The Stars Beyond

Near the wormhole, only steel debris remained. Wang Xuan stood quietly after slaying the Evil Dragon's avatar in the mortal realm. He was reflecting on the battle.　　

"The Ascension Banner is truly ominous. Anyone who obtains it seems to meet a grim fate. Even though this time it was only an imprint, it still reflects something," he thought.　　

He was severely injured himself, with a gaping hole in his chest. Additionally, his spinal bones were cracked open. He would have been paralyzed long ago if he was an ordinary person. He was almost bisected at the waist. Even the skull around the area of his brow was shattered, it was really gruesome. Any deeper, and his brain would have turned into mush.　　

He deliberately engaged with Qi Tian and fought him to death, all just so he could decipher him. He had gained a lot this time. His understanding of the Evil Dragon deepened, knowing more about some of his methods and character. He could strategically plan for the future with the information he had obtained.　　

In the distance, there were two figures who wanted to flee. It was Qi Tian's two followers. They fled into the frigid depths of space, they would naturally find it difficult to survive in this era.

"Sorry, I can only send you on your way since we're enemies, and especially since you've seen the Life Essence Furnace." Wang Xuan showed no mercy. Even though they appeared terrified now, he didn't want to leave them to their own devices. Both sides were in hostile positions. He had to silence them.　

The Life Essence Furnace glowed, and a shower of light surged out, illuminating the pale faces of the two women. They were instantly wiped out, with their spirits exploding, leaving nothing behind.　　

The fact that he possessed a supreme treasure must not be exposed in the short term. Otherwise, the gods in the Great Barrier and the immortals in the Immortal Realm would swarm like sharks that smelled blood. He couldn’t hold off so many mighty beings, including peerless transcendents that were sharpening their blades.　　

The emergence of any supreme treasure would attract the attention of peerless transcendents. A newcomer like him in the real world without a strong background, with only a few years of cultivation would definitely be the easiest target.　　

Wang Xuan tidied up the aftermath. It was easy for him with the treasure in hand. The furnace mouth glowed, swallowing in the wreckage of the spaceship and various fragments.　　

Then, both the long golden sword and the silver immortal sword that floated quietly in the distance were grabbed by him. These two weapons were preserved when the inner landscape of the Evil Dragon was destroyed.　　

"The top-tier mystical treasures!" He examined them closely and was reluctant to let go of both the weapons as he really needed such handy weapons.　

Until the end, he made sure not to leave any traces behind. Anyone hoping to trace something through residual remnants would likely be disappointed. Half a day later, a silver spaceship appeared, with Qing Mu, Zhao Qinghan, and others piloting it to pick him up.　　

"Thank goodness, you're safe and sound. Did you slay the dragon?" Qing Mu was quite shocked. He had watched Wang Xuan grow step by step. It was he who had actively discovered Wang Xuan, this newcomer.　　

Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin hurried over when they saw the big bloody hole in his chest, carrying a medical kit to help him treat the wound.　　

"It's okay, there’s no need to bandage it. I'll rest for a while, and the scripture technique will work better after that," he assured them it wasn't a problem.　

"It's just like something out of a fantasy. An incarnation of a peerless transcendent was slain in the mortal realm…" said the old man, Liu Huai'an. He felt that he didn't understand this world anymore.　　

After thirty years away, such a young monster had actually emerged in the mortal realm, leaving him dumbfounded. It seemed absurd no matter how he looked at it.　　

"Just get used to it," Chen Yongjie spoke up. He had also come this far, from being the number one in the Old World to becoming second best.　　

Initially, he thought he could keep up with Wang Xuan's rapid progress. But now, even when he exerted all his effort to chase after him, he could hardly see the figure of this monster anymore.　

"I'm looking forward to the special inner landscape. When the myths are completely extinguished, will Wang Xuan still be able to maintain his transcendent status and continue on his path?" Liu Huai'an said, filled with hope. After all, other people's inner landscapes were starting to wither, but Wang Xuan's hadn't changed at all.　　

"Did the slain dragon also have a special inner landscape?" Zhao Qinghan asked.　　

Wang Xuan replied, "His inner landscape had flaws as he had died once. Moreover, this was just his avatar. If his main body appears, that's when it'll be truly terrifying."　　

The mechanical bear said, "No need to be too modest. When I left, I captured some images in deep space and saw the scene of you fighting against him."　　

"Let’s fake it." Wang Xuan looked at it.　　

"What?" The mechanical bear was puzzled.　　

"Go edit a blurry video that shows the shadow couple killing the dragon's avatar. To confuse, add another segment suggesting that he might have been killed by Maiden Fang Yuzhu."　　

"You're misleading the world, fabricating lies," it said with shock.　　

"Yeah, it’s to avoid attracting the attention of the dragon's main body to me. I'll leave with the Ascension Banner and find a real peerless transcendent as his opponent for him." Wang Xuan nodded, admitting openly, then added, "At the same time, send a message to Demon Lord, Old Zhang, and the others on their spaceship, telling them the true situation of his avatar to prevent the Evil Dragon from unexpectedly catching them off guard."　　

"It’s a pity to let a magnificent achievement like this go. What a pity! If this were to spread, I'm afraid every corner of the universe where there are cultivators would boil with excitement," Transcendent Ma lamented.　　

Wang Xuan didn't care, saying, "It's just empty fame. I want to break free from the mess of this world. I really don't want to engage in endless killing with them. I just want to wait for the end of the transcendent and let those people give up."　　

"It's probably only a matter of time before it's exposed. Individuals like peerless transcendents have such keen perception. It might not be long before they find out about the truth. By then, you may face a great calamity, or even be besieged by the gods of the Great Barrier and the immortals of the Immortal Realm together," Chen Yongjie said. He had been with Wang Xuan all along and had long speculated that the furnace was probably the precious Life Essence Furnace, which might be exposed in the future.　

"Let's go, I'll send you back first," Wang Xuan said. As for himself, he planned to wander in the starry sky afterwards and stay out of sight for the time being.　

……

Two days later, Qi Tian felt something was wrong. His avatar had encountered trouble, and there was no contact at the agreed time in front of a certain Great Veil.　　

Those around him immediately noticed that his face was extremely gloomy. Using the Ascension Banner in his hand, he tore through the sky, destroying one of the three moons. He was in a terrible mood.　　

At their level, the impact of a fallen avatar was not small. That was a part of his spirit that had split off and was supposed to be reunited in the future.　　

In recent days, Qi Tian had been resurrected, seized the Ascension Banner, and had already shocked the gods and immortals. It caused a huge commotion among the transcendents in the mortal realm.　　

All his past and glory were dug up. How could someone who once dominated an era and was only killed after the joint efforts of the ancient emperors not become the focus?　　

But his mortal body had died under these circumstances, which made it sensitive. Who did it, who could kill the second person in the mythological era to develop a special inner landscape?　　

"There's news coming in. It was done by that shadow couple. They're suspected to be the parents of the Demon Lord!" Someone shouted.　　

"I'll go. Is it the peerless alchemist who controls thunder, and that twelve-tailed white fox? Two peerless transcendents had made their move and killed Qi Tian's avatar. This matter is going to be big!" Another exclaimed.　　

The news stirred up storms among the gods and caused huge waves among the immortals. One could imagine what it would be like when it spreads to the mortal realm. Countless cultivators on various transcendent planets were discussing fervently!　　

However, another piece of news came out. The news mentioned about person who killed Qi Tian's mortal avatar might also be Maiden Fang Yuzhu.　　

"Is it the peerless transcendent Fang Yuzhu who personally annihilated the ancient emperors? If so, there's nothing more to say. It's entirely possible for her to do it." One person said.　　

"Maiden Fang is truly powerful and worthy of admiration forever!" Even large groups of gods of the Great Barrier were impressed and were making such exclamations.　　

"Except for that lunatic who wields the Sword of the Mortal, she's hard to compare with. It's difficult to determine who is weaker or stronger. Besides this, she's probably already considered the top immortal!" One of them spoke.　　

The two news caused a huge stir, spreading among transcendents everywhere. They were all in discussion. One could feel how great Qi Tian's reputation was just by their reaction.　　

Even though he had died a long time ago, he still shook the world once he revived and reappeared.　　

"Do you think there's a possibility that someone else killed Qi Tian?" Some people raised another question. After all, Qi Tian himself didn't say who the culprit was.　　

"It's not very likely. Besides the parents of the Demon Lord and Maiden Fang Yuzhu, who else in the Immortal Realm could compete with Qi Tian?" Another replied to the question.　　

"Although I'm a transcendent, I'm also following the path of integrating technology. I've seen those blurry videos and think the timing of their appearance is too deliberate."　　

……

Wang Xuan ignored these things. On the way, he had been recuperating, crossing through wormholes, and seeing off a few people on their journey home. Three days later, he sensed something divine and once again led everyone into the inner landscape.　

"It doesn't seem right. There's a hint of decay in your inner landscape as well. Is the end of the transcendent truly approaching? Will there be no hope for the future?" Old Chen, with keen perception, was the first to notice the anomaly.　　

"Wang Xuan, are you feeling unwell?" Zhao Qinghan asked, fearing that Wang Xuan's physical condition was indicated by his inner landscape. Qing Mu, Wu Yin, Little Fox, they all looked over and were worried for him.　　

He shook his head, telling them he was fine. He carefully observed and sensed that a new inner landscape was condensing. It was turning into barely visible points of light and entering between his flesh and spirit.　　

"Waiting for rebirth in decay. Perhaps all of this is in line with the overall environment of the world. As myths extinguish and transcendents head towards winter and dark nights, my inner landscape is also beginning to wither. It’s in sync with the times," said Wang Xuan. But he believed that even if it decayed here, he could still undergo Nirvana and give birth to a new, unknown inner landscape, provided there were no unforeseen events.　　

In the end, Wang Xuan's body recovered, the bloody hole in his chest healed and the broken spine regenerated. He was fully recovered with no wounds left. His cultivation had also improved comprehensively, giving him a feeling that he was not far from crossing the tribulation.　　

Several days later, the Evil Dragon had begun to move. He led his followers towards the Immortal Realm, entering the Great Barrier of the gods while wielding his Ascension Banner. The world was shaking because of it! Was he going for revenge, or was he going to seize the last supreme treasure?　　

"He's gone to the Immortal Realm. Are you sure about it?" Wang Xuan was astonished. Soon, they received exact news that the Ascension Banner had once shown its might there, so it couldn't be false.　　

Without stopping, Wang Xuan commanded the spaceship to accelerate, passing through one wormhole after another, crossing the universe. He took this opportunity to prepare to land in the Old World.　　

"The Evil Dragon has left the Immortal Realm. Now I can go and lure out the Celestial Sword Maiden!" Wang Xuan said with excitement.　

Originally, he hadn't planned to act rashly in the short term, as it wasn't smart to risk entering the Great Veil. But now there was no problem as the Evil Dragon was far away. The end of the transcendence was imminent.

It was time to lure out the Celestial Sword Maiden's main body. Several days later, they passed by a new star without stopping. Using a wormhole, they set off again. Finally, the spaceship landed quietly in the Old World.