The Stars Beyond

Chapter 309: A New Life In The Desolate Lands

Zhao Zejun spent most of his time in deep meditation, silent and still. His body, nurtured by the "Thirty Years" essence, not only recovered but became even more robust.

"Hmm?" Chen Yongjie was momentarily startled, realizing that it was almost time to close his Inner Landscape.

"Let's go, time to return," he suggested, gently guiding Zhao Zejun back to the real world.

"Is this what becoming an immortal feels like?" Zhao Zejun murmured in a daze. He felt as though he had spent years in that extraordinary realm, yet only a quarter of an hour had passed in reality. His physical health had improved remarkably, leaving him astounded.

Meanwhile, Wang Xuan was preparing for his breakthrough, seeking that true, elusive place. He sensed that this journey might take him far, far away. To find the source, it wouldn't be easy.

He sat down, cross-legged, everything ready for the critical moment.

Chen Yongjie opened his mouth, unsure. He felt it was a risky move. For an ordinary person, such an endeavor might be a trial, but for Wang Xuan, it was akin to changing the very fabric of reality.

"Taking such a path is perilous. If you stray, it could lead to irreversible consequences," he cautioned gravely.

"I'll be cautious and retreat if something feels amiss. I won't blindly dive into an abyss," Wang Xuan assured, his form and spirit united, his vital essence surging like smoke from his body.

"Be careful," Zhao Zejun advised, not fully grasping the complexity of Wang Xuan's cultivation level.

Wang Xuan nodded, took a deep breath, and began. His blood roared like the sea, his spirit shone like the sun, merging into a perfect unity. He swiftly broke through, stepping into a whole new realm.

His body was enveloped in a misty aura, with dazzling light streaming from his innermost being. He was breaking through, leaving the realm of herbal cultivation behind, stepping into uncharted territory.

His spirit, rooted in the Field of Life, now embarked on a crucial mission.

"Following the mist rising from the Field of Life could lead me into the world beyond the great curtain. But my spiritual eye sees something at the very depths of the Field of Life," Wang Xuan contemplated.

Determined, he set his course towards the origin of the Field of Life.

"Born from nothingness, created from the ethereal," Wang Xuan mused as he embarked on a journey into the unknown depths of his Field of Life. His sole companion on this voyage was the God-Slaying Banner, which he had integrated into his spirit. As he plunged deeper, it felt like he was nearing the core of the earth or piercing through a continent, even a planet.

The Field of Life, an intangible realm, defied conventional understanding. It was called 'soil,' yet it was not physical matter. Wang Xuan's spirit, like a streak of light, surged forward at an astonishing speed, traversing distances immeasurable in mere moments.

Despite his relentless efforts, he remained within the bounds of the Field of Life. The expansive nature of this domain bewildered him. Based on past experiences, such a duration would have allowed him multiple crossings through the great curtain into the world beyond. Yet, here he was, still enveloped within the 'soil layers' of his own Field of Life, seeking its elusive source.

Exhaustion eventually set in. His reserves of supermatter nearly depleted, his spirit wearied, yet he found himself still amidst the dense Field of Life. The boundless nature of his domain perplexed him – was it truly limitless, akin to an endless universe?

In this first phase of his exploratory journey, he nearly drained himself entirely without leaving his starting point. The situation was paradoxical.

Thankfully, the Field of Life, being the cradle of all laws and myths, replenished his supermatter, allowing him to restore his spirit.

After a substantial rest, Wang Xuan, undeterred, resumed his quest. Days passed – one, two, three... by the fifth day, frustration and fatigue threatened to overwhelm him. Still, he found himself within the vast expanse of his Field of Life.

"My Field of Life is unique, or are they all like this?" Wang Xuan pondered, standing amidst the swirling mists and experiencing the strange essence of this 'soil.'

After a sufficient period of rest, he resumed his journey, now harnessing the near-fully refined God-Slaying Banner. The unity of his spirit with the golden flag accelerated his pace immensely. Visions of different times and places appeared before him, a testament to the terrifying speed he had achieved.

Yet, even at this pace, he couldn't escape the confines of his Field of Life. He felt like he might explode on the spot from frustration.

"Continue the journey!" he resolved.

Thus, he persisted, his spirit propelling the God-Slaying Banner like lightning, pausing only when exhaustion demanded, replenishing what was necessary to push onward.

Wang Xuan, after journeying for a month within his Field of Life, found his complexion entirely altered. The unfathomable depth of his Field of Life had rendered his initial theories and assumptions seemingly futile. Even with the God-Slaying Banner augmenting his speed tenfold, he was still ensnared within this domain. Without it, his spirit alone would likely take a year to traverse the same distance.

This was beyond comprehension. He mused that even traversing all the realms behind the great curtain wouldn't take this long. "Is this place teaching me a lesson?" he wondered, perplexed at the impossibility of his predicament.

He thought about his physical body back in the real world, hopefully well-attended by Chen Yongjie and Zhao Zejun, perhaps resting in a nutrient chamber.

The idea of returning to explain to Chen Yongjie that, despite a month's effort, he hadn’t left his Field of Life at all, was unbearable. The mental image of Chen Yongjie's mocking grin made him cringe.

Resolute, Wang Xuan pressed on silently. The God-Slaying Banner blazed a trail of golden radiance through the fog as he pushed past his limits once more.

Months turned into half a year, and Wang Xuan's sanity teetered on the edge. The days seemed endless, leading him to question the very path he had chosen. Yet, his Spiritual Eye confirmed the integrity of his journey; his direction was sound. It was just that the Field of Life was... incredibly vast.

In his current speed, he reckoned he could travel from one planet to another in the cold expanse of space. The sheer scale of his Field of Life defied all logic and understanding, leaving him to grapple with the inexplicable nature of this realm.

After a year of unwavering pursuit through the enigmatic depths of his Field of Life, Wang Xuan paused, gazing into the dense fog and the peculiar 'soil' that defied all logic. He contemplated the true nature of this realm, feeling a mix of frustration and disbelief. With the God-Slaying Banner, his journey had been accelerated tenfold, yet it still took him a year to reach this point. The thought alone was dizzying.

Wang Xuan mused over the potential reactions of those outside this realm. Would Chen Yongjie think him lost, his spirit dissipated, leaving his body a mere shell? What changes had occurred in the world during his absence? Had Zhao Qinghuan returned? And had Chen Yongjie taken his physical body back to the Old Earth?

Reluctantly, he decided to give himself one more year. If he still couldn't break free from the Field of Life, he would admit defeat. Resuming his journey, the God-Slaying Banner blazed a trail of brilliant light. Along the way, he glimpsed ancient myths and legends, traversing scenes that seemed straight out of folklore.

Three months later, to his astonishment and relief, he felt a sudden lightness. With a whoosh, he finally broke free from the confines of the Field of Life. Over fifteen months of relentless travel had nearly driven him to the brink of madness, but he had finally succeeded.

However, what lay ahead was an overwhelming silence, a void of complete darkness that threatened to engulf any who ventured near. It was an unsettling stillness, devoid of any light, as if the mere approach would lead to total oblivion.

Standing at the edge of the Field of Life, Wang Xuan contemplated the unknown that lay ahead. He wondered if the source he sought was hidden in the deepest reaches of this darkness. After a long rest to replenish his strength, he cautiously stepped forward into the abyss, holding the God-Slaying Banner.

As he ventured further, he noticed that the consumption of mystical factors had significantly slowed down. His pace quickened, propelled by the drifting mist that seemed to originate from the darkness ahead. He was careful not to wield the God-Slaying Banner recklessly, knowing its importance for both defense and a potential retreat.

Days into his journey, Wang Xuan encountered something astonishing—a vast expanse of red clouds that engulfed the surrounding darkness in a silent, radiant display. Curious, he extended a sliver of his spiritual energy towards it, only to recoil in horror as it was instantly incinerated.

The red mists advanced rapidly, threatening to engulf him. Reacting quickly, he wrapped himself in the God-Slaying Banner for protection. The banner quivered violently as the red mist passed over, but thankfully, he remained unscathed. The red clouds soon vanished as mysteriously as they had appeared, leaving Wang Xuan to ponder their origin and nature.

He stood still for a moment, his expression grave. This strange realm beyond the Field of Life was treacherous, a place where one's spirit could be easily annihilated. Wang Xuan felt fortunate to have brought the God-Slaying Banner; without it, he might have perished in that encounter.

With no signs of fatigue, thanks to the minimal consumption of mystical factors, Wang Xuan pressed on. The realm seemed untouched by the decay of myths, yet it lacked any mystical substance or extraordinary rules.

The mist continued to flow towards him, the elusive destination still seemingly out of reach, its distance unfathomable. For three months, Wang Xuan traversed the vastness of this void, once again merging with the God-Slaying Banner to cross the immense expanse of nothingness.

During his journey, Wang Xuan encountered the red mist several times, a pervasive force that filled the darkness and left no avenue for escape. He grew increasingly concerned, realizing that without a supreme artifact for protection, venturing into such realms would be impossible.

Three months after leaving the Field of Life, Wang Xuan noticed an anomaly deep within the darkness. The mist grew denser, and he saw flashes of silver light.

"Is that my target? A real, tangible place?"

He had finally arrived. In front of him was a pool, eerily suspended in the void, its silver waters illuminating the surrounding darkness. Life seemed to emanate from the pool, a stark contrast to the lifelessness that had surrounded him.

The sight of a pool floating in the seemingly infinite darkness, filled with silver liquid, was beyond unusual. Wang Xuan approached cautiously, extending his spiritual sense towards the pool. To his astonishment, the silver liquid nourished and rejuvenated his spirit.

Delving deeper into the pool, Wang Xuan was immersed in the silver liquid. It felt like an ascension; droplets of light danced around him. His spirit underwent a transformation, shedding a layer of spiritual confinement and emerging stronger and more condensed, now with a silvery sheen.

Meanwhile, Chen Yongjie was taken aback as he noticed Wang Xuan's physical body trembling and emitting silver light. The flesh was strengthening, becoming more vigorous and undergoing rapid transformations.

"A rebirth of the spiritual body?" Wang Xuan pondered, immersed in the silver pool. The gentle liquid continued to purify his spirit, but he sensed that this was not the ultimate realm of reality he sought.