The Stars Beyond

Early morning found Wang Xuan and the two Celestial Sword Maidens in An City, coming upon the ghastly sight of Qing Mu, his complexion ashen.

Upon laying eyes on Wang Xuan, Qing Mu stared intently, his silent gaze asking a clear question: "Was it you who caused the shock?"

"Have you become a mortal again?" Wang Xuan, unfazed and accustomed to the sight, chuckled. "No worries, I’ll patch things up soon."

The immediate task was to contact the Immortal Lands to check on the status of the great masters and figure out how best to distribute the Spirit Blood Pool.

"Old Zhang, why do you look so… Frail?" Wang Xuan queried as he established contact with the depths of the universe. Old Zhang was the first to appear on the screen, looking utterly depleted.

"My main body was mobbed in the Great Barrier, and what's with that informal address, kid?" Patriarch Zhang grumbled, clearly irked, having been relentlessly pursued by a horde of supremes. Only his formidable strength had saved him from death.

"I’ve discovered a Spirit Blood Pool. Do you need it?" Wang Xuan cut straight to the point, avoiding any risk of signal interruption.

"Of course, it might not mean much to Little Zhang, but for me, it’s a godsend!" Lord Ming Blood joined the conversation, his tired eyes lighting up.

"It would be useful for me too. It won't elevate me to Supra Celestial, but it can definitely restore my vitality and deepen my spiritual foundation. It's a treasure. How did you come across it?" Old Zhang perked up.

Wang Xuan was straightforward. "Do you want me to send some over, or can your main bodies return? The Spirit Blood Pool is in Mount Zhou, discovered by Immortal Qingyao."

"We’re tied up with battles on this side, can’t return just yet," Old Zhang replied.

"Patriarch Zhang, it's a pity if you can't make it back. I've found remnants of the Curtain Sky Mirror right next to the Spirit Blood Pool," Wang Xuan added tantalizingly.

"What?" Old Zhang’s lethargy vanished, replaced by intense focus. He shoved Lord Ming Blood aside to dominate the screen.

Wang Xuan continued, "It’s in the hands of a Supra Celestial spirit remnant, a female. But I reckon you won’t stand a chance against her unless you're willing to devote five hundred years to convert her past lives, impress her, or maybe just marry her."

"Old Zhang, that could work. The main part of the Curtain Sky Mirror, combined with your fragments, might be restored. You’d score big—a Supra Celestial spouse plus a supreme treasure. Not bad!" Lord Ming Blood chuckled.

Old Zhang, frustrated, threw a mirror shard at him, barking for him to keep out of it. His expression shifted between hope and resignation. "A Supra Celestial with a shattered supreme treasure... I really can’t tackle her right now. I'll have to wait until things settle down here."

"What about the Demon Lord and Immortal Fang?" Wang Xuan inquired.

"The Demon Lord has been injured, affecting her mortal form as well. She's currently recuperating; the Immortal Umbrella isn't so easily refined," replied a clone of Xu Fu, bringing him up to speed.

As for Fang Yuzhu, she was resting, gathering strength, as her physical body might soon need to enter the Great Barrier.

Last night, she had single-handedly faced off against the two ancestral supremes and a host of deities, then suddenly hurled her bracelet towards the extremity of the Great Barrier, unleashing a towering sword light that shocked everyone present.

The madman appeared briefly before vanishing, causing the battle to come to an abrupt halt.

……

Qing Mu, Chen Yongjie, Liu Huai'an, and Qin Cheng all arrived, while Zhao Qinghan, Wu Yin, Guan Lin, and Little Fox Fairy were in another room, each applying a glowing red liquid to their bodies. It was absorbed instantly, dramatically boosting their spiritual power.

This supreme marvel naturally had an astonishing effect on them, but Chen Yongjie and Liu Huai'an encountered a major problem. After advancing to the eighth stage, they were blocked by an invisible pressure.

Currently, this is the limit for supernaturals in the mortal realm!

Even the avatars of the ultimate masters had some fall to the Sauntering Realm, let alone others. Being able to stand firm at the eighth stage was already formidable.

The excess red liquid was absorbed by their spirits and flesh, temporarily lying dormant and stored, unable to be fully activated.

"Unless I break the shackles and obtain the foundation to surpass the limit, this is as far as I go," Chen Yongjie realized.

Qing Mu saw the best results, immediately returning to the supernatural realm, for his small green sprout, watered by such a priceless wonder, instantly revived.

In short, the worse the foundation, the easier it is to repair!

"Are you really going back to the depths of the cosmos?" Wu Yin was quite worried, thinking it too risky as she had witnessed the great battle of gods in the great barrier herself.

"I have to go." Wang Xuan said helplessly, originally wanting to find a place to hide, but it turned out that side really needed the spirit blood pool, so naturally, he had to make the trip.

"Brother Wang, be careful not to get thrashed by the Monster Lord!" Transcendent Ma poked his big head in, although he hadn't partaken in the immortal banquet, he was aware of what happened.

He was regretful, sulking all night, but now he was content, having quickly transformed from Ma Two to Ma Three and still advancing.

Bear Two nodded along, the mechanical little bear also quickly advancing to Bear Three.

Wang Xuan laughed, saying, "If you think that way, life is too boring. For a peerless master like her, what are those things? They neither prolong life nor help her through the cosmic winter of mythical extinction; they're just external, useless objects."

"If it were just about hostility and looting, there are plenty of peerless caves in the land of immortal paths to choose from."

"Monster Lord surely doesn’t care about those external things; they mean nothing to her, but because the Celestial Sword Maiden raided her place and you also played the accomplice, that’s why she’s angry," Chen Yongjie laughed, thinking that Wang Xuan was bound to be severely beaten once he went there.

"What's the big deal? We just need a bigger picture. She once stole sword scriptures left by the ancestor of the Celestial Sword Maiden lineage and even targeted my inner realm. Now that she's been counter-raided, isn't that fair? Friends do this kind of 'give and take' to close the distance and resolve any misunderstandings. Consider this: the Celestial Sword Maiden discovered an invaluable spirit blood pool and sent it deep into the cosmos. With another round of 'give and take', do you think they would still draw swords upon meeting each other?" Wang Xuan said, not bothered in the slightest. Even if the Monster Lord wanted to thrash him, since only her avatar was acting, he felt he could counter-suppress her. It's better to settle scores sooner rather than later, especially now that in the human realm, she couldn't touch him.

"Think bigger, so many interesting things happen. How come when they get to you, they almost turn into a scene of a horrific crime?" Wang Xuan reassured Transcendent Ma not to worry.

Undoubtedly, this was another feast, a lavish banquet. After a baptism of spiritual treasure blood, everyone was brimming with vigor. Sea god clams, dragon jerky, and phoenix marrow were served, finally satisfying Transcendent Ma, who had missed out before.

"Are you guys heading back to Nova?" Wang Xuan asked Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin, offering to escort them.

Zhao Qinghan replied, "I want to go to a new planet that's isolated from the outside, a habitable planet we discovered ten years ago. It's very likely my father went there."

She believed that with the mythological aftermath settling, there might be one final upheaval; it was better to stay away from Old Earth and Nova.

Wu Yin added, "I'll go with Zhao Zhao. That place has never been a superhuman planet, no mythological tales, so it should be safe."

Wang Xuan nodded and then turned to the others, suggesting, "Old Chen, why don't you... take Sister Guan with you as well, and Qing Mu and Elder Liu, plus, Qin Cheng, you might as well go too!"

He feared trouble and preferred that his close ones stay far during these final days.

He was certain that the last stage of the Supernatural Silence would not be calm. Even he was considering escaping to the depths of the cosmos, naturally worried about his friends and family.

For a moment, the group was lost in thought, but then they nodded without hesitation, agreeing to Wang Xuan's suggestion. Being his companions, they were well aware of the many dangers he faced; he could battle dragons and slay gods in the mortal realm. Getting caught up in such vortexes meant risking total annihilation for outsiders.

They understood that Wang Xuan was concerned for their safety, fearing they might get caught in potentially catastrophic turmoil. He was urging them to seek refuge.

"What? I have to stay behind too? No way!" The little Celestial Sword Maiden bristled upon learning she was to be sent to an unknown planet, voicing her discontent immediately.

"Be good, I’ll leave you plenty of spiritual treasure blood. No matter how much the world shakes, you shouldn’t lose much of your cultivation," Wang Xuan tried to soothe her.

"Take that back! I’m a Celestial Sword Maiden, do you really think I’m a child?" The younger Qingyao retorted, tapping him with her sword hilt.

"You sure look like one," Wang Xuan chuckled.

"Ah..." She began flailing about in protest.

It was only when Jiang Qingyao stepped in that she calmed down, explaining that they needed to separate to avoid the risk of both being caught in the same disaster, providing a chance for resurrection if one were to fall.

In fact, Wang Xuan hadn’t wanted to bring the Celestial Sword Maiden at all. He had wanted her to hide, to stay away from the Undying Realm and avoid any entanglement with those supremely powerful relics.

Jiang Qingyao shook her head, saying, "In my current state, I can help you. Together, we can wield the treasure and slaughter our enemies, preventing you from having to venture alone into the depths of the cosmos."

Eventually, the group set off. Their first stop was a primitive life-bearing planet, largely undeveloped, where Zhao Qinghan’s family had established a base. Unfortunately, her father and the others were not there but had moved on to even more distant regions.

"Take care, I'm off!" Wang Xuan bid farewell to everyone. Chen Yongjie, Qing Mu, Zhao Qinghan, Wu Yin, Qin Cheng, and others waved him off as he boarded his spaceship.

"May the wind blow gently..." Transcendent Ma, who had been reading earnestly in the human realm, attempted to recite a farewell poem but was promptly ‘beaten’ by the others for his effort.

Even the little fox fairy couldn't help but scratch her face in frustration.

"Patriarch, the mortal realm is your domain!" Ma Chaofan cried out, compelled to change his plea.

The silver spaceship soared into the cosmos, with "Bear Three" as its steadfast companion, piloting the vessel toward the immortal lands.

In the ensuing days, familiar with the route, they traversed the universe, navigating through numerous wormholes. After many days of travel, they finally returned to their destination.

Upon arrival, they smoothly located the spaceship of the four grand masters. Not only were Fang Yuzhu, Old Zhang, the Demon Lord, and Ming Xue present in their earthly forms, but the enigmatic shadow couple was also there.

Meeting them again, Wang Xuan couldn't contain his excitement and disregarded the Demon Lord’s lethal glare, heading straight for the shadow couple.

"Humph..." The Demon Lord, Yan Yan, stepped forward with determination, intent on capturing Wang Xuan and settling scores with a preemptive attack.

However, Wang Xuan's body emitted a radiant glow, and ripples spread across his skin. Even the formidable Demon Lord, in her human guise, could not unsettle him. With swift precision, Wang Xuan grabbed her wrist, seizing her snow-white arm and swiftly reversing the hold.

During this altercation, the Demon Lord's aura burst forth in scarlet mists and thunderbolts, her spells unleashed in desperation. Yet, they were futile, all suppressed by the subtle luminescence emanating from Wang Xuan.

With a decisive motion, he twisted the Demon Lord's hands behind her back, effectively binding her and immobilizing her completely.

The scene left not only the Demon Lord herself but also Old Zhang and Patriarch Ming Xue utterly shocked. What was unfolding before them?

"Let go!" The male of the shadow couple was the first to speak, his voice tinged with distress, clearly very protective and affectionate towards Yan Yan, the Demon Lord.

"Both of you," Wang Xuan addressed them directly, "I need to ask, is the Demon Lord Yan Yan your beloved miscreant? Then, what am I to you?" Wang Xuan had long harbored these questions, and today, he finally found the moment to voice them.