The Stars Beyond

Chapter 292: A Screen Against The Otherworld

The scene was one of sheer astonishment. Two transcendent beings from the modern world had just effortlessly subdued the scions of celestial lineages. Those present, descendants of illustrious immortals, found themselves bested by individuals who bore the true essence of immortal bloodlines.

Huang Ming, observing the scene, couldn't help but express his amazement, "This monk truly is formidable." There was an undeniable sense of the extraordinary about Wang Xuan and his companion.

A low murmur arose among Zhou Shiqi's group, one suggesting, "Perhaps it's a predestined revelation from the Buddhist sect, placing a Golden Arhat among us in this era."

One of Cao Qingyu's associates stepped forward, eager to challenge the so-called monk. Yet, before he could act, he was restrained by a comrade.

Chen Yongjie, overhearing their remarks, bristled with irritation. Internally he protested, "Do I really look like a monk to them?" In response, he forcefully kicked the man in casual jeans and a T-shirt away, wielding his black sword with a daunting presence that silenced the crowd.

The observers were left speechless. Chen Yongjie's aura, radiant with Buddha's light and displaying the formidable Sixteen-Foot Golden Body technique of Buddhism, left little room for denial about his spiritual lineage.

Huang Ming, analyzing the situation, whispered, "Well, given his practice of Buddhist techniques, isn't he akin to a Buddhist lay practitioner? Referring to him as a monk is a sign of respect."

Nods of agreement rippled through the crowd; their logic seemed unassailable.

Frustrated, Chen Yongjie swung his black sword through the air, his dark aura surging with such intensity it seemed to challenge the heavens themselves.

Kong Yun, taking in the remarkable scene, voiced his wonder, "How did they reach such heights amidst the decline of transcendence?"

The gathering was profoundly affected by the spectacle. In an age seemingly inhospitable to cultivation, the emergence of such formidable figures sparked both awe and unease. They pondered their own potential fates had they been born in this less mystical era, stirring a complex mix of emotions within.

Amidst this contemplation, Wang Xuan stood there, nodding with a satisfied smile. His efforts in cultivating Chen Yongjie as a protector of the path had evidently paid off, a fact that he seemed quietly proud of.

"Facing the constant challenges ahead, I can't always be directly involved. Soon, I'll have Chen Yongjie step in to handle some of these confrontations. He'll be more than capable of holding his own," Wang Xuan thought to himself. If Chen Yongjie knew of this plan, he'd surely have a strong reaction. As for engaging in a few spars, Chen Yongjie set a firm rule for himself: absolutely no internal fighting to prevent any disastrous losses.

"I'll go!" said Chen Yan, a woman from Cao Qingyu's camp. She wasn't exceptionally beautiful, but her ethereal aura and elegance made her stand out. One of the most formidable among them, Chen Yan had once glimpsed the path to becoming an Earth Immortal. Though not fully recovered from her injuries, she was still a force to be reckoned with.

However, Cao Qingyu stopped her. They had roughly gauged Wang Xuan's strength through the defeats of their peers. This was just the beginning; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

Guan Lin approached with a radiant smile. Having consumed the Earth Immortal Spring, she seemed even more youthful and vibrant. She greeted Wang Xuan and his companions warmly.

Qin Cheng and Professor Lin also arrived, aware that today might present the greatest opportunity of their cultivation journey.

"As modern individuals, meeting you all in this era feels surreal and fateful," said Zhong Qing, the hostess. She wanted to ease any tension, expressing her genuine feelings. "In the past, the celestial world behind the veil was just a legend. The Immortals had vanished for centuries, untouchable. Yet here we are, meeting in modern society. I see this as a fortunate connection. With such a positive beginning, I hope we can coexist peacefully and joyfully."

Zhong Qing knew they would soon depart, taking what they could and leaving the rest behind. The Zhong family sought stability, preferring to avoid conflict with the descendants of the Immortals. Despite the constant vigilance, with warships ready to strike from the sky, the ethereal beings in their spiritual forms were challenging adversaries.

Zhong Qing felt a deep reluctance. If given a choice, she wouldn't want to leave Earth for the mysterious and distant cosmos. After all, it meant leaving her home behind.

......

Old Zhong had warned her that the descendants of the Immortals currently present were not the main threat. The real danger would come when those who had fought their way through fields of corpses and rivers of blood returned. Those exalted beings and dominators of the celestial world, who once casually razed cities and left mountains of skeletons in their wake, or the supreme sword immortals who could slice off moon fragments with a single strike, were truly fearsome. If they decided to possess or inhabit the bodies of the wealthy and powerful, it would be nearly impossible to defend against.

Suddenly, Wang Xuan felt a prickling sensation, as if a celestial sword was about to pierce his skin, almost suffocating him. What was happening? Such a feeling of extreme danger overwhelmed him, as though a great disaster was imminent.

His eyes suddenly shone brilliantly, scanning the surroundings. He looked at everyone present but found nothing unusual. Who was targeting him?

Wang Xuan teleported several times, summoning an ancient dark-red lamp to cast a protective light shield around himself, but to no avail. His body ached as if slashed by knives.

Even with his usual ability to see beyond the ordinary, Wang Xuan saw nothing out of place. However, as his spirit left his body and hovered overhead, he noticed something alarming on his skin: a series of black lines, like chains, binding him. They seemed poised to burrow into his flesh and wind around his bones, invisible yet lethal.

"What in the world is this?" he thought, feeling a cold chill seeping into his bones. Who was attempting to kill his physical form with such a mysterious method?

At that moment, Wang Xuan faintly perceived the sound of clashing chains, as if invisible iron links were drawing him away.

"Wang Xuan, what's happening to you?" the others noticed his distress. His body was now covered in dark-red, with inexplicable blood seeping out, clearly showing he was constricted by unseen ropes. His condition was deteriorating rapidly.

"What's wrong with you?" Chen Yongjie rushed over, his long sword ready, attempting to purify the area with a burst of Buddha's light, but it was ineffective.

Wang Xuan activated the highest scripture, with the stone tablet teachings resonating within him. His entire body vibrated in an odd rhythm, his skin radiating dazzling light intermixed with a cloud of blood mist. He was attempting to burn through the black chains.

Invisible and intangible, only the spiritual eye could perceive this menace. Under broad daylight, Wang Xuan was under a mysterious attack, instilling in him a severe sense of crisis. Someone, through inexplicable means, was capable of threatening his life.

Wang Xuan fought with all his might against this unseen assault. A chillier presence approached, making him look up sharply. From the void above, seven small crimson swords descended silently, each less than a foot long, materializing suddenly and aiming straight for him. Each sword corresponded to one of his organs: five for his viscera, one for his abdomen, and one for his skull. The swords hadn't yet touched his skin, but Wang Xuan already felt a tearing pain, as blood began to seep from the affected areas, causing goosebumps to rise.

The protective light shield formed by the ancient lamp was ignored entirely by the blood-colored swords, which pierced through it and approached his skin with a bone-chilling killing intent.

"Wang Xuan, what's happening to you?" Chen Yongjie swung his black sword, trying to cut through the void based on his sharp intuition. But the crimson swords seemed incorporeal, warping space and time around Wang Xuan, invisible and untouchable to others.

"There's trouble. Brother Wang, do you need help?" Kong Yun, a descendant of the mythical creatures, approached with others.

"I'll take a look," said Cao Qingyu, stepping forward with his group.

"What is this? A curse, or some unknown mystical force?" wondered Zhou Shiqi, her eyes shining with curiosity as she moved closer.

"Everyone, stay back. Don't come any closer," Wang Xuan warned.

With a loud burst, a surge of blood-red light erupted from his pores, forming a glowing barrier against the seven crimson swords. At the same time, the black iron chains around him rattled and tightened, pulling him off the ground and attempting to drag him into the air.

A streak of energy shot up from Wang Xuan as he activated an indestructible short sword. It sliced through the air near the black chains, causing light and shadow to twist and space to seemingly collapse, but it was ineffective against the chains.

In an era where mythology was collapsing, who still possessed such capabilities? Silently binding him like a hellish ferryman operating in broad daylight, the entity seemed intent on taking him away.

Wang Xuan's blood boiled more fiercely, becoming increasingly blinding. Operating the teachings from the stone tablet, he momentarily resisted the seven blood-colored swords. They had pierced his skin but hadn't penetrated deep into his body. His skin was drenched in blood, a terrifying sight to behold.

"Wang Xuan!" Professor Lin, just arriving, was shocked at the scene. He examined the marks on Wang Xuan's body, trying to correlate them with descriptions from ancient texts.

Qin Cheng rushed over and grabbed Zhong Cheng, urgently saying, “If Old Wang gets into trouble, we’ll strike back at the descendants of the Celestials! Their brazen actions might be aimed at your Zhong family, intending to overthrow you today!”

“That makes sense. Let’s prepare for that. If anyone dares to cause trouble, we’ll fight to the bitter end and spill blood if necessary!” Zhong Cheng declared.

Chen Yongjie channeled the teachings of the Shakya scriptures, his eyes blazing like golden lamps, projecting two fiery beams. He also summoned a golden Buddhist power, enveloping Wang Xuan's area to help purify him from malevolent forces. The Shakya scriptures, being a supreme Buddhist text, dimmed the chilling aura of the blood-colored swords to some extent.

Wang Xuan was certain that this was not a mental invasion or a visible attack of super-material force. This strange, invisible, and chilling power was highly peculiar.

“Do you see anything?” he asked Chen Yongjie secretly, continuing to stimulate the teachings from the stone tablet, expanding the dazzling force within him, merging with his consciousness like a surging sea, cleansing every inch of his flesh.

Chen Yongjie's expression was grave as he communicated telepathically, confirming he couldn't see anything either.

The parts of the black iron chains embedded in Wang Xuan's flesh were scorched red hot by the supreme teachings, some parts nearly melting and emitting a strange and icy black light.

“I don’t care what you are, daring to attack me, we’ll fight to the death!” Wang Xuan said coldly.

“This might be some kind of curse. Let me check for you,” offered Zhou Shiqi, her feet glowing as she moved gracefully closer, intending to inspect Wang Xuan's condition.

“Stay back!” Wang Xuan commanded, his body bleeding while his eyes shot out two lightning-like beams, intimidating and preventing direct eye contact.

“Brother Wang, we mean no harm. Your situation looks grave!” Kong Yun approached as well, instructing Huang Ming and others to guard the surroundings against potential enemy attacks.

“You too, stay back!” Wang Xuan insisted, distrusting the descendants of the Celestials amidst this life-threatening ordeal, remaining highly alert.

Cao Qingyu and his group spread out, also on guard.

“I have a way. The Purifying Light Technique can cleanse various curses!” Chen Yan, the second strongest in Cao Qingyu’s camp and someone who had neared the Celestial realm, spoke up.

A faint purifying light blossomed, rippling towards Wang Xuan like a wave, aiming to cleanse his body.

Boom!

Wang Xuan's body radiated intensely, with glowing blood erupting from his pores, transforming into a dazzling crimson aura, like thunderclaps shattering the silence, making everyone's eardrums ring as if they were about to burst. Chen Yan's purifying light was instantly dispersed, exploding into nothingness.

"Anyone who approaches is my enemy. All of you, back off!" Wang Xuan bellowed.

"Back off!" echoed Chen Yongjie, resembling an enraged deity, his body ablaze with golden Buddhist light. Wielding his large black sword, he forced the crowd to retreat.

"You're being unreasonable. I was only trying to help," Chen Yan retorted, her entire being aglow with purifying light.

In an instant, Wang Xuan's blood boiled fiercely, scorching the black chains. One of the chains embedded in his body finally glowed red hot and burst open, granting him partial freedom to act.

Taking a deep breath, his entire being radiated with crimson light, engulfing the area within a ten-foot radius. Like a dragon, he lunged at Chen Yan. At that moment, he wanted no one near him, hoping his own blood could slowly solve the problem.

Clearly, some among the crowd harbored ill intentions, seeking to take advantage of his plight. In a flash, Wang Xuan clashed with Chen Yan multiple times, his fist glowing like lightning, cutting through the void.

A blinding sword light flashed as Chen Yongjie engaged in combat, his long sword repelling many.

Thud! In the next moment, Wang Xuan exchanged four thunderous blows with Cao Qingyu, their clash akin to colliding thunderbolts, erupting with super-material energy brilliance.

Kong Yun's expression changed, forced to deploy a secret technique. Behind him, a white peacock materialized, transforming into a brilliant light that collided with Wang Xuan's fist.

The void trembled with the sound of explosions. Wang Xuan and Zhou Shiqi also collided fiercely.

Everyone was stunned. In a brief moment, Wang Xuan had consecutively fought with several of the strongest individuals present, demonstrating his formidable and unyielding stance. He made it clear – if they didn't retreat, it meant declaring war on him, a battle to the death.

"The best help you can give me is to stay away from me," Wang Xuan stated.