Firmament Sword

Xu Luo immediately grew tense, but then he heard Chu Xiaoya say, ”But it’s not all bad, either.”

Xu Luo looked at his peerlessly beautiful sister-in-law and said with a wry smile, ”When did you get corrupted by my brother?”

Song Chengfeng, standing to the side, wasn’t having it. He grumbled, ”I used to be such an innocent young man...”

Chu Xiaoya raised an eyebrow. ”So you’re saying I’m the one who corrupted you?”

”Ahaha! Darling, listen to me. You’re as pure as the driven snow, how could you possibly be the one who corrupted me? It’s clear I had this trait in my bones from the start. It just didn’t show before, but then somehow... hahaha...”

The way Song Chengfeng grimaced, dodging Chu Xiaoya’s hand as she pinched the soft flesh of his waist, looked completely fake. However, the couple was clearly enjoying themselves. Xu Luo could only pretend he saw nothing.

Afterward, Chu Xiaoya coughed twice, shot her husband a harsh glare, and then finally said, ”Alright, I won’t keep you in suspense. I’ll tell you the truth...”

”We know you and Su Qianqian are ’friends’...” Song Chengfeng said, winking suggestively at Xu Luo. He put extra emphasis on the word ”friends.”

Xu Luo was speechless, but he also felt a warmth spread through his heart. ’In this world,’ he thought, ’there probably aren’t many people who get to see the Demon King, Song Chengfeng, make an expression like that.’

”Get out of the way...” Chu Xiaoya glared at her husband and said, ”I’ll be the one to talk!”

Then, smiling, she looked at Xu Luo. ”That ’friend’ of yours, Su Qianqian...”

”...” The corner of Xu Luo’s mouth twitched, and he felt a sense of utter exasperation. ’Suddenly, I’m starting to think my brother turned out this way because his wife’s personality is contagious...’

”That Bai Zhihai from the Bai Family... while he’s not exactly a good person, one thing is for sure: he really does like Su Qianqian. Because of that, she’s had a pretty decent life these past few years. However, I can tell that Su Qianqian has no feelings for that Bai kid. On the contrary, she... can’t stop thinking about you.” As she spoke, Chu Xiaoya let out a faint sigh. ”Little brother, you’re a good person, but sometimes, you can be a bit... indecisive.”

”I... am I?” Xu Luo scratched his head. He’d never thought of himself that way.

”I’m talking about matters of the heart,” Chu Xiaoya said, looking at Xu Luo. ”It’s nothing for a great man to have several wives and concubines...”

”I don’t think so...” Song Chengfeng muttered under his breath from the side.

”You shut up!” Chu Xiaoya snapped, her voice sharp and severe.

Xu Luo stared up at the sky, pretending he hadn’t heard a thing.

”Su Qianqian loves you, and you’re not entirely without feelings for her either. Why didn’t you take her with you when you left?” Chu Xiaoya asked.

Only then did Xu Luo briefly explain the matter of the Heart of the Fire Dragon to Song Chengfeng and his wife. He finished with a wry smile, ”Brother, Sister-in-law, do you think I could have possibly taken her with me under those circumstances?”

”So that’s how it is... That old bastard, Patriarch Su, is such a scoundrel!” Song Chengfeng erupted in fury. A grim, cold light, like a bottomless abyss, flickered in his eyes.

Xu Luo was slightly startled. He could feel that his sworn brother’s power had progressed yet again, reaching an unfathomable level.

”So, this marriage alliance between the Su Family and the Bai Family... was also one of Patriarch Su’s schemes?” Chu Xiaoya analyzed from the side. ”It seems the Bai Family gave the Su Family an offer they couldn’t refuse. The Su Family Master probably agreed just to placate Su Qianqian, proposing they get engaged first and marry ten years later...”

Song Chengfeng said coldly, ”That old bastard clearly plans to refine Miss Su after ten years, using her to break through to a higher realm. At that point, even if he turns hostile, the Su Family will no longer fear the Bai Family. Besides, it’s not like the Bai Family would actually fall out completely with a behemoth like the Su Family over a junior’s marriage.”

”What a shameless, despicable villain! He deserves to die!” Chu Xiaoya was also furious after learning the truth. Then she looked at Xu Luo. ”Since you know all this, what do you plan to do?”

Xu Luo sighed softly. ”Of course I’m going to help her!”

”That’s the spirit! That’s how a man should be!” Chu Xiaoya’s eyes lit up. ”When the time comes, your big sister-in-law will definitely help you!”

Song Chengfeng whispered from the side, ”Your sister-in-law is most interested in things like... crashing weddings!”

”Song... Don’t you go looking for trouble!”

...

Recalling the events of that short day when his brother and sister-in-law visited, a happy smile would still grace Xu Luo’s lips.

Often, Xu Luo felt that he was a very lucky person. Although he had experienced many unpleasant things from his rise to the present day, along the way, he had always been blessed with loyal friends who would stick by him through thick and thin.

This made him very happy.

Meanwhile, for the invading Huo Family of the Ancient Race, who were about to attack the Central Plains Star Continent, Xu Luo had also prepared a special gift.

”I hope they like it when the time comes.” The usually taciturn Sui Yan offered a rare moment of humor upon completing the latest Mechanical Array.

...

...

What was meant to come would always come, no matter when.

「In the fifth year and third month after Xu Luo’s return to the Central Plains Star Continent.」

The sky above the Boundary Mountain, situated between the Central Plains Star Continent and the Ancient Race Continent, was swarming with people.

Thousands upon thousands of people crossed the Boundary Mountain, charging toward the Central Plains Star Continent.

The one leading them was none other than the Huo Family Master!

As soon as they crossed the Boundary Mountain, the Huo Family Master’s cold voice instantly echoed throughout the entire Central Plains Star Continent.

”Bathe the Central Plains Star Continent in blood! With the blood of the Central Plains Star Continent, we will offer a sacrifice to our Huo Family Ancestor, Tongtian!”

”Bathe the Central Plains Star Continent in blood... offer a sacrifice to our Huo Family Ancestor, Tongtian!”

”All living beings on the Central Plains Star Continent, whether human or beast, are to be slaughtered! Leave no one alive!”

”Slaughter them all! Leave no one alive!”

”From this day forward, all resources of the Central Plains Star Continent belong to our Ancient Race’s Huo Family!”

”Tremble, you mortals!”

”Xu Luo, if you’re still alive, get your ass out here and die! Not a single one of your friends or family will live!”

”Run as far as you can! We hope you enjoy this feast!”

For a time, thunderous roars echoed between the heavens and earth of the Central Plains Star Continent. The winds and clouds surged, and even the sky itself seemed to tremble at that moment.

The battle that later generations would call the strangest, the bloodiest... the shortest in duration, and also the battle that marked the rise of the Central Plains Star Continent, had begun!

On this side of the Boundary Mountain was a small, secular nation of the Central Plains Star Continent. The small nation, founded by a nomadic people, bordered the Da Han Empire.

Six months ago, this nation had received a warning and had migrated its entire population into the territory of the Da Han Empire. The small country was now almost completely deserted.

An army of more than ten thousand experts from the Ancient Race’s Huo Family roared as they charged straight in from the Boundary Mountain.

However, things seemed to be a bit different from what they had expected. As they pushed forward, they didn’t find a single soul across the vast, desolate land.

The Huo Family Master sneered. ”If you’ve got the guts, then hide every single person on the Central Plains Star Continent!”

With a wave of his hand, he commanded, ”Pay it no mind! Keep charging forward!”

BOOM!

The moment the Huo Family Master’s words fell, the distant earth began to tremble. Then, from the far horizon, a web of light arose. The web was immense, crisscrossing the sky. From south to north, it stretched for thousands of miles, its height endless!

It extended all the way into the void!

BOOM!

To the left and right, identical, massive webs of light rose up, ascending into the endless void.

Finally, behind the Huo Family legion, the Boundary Mountain... collapsed amidst a deafening, earth-shattering roar!

A terrifying web of light rose from the endless dust, accompanied by an earth-shaking boom.

”Damn it! It’s an ambush!”

”Heavens... what kind of Array is this? It’s enormous!”

”This is impossible! Our scouts came here before to investigate and found no trace of anything!”

”We’ve walked into a trap!”

”We’ve been ambushed!”

Instantly, a commotion erupted throughout the Huo Family’s ten-thousand-strong legion.

Song Chengfeng and Chu Xiaoya, who had been following along, hidden in the void above, were also completely stunned. They could clearly feel a destructive aura emanating from the webs of light on all sides.

”Our little brother... is skilled in Arrays?” Chu Xiaoya asked, her face a mask of astonishment.

Song Chengfeng looked just as bewildered. ”I don’t know... Maybe he is?”

Neither of them was sure. At the same time, they too were trapped within this Array. They tried to leave from high in the sky, only to discover that the web of light seemed to be endless...

”This Grand Array... has linked with the world itself and is in harmony with the Heaven and Earth Laws. We can’t get out. Let’s just see what happens,” Song Chengfeng said with a wry smile. ”Fortunately, this Array... doesn’t seem to have any offensive power.”

They had originally come to help Xu Luo in the great battle, but they never expected events to unfold so completely contrary to their expectations. Now, even they were trapped inside.

”An Array that can only trap people is nothing but an empty bluff. Full power, forward! Concentrate the might of ten thousand men and attack a single point!” the Huo Family Master sneered, his eyes filled with disdain. ”In this world, nothing can withstand a single, united strike from ten thousand members of my Huo Family!”

This wasn’t blind confidence on the Huo Family Master’s part. Indeed, among the ten thousand-plus experts of the Huo Family, the weakest were at the Peak of the Transformation Realm, just half a step from entering the Divine Power Realm. Among them, there were more than six thousand mighty figures already in the Divine Power Realm!

This was the Huo Family’s wolf pack tactic!

Forget a Saint; even a Great Saint would have to retreat and avoid a direct confrontation when faced with a simultaneous strike from these ten thousand Huo Family experts!

At this moment, the mentality of this group of Huo Family experts was surprisingly uniform: their group... was invincible!

In this world, no existence could block a single, united strike from their ten thousand members!

”To think a mere Array could trap us is the height of naivety!” The Huo Family Master’s derisive laughter boomed across the entire Central Plains Star Continent.

Outside the Grand Array, Xu Luo stood quietly on the grasslands with a large group of people. Most of them wore solemn expressions.

Xu Luo’s gaze was calm, and his expression wasn’t tense. He just watched quietly. He, too, wanted to see just how powerful this so-called ultimate array of Mechanical Skill, a Godslaying Grand Array, truly was.

Sui Yan stood beside Xu Luo with a solemn face and said softly, ”This is the strongest aspect of the Heaven-Netting Array. It has no offensive capabilities of its own and can only trap enemies. However, if it is attacked, it will reflect that attack power back. The stronger the attack it receives, the stronger the force it reflects!”

Little Fatty, standing to the side, said with some concern, ”Tens of thousands of powerful Martial Artists all attacking a single point at the same time... won’t that cause a problem?”

”We’ll see if there’s a problem soon enough,” Sui Yan said flatly, a strange fire flickering in the depths of his eyes.

This Heaven-Netting Array was also Sui Yan’s own... Array to prove his Dao!

If it succeeded, he would surely use it to step into the Saint Realm!