The Stars Beyond

Chapter 186: Old Zhong, Transcending?

In the cavern, the escaping monsters, with their massive bodies, caused the tunnel to shake violently, followed closely by the four transcendent beings from the Yuhua Star.

Wang Xuan, gripping his sharp war spear, hurled it with force. The spear whizzed past Old Chen's ear, ruffling his hair with its explosive airstream.

Old Chen shot a wide-eyed look at Wang Xuan, wondering if he was also a target. But the spear struck one of the transcendent beings from the Yuhua Star squarely in the back, piercing through his chest and pinning him to the ground, blood pooling beneath.

Old Chen was taken aback by Wang Xuan's swift and fierce attack, even quicker in dispatching an enemy than himself. He sped up, his entire being shining brilliantly, practicing the Sixteen-Foot Golden Body technique, resembling a golden Bodhisattva. With a thunderous crash, he caught up with another transcendent being, obliterating him on the spot.

As a fully accomplished practitioner of the Lamp-Lighting realm, Old Chen easily overpowered his opponents in the Mist stage, rendering them utterly defenseless.

Wang Xuan quickly unpacked his large bundle, retrieving a transcendent-level bow and arrows, recent spoils from the transcendent being Xiong Kun, replacing those acquired from the divine archer. He drew the bow and aimed at the fleeing enemies.

The arrow, adorned with runes, burst forth with a blinding light, tearing through the air with a terrifying sonic boom, only to... embed itself in the cavern wall.

He missed!

Old Chen, speechless, had just witnessed Wang Xuan's solemn and radiant preparation, but his aim was abysmally off, veering several meters wide of the mark.

"I haven't practiced archery much. I'll study it later," Wang Xuan remarked casually.

"Leave one alive!" Old Chen caught up with one of the men, knocking him to the ground without killing him.

Their way was blocked by the massive bodies of the silk serpent and the pangolin, almost filling the cavern completely. The remaining transcendent beings from the Yuhua Star were helplessly trapped.

The last one turned to face Old Chen in a desperate last stand. He too was at the Lamp-Lighting stage. But Old Chen, resplendent in his Sixteen-Foot Golden Body, exuded a majestic aura. The brilliant golden light filling the cavern overwhelmed his opponent, shattering him to pieces.

Old Chen's strength was indeed formidable, a rare match within his own realm. The transcendent monsters, alarmed by the mastiff's demise, recognized their disadvantage and chose not to stay for a direct confrontation.

At the cave entrance, the silver bear and the golden bird were stunned to see the transcendent creatures fleeing.

Wang Xuan, approaching the entrance, adopted a conciliatory tone. "We have no past grievances, and our recent disputes are trivial. We merely borrowed some fruits from you. Such things, like flowers and plants, wither and bloom annually. Fellow Daoists, let's be magnanimous. We bear no deep grudges, so how about we let bygones be bygones?"

The silver bear and the golden bird, known for their volatile tempers, glared coldly at him. The other transcendent creatures, still nearby and led by these two, also watched them with icy detachment.

"We probably still have to fight," Old Chen concluded.

Standing side by side, Wang Xuan and Old Chen didn’t hide their strength, displaying their powerful spiritual forces to intimidate the transcendent creatures outside the cave.

Especially Wang Xuan, whose spiritual force manifested surreal landscapes. Majestic mountains and floating islands appeared, blending with his vibrant spiritual energy in a spectacular display.

The creatures at the cave entrance became exceedingly cautious, retreating a few steps. The silver bear and the golden bird, experienced and perceptive, sensed a real threat. They pondered the situation: was it worth risking their lives over a few fruits?

As descendants of demons with acute senses, they felt the looming shadow of death. The mastiff, not necessarily weaker than them, had been swiftly killed inside – a clear warning.

"Fellow Daoists, our conflicts are minor, not worth a battle to the death. I offer compensation," Wang Xuan proposed. He was aware that engaging in a bloody fight with all eight transcendent creatures, including the newly arrived two, would come at a significant cost for both him and Old Chen. He had no desire for a meaningless battle.

Wang Xuan retrieved a demon cultivation chart from his bag, a prize taken from the Black Horn Beast. Initially given to Grandmaster Ma, the chart had lost its appeal to him after he became preoccupied with flattering a young fox spirit, disregarding such a method meant for solitary practitioners.

The transcendent creatures fixated on the cultivation chart, their eyes lighting up. As scattered practitioners, they lacked systematic methods of cultivation, their ancestral teachings having been lost over time. The chart sparked a dazzling interest in their eyes.

Thus, a potentially devastating battle was averted, with the transcendent creatures retreating with the cultivation chart in tow.

In the forest, the rich aroma of cooking meat filled the air. Wang Xuan and Old Chen were feasting on dog meat, drinking the immortal spring water. They had decided not to waste the large transcendent mastiff they had slain, turning it into a nourishing meal.

The surviving transcendent captive from the Yuhua Star shivered with cold at the sight. The powerful mastiff, so swiftly defeated and now being consumed, was a chilling reminder of the duo's might.

Old Chen remarked, "We need to keep a witness alive. If those creatures from the eight transcendent nests report us for killing an enforcer, we need someone to corroborate our side. Right now, we can't afford to silence them all."

In truth, Old Chen had been chased out of the secret realm by the mastiff and the beings from the Yuhua Star, though he had planned to leave covertly himself.

He then brought up the jade tokens, explaining that each token reflected different values, depending on the bearer's stage. The highest level allowed in the secret realm, according to the standards of the Old Earth, was the Herb Gathering stage, encompassing four stages from Mist to Herb Gathering.

"In the depths of the secret realm, defeating an opponent yields points based on their stage divided by ours," he explained.

Thus, a transcendent being in the Mist stage defeating one in the Herb Gathering stage would earn four points, while the reverse would yield only 0.25 points. This system effectively restrained higher-level transcendent beings from exploiting their power.

Indeed, the four stages were merely subdivisions within a larger realm, and some transcendent beings were strong enough to defeat opponents above their own stage.

Wang Xuan turned to Old Chen and asked, "You started in the Mist stage when you first entered the secret realm, and now you've advanced to the fully accomplished stage of Lamp-Lighting. Is this situation good or bad?"

Old Chen smiled and replied, "Even with advancements, it's not a problem. When hunting opponents, your calculations are still based on your initial stage upon entering the secret realm. This encourages talents who can continuously break through."

As they feasted on the roasted transcendent dog meat, which sizzled and dripped fat onto the fire, the energy and vitality surged through them.

Hearing about the mastiff's call for reinforcements, including a creature at the Herb Gathering stage, Wang Xuan and Old Chen used their spiritual power to intimidate their captive into revealing this information.

Each carrying a hefty chunk of roasted meat and taking the captive with them, they decisively left the peripheral area of the secret realm. Their journey was smooth, as even formidable creatures hesitated to obstruct such powerful transcendent beings.

Arriving at the deeper part of the secret realm, Old Chen led Wang Xuan straight to a cliff area outside the Immortal City, where the white peacock resided. The white peacock, known for its fairness and impartiality, was more powerful than other enforcers in the realm.

The white peacock, perched on the cliff, was a splendid sight at five meters tall, with a flawless body resembling that of a celestial bird. It showed surprise upon seeing Wang Xuan, recalling their previous brief encounter when it was speaking with a female Taoist practitioner.

Back then, the peacock had identified Wang Xuan as a mortal. Now, within a short span, he had stepped into the transcendent realm. The white peacock asked for Wang Xuan's name and handed him a jade token engraved with demonic characters: "Wang Xuan, Mist."

Old Chen presented the captive from the Yuhua Star to the white peacock, carefully explaining the situation and how they had been hunted in collusion with an enforcer. He suggested, "If the venerable one doesn't believe us, you can search his spiritual realm for the truth."

The captive from the Yuhua Star collapsed, knowing the peril of having his mind probed by a powerful demonic being – his spiritual realm would likely be shattered.

After a swift confession, the white peacock flapped its wings, signaling for Wang Xuan and Old Chen to leave without further comment.

With the situation resolved smoothly and no loose ends left, Wang Xuan and Old Chen quickly departed, relieved that they had avoided any lingering complications.

Soon after their departure, Wang Xuan and Old Chen sensed something amiss. Outside the City of Immortals, in the forest, multiple figures emerged, all radiating intense murderous intent, seemingly intent on hunting them down. The deep-seated hostility and potent resentment made both of them extremely uneasy, wondering what had transpired in the area.

They couldn't comprehend why they would provoke such wrath, as they hadn't committed any egregious acts. Suddenly, they both thought of Old Zhong. Could he have been the cause of this turmoil?

"Kill these outsiders!" a group shouted as they charged. There were dozens of transcendent beings, creating a truly impressive scene.

Wang Xuan and Old Chen immediately fled, fighting fiercely to break through the encirclement. They carved a bloody path and escaped in one direction.

It didn't take long for them to discover the reason behind the fury. Old Zhong, true to his unconventional ways, had stirred a hornet's nest – quite literally.

Deep within the secret realm lay a nest of silver bees, far more fearsome than the toxic bees in the outer areas. The hive was as massive as a hill. Old Zhong had collected a pollen fatal to these silver bees and, during an excursion, sprinkled it on a group of transcendent beings. He then fired an arrow wrapped in flammable material, igniting part of the hive. This act unleashed swarms of the giant silver bees, each meters long, relentlessly attacking the transcendent beings.

Old Zhong had forged an alloy armor from the sun gold he collected, protecting himself thoroughly. He had also prepared a hiding spot in a fissure in the ground for critical moments.

Wang Xuan was speechless. No wonder Zhong Qing dared to use the sun gold for protective gear. Old Zhong had amassed quite a collection, even managing to forge an alloy armor before their venture into the secret realm!

......

Hidden within a crevice in the ground, Old Zhong miraculously survived the chaos unscathed. He then seized the opportunity to collect corpses, acquiring numerous jade tokens. This allowed him to prematurely end his participation in the confrontation, a move permitted by the rules. Now, he was holed up in the City of Immortals, avoiding any further exposure.

"This old schemer! He's extricated himself from the mess and left me to be the scapegoat!" Old Chen raged furiously. He felt utterly betrayed by Old Zhong's cunning and ruthless tactics, which left him speechless with indignation.

"Cursed be Old Zhong!" Old Chen couldn't hold back his curses. Old Zhong's machinations had put him in an extremely precarious situation.

Now, in the secret realm, Old Chen faced hostility from all sides. Everyone knew about his association with Old Zhong, the notorious duo. With Old Zhong now laying low within the city, Old Chen was left to bear the brunt of everyone's wrath.

In a moment of frustration, Old Chen even contemplated storming into the City of Immortals to confront Old Zhong, questioning his conscience for leaving him in such a dire situation.

Wang Xuan, equally stunned, couldn't help but acknowledge Old Zhong's ruthlessness and the perilous nature of his character.

Meanwhile, it seemed that Old Zhong was under scrutiny from the enforcers, facing interrogation within the City of Immortals.

In the city, the little black fox was chattering non-stop about the incident to Zhao Qinghuan and Wu Yin. "That old codger is the meanest old man I've ever seen, even sneakier than my grandfather!" the fox exclaimed, recounting the events with animated expressions.

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