds of years... hundreds of years! Your great-grandfather’s great-grandfather wasn’t even born hundreds of years ago! Hundreds of years!”

”But you were just hiding there, enjoying the show! I have never seen anyone more shameless than you!”

”Even if it costs me my life, I will kill you today, you insidious, treacherous little bastard!”

Huo Xuan Mountain roared and howled high in the sky, so furious he was practically fuming.

He unleashed his full power, blasting it viciously toward the sword. His eyes turned crimson. Just seeing that sword made him feel like he was being toyed with, mocked—as if he were the biggest fool in the world!

All his trump cards played, his body heavily wounded... all for this outcome. Anyone in his shoes would have gone mad.

Xu Luo shot into the air, wielding the Beidou Sword, and clashed with Huo Xuan Mountain.

Normally, with Xu Luo’s current strength, he would be no match for Huo Xuan Mountain. But Huo Xuan Mountain had just been through a major battle and had been forced to expel the immature Profound Nether Leech from his body. It was his life-bound poisonous insect; if used forcibly before it emerged from its cocoon, he would inevitably suffer a severe backlash!

Therefore, Huo Xuan Mountain was gravely injured at this moment!

But Huo Xuan Mountain was on the verge of madness. He completely disregarded his grave injuries, his mind singularly focused on killing Xu Luo.

He had even... at this moment, forgotten that the young man before him was Beidou’s Eighth Star. Only a single thought remained in his mind: ’Kill him!’

Xu Luo, on the other hand, was well-rested. He had just achieved Dao Heart Clarity, walking the path of the Heart as Proof of Dao, and broken through to the Fourth Layer Peak. He was at his most valiant, and thus, even after clashing with Huo Xuan Mountain for several hundred rounds, he had not fallen into a disadvantage!

The Profound Nether Leech was busy digesting the essence blood it had just absorbed from Huo Xuan Ting. No matter how Huo Xuan Mountain tried to command it, it remained unresponsive.

Huo Xuan Mountain gnashed his teeth and cursed, ”A dragon stranded in shallow waters, bullied by shrimp! You little beast... just you wait! The moment my precious baby finishes refining the essence blood it absorbed, you’ll be heading to the Yellow Springs!”

”I’m going all out today! To hell with Beidou’s Eighth Star! I don’t want it anymore!”

”In a moment, I’ll have my precious baby suck you dry, and then it can attain a great fortune!”

”In any case, if it gets it... it’s the same as me getting it!”

”Heh heh, you little beast... you’ve never tasted the feeling of an insect gnawing at your heart, have you? But you should have seen it. Weren’t you enjoying the show just now?”

”In a moment, I’ll let you experience it firsthand!”

Huo Xuan Mountain babbled on and on, appearing completely possessed.

He wasn’t normally such a talkative person. Especially at his realm, he rarely spoke at all most of the time. But today, he had been driven truly mad, to the point that his Dao Heart had almost shattered.

Slaughtering your own clansmen, using every trick in the book, exhausting your heart and soul, abandoning all honor and integrity... only to find out, in the end, that you were just a pawn being played for a fool in someone else’s scheme!

He hated the young man before him so much that he wished he could devour his flesh and rip out his bones!

In his entire life, he had never hated someone so intensely—not even the ancestor, Huo Tongtian, who had stolen his woman all those years ago.

Xu Luo’s eyes flashed. He glanced at the small, yellow thing in the void nearby. Feeling the terrifying pressure it emanated, Xu Luo knew that Huo Xuan Mountain was not bluffing. The Profound Nether Leech was indeed terrifying.

However, Xu Luo also understood the Profound Nether Leech’s nature. Once it absorbed a large amount of essence blood, it had to begin refining it immediately. And during that refining process, it could not be disturbed!

Xu Luo gave a cold smile and, with a casual wave of his hand, sent a palm strike flying toward the Profound Nether Leech. He sneered, ”Just a little pest. I’ll just swat it dead!”

”You dare!” Huo Xuan Mountain lunged at Xu Luo like a madman. Seeing his expression, anyone who didn’t know better would think Xu Luo had just hit his son.

In fact, to Huo Xuan Mountain, this Profound Nether Leech was more important than any son!

Xu Luo used the Shaking Light Step and executed the Tyrant Technique. High in the sky, explosions rang out continuously as powerful shockwaves tore through the void, striking toward the Profound Nether Leech.

Huo Xuan Mountain was both furious and anxious. He regretted mentioning his precious baby; it had only served to remind Xu Luo of it.

Huo Xuan Mountain let out a great roar and spat out a mouthful of essence blood. A Dharma Aspect suddenly rose up behind him, but this one... was completely different from the last!

It was a colossal Golden-winged Butterfly!

Its body looked as if it were cast from Gold, shimmering with a dazzling golden light. It was over a hundred zhang in size and danced gracefully behind Huo Xuan Mountain.

With every flap of its wings, a ray of golden light shot out, and within that light raged a terrifying astral wind.

This astral wind was so incredibly powerful that it could instantly blow a mountain to smithereens!

”To be able to force me to manifest this Dharma Aspect... Xu Luo, you can die with no regrets!” Huo Xuan Mountain’s face was savage and twisted, as if he were enduring immense pain.

The Profound Nether Leech, which was refining essence blood in the void, seemed extremely sensitive to the Dharma Heaven and Earth that Huo Xuan Mountain had manifested. It had a very direct reaction, actually accelerating its refinement speed!

Its body writhed in the void, as if coordinating with the Golden-winged Butterfly Dharma Aspect!

”This is a unique Dharma Aspect I cultivated specifically for my precious baby... Hahaha, Xu Luo, enjoy it!” Huo Xuan Mountain let out a venomous laugh.

He controlled the Dharma Aspect, continuously attacking Xu Luo.

The Golden-winged Butterfly’s wings vibrated several times, sending multiple rays of golden light, carrying fierce and sharp astral winds, blowing toward Xu Luo.

Looking at this Dharma Aspect, Xu Luo couldn’t help but feel a little stirred. The world was vast and full of wonders, and there were countless extraordinary people. One could never underestimate the people of this world.

Just like this Huo Xuan Mountain—if he had rushed to the Endless Ocean with that group back then, he would have been killed in that great calamity as well, and all these techniques he possessed would have remained unknown to Xu Luo.

’Perhaps... among those who died that day, many possessed techniques no weaker than Huo Xuan Mountain’s.’ Xu Luo thought to himself. ’This whole incident... is a reminder to keep a clear head and understand that there’s always someone stronger out there.’

’But for now... I should deal with this guy first!’

If that insect were to awaken right now... Xu Luo would have a real headache. After all, an Ancient Poisonous Insect like that was not so easily suppressed and killed.

Even with the help of the Cyan Dragon and White Tiger, it probably wouldn’t be easy to kill.

But a Dharma Heaven and Earth...

Xu Luo smiled faintly, a strange emotion welling up in his heart as he murmured, ”Even though you all have left, they are still here!”

With that, he let out a clear shout: ”Seven-Star Dharma Aspect!”

BOOM!

A Dharma Heaven and Earth composed of seven great stars, like a Grand Array, rose up from behind Xu Luo!

This was also the first time he had manifested his Dharma Heaven and Earth since the Seven Star Souls had departed from him!

”Could it be... you’ve never heard that my Seven-Star Dharma Aspect shatters all worldly techniques?” Xu Luo said with a faint smile.

Then, the seven great stars formed a Star Array. They lined up behind Xu Luo and then surged toward Huo Xuan Mountain with the force of a landslide!

The Golden-winged Butterfly and the Profound Nether Leech both let out a terrified shriek at the same time.

All things in the world are born from the stars!

Therefore, no matter how fierce a Dharma Heaven and Earth was, as long as it originated from the stars, it would naturally be suppressed by the Seven-Star Dharma Aspect!

RUMBLE!

The Golden-winged Butterfly was instantly crushed!

The Profound Nether Leech over there... let out a piercing shriek, so loud it drowned out the thunder!

Then, the Profound Nether Leech... actually transformed into a streak of yellow light and shot toward the higher void, trying to escape!

”No! Come back!” Huo Xuan Mountain roared, spitting out several more mouthfuls of essence blood. This was partly from the backlash of his Dharma Heaven and Earth being forcibly broken, and partly from his desperate effort to recall the Profound Nether Leech.

At this moment, Huo Xuan Mountain had gone completely insane. If he lost the Profound Nether Leech today, he would have nothing left!

Even if he managed to escape by some fluke, his cultivation base would plummet from then on!

Perhaps, in not too many years, his lifespan would run out, and he would die in some forgotten corner... because after slaughtering so many of his own clan and then losing his power, he would surely be abandoned, or even hunted down, by his family!

So... even if he could escape, he could only hide... and live out the rest of his days in pathetic misery!

Thinking of these terrible consequences, Huo Xuan Mountain’s eyes turned completely red. He fell into a state of utter frenzy.

At that moment, the Profound Nether Leech, which had already fled high into the sky... trembled slightly. After all, it had been raised on Huo Xuan Mountain’s essence blood. To the Profound Nether Leech, Huo Xuan Mountain was like its parent.

If it hadn’t been intimidated by the Seven-Star Dharma Aspect, it would never have abandoned Huo Xuan Mountain to flee alone.

Xu Luo glanced at the hesitating Profound Nether Leech, directly unleashed the Jade Balance Demon Sound, and roared, ”Get lost!”

A sound wave, carrying the endless might of heaven and earth, surged like an angry tide and completely engulfed the Profound Nether Leech.

”YAAA!”

The Profound Nether Leech let out a piercing shriek like a baby’s cry. Its entire body transformed into a streak of light, faintly tearing at the void as it vanished into thin air in an instant.

Xu Luo turned back to the desolate Huo Xuan Mountain and said, ”Now it’s your turn!”

”I’ll fight you to the death!” Huo Xuan Mountain, like a madman, left his defenses wide open... and charged directly at Xu Luo.

A terrifying fluctuation emanated from his body, and the very color drained from the sky!

’Not good... he’s going to self-destruct!’ The thought flashed through Xu Luo’s mind. Then, watching the crazed Huo Xuan Mountain charge toward him, a glint of madness flashed in Xu Luo’s own eyes.

”Self-destruct? I’ll grant your wish!”

Xu Luo activated the Jade Balance Demon Sound, simultaneously gathering all the power in his body, and roared, ”Shaking Light Burst!”

A ball of dazzling, blinding light that no one dared to look at directly, like a great sun, appeared high in the sky and blasted toward Huo Xuan Mountain’s body.

At the same time, Xu Luo’s roar, infused with the Jade Balance Demon Sound, made Huo Xuan Mountain’s mind buzz and turn sluggish for an instant.

”Now!” Xu Luo bellowed. ”Burst!”