The Stars Beyond

Chapter 494: Peerless Bueaty Jiang Qingyao

The gourd borne from the Chaos Vine on Mount Bu Zhou held an enormous reputation in the realm of immortals. Through the ages, only a handful had ever encountered it, let alone possessed it.

This high-spirit world produced wondrous items, yet it was perilously dangerous, a no-man’s land even the most formidable couldn’t venture into lightly.

The Celestial Sword Maiden had successfully located and harvested a purple-skinned gourd, swirling with chaos energy. This was an invaluable treasure, surpassing many unparalleled exotic treasures in worth.

“Here!” Noticing Wang Xuan lost in thought, she extended the gourd again, a simple and pure “here” escaping her lips. Her beautiful visage showed no other emotion.

She was the epitome of an immortal, devoid of worldly dust, a being of purity with a heart dedicated to the Dao. Her icy skin and jade-like bones were untouched by worldly smoke and fire, seeming transcendent, as if she could only belong within the strokes of a painting.

Wang Xuan snapped back to reality, refusing, “Ah, no need. I possess various wonders, and this gourd was not easily obtained by you. You should keep it for your own use.”

“You’re quite the airhead, aren’t you?” The Celestial Sword Maiden looked at him, finding this young man’s character quite at odds with what the little creatures had described.

Wang Xuan was at a loss for words.

In his eyes, the miniature version of the Celestial Sword Maiden was adorable, and the grown version had a proud charm, a pure cultivator, even somewhat adorably clueless.

And yet, she had called him clueless!

The Celestial Sword Maiden smiled, her beauty and clean laughter piercing through, her eyes clear as if fresh snow on blooming flowers.

“I’m not suited for treasures crafted from such wonders,” she said, gesturing to her cherished immortal sword on her back, “This sword is all I need.”

Then, she firmly placed the renowned gourd from the uncharted territories of Mount Bu Zhou into Wang Xuan's hands.

“Alright, I have something for you too,” Wang Xuan conceded. He had prepared for this meeting with the Celestial Sword Maiden, retrieving a silver longsword.

This was a weapon seized from the formidable Evil Dragon of surpassing realms, a fearsome immortal sword capable of briefly solidifying time and space. Its former master had been a peerless figure among immortals, of significant renown.

He had already used the Life Nurturing Furnace to erase any residual marks from its previous owner, rendering it ownerless.

“The Space-Time Severing Sword? I like it very much, but it’s too valuable. I don’t have anything of equivalent wonder to give you in return,” the Celestial Sword Maiden expressed.

She knew that Wang Xuan seemed to lack for nothing, possessing all sorts of scriptures. The little beings had happily communicated with her, recounting how they had been inundated with a plethora of texts, all courtesy of Wang Xuan.

"Why be so formal? I have all kinds of weapons." It was his turn to insist, pressing the sword into the Celestial Sword Maiden's hands with a smile. "Do you use sabers? I also have a golden long saber, its quality is astonishing, not inferior to this sword."

"No need for a long saber," the Celestial Sword Maiden declined with a shake of her head, then accepted the immortal sword straightforwardly, without any pretense, and vowed, "Then I will slay a few more formidable enemies for you in the future."

Her delight was evident. Drawing the silvery-white immortal sword, its radiant blade mirrored her flawless visage, her smile blossoming as she began the process of refinement.

She took out her own cherished immortal sword, a blade nurtured over five hundred years, aiding her breakthrough to unparalleled heights, now a transcendent exotic treasure.

Having dwelled in the ethereal boundary of the eleventh realm for ages, she suppressed her power for years, always nurturing her sword, preparing to shatter her limits in one fell swoop.

The two swords, placed side by side, seemed to draw towards each other, then fused, emitting splendid immortal light. Her sword began absorbing the temporal and spatial rules from the Time-Slicing Void Sword, its supreme mysteries, for her own use.

"This is..." Wang Xuan was astonished to see the silver-white sword dim slightly, shrinking a bit as if something was being siphoned from it.

"Nurturing the sword," she explained. "Originally just an iron sword of mundanity, it was nourished by my sword energy, continuously integrated with various wonders, transforming over time. Later, it even began drawing essences from other weapons to remedy its own deficiencies."

Wang Xuan was amazed as their conversation unfolded, revealing much of her past.

In the distance, a small town with cobblestone paths and a river running through it, not densely populated. In this era, many knew what they were facing; the entire town, the whole world, seemed enveloped in an atmosphere of decline.

Absorbing and integrating the renowned Time-Slicing Void Sword naturally required time, best done amid the high laws of the immortal realm, far more challenging in the mortal world.

"It's perfect timing. I was planning to explore the immortal realm, see if there are any specialities to buy and bring back," Wang Xuan mentioned, genuinely interested in taking a walk.

This was the immortal realm, after all. Who didn't dream of ascending? Yet, their generation was born at the wrong time. Just as they stepped into transcendence, the era was drawing to a close.

Even the immortal realm was on the brink of destruction, an unfathomable thought in ages past. Not even the myths and legends of the mortal world dared to conceive such an end. This era, undoubtedly, overturned all known beliefs.

If becoming immortal was no longer an option, if one could not dwell here forever, then it was time to savor its splendid landscapes and limitless beauty one last time.

"Alright, I'll take you around to see the immortal realm. I, too, am reluctant to leave, having lived here for countless years," the Celestial Sword Maiden said.

She placed the two immortal swords together, cradling them as she walked, allowing her sword to continuously absorb the law patterns and nurture itself automatically.

With an unparalleled expert by his side, and a supreme treasure within him, and with the Evil Dragon long gone, the immortal realm now posed little danger to Wang Xuan, provided he remained cautious.

Together, they soared high, flying over the boundless earth, gazing down upon majestic rivers and mountains, reluctant to see such splendor fade and die away.

Especially poignant was the sight of townsfolk who, though alive, seemed numb to their reality, casting a shadow over Wang Xuan and the Celestial Sword Maiden's spirits, dampening their desire to explore further.

"Many transcendent beings will be sent away soon, to various transcendent planets. Yet, inevitably, many will remain. The immortal realm is vast, home to countless beings across numerous domains..."

The Celestial Sword Maiden shared the situation, explaining recent movements among the great sects. After consultations and communications with various transcendent planets, a portion of the population was being prepared for relocation.

......

"Qingqiu, are you truly going to marry the one you despise the most? You once said..."

"Love cannot save lives, nor can it be eaten. I need to survive. The number of spots for departure is dwindling, and while the high-level cultivators may have a say, we're merely at the level of 'Free Roaming', far from reaching the 'Nourishing Life' masters. The normal routes won't take us."

Along their journey, such scenes, such moments that urged one to pause, were not rare. The myriad facets of life unfolded in the immortal realm on the verge of decay, weaving countless narratives.

There were siblings, depending solely on each other, each willing to sacrifice their only chance for the other to stay alive.

Elderly parents kneeled outside the great sects' sanctuaries, begging for a pass for their children to live and leave.

At every turn, the Celestial Sword Maiden would intervene, negotiating with the sects to take a few more people. But she could help one, ten, maybe a hundred; how could she possibly help millions?

"Good intentions, yet powerless to act," Wang Xuan felt disheartened, yearning to leave, unable to bear witness to these scenes any longer.

The collapse of transcendence in the present world was deemed the advent of the worst era. Yet, compared to such heart-wrenching separations within the great barrier, people in the real world seemed to live in paradise.

"To be born in the present world, one should feel content. Observing others' tales of sorrow and hardship, like figures in a painting, yet all happening in stark reality."

......

"It's you, the youngest quasi Peerless Transcendent, Jiang Qingyao!" At the sight of a grand waterfall, a gray-haired figure burst forth from a dark pond, evidently a demon with its demonic energy tearing through the skies.

Wang Xuan had only just learned the name of the Celestial Sword Maiden. Musing to himself, he commented, "Lush jade reflecting brightly, clear streams flowing softly, what a melodious name."

Jiang Qingyao shot him a glance, then turned to the towering man with the sword, inquiring, "You're the grand disciple of the Demon Ancestor, what was your name again?"

Being hailed as the foremost Celestial Sword Maiden in recent ages and considered the strongest emergent talent in eight hundred years, Jiang Qingyao naturally had her rivals, and the figure before her was one of them. The grand disciple of the Demon Ancestor, known as the first Demon Saint, was among those tipped to reach the Transcendent realm. However, rumors have always suggested he might not match Jiang Qingyao's prowess.

"Since fate has brought us together, let's spar," declared the first Demon Saint as he rose, causing the myriad waterfalls to reverse their flow skywards.

The heavens filled with demonic energy, obscuring the sun, revealing his belligerent nature and formidable strength, edging close to Transcendence.

Unfortunately for him, he faced the Celestial Sword Maiden, who had broken through the eleventh layer of Transcendence. With a mere flick of her finger, swords rained down, leaving him bloodied and nearly dissipated in both body and spirit, plummeting into the pond, never to surface again.

"Should we finish him off? Seems like he'd make a good meal, doesn't he?" Wang Xuan inquired, in need of local specialties.

Below, the Demon Saint trembled, petrified by the prospect.

Jiang Qingyao declined, "Let it be. I haven't heard of him committing any unforgivable atrocities. Besides, he's quite old; his meat would be tough, hardly appetizing."

The Demon Saint shivered then seethed with indignation as they walked away.

"Do you know where Qi Tian's lair is? Maybe we could find something valuable there," Wang Xuan suggested, unwilling to leave empty-handed, believing there must be something to gain from their adversary.

"That's highly dangerous. Someone of his caliber, transcending realms, can trace the source and identify who was there," Jiang Qingyao warned, shaking her head.

"It's fine. I've got something special," Wang Xuan confidently produced two sets of armor, meticulously crafted from the roots of the Void's demonic flower and Primordial Chaos Crystals. During his last visit to the immortal realms, when he eliminated Zheng Yuantian and took Hengjun's premier tea tree, it was this armor that protected him.

However, that set was destroyed, and this was a newly forged replacement. This time, Wang Xuan came fully prepared. After explaining in detail, the Celestial Sword Maiden, a woman of action, decisively said, "Let's go!"

She possessed a transcendent beauty, ethereal and pure, yet when it came to action, she was unequivocally resolute. Taking Wang Xuan with her, they flew side by side directly to Qi Tian's current abode.

Reinvigorated after his resurrection, Qi Tian was brimming with confidence, fearing no challenger. With a transcendent treasure in his possession, he felt invincible, making no effort to conceal his dwelling.

Half a day later, the Celestial Sword Maiden, Jiang Qingyao, and Wang Xuan, cloaked and incognito, stormed into the abode, plundering Qi Tian's collection of exotic treasures and filling their pockets with fragments of paradise.

Eventually, when they could carry no more, they both worked on the purple-skinned gourd, leveraging its capacious interior to empty the entire abode.

"Besides treasures, scriptures, and weapons, there's even dragon meat, phoenix eggs, and an array of fine wines here. Such extravagance!" Wang Xuan exclaimed, astonished at the comprehensive bounty he sought, all found within Qi Tian's trove.

Jiang Qingyao nodded, "Of course, hosting guests and rallying followers, Qi Tian needed to entertain lavishly. At his stature, only the finest delicacies would suffice, alongside the rarest liquors, truly divine."

While indulging in a skewer of roasted dragon meat, she commented, "It's been a while. I pride myself on my culinary skills; the skin is crispy while the inside remains tender and juicy."

Wang Xuan playfully suggested, "Since you're so skilled, why not grill a few more for me? Let's also toast to our impending escape from this grand canvas."

"Shush, keep it down. Let's pack up and make a swift exit; it's time to leave," Jiang Qingyao suddenly tensed, her ethereal demeanor turning serious.

Then, she took Wang Xuan and fled, hurrying towards the dark edges of the Immortal Realm.

Boom!

From afar, a terrifying surge of blood qi erupted into the sky, while blinding sword light tore through the heavens. The sight was unprecedentedly frightening, leaving Wang Xuan utterly agape in shock.

"We are a hundred thousand miles away, and he's practicing his swordsmanship. The natural release of his blood qi and sword light can slay all foes. Where he stands becomes a forbidden zone, no one dares approach, and even supreme beings would perish if they did," the Celestial Sword Maiden explained.

"The ancient lunatic?" Wang Xuan immediately thought of him, the one rumored to have refined the transcendent treasure—the Mortal Sword—and let it roam free.

Indeed, his recent battle achievements confirmed this. Terrifyingly peerless.

Both the sovereigns of the Hook Chen Imperial Palace and the Supreme Palace, being beyond the mortal world, leveraged the blood and scriptures left by a bygone super civilization to approach the Feather Vanishing Banner and the Carefree Boat, securing them. Yet, when they, holding these treasures, led a horde of mighty warriors in a siege, they were routed by that ancient lunatic, fleeing for their lives. During the escape, the sovereign of the Supreme Palace, Zhen Chao, was ambushed by the Evil Dragon Qi Tian, who stole the Feather Vanishing Banner.

"Why is he so powerful, what's his background and origin?" Wang Xuan inquired.

"His background is impressive, and he has lived for an exceedingly long time. Back in the day, he dared to challenge the very first person to carve out a special Inner Landscape..."