The Stars Beyond

A deep, eerie stillness pervaded in the vast cosmos, but it was sliced through by a streak of purple sword light that cleaved the darkness and tore open the void. The Sword Immortal, blood trickling from her nose and mouth, still wielded her Purple Celestial Dao Sword like a plow through the starry sky, leaving a terrifying trail in space.

The purple broken sword was dazzling, briefly illuminating the dark universe with swirling mists of purple, clashing violently multiple times with the Ascension Banner. Sword light was everywhere.

The once potentially fully matured treasure, because it harbored a spirit, was sought by someone hoping to ascend to the imperial realms through a shortcut, which is why the sword was ultimately shattered by the ultimate chaos of a grand celestial thunder at the last moment.

Now, as it clashed with the Ascension Banner, it withstood the supreme pressure. The sword did not shatter but sent out billions of rays of light, slashing in every direction, fiercely bombarding the treasure.

"Step back!" Wang Xuan murmured. Bloodied from the ferocious fight with Qi Tian, he noticed Jiang Qingyao was seriously injured and insisted she should not overexert herself anymore, taking over the leadership of the battle.

He held the Life Essence Furnace, gripping its body and lid in each hand, traversing the cosmos like riding on light, his figure flickering as he fiercely battled Qi Tian.

The furnace glowed brilliantly, spewing forth waves of fierce fire like a star exploding, sweeping across the cold expanse of space, colliding with the Ascension Banner multiple times.

The clash between the treasures sent shards of rules flying and patterns of order sprawling across space, flattening any floating meteorites they touched.

"Time Slash!" the Sword Immortal whispered. Her cultivation level was indeed inferior to that of the formidable Dragon, who seemed to have attained the Celestial Fruit level.

Qi Tian, wielding a complete treasure that provided both offense and defense, was immensely powerful, and many of Jiang Qingyao’s bursts of formidable sword light were dissolved by him.

The Sword Immortal, holding the Purple Celestial Dao Sword, was now powerful enough to slay supreme beings, yet facing such a formidable foe as Qi Tian, a figure of renown in the annals of cultivation, she felt a sense of helplessness as her cultivation was not as profound as his.

She activated various forbidden sword scriptures. True to its name, the Purple Celestial Dao Sword seemed to disrupt the fabric and stability of time itself, slicing through epochs. Sword radiance burst forth around Qi Tian, attaching to his flesh, seeking to sever him.

In sheer power, she was outmatched. The combination of a Celestial Fruit and a treasure was nearly invincible in the real world.

Yet, with the supreme sword principles she had comprehended, she battled on, hoping to achieve something remarkable.

With a soft sound, a blossom of blood appeared on Qi Tian's shoulder, sliced open by a faint sword light—the essence of the swordsmanship Jiang Qingyao had mastered was beginning to take effect.

However, at the same moment, despite the vast distance between them, Jiang Qingyao was flung back by a sweep of Qi Tian's Ascension Banner, causing her Purple Celestial Dao Sword to bend. The damaged treasure erupted with a fierce purple glow, straining to shield her, yet she still coughed up blood profusely.

Wang Xuan said nothing; he simply acted, engaging in a desperate, bloody battle with Qi Tian. His figure blurred like a streak of light, darting through the void, clashing violently with the formidable Dragon.

He had indeed broken through his constraints, stepping tentatively into the fourteenth realm—a level of advancement not just a minor increase in stage.

In fact, every ascension beyond the tenth realm wasn't just a step up—it was a significant increase in cultivation and combat power because such cultivation involved breaking through entirely new limits.

Otherwise, how could he possibly withstand a clash with divine beings and immortals who had descended into the real world? And now, even facing Qi Tian, who possessed the fruits of a Celestial Immortal, he fought on equal footing.

The Life Essence Furnace was indeed cumbersome to use. Deep within its body, mingled with the spirit of the furnace, was a vague mark constantly disturbed, causing the furnace to tremble intermittently.

Qi Tian, having found Jiang Siyuan and obtained parts of his spiritual imprint, attempted to use the Ascension Banner to make the furnace backfire on Wang Xuan, but it was not going smoothly.

With a thunderous roar, the main body of the furnace glowed brilliantly. The mouth of the furnace expanded infinitely, resembling a resurgence of a transcendent sea of light, magnificent and bright, engulfing the heavens and the earth.

Wang Xuan drove the furnace in close combat, now exerting his utmost effort. In the midst of their fierce battle, he used all his cultivation to refine the body of the furnace, abruptly pulling Qi Tian inside.

With a resounding clang, he slammed the lid shut, the furnace vibrating violently, attempting to grind his opponent into dust.

However, his attempt was thwarted as Qi Tian, wielding the Ascension Banner like an extension of his own limb and protected by a preeminent treasure inherently invincible, continued to disrupt the imprints within the furnace.

……

In the blinding light amid the violent quakes, Qi Tian forcefully struck open the furnace lid with his Ascension Banner, bursting forth. Fresh red blood trickled from his mouth—despite his resilience, he was indeed wounded. His eyes were icy as he swung the fan in sweeping motions toward Wang Xuan.

With a loud crash, the furnace glowed as the treasure unleashed immense power, but it was slightly out of sync with Wang Xuan. Although it protected him, it failed to shield him completely. His body shook violently, and he coughed up blood, sent hurtling through the air.

In this era, the reality was stark—Qi Tian's strength was formidable. To possess the power of a Celestial Immortal in the modern world was indeed a cause for despair.

The vast expanse of the universe quieted down, and the adversaries distanced themselves, standing far apart. Wang Xuan was covered in blood, some wounds so deep his bones were visible.

"Are you badly hurt?" he called back to Jiang Qingyao.

The Sword Immortal shook her head silently, but more blood trickled from her nose and mouth.

"Step back and rest," Wang Xuan transmitted privately to her. "Don't follow me into the fray. I still have some techniques left that could draw out utmost potential, perhaps enough to seriously injure him."

…

Amidst the Cloud Sea Mountains of the New Star, majestic ridges sprawled across the landscape. Many of the once towering mountains had fallen today, crushed under the might of divine treasures.

With her armor glowing, Fang Yuzhu summoned the Curtain Sky Bracelet, transforming it into a vast universe dotted with stars, clashing violently with the Sword Lunatic's Human World Sword.

Mighty mountains crumbled under the illumination of the divine treasures, and many scenic peaks toppled amidst thunderous roars.

Fang Yuzhu, unmatched in strength, fought on equal footing with the Sword Lunatic, exerting immense pressure on him.

The Shadow Couple fought desperately too. With a soft sound, the Sword Lunatic's arm was sliced open by the tip of the Undying Umbrella, blood spattering.

Rising into the air with a commanding presence, Fang Yuzhu gripped the Curtain Sky Bracelet in her right hand, repeatedly smashing it against the Human World Sword. The fierce glow was blinding, and mountains exploded under the force of their close-quarters combat.

……

At that moment, the Sword Lunatic retreated, swiftly pulling Qi Tian, who was unprotected by a treasure, away to a safer distance. Meanwhile, a black spaceship slowly descended onto a flat terrain.

Qi Tian spoke up, "Lady Fang, while my other true body found Jiang Siyuan, it could only keep his life's flame from extinguishing. I have done my utmost. Thankfully, he has been safely returned, but it will require your personal intervention, your full effort, to sustain his life."

All eyes of the supremely powerful beings present turned towards the spaceship as its hatch slowly opened...

...

"In this world, no adversary should be underestimated," Qi Tian spoke as he held the Ascension Banner. "The sword light slashed my shoulder, and I am hindered from the wound inflicted by what I considered mere prey."

Step by step, he advanced, his presence ethereal and transcendent, yet his killing intent opened like the gates of hell. This time, he engaged Wang Xuan in a close combat bloodbath, but at the critical moment, he raised a black sheet of paper, empowered by the Ascension Banner. The paper, dark and mysterious like a mirror, strangely reflected Wang Xuan’s image and then unleashed a torrential black light.

"May the All-Spirit Decay Charm dissolve his soul," Qi Tian murmured, channeling the power of the Ascension Banner into the black paper, enhancing its mystique and terror.

Clang!

The Life Nurturing Furnace shook violently, rippling waves of force bursting forth to shield Wang Xuan. He exerted all his power to counteract the mysterious black paper.

Soon, Wang Xuan sensed something was amiss. The black paper, bolstered by the Ascension Banner, possessed a sinister force infiltrating his spiritual domain, attempting to break through.

A thought crossed his mind—should he allow it in? By loosening his guard slightly, he could let the external old spirit detach, potentially allowing a new spirit to emerge from the phoenix fire, and thus boosting his strength even further.

In a split second, Wang Xuan dismissed the thought of exposing his old spirit under such circumstances. Within his spiritual realm, the Decapitating Banner slowly emerged, countering the strange force that sought to rapidly dissolve his spirit.

"Kill!" At the same moment, Qi Tian surged forward, swinging the Ascension Banner as if to strike down the heavens themselves. If this were within the Grand Barrier, his wielding of the treasure could indeed slice through clusters of planets.

Celestial light steamed, and extraordinary materials surged tumultuously, collapsing the cosmic vacuum around them as numerous meteorites exploded, creating a scene of utter terror.

Wang Xuan faced assaults both inside and out; his spirit was invaded by the eerie power emanating from the black paper, while his body endured Qi Tian's fiercest onslaught.

"An ancient super-civilization once sacrificed a stack of All-Spirit Decay Charms, obliterating a swath of the firmament. Though only a remnant remains today, it should suffice to disturb your mind and rend your spiritual domain," Qi Tian declared.

Wang Xuan remained silent, believing he could withstand the assault.

Suddenly, amidst his flesh, a dazzling beam of light burst forth, and two vague figures revived, sweeping their gaze across all directions. They then harnessed the power of the rules of the treasure for themselves and charged at the evil dragon with a thunderous roar.

Wang Xuan was startled. Those were... the Shadow Couple? No, it was some form of mystical power imprint they had left unknowingly, not their true forms. This was triggered by extreme external pressure, acting in defense.

This twist was utterly unexpected, beyond anyone's predictions, including Wang Xuan himself.

"Many years ago, we left behind this guardian sigil merged with your flesh, which is why you were unaware of it, unable to distinguish it from your own body," explained one of the shadows.

The Shadow Couple had once promised Wang Xuan's parents that they would protect him at all costs. Therefore, they had left behind this mark, which, once activated, was as potent as their full-force strike.

If even this desperate measure failed to protect Wang Xuan, then even their true forms present here might not match their adversary.

Today, under the immense force exerted by the strange black paper charm and the evil dragon wielding the Ascension Banner, Wang Xuan's spirit and body inadvertently activated the imprints of the two shadows.

The two vague shadows, drawing power from the Life-Sustaining Furnace, erupted forward. With a sudden burst, they obliterated the extremely rare black All-Spirit Decay Charm and pierced through the luminance of the Ascension Banner, striking Qi Tian directly.

Qi Tian coughed up blood continuously as his body was flung across the void, wounded by the unexpected turn of events.

Wang Xuan swung the furnace body, smashing it forward. With a loud clang, the main body of the furnace collided with the Ascension Banner, the lid following swiftly, as he grappled to the death with the evil dragon.

Simultaneously, the Amethyst Sky Convergence Sword cleaved through the cosmic void, its sword light in billions of strands, submerging the area. Jiang Qingyao exerted her full strength in her strike.

Qi Tian found himself on the defensive, dragged by the force of the Life-Sustaining Furnace harnessed by the imprints of the Shadow Couple. Caught off-guard, he staggered back, his blood staining the void.

While Wang Xuan rotated the furnace, he unleashed various spells. The Sword of Severance emitted boundless light, engulfing his opponent. The Golden Cicada of True Form and the Great Dragon of the Dao lunged forward, attacking ferociously…

The furnace lid slammed down repeatedly, sending Qi Tian flying. If it were not for the Ascension Banner's glow, forming a protective aura, Qi Tian would have surely exploded into a mist of blood; as it was, he was only shaken enough to cough up blood continuously.

Puh! Puh! Puh!

The Amethyst Sky Convergence Sword struck relentlessly, coordinating strikes with Wang Xuan to slice through the light barrier, leaving over a dozen wounds on the evil dragon's body, two of which nearly cleaved him in half.

Qi Tian grunted coldly, his entire body glowing, runes densely packed. His flesh and the Ascension Banner merged into one, repelling the pair despite his injuries. Though wounded, his final explosive effort finally freed him from their relentless assault.

Throughout the battle, Wang Xuan had been looking for opportunities to "lose items," like the fragments of a blessed land broken from the shock. Yet, he showed a curious expression because Qi Tian also scattered a heap of junk, resembling a battlefield of broken and discarded metals. Could it be that he, too, was setting a deadly trap?

The two exchanged glances, their expressions cold, each understanding the other's actions.

Meanwhile, the Sword Immortal also "dropped" many things and seized the moment of Wang Xuan's desperate struggle with the evil dragon to act decisively, rushing to collect the items Qi Tian had dropped.