The Stars Beyond

Chapter 289: The Name’s Zheng Wu

The entire Life Soil was tranquil, with only Wang Xuan standing alone amidst the drifting, silk-like celestial mist and the gentle fall of light rain, serene and peaceful. The vibrant life force surged towards his spirit, expanding into his flesh.

"Zheng Wu, thank you for such a gift that will fundamentally transform my flesh and spirit!" This was no illusion; the changes in his form and spirit were real. The heavenly medicine, the celestial nectar, and the five-colored soil from Mount Wu Zhou were enough to alter a cultivator's life trajectory.

In this era of correcting worldly errors and decaying myths, it seemed as if a dark curtain was descending, weakening the Transcendents further, erasing all traces of the extraordinary. Wang Xuan felt that today's gains had laid the strongest foundation and could change his destiny.

"Life brings unexpected benefactors, who would have thought it'd be you. It's a pity, though. While you've greatly aided me, we are enemies. Farewell, and I'll burn a few less paper offerings for you."

The main root of the heavenly medicine, brimming with vigorous life, merged with the Life Soil, turning it into a pure land beyond the world. Wang Xuan genuinely felt his cultivation growing. The astonishing benefits of today's dramatic changes were evident every moment.

There remained a cluster of blood essence - Zheng Wu's Heavenly Blood. For many, this was a rare divine treasure capable of altering fate. However, Wang Xuan disregarded it, finding the integration of another's transcendent flesh repulsive.

For instance, if Zheng Wu had succeeded in possessing him, integrating into his flesh, who would his descendants truly belong to? Whether in body or soul, Wang Xuan believed in purity, with no room for external impurities.

He had access to slate scriptures, practiced the Sakyamuni True Scripture, and pondered the golden bamboo slips from the Pre-Qin era. All these supreme scriptures provided powerful methods for his transformation, from body to spirit, always pursuing purity and singularity.

Wang Xuan's spirit returned to its place. Opening his eyes, the world seemed different - clearer, as if the distance between him and all things had narrowed.

In the night sky, the stars and moon shone brilliantly, like immense living beings breathing and lying dormant, listening to the call from the depths of the universe. In front of the thatched cottage, the grass and trees were fresh, the lake clear, with large fish leaping out of the water, creating sparkling ripples. Night birds sang, wild beasts growled, everything in nature harmoniously unified, giving him a profound sense of life's essence.

"All phenomena begin with the primordial pulse of life and end in the stillness of death. Relative to the eternal cosmos, life is but a moment of brilliance, and myths are fleeting streaks across the dark heavens, ephemeral as a blooming night flower," Wang Xuan reflected, gazing at the starry sky, peering into the depths of the night.

"After the silence, as time flows, perhaps transcendent meteors will emerge in the long night, marking the rekindling of myths. However, the last unexpected event has dimmed too long; no one can endure it. Those who have fallen cannot await rebirth, and the departed cannot return. The new that arise are but new Transcendents, still only fleeting splendors, quickly fading, leaving the universe in perpetual silence, an endless night."

Wang Xuan withdrew his gaze, the conclusion seemingly prewritten, inescapable. But he was not content with this predetermined fate. His strength was rapidly increasing, yet there was no joy in his heart. Only by striving higher and seeing farther in the imminent demise of everything could he find a sliver of hope.

"Who can slice through darkness with their fists' light? Who can illuminate the eternal night like the sun tearing through dawn, like the morning glow illuminating all directions, dispelling the long night, revealing a truly glorious mythic era, not just a transient glimmer?"

Wang Xuan calmed down, resolved to follow his heart, step by step. If it all ended in mundanity, lost in the cycle of life and death, then let it be a grand dream, to sleep in eternal tranquility.

"Thinking too much. Let's stay grounded. In these worst times, I've had a perfect encounter, at least ensuring I have a chance to break through the Transcendent's limit."

With a small, yellow gourd, Wang Xuan collected Zheng Wu's Heavenly Blood. As for the Heavenly Mandate – the essence of Zheng Wu's spirit – it was already annihilated.

"I've had Elder Chen's experience, my advancement has been too swift. Have I reached the late stage of Life Soil already?!" Just days ago, he unlocked the Inner Landscape with the True Bone, reaching the mid-stage of Life Soil. Now, he had taken another major leap.

At this rate, he would soon enter the stage of Medicine Gathering. Other Transcendents could hardly imagine such rapid progress, especially tonight, as they sensed the waning aftershocks of the Transcendent world.

"The ceiling is pressing down; even the realm of Transcendence is becoming unreachable. Without even using weapons or mystical treasures, the innate transcendental essence within is slowly fading away!" All beings who crossed over from other realms shuddered at this reality. The fading of the transcendental aftermath this time seemed more terrifying than anticipated. Could it be leading to the eradication of all transcendents, leaving not a single mythic figure behind?

At this moment, Wang Xuan felt none of that. His energy was abundant; the Life Soil teemed with transcendent vitality, infusing into his flesh, repeatedly purifying him. "Could I be on the verge of entering the Medicine Gathering realm?" he wondered with a frown, not wishing for such rapid progression.

But then, he relaxed. Having delved into Zheng Wu's spiritual fragments, filled with various notes and insights from predecessors, he felt assured his foundation was solid. His Spirit Eye had scrutinized those imprints, as if living through the life of a once-in-an-era prodigy.

"This is still not enough. I need my own realizations, maybe even open a Celestial Bone canister. When my spiritual perception reaches its limit, I will comprehend the laws, understand myself, and foresee the path ahead."

Soon after, Chen Yongjie contacted him with cryptic words: "Eura, mountains, and rivers, irreconcilable differences..." Chen seemed anxious, using codes to ensure Wang Xuan hadn't been overtaken by the genius from the other realm.

"Eura, foreign land, heaven's wrath, earth's destruction..." Wang Xuan replied, assuring Chen. Relieved, Chen quickly updated him on the latest developments with their coded language.

"At least five strong individuals from the Zheng family crossed over, some carrying remnants of bones, clearly ascending in the other realm. I bombarded several blood shadows with my warship; they scattered multiple times before eventually fleeing underground. I suspect they'll all head your way; be careful!"

"There was one, we'll talk later!" Wang Xuan quickly ended the call as a red shadow flashed in the distant woods. Unconcerned, he turned to look at the Golden Tree in the cottage. "What happened to it? Why is it dimming? The consumption of transcendental essence is alarmingly fast, almost depleted!"

Punching through the air, Wang Xuan sensed the frightening speed of transcendental essence flow. Yet, most of the essence he'd expended was forcibly drawn back into his Life Soil.

"Planting the Heavenly Medicine has elevated and transformed the entire Life Soil. Such a wondrous benefit!" Wang Xuan marveled, once again realizing the advantages of a strong foundation.

This night was different; the residual effects of the transcendent were dissipating, and the present world seemed cruel, with all signs pointing towards the extinction of the Transcendents. "Will I need to fight on my own from now on? Over time, mystical treasures will become unusable," Wang Xuan murmured, noting the rapid decline in the power of treasures and the intense increase in the consumption of transcendent essence.

The Golden Tree now barely held any mysterious factors. After just a brief battle, the depletion was terrifying; no one could sustain such expenditure. This could also be attributed to the terrifying drop of golden blood from Zheng Yuan Tian, a supremely powerful being.

Wang Xuan looked into the distance. His Spirit Eye saw clearly a blood shadow approaching, enveloping a piece of true bone. A celestial being from the Zheng family was arriving.

"Son!" called the blood shadow from afar. Wang Xuan nodded in response, beckoning. But soon, he realized something was amiss; the other was using a secret code. He had responded incorrectly. Instead of subtly acknowledging, he should have corrected: "Zheng Wu is reborn. From now on, please call me Wang Xuan." He had seen these codes in Zheng Wu's original fragments but had only glanced over them, focusing on memories related to cultivation.

"Great news! Congratulations, son. The Celestial Embryo has taken root in the flesh of a mortal who opened their Inner Landscape. You're about to create the most powerful Celestial Embryo!"

The blood shadow's bone had cracks, nearly shattered by Chen Yongjie. Wang Xuan had traded not only for the Golden Tree, the Jade Dragon Sword of Pre-Qin, and the Life-Ending Pool but also acquired a warship, which he gave to Chen Yongjie for use. He spared no expense, even using the Earth Immortal Spring, to confront the formidable Zheng family from the other realm.

The celestial being was somewhat pitiful, constantly bombarded soon after arriving and struggling against modern technological weapons, eventually escaping through earth tunnelling.

As the blood shadow complimented while approaching, its expression turned gravely serious. "Son, tonight the heavens and earth undergo drastic changes, and the myth further decays."

"What do you feel?" asked Wang Xuan, knowing he had been exposed for not matching the secret code and that the other was trying to deceive him, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

"The transcendent laws are disappearing, but the residual effects remain. Before tonight, Transcendents crossing over could still exhibit power close to the realm of Transcendence. But now, they can only exert the strength of the sixth segment in the human world!"

He spoke the harsh truth of the night's drastic change.

Mist, Lamp-Lighting, Life Soil, and Medicine Gathering are the first four minor realms in the human world. Each life-bearing planet in the starry sky has different systems and standards of division.

Therefore, some prefer a more universal approach, correlating the nine minor realms of the human world directly with nine segments.

Wang Xuan felt both anxious and relieved, his emotions complex. The deteriorating transcendent environment was worrying, but the overall weakening of the beings crossing over from other realms lessened the pressure on him. Now, even without using mystical treasures, he might still possess the strength to fight.

"Son, shall we proceed with the established plan? Quietly taking control of a major conglomerate first, ensuring an invincible position regardless of the future. However, choosing between the Zhong and Qin families still requires your decision," said the blood shadow, stepping forward again.

Wang Xuan nodded and replied, "Hmm."

He was unsettled, knowing the Zheng family from beyond the veil was ruthless, aiming to covertly subvert a super conglomerate.

"Also, son, we should start with those close to Wang Xuan, to prevent them from noticing your change. People like Chen Yongjie, Qin Cheng, and others..."

As he spoke, the blood shadow suddenly attacked, transforming into a crimson mist lunging at Wang Xuan. His face was ferocious, filled with boundless killing intent, as he roared, "You killed our son, causing the unparalleled celestial embryo destined to dominate the Transcendents to fall. Die!"

Wang Xuan looked at him coldly, not waving the banner in his hand but instead rolling it up. A whoosh sound followed as golden patterns intertwined, stripping the true bone away from the attacker.

His control over the God-Slaying Banner was becoming increasingly intuitive.

A Celestial Bone Can was now in his possession, ready for a collective blind box opening with friends and acquaintances, potentially benefiting everyone around him.

Then, Wang Xuan put away the banner. His physical body was full of terrifying vitality, and his spirit was robust. He decided to confront head-on the beings that had crossed over from beyond the veil, especially after the drastic changes of the night.

The blood shadow screamed in agony as its true bone was stripped away in an instant, losing a large chunk of its spirit in the process. Already gravely wounded by the bombardment from the warship, it now suffered even more.

But its assault didn't cease. Deprived of celestial methods and transcendent rules, it remained formidable. Its palm moved like a rainbow, and thunder roared, illuminating the entire forest.

Indeed, the being was powerful, drawing dense lightning with its hand, a truly astonishing sight.

But Wang Xuan was undaunted. His body shone with a rain of light, and with a single step, he aggressively charged towards the opponent. His fist imprint was terrifying, as if it could pierce through the void itself. This was the Ascendent Fist, derived from the ancient golden bamboo scrolls of the Pre-Qin era!

Boom!

The sky thundered, and nearby ancient trees and massive rocks shattered under the brilliance of the Ascendent Fist. Wang Xuan's expression remained cold, his vitality robust, engaging in pure physical combat with unmatched bravery. His strongest foundation was now evident; despite the current world's correction and his lower realm compared to his opponent, his lethality was astonishing.

Boom!

The blood shadow, after several fierce clashes and battles, nearly disintegrated. All because the world no longer had transcendent rules, and the Celestials had lost their nurturing ground. The blood shadow was no longer celestial, now just fragments of a damaged spirit.

"What kind of boxing is this?!" The expert from the Zheng family was astounded. Even with the collapse of the transcendent world, he was once among the ranks of the Celestials. Yet, someone of a lower realm was now able to fiercely contend with him, making him feel as if he could explode at any moment.

What shocked him the most was that Wang Xuan, in his physical form, could injure his spiritual body with physical fist imprints!

Wang Xuan didn't bother responding. Now, as he executed the Ascendent Fist, his physical and spiritual essence merged, allowing him to strike down the opponent's spirit form with his physical fists. Forced by the situation, he had been relying on mystical treasures and unable to confront beings from other realms physically. But tonight, having enhanced himself, he finally fought with his physical body, feeling exhilaratingly satisfied.

He hadn't engaged in personal combat for a long time, and this felt thoroughly enjoyable. His punches, accompanied by sonic booms, were devastating, obliterating anything that stood in his way.

"Impossible!" exclaimed the celestial from the Zheng family in shock.

Eventually, Wang Xuan's punch obliterated him. The blood shadow collapsed, and the spirit body disintegrated, unable to reassemble.

Boom!

Wang Xuan delivered another punch, causing the opponent's spirit to explode completely, burning away in the light of his fist, and utterly erasing it.

After clearing the scene, another blood shadow appeared in the distance about a quarter of an hour later – the second true celestial from the Zheng family had arrived.

"Son!"

"Zheng Wu reborn, from now on, please call me Wang Xuan," Wang Xuan replied calmly, correctly responding to the secret code this time.