The Stars Beyond

Chapter 301: No Quarter

"When you go in search of the lotus pods, keep an eye out on the major families as well. Check for any demonic energy. It's possible that other important figures from the wealthy clans have been devoured too," Wang Xuan instructed.

He had already observed the Zhao and Wu families, and even the Sun and Qin families, the previous night, but hadn't detected any demonic presence. If these families also had high-ranking members replaced by demons, it would indicate a much more extensive plot by the demonic faction.

Public sentiment was inflamed, a sharp contrast to the previous idyllic fantasies about mythological beings. Now, the brutal truth had been revealed in a morning news report – demons integrating into modern society with covert tactics, but their cruel nature remained unchanged from ancient times, viewing humans as mere blood sustenance.

The Qian family, deeply saddened and angered, reached out to the descendants of the immortals to understand their stance and whether they were involved in this chaos.

That morning, both Cao Qingyu and Zhou Shiqi were taken aback. They had just concluded a press conference asserting their ancestors were once humans of this world, sharing the same blood, only for such a scandal to break.

Kong Yun and Huang Ming felt even greater pressure. Being descendants of demon immortals themselves, the current upheaval caused by the demonic disturbances was severely tarnishing their image, worsening their living conditions.

"My ancestor was human and transformed into a white peacock through the True Body Path, never consuming humans," Kong Yun said bitterly, trying to clarify, but few seemed to listen.

In fact, their own factions were also preparing to take covert actions.

As for Huang Daxian, he was utterly flustered, suspecting his reputation had taken another hit.

Members of the Taoist community stepped forward, led by a young man named Wang Hai, who entered the Qian household and declared their participation. The demons had desecrated their celestial bones, which was intolerable!

Cao Qingyu, Kong Yun, Zhou Shiqi, and others also followed suit, publicly announcing their clear distinction from the demons who fed on living humans.

"The native demons are our enemies, originating from a different realm entirely!"

"We will not tolerate the rampant actions of demons and will not stand idly by!"

A group of the immortal descendants quickly gathered at the Qian residence, expressing their willingness to contribute and take a stand against the demonic uprising.

Significant members of the Qian family, deeply unsettled, had already boarded their warships, choosing to avoid direct contact with the descendants of the immortals. Their reluctance stemmed from a mix of deep-seated aversion and fear.

Since the previous day, the Qian family had activated their extensive network, reaching out to major organizations for assistance. Celestial eyes and advanced detectors were set in motion by various families, scouring the land for any trace of the demons. The revelation that these creatures preyed on humans had instigated a widespread alarm, spurring earnest collaboration among all involved.

"The demons have fled underground from Hanwu Mountain!"

It was soon discovered that the demons had used earth burrowing techniques to escape. The families intensified their investigation, scouring other locations for any leads.

Before long, a particular area was identified as a potential hiding spot for the demons, who might have used their burrowing abilities to infiltrate Sicheng.

A somber representative from the Zheng family arrived to report to Wang Xuan. The pursuit of the demons, based on the leads from Hanwu Mountain, had unfortunately led to several casualties.

The Zheng family, bolstered by the presence of the formidable Zheng Yuantian, had been a potent force. However, in their quest to unravel this mystery, two of their most skilled members had met a tragic end.

"Two esteemed immortals, perished so brutally, their bodies covered in sinister purple patterns, their spirits completely annihilated!"

"They died in my place," Wang Xuan reflected heavily. "Had I been there, I might have fallen into the same traps. Their sacrifice is deeply lamentable."

The tactics employed bore a striking resemblance to previous encounters but seemed even more treacherous, causing silent, swift deaths.

Wang Xuan speculated that the demons had collaborated with Zhou Chong's faction once again, seizing more celestial bones. These remnants of transcendent rules were now being wielded against him, posing a direct threat to his life.

"This trap must have a limited range. They need to be close to effectively target me, and I won't give them that opportunity." Resolute, Wang Xuan boarded a Qian family warship and ascended into the skies.

A call from the Zheng family's celestial being later that day conveyed shattering news, his voice shaking with rage. "Your uncle... he's dead."

Wang Xuan was momentarily staggered by the news. His uncle, Zheng Yunming, had been fatally impaled by a malevolent black celestial sword that appeared out of thin air, annihilating both his physical form and spirit.

Struggling with his sorrow and trying to maintain composure, Wang Xuan declared, "I must act now, to seek justice for the Zheng family."

His anger was palpable as he questioned the decision to send Zheng Yunming on such a perilous mission, a tragedy that could have been avoided.

The celestial being from the Zheng family spoke with a bitter tone, "We didn't ask him to take risks. We've been navigating underground, and now we've already lost five experts. We realized too late that the demons had circled back and entered Sicheng. Your uncle, Zheng Yunming, had just crossed over and learned of our operations in the area. He went into Sicheng..."

Wang Xuan remained composed, initially thinking Zheng Yunming had arrived earlier and was lying low in the modern world. Now, he realized there might be more to it. His arrival at this time raised suspicions. Could someone be doubting his identity, sending a familiar face to scrutinize him closely?

Wang Xuan's mind was alert. He might not be able to use this identity much longer and hoped to secure the resources smoothly.

However, the fact that the Zheng family's celestial being was sharing this information suggested they hadn't written him off yet.

"Your uncle went to your current identity, Wang Xuan's, health retreat to take a look. But as soon as he got close, he was attacked."

Wang Xuan's heart skipped a beat upon hearing this. The enemy had circled back to his lair, lying in wait for him, planning a deadly ambush.

His uncle, Zheng Yunming, was extremely powerful, yet he had been slain with a single sword strike, highlighting the grave danger of that place.

"Including my uncle, my Zheng family has lost six immortals. These demons are diabolically cruel. Zhou Chong, you dared to harm my kin. I will be relentless in my pursuit of you!" he declared.

Wang Xuan informed the Zheng family's steward that he would seek revenge for Zheng Yunming and others, and retrieve the legendary ancient artifact, the Soul Locking Bell.

"I suspect the demons have set up a Five Elements Slaughter God Array using five true bones. These bones represent five residual transcendent laws capable of killing any practitioner on New Star."

The steward of the Zheng family, both grieving and enraged, even suspected the existence of a more formidable Seven Immortals Annihilation Array.

Wang Xuan immediately contacted the Qian family and communicated with Qian An's brothers, instructing them to verify the situation quickly and cautiously before taking action.

"Staying inside the Sicheng health retreat?"

The Qian family mobilized their celestial eyes and detectors. They promptly detected anomalies, confirming the presence of a transcendent being, and even signs of a potential evacuation.

"Act immediately, but ensure you control the intensity. Avoid harming the innocent!" Wang Xuan instructed.

He was already on a large warship, ready to participate personally in the operation. The Qian family, too, had their warships poised in the skies, prepared for immediate action.

"Daoist Master, we've located the demons."

"Immortal Zhou, Immortal Kong, the demons are right here in Sicheng!"

Before taking action, the Qian family informed the young Daoist Wang Hai, along with Cao Qingyu, Kong Yun, and Zhou Shiqi, urging them to join the hunt. Behind these young individuals were immortals, though not necessarily stronger than them. Their crossing into the modern world had been harsh, leaving their spirits wounded.

"Should we wait for them to engage in battle before we strike? A single blast from our super energy cannon could end it all!" Qian An's younger brother, driven by vengeance and knowing they were leaving soon, was ready to deliver a memorable lesson to these creatures from beyond the veil.

Wang Xuan intervened quickly, cautioning, "Hold on, that's enough. Let them suffer some losses, then immediately signal them to retreat. We'll use the warships to strike. If we go too far, offending all the factions, it could lead to serious trouble!"

......

"Transcendent rules?!" Cao Qingyu gasped in shock. One of their veteran powerhouses had approached the health retreat only to perish instantly, pierced by a rune-etched flying sword wreathed in black flames. It sliced through him with a hiss, like a red-hot iron through dry paper, reducing him to ash.

"Don't get close, this is burning away celestial lives, unleashing transcendent rules..." An elder beside Zhou Shiqi exclaimed, his face paling instantly.

Everyone retreated rapidly, but some still fell, slain by the celestial sword forged from transcendent rules, incinerated completely.

Casualties appeared in several factions. Initially, some were merely going through the motions, not committing fully, but now they were incensed.

"Immortals, please stand back, let us try first!" At that moment, the Qian family reached out to them, ready to open fire.

The Qian family explained succinctly that they were reluctant to act rashly within the city, fearing collateral damage to ordinary people.

Whether the descendants of the immortals overthought the situation or not, the Qian family was indifferent, as they were soon to embark on their long journey.

Boom!

From the sky, a beam of light descended, piercing straight through the health retreat. Fortunately, the building was a standalone structure with a lawn and a garden, making it an ideal target for a precise strike.

"My health retreat, always meeting the same fate of being blasted," Wang Xuan muttered, looking down at the sizeable building and garden, a gift from Old Qian.

"For you, Old Qian, I avenge!" His eyes then hardened with resolve.

The beam obliterated the site, melting and even vaporizing everything. There was no ash, only boiling magma, a successful pinpoint elimination.

"Ah..." Demonic screams echoed as their spirits burst forth.

Some younger demons, who had brought their physical bodies across the boundary, met a particularly gruesome end, their flesh and bones obliterated instantly.

Even in their spiritual form, the demons were significantly weakened by the energy attacks from the modern world. The supermatter within their spirits dispersed, and their reformed spiritual bodies were naturally debilitated.

The warship's weapons couldn't annihilate the spirits outright, but that didn't mean they couldn't deplete the demons' supermatter.

"Attack!" commanded Wang Hai of the Taoist faction, as he and others like Zhou Shiqi and Cao Qingyu joined the hunt.

Wang Xuan, stationed in the warship outside Sicheng, had already targeted the strongest spirit bodies. Observing some fleeing the city, he immediately ordered to fire upon them.

Some of the demon immortals, escaping with their true bones wrapped in their spirits and faint blood glows, still possessed formidable strength, as their true bones had not been completely shattered.

However, after enduring a second onslaught, their spirit bodies trembled. Having already experienced a terrifying attack in the city, their divine senses were dulled, making them vulnerable to the interwoven beams of energy assaulting them, suffering frequent injuries.

"Boom!"

Eventually, the true bones of some demons were shattered by the modern energy weapons, their vital essence dissipating, leaving only their spirits to wail pitifully as they fled.

"No!" cried some demons in despair, realizing their celestial lives, essential for reconstructing their demon bodies, were destroyed.

"For you, Old Qian, I've reclaimed a significant blood debt!" Wang Xuan declared.

Beams of light continued to rain down from the sky, the mountains outside Sicheng enduring a horrific "baptism". The escaping demons suffered their true bones shattering, their spirits dimming and wounded.

As for the younger demons whose physical bodies were long gone, their now panicked spirits fled desperately.

Wang Xuan, finding a secluded spot, piloted his flying vessel away from the warship. He transformed into a streak of light, plunging into the forest, his true form set on personally hunting down the remnants.

Meanwhile, Wang Hai, Cao Qingyu, Zhou Shiqi, and others pursued relentlessly. Their factions had longstanding enmities with the demons, dating back to their time in the transcendent realms.

In a somewhat awkward position was Kong Yun's faction. Their ancestors were human, but they had followed the True Body Path, transforming into beings like the White Peacock and the Golden-Winged Roc.

Caught between their human heritage and their demonic nature, Kong Yun's faction faced a dilemma. They had to join the hunt against the demons, yet their actions lacked the decisiveness of others.

When Wang Xuan arrived, many noticed his presence.

"Wang Brother, you're here too."

"Exorcising demons is a duty every righteous man must undertake," Wang Xuan declared solemnly.

"Attack!" The group pressed on in their pursuit of the demons.

Unconcerned with others, Wang Xuan was relentless in his onslaught. Any demon caught in his sights had little chance of survival. Wielding his spiritual chain, he specifically targeted the spirits of the demons.

At the same time, he was testing his own transcendent techniques – bursts of fire and thunder rained down, striking with destructive force, their efficacy remarkable.

That day marked a heavy loss for the demon faction. Almost all their powerful demon immortals were eradicated. Every target Wang Xuan set his sights on was eliminated without exception.

The outside world was in turmoil, shocked and terrified by the ruthless decimation of the demons. Was it going to be a complete annihilation? The news both alarmed and awed the public.