Firmament Sword

”Hey! He’s the one who did all this! You should make him pay!” Xu Luo shouted at Jiang Botao’s retreating back, holding up the unconscious Nie Yunfeng.

”I’ll go after whoever is conscious!” Jiang Botao’s indignant voice echoed through the air. ”Just accept it, kid! You screwed Master Jiang over so badly, now it’s your turn!”

Xu Luo looked innocent and couldn’t help but mutter, ”When did I ever screw you over?”

Just then, Ye Jinghong, the Chief Grand Elder of the Artifact Refining Pavilion, who had just been among the crowd maintaining the restrictive barrier, flew down. He took Nie Yunfeng from Xu Luo’s hands and anxiously checked him over. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found his beloved disciple had only fainted from exhaustion.

Then, he looked at Xu Luo with a tempting expression and said, ”Luo Tian, with your level of strength, it’s a waste for you to stay in the Medicine Garden. How about coming to my Artifact Refining Pavilion?”

”Ye Jinghong, you dare try to poach my disciple right in front of me? I’ll fight you to the death!” Yuwen Ji charged over from a distance, glaring at Ye Jinghong.

”Hehe…” Caught in the act of poaching, Ye Jinghong’s old face flushed slightly, but he said, ”I was just joking. Brother Yuwen, why take it so seriously?”

Pah!

Yuwen Ji rolled his eyes, not bothering to engage with the shameless old man. ’And who was it that almost fell out with his own Second Elder over a disciple?’ he thought.

At this moment, the Sect Leader, Xiahou Kaiyuan, slowly descended from the sky. His gaze upon Xu Luo was filled with an unconcealable fondness.

Yuwen Ji’s mouth twitched violently a few times. He shielded Xu Luo behind him like a mother hen, watching the Sect Leader like a hawk.

’Even if you are the Sect Leader, if you try to compete with me for him… I won’t allow it!’

Xiahou Kaiyuan couldn’t help but give a wry smile as he looked at Yuwen Ji. He pointed at him and shook his head. ”You, my friend, are truly lucky!”

Then, looking at Xu Luo, he said, ”Keep up the good work!”

Xu Luo cupped his fist toward Xiahou Kaiyuan. ”Thank you for your encouragement, Sect Leader!”

Xiahou Kaiyuan left with a sense of helplessness, still feeling a pang of regret. If he had known from the start that this young man was so talented, he would have fought Yuwen Ji for him no matter what.

Afterward, another large group of senior figures came over. They all couldn’t help but praise Xu Luo and then express their sour-grapes envy to Yuwen Ji.

Yuwen Ji felt both proud and helpless. Many of these senior figures were once renowned top-tier experts, some even stronger than the Sect Leader. He couldn’t afford to offend any of them, so when they expressed their jealousy, all he could do was endure it.

In the stands, Jin Ming’s gaze was fixed on Xu Luo below, his eyes filled with undisguised hatred. ’Even my master… has started to show a strong interest in him now,’ he thought. ’I never expected Nie Yunfeng to be able to use the Fourteen Tyrannical Sabers, and I certainly never expected… that Luo Tian had already advanced to the Great Saint Realm.’

’Enjoy your moment for now. The strongest of the younger generation… I’ll show you with my own actions who the *true* strongest is!’

The first battle in the round of 32 to determine the top 16 had ended, but it left behind a great deal to talk about.

For instance, there was Nie Yunfeng’s domineering Fourteen Tyrannical Sabers, and Luo Tian’s heaven-shaking sword strike.

But what people savored talking about the most was Luo Tian’s declaration on the stage… ”I’m not the strongest physically; I’m the strongest of the younger generation!”

So domineering!

So arrogant!

That level of confidence and conviction was truly moving.

Aside from a few of Jin Ming’s supporters who scoffed at it, the vast majority of people did not think Luo Tian was making an empty boast.

After all, not even Nie Yunfeng, using his Fourteen Tyrannical Sabers, could block that heaven-shaking sword strike. This was enough to prove Luo Tian’s strength.

Moreover, many people had known that Luo Tian’s strength was at the Peak of the Saint Realm. They never expected that after recovering from his severe injuries, he would directly step into the Great Saint Realm!

This speed of progress astounded many.

Especially when Ye Jinghong, the Chief Grand Elder of the Artifact Refining Pavilion, personally extended an olive branch to Luo Tian. Even the Sect Leader… seemed to have the same idea, though he didn’t say it out loud due to his status.

Add to that all those senior figures—each one with a name that could intimidate a crowd—going up to greet a junior like Luo Tian and grumbling with envy at Yuwen Ji… this behavior simply stunned countless people.

That bunch of old-timers… most of them were eccentric. On any normal day, countless people would be lining up, hoping to become their disciples, yet no one had ever seen them show such an attitude toward any young person before.

”People… you really can’t compare one to another!” Elder Wang Daoming sighed softly, shaking his head as he sat in his grandmaster’s chair. His face was etched with a world-weary look.

His great-grandson, Wanghai, on whom he had placed such high hopes, was now almost completely ruined.

That day, Wanghai had his eyes gouged out and his tongue cut off by Lu Qi. He was also afflicted with a potent poison. Wang Daoming had to move heaven and earth just to save his great-grandson’s life.

Missing eyes could be replaced by digging out someone else’s. A lost tongue could slowly grow back. The poison in his body could be neutralized bit by bit.

But a shattered will… that was something Wang Daoming could do nothing about.

The Wanghai of today had become a frightened bird that flinches at the twang of a bowstring. Where was the arrogant, condescending aura he had back in Baihua City?

Most notably, no one could mention the name ”Lu Qi” in front of him—not even a single syllable of it!

The moment he heard it, Wanghai would start trembling uncontrollably, even losing control of his bowels and bladder. The man was on the verge of going completely insane.

Wang Daoming didn’t hate Luo Tian, because this was a bitter cup of Wanghai’s own making, and only he could be the one to drink it.

But the Lu Family… in Wang Daoming’s heart, they had to be eliminated!

No one had ever slapped the Wang Family’s face so hard. Even though Wanghai was the one at fault, Wang Daoming would not let the Lu Family off!

Recently, he had been plotting this matter, just waiting for the right opportunity to completely eradicate the Lu Family from Celestial Brilliance!

It was just that too many things had happened lately, especially the incident with the assassins. It had thrown the people of Celestial Brilliance into a panic, and the Sect Leader, enraged, had harshly punished a group of people.

This forced Wang Daoming to postpone his original plan. He didn’t want to provoke the Sect Leader at a time like this.

He had also attended today’s match for the top 16. After watching it, he sighed to himself, ’My great-grandson’s defeat at Luo Tian’s hands was not the least bit unjust.’

’But my great-grandson… if it weren’t for Lu Qi, even if his future achievements couldn’t match Luo Tian’s, he would have had no problem at all succeeding me and becoming a high-ranking, powerful Elder in Celestial Brilliance!’

’Lu Qi… Lu Family… You will pay the price for this!’

A cold glint flashed in Wang Daoming’s eyes. For someone of his status and position, once a decision was made, it could not be easily changed.

Therefore, the moment Wang Daoming made up his mind, the Lu Family—a minor family within Celestial Brilliance—was already standing on the edge of a cliff.

Xu Luo returned to the First Mountain of Jiulong Ridge and began to reflect on the day’s battle.

Shouting ”I am the strongest of Celestial Brilliance’s younger generation” wasn’t an impulsive act, but a projection of his aura!

On the surface, things seemed calm, but in reality, Xu Luo could already feel the hidden undercurrents constantly rushing toward him.

For example, there was Jin Ming, who was being forcibly suppressed. There was the scheduling of this battle. There were many other things, not obvious now, but all of them were spears pointed at Xu Luo, making him feel a sense of danger.

Being low-key… has its time and place!

When you can no longer afford to be low-key, you must bare your fangs. You have to let everyone see: ’If you want to deal with me… then I’m sorry, but you’d better be prepared to be torn to shreds!’

This declaration from Xu Luo was aimed directly at Jin Ming!

Clean and direct!

’I’m *going* to be the strongest!’

’If you don’t like it, then let’s fight!’

With this declaration, Xu Luo had basically forced all the hidden threats aimed at him out into the open!

Anyone who wanted to target him now had to do it openly. I’ve already given you the excuse! No more need to sneak around and plot in the shadows.

Slaying Jin Xian had also made many of those who wanted to target Xu Luo feel the terror this young man inspired.

It was just a few dead attendants, yet he had directly slain the young master of a great clan famous throughout Xi Hezhou!

And this young master was the biological younger brother of Celestial Brilliance’s number one disciple of the younger generation!

That kind of ruthlessness was enough to make countless people who wanted to target him retreat.

’Schemes and plots? I’m better at that game than you are! If you really want to play, then bring it on!’

Xu Luo let out a cold laugh, then began to replay and analyze the day’s battle in his mind.

Nie Yunfeng was truly worthy of his title, the Sword God. Among the younger generation, he truly had few rivals. His final Fourteen Tyrannical Sabers, in particular, were enough to make one’s heart pound in terror.

’If I didn’t have the Seven-Star Heaven-Slaying Technique, it would have been absolutely impossible to clash with him head-on!’

Xu Luo murmured to himself as various scenes of Nie Yunfeng executing the Fourteen Tyrannical Sabers replayed in his mind.

This was the most fundamental trait a true Martial Artist needed to possess: to constantly absorb useful things from one’s opponent and make them one’s own!

To learn from the strengths of many to validate one’s own path!

Using powerful opponents to hone one’s combat prowess, using their ultimate techniques to find the flaws in one’s own cultivation techniques, and constantly patching them up… only by doing this could one eventually become a true grandmaster.

The scenes replayed in his mind over and over. Xu Luo tirelessly searched for his own shortcomings in the battle, constantly simulating whether his opponent could have executed his moves more perfectly…

This is why it’s said that the person who understands you best is often your opponent!

Just as Xu Luo was mentally simulating Nie Yunfeng’s Fourteen Tyrannical Sabers, a faint fluctuation of energy suddenly came from the far distance.

Xu Luo’s eyes, which had been closed, snapped open. He didn’t speak or move, remaining seated, but his entire being… was already coiled and ready to strike!

Xu Luo sneered inwardly. ’It seems… some people haven’t learned their lesson. They actually dare to come back…’

Right now in the valley, aside from the guards Yuwen Ji had sent to protect Xu Luo, there were only Xu Luo and Sun Xiaohong.

Sun Xiaohong was currently in seclusion. Her Outer Sect annual competition was still ongoing, and she had already made it to the top eight!

Perhaps this year, Sun Xiaohong, together with Xu Luo, might set an unprecedented record in Celestial Brilliance!

The master becoming the champion of the inner sect group, and the Maid becoming the champion of the Outer Sect group!

With her current momentum, it was highly likely that Sun Xiaohong could achieve this goal.

The person outside was moving extremely fast, arriving at Xu Luo’s door in the blink of an eye. Just as Xu Luo thought the person would either continue to lie in wait or prepare to attack, the person actually raised a hand and knocked on the door.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!

Xu Luo was petrified on the spot.