The Stars Beyond

Chapter 331: The First Covenant

In the midst of the golden ocean within the feather-transforming bamboo boat, under the illumination of a divine moon and shrouded in a light mist, the red-dressed female demon immortal stood with her unique charm, powerful and stunning, looking down upon the immortals. Each time she appeared, it was as if veiled in mist and rain, adding a special aura around her. The rain draped between the divine moon and the golden sea, making her even more captivating, blending human beauty with a hint of the wildness of the demon race.

Wang Xuan found himself staring at her, truly reflecting on his situation.

"At the end of the day, it's because I'm not strong enough," he solemnly contemplated.

He looked towards Heng Jun, Demon Ancestor Qi Yi, Zheng Yuantian, and the Ancestor of Celestials Qi Teng. If he had been supremely powerful, he could have just defeated them all; there would be no enemies to speak of.

Fang Yuzhu didn't turn around, but she could sense some of Wang Xuan's thoughts behind her. Everything stemmed from her own strength, whereas his mind seemed a bit scattered at the moment. She felt like giving him a sideways glance.

"O Demon Lord, it's been a while. I wish you early unification of the demon race. You and Immortal Fang truly resemble the bright moon shining over the divine lake, standing side by side, illuminating the realm of immortals," Zhang Daoling spoke up first, apparently knowing everyone.

The Demon Ancestor Qi Yi didn't appreciate it. Someone else unifying the demon race would undermine his position as the Demon Ancestor. He looked displeasedly at Zhang Daoling.

Zhang Daoling pretended not to notice, maintaining his warm smile. Indeed, with his scholarly and handsome appearance, it was hard for anyone to dislike him under normal circumstances.

However, the red-dressed female demon immortal, upon hearing his compliment, was not flattered and said, "Long time no see? Didn't you last use that broken mirror to reflect on me over and over?"

"Ah ha, a misunderstanding. Who would have thought you'd appear so unexpectedly? You ask Old Zheng, or Old Demon Qi, if they knew you were nearby, would they dare not be on alert?" Zhang Daoling laughed it off.

The red-dressed female demon immortal greeted Fang Yuzhu, her gaze inadvertently drifting towards the Banner of God Slaying on the bamboo boat, and then towards the person standing behind her.

Wang Xuan stood behind Fang Yuzhu, quietly observing. The figures within the divine moon might speculate, but they couldn't see his true form.

Then, upon the golden ocean of the bamboo boat, Buddhist light shone brightly as a great sun rose, enveloping a man in astonishing sacred aura, as if ready to transcend all demons and immortals.

In fact, the so-called great sun was composed of numerous divine rings, forming a protective Buddha light around the man, who sat in a dignified Buddhist pose.

At this moment, the overwhelming demonic aura of the Demon Ancestor was violently disturbed, and Zheng Yuantian was also frowning.

Another supremely powerful figure had arrived, and without anyone saying, Wang Xuan knew who he was.

Within the Buddha light, the dignified figure nodded to Fang Yuzhu, greeting her.

"Haha, Ascetic Monk, your cultivation has advanced again!" Zhang Daoling said with a laugh.

"Shakyamuni Buddha, indeed, it has been a long time," Heng Jun looked forward.

"Better call me Ascetic Monk," the man in the rich Buddha light spoke, each word and action pulsing with terrifying force of laws.

Wang Xuan was surprised, like Zhang Daoling, he too changed his title?

Was this an avoidance of something?

Wang Xuan silently observed, having taken half of the lotus pod from him, wondering if the Ascetic Monk was aware of it.

Mists swirled, divine radiance broke through the heavens, and a woman with a crystal-clear red mole on her forehead arrived, seated high above the ninth heaven. Despite her celestial charm, her presence was formidable; she was the Chaotic Immortal.

She had a good relationship with Fang Yuzhu, and her beautiful yet aloof face showed a hint of curiosity as she looked behind Fang Yuzhu, then smiled and nodded, whispering something unknown.

Zhang Daoling... spoke up again, there was no one he didn't know.

"What was the vow made by Immortal Ling in those days? I've forgotten."

Wang Xuan was amazed, it seemed many had made vows in the past, involving very high stakes.

He vaguely guessed that the conditions for establishing the so-called new covenant likely required the continuation of the supernatural and the re-establishment of myths, leading these beings out of the terrifying era of decay and demise!

Otherwise, why would those supremely powerful beings make such vows?

Wang Xuan felt his scalp tingle as historical mythological figures made their appearances one after another, with everyone invited by Fang Yuzhu and Zhang Daoling having significant backgrounds.

What left Wang Xuan speechless was Zhang Daoling's eloquence and ability to mingle, making connections with everyone.

Zhang Daoling seemed to know what he was thinking, glanced back at him, and said, "Perspective, understand? No matter the relationship, after a long absence, one must have a broad mind."

Zhang Daoling, with his broken mirror, was spying on him, capturing a few strands of his spiritual thoughts. Wang Xuan became alert and immediately retracted his thoughts, giving him no more chances.

Following them, figures like the Ancestor of Nether Blood, the Patriarch of Flying Swords, and the Ancestor of Primordial Chaos also arrived, bringing the total to more than a dozen powerhouses, each a dominant leader in their own right.

"This time, it's naturally not about establishing a new covenant. No such person has emerged yet. Today, it's only about setting the rules for the transcendent beings entering the modern world," Fang Yuzhu clarified the purpose of the gathering.

Zhang Daoling, who stirred up the notion of the new covenant, quickly nodded, hoping to prevent some from overthinking or maliciously seeking fault.

"Since it's not a new covenant, why summon such a grand assembly?" Naturally, someone in the mist picked at this.

Fang Yuzhu responded, "What the new covenant entails is clear to us all, and it's hard to achieve. After the correction of the modern world, all mythical forces will collapse. Who can re-establish the transcendent order, who can reshape mythology? It's not something you and I can accomplish by wishful thinking. If it were that easy, you would have reorganized the universe yourself."

Wang Xuan silently sighed. Indeed, the first article of the new covenant was about finding a way out for all immortals, equivalent to creating a world from scratch, no wonder they were willing to pay a price.

Zhang Daoling spoke solemnly, "Everyone, let's not get ahead of ourselves. We should face reality and see how we can live better in this era. Re-creating the world is almost impossible."

"There's no hope left, then?" the Primordial Chaos Ancestor inquired.

Zhang Daoling nodded, saying, "The universe is vast and eternally silent. The transcendent is but a meteor that occasionally streaks across the sky, briefly interrupting the perpetual night before everything returns to its original path. The curtain has not gone dark for the first time, and we are not the first beings to experience this."

Fang Yuzhu, though ethereal, also had a heavy expression as she spoke, "The traces of the past, like sand paintings on the beach, have been erased by the waves. In the end, very few remnants remain, with only a handful of artifacts like the Life-Nurturing Furnace, the Feathered Fan, and the Golden Bamboo Slips left behind."

She calmly discussed the matter, "Transcendence is but a feeble candlelight in the cold winter night's storm, ignited several times but always in the blink of an eye, swiftly extinguished without ever truly illuminating the world. Therefore, we need to accept reality; a new covenant is difficult to establish. No one has ever been able to change the world in such a way that myths forever light up our world."

The golden ocean undulated under the divine moon, and the light rain fell, silencing everyone, filled with reluctance. Even as unparalleled powerhouses, they found it hard to remake the universe and continue the transcendent era.

This atmosphere was incredibly oppressive, filled with a sense of helplessness because their time was truly running out, with possibly less than a year remaining.

For Wang Xuan, seeing so many unparalleled powerhouses for the first time, all of whom were absolute protagonists of their respective great eras with brilliant pasts, some from the depths of the universe, others born on the ancient earth, and recorded in the annals of history, stirred his emotions deeply.

At the same time, Wang Xuan realized even more profoundly the immense impact of finding new powers and opening up a new mythological realm. Influenced by their heavy moods, he too felt a tightness in his scalp.

He was attempting to find new powers and seek a transcendent new realm, unsure of his success.

For a moment, Wang Xuan wanted to discuss the new mythology with these beings, but he quickly suppressed that thought, deciding it was better not to court death.

Who were these people? Despite their current silence and some even feeling melancholy, if provoked, they were the type to dare to slaughter an entire planet or exterminate a race.

For instance, figures like the Demon Ancestor and the Primordial Blood Ancestor, who, at their rise, bathed their respective life-bearing planets in blood. If they found out about his anomaly, they would surely dissect him for study.

And then there was Zheng Yuantian, who had been coveting his body all along!

"What's the point if this isn't a new covenant? Do we really need to gather here?" the Ancestor of Celestial Immortals, Qi Teng, spoke up.

Zhang Daoling looked at him and said, "Yes, it concerns the fate of your disciples and even affects you directly. Eventually, we must return to the real world. The realm within the curtain is but a dream, an illusion of wandering beyond for thousands of years. The real world is our foundation. Once there's a consensus, there must be no bloodshed and chaos in the human realm. If anyone's celestial or demonic offspring cause trouble in the real world, violating this initial version of the new covenant, they might end up in a dire situation."

"Could we not call it a new covenant? It sounds jarring," the Primordial Blood Ancestor interjected, with others nodding in agreement.

Fang Yuzhu smiled and asked, "Do you have any better names? Divine Immortal Regulations, Demon Daily Behavioral Guidelines, or perhaps Celestial-Demon Penal Code? Which one do you think sounds better?"

Everyone was speechless. Was this still her? The foremost powerful figure among the ancient immortals, with unparalleled celestial might, had somehow become somewhat playful after going to the human realm?

Zhang Daoling timely interjected with a laugh, "After arriving in the human world, one really shouldn't be bloodthirsty. Peace and tranquility in the real world are good for everyone, and chaos is not allowed. You'll gradually adapt, and everything will change. For example, I've recently taken a liking to tasting fine wines. For those of you who like fighting, you can go to underground boxing; those who desire universal respect can become century-level superstars; those with a strong desire to control can run for election. Hmm, some immortals might be more interested in clothing, designer bags, and lipsticks. As for the ascetic monks, just find a mountain and retreat to an existing ancient temple. Old Zheng, Zheng Yuantian, you like taking people's places, role-playing, which is even simpler now with many stress-relief live-action games available. Of course, what I've mentioned is for you to enjoy a comfortable and peaceful life after you gradually become mortals."

The crowd gave him less than approving looks.

Wang Xuan thought Zhang Daoling was somewhat unserious.

The Demon Ancestor smiled and said, "The matters of the human world indeed could have some guidelines. As for the name, well, it's just a title, a symbol, it doesn't matter what it's called. I think, why not call it the 'Initial Royal Covenant'?"

Instantly, some showed unusual expressions.

Wang Xuan's gaze shifted, suspecting the Demon Ancestor was deliberately trying to expose him. Indeed, he had killed some demon offsprings, but he was far removed from such an ancient and powerful demon, having had no contact with him whatsoever. From what he could gather, the Demon Ancestor didn't concern himself with minor affairs, leaving the day-to-day operations to his sons.

"Yes, calling it the New Covenant is fine, it's just a name, right?" the Primordial Demon Ancestor agreed with a laugh.

"There's someone behind Lady Fang, right? Let him come out and let us have a look," the Blood Ancestor spoke up.

Wang Xuan felt their words were off, not boding well.