Chapter 23: The Great Luo Sword Embryo, Strife Among All Factions

“All done. Time to leave.” Lu Yuan cast a glance to the side, at the three lifeless bodies sprawled nearby.

Without another word, he strode directly to the spot where the meteorite had crashed.

There was a large crater, steam still rising from its depths. At the center lay a misshapen stone, pitted and rough, betraying nothing extraordinary about its appearance.

He crouched down and picked it up, feeling the warmth that radiated from within. Inside, something otherworldly was gestating—a divine object from beyond the heavens, one he knew he must obtain.

Originally, Lu Yuan had planned to claim his prize and then rest for the night before leaving. But after hearing certain news from Captain Zhao, he had fallen into deep contemplation.

“This meteor shower has drawn the attention of many powerful factions. They’ve already begun to act. Apart from the piece in my hand, most of the meteorites vanished as they entered the atmosphere. Of those that fell, none contained anything. The others will surely keep investigating in secret.”

Lu Yuan realized these great powers had formidable means at their disposal. It would not be difficult for them to trace his purchase of the farm. If he simply took the meteorite away, it was inevitable they would become suspicious.

There was nothing he could do to conceal the crater itself. And with only a few days left, he wanted to avoid any unforeseen complications.

After a brief deliberation, Lu Yuan did not hesitate. He exerted force, crushing the meteorite with his hands.

Instantly, wisps of black powder trickled to the ground, and in no time, most of the stone was reduced to dust. Only the very core remained—a black sword embryo, no larger than a palm, rough and unremarkable at first glance. Yet, it was remarkably heavy, and upon close inspection, he could sense a peculiar power sealed within, flickering in and out of perception as if shackled by some mysterious force.

Lu Yuan understood the reason. The world itself had yet to undergo its transformation; the sword embryo had not yet awakened. Once the time came, it would unleash a might beyond imagination.

In his previous life, a peerless master had wielded this very sword embryo, sweeping across the world, cleaving through the heavens and reigning supreme beneath the stars. Lu Yuan had witnessed it from afar—the sword’s radiance had outshone even the sun, as if it could fell the very stars from the sky, annihilating all before it in an instant. It would not be exaggerating to say the sword could split the nine layers of heaven in a single stroke.

For this reason, the sword embryo bore another name: the Da Luo Sword Embryo.

“It’s time to go.” Lu Yuan calmed his mind, stowed the sword embryo in his cloak, and turned away. With the meteorite now crushed to powder, the great factions would focus their attention on analyzing the residue. Besides, he was simply an ordinary man—hardly worth their notice. Even if they did return later, by then the world’s transformation would have already begun.

Soon, Lu Yuan returned to the farmhouse villa. He hauled out the wordless stone tablet and drove away without delay. Today would surely descend into chaos; staying put would only invite trouble. Better to leave before it arrived.

Just as he had predicted, less than an hour after Lu Yuan’s departure, another group appeared on the farm. Dressed in black, their eyes sharp and vigilant, these newcomers carried firearms and exuded a far more menacing presence.

When they discovered the crater and the dead bodies o