The Stars Beyond

Chapter 545: A Newborn Waiting To Be Fed

Deep in the cosmos, within a fissure between planes, Wang Xuan clung to the rough stone walls of a cavern, his face tinged with pallor. In a fleeting moment, he had felt unsteady, as if about to transcend. The three orbs of light before him absorbed energy, hinting at a nascent rebirth.

With his spiritual third eye, he scrutinized the orbs. In one, a radiant figure, a miniature version of himself, sat cross-legged, his presence as brilliant as the sun. This tiny realm within the orb seemed infinitely vast, the nascent soul within it casting light that filled every corner of its minuscule universe. This mustard seed harbored a Mount Meru; to the untrained eye, the orb appeared insignificant. Yet, within, the nascent soul shone brightly, its divine light almost breaking free from Wang Xuan's physical form to illuminate the cavern.

However, the new soul’s eyes remained closed, slowly severing ties with the external world as if it hadn't yet matured. Attracted to the radiant sea beyond, it attempted to draw in a breath of the radiant ripples but quickly expelled it.

"Picky eater?" Wang Xuan mused. Indeed, this place paled in comparison to the higher spiritual realms. If a rebirth were to occur, journeying to a plane of pure spirit would be ideal.

Shifting his focus from this orb, Wang Xuan's perception entered another—a sphere of blood. Vivid and dazzling, it resembled the roiling red of dawn. Within this sphere, a tiny, radiant figure mimicked the form of a human, not at all tranquil but instead throwing punches and kicks, animating sacred texts. The luminous, blood-red figure moved with such vigor that the space within the orb thrummed unstably, as if on the verge of shattering into the void. It too, "hungry," had drawn in a wave of light from the radiant sea, digesting only a fraction while expelling the rest, yet it retained some essence.

The third speck of light, a purely new inner landscape, was in the throes of gestation, awaiting rebirth in a state of profound chaos and haziness.

The three specks of light chimed faintly, having been hungry and absorbed energy, which affected Wang Xuan's old spirit and body, causing him to stagger momentarily.

"Your complexion doesn't look very good. Is something wrong?" the Demon Lord Yan Qingyan, observing his condition, asked with some surprise.

In her eyes, Wang Xuan was an anomaly. Despite not having cultivated for long, he was capable of suppressing her in the real world. Why had he just staggered?

"It's nothing serious. The new spirit is struggling, making some large movements as it waits to be reborn," Wang Xuan explained openly.

Yan Qingyan was astonished to hear of his progress in this era. "Perhaps you should leave and find a quiet place to go into seclusion," she suggested.

She cautioned that, as time passed, the supernatural sea of light might disappear at any moment, and in case of any unforeseen circumstances, they might have to use a supreme treasure to traverse the sea.

Yan Mingcheng turned back and said, "Son, you should go now. Don't stay any longer. You know all that needs to be known and have seen what needs to be seen. There's no need to risk staying here any longer."

As they spoke, the sound of thunder erupted, and the entire cavern partially collapsed under the force of a towering tidal wave that swiftly inundated this subterranean world.

For a moment, they were tempted to enter the Divine Palace, allowing the several treasures to combine their powers for one final, desperate attempt to cross the sea.

Thud!

The Curtain Heaven bracelet glowed, resembling a vast universe speckled with stars, staunchly holding back the deluge and buying everyone time to retreat.

"Now is not the time to cross the sea. It is still shifting, spilling back through the cracks in the planes. We must wait for the final moment, follow it as it vanishes completely!" Fang Yuzhu declared, retracting the Curtain Heaven bracelet and fleeing with the others. Once again, they made a frantic escape from the cavern.

Bai Jingshu nodded in agreement, "It makes sense. If we attempt to cross now while it still lingers here, we'll just exhaust our resources. The opportunity lies in the final moment—following it as it flashes away, entering a new world!"

Wang Xuan bowed his head, sensing the condition inside the Healing Furnace. The Sword Fairy, far from recovery and consciousness, left him contemplative. Should he leave her here, or send her across the sea? He quieted down, considering Jiang Qingyao's ambitions. Likely, she would not settle for a mundane life if awake; she would choose to cross the sea.

"I should bring the little one here," he murmured to himself, "She’s the other half of the Sword Fairy. Regardless, she should be informed about Qingyao’s condition."

During this time, Wang Xuan encountered many familiar faces. Beyond the mighty of the Celestial Realm and the gods of the Great Barrier, there were those he had met in the Time-Space Bar, where he first encountered the Radiant Sea.

Among them was Zhang Qifan, a scientist dressed in a white lab coat, who approached Wang Xuan enthusiastically. “Have you considered leaving descendants?” he asked. “I really admire you. After the collapse of the Celestial Path, with the transcendence fading, the future will rely on the unique mutations of life forms themselves to guide the rise of new humanity, breaking all limits. Your spirit spectrum is exceptional, and so is Fang Yuzhu...”

“Stop right there, or you’ll find yourself tossed into the Radiant Sea, unable to escape the planar rifts,” Wang Xuan cut him off, “Are you also planning to cross the sea?”

“No, I am here to analyze the transcendent Sea and collect samples. I won't be leaving this universe,”

......

On the seventeenth day, Wang Xuan staggered again, nearly collapsing. His face paled as he vividly sensed that the three light points were "hungry." The other two were manageable, picky but satisfied as long as there was energy to refine.

However, the light point representing the new spirit was too selective, craving spiritual energy. When desperately hungry, it began to draw from the substance of the external, old spirit.

Unfortunately, the red liquid brought back from the spiritual blood pool was nearly depleted, mostly reserved in the Healing Furnace for Jiang Qingyao's revival.

Wang Xuan felt it was time to leave. He needed to attempt to open those spiritual realms to nourish the new spirit, thinking he might just manage to activate them now.

"Your condition isn't right, go back. The radiation from the Radiant Sea isn't much help to you," Fang Yu Zhu observed his condition.

Finally, she looked towards the Healing Furnace he held and asked, "Are you going to leave her here, or will she cross the sea with us?"

"If she stays, I’m afraid she might never wake up," Wang Xuan replied, yet sending her to cross the sea might not guarantee her survival either.

"Old Chen, bring the little one over!" Wang Xuan returned to his spaceship just outside the planar rifts, contacting Chen Yongjie to decide for the Sword Fairy's "other half."

"To all of you, if you are still here in a few days and haven't departed, I will return to see you successfully cross the sea," Wang Xuan bid farewell.

He had to leave temporarily to address his own problems.

He felt the new spirit growing increasingly eager, almost voraciously yearning to explore and enter those higher spiritual worlds.

"Take care!"

"Stay safe!"

......

A crowd gathered to bid farewell, unsure if they would ever meet again in this lifetime. For Wang Xuan, this parting might well be forever. He entrusted the Healing Furnace to Fang Yu Zhu, asking her to look after Jiang Qingyao. Placing the Purple Dawn Union Sword inside the furnace, he hoped that its resonance would further ignite her spirit and vitality.

Wang Xuan quickly departed, heading directly back home. According to legend, planets with large populations were more likely to open spiritual planes—ancients speculated that the collective spiritual thoughts of myriad beings might be key to unlocking these realms.

That day, Wang Xuan traveled through wormholes to return to his native land.

Simultaneously, Chen Yongjie, Qing Mu, and the elderly Mr. Liu Huai'an, aboard a spaceship, escorted the mini version of the Sword Fairy toward the planar rift.

Upon landing in Qing Mu’s estate back on his home planet, Wang Xuan didn’t even leave the spaceship but immediately sat down to meditate, with the mechanical little bear guarding him. “Bear... will protect your physical body,” the little bear stated formally, meticulously standing by his side, and switching the spaceship to combat readiness.

Meanwhile, Wang Xuan laid out a collection of Creation Crystals in front of him, collected previously for absorption by the light points representing his flesh and internal view.

Indeed, upon returning to this mythically resonant and sufficiently populous planet, the moment his spirit left his body, Wang Xuan instantly sensed the presence of the spiritual planes. Despite the decay of transcendence, these spiritual worlds were not entirely closed, still faintly accessible.

Back when he first ventured into the transcendental realm, Wang Xuan had encountered these spiritual worlds, surrounded by all manner of fantastical visions. Now, despite the harsh times, he succeeded again and penetrated these realms.

He found himself in the first layer of the spiritual world, among towering mountains, though the vegetation was wilting, and large areas lay barren. “It’s somewhat terrifying,” he thought. “Even the spiritual worlds are severely impacted by the decay of the immortal paths, nowhere near what they once were.”

His spirit took a deep breath there, gaining some benefit, but found no valuable spiritual herbs. He breathed deeply, absorbing spiritual matter, and soon left this layer, breaking through to the second layer of the spiritual world.

Here, every plant and tree was a product of the spirit. After a long search, he found only a few wilted spiritual herbs. Swallowing them with his spirit, they were effective, but still far from sufficient.

Wang Xuan ascended to the fifth layer of the spiritual realm in one breath, where the vitality was palpably richer. He gathered numerous spiritual herbs, and most importantly, merely being in this realm nourished his spirit, bringing him immense comfort.

If others knew that he, still in the mortal realm, could venture into the fifth layer of the spiritual realm by his own power, they would be utterly astounded. His previous entry into Mount Wu Zhou wasn't due to his own strength; it was the Sword Fairy who had escorted him, without whom he couldn't have reached such heights.

"Although I know the odds are slim, I still yearn for a rapid rebirth of my spirit, flesh, and internal landscape," Wang Xuan sighed. He contemplated the possibility of piercing through the meteoric channel to discover new myths that others might learn from. He worried for those venturing through the planar rift into the sea, fearing that this farewell might indeed be their last.

"Not enough, I need to ascend further!" Soon after, exerting all his strength, Wang Xuan burst into the sixth layer of the spiritual realm, continuously harvesting spiritual herbs to meet his needs. This realm was typically accessed only by Earth Immortals and corresponded to the sixth layer of the vast realm of free wandering.

"Traveling through the spiritual worlds, each ascent boosts one's realm." Wang Xuan recognized that very few could stand in this place while still tied to the earthly realm, confirming his Earth Immortal capabilities.

In the sixth layer of the spiritual realm, he swept through like a storm, devouring various spiritual herbs. In today's times, he was likely one of the few still exploring the spiritual worlds.

"If I had a supreme treasure, I could explore even further. However, those setting out on the sea journey need it more than I do. Each additional piece offers more security, helping them to survive," Wang Xuan thought, his mind inevitably turning to the Imperial Banner. He wondered whether it had been completely destroyed or simply had not yet appeared.

After spending two full days in the sixth spiritual layer and feeling his spirit finally satiated, he didn't halt his efforts. He continued to gather any spiritual herbs he came across, drinking copiously from spiritual springs until he felt completely replenished.

"I hope for a smooth rebirth and that the day arrives soon when I can forge a path forward. I don't want to see harm befall those compelled to embark on such a perilous journey," Wang Xuan mused, feeling a profound emptiness at the thought of familiar, dear faces forced to gamble their lives without any guarantee. Indeed, it seemed that those ancient voyagers who had undertaken such journeys had all perished, and many grand mythological civilizations had ultimately failed.