The Stars Beyond

Chapter 485: Capturing A Living Being Near The Source

Wang Xuan made his way to the spaceship's "Transcendent Power Chamber," where any overflow of red material could be contained, extracted, and utilized. Should danger or an accident occur, this chamber could be disengaged to ensure the overall safety of the spaceship.

"Be cautious and careful not to fracture your psyche!" Chen Yongjie warned.

Wang Xuan shot him a glance. Indeed, his previous sessions of seclusion had teetered on the brink of danger. The so-called 'Psychosis Technique' had been a real trial, nearly erasing his very essence, with the trouble of dealing with multiple incarnations just recently resolved.

"Could you really train yourself into a problem?" Wu Yin asked with a laugh.

"Are you undergoing a mental fortification? Maybe stick a calming talisman on your forehead first?" Zhao Qinghan suggested with a smile.

"Did you see Wang Xuan's battle with the Light God? You don't understand half of it. A person splitting into many spirits, male and female. It was a bizarre sight to behold..." Qing Mu explained.

"Oh, Old Qing!" Wang Xuan, resigned, finally let it go and quieted down. His spirit entered the Life Essence Earth, taking several key pieces of equipment directly onto the road.

As his strength increased and the effects of the celestial medicine took hold, the journey to his destination was significantly shortened. In less than "three days," he arrived near the silver pool.

This time, his visit wasn't for the hellish self-purification but primarily for time theft and to navigate through the meteor passageway.

Cultivating in the Void Realm didn't exaggerate time as in the Inner Scenery Realm, but it made his spirit feel more vibrant than when secluded in the real world. The rough, reddish cliffs, the silver celestial fluid spilling over, and the two vibrant Life Essence Earth mountains nearby. On one of the mountains grew the Nine Tribulations Vine, coiling like a serpentine dragon. Beneath its pristine white leaves, hidden red spikes thrived amidst the white mist mingled with red substance.

"Are the leaves and spikes absorbing super-substances corresponding to the silver pool's celestial fluid and the distant red material?" Wang Xuan pondered, thinking even this celestial plant was gradually adapting. He believed that, over time, he too could fully assimilate the red material.

Adjacent to the pool, another Life Essence Earth mountain flourished with the Immortal Tea Tree, verdant and vibrant, its colorful fruits swaying, gleaming, and exuding a faint fragrance.

Arriving here, Wang Xuan relaxed, with ample time to ponder his cultivation issues. The Life Essence Furnace, small enough to resemble two fists joined together.

He brewed a pot of celestial tea, the wisps of white vapor rising. Inhaling the tea's aroma, he sat in contemplation, gazing into the future path ahead, ready to breach into the realm of Free and Easy Wandering whenever he wished.

Breaking through into the thirteenth stage posed an unparalleled challenge, yet Wang Xuan chose this arduous path willingly. Setting foot in the realm of Free and Easy Wandering could happen at any time, but missing the opportunity for the thirteenth stage meant losing it forever, with no chance for redemption.

"Hoping that the Golden Cicada Technique and the Ant Gazing at the Dragon Scripture will facilitate my rebirth, achieving a comprehensive enhancement and breaking through that formidable barrier."

He then delved into the study of several peculiar scriptures, utilizing the vibrant spiritual awareness of this place to commence a solitary journey of cultivation, completely isolated from the outside world.

Most of his time was spent seated beneath the tea tree, occasionally interacting with the red substance, exploring the oddities and wonders of cultivating with different super-materials.

"The substances encountered here feel closer to reality than those in the Inner Scenery Realm, but the effect of stealing time is less pronounced."

Approximately "two years" later, Wang Xuan stood up, concluding his time-stealing cultivation, and headed towards the meteor passageway to test if he could traverse it—this was the main purpose of his journey. In just a day, he traveled from the Immortal Tea Tree to the vast meteor site, which seemed to cover the sky, endless and boundless. A luminous path, with red mist, tiny granular crystals, and occasional flames, surged out with the light fog, emitting an unbearable heat. Upon arrival, Wang Xuan became cautious. He hadn't forgotten the indistinct and wailing howls that echoed from this place when his psyche had split into many avatars.

"Is it an illusion, or is there something real here?" he pondered. The situation was bizarre; how could there be a monster in a place that belonged solely to him?

He considered three possibilities: the first was a psychic avatar, a stray one lurking unnoticed.

If so, it was terrifying. Had Fang Yuzhu, the Demoness, Old Zhang, and the others overlooked this avatar during their collective consultation?

The second possibility was the meddling of that demonic flower again, intentionally leading him astray, tormenting him until his spirit was troubled, and he questioned his existence, unwilling to let go.

If a third possibility existed, it was a terrifying thought: something real, originating from the true source, might have come through the meteor passageway from above. During his last visit, Wang Xuan hadn't ventured into the meteor passageway, sensing something amiss, fearing a rash entrance could be perilous.

Now, having reached the zenith of the Twelfth Realm and truly mastered the Life Essence Furnace, he resolved to uncover the truth. Letting this threat linger would make future ventures into the ethereal realm untenable.

Before setting off, he visited the cave he had carved out to check on the cactus celestial medicine, which was thriving and about to bloom.

"Hey, kid, you finally showed up. Get me out of here; I can't take it anymore!" A few pages of the Book of Ages cried out in agony.

"This mental torment is unbearable, shaking the foundation of my Dao heart. Staying with it any longer, I'll truly go mad!" It flapped desperately, the pages of the Book of Ages enveloping the scriptures of the Psychosis Technique.

"You seem quite mad already; its company suits you just fine." Wang Xuan had no intention of granting its wish.

"Don't do this, take me with you! I could endure the mental illness, but there are malevolent spirits around here, haunting nearby, scaring me to death—they eat books. I surrender, just take me with you!" It trembled, pleading.

Hearing this, Wang Xuan's scalp tingled. So there really was a creature causing mischief here, not just an illusion?

"Are you sure you're not hallucinating? Is there really no ghost?"

The Book of Ages retorted, "You're the hallucination! I haven't split, I'm not deranged, how could my senses be wrong? There's definitely a big problem here, severely affecting me."

"Then stay here and enjoy its company." Wang Xuan refused to take it with him.

The Book of Ages bargained, "Then complete me. Just a few pages and I'm incomplete, lacking much strength!"

"Stay here!" How could Wang Xuan possibly complete it? Given its dubious origins, keeping it fragmented seemed best. With many questions still in his mind and laden with doubts, he left the place.

Wang Xuan entered the passageway armed with the beast skin book and the Life Essence Furnace, which lent him a great deal of composure and tranquility. On this meteor path, surged with red mist and streaked with lightning, his spirit throbbed with pain, each visit an ordeal.

Yet, now he was far stronger than before, his endurance having dramatically increased. He didn't seek refuge in the Life Essence Furnace but instead marched forward, braving the elements.

Suddenly, a piercing howl rang out close to his ear, echoing deep within his soul. Despite being a spirit, he felt his skin crawl, a chilling electricity running through him, raising goosebumps all over.

Without turning back, Wang Xuan kicked out behind him like a scorpion flicking its tail.

There was a thud. He encountered resistance, pain shooting through his foot as a fierce creature blocked his path.

As he looked back, he caught a glimpse of a ghastly pale face that swiftly disappeared into the mist and retreated into the obscure depths of the passageway.

"There really is something here!" Wang Xuan was startled. In the unbearable heat of the passageway, he felt an eerie chill from behind, signaling danger from the creature.

He took a deep breath, and his spirit glowed red, suffering intense pain amidst the sea of red material. His resilience, now stronger than ever, held firm against it.

"I must capture it, to understand what creature this is!" He surged forward, in hot pursuit.

Suddenly, the entity, ghostly and formidable as if made of cloud and smoke, leaped from the rough meteor walls, launching an assault on Wang Xuan.

In an instant, Wang Xuan unleashed all his techniques, clashing with it hundreds of times. His body ached from the encounter; the monster was alarmingly powerful, matching him blow for blow in a brutal standoff.

With a roar, Wang Xuan summoned the Godslaying Banner, opting to deploy the Life Essence Furnace, hoping to ensnare the creature with this supreme treasure.

A wail, piercing and ghastly, seemed to resound at the very core of his being, causing a momentary tremor in Wang Xuan's spirit. The chilling dread it inspired was truly terrifying, sending shivers down his spine.

Wang Xuan, with the beast skin book in hand and the Life Essence Furnace at the ready, moved with a newfound ease and determination. As he traversed the meteor path, bathed in surges of red mist and streaks of lightning, his spirit ached, every visit a trial by fire.

Yet, he was much stronger now, his capacity to endure fiercely increased. He didn't seek refuge in the Life Essence Furnace but faced the elements head-on.

Suddenly, a ghastly howl rang out, cutting to the very soul, chilling him to the bone despite being a spirit. Without looking back, Wang Xuan lashed out behind him with a kick as swift as a scorpion's sting.

With a thud, his attack met resistance; his foot throbbed in pain as a formidable creature intercepted him. Turning around, he glimpsed a ghastly pale face that swiftly disappeared into the mist, retreating into the obscurity beyond.

"There's really something here!" Wang Xuan's heart raced. Amidst the scorching passageway, he felt a bone-chilling dread, signaling the creature's danger.

Taking a deep breath, his spirit glowed a painful red, surrounded by the omnipresent red material. Yet, his resilience, now stronger than ever, stood firm.

"I must capture it, to understand what this creature is," he resolved, launching into pursuit.

Suddenly, the entity, ghostly and formidable, leaped down from the rough meteor walls, launching itself at Wang Xuan in a cloud of smoke.

In an instant, Wang Xuan deployed every technique at his disposal, clashing with it hundreds of times. His body screamed in pain; the monster was astonishingly powerful, matching him blow for blow.

With a roar, Wang Xuan summoned the Godslaying Banner and employed the Life Essence Furnace, hoping to capture the creature with this supreme treasure.

A wail, piercing and dreadful, resonated deep within, causing a momentary falter in Wang Xuan's spirit, a chilling fear that enveloped him.

He activated the Life Essence Furnace, causing it to thunder, but the creature vanished once more into the stone wall, disappearing from sight.

The Life Essence Furnace vibrated, sending powerful ripples that shaved the indestructible meteor walls down to powder, causing continuous fractures and blasting large chunks of rock to fall.

It was far more effortless than when he had tunneled through with an iron spike; such is the power of a supreme treasure, making the stones of the meteor path crumble and roll in chaos.

Yet, as Wang Xuan pressed on, treasure in hand, ready for combat, wrapped in the silver beast skin book and the punctured golden hide, he realized the formidable nature of this vast meteor, impervious even to a treasure's might, merely shedding stones in its path without succumbing to total destruction.

Once more, a spectral howl pierced the silence, slowing his movements and affecting his mind like a ghost of the deep night.

Prepared this time, Wang Xuan sought to obliterate it with the supreme treasure, but the spiritual howls impeded his actions.

In a critical moment, his body shone from within as the Godslaying Banner burst forth, striking the creature and sending it flying, its grip on a tree branch breaking, bearing the brunt of the blow for it.

Once away from his body, Wang Xuan was ready to end the threat, activating the Life Essence Furnace with no intention of giving the creature another chance, its malevolence too great.

Transforming into a shower of light, the creature vanished, reappearing near the ominous flower above.

"A formidable opponent, not weaker than I," Wang Xuan realized the gravity of the situation, ready to unleash his full strength, this creature no less formidable than himself.

Noticing the creature had wielded a withered branch of the demonic flower, Wang Xuan questioned if the flower was the source of chaos, though his instincts and the fusion of his spirit's eye with the Twelfth Realm's foundation told him otherwise. The flower bore no lethal threat; the unknown entity remained the true hazard lurking within.

Without hesitation, Wang Xuan unleashed the power of the supreme treasure, aiming his strike forward. The attack caused the demon flower to tremble violently, its snow-white petals shimmering as if threatening to scatter across the sky.

Massive chunks of the meteor fell, the path collapsing around him. The eternal bloom, more resilient than the meteor itself, revealed its roots under the onslaught yet remained intact, resisting immediate disintegration.

As Wang Xuan drew closer, once again energizing the supreme treasure, the devastation intensified, and the seemingly divine flower teetered on the brink of falling. However, it was then that Wang Xuan's scalp tingled with the premonition of an impending disaster. Merging his spiritual eye with the foundation of the Twelfth Realm, he sensed an ominous presence.

A warning flashed before him, vague images suggesting that a complete collapse here, resulting in the plant's fall, could tear the very fabric of the Void Domain, signaling a major catastrophe.

Wang Xuan ceased his attack, feeling a chill down his spine. The significance of this demon flower was immense, capable of affecting the stability of the entire Drifting Domain. Could it really be some kind of Visionary Bloom, the undying dream of eternity lodged deep within the psyche? He dared not strike it again.

Avoiding the flower, Wang Xuan pursued the creature instead. This time, wary of him, the creature didn’t look back, charging towards the upper reaches of the meteor path.

Wang Xuan followed, enduring the burning sensation until it became unbearable. Only then did he retreat into the Life Essence Furnace, steering it to chase down the elusive being.

The creature, too, struggled to endure, its form beginning to disintegrate under the relentless heat. They had ventured far from the demon flower's location, deep into the heart of the meteor path.

It sought refuge within the meteor's walls, but the intense red mist and streaks of lightning that followed forced it out again.

"You cannot escape!" Wang Xuan was adamant in his pursuit. The danger and strength of this creature were unknown, and he could not allow it to wreak havoc.

Yet, it continued to flee upwards. Could it indeed hail from the True Source?

But how could it outpace the Life Essence Furnace? Though the treasure wasn't known for its speed, it surpassed other artifacts, quickly catching up to the creature.

In its pitiful state, with a body fading and on the verge of disintegration, its face pale and blurred, the creature was a sorry sight.

Wang Xuan, wielding the Godslaying Banner, ensnared it, capturing the creature alive!