The Stars Beyond

Chapter 305: Will We Ever Meet Again?

After confirming that the Ling family had safely evacuated to outer space, Chen Yongjie contacted several old friends on the New World, hinting that it was time for them to leave. Wang Xuan also reached out to Zhao Zejun, warning him of the increasing threats posed by the hordes of demons, particularly to affluent families like the Zhao's.

"We're preparing to leave soon," Zhao Zejun replied gravely, his voice tinged with longing for his daughter, Zhao Qinghan, whom he had been waiting for in vain.

"Don't worry, Uncle Zhao," Wang Xuan reassured him. "I plan to search for her in the Hidden Land soon and will bring her back safely. You should go ahead and leave for now." Wang Xuan was determined to confront the cunning old fox who had failed to return Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin from the life-bearing planet as promised.

However, Wang Xuan realized he needed to strengthen himself first, aiming to reach the upper limits of his capabilities. Without such power, even an encounter with the old fox might not end in his favor.

"Thank you, Wang Xuan. Please find Qinghan and keep her safe," Zhao Zejun pleaded, his heart heavy with worry for his missing daughter.

Wang Xuan solemnly nodded in response and continued his calls, contacting Wu Chenglin and others.

When he got in touch with the Zhou family, Zhou Yun informed him that they had decided to stay put, opting for a more passive approach.

Wang Xuan was speechless at their decision but respected their choice. He had done his part by warning them, and the rest was up to them.

"We’ve invited descendants of the Celestial Immortals to our home and opened our secret vaults to them as a form of cooperation," Zhou Yun explained their strategy.

As for Zhou Yun himself, he had recently joined Huang Daosheng and others on a trip to the new moon and out to sea, seemingly maintaining good relations with them.

Wang Xuan refrained from commenting on their decisions. The future was uncertain, and no one could predict the exact course of events. If the Celestial Immortals and wealthy families became dominant, the Zhou family's choice might not be wrong after all.

However, Wang Xuan couldn’t help but think that Zhou Yun had given up on his cultivation journey. Despite his previous efforts to involve Zhou Yun in the Inner Landscape at the Zhong family, it seemed futile now.

But Zhou Yun expressed his disinterest in continuing down the path of cultivation, finding one experience in the Hidden Land sufficient.

"Take care," Wang Xuan said, ending the call with Zhou Yun.

Afterward, Wang Xuan felt an intense urge to launch a battleship assault against the demons. These beings, having returned from behind the great veil, were far too arrogant, behaving as though the human world was now theirs to dominate. He and Chen Yongjie agreed that these physically embodied demons should be powerfully obliterated with modern technological weaponry.

"Let's hold off for now," Wang Xuan suggested, noting the sky was beginning to darken. The Zheng family was due to arrive in a few hours, and they couldn't afford any mishaps in the meantime.

However, Wang Xuan suddenly felt compelled to scout ahead, fearing the Zheng family might be leading them into a trap. He recalled how his 'uncle' had crossed over without warning and was fortunately eliminated by demons in Suzhou. Had he survived, he might have noticed discrepancies in Wang Xuan's behavior based on Zheng Wu's habits and details.

Wang Xuan suspected that the Zheng family's true immortals were beginning to doubt him. He and Chen Yongjie hurriedly made their way to the wetlands outside Pingyuan City, near a hill that corresponded to an altar built by the Zheng family behind the great veil.

Sitting down to meditate, Wang Xuan entered the realm of Life Soil, pulling up the God-Slaying Banner, and then stepped onto the steaming mist, his figure gradually disappearing into the world beyond the veil.

The dilapidated station, hanging lanterns, and perpetual darkness remained unchanged. Wang Xuan moved quickly through the darkest area, briefly distracted by the paper money falling from the sky, but he couldn't afford to linger.

Soon, he spotted the enormous altar, a key point for the Zheng family to cross the veil. Indeed, members of the Zheng family were already preparing, with several people seated on the altar conversing and many others checking the inscriptions and verifying that the transcendent energy was sufficient.

Wang Xuan lay in wait at a distance for a long time before silently retreating.

Returning to his physical body, he quickly called Chen Yongjie, and they hastily left the area.

"What's going on? Could they really be planning something against you?" Chen Yongjie asked, clearly concerned.

"The supplies are fine. They're all set up on the altar, and from their conversation, I can tell they're genuine Immortal Nectar and Five-Colored Soil. The issue is, they're discussing how to protect me without hurting my pride. They're planning to secretly smear a drop of golden blood on me," Wang Xuan explained.

"Wait, that must be Zheng Yuan Tian's blood, right?" Chen Yongjie was visibly shocked.

Wang Xuan nodded in agreement. "That's my guess too. They're even planning to keep it a secret from Zheng Wu."

He frowned, adding, "Last time, I destroyed two drops of his golden blood with the Golden Tree and God-Slaying Banner. Could he have sensed something? It shouldn't be possible across the veil."

Wang Xuan's scalp tingled at the thought. "Is this old guy eyeing my body too?" he wondered. Zheng Wu practiced the 'Immortal Fetus' or 'Demon Fetus' techniques, and as an ultimate powerhouse, Zheng Yuan Tian was even more adept.

"Another ultimate powerhouse interested in my body?" Wang Xuan couldn't help but worry. Was Zheng Yuan Tian seeking a powerful avatar, or was he growing impatient and hoping to possess Wang Xuan's body, which housed a unique inner landscape, to facilitate his true self's transition?

"We can't pretend anymore; it's getting too dangerous. It's time to flee and focus on strengthening myself," Wang Xuan decided. Now that he had the Heavenly Medicine and almost all the scriptures he needed, he aimed to reach the pinnacle of strength allowed in the current world.

Chen Yongjie suggested, "It's about time. Let's head to the outskirts of Mu City. We must be decisive in our actions."

Wang Xuan agreed, noting, "The team this time is led by another uncle of Zheng Wu. Looks like I'll have to commit patricide."

Suddenly, Zhou Yun contacted him, which surprised Wang Xuan since they had just spoken. Zhou Yun urgently warned, "Don't use the large battleship Old Zhong gave you. The demons from the Yáo Zu faction are colluding with some conglomerates and have taken over some of their bases. If that battleship takes off, they'll blow up its power system and you with it. The information is reliable!"

Wang Xuan was shocked. They had just planned to use that battleship against the demons, unaware that the demons were waiting to counter-hunt them.

"These demons are adapting too quickly, even starting to control battleships now?" Chen Yongjie exclaimed, equally alarmed by the chaos and danger escalating on the New World.

"Where did you get this information?" Wang Xuan asked, suspecting his aid to the Qian family and the use of the battleship to exterminate demons had been discovered, prompting the demons' desire for revenge.

"Kong Yun told me. He probably wants to curry favor with you through me," Zhou Yun relayed.

"Please thank him for me," Wang Xuan said, ending the call.

......

Under the moonlight, outside Mu City, the terrain was rugged and uneven, a testament to the fierce battle that had once taken place here between Chen Yongjie, Sun family's mechanical beings, and other superhumans. The forests were largely destroyed.

Figures from the Zheng family approached from the horizon, their forms shrouded in blood-red shadows and wrapped around true bones. "I have a feeling that something's off with this nephew of mine. It's a pity, Zheng Wu was such a talent," a blood-red figure sighed.

"What?" The others were surprised.

"His stance is off. It doesn't match Wu's habits," Zheng Wu's fourth uncle explained with a sigh.

"We should leave quickly then, and not give him the celestial resources," someone suggested. They communicated telepathically, not worried about being overheard by Wang Xuan, who was lurking in the distance.

"There's no need to hurry," Zheng Wu's fourth uncle shook his head. "Our ancestor said to give him the resources regardless of who he is. It's like... fattening a pig. I suspect they'll slaughter him once he's 'fattened up.'"

Under the bright moon, a few night birds cooed as they flew away. The two parties were drawing closer.

Chen Yongjie, hidden in the shadows, was the first to strike. He blew into a snow-white conch shell, immediately dispersing several blood-red figures and exploding them into a mist of blood. This top-tier relic, obtained from the Qin family, was a conch left by Buddha. Chen Yongjie had refrained from using it at the Ling residence against the demons, fearing the Buddhist sect might claim it back.

Wang Xuan also made his move, brandishing the God-Slaying Banner. With a fierce sweep, he snatched six celestial bones from the exploding blood mist and held them in his hand. A fragment of a blessed land also fell to the ground, which was a storage item containing celestial resources, likely including a drop of golden blood from Zheng Yuan Tian. Wang Xuan hesitated to pick it up for the moment.

With a resounding gong, Chen Yongjie activated the Soul-Locking Bell, while Wang Xuan again swung the God-Slaying Banner, annihilating the remaining spiritual bodies.

The battle was swift and decisive, ending in the total annihilation of the six members from the Zheng family.

Moments later, Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie prepared the Golden Tree, God-Slaying Banner, Soul-Locking Bell, and other items. They quickly opened the fragment of the blessed land and swiftly extracted a crystal bottle sealed with a drop of golden liquid.

"Huh, it's completely silent, sealed off?" Wang Xuan mused. "It can be activated directly, it's a powerful weapon, but keeping it feels like I've buried a huge threat for myself."

After some thought, reluctant to take risks, he tossed the vial of golden liquid into a septic tank. Whether the golden liquid eventually diluted and dissipated naturally, or lost its supernatural properties as the environmental conditions worsened, it signaled a future with no threats.

"Perfect, let's divide the spoils!" Wang Xuan felt satisfied. He had obtained the celestial medicine, and now the celestial nectar and five-colored soil, among other celestial resources, had been delivered. What more could he ask for in life?

The only regret was his missed opportunity to launch a few energy cannons at the demons, who had nearly targeted him as their prey. He wondered which faction they had colluded with.

"No rush, we'll surely wipe out a bunch of demons before we leave," Chen Yongjie assured.

Wang Xuan pulled out the stone scripture. Surprisingly, it couldn't be opened by any means other than the Shakyamuni True Scripture. Once activated, the scripture glowed and revealed its contents. It wasn’t a scripture but a stone box containing half a lotus pod, emitting a faint light and fragrance.

"This is the Nine Tribulations Celestial Lotus!" Wang Xuan exclaimed, seeing five full and lustrous seeds inside the pod, each emitting a rich, indissoluble aura of life.

"Old Ling, come and pick us up," Chen Yongjie contacted Ling Qiming in outer space. They had obtained the lotus pod from the Ling family, so naturally, they planned to give one seed to them.

Soon after, they boarded a spaceship to outer space. Wang Xuan first checked the Ling family's spaceship to ensure no one was possessed, avoiding any hidden spiritual entities lurking among the fleet.

Thankfully, everything was normal, with no anomalies.

Handing a shimmering, nine-light-emitting celestial seed to Ling Qiming, Wang Xuan advised, "This is a seed of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Lotus. It's best kept in a container rich in super-material."

Chen Yongjie added, "I've moved everything I could from the Ling family's secret vault. After careful examination, an inner-scene treasure seemed most precious. Old Ling wanted to give it to me, but I think it's better for Ling Wei's cultivation. There's still a lot of mysterious essence in it."

The moment of farewell arrived. Ling Qiming looked at Wang Xuan, then at his quiet daughter, feeling a sourness in his heart, but ultimately, he left without saying much. Chen Yongjie followed him out.

"We might never see each other again," Ling Wei said in a pale tone, staring blankly at Wang Xuan. The Ling family might not return.

Then, silently, she began to cry. With this departure, she and Wang Xuan would never have the chance to meet again.

Wang Xuan, watching her, spoke softly, "Once you reach the other side of the stars, take care of yourself. Exercise, nourish your body, and continue your cultivation. In this new environment, everything starts anew. Take care."

Ling Wei's tears blurred her vision as they continuously slid down her cheeks, yet she made no sound of weeping.

Seeing this, Wang Xuan sighed lightly. Noticing the inner-scene treasure she was carrying, he gestured to attract it towards him. He took a piece of celestial bone from himself, used the Slaughter God Flag to slice it open, and injected a massive amount of mysterious essence into the treasure. He also channeled some of this essence into Ling Wei's body.

Finally, as the decaying inner-scene collapsed and vanished, the treasure was almost completely filled with the mysterious essence.

Ling Wei looked at him for a long time without moving, her face devoid of color, tears silently falling. Eventually, she slowly turned her slender body away, covering her mouth to stifle her sobs, and ran off.

On the way back, Chen Yongjie sighed and said nothing. He and Wang Xuan returned to the surface of New World, preparing to wrap things up before their own long journey.

"Professor Lin, have you considered leaving New World?" Wang Xuan asked him during a call.

Professor Lin declined, shaking his head. His family was here, and he didn't want to journey afar.

In the end, Qin Cheng and Guan Lin decided to return to the Old World with Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie. They were originally from that place.