"How would I know if I don't try?" the black-robed man said.
A strange power suddenly surrounded him, like starlight falling from the heavens. Endless starlight bathed his body.
Within that starlight, countless stars appeared, only as outlines, with form but no spirit.
Suddenly, one of the stars among them shone brilliantly.
Endless star power began pouring out from that star. The next moment, with a loud "boom",
A huge rift opened in the sky, as if a distant star tens of thousands of kilometers away was aligned with it.
"This must be the Seven Luminaries Art, the famous technique of the Seven Luminaries Sect," Mu Changge murmured.
"Starfall," the black-robed man growled deeply from his throat.
From the rift in the sky, a massive star descended.
It looked like a real meteor, falling with dazzling brilliance and blazing flames at several tens of thousands of degrees in temperature.
"No wonder the Sun Moon Empyrean Sect didn’t manage to exterminate you back then. Just this Seven Luminaries Art alone must be on the level of an empyrean art," Mu Changge shook his head calmly.
He raised his sword. A point of light flickered at the tip.
Looking at Lin Feng, he said, "This is not how our Nine Heavens’ Celestial-Mark Heaven-Slaying Sword should be used."
Mu Changge slowly swung his sword. Boundless sword intent, nearly indescribable, surged and condensed into the blade.
A profound and mysterious aura enveloped him, as though he had become one with the world around him.
"This sword must live up to the name Heaven-Slaying," Mu Changge said calmly.
When the sword intent reached its uncontrollable peak, its absolute limit, a thunderous "boom" erupted as Mu Changge hurled both the sword and the sword intent.
The longsword collided with the falling star. The void around them shattered, and the shockwave alone flattened several miles of land.
Half the sky caved in. When these two ultimate forces met, they were evenly matched for a moment.
Then, cracks began to spread across the massive star.
As the star shattered, the endless sword intent was also consumed.
In the moment both forces dissipated, Mu Changge’s sword shot through the star,
And pierced straight through the chest of the black-robed man, pinning him in mid-air.
The black-robed man looked down at the sword in his chest, then pulled it out and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You win this time," he said and, without further words, stepped into the sky and left.
Mu Changge made a gesture with his right hand. The sword flew back to him mid-air, slicing the two Venerable-level black-robed men in half along the way.
"Are you all alright?" Mu Changge asked as he landed.
"I’m fine," Xu Zimo said with a smile and a shake of his head.
"I’m not!" Lin Feng groaned from the side.
His legs were embedded deep in the ground, completely stuck, lying like a pile of mud on the surface.
Mu Changge waved his hand slightly. The earth exploded, freeing Lin Feng from the ground.
"Thank you, Elder Mu, for saving my life," Lin Feng said gratefully.
"Take this pill and heal yourself," Mu Changge nodded and casually tossed over a pill.
"Elder Mu, why didn’t you finish him off just now?" Lin Feng asked after catching the pill.
"He and I are both at the Fusion Heaven Realm. I may be stronger, but killing him outright… If he risked his life, he could still escape," Mu Changge explained.
Lin Feng nodded and sat down to heal after taking the pill.
Though his life was saved, his injuries were too severe for him to walk on his own.
The group needed to return to Nine Heavens Imperial Sect, and someone would have to carry him.
Mu Changge, being an elder, obviously couldn’t. The rest were women, not ideal.
So Lin Feng looked at Xu Zimo.
"What are you looking at me for? I’m not carrying you," Xu Zimo waved his hand.
"If I hadn’t delayed them, you’d all be dead!" Lin Feng said angrily.
"It’s not that I don’t want to carry you. I’m injured too," Xu Zimo replied.
"You didn’t even fight! How could you be injured?" Lin Feng shouted.
"It’s internal. You can’t see it," Xu Zimo said. "Besides, I was already running away. You’re the one who led the black-robed man in my direction, and now you have the nerve to blame me? When we get back, I’m reporting to Dad that someone as vicious as you tried to murder your own brother."
Hearing this, Lin Feng pointed at Xu Zimo, too furious to speak.
Eventually, he spat out a mouthful of blood and nearly fainted.
"Forget it. Let my meridian beast carry him," Mu Changge said with a helpless shake of his head.
He gestured with his right hand. A beast’s roar echoed ahead.
Ripples appeared in the air, and a lion with a blue-and-black coat appeared.
"Little Ban, help us out," Mu Changge said with a smile.
"No problem," the lion spoke human words, picked up Lin Feng with its mouth, tossed him, then caught him on its back.
"Be gentle, I’m covered in wounds!" Lin Feng cried in pain.
"You're lucky to get a ride. Stop complaining. Or gonna crawl back yourself?" the lion replied blandly.
Lin Feng’s face turned red with anger, but he kept quiet.
"This lion’s got personality," Xu Zimo said with interest, stroking his chin.
"That’s Uncle Master’s Prajna Lion. It’s very powerful," the purple-dressed girl said.
"Meh. I just like its attitude," Xu Zimo replied.
"Tch, you talk big. You probably don’t even have a meridian beast," the purple-dressed girl said.
Seeing Xu Zimo stay silent, she added, "My name is Hong Ziling. When you get the chance to visit the main sect, remember my name."
"So what’s the deal with that Seven Luminaries Sect?" Xu Zimo nodded and asked curiously.
"Seven Luminaries Sect is a Northern Region sect. I don’t know much," Hong Ziling replied.
"They were said to be very powerful, especially the Seven Luminaries Sons, famous names in the North. Though not an imperial-tier sect, their strength was equal to one. Unfortunately, they somehow offended the Sun Moon Empyrean Sect and were wiped out. Only the Seven Luminaries Sons escaped. I didn’t expect them to come to our Southern Region."
"No harm in telling you, just don’t spread it around. The Sun Moon Empyrean Sect destroyed the Seven Luminaries to get their Seven Luminaries Art. The art is split into upper and lower volumes. Seven Luminaries Sect had the upper one; the Sun Moon Empyrean Sect supposedly got the lower. Combine the two, and it’s said to be the ultimate cultivation method."