The Stars Beyond

Chapter 308: A Great Change

Three divine medicines existed simultaneously in Wang Xuan's command, each with its own unique origin, floating amidst a mysterious "medicinal mist" in his Field of Life. Wang Xuan's heart grew calm, unswayed by the excitement that such treasures might normally evoke. In this era, even possessing three celestial medicines wasn't a sure defense against the corrections of the present world.

"It is best to maintain equanimity," he reminded himself. "I must not let this disturb my inner peace."

A streak of silver light swept through, reminiscent of the creation of heaven and earth, scattering the mist in the Field of Life and illuminating it. From there, it spread outward, bathing his entire being in a purifying glow.

"The celestial medicine harvested by Zheng Yuantian is truly remarkable," Wang Xuan marveled.

He witnessed the life and death cycle of this medicine in the highest spiritual realm. Its birth depleted all else, while its demise rejuvenated everything. When it sprouted, it seemed to cleave open heaven and earth, nourished by a rain of light from beyond the spiritual realm's firmament.

As it grew, sending out its first tender shoot, a silver ripple emanated, bringing a hush to the surrounding area as all other life seemed to wither away. Its growth expanded the spiritual realm, unfolding the most primal essence.

Eventually, after eons, it wilted rapidly under a mighty thunderbolt from beyond the highest spiritual realm. Upon its demise, the land and mountains revived, bursting with spiritual herbs and vibrant life.

Undoubtedly, the influence of this silver celestial medicine in its native spiritual realm was immense.

Now, it had been reborn in Wang Xuan's Field of Life. As its young shoot emerged, bathed in a gentle silver glow, he opened his spiritual eye, witnessing the cycles of creation and destruction.

After a long while, the silver sprout stabilized. The celestial medicine thrived, exuding an aura of primal beginnings, infusing the Field of Life, the origin of all laws.

Each celestial medicine emitted an invaluable medicinal aura, steeped in this primal essence. Having successfully harvested it, Wang Xuan found himself radiant, from his physical form to his spirit.

"Zheng Wu, thank you for gifting me this celestial medicine!" Wang Xuan expressed his gratitude, recognizing the transformative power of this incredible gift.

In a blurred vision, Wang Xuan glimpsed through the celestial medicine at Zheng Yuantian, the supreme being. A figure clad in black armor, standing apart from the world, casting a glance in his direction. "Now under new ownership, it belongs to me!" declared Wang Xuan. With the collection of the first wisp of medicinal aura, the dim past and all its hazy memories faded, ground away in the primal field of all laws.

Wang Xuan then turned his attention to the seed of the Nine Tribulations Celestial Lotus. Nourished by the divine nectar and two pieces of medicinal earth, and infused with his spiritual will, it too began to sprout. This medicine was terrifying in its own right, taking root in the spiritual sea of the highest realm, amidst colossal beings swimming around, surviving through nine tribulations.

When it withered, it left behind seeds bearing scenes of immense disasters and unstoppable natural calamities. The rebirth of the seed was also tinged with the power of calamity.

As the seed sprouted, revealing a tender green vitality, breaking through the soil, the echoes of great catastrophes from its distant past resonated faintly behind it.

With the harvesting of the first wisp of the green shoot's medicinal aura, Wang Xuan faintly saw an old monk looking his way from afar. Then, he glimpsed a woman in white and another in red, both distant and indistinct, gazing towards him.

"These seeds are connected to Shakyamuni, and the two medicinal earths to a female alchemist and a female demon respectively. But now, all that becomes history," he mused.

The shadows grew dim and dissipated, ultimately fading into nothingness.

The celestial medicine beneath the Elixir Furnace was a surprise to him. Initially, he thought it was just a box or remnant carrying a treasure. Now, it had come back to life. The Elixir Furnace, known for enhancing the quality of all medicines, including celestial ones, and stimulating vitality, had revitalized the withered plant base, a root-like structure. Close to the furnace and buried under the Field of Life, it sprouted a plump shoot, glowing purple, bringing tranquility to the area.

This medicine was enigmatic, nestled next to the Elixir Furnace, revealing no past vistas. Wang Xuan saw none of its history.

His harvesting of the medicines was now complete.

Chen Yongjie's face showed surprise as he observed Wang Xuan. He saw light emerging from the deepest parts of Wang Xuan's being, cleansing and illuminating his spirit three times in succession. "What's happening?" he wondered.

Finally, Wang Xuan reached a state of spiritual and physical completion, unable to suppress the urge to break into a higher realm. Just one piece of the medicinal earth was enough to support his breakthrough. Chen Yongjie remembered how, after using a piece himself, he quickly reached the late stage of herb gathering.

To avoid advancing to the next stage, Chen Yongjie had to constantly find ways to suppress his own growth, which was a headache.

"How have you decided to proceed? You're about to break through, right? Have you chosen your path?" Chen Yongjie asked.

Wang Xuan nodded. He had his direction, albeit with various uncertainties and potential dangers. "What was your choice?" he asked Chen Yongjie. At the herb-gathering stage, there were various paths to take: some chose to accumulate Qi, others sought radiation, and some built a spiritual core. Each life-bearing planet in the universe had its unique path.

After the stages of Mist, Lamp Lighting, Field of Life, and Herb Gathering, the fifth realm marked a divergence of paths, with each system taking a distinctly different approach.

"I am condensing a Golden Elixir using Buddhist light. I plan to practice both Buddhism and Taoism, but I can't venture too deep into Buddhist territory. I fear I might actually end up becoming a monk!" Chen Yongjie explained.

"Aren't Taoist priests essentially monks too?" Wang Xuan pointed out.

"It's different. Some Taoist sects allow marriage and children," Chen Yongjie clarified. He was determined to refine the Golden Elixir using Buddhist light, forging his own unique path.

"Are you sure you won't end up with relics instead of elixirs?" Wang Xuan asked skeptically.

"No way. I've retrained in the supreme scriptures of the Taoist ancestral court, integrating Buddhist light into my Golden Elixir path!" Chen Yongjie seemed confident in his decision.

"Moreover, I plan to cultivate nine Golden Elixirs, each housing a Nascent Soul. It's unprecedented!" he shared his ambitious plan.

"So, not only do you want children, but a whole brood of them?" Wang Xuan looked at him, visibly impressed and slightly amused by his friend's audacious goals.

Chen Yongjie gave Wang Xuan a disgruntled look. "How can you say that? It's about forming Nascent Souls. You make it sound so unspiritual!" he complained.

Wang Xuan reminded him, "The supernatural world is collapsing. There won't be anyone forming Nascent Souls in the future. Even the legendary immortals are regressing."

"It's pointless to dream of forming nine Golden Elixirs now. Even one is difficult to achieve in the current world. To succeed, you need to break through the ceiling and enter the realm of 'free wandering'."

Sighing, Chen Yongjie said, "If one doesn't set grand ideals and goals, the path becomes even harder to tread, lacking motivation."

However, Chen Yongjie's spirits lifted as he felt his body teeming with vibrant Qi. In this era, his gathering of Qi was extraordinary, surpassing others – a true gift of ancient legendary sages.

So, his conviction remained strong, full of drive to continue on his chosen path.

He then inquired, "I saw three beams of light cleanse you from form to spirit in your Field of Life. Your physical body was rumbling. What's going on?"

Wang Xuan succinctly explained his situation, leaving Chen Yongjie speechless with amazement. "Three celestial herbs? Unheard of! I've scoured ancient texts and never came across such a thing. Is there no justice in heaven?"

Both had combed through various secret scriptures and texts, encountering numerous secret tales, but never anything like Wang Xuan's experience.

"Therefore, Little Chen, stay humble, and don't always proclaim yourself a sage," Wang Xuan joked.

Chen Yongjie glared at him, thinking, "Who's getting carried away here, calling me 'Little Chen' now?"

"But look, your physical body looks younger," Wang Xuan pointed out. Indeed, the nourishment from the "Thirty Years" mysterious substance had rejuvenated Chen Yongjie, making him look like a man in his twenties.

Opening his Field of Life and then breaking through, choosing his path, were significant moments in his life, thus extending his lifespan and making him appear more youthful.

After a moment of daze, Chen Yongjie regained his composure and scrutinized Wang Xuan again. "Your Qi must be so dense it's like smoke billowing into the sky, right?" he asked, suspecting that Wang Xuan's unified form and spirit would bring about remarkable phenomena.

Chen Yongjie's expression turned serious as he contemplated Wang Xuan's situation. "A single celestial herb brings a strand of primordial essence. With three, your case aligns remarkably with the ancient scriptures' highest mysteries. From one comes the beginning, from three, everything springs forth..."

Wang Xuan shook his head, "I'm not treading the path of the ancients. The immortals have proven that in the end, all returns to dust. When the great curtain falls, even the mighty become mere mortals."

Chen Yongjie suggested, "With such vigorous vitality, why not try my method? You might quickly refine a supreme Golden Elixir. It seems suited for you."

However, Wang Xuan declined, "The paths laid by the immortals have been traversed. Even with minor adjustments or integration, I believe it's difficult to find a way out."

He ventured to share his bold idea. "The Field of Life is a peculiar place, not found in physical flesh and blood. It seems to emerge from the void, born in the ethereal, drawing in ultra-matter to give birth to myths."

Chen Yongjie, taken aback, then nodded, "Indeed, it's not in flesh and blood, or else celestial herbs couldn't be grown there."

"But as myths decay and supernatural traces are to be erased, it implies our Fields of Life might gradually vanish within a year."

Chen Yongjie grew solemn, "Is it that pessimistic?"

Wang Xuan affirmed, "Yes. In the end, maybe only a few will retain their Fields of Life, preserving some supernatural power."

The common belief in current systems holds that the Field of Life is the origin of all laws, the nurturing ground for the supernatural, the birthplace of myths. If the world indeed corrects itself, this place must decay!

Wang Xuan believed that perhaps only a handful of those holding ultimate treasures might withstand the decay, but even they would be merely clinging to survival.

Chen Yongjie inquired, "What's your plan?"

"Is a place like the Field of Life truly unique? I plan to search further. It's ephemeral, born from nothingness. Is there another place, more tangible, existing independently?" Wang Xuan pondered aloud.

Chen Yongjie was momentarily lost in thought, realizing Wang Xuan's intent to diverge from the entire system based on the Field of Life. It meant abandoning everything known.

"We need a complete transformation. The existing ways just don't work anymore," Wang Xuan stated firmly.

Chen Yongjie's expression grew serious. "While your ideas are ambitious, they seem unrealistic. It's too difficult. Where would you even begin to look? Such a place might not even exist."

"But if the great curtain can have multiple sections, and the realms of immortals are more than one, why can't there be more than one Field of Life? Born from nothingness, in a place of fleetingness, why must there be only one?" Wang Xuan argued.

He added, "Moreover, what I'm seeking might not be a second Field of Life, but a truly tangible, extraordinary place."

"I'm skeptical. I doubt another exists," Chen Yongjie expressed his disagreement.

Wang Xuan continued, "If flesh corresponds to spirit, day to night, yin to yang, might the Field of Life, born from nothingness, also have a counterpart? Something more real? That's what I aim to find."

"Are you serious? What if it doesn't exist?" Chen Yongjie cautioned him, highlighting the risks of such an endeavor.

"I'm prepared to try. If I break through, I'll charge towards that ethereal realm, using my spiritual eye to explore the origin of the Field of Life!" Wang Xuan resolved.