The Stars Beyond

Chapter 548: The End Of Old Chapters

Could I refrain from seeing them off?

Wang Xuan wanted to take a final look, especially since Jiang Qingyao hadn't revived yet, leaving his heart heavy with worry. Watching her depart from afar, he felt a sense of melancholy and regret.

He already knew that the Younger Qingyao would be crossing the sea, and he was prepared to merge with Jiang Qingyao at any moment, because they were originally one person.

Suddenly, Wang Xuan's body shook, and the Life Soil, the Origin of the Transcendence, trembled violently! What was happening? Had the day finally come when he, too, would be affected by the backlash and lose his level?

On the large screen, Chen Yongjie was startled and turned around, as if he had witnessed some unusual scene, gazing into the depths of space.

"The transcendent sea has burst its banks and is rushing out into the vast universe, it... it's reappeared!" exclaimed Qing Mu's with a trembling voice.

He was staring at another large screen, where there were images of the earth's crust and cracks in the dimensional rift, synchronously switching to show Wang Xuan. It was a dazzling sight.

The vast universe seemed to be tearing apart, with dazzling cracks illuminating the dark void of space, like surging lava pouring out. As time passed, the vast transcendent sea spread out, reappearing in the deep starry sky, expanding relentlessly with unstoppable force.

Giant waves surged, unmanned spaceships nearby were swept away, and the power of the waves was awe-inspiring.

"The transcendent sea has reappeared. Has it unexpectedly returned?!" exclaimed Wang Xuan as his pupils contracted.

Soon, he realized something was wrong. His Life Soil was trembling violently, and he was indeed being severely affected. Moreover, at that moment, three light spots appeared, rising from the Life Soil, shining brightly. Wang Xuan realized that the essence of his external spirit was dissipating. Even his consciousness was slipping away, leaving him with a chilling sensation.

However, in an instant, he understood what was happening. Part of his consciousness was drawn into a light spot, rapidly merging with the newborn spirit, but some parts were being rejected.

When he regained consciousness, he found that some of his flesh and blood had also lost its essence, absorbed by another light spot, leaving him with a hint of decay. His spirit was undergoing the same process, aging rapidly, and his cultivation was declining. Was he really going to decay together with this era?

"No, I haven't fallen from my level, but nurtured the newborn spirit. Spiritual energy is transferring there, waiting for the final rebirth."

At that moment, Wang Xuan understood, comprehending the essence. The mythological era had ended, and he, along with a few other Earth Immortals, were the last anomalies. Now, even anomalies like them were being targeted.

He sensed something, casting a vague light and using the most rudimentary version of light-reflection technique to reflect himself. To his surprise, he found a few strands of white hair between his temples.

"Dust returns to dust, earth returns to earth. Are the transcendents of the past destined to decay?" muttered Wang Xuan. He understood very well that the cause of all this was the light spot that represented generations of physical bodies, absorbing some of the transcendent essence from within him.

He realized that this wasn't the return of the transcendent sea, but rather a violent upheaval. Perhaps today's collapse of the earth cave, and the intervention leading to its direction, had triggered this backlash.

At that moment, as the transcendent sea burst out of the rift, raging fiercely, it was not a good thing. It was like a resurgence, stirring up the residual traces of rules in the universe, repeatedly shaking the transcendents.

"Old Chen, are you okay?" Wang Xuan asked.

"I'm fine. Though hard as jade, I'll never be shattered. I stand firm... in the Great Grandmaster level," Chen Yongjie responded calmly.

He had fallen into a mortal, his cultivation irreversibly lost. His current strength was cultivated during the Old World’s era of the transcendent material exhaustion, a solid foundation indeed. Even if the overall environment deteriorated further, he wouldn't be affected by it.

Next to him, Senior Liu Huai'an was also as stable as a rock, with a youthful face and a solid foundation as a Great Grandmaster.

Even Qing Mu, an almost Great Grandmaster, remained steadfast. Recently, under the urging of the two young but old men, he had diligently studied, with a solid foundation that couldn't be shaken.

"How about Senior Yan, Maiden Fang, and Old Zhang?" Wang Xuan quickly asked, as this time the situation was much more serious than the backflow of the transcendent sea.

"They're fine. They took this opportunity to test the power of the supreme treasures. Everyone hid in the Divine Palace, resonating and glowing with several supreme treasures, safely rushing out. The transcendent sea failed to assimilate them," Chen Yongjie replied.

This was a test before departure. At present, there seemed to be no problem in the short term. The supreme treasures could temporarily withstand the terrifying erosion of the transcendent sea. But it was unknown how far this journey would go. If it were too long, then perhaps even several supreme treasures wouldn't be able to protect them.

Wang Xuan wanted to see off everyone, to bid them a final farewell, because he felt reluctant. But humans are social beings, and he had attachments here. Most of the people he knew or had connections with were here—his parents, relatives, and friends—he couldn't bear to leave them behind.

In the early morning, Wang Xuan set out again, piloting the silver spaceship through the atmosphere and into space.

After passing through the wormhole, Wang Xuan's body staggered, unable to stand, and he collapsed in the cabin. At that moment, his consciousness did not enter the newborn spirit, but his spiritual energy was dissipating, merging into that light spot.

Flesh and blood were the same, the faint scent of decay increased, and dozens of white hairs appeared at his temples.

"Have I taken the wrong path, was the new self... wrong?" pondered Wang Xuan. He was extremely weak, feeling immensely tired. Finally, he fainted on the ground.

"Wang Xuan, what's wrong with you?" shouted the mechanical bear. He was at a loss, dragging him into a lifeboat for emergency treatment, but to no avail.

Before losing consciousness, Wang Xuan felt a heart-wrenching regret.

Could I have been wrong? The external old spirit was my original self.

In that light spot, although the newborn spirit was waiting for rebirth, why did the old spirit deep within his consciousness feel a sense of desolation?

Normally, he felt nothing, until the moment of fainting, he realized it when his consciousness within the old spirit remained, somewhat rejected by the newborn spirit.

The light spot was drawing energy from his old spirit to strengthen itself, indeed a form of rebirth, a more powerful version of himself lying dormant.

However, following this trend, the external old spirit would continue to decay. It would deteriorate until finally being extinguished, dissipating completely.

Such a rebirth seemed inconsequential at first, but upon deeper consideration, he felt fear, a sense of horror. The original him had been erased.

That light spot will be the new him sculpted from his memories. Was this truly a rebirth, or had it shaped a mere replica?

"Was I wrong?" pondered Wang Xuan. Before falling into a coma, countless thoughts raced through his mind. Once again, he saw the subconscious deep within the old spirit, the weakness, helplessness, the deep sense of desolation and decay, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. He regretted it.

"I need to preserve my true self and nourish it!" pondered Wang Xuan. But now, he was incredibly weak, his vision darkening and he was unable to wake up.

"Old Chen, something's wrong with Wang Xuan!" said the mechanical bear as it quickly contacted Chen Yongjie. Its facial expression was stiff, mechanically conveying the emergency situation.

"What? Bring him over here!" said Chen Yongjie. Qing Mu, and Liu Huai'an who were also there were all taken aback. Even Wang Xuan, who hadn't been affected by the collapse of the Great Barrier and the extinction of myth, was now facing a major problem. The consequences were indeed serious. The silver spaceship raced through the cold cosmos, the mechanical bear going berserk, speeding with Wang Xuan.

In the depths of the universe, before the dimensional rift, radiant lights overflowed, and the transcendent sea surged out several times within a few hours. It was expanding outward and then retracting, the tide surging, severely affecting all transcendents.

Fortunately, several supreme treasures were present. They were all roaring there, collectively resisting the intense radiation waves. Overall, it was a close call. The silver spaceship arrived, and a group of people had been waiting there. None of them expected Wang Xuan to have a problem at the last moment.

"How is Wang Xuan?" asked Xu Fu. The Blood Emperor, and the others crowded around, entering the cabin.

Bai Jingshu's fingers glowed as she placed them in front of his brow, carefully sensing, revealing a look of doubt. She said, "The spirit is weaker than before. Could it be that he couldn't avoid the correction of the great universe in the end? Is the delayed suppression is beginning to affect him?"

This was not impossible. She regarded Wang Xuan as her own child and immediately showed a worried expression.

Yan Mingcheng's body emitted light, thunder blossoming, but in a holy and gentle manner. He baptized Wang Xuan's body and spirit, nourishing and strengthening his foundation, clearing away various decaying substances.

"He didn't wake up immediately. Is he trapped in the deepest level of consciousness, like in self-protection?" said Yan Mingcheng, frowning his brow.

"Don't wake him up directly. In this situation, he needs to be awakened slowly to avoid mental exhaustion," Fang Yuzhu said, activating the Guiding Scripture. For a moment, the atmosphere here was extremely sacred and splendid, with rays of light raining into Wang Xuan's body.

"There's a big problem. His spirit is being heavily consumed!" Fang Yuzhu said solemnly. If an ordinary person fell into this situation, they might never wake up again. Everyone's expressions changed.

Vaguely, Wang Xuan heard the chanting and saw a path paved with divine bamboo unfolding from the hazy depths of his consciousness, guiding him back.

"Wake up!" Zhang Daoling's and the Hades Blood Patriarch's voices came.

"Wang Xuan, do you still want to pave a new path?" Xu Fu's voice reached him.

Demon Lord Yan Qingyan also began using the Guiding Scripture and transmitted her voice, "Weirdo Wang, don't you want to see me dance? If you don't wake up soon, I'll cross the sea and leave. You'll miss your chance!"

The younger Qingyao’s eyes turned red as she said, "Wang Xuan, don't fall asleep like this. My other half, Jiang Qingyao, is still in a coma. How can you be like this?"

In a blur, Wang Xuan heard their calls and tried to open his eyes, but felt an overwhelming exhaustion in his spirit. In the depths of his consciousness, he was reluctant to move.

"Try to get closer to the transcendent sea. After all, there's transcendent radiation here, reminiscent of the residuals of a broken myth," said someone.

Shortly after, Wang Xuan's body was taken out of the spaceship and entered the dimensional rift, approaching the transcendent sea in the underground cave.

Fang Yuzhu said, "No, the closer he gets to this sea, the more unstable his condition seems. Mental substance is dissipating. I vaguely sense that his newborn spirit light spot has appeared and is absorbing the power of the old spirit."

"Isn't this a good thing?" The Hades Blood Patriarch said. Did this mean that Wang Xuan was accelerating his transformation, and the newborn spirit was about to emerge?

Yan Mingcheng frowned and said, "His old spirit is resisting fiercely."

"Let's awaken him first," Fang Yuzhu said, leading him out of the cave and appearing again in the spaceship. The speed of mental substance dissipation slowed and stopped.

Light rain fell, and the peerless transcendents personally took action, with the Guiding Scripture playing its greatest role. Finally, Wang Xuan recovered and woke up, immediately seeing a group of familiar faces.

"Alright, you finally woke up," said someone.

Wang Xuan saw a large group of people including the younger Qingyao, Yan Mingcheng, Fang Yuzhu, and others, all showing concern, which made him feel somewhat ashamed.

He said, "I intended to see you off, but unexpectedly, I encountered some issues myself, making you worry."

"Are you resisting the Nirvana of the newborn spirit?" Demon Lord Yan Qingyan asked. It was a question that everyone wanted to ask, as they noticed some peculiarities.

"Yes," said Wang Xuan, nodding his head.

"Why?" The younger Qingyao was puzzled, her face showing both worry and confusion.

Wang Xuan's expression turned solemn as he said, "I feel that the old spirit is the original me. It's with him that I met and got to know you all, leaving behind those profound experiences. The newborn spirit feels like a duplicate of me."

If he hadn't said this, no one would have felt that something was amiss. But upon closer inspection, it seemed to be true. The old spirit had shared many experiences with them.

"At this stage, what do you intend to do?" Zhang Daoling asked.

"I can handle it slowly," Wang Xuan said calmly. These people were all about to leave, and he didn't want them to worry too much.

"In ancient times, there were similar rumors, but those people practiced bizarre techniques, and most of them chose the newborn spirit," Xu Fu said.

Fang Yuzhu pondered for a moment, then acted again, saying, "I can stabilize your old spirit."

Her whole body shone, and light radiated from her brow, forming a complex pattern that eventually turned into a rune, entering Wang Xuan's forehead.

At first, people didn't recognize it, but after careful scrutiny, they immediately understood the rune’s true meaning. It was the word ‘stability’! In this era, Fang Yuzhu still possessed such supernatural abilities, astonishing everyone.

"Both of us can strengthen your old spirit," Yan Mingcheng and Bai Jingshu said, and then they both acted.

The two of them joined forces, and a pattern interwoven before them, finally forming the character ‘Stable’, entering Wang Xuan's head.

"I should be fine now, able to solve my own problems," said Wang Xuan, smiling, his tone relaxing. He knew that these people should leave now.

In their final gathering, everyone waved goodbye and re-entered the underground cave, preparing to cross the sea. Wang Xuan, Chen Yongjie, Qing Mu, and Liu Huai’an stood outside the dimensional rift, watching them go.

"Wang Xuan, you..." Qing Mu became alert, noticing Wang Xuan's body trembling, and immediately supported him.

"Influenced by the transcendent sea, but it's okay. I'll recover after leaving here," Wang Xuan shook his head, not wanting to fall into a state of unconsciousness, and gazed at the great rift. He watched the departing figures of his old acquaintances, while Qing Mu supported him, preventing him from falling.

But in the end, his eyelids became heavier and heavier, and he eventually passed out. The transcendent sea fluctuated violently, as if it was truly about to recede completely.

In a daze, he sensed something. The younger Qingyao came back, carrying the Purple Celestial Dao Sword. She saw Wang Xuan unconscious again, her nose tingling instantly.

"How could this happen? Jiang Qingyao regained some consciousness and, in her improvement, asked me to give you the Purple Celestial Dao Sword for protection. But, after you regained consciousness, you still couldn't hold on and passed out again. How can anyone feel at ease?" The little one spoke with a sob.

Wang Xuan heard this, and he tried to open his eyes. Old Chen and Qing Mu firmly supported him.

"I haven't passed out yet. I heard your voice. Take care of Qingyao. Sooner or later, I'll come find you," Wang Xuan said softly.

Then, he pushed the sword back, saying, "The Purple Celestial Dao Sword has already merged with the celestial sword nurtured by your lives. It cannot be lost. Take it. You need it more!"

"But, when Jiang Qingyao regained consciousness just now, she asked me to bring it to you. She said, there’s no difference between the sayings, ‘a sword breaks ten thousand laws’, and ‘a tool breaking ten thousand laws’. The Life Essence Furnace is still there," the little one explained.

"It's different. Take it with you!" said Wang Xuan, insisting that they take back the sword.

At that moment, there came a call from the underground cave. Everyone was about to leave, and the transcendent sea was quickly receding.

"Hurry, or you won't make it in time!" exclaimed Wang Xuan as he stuffed the Purple Celestial Dao Sword into her hands.

Reluctantly, the younger Qingyao departed, joining the others. With a loud rumble, amidst the towering waves, the group set sail across the sea and disappeared completely! Wang Xuan's body went limp, his vision darkening. This time, he couldn't hold on. He collapsed on his own, falling into unconsciousness. Then, he was quickly taken aboard the spaceship by Qing Mu and Old Chen.