The Stars Beyond

Chapter 486: The Thirteenth Stage Is Within Reach

I’m actually able to catch something live? The creature struggled with all its might as the banner wrapped around it. Wang Xuan tightened his grip but stopping short of delivering a deadly blow, Wang Xuan captured the creature alive.

"Can you understand what I'm saying?" Wang Xuan inquired, scrutinizing the entity. It had a blurred and pale face, shrouded in a smoky haze—whether from burns or its natural form, he couldn't tell. Its form flickered uncertainly.

Silent, it simply stared at him. Wrapped in the banner, it was shielded from the red substance, sparing it further erosion—a form of protection.

"Speak up. You're capable of howling, yet you play mute with me?" Holding the Godslaying Banner, Wang Xuan made his way up the meteor path, pressing on in his exploration.

Surrounded by boiling red matter but nestled safely within the Life Essence Furnace, Wang Xuan remained unharmed, marveling at the treasure's power.

In comparison, the Godslaying Banner, although a rare and extraordinary artifact, now sported dark spots, struggling under the strain, its golden mesh more glaring as it fought back.

The creature trapped in the banner began to howl as it was scorched mercilessly, growing increasingly indistinct, its face pale and hazy.

"Won't you say anything to me? Then I'll just burn you to death!" Without mercy, Wang Xuan surged upwards with his captive, nearing the true source.

This journey was unprecedented. Steering the supreme treasure, with Dao patterns unfurling, he shot upwards at a divine speed, the distance traversed beyond his own reckoning.

He felt as though he was ascending a stairway to heaven, from this path reaching out to an uncharted realm, the sole viable route through the meteor.

"Brat, getting a kick out of burning your grandpa, huh?" Suddenly, the creature shouted, its tone defiant and unruly, as if spoiling for a fight.

Wang Xuan was taken aback; the creature was sentient and could communicate.

"It seems the burning wasn't enough to teach you manners!" Wang Xuan retorted, then ignored the creature to continue their ascent.

"Ah, you're hurting me, stop with the burning! Do you even know who I am? Stop this!" The banner's fabric blackened, the golden mesh fluctuating wildly, the creature inside at its limit.

Wang Xuan, undeterred by the creature's pleas, continued to subject it to the inferno of the Life Essence Furnace, a gentle glow shielding him from the horrific pathway. The path widened, mirroring a journey through cosmic nebulas, enveloped in thick red fog, sprawling and vast. Wang Xuan gasped; without the furnace, he'd be incinerated.

"Stop burning me! If you keep this up, I'll be gone, and you'll only be harming yourself," the creature weakly protested. The banner had turned entirely black, its original appearance lost, the once vivid golden mesh dimmed—a clear sign the creature would've perished without its banner's protection.

"Speak up. What are you exactly? Don't try to deceive me, or you'll suffer a gruesome death," Wang Xuan finally halted, demanding answers.

"Grandpa is the defiant part of you, the decisive and powerful aspect of your humanity, the real 'you' within. But you, my grandson, had to split some parts of your psyche, casting away what you deemed as darkness. Do you wish to be a pure, unblemished saint? Life is a painting filled with various hues; our world is lauded for its splendid landscapes. Do you seek a stark, clean slate, ending in tragedy?"

Wang Xuan was taken aback. Of all the possibilities he considered, he hadn't expected this entity to be an embodiment of his own emotions, masquerading as a ghoul to haunt him.

Upon closer examination, he noticed the creature's pale face growing increasingly similar to his own. It was as if they were two sides of the same coin, inseparably linked by the psyche.

Yet, Wang Xuan remained skeptical, wary of being misled by the demonic flower's trickery, despite his spiritual eye sensing no malice.

"Let's go!" With the Godslaying Banner in hand, Wang Xuan retraced his steps, aiming to return to the realm of reality to test the creature's true nature.

As they journeyed back, the banner gradually mended, its charred appearance fading to reveal its original state, a testament to its profound connection to the Dao of Heaven.

Upon reaching the physical world, Wang Xuan couldn't help but laugh at the sight that greeted him. Chen Yongjie and Liu Huai'an's charred appearances were expected, their bodies emanating a scent reminiscent of cooked meat. Even Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin, standing at a distance, bore soot-covered faces. Meanwhile, Ma Chaofan and the little fox spirit were in uproar, claiming they were on the verge of being overcooked.

"Master said staying close to you during cultivation could bring benefits, that even a whiff of that red mist could temper the flesh and spirit," Qing Mu called out from a distance, his body charred black, teeth gleaming white against his sooty face. Given his realm, he had no business mingling with the red mist, yet the residual heat and the afterlight of thunderbolts had roasted him to an abnormal state.

Seeing Wang Xuan laughing, Zhao Qinghan couldn't help but punch him in frustration, followed by a sharp twist at his waist. She had seen her reflection and couldn't bear the sight; her appearance was now far removed from that of a beauty.

Wu Yin couldn't stand his gaze either, turning on her heels to wash up and change clothes.

"Hey, what kind of creature have you brought back? Did you go hunting on your path of cultivation and even thought to take it home? Planning to roast it for dinner?" Chen Yongjie noticed the entity within the Godslaying Banner.

"Old Chen, you’re going to eat Patriarch Wang?!" the creature shouted.

Wang Xuan realized this wasn't an illusion or the demonic flower's doing. After another scrutiny with his spiritual eye and enveloping it with the supreme patterns of the Life Essence Furnace to refine its essence, he could see its true nature.

Everyone was astonished, stepping closer to observe. Was this creature also Wang Xuan?

"It's fine. This is just the dross of my spirit. I'll refine it and extract some essence. Waste not, want not," Wang Xuan explained.

"You're the dross! I am the true essence. Without me, your soul is incomplete, pale, flawed—a defective product," the creature retorted.

"So, you mean a part of him is missing?" Zhao Qinghan, wiping the soot from her face, joined the conversation.

"Exactly. Remember the time in the secret land? The struggles we shared, crossing under the night moon together? This heartless man probably forgot all about it," the creature nodded.

Zhao Qinghan's freshly cleaned face blushed, she quickly composed herself, "The person with me in the secret land was you?"

"Don't listen to his nonsense. He's just a fragment of my emotions. Now, I will refine him and selectively absorb what's needed," Wang Xuan clarified.

"I am the true essence, indispensable!" the creature protested.

"Really? Then, Wang Xuan, you should absorb him quickly!" Wu Yin had returned.

"Da Wu, you're absolutely right, inclusiveness is greatness!" the entity nodded vigorously.

Wu Yin wanted to nod in agreement but something felt off, reminiscent of the early days when she first met Wang Xuan and was infuriated by him to no end.

With a thud, she punched the creature on its head, no longer wishing to engage in conversation.

"How will you deal with it?" Chen Yongjie inquired.

"I'll refine it. Whatever remains will undoubtedly be the essence, which I'll fully absorb!" Wang Xuan declared, proceeding to refine the creature with the Life Essence Furnace as if tempering a weapon or concocting a golden pill.

The creature screamed and wailed, eventually transforming into a beam of spiritual light that Wang Xuan absorbed. It appeared that not much was lost; the creature was indeed not mere spiritual dross.

Surprised, Wang Xuan noticed an improvement in his strength, and it was not insignificant.

An unexpected gain, indeed! Such a method could also enhance one's cultivation path!

"Time is of the essence, I must continue my cultivation!" Wang Xuan declared, turning to leave. His objective was clear, heading straight for the meteorite channel.

Commanding the supreme treasure, he moved faster than with the Godslaying Banner. The area, abundant in exotic substances, provided enough for the furnace's recovery, allowing him to surpass the demonic plant's location and charge upward.

The plant seemed to recognize the potency of a complete treasure, causing no trouble on both occasions. It remained compliant and quiet as he passed through.

In the channel, time seemed irrelevant; the journey was tedious and monotonous. Wang Xuan felt as if he had been flying for years, constantly ascending, surpassing his previous records and venturing into the unknown.

Ahead, the passage widened into a turbulent sea of red. Any living being would undoubtedly perish here without a supreme treasure for protection.

Even sheltered within the Life Essence Furnace, Wang Xuan sensed an anomaly; the interior of the furnace grew gradually hot, and its exterior glowed red.

Inside, the furnace's complex weavings of rules and patterns intertwined, shielding him. Otherwise, he would have turned to spiritual ash long ago.

"Is there no end to this? I refuse to believe it!" Undeterred, Wang Xuan continued his ascent, his spiritual eye ensuring he stayed on course, unwavering from his path.

What he beheld now might no longer be just the meteorite channel, but an ocean of red substances, flickering with firelight and red thunderbolts, terrifyingly endless.

"Perhaps, I've already burst through the meteorite channel, and that's why I see this vast ocean?"

During these "many years," Wang Xuan didn't waste any time, constantly alternating between several unique scriptures, aiming for a comprehensive transformation of his being.

"There's a portion of... real substance particles here, truly different!" Wang Xuan observed, noting some particles amidst the red misty ocean likely to be entirely real substances!

He didn't stop, continuing upward until he encountered silver particles, soothing and vibrant with life, alongside noble and serene purple particles that beckoned for closeness.

Yet, in this region, there were also more red clumps, extremely dangerous, heating the Life Essence Furnace to a scorching red, rising like a red sun.

Finally, there came a day when Wang Xuan felt almost unbearable within the supreme treasure, feeling as though he was being torn apart, pain seeping through the intricate patterns of the furnace, spreading a mysterious energy that was excruciating.

"To float among the real flames and thunder, burning the Life Essence Furnace, is this akin to alchemy?" Wang Xuan pondered if the furnace had found its rightful place, whereas he had not.

However, upon further thought, enduring this trial could also be seen as a rare journey of cultivation, coveted yet unreachable by others. Who else could venture this far?

"I'll stake it all, considering myself as the golden pill within the furnace, refining my spirit and nurturing my body here, cycling through those unique scriptures!"

One year, two years... decades passed.

Wang Xuan stayed, allowing the Life Essence Furnace to oscillate with the red misty ocean without ascending further, day after day cycling through the scriptures within the furnace.

Unprecedented, he had never lingered in the ethereal domain for such an extended period. Everything was for cultivation, for self-improvement, to step onto entirely new heights.

Finally, a cicada chirped, followed by thirteen consecutive cries. In the furnace, Wang Xuan transformed into a golden cicada, dazzling beyond compare. Its back cracked open, and from within, a new cicada emerged, shrouded in chaotic ripples and a hazy aura.

The cicada's song echoed through the void, shaking the meteorite channel at the very bottom, causing massive stones to tumble down. The red misty ocean stirred with waves.

Until at last, that new cicada turned back into himself!

Wang Xuan awoke, murmuring to himself, "I have mastered the Golden Cicada Scripture. Have I now stepped into the thirteenth realm?" He felt immensely powerful, indeed having made a significant leap forward.

"I've adapted to the temperature of this region. Onward and upward!" Commanding the supreme treasure, he once again headed towards the end of the misty sea.

The treasure glowed red, emitting dazzling halo light, its intricate patterns weaving around Wang Xuan as he sat in meditation. Beside him, a layer of spiritual cicada shell lay; he had indeed transformed.

When he once again felt unbearable pain, he halted, declaring, "Next should be the full mastery of the Ant Viewing Dragon Scripture, to see its transformative effects. What kind of change will it bring me!"