The Stars Beyond

Chapter 400: The Whole World Has Gone Mad

Once the fire pit extinguished, would the Great Curtain dim as well? Plunging into the dark winter's long night, this thought sent shivers down Wang Xuan's spine. In the end, he didn't rush towards the sky. There were too many experts in the Immortal Realm, and it wasn't his turn to delve into the origins. Of course, he estimated that few people could see what he saw. With his spiritual eyes, he could vaguely perceive the burning papers at the end of the sky, with the blurry bonfire reflected.

"As the fire dies, so does the Immortal Realm. A decaying world, half-material and half-energy, is about to perish," he mused, witnessing the death of the Immortal Realm.

This realm, attached to the Old World, was vast and renowned. Compared to other curtains, this one undoubtedly ranked within the top three. Wang Xuan embarked on his journey through the Immortal Realm, finding everything he saw and heard fascinating. There were countless races, with many powerful species.

On the fifth day, he witnessed a True Dragon that dried up a large lake with a diameter of eight hundred miles and tore apart a massive mountain range. Its scales clanged loudly as it brought thunder and clouds, tearing the sky apart, yet it was only fleeing, covered in blood. It was being chased by a demon saint, intent on collecting the blood of the True Dragon, sawing off its horns, and refining its scales into rare armor.

The so-called demon saint's strength was roughly at the quasi-supreme level, far superior to ordinary immortals.

"The Immortal Realm is in chaos," a passerby stopped and said with a pale face.

Some cultivators shook their heads, saying, "The Immortal Realm is about to extinguish, and all the masters are seeking the final chance and destiny. True Dragons are rare. Once discovered, they will naturally be pursued by all parties."

Wang Xuan felt complicated emotions upon hearing this discussion. That was a True Dragon, extinct in the mortal world long ago, yet its fate in the Immortal Realm was so tragic. In the distance, the demon saint, bloodied, was injured by the True Dragon's horn, creating a bloody hole in his chest, which infuriated him.

Even though Wang Xuan was hundreds of miles away, he felt that the area was extremely dangerous and promptly fled. The immense pressure there was unbearable for ordinary people. If he didn't have the furnace lid and the Godslaying Banner, he might have been completely suppressed. If caught in the energy waves, he would have died miserably. Finally, in the sky, with countless scarlet rays illuminating thousands of miles around, accompanied by a mournful cry, the massive head of the True Dragon was cut off by the demon saint!

The True Dragon's blood surged down like a waterfall, like a river, turning the sky and earth into a crimson hue. The demon saint quickly used treasures to collect the dragon's blood, quickly processing the dragon's corpse. Immediately, numerous celestial lights appeared, with some powerful beings rushing over, either acquaintances of the demon saint or adversaries, all eager to divide the True Dragon's flesh and blood. Wang Xuan turned and walked away. He didn't dare to join the commotion. In the Immortal Realm, all kinds of creatures were unrestrained, and their strengths were terrifying.

Next, he came across a barren land of eighteen hundred miles, devoid of vegetation. It was said that half a month ago, celestial beings and demon saints had a major confrontation, all for the sake of six drops of emperor's blood left by the ancient ape demon emperor.

"The people of the Immortal Realm have gone mad!" This wasn't Wang Xuan's assessment but a remark from a local resident. With the end times approaching, all races, sects, and traditions were competing for resources.

Lost in thought, Wang Xuan wondered if the emperor's blood was truly that precious. Perhaps he could ask Old Zhang for a few drops over drinks? For someone as large as Zhang, a few drops of blood wouldn't make much of a difference. Even if he didn't need it himself, he could help Qing Mu and Old Chen.

Lately, hostility in the Immortal Realm had been escalating, with battles breaking out at the slightest provocation. At the critical moment, everyone was striving to improve themselves, aiming to secure more extraordinary power in the future real world.

"Some villages are dying as villages, or, in their own words, burying themselves at present, awaiting revival after the cold winter era. But in reality, they're all dead. And the immortals are fighting endlessly, with the earth in ruins. The decaying Immortal Realm is filled with slaughter and death. All living beings are reaching their end. It's quite tragic," Wang Xuan reflected, feeling deeply moved. In the real world, even without the existence of the extraordinary, life could still be lived well, much better than in the Immortal Realm.

Becoming an immortal turned out to be so cruel and disappointing, so different from the beautiful, serene, and otherworldly Immortal Realm he had imagined.

"Perhaps, it's just this era that's so special, leading to such tragic scenes everywhere." Through his observations along the way and careful verification, he concluded that the Immortal Realm used to be peaceful, far from this level of chaos.

It could only be said that this Immortal Realm, corresponding to the Old World, was just too vast, boundless, dozens or even hundreds of times larger than the Old World itself. On the seventh day of Wang Xuan's arrival, he narrowly avoided a catastrophe. He immediately burrowed underground, using rare treasures to shield himself and the lid of the furnace to protect his body. Soon, he felt the earth tremble violently, terrifying chasms spreading underground. In the outside world, the void collapsed, being torn apart. Half a day later, Wang Xuan emerged to find thousands of miles of desolation, merely the aftermath of a slight impact.

"There was a fierce battle between the peerless powerhouses Qi Yi and Lingluan Xian. After half a day of intense fighting, they both left," someone discussed.

Wang Xuan was deeply moved, feeling that everyone had gone mad. Even powerhouses of that level were meeting such ends, engaging in combat at the slightest provocation. The Immortal Realm was too dangerous. If he hadn't reacted quickly, rushing underground and using treasures to shield himself, he might have been shaken to death by the two powerhouses.

"In the mortal world, I can shake them, but in the Immortal Realm, I might be shaken to pieces by them in an instant!" Wang Xuan shuddered. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn't want to use the extraordinary divine skills bestowed upon him by Fang Yuzhu and Zhang Daoling.

"In Qi Yi's demon pool, there's a Tianyao plant. It's said to be nourished by the blood of various top races and may evolve into a true medicine. It has been fed with the blood of True Dragons, ancient demon emperors, and even Qi Yi himself!"

"The peerless powerhouse Lingluan Xian, taking advantage of Qi Yi's absence, wanted to investigate. As soon as he entered the demon pool, he was blocked, leading to a world-shaking battle!"

As Wang Xuan traveled, he learned of the root causes of these events and deeply felt the astonishing destructive power of the peerless powerhouses. If they were allowed to fight freely on the earth, they could probably obliterate everything. In this light, the cosmic corrections and the suppression of the real world did make sense. If these powerhouses were allowed to grow unchecked and ventured into the stars, they could easily destroy entire planets with a snap of their fingers, something the heavens and earth could not bear.

Furrowing his brows, Wang Xuan understood that the birth and death of the extraordinary might follow a certain pattern. As he continued his journey, on the ninth day, he finally arrived in Hengjun's territory but dared not approach. Even from tens of thousands of miles away, he crossed over directly. Recently, the supreme treasures had not been shaken, and the purple aura soared at Hengjun's Daoist temple, with a palace floating between heaven and earth, indicating his presence. Wang Xuan couldn't lay his hands on that tea tree.

It was called a tea tree, but it had once been extraordinary, once a Tianyao fruit tree producing fruits with astonishing medicinal effects. Hengjun had tried to cultivate it into a true medicine, but when he was on the brink of success, it unexpectedly failed, undergoing a mutation. The fruits became smaller and turned into tea fruits, fragrant but bitter, only suitable for brewing tea.

The attempt to cultivate this strain of celestial medicine had ended in failure, significantly diminishing its potency. While it still retained its status as a celestial medicine, its requirements had increased substantially. Now, it demanded more of the five-colored soil and frequent irrigation with celestial nectar, lest it risk losing its celestial status altogether.

Pondering over the consequences of failed cultivation, Wang Xuan mused, "This is the outcome of failed cultivation. I wonder if planting it in the void could turn the tables."

"Old Heng, just wait. When the opportunity arises, I'll definitely make a move on your place!" With a final glance in that direction, he turned and departed.

The vastness of the immortal realm was overwhelming, and it took Wang Xuan twelve days to finally approach Zheng Yuantian's territory. This delay was partly due to his reluctance to use the Godslaying Banner to increase his speed to more than ten times, fearing it might attract unwanted attention.

"Old Zheng, here I come!" Wang Xuan felt a bit overwhelmed at the thought of confronting Zheng Yuantian. He realized that unless Zheng Yuantian was already gravely injured and on the brink of death, he stood little chance against such an extraordinary powerhouse in the immortal realm.

He pondered over the likelihood of successfully killing Zheng Yuantian.

On that day, Wang Xuan learned that Zheng Yuantian had also gone mad.

Over the past month, Zheng Yuantian's disciples and followers had been relentlessly hunting down the Fire Crow clan across the land. The number of transcendent Fire Crows slaughtered had reached hundreds of thousands, if not more, with the clear intent to wipe out the entire clan.

"During ancient times, the Fire Crow clan reached the pinnacle of glory, producing a Golden Crow Demon Emperor. Upon learning that the ancient Demon Emperor might have left behind a piece of residual core and some Golden Crow Emperor blood, Zheng Yuantian began his pursuit of the clan, hoping to excavate these treasures."

As someone explained the situation, it became evident that Zheng Yuantian sought to refine a demonic body similar to his true self, preserving it for future tribulations, a proxy for himself.

Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan's expression changed drastically. Two days later, his expression turned even more grim when he learned that Zheng Yuantian had indeed found the residual core and Golden Crow Emperor blood left behind by the Three-Legged Golden Crow.

On the following day, amidst the skies of Zheng Yuantian's Daoist domain, chaos thunder roared in successive waves, and a golden scroll materialized, aimed at crushing Zheng's transcendent existence.

"Huh, that looks like the scroll that appeared during the signing of the new covenant. I even left my mark on it!" Wang Xuan's expression turned curious. What had happened to Old Zheng? Who had he angered to provoke a celestial being wielding a golden scroll against him?

"If they're going to kill him, then I won't have to worry anymore. Good riddance!" Wang Xuan's lips curved into a smirk as he swiftly retreated from Zheng Yuantian's domain.

However, his amusement didn't last long. Soon enough, Wang Xuan learned the reason behind Zheng Yuantian's demise: he had violated the covenant!

"Zheng, the transcendent, defied fate. He broke the terms of the new covenant and ventured into the mortal realm to capture ordinary humans, bringing the wrath of chaos thunder upon him!" Discussions buzzed with this explosive revelation.

Wang Xuan's complexion paled instantly, his face drained of color. Had Zheng targeted his parents? The thought sank his heart like a stone, a heavy lump of dread forming in his chest. He dared not delve deeper into those possibilities.

"Did he... succeed?" Wang Xuan's voice quivered with anxiety.

"Who knows? All we know is that he defied the covenant and faced its consequences!" someone shook their head.

Wang Xuan's hands turned ice-cold, his heart consumed by an unfathomable rage. He couldn't tolerate this any longer. He couldn't allow this calamitous, terrifying force to continue existing. This time, it was Wang Xuan himself who teetered on the brink of madness.