The Stars Beyond

Chapter 375: Perfect Wife Candidate

"The Peerless Zheng has met an undignified end," commented the Ming Blood Sect's Ancestor, stepping forward with a shake of his head, followed by a dry chuckle.

"Old Zheng's demise lacked honor," Zhang Daoling remarked, his expression betraying his surprise. He looked towards Wang Xuan with newfound respect. To think that this young man had managed to vanquish Zheng Yuantian was no minor achievement, though his methods were undeniably ruthless.

The area buzzed with whispers and murmurs, reflecting the astonishment shared by all. The fact that Zheng the Peerless' avatar had fallen at the hands of Wang Xuan, a mortal realm's inhabitant, was a shock to everyone.

Even Qi Lian Dao, known for his unbridled demeanor, appeared subdued and contemplative, preferring silence over confrontation. The prospect of tangling with "Madman Wang" seemed too perilous, even for him.

Mo Si furrowed his brows, his gaze flickering with uncertainty as he observed Wang Xuan. Was this all orchestrated by a predecessor known for practicing the Soul Coffin Technique, momentarily resurrected to direct these events?

"This individual is alarmingly ferocious; it's wise to steer clear of him," Zhou Qinghuang said, patting her chest as if to calm her racing heart.

She leaned into Gu Mingxi's ear, whispering, "You were fortunate last time. Compared to his usual ferocity, Wang Xuan was practically gentle with you."

"Enough!" Gu Mingxi, visibly shaken, had harbored a mixture of dread and resentment. Yet, witnessing the recent battle, those feelings evaporated, replaced by a sense of relief.

As the era of transcendence nears its conclusion and myths are destined to fade, the emergence of such a figure in this depleted reality has captured the attention of various powers.

Wang Xuan himself maintained a composed demeanor, familiar with navigating through significant events. After all, it was merely Old Zheng he had dispatched, and not even in his true form—a fact he considered to be of little consequence.

He reminded himself to approach the situation with equanimity.

Yet, the realization soon overwhelmed him. This was Zheng Yuantian, a formidable opponent who could have sought him out in the real world at any time, and he had just managed to defeat him in their recent encounter.

"Heh..." Despite trying, Wang Xuan couldn't contain his laughter, his expression relaxed. Eliminating such a significant threat brought him immense satisfaction.

Holding a handful of blue Primordial Crystals, the nearly tangible super energy slowly flowed, nourishing his spirit essence—utterly comforting.

Unable to traverse the meteorite passage in the realm of the ethereal, he had discovered a new material in the mortal world, equally beneficial. It could potentially help him break through to a higher level of power.

Defeating an enemy, removing a major threat, and using the "enemy's resources" to enhance himself, Wang Xuan found it impossible not to feel elated.

"Master Wang, maintain some decorum," Chen Yongjie advised, subtly reminding him not to laugh foolishly, as it might diminish the imposing image he'd just established.

"Keeping up appearances is too exhausting. My heart is naturally buoyant; it's essential to be true to oneself during youth, pretending to be mature is just tiring," Wang Xuan responded nonchalantly.

The battle in the distance ceased. The Red Clothed Demoness, her long dress fluttering, stood high in the spiritual realm, distancing herself from the three high masters.

In fact, Zheng Yuantian's death had surprised and silenced the Demon Ancestor, Qi Teng, and Mo Si. Old Zheng... had unexpectedly perished, an unforeseen downfall.

They could imagine the fury of Zheng Yuantian's true form behind the scenes, a profound humiliation. Dying at the hands of a young man from the human realm was a severe blow to his dignity.

The Red Clothed Demoness, her eyes sparkling, seemed about to approach, causing Wang Xuan's smile to freeze, and he swiftly became alert.

Fang Yuzhu approached her, whispering something that diverted the Demoness's attention.

Wang Xuan quickly joined Zhang Daoling and Chen Yongjie, casting another glance towards the distant figure in red.

He transmitted a message to Zhang Daoling, "Elder Zhang, are you too busy with your duties?"

He was curious to ask Old Zhang, who had been exorcising demons for over two thousand years, about a powerful demoness dominating and nearly unifying the demon realm.

He mused internally, wondering if Old Zhang's method of exorcism was selective.

Zhang Daoling gave him a glance, saying, "Mind your own business. Don't think that just because you killed an avatar of Zheng Yuantian, you can handle powerhouses of that caliber. You're far from it. It was because Fang Yuzhu had already severely weakened him."

Wang Xuan ignored the change in topic, pressing on about the matter of subduing demons.

"Let me tell you, Zheng Yuantian won't let this go easily. He might even send another avatar to the mortal world to deal with you," Zhang Daoling warned.

"His death of an avatar doesn't affect his true form? Can he still split off at any time?" Wang Xuan frowned, aware that outside the spiritual realm, he really couldn't handle Zheng the Peerless.

"Of course, there's damage, but does Old Zheng care about losing face? Moreover, if he deems capturing or killing you more beneficial, he wouldn't care much about the consequences," Zhang Daoling stated calmly.

Wang Xuan sensed something unsaid, wondering if Old Zhang, with his habit of using that broken copper mirror at every turn, had discovered some secret about him.

"Elder Zhang, if you're not too busy, are you open to business?" Wang Xuan asked.

"What do you want to do? I don't have time to subdue demons lately!" Old Zhang refused decisively.

He suspected Wang Xuan wanted him to battle the Demoness, a ludicrous idea. How could Elder Zhang be so easily directed? Though, if the compensation for battling the Demon Ancestor was substantial, well, that might warrant some consideration.

From afar, the Demon Ancestor Qi Yi sensed something and glanced over at Zhang Daoling, feeling a strong malice in the ether.

"Elder Zhang, where did your thoughts wander off to? I'm on good terms with the demon clan, almost like family!" Wang Xuan said, casting a smile towards the Demon Ancestor and then nodding peacefully at the Red Clothed Demoness.

In response, the Demon Ancestor, shrouded in dark mist, bared his teeth, a cold light flickering.

The Red Clothed Demoness responded with a coquettish smile, her allure accentuated as she gracefully adjusted her hair, giving Wang Xuan sidelong glances with her beautiful eyes.

Wang Xuan quickly turned back to face Old Zhang, saying, "About killing Zheng Yuantian, are you in or out? As a guardian of the path and a teacher to the world, it's our responsibility! Of course, for the sake of righteousness and the world, I am willing to offer Primordial Crystals as a token of encouragement for Elder Zhang!"

Zhang Daoling nodded with dignity, replying, "Hmm, okay, hand over those crystals. If Old Zheng shows up, I'll 'discuss' with him and send him back."

He then reached out, intending to take the handful of glowing blue stones from Wang Xuan.

"I'm not talking about killing an avatar or just sending him back. I'm asking Elder Zhang to kill Zheng Yuantian's true form," Wang Xuan clarified.

The restrained smile on Old Zhang's face instantly froze. With a flick of his sleeve, he decisively withdrew his hand, saying, "What are you thinking? Do you think Elder Zhang is that cheap? To kill a peerless master's true form for a few broken stones, unless I'm insane!"

Wang Xuan silently brandished the diagnostic report Old Zhang had shown him earlier, waving it in the air.

"I... I'll kill you!" Old Zhang's face turned dark instantly.

Whoosh!

The piece of paper vanished from Wang Xuan's hand, snatched away by the Red Clothed Demoness with a shower of light, teleporting through space.

"What do you mean by this?" Zhang Daoling asked with a darkened expression, fearing his embarrassing past might be revealed.

The Red Clothed Demoness, after examining the diagnostic report, displayed a look of disdain and tossed it back to him, making Old Zhang nearly choke on his frustration. She was clearly doing it on purpose.

"Then forget it; killing his true form is meaningless," Wang Xuan concluded, pocketing the shimmering stones, turning the immense pressure into motivation, ready to face any retaliation from Zheng the Peerless.

The tumultuous battle concluded, and the various factions retreated. Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie made a break for it, and as they dashed off, a wave of people followed suit in a rush.

"What's happening?" Chen was bewildered, wondering why a crowd was chasing after them. Could it be that Master Wang had indeed incited widespread anger, making many want him dead?

Indeed, Wang Xuan was also on edge, noticing the Demon Ancestor, Qi Teng, and the imposing Mo Si trailing them, signaling trouble.

Even Old Zhang, looking displeased and brandishing his rusted, old mirror, was sprinting after them!

Then, he saw the female Daoist and the Red Clothed Demoness, effortlessly traversing the void, the very picture of celestial grace. They were a pair of sisters, peerless in their elegance.

As for Mo Si, Gu Mingxi, Zhou Qinghuang, and other transcendents, they too were swiftly on their heels, anxiously following.

"Esteemed seniors, have I wronged any of you?" Wang Xuan felt incredibly uneasy, overwhelmed by the pursuit, despite his usually bold demeanor.

"You're leaving, and if we don't follow and you block the exit, bombarding us with your battleship, who could withstand that?" Zhang Daoling explained.

Wang Xuan was speechless, now understanding the situation.

"Am I that kind of person? Would I do such a thing?" he defended himself, feeling unjustly accused.

The crowd looked at him disdainfully, with many casting murderous glances—his actions upon entering this space had set a precedent!

"The trust between people..." Wang Xuan couldn't continue, realizing no one believed him.

Primarily, his aggressive maneuvers before entering this peculiar space, particularly Aomu's bold actions, had indeed intimidated many, resulting in some celestials and demon cultivators sustaining injuries.

Soon after, most chose to leave the strange domain, emerging in outer space.

And when Aomu came to pick up Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie, their battleship was filled with significant figures, all renowned masters of their time like Zhang Daoling, the Demon Ancestor, Qi Teng... With Zheng Yuantian gone, these prominent individuals sat by Wang Xuan's side, sharing the journey home.

Upon realizing who was aboard, Qing Mu felt his scalp tingle—a repercussion from the last time he opened fire, leaving several notable figures wary of boarding any ship but his.

Wang Xuan stiffened as the Red Clothed Demoness took the seat next to him, her fragrance enveloping him. She leaned in closer to converse, her breath as sweet as orchids. "The past is but grains of sand slipping through our fingers, trivial matters not worth dwelling on," she whispered.

Wang Xuan's nerves were on edge, feeling as if the events within the meteorite passage had somehow seeped into reality. The similarity of their close proximity and her words was strikingly familiar.

Chen Yongjie, practicing mindfulness, remained still, unable to offer Wang Xuan any assistance. He too was uncomfortable, seated next to the Demon Ancestor, who seemed quite interested in him.

"Little monk, have you practiced the Shakyamuni Sutra, planning to exorcise demons and eliminate evil?" the Demon Ancestor asked, flashing a bright white smile.

The burly Mo Si joined in, patting Chen Yongjie on the head and commenting, "You won't get far like this."

Under normal circumstances, Chen Yongjie would retaliate against anyone who dared touch him, but facing Mo Si, he decided against any drastic action.

Eventually, the warship landed at the spaceship base outside An City, and the distinguished guests prepared to disembark.

The Red Clothed Demoness stretched lazily before rising. Leaning close to Wang Xuan once more, she murmured, "The moon will be full soon. Keep your door open at night, wait for me."

Wang Xuan was bewildered, wanting to ask, "What for?"

"Weren't you always curious to see me perform the celestial dance? You even blackmailed the little white tiger for a memory crystal. On the night of the full moon, I'll come to you."

Wang Xuan remained seated, feeling overwhelmed. The disloyal round-faced white tiger had betrayed him so quickly!

As the Red Clothed Demoness walked away, her steps light as if treading on clouds, she disappeared into the distance.

"Elder Zhang, now that we're in An City, my territory, I'd like to invite you over," Wang Xuan quickly transmitted a message in secret, hoping to shift the focus from his current predicament.

Zhang Daoling's disdainful response, "Looking for a free bodyguard? I'm not going," left Wang Xuan inwardly lamenting the lack of camaraderie as he watched him walk away.

Turning to Fang Yuzhu, Wang Xuan extended an invitation, "Fairy Fang, since we're in Ancheng, my home, would you like to visit?"

Her affirmative and smiling nod surprised and delighted Wang Xuan. The foremost master among the Fang practitioners, the renowned Fairy Fang, had agreed to stay!

By evening, Chen Yongjie had made himself scarce, overwhelmed by the caliber of individuals Wang Xuan was now associating with—peerless masters from whom he preferred to keep his distance.

Upon learning of Fang Yuzhu's identity, Qing Mu regarded her with the reverence one might reserve for a deity. Chen Yongjie informed him that not even a devout ascetic could likely best her in combat.

Qing Mu, feeling daunted, hastily prepared a private courtyard and provided various foods before excusing himself. Despite Fang Yuzhu's divine aura and her gentle smiles and glances, her presence was still intimidating to him.

Wang Xuan, however, saw no reason to flee. A woman of such unparalleled beauty and grace was a delight to behold. Why run from such a sight?

His astonishment grew when Fang Yuzhu expressed a desire to cook that evening, an idea Wang Xuan found almost unbelievable.

"What's so surprising about that? Who hasn't come from the mortal realm?" Fang Yuzhu remarked, then sighed softly, "Eventually, as mythology fades away and the transcendent ceases to exist, returning to the mundane will become the norm. It's time to adapt to that, to rediscover the sensations of our former, ordinary lives."

With a transcendent clarity and light rain falling around her, she genuinely began to cook, seeking to revisit memories from her time as a mortal, reliving experiences from a more ordinary life.