The Stars Beyond

Chapter 509: Are We Actually Related By Blood?

“You’re an accident,” the female shadow spoke softly, her tone both gentle and calm.

Zhang Daoling’s ears twitched slightly; he activated his divine hearing, fearful that the couple might shield the conversation, preventing him from uncovering any astonishing secrets. Meanwhile, Demon Lord Yan Yan struggled against Wang Xuan’s grip, pinned firmly to the spaceship's bar. Irritated that she couldn’t overpower him, her lithe body writhed, her crimson gown glowing, arms and legs adorned with glowing runes, persistently resisting.

However, it was in vain; she couldn't escape his hold. She quieted down, no longer struggling as intensely, listening intently because her supposed mother's tone suggested a major revelation was imminent. Could this really be her brother? If so, she felt an even stronger urge to thrash him! Previously, this young man had dared to ask her to perform the enchantress dance, and now he was overpowering her!

Wang Xuan was equally taken aback by the closeness in her voice, feeling an unexpected leap in his heart. The atmosphere aboard the spaceship was charged. Aside from Fang Yuzhu’s composed demeanor, everyone displayed unusual expressions. Hades Blood Patriarch was grinning broadly, relishing the unfolding drama. Celestial Sword Maiden turned her head, visibly intrigued.

"Let go!" the Demon Lord finally snapped, unable to tolerate being subdued publicly by Wang Xuan any longer.

"Quiet," Wang Xuan chided, patting her back lightly.

"Wang Xuan!" the male shadow called out, his tone implying that Wang should ease his grip, for he himself had never dared to strike her.

The female shadow gently patted the male's arm and said, "We should be fair."

Both were resonating with spiritual energy, their physical forms absent from the scene.

Her words left Wang Xuan bewildered; this wasn’t what he expected. Was he really their kin? Then he might also be a... “Celestial,” with parents of supreme power?

Old Zhang, his curiosity aflame, loosened two buttons on his white shirt, his usually dignified demeanor now slightly less composed.

"Wow, a hidden gem!" Hades Blood Patriarch exclaimed unabashedly.

He was promptly chastised, as the shadow couple's formidable presence unleashed a thunderous blast beside his ear and enchanting sounds echoed in his head, turning his face ghostly pale.

"He’s really my brother?" Demon Lord Yan Yan gasped in astonishment. After nearly three thousand years, could her parents have borne her a younger brother? She was dumbstruck!

The Celestial Sword Maiden, bathed in the cheerful light of spring, crouched down to get closer to the Demon Lord, flashing her an increasingly radiant smile, thoroughly enjoying herself without saying a word.

However, the implication was clear—your brother is helping me, and right now, he’s got you subdued.

“Child, is this the new Celestial Sword Maiden you’ve befriended?” asked the female shadow. “Hmm, this young lady is not bad, extraordinarily talented. I’ve heard she’s the foremost in recent ancient immortal paths.”

She quickly added, “But don’t upset my daughter, please.”

Jiang Qingyao laughed and said, “Oh no, I was just greeting her. The Demon Lord is really lucky, to have practiced for two to three thousand years with her parents by her side. Ah, she can stay forever young.”

“Yes, it’s truly unique in the realm of immortals,” chimed Hades Blood Patriarch with a smirk. “To see one’s parents after three thousand years, I’m envious!”

The Demon Lord’s expression darkened as she glared at Celestial Sword Maiden. “Little girl, are you looking for trouble? Who are you saying hasn’t grown up? I’ve battled for many years, dominating the immortal realms and uniting the demon clans...”

“Yet, in the end, you were still defeated by your smelly little brother,” Celestial Sword Maiden said with a smile.

Wang Xuan, feeling uncertain and emotionally tumultuous, finally released Demon Lord Yan Yan, overwhelmed by the day’s surprises.

Demon Lord Yan Yan restrained herself and did not retaliate. Typically radiant and peerless, she found herself in a rare state of disarray and passivity today, unable to calm her emotions.

“The surprise I mentioned isn’t about you gaining a younger brother,” said the female shadow with a smile, looking at the Demon Lord.

Wang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. These probably weren’t his parents, thankfully keeping his life from taking an extraordinary detour.

Old Zhang was notably disappointed; he had been ready to enjoy the drama. If they were indeed siblings, the notion of the elderly couple having a child late in life would have been quite intriguing.

The Hades Blood Patriarch, too, was disheartened, for his love of chaos knew no bounds; otherwise, he wouldn’t have blurted out earlier about the hidden treasure.

Fang Yuzhu remained composed; she understood the situation well. The male shadow continued, "What we mean to say is, the path he has taken and the state he has reached were beyond our expectations. We truly did not set this journey for him; everything has been natural. Up to now, he has forged his own path, which is genuinely surprising."

"Where are my parents?" Wang Xuan asked, sensing that his earlier guess was correct—these two were likely linked to his parents.

"They are traveling, vacationing on a beautiful and peaceful planet," the shadow couple reassured him. "Don’t worry, they are safe. The measures we've left in place are more than sufficient."

They then shared some of their experiences, confirming without a doubt that they were the Demon Lord's parents—one, a mighty sorcerer who once commanded the thunder, and the other, a twelve-tailed white fox.

Indeed, the Demon Lord’s clues were accurate. They had journeyed back to the mortal realm via the higher spiritual realms, ultimately returning to the old lands.

However, their journey was fraught with hardships. The couple practiced cultivation as they traveled, a journey that lasted nearly three thousand years, during which they faced numerous perils and unexpected challenges. Such a homecoming was perilous, with the potential to become lost at any turn.

Along the way, they also encountered the Demon Emperor, the strongest of the demonic cultivators’ lineage, who was walking the same path. He was one of the ancient emperors from the last days of antiquity, the only one remaining.

A fierce conflict erupted between them, leading to a battle to the death. The Demon Emperor was slain by the couple, who then acquired his various scriptures, including the Spirit Coffin Grand Technique. The couple spent years contemplating these teachings from the Alchemist, Demonic, and Demonic Cultivators, eventually ascending to transcendental realms.

But this journey was perilous. As they traveled, people could simply vanish without a trace, leaving them utterly exhausted and barely surviving the return. After their harrowing return, they could not find the true bones they had left behind after transcending the ordeal.

Ultimately, they resorted to a modified version of the Spiritual Coffin Method, settling in the mortal realm, living within the minds of individuals naturally endowed with strong spiritual power. They spent most of their time in hibernation, resting.

Wang Xuan’s parents were the individuals they chose.

"Rest assured, their physical health is intact, and living a hundred years is easily within their reach. We've improved the Spiritual Coffin Method so it nourishes its hosts, allowing for symbiosis rather than merely serving as our spiritual dwelling," the shadow couple emphasized to ease Wang Xuan's concerns.

When they first went to sleep, Wang Xuan’s parents had just married. When they awoke, they discovered that Wang Xuan was already over five years old.

The shadow couple felt Wang Xuan was suitable for cultivation and eventually couldn't resist communicating with their hosts. However, after the initial shock, Wang Xuan’s parents did not consent, choosing to let nature take its course without interference in their son's natural development.

Ultimately, Wang Xuan’s parents were apprehensive, skeptical of these supernatural occurrences, living as they were in a modern technological society.

Yet, to everyone's surprise, Wang Xuan still embarked on this path and had even developed his Inner Scenery during his mortal days, unnoticed by the shadow couple. It was unexpectedly "off-script," and by the time they realized, he was already on his way.

Had it not been for the appearance of the evil dragon, they might not have intervened at all.

"We are mostly hibernating and do not interfere with your parents' lives, only occasionally waking up and taking some of their time. For example, when they occasionally left you to vacation, they were assisting us, like searching for the semi-mature artifact that would become the Celestial Bracelet, and looking for Old Covenant relics," the shadow couple explained.

"Of course, the advice to not dive into the supernatural sea, and the cautions to Fang Yuzhu to temper her aggressiveness were partly our words and partly your parents' own advice. After accepting us, they, too, had their share of extraordinary experiences," the Demon Lord's parents concluded their explanation.

The Demon Lord couldn't help herself. She sent a private message to her parents, asking, “Did you give the Celestial Bracelet to Fang Yuzhu as a trade, hoping she would help me retrieve the Immortal Umbrella because you know my weapon is an umbrella and you think the Immortal Umbrella suits me better? And are you also trying to match her with Wang Xuan?”

Her parents responded privately.

“Actually, we’ve grown quite fond of Wang Xuan, especially after learning how he forged his own path and opened his special Inner Scenery during his mortal days; we took even greater interest. Indeed, when we realized you've been single all this time beyond the Great Veil, we did think... perhaps pairing you with him as a foster groom wouldn’t be so bad, to properly...”

Suddenly, the Demon Lord, pulling her parents along, dashed into another cabin and set up a barrier to completely isolate themselves. They feared being overheard by the likes of Old Zhang, whose ears twitched at every sound. It was too shocking that her parents would even suggest such a thing!

“Elders, I have many more questions, let's clear things up before you go!” Wang Xuan called out.

Then, turning to Fang Yuzhu, he said, “Sister Yuzhu...”

“I'm preparing my mortal body to enter the Great Barrier; I need to meditate and adjust. You guys continue,” she said as she entered her own room.

“I’m so disappointed, why stop there?” Jiang Qingyao really wanted to hear more.

“Ask me,” said the Demon Lord's mother with a mischievous grin. “Having lived long enough, I can guess and know some things.”

“Did I hear right that the Demon Lord’s father was once reprimanded by Sister Fang when he was in the mortal realm?” Old Zhang's curiosity was aflame.

“Yes,” nodded the Blood Demon Lord, adding, “And the Demon Lord’s mother couldn’t beat Sister Fang either.”

Then, they hurriedly set up a barrier around their area to prevent any overhearing and potential confrontations with the involved parties.

Wang Xuan looked intrigued. Sister Fang had defeated and disciplined the Demon Lord's parents?

Old Zhang and the Blood Demon Lord seemed to know what Wang Xuan was concerned about.

“Sister Fang wasn’t always as serene and dignified as she is now; she used to be very active and unrestrained. She was once on sisterly terms with the Demon Lord, and on equal footing with that couple... their opposition was ineffective,” they shared.

“Why put it so delicately? I heard that the Demon Lord’s parents were severely dealt with by Fang Yuzhu, and now, finding an opportunity...”