The Stars Beyond

Chapter 255: Return Of The Transcendents

Wang Xuan, with his spiritual eye, confirmed that the six had perished, their spirit forms reduced to ash. These beings, who had pursued him from the mysterious world, were all beyond the Herb Gathering realm, and their escape could have caused great trouble.

"Do you think just because you followed me here, you can do as you please?" Wang Xuan mused to himself, sitting at the stone table, fiddling with the golden flag. This object was indeed terrifying, living up to its reputation as a legendary weapon of slaughter. He put it away.

"Is this really peach tree bark from the Flat Peach Garden?" he wondered, eyeing the black object on the table. It felt heavy in his hand, emitting a fragrance that reached his spirit, seeming to exist between physical matter and energy. The Flat Peach Garden, believed to be in a higher spiritual world, might not be just a non-physical place after all.

"Hoping it's the bark of a heavenly herb!" Wang Xuan stored it in his fragment of blessed land. Even if it was just bark from the Flat Peach Garden, it might contain some medicinal properties beneficial in the Herb Gathering realm.

The old man had left behind armor specifically for protecting the spirit body, known in ancient times as a Primordial Spirit Armor. Surprisingly lightweight, it seemed to be made of yellow brass but felt almost weightless.

Described in some texts as a special secret copper, this rare material was used to forge spirit armors to protect the primordial spirit. "Interesting," Wang Xuan noted, intrigued by the existence of both spirit forms and physical objects in that world. The secret copper soul armor was extraordinary, offering not just defense but a temporary boost in spiritual power.

"What a fantastic item!" he exclaimed, finding it far superior to his own fragmented dark red armor. Recently, his spirit form had been almost "naked," but now he had a remarkable "garment." Made of rare secret copper, this so-called armor consisted only of a vest and large trousers, leaving his arms, lower legs, and head exposed.

Eager to experience the benefits of the secret copper soul armor, Wang Xuan's spirit left his body. His flight speed increased, and he could travel farther from his physical form. "Really nice!" he nodded, very satisfied.

The silver armors left by the five soldiers were also protective of the soul and could unfold light wings, but they were slightly inferior to the secret copper soul armor.

Certainly, these were also exceptional transcendent treasures in their own right. Wang Xuan's journey of discovery had brought him significant gains: the three drops of spirit-boosting liquor, the bark from the Flat Peach Tree, the spirit armor, and the experience of a mysterious world.

He speculated that multiple visits might confirm some of his theories. "Igniting the lamp of the spirit to find a path, stepping into such a world!" Wang Xuan pondered this bizarre experience, wondering how he had crossed over. Journeying through the mist rising from the Life Soil, he had entered a strange world where he could bring back both spirit forms and actual physical objects.

"This is far from simple," he mused for a long time. However, he couldn't risk going back just yet, to avoid any further trouble. He harbored various doubts and guesses about that world, regretting not reaching the illuminated city and inadvertently getting involved in a graveyard black market.

"In the dark, silent village, there's no transcendent matter, but that peaceful giant city and the world beyond it must have abundant transcendent factors to support those people's cultivation," Wang Xuan anticipated eagerly, yearning to explore more.

"I wasn't fishing; they insisted on chasing me and following me out," he said to himself.

In the following days, he quietly studied various scriptures, contemplating his future path. Ten days later, he realized his transcendent matter was running low. After spending over two months hidden in the deep forest, he wondered about the outside world and missed the temples and monasteries.

"The so-called decay of the transcendent after three years was already being mentioned a few months ago. Strictly speaking, there are still over two years left," Wang Xuan reminded himself to make the most of the remaining time.

He suspected that in the two months of his absence, the world might have seen significant changes, with various supernatural beings gradually emerging. He longed to stay under the water, hidden from the world, observing the chaos from afar and watching the performances of various factions. Unfortunately, he now found himself short on transcendent matter.

......

Almost three months had passed in the outside world, and indeed, there had been several developments. The transcendent was inching closer, casting faint shadows of myths and legends from history into the present.

In certain financial conglomerates, unspoken changes were happening among the higher echelons. Some became more introspective, others showed unusual expressions, while some bore hidden worries. This unrest stemmed from the occasional disturbances in their secret vaults, where certain artifacts began to glow, revive, and emit faint, mysterious changes.

The most unsettling aspect for them was that key individuals received visits in their sleep, engaging in brief conversations with these visitors. The Sun family, in particular, had been very cautious lately. Some of their members had moved into the mothership, seemingly waiting for something.

On New World, some Daoist temples and ancient monasteries were exceptionally efficacious lately, emitting wisps of mist that irresistibly drew people to offer incense and prayers.

"I was visited in a dream last night too. The person claimed to be our ancestor and said they were sending someone back..." someone said with a grave expression.

People, concerned and anxious, sought advice from professionals. Others, however, remained calm, secretly welcoming the transcendent and engaging in confidential discussions, unafraid even of meeting in dreams.

Recently, divine artifacts had been resonating, ancient temples glowing – these phenomena were no longer surprising. It seemed as if transcendent forces were intertwining and interfering with the real world.

Old Chen had been particularly busy. As a senior expert in the field, he was constantly being invited by various families to address their transcendent issues. For instance, an ancient painting in a family's mansion was suspected of coming to life at night, with a woman seemingly stepping out of it to sing and dance – a hair-raising scenario. Old Chen, as a transcendent specialist, was quickly summoned to investigate and analyze the situation.

In another case, a newborn in a core member's family of a major organization was unnaturally precocious, prompting a consultation with Old Chen.

The Sun family had lately been too preoccupied to focus on him. After Zhou Chong's aggressive invasion, they were shaken and now accumulating strength. Collaborating closely with the Argon Consortium, they were developing new warships.

"Did our great-grandfather really wake up? I feel like he moved. One night, I thought I saw light coming from his room," Cheng Cheng muttered.

He sighed, "It's a pity about Old Wang. If he hadn't been blown up by those damned Suns, we could have asked him to check this out."

Cheng Qing, pure and beautiful, said, "Wang Xuan might not necessarily be dead. Look at Chen Yongjie; he's not rushing to seek revenge against the Sun family, which could indicate something."

By September on New World, the brother and sister had started their school term. Although they hadn't graduated yet, they were spending most of their time at home due to a sense of unease.

"But he's been missing for almost three months now. Even the Sun family has confirmed his death. Sun Yichen let slip at the last gathering, after having too much to drink, sneeringly telling us that Wang Xuan was utterly annihilated."

He added, with a sigh, "Old Wang, I'm sorry. I still owe you a scripture. Next time, I’ll burn a real photo album for you."

Following this, he was promptly 'educated' by Cheng Qing!

Lately, the Huang family had been very active, considering themselves the orthodox lineage of the Old World. It was said that in ancient times, several members of their family had ascended to immortality. Being a family with secret traditions, they indeed possessed numerous ancient artifacts that had survived to this era. Recently, some of these objects had started to revive, boosting their confidence.

Even mysterious voices had begun to converse with the elders of the family!

"Our ancestors are manifesting and will soon return!" an elder said, barely containing his excitement. In the ancestral hall of the Huang family, mystical substances were pervading, and abnormal phenomena were occurring.

"Practicing in the ancestral hall is incredibly effective, almost like returning to the ancient transcendent era described in our family records. I... am about to make a breakthrough!"

Members of the Huang family were astonished. Recently, the atmosphere for cultivation had intensified, and everyone was working hard.

"It reminds me, back in the day, a bunch of powerful individuals followed the financial conglomerates into deep space and never returned. It's such a pity. Lately, I've heard that some are trying to bring them back. I hope they're still alive. After all, several of our family's experts were among them!"

In recent times, other Old World families had experienced similar anomalies.

In the city of Su, Qin Cheng was brimming with confidence at Kaiyuan University, gearing up for his impending duel against a disciple from the Huang family. He reassured Professor Lin, his mentor, "Professor, I'll avenge you for that punch hole they left on your chest. Don't worry, I won't bully them. I'll just sweep them away fairly and squarely!" He then sighed, adding, "Old Wang, are you really gone? I hope you're still out there..."

Professor Lin responded with a weary sigh, "Let the past be the past. Just ensure it's a fair fight this time, and be mindful of the limits. I do hope Wang Xuan is safe. With the resurgence of the transcendent, it could have been a great opportunity for him..."

Indeed, even three months later, Wang Xuan was still a topic of conversation, not just among acquaintances but on secret networks and various platforms. "There are all these supernatural events happening recently, it's like myths are coming to life again. But it's a pity about the Sword Immortal. He passed away too soon," someone lamented.

Another added, "It seems other transcendent beings are starting to make their presence felt. A new era is upon us, but we won't get to see the Sword Immortal's flying sword soaring through the skies anymore."

In the meantime, two spacecrafts returned from the depths of space, brought back by the Sun family, creating a sensation. Learning of this, the major financial conglomerates started to mobilize, sending their own ships and fleets into deep space.

Simultaneously, rumors of mythical beings began to circulate. One person claimed to have seen a fox spirit, a white fox transforming into a beautiful woman emerging from ancient ruins. Another reported sighting a person emerge from the bottom of a lake and disappearing in a flash.

Old Chen, upon hearing these tales, sighed deeply, "The world of humans is about to undergo a monumental change..."

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