The Stars Beyond

Chapter 533: Silence Of Myths

Deep in the cosmos, Shang Yi's true form, bloodied, wielded the Sword of Mortal to rend the heavens and earth, streaking across the starry void at breakneck speed. He was fleeing—an occurrence unseen for ages since the era of the ancient sovereigns came to an end. He hadn't faced such a perilous chase, a hunt for his life, in eons.

Today, however, he had been grievously wounded once already; if not for a technique superior even to the Hellish Phoenix Nirvana, he would have perished.

For years, he had looked down upon the Land of Immortal Paths, standing at the pinnacle of the pyramid. This brutal pain darkened his complexion, yet he had no choice but to continue his escape.

Fang Yuzhu alone was a formidable adversary, instilling deep wariness in him. The Shadow Couple, when united, nearly matched him in strength, and with others wielding their artifacts in pursuit, even his divine might couldn't withstand them.

The fabric of space twisted as the Roaming Ark appeared, bearing a host of transcendent beings who locked onto him once again and rapidly approached.

Shang Yi, sword in hand, understood that even the Sword of Mortal, an artifact of great power, couldn't match the speed of the Roaming Ark!

Fang Yuzhu's bracelet shot forth, its dark base interspersed with twinkling white light, now transforming into a cosmic stellar ring. At the same time, the Shadow Father’s immortal umbrella spread out across the heavens with a tapestry of runes.

The Divine Palace roared brilliantly, descending like a demon-suppressing meteor from the sky.

Shang Yi, exerting every effort to dodge and counter, sighed. It was said he possessed several artifacts; some rumors were true, others false. Beyond the Sword of Mortal, what he truly coveted was the Roaming Ark, yet despite several attempts, he had never managed to seize it.

Blood spattered once again, staining the cosmic void red. Powerful as he was, surrounded by Fang Yuzhu and others, he could not defend against their coordinated assault.

"Folks, we've strayed from Wang Xuan's location. The spaceship is destroyed. If you don't use the Roaming Ark to get there quickly, even if my other self spares him, leaving him adrift in the cold cosmos, he will still perish horribly," Shang Yi communicated amid the battle, adding urgently, "The realm of immortals is collapsing, the great barriers are disintegrating. Today, the age of myths is destined to end. Any further delays, and even the artifacts we wield won’t retain their formidable power. The speed of the Roaming Ark will sharply decrease."

The Shadow Parents, desperate to execute him immediately, glanced at their bearings. Biting back their rage, they faced the grim reality that practical actions were necessary despite their intense animosity.

"Split into two groups—one to pursue him, and the other to rush to Wang Xuan," was the plan, even though splitting their forces meant dealing with two versions of Shang Yi.

On this day, a colossal battle among the transcendent beings unfolded. Shang Yi's true form was soaked in blood as he fled into the depths of the cosmos, having been slain twice already. An ancient colossus who had lived for six to seven thousand years, he had too many tricks up his sleeve, resurrecting consecutively using techniques like the Indestructible Silkworm Rebirth and the Cicada's Shedding.

As the day wore on, one barrier after another collapsed, because all the divine artifacts were clashing continuously, merging with the supreme rules and draining the last vestiges of the mythic era. The realms of immortals, the great barriers, extinguished over eighty percent of their areas. The collapse of the transcendence was unstoppable, nearing its final phase.

"Today really means something," Shang Yi spoke up from the depths of space, where he was absorbing Wang Xuan's unique essence. He could sense the end of transcendence, the collapse of the land of immortals. Turning to Wang Xuan, he remarked, "If you can't survive this, dying today would be somewhat poetic, decaying alongside the myth, ending on the same day."

With a wave of the Ascension Banner, celestial mists swirled, and he remotely controlled the Life Preserving Furnace, flinging open the lid and tossing the Sword Immortal out, then claimed the furnace for himself. Wang Xuan had been silent, but now, he suddenly opened his eyes, glaring fiercely at him! Jiang Qingyao's body lay motionless in the cold vacuum of space, still clinging to that sliver of life, but soon to wither without the nourishment of the Life Preserving Furnace.

"Though human energy is limited and I cannot refine a third divine artifact, who would complain about having too many? They're always useful to have," he mused as he stowed away the furnace.

"Now it's your turn. Though disappointing, you still possess some unique essence," he said, eyeing Wang Xuan as their inner landscapes connected, tapping into an endless source of supermaterial.

Glowing threads of essential blood from Wang Xuan's body streamed out, one by one, thread by thread, refined by Shang Yi into a rare substance that merged into his own body. Yet, he frowned, sensing an incorrigible decay within the essence, seemingly inferior even to the body he had seized.

"How can the freshly initiated blood of an inner landscape be so aged? Could this dire era truly be that dreadful, will transcendence utterly perish? Even with divine artifacts, I might not withstand it," he mused, dissatisfied with the poor quality of the essence he absorbed, contemplating termination of the process.

Shang Yi's consciousness had already seeped into every inch of Wang Xuan's flesh, meticulously probing for secrets and sparing no area. He then moved towards Wang Xuan's soul, intent on leaving no part of him—neither his inner landscape, his physical body, nor his soul—untouched.

"Although you remain silent, that intense chill of hostility is quite palpable," Shang Yi remarked coolly.

He looked at Wang Xuan, a cold smile playing on his lips. "No matter, once I devour the essence of your soul and uncover all your secrets, I will help you find release. I will sever your memories, erase parts of your spiritual imprints, and rid you of hatred and sorrow. In this world, to forget everyone is truly the greatest joy."

His tone was indifferent as he continued, "I will leave your broken body and shattered spirit. That will be enough—a blank life, a withered root under the winter frost, hopefully to sprout anew come spring. If I survive, I'll seek you out in the mortal realm."

Wang Xuan felt the depth of malice in Shang Yi's intentions. After scouring his soul, Shang Yi planned to strip him of his spiritual essence and erase his rightful memories, leaving him only the remnants necessary for "re-sprouting," cutting away all of his "past" up to today.

This was tantamount to stripping away his past life, effectively killing his former self. Without memories, a blank life meant no vengeance was possible—no enemies, no past to seek.

"I will leave you on a life-bearing planet; you are a diseased root I’ve planted, make sure to revive," Shang Yi declared.

Wang Xuan’s soul had retreated to his Life Soil, and at that moment, even the three light particles seemed to sense the danger, instinctively burrowing deeper into the soil.

In his old soul, waves of thoughts surged, touched by Shang Yi’s ruthlessness and cold-heartedness, making him wish he could annihilate him right then. But he was truly powerless. He had once considered sacrificing part of his immortal old soul’s power, treating it as if feeding a dog, to confuse his adversary and preserve the three light particles. But now, it seemed he might not need to.

The three light particles were actively sinking into the Life Soil, perhaps sensing the approach of death, seeking refuge in the realm of nothingness. Wang Xuan considered that even his old soul might escape there.

At this moment, his concern was for Jiang Qingyao. Could she survive?

And his physical body—it was a pity, it couldn't be taken into the ethereal lands, so he resigned to abandon it. Relying on someone else's mercy was unrealistic; Shang Yi clearly intended to confine his physical body and shattered spirit.

Rather than allowing that, he thought it better to destroy it himself.

One of the three light particles, which contained the essence of his blood, held the hope that one day it could find its way back from the void and he could reconstruct his physical form.

Despite Shang Yi's unfathomable depth of cultivation, he took no chances, delving into every secret of Wang Xuan's body before finally approaching the Life Soil with his soul's light.

"Here it comes!" Wang Xuan was not resigned to his fate, waiting for this final moment. Though he knew the chances of a counterattack were slim, he still wanted to try, even if only to wound his opponent.

Boom!

At that moment, within the Life Soil, the Banner of Severance, Godslaying Banner, silver beast skin book, and the golden beast skin all trembled violently. All the red substance they had stored burst forth, invading Shang Yi’s soul.

"Hmm?!" Even Shang Yi was startled by the red twilight that struck him, causing his soul to sting as if it were about to be scorched.

However, he was strong enough to withstand it, mainly because there wasn't enough of the red substance. Had there been a sea of red light, it likely could have severely injured him.

Boom!

Below the Life Soil, even more red substance surged up, driven by one of the light particles that was managing the red glow. This represented his new soul's orb, heading towards the realm of nothingness, recklessly drawing forth the red twilight.

The red light surged, melting Wang Xuan’s Life Soil as if it was about to explode. Shang Yi, startled, quickly withdrew from the area. A burst of red fire followed him, making him frown as his soul was singed. The damage wasn’t severe, but it was peculiar.

He attempted to absorb the red material, finding it difficult to refine. Shortly, the crimson glow faded, dissipating entirely. Wang Xuan’s flesh was severely burned, a result of his only just beginning to adapt, and this time the volume was overwhelming.

Shang Yi toyed with the Banner of Severence and Godslaying Banner, aware of their origins and that Wang Xuan had possessed the Godslaying Banner. Without delay, he re-entered Wang Xuan’s Life Soil, finding only a layer of decayed old soul skin that crumbled to ash upon touch.

He ventured slightly into the depths of the Life Soil before quickly retreating; the depths were too risky to explore, especially as Wang Xuan’s life force was waning. This Life Soil could collapse at any moment, potentially leading him to become lost and meet a tragic end. He had never penetrated to the end of Life Soil.

“Is he dead, his soul burned to ash by that final gambit—the red twilight?” Shang Yi frowned, his powerful soul scanning Wang Xuan’s entire body. He found no spiritual essence, only a residual obsession.

That obsession harbored endless murderous intent toward him. In a final act of defiance, it controlled Wang Xuan’s decrepit body to swing a sword at him.

Shang Yi, detached, swiped it away with the Ascension Banner.

The sword in Wang Xuan’s hand, which had once cut through a fish line on the moon in the land of the dead, clanged as its tip was nicked. “Huh, this short sword is quite extraordinary, so tough?” Shang Yi remarked, surprised that it had not shattered completely like other artifacts might have. Only half an inch of the blade broke off, though the body of the sword cracked extensively. Shang Yi glanced at it briefly but lost interest, considering he possessed the People’s Sword, a far superior weapon.

His inner landscape was still connected to Wang Xuan’s, continuing to draw the essence of supermatter. His body was also absorbing the remaining blood essence from Wang Xuan, though he gradually slowed and then stopped the absorption. Disgusted by the amount of decay in the material, which was more harmful than beneficial, Shang Yi frowned, deeply disappointed.

Then, as Shang Yi absorbed the essence of the inner landscape, he began to manipulate the Banner of Severence and Godslaying Banner, intending to refine them. He placed them into the Life Preservation Furnace and activated them with the Ascension Banner.

"The era of everlasting silence for the transcendent is upon us; this might be the last opportunity," Shang Yi mused. "Legend has it that combining these could yield the Dao Harnessing Banner. Let’s see if it works!"

In his quest for treasure, Shang Yi was particularly determined to secure the Godslaying Banner, as the Dao Harnessing Banner of ancient lore was reputed to be the foremost among all treasures.

The Life Preservation Furnace glowed brilliantly, and the Ascension Banner vibrated intensely as the two mighty artifacts exerted their power, attempting to refine the two small flags within. However, no matter how Shang Yi tried, he could not fuse them.

"Useless flags, what good are you!" He concluded that the legends were mistaken; these were not components of the Dao Harnessing Banner but mere imitations.

He extracted the two small flags, examining them one last time before wielding the Ascension Banner to strike them directly. The Ascension Banner, being a supreme treasure, radiated boundless light and displayed unparalleled might. With a slashing sound, even the robust Banner of Severence, famed for its ability to kill transcendent flesh and claimed to be indestructible, was torn apart.

Shang Yi glanced at the remnants, increasingly convinced they were mere replicas, albeit very sturdy ones since they did not disintegrate into ash. He waved the Ascension Banner again, tearing the two banners to shreds.

Clink! Clink! The poles of the banners were also chopped into several pieces.

At this moment, Wang Xuan’s old spirit, wrapped around the three light particles in the Void, could somehow sense everything happening outside. This was a peculiar state.

He felt an intense anxiety, especially for Jiang Qingyao’s safety. Seeing Shang Yi destroy the Banner of Severence and Godslaying Banner pained him deeply.

Regardless of whether the banners were components of the Dao Harnessing Banner, they were no ordinary items. The Godslaying Banner, in particular, had accompanied him through many battles; he had grown attached to it. Now, like him, it was fragmented, decayed, and destroyed.

Shang Yi, being no ordinary powerhouse with his acutely sharp divine senses, suspected that the silver beast-skin book, golden beast-skin, and an iron pick might also be related to the two small banners.

Shang Yi, dismissive of trifles, waved his Ascension Banner in a test of endurance. Only items that could withstand an attack from a supreme treasure like his banner were worthy of consideration as components of the Dao Harnessing Banner. If they couldn't endure, they were worthless to him.

With a slicing sound, the two beast skins were torn into pieces, and the iron pick was broken into three parts.

"These are no ordinary items, but if they're not supreme treasures, they're as good as ordinary iron to me," he muttered, discarding the fragmented relics.

Meanwhile, the interconnected inner landscapes were undergoing transformations. Shang Yi’s inner landscape was becoming richer in the essence of supermatter, but also more corrupted.

"Hmm?" He peered into Wang Xuan's inner landscape, noticing the rough boundaries cracking and collapsing rapidly.

Simultaneously, across the universe, all great barriers were dimming, extinguishing, and collapsing entirely, settling into eternal silence. The supreme treasures vibrated and roared as if mourning the end of a mythological era.

Shang Yi’s body trembled uncontrollably. He looked up sharply, aware that the transcendent world was finished, utterly collapsing today.

Quickly, he turned back to the depths of Wang Xuan’s inner landscape.

"What is that?" he exclaimed in shock.

As the decayed barriers of the inner landscape collapsed, behind them glowed the remnants of a fire, radiating intense transcendent energy. There were bloodied creatures lying in the distance.

Even someone as cold and calculating as Shang Yi, usually composed, couldn’t hide his astonishment at this scene. The special inner landscape had shattered, revealing such a spectacle behind it?

Then he saw the bloodied creatures in the distance shakily stand up and roar, charging towards him.

Shang Yi felt a chill run down his spine and, without a second thought, turned to flee. If the outside world saw the Sword Madman being chased by a few dying creatures, fleeing in panic, it would be astounding.

Thump! He felt a searing pain in his back as a large chunk of flesh was torn away. His scalp felt like it might explode.

He roared in his first instinct: "I know you. Your death is imminent and has nothing to do with me. It’s all because the age of myths has perished!"