The Stars Beyond

Chapter 365: The Treasure Under The Ashes

In the City of Lightning, from the depths of the abyss. A fierce bird with a thousand wings emerged. Flapping with its densely packed wings, the spiritual realm trembled, and all transcendent beings quaked in fear. The monsters on the ground were even more submissive. They were all trembling in fear and completely unwilling to resist.

Wang Xuan was certain that this was an extraordinary spiritual creature that was capable of contending with figures like the Demon Ancestor and the Ancestor of Immortals in a grand confrontation! In fact, he felt that facing this creature was even more pressure-inducing than when he confronted the mysterious man with the silver mask that day.

This fierce bird was simply too massive. After spreading its thousand wings, it occupied about one-tenth of the City of Lightning. It was like a dark cloud entering the sky. Bathed in lightning, it opened its beak and devoured all spirits. Whether it was a rotting dragon, a ghoul, or a transcendent being, all were under attack.

Old Chen and Wang Xuan were also drawn towards the edge of its massive beak by an inexplicable light. Wang Xuan wielded the Godslaying Banner, trying to strike it with all his might, but instead, it drew the attention of the creature. Its huge beak opened, and countless dark patterns surged forth like the ropes of the Grim Reaper, entwining towards the two of them.Mental chains that emanated from its mouth entangled them, wrapping around them in thousands upon thousands.

Wang Xuan continued to swing the Godslaying Banner. While holding the heavenly herb, Old Chen freed up his hands to grab the Soul-binding Bell that resonated fiercely. It sent out ripples one after another. They managed to break many of the mental chains, but were still bound by more black patterns. They were pulled closer to the beak, and were instantaneously engulfed.

They struggled fiercely, refusing to succumb, and struck out towards the beak which created an opening. The spiritual remnants of the fierce bird cried out in pain, it instantly opened up its mouth. They attempted to flee, but the beak was only opened for a short moment before it closed again. This was catastrophic. Many ghouls and colossal dragons were just about to break free, but they had their bodies severed. Wang Xuan and Old Chen were also nearly massacred.

Old Chen's upper body was outside the bird. He was holding the heavenly herb and carrying the Soul-binding Bell that constantly sent out silver ripples to attack the ferocious bird. However, his legs were gruesomely severed by the terrifying and immense beak, and were left behind. It was a severance of his spirit, the pain almost caused him to faint. The blood of his spirit flowed, it made him groan and growl and his spirit was trembling incessantly.

Wang Xuan also suffered greatly. He was targeted and locked down by the consciousness of the fierce bird. Just as he was about to escape, black spiritual chains rushed towards him and locked him in place. This resulted in one leg and arm of his being exposed outside, and then it was snapped off with a crunch. It was truly an unbearable agony. In normal circumstances, it was voluntary action to divide his spirit, but this time it was forcefully divided by the fierce bird.

Outside, Chen Yongjie was not dead. He was severely wounded and was laughing miserably. However, his heart sank when he saw Wang Xuan being swallowed up, leaving only an arm and a leg behind. He struck with the Soul-binding Bell several times, attempting to rescue him, but to no avail. Finally, he fled without legs, taking Wang Xuan's severed limb and arm with him.

"Wang Xuan, you died so tragically!" cried Old Chen.

Being swallowed by an unparalleled fierce bird, could there be anything worse?

He felt heavy in his heart, thinking that Wang Xuan had fallen in battle before having any disciples.

Inside the beak of the Thousand-Winged Fierce Bird, Wang Xuan endured intense pain. He struggled to retrieve Old Chen's severed legs, and then exerted all his strength to wield the Godslaying Banner. He didn't plan to break out straight away, but instead launched an internal attack. He planned to engage in a decisive battle with the fierce bird. He wielded and aimed the Godslaying Banner towards its upper jaw area. He was aiming to pierce through there, and was intending to shatter its head! At that moment, the Godslaying Banner glowed, it was driven to its limit by Wang Xuan's full power. It became dazzlingly bright, and revealed an unprecedentedly powerful state. With a sharp sound, it cut through the huge bird head and caused it to emit a deafening spiritual roar.

Far away, Old Chen hid inside the enlarged Soul-binding Bell. Even so, he was suffering from jabbing headaches. His spiritual body continuously spat out blood, showing signs that the light of his spirit was diminishing. In other areas, nearby transcendent beings were in a more miserable state. Several demons who had seen the plight of the two men were approaching. They intended to ambush Chen Yongjie and seize the heavenly herb, but ended up being blown apart. In the face of the unparalleled fierce bird, ordinary transcendent beings were simply no match to it. Even those at the early stage of the Transcendence Realm met a tragic end!

Wang Xuan stormed out, carrying Chen Yongjie's legs in his hand. The fierce bird was furious, swiftly reassembling its head. It intended to swallow him again. This time, Wang Xuan didn't linger with it as the fierce bird was too strong. Even if he fought desperately, it would be difficult to completely kill it. Being able to protect himself was already good enough.

Merging with the Godslaying Banner, he instantly increased his speed by tenfold. Almost tearing through the spiritual realm as he flew. He teleported and escaped far away. He also picked up the Soul-binding Bell on the way and disappeared into the misty area near the ruins of the ninth-level. It was too painful. Losing an arm and a thigh, he felt his spirit weakening severely. This pain was ten times, a hundred times worse than the sensation of his physical body being torn apart.

"Old Chen, did you pick up my leg and arm?" Wang Xuan asked in agony.

"Here they are. How about my legs...... Thank goodness, the pain had me wishing for death. Luckily, you brought them back for me," Chen Yongjie said. He was also on the verge of passing out from the pain.

The two quickly reconnected their spiritual bodies, which was not a problem. Originally, spirits could be divided. Strong practitioners could divide themselves in such a manner. But now, Wang Xuan simply had no interest in that. A one time experience was enough for him! In fact, their separated limbs and hands could exist independently, but they wouldn't possess the primary consciousness and would lack many memories. Each of them took a small piece of heavenly herb leaf and swallowed it. Although their spirits were injured, they could quickly recover when nourished by this supreme heavenly herb.

"Spread the fortunes!" shouted Old Chen.

Hiding in the clouds and avoiding the massive thunder, the two breathed a sigh of relief. Wang Xuan threw the red heavenly herb to Chen Yongjie. Without the Fishing God, they might have ended up with nothing.

He put away the almost transparent cactus and said, "Is this thing drought-resistant? Planting it in the meteorite in the Solitary Void would be perfect!"

"Wow, these two heavenly herb plants contain an unusually rich substance that is close to the truth!" said Wang Xuan with surprise. He immediately realized that this spiritual herb could survive the cold winter and had lived from the mythical era to the present, which was absolutely extraordinary and amazing.

"The mythical civilization of the past was unimaginably powerful. Otherwise, it would be difficult to leave behind this forbidden land!" Chen Yongjie sighed. He stared at the lighting discharging head that was constructed by the clouds and the city of lightning.

Wang Xuan was very serious. "Old Chen, this is a heavenly herb plant that is mature, and it contains a rich substance that’s close to the truth. In this depleted era, it will ensure you can enter the Transcendence Realm!"

Chen Yongjie nodded solemnly. "I'll send it into my body and plant it in the life soil. Otherwise, I won't feel reassured."

Undoubtedly, this was the greatest blessing they had received so far. It was much stronger in medicinal properties than seeds of heavenly herbs. They could be used anytime without waiting for many years.

"I'll plant this herb into the meteorite. I wonder what will happen." Wang Xuan muttered to himself.

Up to now, he had been avoiding using ordinary trans material to break through. He either relied on the superior substance of the ethereal realm or the trace amounts of real substances found in the real world.

Wang Xuan pulled out the iron nail from the root and looked at it again. This should really be the main root of an amazing heavenly herb, but it had been ruthlessly killed by someone.

"Hmm?" He frowned. It wasn't necessarily dead yet. He decided to put it into the Life Essence Furnace and check back after some time to see if it could revive.

"It's a pity. This could very well be the most powerful heavenly herb of a mythical civilization, but it has been nailed to death," said Chen Yongjie, feeling regretful.

The two quickly handled the heavenly herb, then released their bodies from the yellow gourd and returned their spirits to their bodies. Instantly, they felt as if they were trapped in mud, it was extremely difficult for them to move.

Clang!

The lid of the furnace was lifted, and the root of the heavenly herb fell in. Wang Xuan closed the lid of the furnace. This vibration caused the entire spiritual realm to tremble.

In the ruins, the six experts that were exploring treasures were all shaken. They felt a moment of horror and looked around suspiciously.

"A supreme treasure!" one shouted.

"In the flames of the most powerful civilization, there must be supreme treasures forged here. Find it!" another shouted. Their confidence soared.

In the clouds, Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie returned to their spiritual states and stared at the distant Thousand-Winged Beast. They isolated their own breath, avoided it from afar in the mist, and circled around the ninth-level spiritual ruin. This area was vast and shrouded in mist. When it truly opened up, it was a not-so-small island.

In the clouds, amid the lightning. Wearing the Soul-binding Helmet, Cheng Yongjie felt uneasy and asked, "Is this reliable? This is like snatching food from a tiger's mouth."

Wang Xuan said, "We won't rob others. We'll focus on that mysterious person wearing the silver mask. Since we're already enemies, we’re destined to be rivals. As soon as he discovers and gains something, we'll snatch it from him!"

After all, even if they failed outside of the barrier, it wouldn't matter much.

What if they succeeded? Could the mysterious person wearing the silver mask drill out of the barrier and bite the two of them?

"Okay, him it is. The big fat sheep!" Chen Yongjie nodded vigorously. He had almost been killed by this person, so naturally, he wanted to find an opportunity for revenge.

In the ninth-level ruin, each of the six experts was a top figure in the great veil, but here they had encountered significant resistance. Within the ruin, spiritual statues with faces and clear expressions appeared, it was remnants of spiritual remains left by ancient humans countless years ago.

"Human civilizations endure far longer than we imagine. Unfortunately, ordinary people can only reproduce generation by generation, the transcendent vitality is too short-lived." one of them said.

A great battle erupted. These were peerless spiritual sculptures that were vivid and lifelike. Several men and women engaged in fierce combat with the six top experts, ultimately injuring each other. Gradually, several spiritual statues were shattered. Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie were extremely cautious. Peerless ancient gods will appear at the slightest movement here. Besides someone like Old Zhang, there’s not many people that could withstand it. Half an hour later, the six top experts met up in a square. There lay a huge pile of ashes, with faint flickers of fire that was shining intermittently.

"This mythical civilization is far more powerful than anything we've seen before, it’s even brighter than the Three Evil Flames, and more prosperous than the civilization that created the Roaming Ark. However, they also failed, leaving behind only the remnants of their civilization." one of the top experts said.

"What's strange is, where are their treasures? They haven't been passed down in the world. Are they truly sealed here?" another asked.

The six individuals stared at the vast ashes, where wisps of smoke rose, and the residual fire flickered. It was close to being extinguished at any moment. The six top experts sealed off the area, feeling that if anything remained, it might be in this final bonfire. They began to dig into the fire pit.

How could the rumored powerful civilization, renowned for alchemy, leave behind no treasures?

Outside the barrier, Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie hid in the clouds, near the gentle light curtain. They carefully observed, and were experiencing it as if they were the one exploring mythical ruins, and searching for the treasures.

"What is this?" The man in the black robe picked up the tattered scripture. He read it attentively and was shocked. He sighed, "They were trying to forge an extremely powerful banner!"

The man in golden light paused at the words, saying, "This civilization...... could it be the mythical civilization that forged the Banner of Severance and the Godslaying Banner?"

"Yes...... the Immortal-slaying Banner, also known as the Taoist Shielding Banner?"

The man wearing the silver mask was lost in thought as he held a scroll of remnants. After a spiritual resonance, he had read such information. Indeed, the once-powerful mythical civilization was crafting a supreme treasure, and it was documented here, along with the names they wished to give it.

"It's mentioned in this scripture that some wanted to call it the Tao-splitting Banner, but they thought the name was too much and abandoned it," the female practitioner frowned. She was in her stunning white attire, which was ethereal and otherworldly before the ashes of the bonfire.

The six top experts were all astonished, then moved in the heart. Naturally, they knew that the Godslaying Banner and the Banner of Severance were related to this powerful civilization!

Could it be that combining these two extraordinary treasures would truly create the ultimate treasure?

Considering the brilliance of this civilization, the Immortal-slaying Banner or the Taoist Shielding Banner would likely be the strongest among the supreme treasures!

In an instant, many people were intrigued as they thought of Wang Xuan. After all, he had the Godslaying Banner.

Does this mean he had already possessed half of a supreme treasure?!

Outside the barrier, Wang Xuan felt extremely bitter, his expression was unsightly. Everyone knew he had a divine banner.

Right now, wasn't he just a target for top experts? Would he have a future if he doesn't hand over the banner?

"You and I have heard of it. Someone tried to merge the two flags back then, but the results were unsatisfactory," Fang Yuzhu spoke up.

The red-clothed demoness shook the remnants in her hand and with a faint smile, she said, "Here's the record. Both the Banner of Severance and the Godslaying Banner were just experimental products, not the final Tao Shielding Banner. This is quite astonishing!"

"What? Even the Banner of Severance and the banner in Wang Xuan's hand are just early experimental remnants, not authentic?" Someone took the scroll from her hand, and resonated spiritually, reading it carefully.

Outside the barrier, Wang Xuan let out a sigh. He had just calculated. If he were to antagonize all the top experts at the scene, how many days could he survive? The group didn't act recklessly. They dug into the ashes methodically. They were being cautious and vigilant against each other, searching for possible treasures. Suddenly, within the crimson blood wheel, the man acting as the Patriarch of Hades Blood Sect seized an ancient object. It was a pale gold beast skin that was about a foot long.

Boom!

The top expert wearing the silver mask reacted quickly. He struck first, slapping him with his palm. Magical runes blossomed from his forehead, and it engulfed the blood wheel. With a bang, he successfully ambushed him and seized the pale gold beast skin.

"What are you snatching? Haven't you seen the huge pit burned out? If it were a genuine Immortal-slaying Banner or Tao Shielding Banner, would you be responsible for damaging it?" The fake Patriarch of Hades Blood Sect within the radiant blood wheel was extremely angry. He was unexpectedly ambushed and robbed of the banner’s surface.

"Hehe, I was just taking a look," the man wearing the silver mask chuckled. He then found himself under attack by the fake Patriarch of Hades Blood Sect.

The demoness in red also made a move, wanting to snatch the banner’s surface for a look. The others remained still and composed. They did not believe this to be the ultimate treasure, as the true Tao Shielding Banner wouldn't be destroyed.

Boom!

The man wearing the silver mask exchanged blows several times with the two top experts. He was shaken and the beast skin slipped from his hand and flew far away. He quickly stood his ground and was ready to face his adversaries.

Whoosh!

At that moment, the Fishing God decisively made a move. Wang Xuan had full confidence in him and let the old fisherman take action! The man wearing the silver mask suddenly separated from the two top experts. He stood still in his place, reaching out to catch the descent of the pale gold beast skin.