The Stars Beyond

Chapter 324: Acting At The Right Time

After regaining consciousness, Wang Xuan naturally pinched what felt like a real, fleshy little face in his hand. The soft and bouncy cheek, full of baby-fat, surprised him with its tangible reality.

The miniaturized sword fairy, completely absorbed in inhaling the last of the silver mist, was caught off guard by Wang Xuan's unexpected gesture. She opened her eyes wide in astonishment, staring at him in disbelief.

Wang Xuan genuinely appreciated the pleasant feel of the soft, collagen-rich cheek in his hand. So, he couldn't help but tug gently at the surprised little face, savoring the smooth elasticity.

The miniature sword fairy felt an urge to retaliate.

Reacting swiftly, Wang Xuan's left hand had already reached out naturally, mirroring his right. He gently tugged at both cheeks, finding the sword fairy's wide-eyed, indignant expression quite endearing and amusing.

Regaining his senses, Wang Xuan realized his blunder. He had just returned from two years in the Void and hadn't fully adjusted yet. In his absent-mindedness, he had treated the renowned female sword fairy like a little girl. This was no ordinary child; she was a formidable figure, capable of soaring sword energies and challenging the likes of the red-dressed demon fairy.

"Are you alright, fairy?" Wang Xuan quickly tried to think of ways to remedy the situation. He certainly didn't mean any disrespect. His lapse was merely a result of his disorientation after returning to his physical body.

But would the sword fairy believe him? He was not sure.

"Let's go!" On the ground, Chen Yongjie sensed something amiss and quickly ushered Qingmu and Guan Lin away. He knew better than to get caught in the crossfire of a potential sword fairy's wrath. Why should they bear the brunt of Wang Xuan's thoughtlessness?

"I just saw Wang Xuan touching the sword fairy's face," Qingmu commented as they made their hasty retreat.

Wang Xuan internally cursed Qingmu's timing. It was too late now; the damage was done, and they were already far away. Wang Xuan could only hope to somehow explain himself to the sword fairy, hoping she would understand it was just a misunderstanding.

......

Outside the mountain, the spacecraft set off towards An City. The distance of eight hundred li was quickly covered. At this time, Qingmu was in excellent spirits, having officially become a grandmaster. This achievement was partly due to Chen Yongjie using two genuine bones in the Inner Landscape to baptize him with mystical factors, allowing him to cultivate for "many years."

Qingmu felt thrilled. After all, if even "Useless Qin Cheng" had stepped into this realm and he couldn’t, it would be an embarrassment to continue on the path of ancient arts.

Meanwhile, Guan Lin, with a higher cultivation level, was busy communicating with various organizations and departments, discussing and exchanging views.

She informed Chen Yongjie that the Transcendent beings who had fallen from their high levels had talked with many people recently and would likely seek him out too.

“Let’s observe and react accordingly. If they aren't too excessive, I’ll tolerate them. But if they push us too far, then we’ll have to set some rules,” said Chen Yongjie, his expression turning slightly cold. He surmised that most of these powerful beings must have fallen from their high levels. Once they drop from the Transcendent realm, everything changes.

At this moment, Chen Yongjie had significantly improved in strength. The previous medicinal soil, heavenly herbs, and immortal nectar continued to propel his breakthroughs. He hadn’t exhausted these powerful resources yet.

After conducting various life-threatening experiments and spending years in the Inner Landscape, Chen Yongjie was nearing the sixth level. With the Soul-Locking Bell and Shakyamuni's conch in his hands, he wasn't intimidated by those who had fallen from their lofty realms.

However, he sighed, probably guessing that Wang Xuan had made another substantial breakthrough, surpassing him by a whole realm. “The fifth level is named 'Setting Path,' but what is the name of the sixth level?”

At Qingmu's estate outside An City, which also served as their organization's branch, two individuals were already waiting for them.

Seeing them, Chen Yongjie felt displeased. These were the same people who had calmly and dominantly looked down upon him in his study. Were they here again?

The two individuals waiting for Chen Yongjie and his group had noticeably pale faces. Not long ago, they had coughed up blood incessantly, as if their foundations were shattered, causing them to fall from the Transcendent realm.

“We're here to discuss cooperation again. This time there's a significant project that promises mutual benefits,” said a middle-aged man with gray hair, his voice lacking strength. He appeared dispirited and somewhat weak, indicating the severity of his fall from the higher realm.

Chen Yongjie inquired, “What kind of cooperation?”

The gray-haired man explained in a low voice, “Deep in the earth's core, there's a palace, but its seals remain formidable to this day. We need your help to blast it open.”

Chen Yongjie’s heart skipped a beat. A palace near the earth's core? The seals there must be incredibly strong, otherwise, these people wouldn't need powerful weapons to break them. But could they just recklessly explode such a location? Tampering with the earth's geological structure could potentially disintegrate the entire Old World!

Guan Lin also frowned deeply. What were these people searching for? Not long ago, a jade stone house with decaying bodies inside had been excavated from deep within the earth's layers. Some of those decayed individuals had lived for over five hundred years, and some even over eight hundred years before dying, and their deaths were not due to natural aging.

“The decayed ones chose to stay in the mortal world despite being capable of ascension. They didn't enter the Great Curtain and eventually succumbed to diseases, leading to their tragic deaths,” the other man with purple hair added.

The gray-haired man continued, “But we suspect that in the grand underground palace at the earth's core, there might still be living beings, considering that extremely powerful individuals had chosen to stay behind.”

This revelation was astonishing. Could it be that mythological beings with physical bodies had been residing in the mortal world all this time? The news stirred Chen Yongjie, Guan Lin, and Qingmu.

The two men explained that the underground palace, although referred to as being at the earth's core, was actually submerged in magma and not located at the planet's core.

Guan Lin suggested, “You two could try to pull the palace out, and we can assist from the outside.” She firmly opposed any direct action deep underground, fearing uncontrollable explosions.

The purple-haired man shook his head, explaining that the palace was heavier than even the largest mountains and bound by numerous prohibitions, making it impossible to extract, even for Earth Immortals.

Chen Yongjie was inclined to dismiss them, skeptical of the feasibility of extracting a palace that not even Earth Immortals could move. It sounded like a recipe for disaster.

The gray-haired man, attempting to tempt them, mentioned that there might be celestial herbs in the palace, possibly even one or two plants, offering to share two petals of the herb if they succeeded.

Even Qingmu, who wasn't well-versed in matters beyond the Great Curtain, sensed something amiss about the proposition. A palace containing celestial herbs suggested a location of immense significance and danger.

Chen Yongjie flatly refused the proposal, sensing either unimaginable terror or the presence of a formidable being lurking within the palace. He wanted to avoid conflict with these individuals, despite their insistence.

The conversation shifted to a second proposal involving Wang Xuan. The men expressed a desire to meet him, suggesting that Wang's secrets about his unique Inner Landscape were becoming increasingly public. Chen Yongjie felt a growing concern about Wang Xuan's safety, knowing his comrade was always a target of great interest to others.

"I have no idea where he is; he's gone into seclusion," Chen Yongjie responded, regarding the whereabouts of Wang Xuan.

The purple-haired middle-aged man smiled and said, "Don't worry, our supreme leader doesn't need his guidance, as we have already acquired the Feathered Ascension Banner. We've heard that he possesses the God-Slaying Banner and want to see if we could borrow it to break into the underground palace."

Chen Yongjie shook his head, reiterating his lack of knowledge about Wang Xuan's current location.

The purple-haired man stood up and approached Chen Yongjie, looking down at him with a dismissive attitude, just like their previous encounter. "You seem to be quite obstinate," he remarked.

Qingmu couldn't stand seeing his master being belittled and spoke out against their conduct.

Ignoring Qingmu, the purple-haired man continued, "Do you have any other potential areas for cooperation?" Guan Lin interjected, trying to ease the tension.

"We have no other proposals at the moment," replied the gray-haired man, his tone turning colder. He then suggested they could easily find Wang Xuan by visiting his parents in Pingcheng, hinting at the possibility of involving Wang Xuan's ordinary human parents to get his attention.

Chen Yongjie sternly warned against involving Wang Xuan's family, stating that they were ordinary people and should not be entangled in such matters.

The gray-haired man calmly suggested it would be better for everyone if Wang Xuan would just agree to meet with them privately. He mentioned the benefits of early contact with them, as they were backed by a supreme figure wielding a powerful treasure.

The purple-haired man, still standing before Chen Yongjie, coldly advised him to think of his own safety and that of his wife, implying threats against Guan Lin. "In these chaotic times, one should adapt and not oppose the prevailing trends," he said, emphasizing the dangers for ordinary people.

Qingmu angrily retorted, "You're being far too aggressive!"

The two men remained indifferent to Qingmu, clearly not considering him a significant threat. Chen Yongjie then softened his tone and suggested to Qingmu and Guan Lin to leave the room so he could talk privately with the two visitors.

Guan Lin, concerned, hesitated but eventually complied with Chen Yongjie's assurance that the two guests wouldn't trouble him. Once they left, the atmosphere in the room changed slightly.

With a faint smile, the purple-haired man commented on how good it was to have a private conversation. Chen Yongjie, however, confronted them directly, asking if they would target his family or Wang Xuan's parents if their demands weren't met.

The gray-haired man denied such intentions, claiming they only wanted to communicate with their families. In contrast, the purple-haired man was more straightforward, admitting that if negotiations failed, they might have to resort to more extreme measures.

Chen Yongjie accused them of being too coercive. The purple-haired man maintained his calm demeanor, emphasizing the importance of adapting to the situation and aligning with the prevailing trends.

Suddenly, the conversation took an unexpected turn. The purple-haired man's face contorted in pain as he was abruptly slapped across the face by Chen Yongjie. The force of the slap was so strong that it shattered his facial flesh and knocked out three of his teeth.

Chen Yongjie's action was as swift as lightning, fierce and violent, his sudden outburst catching both men completely off guard, their hearts pounding with shock and no prior indication of his move. Simultaneously, as Chen struck out with a slap, a burst of crimson brilliance filled the room, resembling a great sun in the sky. This was the power of a cassock, the third most potent treasure in Chen's possession, left behind by a Bodhisattva. Its formidable power transformed the room into a small red cosmos, trapping both men inside.

Reacting with astonishing speed, especially the purple-haired man who had just been slapped, was seething with murderous intent. The audacity of a mere mortal from the mundane realm daring to insult him! "Die!" he roared. A maelstrom of transcendent substances erupted, as he unleashed a barrage of his deadliest techniques, a dazzling interplay of light and darkness, all aimed at Chen Yongjie.

Regardless of the myriad spells unleashed, Chen Yongjie had only one response. He activated the Lock Soul Bell, which he had refined. Instantly enlarging, it rang out with a resonant clang, engulfing the purple-haired man and all his sophisticated arts.

Inside the bell, muffled groans and screams could be heard, testament to the bell's devastating effect. The grey-haired man, too, had made his move, but he was met with a snow-white conch shell, another fearsome relic left behind by Buddha Sakyamuni. Blowing into the conch, Chen released heavy Swastika symbols, each heavy as a mountain. They pummeled the grey-haired man relentlessly, causing him to cough up blood.

Both men, having just suffered a demotion to the early stages of the ninth rank, were severely weakened. Now facing Chen Yongjie, who had just made a breakthrough and was burning with both rage and a desire for vengeance, they were no match for his ferocity.

"I've tolerated you for a long time, daring to threaten my family. Since a confrontation is inevitable, I'll end you right here!" Chen Yongjie's spirit resonated with overwhelming killing intent.

Outside, Qingmu, recognizing the gravity of the situation, shouted, "Master is taking action!" Knowing Chen Yongjie well, he and Guan Lin had anticipated such a confrontation.

Swiftly, Qingmu rushed in, armed and ready for battle. Meanwhile, Guan Lin had already maneuvered a small warship to take flight, locking onto their location in a well-coordinated effort.

However, their concerns were unfounded. The battle inside the room had already concluded. Chen Yongjie, with a couple of swift moves, had decapitated both men using the Great Black Sword and obliterated their souls with the Lock Soul Bell. Calmly, he stepped outside, holding the severed heads.

With a composed demeanor, Chen Yongjie ordered, "Clean up the scene and erase any traces. Just say those two left on their own. We'll keep this under wraps for now; time is on our side."