The Stars Beyond

Chapter 370: A Chance Encounter

Not long after, the celestial herb, once as clear as crystal, began to take on a hint of purple, showing signs of change. "It seems celestial herbs relish substances close to reality. There's no worry they'll perish. Sent to the void, they thrive like fish returned to the sea," Wang Xuan mused.

After mining for years and concurrently cultivating, studying various techniques, scriptures, the Slash Path Sword, stone tablet scriptures, and the Shakya Visualization Chart, he felt he was at the later stages of the ninth segment, ready to challenge the great barrier. "Wonder how it's shaking outside."

He sensed as if hitting a ceiling, always suppressed, struggling to truly advance. "Is it the realm of Xiaoyao Journey? Something peculiar. Feels like I've hit a major snag in my cultivation here."

An instinct told him breaking through to Xiaoyao Journey might require passing through the meteorite crater, a daunting task. "Does my realm, the void, and the actual environment all interconnect?" he pondered, wondering if proximity to the source of reality was needed.

The meteorite, vast and massive, lay in the dark expanse. "If it were a normal meteorite, it'd be manageable. But if it's denser than my Life Soil, I'm in trouble."

Using the Slash God Banner to boost his spirit's speed, navigating Life Soil still felt like an astronomical journey. Digging here, he advanced mere hundreds of meters over years.

"Should I bring in others to mine for me?" he considered but quickly dismissed the idea, fearing unforeseen consequences with his Life Soil.

In the crater, Wang Xuan wielded the Slash God Banner and iron pickaxe, tirelessly working. The monotony of cultivation and mining over years could wear anyone down.

"Can I just cut through an existing passage?" He pondered the risk of a bold move through the meteorite crater, its icy silence marked by patches of grey and transitions to brown and faint purple deeper in. Except for the demonic flower, radiating purity and eternal essence, everything else was lifeless.

Even without the red miasma's peak, the area still emitted a dangerous red substance. Previous attempts with just the Slash God Banner ended in retreat. "Let's try again." Now, with silver and faded gold beast skins layered for protection, Wang Xuan prepared to brave the fiery depths, hoping these layers would shield him against the harsh elements.

Wrapped like a dumpling, Wang Xuan chose his moment and then began his crossing. "Will I break through to a new world, or will I be smacked back with a blunt strike? Doesn't matter, here I come!"

Determined, he thought, as long as he didn't die, nothing was too daunting. He needed to take this risk, especially when supreme masters of this era were getting desperate, sending avatars into the mortal realm. There was no reason for him to slack off.

Transforming into a streak of light, "Wang Dumpling" charged in, facing the mild rosy glow and the occasional fall of red particulate matter. He screamed in pain, feeling an intense burning sensation as if ignited the moment he entered.

There was an instant he wanted to roll on the ground to relieve the pressure, thinking of giving up and returning to the mortal world to live a mediocre life. Yet, his nature wouldn't allow it; he wasn't one to easily give in. He wanted to persevere, to prove something to himself.

"Come on, banner, block for me! Holey beast skin, do you want to rot away or be reborn from the ashes? Don't disappoint me! Silver skin, ghostly symbols, resonate and withstand!"

Despite being in agony, Wang Xuan brainwashed himself, establishing a firm belief to push through to a land unimaginable by the outside world. "I'm forging a path, seeking a new mythological realm, akin to creating the world. At any moment, a great calamity could befall. If the immortals, Life Soil, and the Great Curtain could sense it, grant me life!"

He surged forward like a meteor cutting through the dark night sky, passing through the terrifying void channel, ascending all the way. The walls of the meteorite passage were rough, with the rosy glow growing denser and closer to "reality" upwards, those particulate substances increasing.

Such superior energy is beyond normal comprehension; even a touch is like thunder exploding or a fierce heavenly fire that could forge and burn one's spirit.

Normally, any creature venturing this deep is essentially courting death.

Wang Xuan's spirit was eroded by the light fog, his soul cracking, vision darkening, and the spiritual constructs of his internal organs nearly disintegrating, gradually blurring out.

Wang Xuan spared a glance at the outer layer of pale gold beast skin, noticing it wasn't burnt at all. Instead, a mysterious golden mist flowed around it, and the two large holes seemed to resonate. "Even this beast skin hasn't been burnt. As a human, how can I shrink back? I'm still sheltered by it. How can I be worse off? Charge again!"

With his mouth dry and tongue scorched, feeling on the verge of explosion, Wang Xuan still refused to retreat, hoping a bit more endurance would see him through. He was driven by a desire to reach the true source, fueled by an unwillingness to give up and an endless curiosity about what lay beyond this mysterious path. Was it ancient, or had his spirit forged this route through its unique journey?

"Why is this path so long!" he lamented, nearly driven to madness by the burning. His spirit felt like vomiting blood, its so-called spiritual strands curling from the heat, smoking, and the flesh of his spirit cracking and blackening.

Even with his spiritual eyes wide open, he hadn't come close to that white, sacred flower. "It doesn't seem astronomically far, but crossing it has taken days without nearing the root of that demonic flower." It was a case of misjudging the distance, exhausting his spirit in the process.

Soon, the rosy glow intensified, leaving him bewildered about when it would end. The pain had peaked, numbing him, his mind in disarray, ears ringing with strange sounds.

"Path, void..."

"Immortal..."

Gritting his teeth, he shook his head vigorously to stay alert. His spirit-formed lips were parched; continuing like this, he'd surely turn to ashes.

Wang Xuan couldn't tell how many days he had flown. He noticed the outer layer of pale gold beast skin turning red, covered in rosy glow, its fate uncertain—was it about to be destroyed? The Slash God Banner was nearly black, its surface crinkled, but its golden grid expanded, still exerting power and sustaining a faint halo to shield him from direct exposure.

The silver beast skin book radiated a halo with its ghostly script resonating with the nearly real substance, leaving him unsure if this was beneficial or detrimental as he navigated through extreme conditions.

"To keep myself alert, I must practice!" He wielded the Slash God Banner on his journey, diverting his pain through the practice of various scriptures, assessing which esoteric texts were most suitable when approaching reality. This extreme form of cultivation was highly effective, repeatedly challenging the barrier to the vast realm of carefree immortality.

This barrier felt unique to him, unbreakable and immovable.

Wang Xuan sensed that choosing to break through with ordinary super substances in the real world would pose no issue, allowing him quick access to the carefree realm. However, the significance of such an achievement would drastically differ, and his ability to return here might be compromised.

He sought the true source, hence choosing this arduous path, unwilling to tread the decayed paths of ancient myths.

"Ugh!"

Outside, even Old Chen vomited, spewing out the bitter waters of his spirit, his foundational land tumultuous as if being plowed through. This experience was akin to riding a broken ox cart over a field of rocks, constantly on the verge of overturning, then as if the cart ventured onto the cratered surface of the moon, where not just the people but the cart itself threatened to disintegrate.

He wasn't sure how many days he had flown, noticing the outer layer of the pale gold beast skin turning red, shrouded in mist, uncertain of its fate. The Slicing God Banner was nearly black, wrinkled, but its golden grid expanded, still exerting force, maintaining a faint halo that kept him hidden. The silver beast skin book, with its talisman-like characters shining, resonated with the nearly real substances, making it hard to tell if this was good or bad, as Wang Xuan struggled between fire and water.

"I need to keep myself awake, practice!" On the move, he manipulated the Slicing God Banner, diverting his agony by practicing various scriptures, testing which secret texts were most suited to nearing the real.

Such extreme cultivation was effective; he felt himself repeatedly hitting the ceiling of the Escaping Mundane realm. This barrier was unique to him, unshakably solid.

Wang Xuan felt that if he chose to break through in the real world using ordinary super substances, it wouldn't be a problem to step into the Escaping Mundane level quickly. But that would mean a completely different significance, and whether he could step into this realm again was questionable.

He desired to near the real source, hence taking this arduous path. The old myths had decayed; he had no reason to follow the predecessors' footsteps.

"Ugh!" Even Old Chen vomited, his Commanding Soil tumultuous as if being plowed, his domain of all beginnings loosening. What was this experience? Like riding a broken cart over rocky terrain, ready to flip at any moment, then driving that cart on the moon's cratered surface, where not just people but the cart itself was about to disintegrate.

Even Chen Yongjie almost lost his realm level, let alone the state of the outside world. The supernatural domain was in chaos, with fairies collapsing drunk and descendants of immortals steaming with light rain, their realms plummeting.

This impact was too significant, affecting everyone, with those of shallow practice nearly losing two levels, and even the steadfast could not maintain stability.

The situation was unprecedented, a cosmic quake that spared no one. Huang Daxian grimaced, nearly coughing up bile, while Cao Qingyu and Kong Yun, despite their strong foundations, turned pale. Zhou Shiqi and Chen Yan, covering their mouths to vomit, lay sprawled on the desert ground.

Qi Lian Dao, son of the Demon Ancestor, couldn't help but curse, frustrated as he saw his painstakingly recovered realm shaken down again.

"Now, if I used to experience minor quakes, this was an unparalleled celestial quake. Who can withstand this?" lamented Huang Daxian, as even the Life Furnace, Sword of the Mortal Realm, and Boat of Escaping Mundane vibrated as if resonating with something profound, sensing an unseen turmoil.

At this moment, Zhang Daoling, Fang Yuzhu, the Red Garment Demon Lord, and others were not faring well either, each feeling as though they were on the verge of catastrophe. Their vital energies were in turmoil, a situation not experienced in many years.

"Ugh..." Old Zhang staggered, finding that even pressing a mirror against his face was futile. He sighed, "I finally understand the difficulties of womanhood. Is this what morning sickness feels like? Life has truly brought me to experience it all."

The Red Garment Demoness glared at him fiercely before bending over with a slender waist and vomiting.

"Vomiting becomes a habit after a while. I felt the same the first time I drank celestial blood," the ancestor of the Ming Blood Sect said.

But his wasn't just vomiting; it was an outward spray, almost as if he was doing it on purpose, making it unbearable for everyone else.

Fang Yuzhu was also overwhelmed, covering her mouth. Her cheeks, as delicate and translucent as mutton fat jade, tightened. Her beautiful eyebrows furrowed as she vomited repeatedly, not even the golden bamboo boat could shield her.

"This time it's different, unstoppable. If the previous times were minor quakes, this is a major one, akin to breaking through a minor level versus transcending a major realm," Zheng Yuantian said, his face deathly pale, even his silver mask cracking in places.

Even they were affected, with their realms starting to slip!

Boom!

Seven masters, along with two ghostly kings, charged towards that decaying meteorite, entering its core, for they had suddenly sensed something there.

There were remnants of crystals that were almost real!

While contending against the violent quakes, not wanting their spiritual progress to fall, they rushed forward, vying for the crystals. It was surprising that they hadn't discovered it earlier; it had been entirely shaken loose.

Then, a massive explosion occurred, seemingly piercing through the void itself.

......

"I've devoted myself to arduous cultivation, faced tribulations, braved deadly challenges, and comprehended the supreme scriptures, forging a new path of myths. Am I... delirious now? Where have I ended up?" Wang Xuan felt as if he was being consumed by a fire, teetering between life and death, unable to discern how much time had passed. A sword halo surrounded him externally, while internally, he circulated the stone tablet scriptures, his soul resonating, almost to the point of confusion.

"Should I keep going?" he wondered, realizing that he was now close to the snow-white, immortal flower, indeed having traversed a long and arduous path.

Boom!

Suddenly, near the flower, a section of the stone wall exploded, and several figures stumbled out.

"I'm in agony, what kind of accursed place is this?!" Old Zhang yelled, his body emitting red light, looking as if he was caught between the desire for immortality and the brink of death, smoke rising from him.

Bang!

Not far from Wang Xuan, the Red Garment Demoness fell, her long dress nearly burnt away in an instant. She quickly performed some kind of sacrificial dance to counteract the red substance but still found it unbearable.

"Has the grand dream merged with reality?" Wang Xuan was astonished, as the Red Garment Demoness actually ran up close to him and started performing a celestial dance.

"Is it you?!" The Demoness, unable to bear it any longer, her body radiating rosy light, rushed towards him, intending to grab Wang Xuan's beast skin clothes. Her crystalline arms and snow-white legs were nearly scorched.