The Stars Beyond

Chapter 26: Closely Guarded

The gentle sound of yellow leaves falling outside the window reached Wang Xuan’s ears. He could also clearly see the trajectory of the night birds in the dark sky.

Something felt different, his senses of hearing and vision had improved to some extent even when he was not in a Hyper-Perceptive State. He felt a strong connection with the world around him.

Running his finger along his body, he immediately noticed its pliability. As he applied more pressure, his flesh and blood lightly vibrated and resonated, causing his fingers to slide away.

Wang Xuan’s fingers could leave deep marks on tree trunks and carve words on furniture, but they could no longer leave any marks on his skin.

“Is this the direct effect of the Golden Body Technique?” he wondered.

He knew that the benefits extended beyond this. He could sense the energy in his flesh and blood, indicating an overall improvement in his physical condition. It was likely that if he were injured, his wounds would heal faster and the recovery time would be shortened. Additionally, his five senses and mind were sharper than ever before.

“The Golden Body Technique is truly remarkable!” Wang Xuan thought to himself.

In this era, the technique held extraordinary significance for him. It provided protection against spears and could even defend against gunshots. This alone made it worth practicing the Golden Body Technique at any cost. If those people dared to appear again, none of them would be able to escape.

Most importantly, the effect of the Golden Body Technique made Wang Xuan realize the value of Old Arts. Despite their decline, there were surely many hidden treasures waiting to be discovered among the old manuals.

In the faded past, there were countless legends of strange and mysterious techniques. Some were incredibly legendary, and the mere thought of finding and practicing them excited Wang Xuan, who was usually composed. However, he quickly regained his composure. It was pointless to dwell on these thoughts at this stage. He needed to proceed slowly and steadily.

“The third layer of the Golden Body Technique already provides strong defense. Although it can’t block bullets yet, it makes me less vulnerable to spears.”

Wang Xuan firmly believed that his tough body could effectively reduce the effectiveness of firearms against him. As long as the bullets did not hit his heart or other vital organs, it would be difficult to take him down in a short period of time.

If those mercenaries were to reappear, Wang Xuan was confident that he could eliminate them all quickly, as long as he was willing to pay the price.

“You guys better run while you still can!” Wang Xuan was determined to continue investigating and find out who wanted him dead.

“The Golden Body Technique, even at the third layer, is still not sufficient. If I were to advance to the sixth or seventh layer, bullets would mostly be ineffective against me.”

Naturally, the more powerful firearms would continue to pose a potential threat to him. However, this might cease to be a concern if he were to progress beyond the tenth layer and further.

For now, Wang Xuan could not predict the effect of the Golden Body Technique in its Perfection Stage. Even the founder of the technique, Zhou Yunkong from the Northern Song Dynasty, did not reach that stage. The scriptures he left behind were only deductions he made on his own.

Wang Xuan calmed his emotions and emptied his mind, trying to immerse himself into that special state where he could reach the pinnacle of meditation and gain access to the Inner Landscape.

Unfortunately, no matter how hard he tried, he failed to achieve it. Even if he activated the core technique from the bamboo slips of Early Qin countless times, the Inner Landscape remained elusive to him.

He attempted meditation several more times, in hopes to reach the pinnacle of meditation and stay in the Solitary Void for a few years, but the result was the same.

Wang Xuan sighed, accepting that this was the outcome. After all, even the most prominent figures in the field of meditation had dedicated their entire lives to pursuing the pinnacle of meditation, with few actually succeeding. In recent times, there had been no reports of anyone achieving it.

As for entering the Taoist Inner Landscape, it seemed even more impossible. Wang Xuan believed that since the end of the Old Era, no one had ever set foot in the Inner Landscape. Back then, a grandmaster of the Old Arts had finally emerged in the Terra Nova, but he perished while practicing the secret scriptures of the Taoist Ancestral Court, succumbing to the deterioration of his five organs.

Had the grandmaster been able to access the Taoist Inner Landscape, this unfortunate event would have been averted. Within the Inner Landscape, he could have effortlessly observed the transformations occurring within his five organs and nourished himself through the mystery factors. Even if he had failed to master this technique, his life could have been spared.

Wang Xuan even suspected that those who studied the Old Arts in recent times were completely unaware of the mysterious existence of the Inner Landscape. While some ancient sects still mentioned it, it was often dismissed as a mere legend. Their descendants did not believe that the human consciousness could reach such a special place either.

Wang Xuan did not panic. He believed that since he had entered once, another opportunity would present itself in the future. He had a rough idea of how to enter that mysterious place, as he had personally experienced it and understood every detail.

“I have to be in a Hyper-Perceptive State before activating the core technique of that Early Qin master in order to succeed. But how do I reach that state in the first place?”

Wang Xuan could not help but wonder if exposing himself to extreme danger in the outside world would work. Perhaps the surge of adrenaline that accompanied such perilous situations would somehow resonate with the Old Arts and trigger the Hyper-Perceptive State.

“There’s no need to rush. I can take my time and experiment different ways to reach that state,” Wang Xuan concluded. In fact, he even considered participating in various adventure activities, as the likelihood of triggering the stress response and activating the Hyper-Perceptive State would increase dramatically.

Wang Xuan stood up and cleaned up the shed skin, marveling at the bizarre sight before him. He could not imagine what kind of force had caused his body to undergo such drastic changes that yielded such a result within just a few minutes.

Unfortunately, his mind was immersed in the Inner Landscape at that time, and he only had a vague sense of the outside world. He was not able to clearly perceive that brief but astonishing metamorphosis.

However, he understood that all creatures in the world were constantly evolving, and that species that could not keep up would eventually be eliminated. This process of adaptation to nature and self-improvement was slow and required generations to carry on. Yet, there were rare historical periods when certain species experienced rapid and intense evolution.

For instance, when humans diverged from other creatures, there was a period of rapid and extraordinary evolution, resulting in a significant advancement in the quality of life. Many people speculated that this sudden and drastic evolution was triggered by some unexplained change, leading to the brilliance of humanity.

In Wang Xuan’s opinion, those who followed the path of Old Arts also underwent various “changes” that could greatly accelerate the process of transformation. That could explain why masters in the Early Qin dynasty were capable of diverting rivers, lifting elephants, and splitting mountains, while average humans were unable to. It made Wang Xuan wonder what kind of power they received and how they came to attain such power within a short period of time.

As for the immortals, Wang Xuan’s perception had subtly shifted after reaching the Inner Landscape. He began to doubt the existence of such beings. He still believed that these so-called immortals were simply exceptional humans who, like all humans, were actually mortals.

Wang Xuan took a cold shower, changed into loose pajamas, and searched through the Scriptures of the Yellow Court for information about the Inner Landscape. Unfortunately, he found nothing new.

The ancient text spoke in vague terms, relying on the reader’s own understanding. The true knowledge lay in the bamboo slips of Early Qin, and these books merely served as supplementary information for understanding ancient terminology and terms of the Old Arts.

“Empty yourself and remain in clarity...”

Unsatisfied, Wang Xuan continued his search for other information, but even after going through the ancient texts, he could not find a method to instantly trigger the Hyper-Perceptive State.

“There must be a regular method, as the practitioners from Early Qin couldn't have been so powerful without it. Their achievements surpassed those of later generations precisely because they frequently entered the Inner Landscape.”

Wang Xuan resolved to pay attention to all kinds of bamboo slips of Early Qin in the future, He would diligently collect and search through anything related to these ancient practitioners. He was convinced that he could find a conventional method to enter the Inner Landscape in some old manuals.

“It’s a shame that all the valuable resources are in the hands of life science organizations and powerful megacorporations in Terra Nova. If only I could access all those bamboo slips and ancient texts, I would surely find what I’m looking for.”

Wang Xuan’s desire to visit Terra Nova intensified as he reflected on his regrets. Yet, he swiftly composed himself, understanding the importance of maintaining a peaceful state of mind on the path of Old Arts.

“I should be content. In a matter of minutes, I have attained a golden body that others might not even be able to attain in five years,” he reminded himself. Considering the magnitude of this achievement in such a short time, it was a miracle. If word of this were to spread, it would undoubtedly cause a huge uproar even though New Arts were on the rise.

After careful reflection, Wang Xuan realized that he might have been too optimistic. It dawned on him that even the practitioners from Early Qin might not have been able to enter the Inner Landscape at will. If they were able to do so, they could simply remain inside for a very long time and become immortal. This would inevitably lead to a sudden surge in the number of immortals, despite their supposed scarcity in the world.

A few years in that mysterious realm only equated to a few minutes in the outside world. However, Wang Xuan was completely unaware of how many years would pass in that mysterious realm for every day he spent outside. He speculated that the practitioners from Early Qin could only access that place once in a blue moon, and the method to enter remained a closely guarded secret known only to a select few.

“Is this reason for the decline of the Old Arts?” He also wondered if the changes in the external environment had made it more difficult for the future generations to enter the Inner Landscape. He could not shake off the feeling that he might be the only person who had entered the Inner Landscape in recent times.

“Despite spending five years inside, I did not feel the effects of time on me. On the contrary, I feel even more energized, both physically and mentally.” Wang Xuan attributed this to his complete immersion in the comprehension of Old Arts. His isolation from the world, and the absence of distractions had protected him from the influence of the secular world. Most importantly, he believed that the mystery factors from the Solitary Void had nourished his body and mind.

That night, despite facing gunshots and being attacked, Wang Xuan slept soundly. With a newfound direction in life, he was confident that he could handle any future encounters.

The next morning, Qin Cheng informed him that he was leaving for Luna Nova, and Wang Xuan wished him well. At nine in the morning, Professor Lin also announced his departure, leaving Wang Xuan with his address and contact information in Terra Nova.

This implied that all of his classmates who were heading to Terra Nova would also be departing soon to begin a new chapter in their lives. Shortly after, Wang Xuan received the expected farewell messages from Zhou Kun, Kong Yi and Su Chan.

Half an hour later, Wang Xuan unexpectedly received a letter from Li Qingxuan, inviting him to join her family’s expedition and offering a generous pay. In the letter, she left behind an address and contact information of her family in the Old World, and assured Wang Xuan of her assistance in arranging his journey to Terra Nova if he accepted the offer.

“Li Qingxuan...”

The woman whom he had crossed paths with on the bustling bar street last night appeared in his mind’s eyes. She was a stunning young woman with long, slightly curly hair, a pair of captivating phoenix eyes and luscious red lips.

However, their encounter was brief, a mere brush of fate. Wang Xuan found himself perplexed as to why she had sought him out. He could not help but ponder if there was an underlying motive behind her invitation.

He set the letter aside to contemplate, as he had also received an invitation from Zhao Qinghan to collaborate. The organizations and powerful megacorporations in the Terra Nova side must be preparing something significant.

“Wang Xuan, I’ve found them. Do you want to hunt them down?”

At noon, Qing Mu called and informed Wang Xuan that he had discovered the whereabouts of the mercenaries. Having recently attained the third layer of the Golden Body Technique, Wang Xuan was determined to personally hunt them down.

“The origins of these mercenaries seem complex. Based on our most recent intel, eliminating you was merely their secondary mission. Their primary mission was the excavation of the Great Tomb of the Immortals, which they have successfully located.”

Qing Mu’s voice trembled with excitement as he relayed this information. If their intel was accurate, it was truly mind-blowing. The existence of the immortals was often disregarded by many, and now someone had not only discovered the tomb of such a being but was also determined to unearth its secrets!