Firmament Sword

”Get out here!”

”Get out here... Get out here!”

The tremendous roars echoed through the mountains, startling large flocks of birds into the air.

At the same time, a frigid Divine Thought swept down from the high heavens.

Su Qianqian, who had been happily eating, was frightened by the sound. She burst into tears with a WAH and hid behind Xu Luo, her body trembling uncontrollably.

”If I’m not mistaken, that’s the Su Family,” Huangfu Chongzhi said, glancing at Xu Luo. ”Third Brother, you and Fourth Brother wait here. Second Brother and I will go deal with them. If we’re outmatched, you can make your move then.”

Xu Luo’s gaze was ice-cold. He shook his head slightly. ”I’m the one they’re looking for!”

He already loathed the Su Family with every fiber of his being. For them to deliver themselves to his doorstep at a time like this was simply a death wish.

Huangfu Chongzhi sighed softly. He knew that his third brother was now consumed by a True Flame of rage, thoroughly provoked by the Su Family.

”Xu Luo... y-you can’t leave me.” Su Qianqian clutched the hem of Xu Luo’s clothes and said timidly, ”Don’t leave, okay? Qianqian is scared!”

A gentle light flickered in Xu Luo’s eyes, the rims of which were slightly red. He turned back, gathered Su Qianqian into his arms, and gently patted her thin back. ”Don’t be scared, Qianqian,” he said softly. ”Big Brother is going to chase the bad guys away. I’ll have your Brother Huangfu, Brother Xu Jie, and Brother Pang stay here to protect you, alright?”

”You won’t leave Qianqian behind, will you?” Su Qianqian’s expression was like that of a wounded kitten, utterly pitiful. Her large, clear eyes, a stark contrast of black and white, gazed at Xu Luo, filled with attachment.

”Never. No matter what happens, Big Brother will never leave Qianqian behind.” Xu Luo gently kissed Su Qianqian’s forehead and said with a smile, ”Be a good girl and wait for Big Brother to come back. When I do, I’ll go to the mountain stream and catch some Silverfish for you to eat!”

”Silverfish, yummy! Qianqian likes them.” Su Qianqian’s expression immediately brightened.

Xu Luo nodded slightly at Huangfu Chongzhi, Xu Jie, and Little Fatty. Just then, the cold, sharp shout echoed from the high heavens again. ”Xu Luo... get out here and die! You can’t escape, so get out here!”

”Get out here! Get out here! Get out here!” The echoes thundered through the mountain ranges like rolling drums of war.

High in the sky, a large contingent of people was on patrol. Numerous war chariots, pulled by Quasi-Saint Beasts, approached from the distance. Icy streams of Divine Thought emanated from them, sweeping back and forth across the mountain range in search.

The people outside the chariots were all brimming with vigorous blood and qi, their essence overflowing. A single glance was enough to tell they were the elite experts of the Su Family.

Xu Luo’s figure flickered. Using Shrinking Inches, he instantly appeared high in the sky before one of the war chariots.

Pulling the chariot were two Celestial Horses, their blood and qi as vigorous as a dragon’s. Both were at the Quasi-Saint Beast Level. Among Spirit Beasts, they could be considered kings, yet now they were willingly pulling a chariot for a human.

Xu Luo’s sudden appearance gave the two Celestial Horses a terrible fright. They abruptly halted, their front hooves rearing high as they let out a series of whinnies.

The person inside the chariot barked, ”What are you panicking for!”

A cold sneer touched the corners of Xu Luo’s mouth. He leveled the Beidou Sword in his hand, and a rainbow-like streak of Sword Qi suddenly slashed out!

The massive heads of the two rearing Celestial Horses were instantly lopped off, and two geysers of hot blood shot into the sky!

Blood rained down through the air, a grimly beautiful, chilling sight!

SHHIIING!

The Sword Qi swept over the chariot, made from precious wood, and sliced off its roof directly!

It revealed a panicked face inside.

”Xu... Xu Luo...” It was a very young face, belonging to someone who looked less than twenty years old and still had a hint of immaturity.

”Weren’t you telling me to get out here? Well, I’m out!” Xu Luo said grimly. Then, with a sweep of his Beidou Sword, he unleashed another blast of Sword Qi.

”That wasn’t me...” Before the young man could finish his sentence, he felt a slight chill on his neck. For some reason, he couldn’t get the rest of his words out.

He subconsciously touched his neck and came away with a hand full of blood...

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but not a single sound would come out!

The now-unbalanced chariot began to tilt.

With a dull thud, the young man’s head rolled off his neck.

PSHHH!

A torrent of hot blood shot into the sky!

”Xu Luo is here!”

”Beidou’s Eighth Star has appeared! Heavens, he killed the young master! He killed the young master!”

”Xu Luo... you killed the great-grandson of the Su Family Patriarch! You’re a dead man!”

The others were all stunned. When they came to their senses, they were overcome with a mixture of shock and fury. A moment later, the group swarmed toward Xu Luo to kill him.

Xu Luo said nothing. Treading with the Shaking Light Step and wielding the Beidou Sword, he charged into the crowd as if it were empty space!

This group wasn’t even as strong as the team with the two Half-Saint elders from that day. Who knows what the Su Family was thinking, sending such a group to their deaths.

In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, Xu Luo had single-handedly slaughtered them until they were scared out of their wits.

PSHHT!

Xu Luo lopped off a Su Family expert’s arm with his sword, then flew up and kicked him, shattering his Dantian. The Su Family expert seemed to muster the last of his strength to roar, ”You were willing to let those others go before! Why are you being so vicious now...?”

”Before? I was in a decent mood then. Now I’m in a terrible mood. Unlucky for you!” Xu Luo replied, his face devoid of expression.

”A-PTUI!”

The Su Family expert spat out a mouthful of blood and died, filled with resentment.

Breaking Army Seven Kills!

Broken Tendons and Bones!

Xu Luo spun around and punched the arm of a Su Family expert who had tried to sneak-attack him, getting in close. He directly unleashed Breaking Army Seven Kills.

CRACK!

With a sharp crack, the Su Family expert’s arm shattered inch by inch. But that wasn’t all. A strange power surged up his arm, instantly spreading through his entire body and shattering every single bone he had in that one instant!

At the highest realm of Broken Tendons and Bones, a single point of contact is all it takes to pulverize every tendon and bone in your body!

This Su Family expert let out a world-shaking, bloodcurdling scream as his body plummeted from the sky.

The remaining unharmed Su Family Martial Artists were almost all scared out of their minds. They had never expected to actually run into Xu Luo.

It was only because he’d seen those few Su Family experts return alive that the great-grandson of the Su Family Patriarch thought Xu Luo was nothing special. He wanted to come out, flex his power, and make a name for himself.

’After all, throughout the entire Ancient Race Continent, the name of Beidou’s Eighth Star is known by almost everyone. For me to dare to bring my retinue and curse Beidou’s Eighth Star all this way—how domineering and impressive is that?’

’When I return to the family, who wouldn’t look at me with awe?’

Who could have known that the only reason Xu Luo let them go before was because he was in a good mood, and was genuinely moved by the spirit of those Su Family experts.

But now, with Su Qianqian in her current state, the Su Family was the main culprit. The hatred for the Su Family in Xu Luo’s heart had reached its peak.

And with the worst possible timing, this group from the Su Family had come to provoke him. How could there possibly be a good outcome?

You reap what you sow!

The great-grandson of the Su Family Patriarch had his head lopped off by Xu Luo the moment they met, before he could even utter a single word. He couldn’t be any more dead.

”Don’t kill me...” an expert at the Fifth Heaven of Divine Power Realm from the Su Family begged, scared out of his soul and streaming with tears.

Xu Luo, however, didn’t even spare him a glance. He raised a hand and slapped him, sending him flying.

Finally, sword in hand, he walked through the void and arrived before a chariot that had remained still the entire time. Pulling it were two beautiful little beasts. They looked like leopards, but instead of fur, their bodies were covered in golden scales. They had horns on their heads, well-proportioned bodies, and were quite handsome.

Right now, however, these two golden leopard-like Spirit Beasts were trembling in fear, their eyes filled with terror as they looked at Xu Luo.

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Luo’s Sword Qi shredded the chariot made of precious wood. A scream came from within.

A beautiful young girl who looked to be only seventeen or eighteen years old was huddled in a shivering ball, staring at Xu Luo in utter terror. ”Don’t kill me... Don’t kill me!” she shrieked.

Xu Luo looked at the girl, not knowing whether to laugh or cry. He frowned slightly. ”Who are you?”

”I... My name is Sophie...” the girl sobbed, looking at Xu Luo in terror. ”Don’t kill me! I’m very rich! I have all sorts of treasures and Spirit Medicines! As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll give them all to you...”

Looking at the timid girl, the gloom in Xu Luo’s heart eased slightly. He bared his teeth, trying to scare her. ”If I kill you, they’ll be mine anyway!”

”M-My family is also very wealthy! You can kidnap me and then ransom me to my parents and my grandparents... They’ll definitely pay a huge price to get me back.” The girl trembled all over, looking at Xu Luo in terror. ”As long as you don’t kill me, I’ll do anything you want...”

”Anything I want?” Xu Luo deliberately put on a wicked expression, his eyes raking over the girl. In reality, he was getting a headache. ’A naive little girl like this would be nothing but a burden to have around. But killing her... I don’t think I have it in me to do that.’

’After all, even if a girl like her were to do evil, how much evil could she really do?’

”Y-You’re not... interested in me, are you? I... I’m scared! I already have a fiancé! He’s a big deal! You can’t touch me, or I’m done for...” the girl sobbed, looking at Xu Luo pitifully.

”Haha, look at you, you’re like a bean sprout! Only a ghost would be interested in you!” Xu Luo bared his teeth. ”But kidnapping you... that seems like a good idea!”

Xu Luo was filled with a bellyful of fire for the Su Family. He originally hadn’t wanted to get into a major conflict with them, but now it seemed it wasn’t a matter of what he wanted. The Su Family... had no intention of letting him go, either!

The girl seemed a little provoked by Xu Luo’s words. Though she was still terrified, she did her best to puff out her chest and weakly retorted, ”I am not a bean sprout!”

”Heh...” Xu Luo curled his lip disdainfully. ”Alright, from now on, you’re my hostage. For now, you can stay by my side and serve me tea. You’ll be my handmaiden!”

”A... A handmaiden?” The girl, Sophie, looked astonished. It was clear that a pampered young lady like her had never imagined she would one day find herself in such a situation.

”What, you’re not willing?” Xu Luo’s face turned cold. He muttered, ”Am I supposed to keep a freeloader by my side? It would be easier to just kill you!”

”No, no, no... Don’t kill me! I’m willing! I’m willing to be a handmaiden! I’ll definitely be the most competent handmaiden ever!” Sophie was so scared her face turned pale.

In the end, Xu Luo, radiating a murderous aura and with a little tagalong trailing behind him, returned to Huangfu Chongzhi and the others.