Realms In The Firmament

Meng Youjiang’s wife, Rong Ke’er, humphed and said in a deep voice, “I, the head of the Department of Battle, can do whatever I want in the battle. What? Do you have a problem? Who defeated this old man? Don’t you know who defeated him? After what you did, do you really want to blame me?”

The head of the Department of Battle, that was how she called herself. Every word she said was right, and she said it righteously. The Dark Evil Spirit was surprised and didn’t know what to say. “I… I…”

“What? Do you want to argue?” Rong Ke’er stared at him and said, “Your brothers are fighting in the battle, risking their lives. Look at you. All you think of is how to snatch the credits from me! You should go to the Department of Penalty when the fight is over!”

The Dark Evil Spirit truly wanted to spit out a mouthful of blood and vent the grudge out of his chest. ‘You took my credits. Fine! I was greedy, and I deserved the misfortune. Well, but… Look around! We are winning big time! I don’t see anybody on our side risking their lives in the battle! Come on! Why should I go to the Department of Penalty? What is wrong with you…?’

As he looked around, he was surprised. ‘Holy hell? They are almost all dead!’ Then he immediately rushed into the crowd with a big shout. “Leave me some! Come on, brothers…”

Who would leave anything to him? They didn’t have enough to share already!

Somebody saw the Dark Evil Spirit coming, so they panicked, and accidentally killed the enemy who could be caught alive…

Well, they should make sure they got the credit before asking for double… The Dark Evil Spirit was going to take the credits from somebody else’s hands after all…

It wasn’t a sure thing.

Everybody knew that he tried to take the credit out of Meng Youjiang’s hands. Not everyone had a wife as powerful as Meng Youjiang’s wife!

In this imbalanced battle, the battle of a massacre, the Gray Parasol Sword Sect lost two hundred and seventy men. Within just a few minutes, their men were all killed or captured.

Some people of the Monarch’s Hall hadn’t even seen the face of the enemies before the fight ended.

The Dark Evil Spirit was typically one of them.

He didn’t get any credit, and there was a whipping punishment waiting for him.

Some people didn’t get any credit either, but they felt better when they knew the Dark Evil Spirit was going to be whipped…

A comparison made a difference. They didn’t get credits as the others did, but at least they wouldn’t be whipped…

Eight men of the Monarch’s Hall got minor wounds, and the others were all unharmed.

It was definitely a glorious victory!

The Monarch’s Hall won the first fight!

“Prime Leader, what should we do to the living ones?” Meng Youjiang was spirited up. “Should we bury them alive?”

Ye Xiao said, “Didn’t I make it clear? Leave them to Qiu Luo!”

“Yes, master!” Meng Youjiang turned around and said, “Qiu Luo, these men are yours! You can do whatever you want now.”

The men of the Grey Parasol Sword Sect who were captured alive got thrown to the middle of the empty place. They looked so frustrated and hopeless!

They thought this should be a good opportunity to get some advantage, yet it turned out they had kicked on an iron board!

Blood and blade drew an end to them!

Were they all going to die?

Well, in fact, ninety percent of the Gray Parasol Sword Sect’s people died in this fight!

Qiu Luo was so excited that his eyes turned red.

He had never thought that he could get his vengeance so soon.

“Thank you, master!” Qiu Luo knelt down and kowtowed to Ye Xiao. After that, he turned around and kowtowed to the others. “Thank you, brothers!”

Ye Xiao said in a deep voice, “The Monarch’s Hall. Do you know what the Monarch’s Hall means? Remember! We are all brothers in the Monarch’s Hall! When you become a member of the Monarch’s Hall, your grudge becomes our grudge!

“Your enemy becomes our enemy!”

“Your lifesaver is our lifesaver!”

“We stick together!”

“We will never change!”

“Now, we have done a good thing for Qiu Luo. Listen! We are all like Qiu Luo to the Monarch’s Hall! We have the power and courage to challenge any powerful enemy!”

“As long as any of us is still breathing, we will never neglect our brothers!”

“We are a wholeness!”

Everybody sat straight up, staring at Ye Xiao. Their eyes were all in glittering lights!

‘We are all brothers in the Monarch’s Hall!’

Their Prime Leader had proved it with the blood and flesh in the battle!

That moment, everybody had a feeling–this is my home; this is my root; these are my brothers!

Ye Xiao looked around everybody’s face and said loudly, “Please, do remember! What is the Monarch’s Hall? What is our slogan? We descend to the Limitless Ocean; We conquer the Human Realm Upon Heavens!”

“This is the Monarch’s Hall!”

“We descend to the Limitless Ocean; We conquer the Human Realm Upon Heavens!”

Over four hundred men shouted at the same time, and their voice was shaking the world. Everybody felt like their veins were going to explode because their blood was boiling!

Everybody felt their heads full of heat! They were thrilled!

What did a martial world mean to these people?

It was a battle full of killing and blood.

It was a bunch of men who called each other brothers, who fought side by side in the battle of life and death.

It was a person or a home that they were always loyal to.

The softness in the heart; the warm blood, the dream, the longing, the loyalty, the death, and the life…

All those things together made the martial world!

One might be a thief, or a robber, who did dishonorable things, but he always had a purpose, a place or a person that he protected.

If a man had nothing to fight for, why would he fight?

At least one should fight for his own life, for survival.

All the men in the martial world had the same goal.

“We descend to the Limitless Ocean; We conquer the Human Realm Upon Heavens!”

Everybody wanted to reach the top but seldom had the chance. People didn’t dare to say it out, because it was extreme. People would beat a man who dares to say it out and call him a fool.

However, at this moment, Ye Xiao just said it. He said it in front of all those men!

Nobody thought that it was extreme. Everybody was excited and touched.

They knew that the Monarch’s Hall and the Prime Leader had given them a chance!

They clearly knew that they had something to fight for.

They would fight for the Monarch’s Hall, for their home, for their brothers!

Qiu Luo stood up, stared at everybody else.

He looked around and saw everybody’s eyes.

The men of the Gray Parasol Sword Sect knelt on the floor, shaking like a bunch of sheep to be butchered.

What would Qiu Luo do?

That was a good question because everybody wanted to know the answer!

“Qiu Luo!”

Somebody shouted. “Just do whatever you want!”

“That’s right! Do it!” Hundreds of men spoke to him at the same time.

“We take vengeance for you together! We help you vent your grudge!”

“Just do it! No matter what is going to happen, no matter what trouble it will cause, we will be on your side!”

Hundreds of men spoke together, supporting Qiu Luo with sincerity.

Somebody stepped ahead and said.

“Qiu Luo, I heard about what happened to you years ago. I sighed about it, but I never thought it was my business to concern… I could be touched, but I would never do anything for a stranger. I was helpless because that is what we do in the martial world… Now, we are brothers. We are not strangers anymore!”

“No matter what decision you make, no matter how brutal you want to be to these people, we are on your side!”

“You don’t need to worry about the consequences!”

“You don’t need to worry at all!”

“We are here, and we always will be!”

“Brothers side by side! We are fearless!”

The man turned around and stared at the other people with Qiu Luo.

“We are here, and we always will be!”

“Brothers side by side! We are fearless!”

Everybody shouted together!

“A man fears nothing standing with his brothers side by side!” Ye Xiao said, “The Monarch’s Hall fears nothing!”

“Side by side!”

The Dark Evil Spirit shouted.

“Side by side!”

Everybody else shouted.

Including Zhao Yifei, the men of the Gray Parasol Sword Sect were all shaking.

They were all regretting about messing with such a group of crazy people!

– Clang! –

Qiu Luo’s knife was drawn out!

It was the only thing his wife left for him!

It was a knife made of some normal iron, the only thing he had kept with him for the long and unbearable time.

Now, the knife had been strengthened by Ye Xiao. It was sharp and tough, better than many divine weapons.

The clear sound of the knife brought silence to the crowd.

Everybody was staring at Qiu Luo.

Qiu Luo stayed silent for a while and then closed his eyes, holding the knife in his hand, lost in thoughts.

“Juan’er!” Qiu Luo suddenly shouted to the sky. He started shaking.

“My beloved wife! You must be watching me from the heavens above!” Qiu Luo said, “The world had witnessed my vow!

“Today, finally, I will take revenge for you and my son!

“Juan’er, do you see? Son, do you see?”

The blade of the knife was glittering. Qiu Luo stepped forward and made a fierce slash. Zhao Yifei’s head flew up to the air, but Qiu Luo didn’t stop. He kept cutting Zhao Yifei without hesitation. In the end, Zhao Yifei had become a pile of mince!

Erhuo had shown up and sat on Ye Xiao’s shoulder, watching what was happening.

Somebody had noticed something strange already.

‘What is going on? How come? The soul energy of the men from the Gray Parasol Sword Sect didn’t scatter after they died… All cultivators, even those at the Faery Origin Stage, will have their soul energy scattered out. The strong man scatters stronger soul power, while the weak one scatters weaker soul power! They all have soul power…’

‘However… Although people keep dying during the fight, no soul energy is out at all. Maybe their souls are destroyed too, but their soul energy should at least appear for a short time!’

‘That is so abnormal!’

Qiu Luo shouted to the sky like crying. His knife was all red, and he rushed into the crowd like a mad man!

His knife was shining among the splashing blood in the air!

The blood seemed to activate the true essence of the knife.

It was a strange feeling.

Blood and flesh splashed, and the heads were rolling away!

Qiu Luo kept his eyes closed with tears falling off. He just waved the knife randomly. The pain and grudge that had been buried deep in his heart for many years had all come out. He did not notice the strange change in himself.

The others were all experts in cultivation.

They all knew what was happening, so they were shocked. They kept watching Qiu Luo’s change.

In the massacre, Qiu Luo had freed himself from the pain. He was back to his prime. Some special energy seemed to grow inside him. The special energy was enhancing Qiu Luo’s knife while he was letting go of the pain and grudge in his heart. His body, his soul, his knife, and his everything… He became stronger…

“Qiu Luo broke through!” Meng Youjiang took a breath.

Bu Xiangfeng stared at Qiu Luo, who was killing crazily. He nodded and said, “That’s right. He has gone through the pain in his heart, and his cultivation broke through the limitation as well. His knife technique… It was greatly improved!”

In the blood and flesh, Qiu Luo abruptly opened his eyes. After that, he knelt down among the bodies.

His knife shined again, and some blood splashed to the sky.

“I will protect the art of knife! This knife has its name now. The Blade of Protection! It protects the Monarch’s Hall! It protects the Lord Monarch! It protects my brothers! I will spend the rest of my life to be your protection! The blood from my heart. The oath I swear to heavens!”

Qiu Luo kowtowed, hit his forehead on the floor!

At the same time, a stream of mysterious power crossed the sky.

The Blood Vow was accepted!

Everybody was touched!

It was all silent.

At this moment, everybody had a strong feeling that they were a part of this organization.

‘I belong here. I belong here only.’

The sense of belonging united them!

Everybody was breathing in high spirits.

Ye Xiao stood there, looked calm and steady, and slowly said, “We descend to the Limitless Ocean; We conquer the Human Realm Upon Heavens! We are brothers! We are monarchs! Nobody bullies us! People of the Monarch’s Hall takes no humiliation! Brothers protect brothers!”

“Brothers protect brothers!”

Hundreds of men shouted at the same time. They were all thrilled.

At this moment, some of them who felt uncomfortable serving the Monarch’s Hall at the beginning all changed their minds. They felt proud and honored!

Guan Tiemian, the old Master Guan, sighed and said, “The kid is quite a capable leader… Those men have joined him for only one day, and he actually united them in such an unexpected way! That is… That is bold and careless! How could he say those words in front of so many people?”

He slightly shook his head.

…