Firmament Sword

Madam Xu was startled awake. Turning to see it was Mo Yun, she quickly rubbed her eyes and frowned slightly. ”Oh, it’s you. What brings you here?”

”Mother, I know you don’t like me. You think I’m not good enough for Xu Jie, that Liu Ruyu was the better match for him. I... I know all of this.”

Mo Yun’s voice was low as she spoke softly, ”But so many years have passed. Everything is already set in stone. Now that Xu Jie is gone again, we are the only ones left in this entire estate to depend on each other. There are some things I’ve been wanting to talk to you about, Mother.”

Madam Xu gave Mo Yun a deep look, then sighed softly. ”Mo Yun, it’s not that I dislike you. It’s just... there are some things I don’t know how to face. Now, this estate is left with just you, a widow with her child, and a useless old woman like me... You’re right. We... we should have a proper talk.”

The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law sat facing each other. Though they both felt they needed to talk, for a time, they were silent, unsure of where to begin.

After a long while, Mo Yun finally spoke softly, ”Mother, I want to go find him.”

As she spoke, tears fell from her eyes. The once-imposing Female General, magnificent on the battlefield, now showed her vulnerable side to her mother-in-law.

”Back then, I led my army on a campaign, full of ambition, swearing to expand our nation’s borders. But the expedition started poorly, and I was plotted against again and again...”

”Even when I was leading the remnants of my defeated army, I was cruelly deceived one more time. In that moment, I hated the person who plotted against me with all my heart.”

Hearing this, Madam Xu couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. She said softly, ”The battlefield is no child’s play. Life and death are decided in an instant.”

Mo Yun nodded. ”Later, I found out who had plotted against me and decided to take revenge. I took my remaining troops, infiltrated Cangqiong, and traveled north, eventually reaching the northern border. I wanted to ally with the Da Han Empire and coordinate an attack from both inside and out...”

”Wei Ziting found me and claimed to have a deep-seated hatred for Xu Luo’s family. He wanted to join forces with me. I was too young then and never suspected Wei Ziting’s wolfish ambitions.”

”At my most desperate moment, they saved me. Moreover, I found out that Xu Jie liked me. At the time, I was bent on revenge and planned to feign compliance. On top of that, I fell for a villain’s scheme, and so...”

Madam Xu gave a bitter smile. She came from a prominent family and was once a well-educated lady, so she could naturally understand Mo Yun’s feelings.

”But later, I was moved by him. With the grudge of my nation on one side and my personal feelings on the other, I didn’t know what to do. I even thought about giving up on it all for this lifetime. I never expected he would insist on bringing me back to the Cangqiong Imperial Capital.”

”Things like that... they’re complicated. Not everything is necessarily your fault. From your perspective, what you did... wasn’t wrong,” Madam Xu sighed and said faintly.

”When I arrived in the Imperial Capital, I was still plotting in my heart, thinking about how I could deal a heavy blow to Cangqiong. But later... I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. So, I could only leave.” Mo Yun pressed her lips together tightly, trying not to let her tears fall. ”After that, events unfolded in a way that completely exceeded my expectations. The affairs of the mortal world... suddenly seemed so distant.”

”Even though you never truly accepted me, I now have a child. The Great Yan Empire is no longer a match for Cangqiong at all, and the entire Great Yan Royal Family... has bowed their heads. Now, they’re the ones hoping I can secure a firm foothold in Cangqiong.” Mo Yun gave a bitter smile. ”They want me to speak on their behalf...”

”Matters of state... are truly not for women like us to be involved in,” Madam Xu said flatly.

”Yes. So, I stopped concerning myself with those things, focusing wholeheartedly on being a wife and mother. But I never imagined Xu Jie would leave so soon...”

Madam Xu’s eyes grew red. ”They all talk about immortality and ascending to godhood, but becoming a god... is it really so wonderful? I don’t think so.”

Mo Yun nodded and said, ”I don’t want immortality, and I don’t want to become a god. I just want to find my husband.”

Madam Xu looked up at Mo Yun and said gently, ”Child, if there’s something you want to do, then go do it. At the very least, this old woman still has a few years left. I’ll look after my grandson. You don’t have to worry.”

Mo Yun looked at Madam Xu, stood up, and slowly knelt down. ”Mother, thank you!”

Madam Xu helped Mo Yun up, shaking her head and sighing. ”You’re a child of bitter fate, too...”

...

Xu Luo sat cross-legged in his room, cultivating in silence.

After a long while, he opened his eyes, a brilliant light flashing within them.

Performing an Inner Vision of his Dantian, he saw the Bronze Divine Hall floating within, having almost completely merged with him.

A vast, surging power pulsed through his body. His qi and blood were at their absolute peak.

’My power has reached the level where I can attempt to break through to the Saint Realm, but my state of mind... still has a gap. Because of this gap, I can’t seem to take that final step into the Saint Realm.’

Xu Luo muttered to himself. Then, he rose to his feet and slowly walked out of the room.

The path of using the Heart as Proof of Dao was not an easy one. It could be said that from ancient times to the present, very few had ever successfully walked it to the end.

The most complex thing in this world is the human heart. Often, people cannot see their own hearts clearly, or even understand what it is they truly want.

Thus, although Xu Luo walked the path of Heart as Proof of Dao, now that he had reached this stage, he had no idea what kind of opportunity he needed to perfect his state of mind for the Divine Power Realm.

”Maybe... I should go out for a walk,” Xu Luo said. He took a step forward, and his figure vanished on the spot.

「Several days later」

Xu Luo was at the Eastern Sea, where he once again met the Large Lobster and the Old Turtle. Seeing each other again as friends, the three of them had a long talk.

The two incomparably powerful beings had lived for eons, witnessed countless rises and falls, and experienced the transformations of ages.

They shared a great deal of valuable experience with Xu Luo. Although it couldn’t help him perfect his state of mind, he still gained a lot from their conversation.

He could use their Dao to affirm his own.

”Oh, right, me and Old Wang... COUGH COUGH, I mean, Brother Turtle, we might be leaving soon!” The Large Lobster had taken the form of a middle-aged man, but he couldn’t shed his shrimp-like habits, keeping his back bent and constantly winking and making faces.

The Old Turtle, who had taken the form of a kind-faced old man, shot the Large Lobster a sideways glance. Then he said to Xu Luo, ”Thanks to you, the laws of heaven and earth have changed. They no longer accommodate experts of the Saint Realm. Therefore, as soon as we step into the Saint Realm, we will leave this place and ascend to the Divine Domain... Finally! This old turtle will one day get to see the sights of the Divine Domain!”

”The Divine Domain may not be a peaceful place. Be careful with everything,” Xu Luo advised.

”Don’t worry. Neither of us has the type of personality to stir up trouble. Even after we enter the Divine Domain, we’ll act with a low profile and be careful about everything,” the Old Turtle said steadily.

The Large Lobster, standing to the side, also nodded and added, ”We’re the type to cultivate quietly, not hot-headed like you, Star Monarch.”

Xu Luo gave a bitter smile. It was true, he thought. Ever since he’d set foot on the path of cultivation, he had never known peace. Carnage and bloodshed had been his constant companions.

In the mortal world, he fought Great Yan and Da Han. In the world of sects, he fought Dubhe and Kaiyang... Upon setting foot on the Ancient Race Continent, his path was paved with even more blood, and the killing had continued to this day.

As Xu Luo thought about this, he suddenly had a realization. ’It turns out... I don’t know when it started, but I’ve become somewhat cold-blooded.’

From his initial reluctance to kill, he could now engage in bloody slaughter without batting an eye.

’This seems...’ Xu Luo mused. ’Although it was mostly because I had no other choice, was it not also partly because of me?’

After his mind had wandered for a while, Xu Luo came back to his senses and looked apologetically at the Large Lobster and the Old Turtle. ”Sorry, I spaced out for a bit.”

”Gaining some insight is a good thing,” said the Old Turtle.

”Too much killing intent is not good,” the Large Lobster added meaningfully.

Xu Luo nodded, cupped his fist to the two powerful beings, and then took his leave.

「Several days later」

Xu Luo appeared within the territory of the Central Plains Star Continent’s Jade Balance Sect. He didn’t alert anyone from the Jade Balance Sect, but instead went directly to the Small World where he had received a great opportunity years ago.

The Small World that had once required the combined power of several Sect Leaders to barely pry open a door was no longer difficult for the current Xu Luo to enter.

With a casual wave of his hand, a huge fissure immediately appeared on the face of the cliff. Xu Luo lifted his foot and walked in with great ease.

The Small World seemed completely unchanged. The Spiritual Qi was abundant, the vegetation was lush, and various powerful Spirit Beasts flew across the distant sky.

Xu Luo made his way toward the great mountain where the White Flood Dragon Saint Beast resided.

Arriving at the foot of the mountain, Xu Luo cupped his fist and called out in a clear voice, ”Lord Holy Beast, this junior, Xu Luo, has come to pay a visit!”

The mountain was silent; not a sound could be heard in response.

Xu Luo raised an eyebrow slightly and thought to himself, ’Could it be? Has the White Flood Dragon Saint Beast... already left this Small World?’

Just then, a white figure drifted down from the mountain peak, appearing before Xu Luo in the blink of an eye.

”Little friend, I trust you’ve been well?” the middle-aged man in white asked with a smile as he looked at Xu Luo.

Xu Luo was overjoyed. He gave the middle-aged man a deep bow. ”Thank you, Senior, for the reverse scale you gave me back then. It saved this junior’s life!”

”Every sip and every peck is preordained,” the middle-aged man in white said with a slight smile. ”I already know why you’ve come today. I only wish to tell you two words: don’t rush. When your opportunity arrives, it will all fall into place.”

Xu Luo gave a bitter smile. Talking to people like this was really exhausting. As for so-called opportunities, he had encountered countless over the years, but even now, he couldn’t seem to grasp any trace of them.

He didn’t even know where his next opportunity was!

”I am about to leave this place. I have lingered only because I knew you were waiting for me,” the man in white said.

”Leave? Could it be... to the Divine Domain?” Xu Luo was slightly taken aback and looked at him to ask.

”Yes, the Divine Domain... Originally, I never thought of going there. However, on a recent whim, I performed a divination upon myself and discovered that I must face a great tribulation, and that it will occur in the Divine Domain. Therefore, I am preparing to go and face it,” the man in white said, his expression calm and his face open.