The Stars Beyond

Chapter 259: The Vault, Taken Over

Beyond the mountain, astonishingly, lay a vast expanse of golden ocean. Massive bubbles, each emitting a spectrum of colors, rose from the sea, encapsulating various creatures within them: enormous azure birds, monstrous beings with human heads and serpentine bodies, and colossal peacocks shrouded in Buddha's light. These creatures matched some of the famed entities from myths.

The bubbles, emerging from the golden waters, floated upward, resembling both mythical and fairy-tale beings. They radiated divine power and an innocence akin to children's stories.

Pop! The bubbles burst before rising too high, and the creatures within them vanished instantly, leaving no trace. This cycle of immense bubbles forming, ascending, and then shattering continued relentlessly in the golden ocean, with the creatures inside struggling futilely before dissolving into mottled streams of light, fading into the mysterious sea surface.

Wang Xuan couldn't resist the urge to project his spirit, clutching the God-Slaying Banner to perceive the true nature of these phenomena, rather than just witnessing the ephemeral illusion of the bursting bubbles.

He was deeply shocked. The golden ocean emitted intense transcendent radiation, threatening to tear apart his spiritual form. Fortunately, the gentle fluttering of the God-Slaying Banner, with its interwoven patterns, shielded him from the encroaching golden light of the vast sea.

On closer inspection, he noticed the golden ocean was receding, gradually distancing itself from the mountain cliff. The physical world's mountains and forests couldn't contain it. It seemed to be moving through the void, preparing to depart.

Wang Xuan's spirit returned to his body. He boarded his flying boat, attempting to follow the sea, but to his surprise, he could never get close to it.

Eventually, he returned to the top of Hanwu Mountain. Below, the golden sea was fiercely active, continuously producing bubbles. "Is this a sign?" he murmured. "Are myths just illusions, destined to shatter?"

The golden sea slowly drifted away, not rapidly, but it seemed it would take days, perhaps even weeks, to completely vanish into the void.

"What is this?" Wang Xuan wondered. He speculated that he might have inadvertently witnessed a scene similar to Shidi, or perhaps it was Shidi itself. But now, it was departing, fading into nothingness.

In the past, was Hanwu Mountain such a place? Could the dwellings in the mountains be the abodes of ferryman-like guardians?

Finally, from the golden ocean, a creature escaped the bubble, flying into the depths of the golden sea, fading into the distance until it dimmed away. Wang Xuan stood there for a long time, leaving only as the sky darkened.

Two days later, Wang Xuan received numerous calls. His business was bustling, as people realized that while other transcendent beings could invigorate blood and sort through meridians, the ultimate effect was akin to... massage! While beneficial to the body, it did not extend life.

Qian An and Song Yun, however, had undergone stringent medical checks and were astonishingly found to have reversed aging by a couple of years.

Zhong Cheng, in awe, said, "Wang Xuan is defying the heavens, determined to drain these old men of their treasures. But I’m tempted too. I want to chat with Wang Xuan, seek an equal exchange. I want to become a transcendent. Sister, don’t you want to be a fairy too? Once Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin return, they'll surely be like immortals from another world. If you remain a mortal, you'll be left behind."

Zhong Qing's pure and pretty face showed her dilemma. The thought of falling behind Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin bothered her.

"Big sister, I think you should seize the opportunity with Wang Xuan. He’s a good catch – so powerful and gives a sense of security. Though he gets into trouble sometimes, it’s usually just a bit of bombing by a warship, nothing serious. He’s survived several times; he’s not fated to die young."

While Zhong Cheng boasted and his sister prepared to scold him, their father, Zhong Changming, arrived, insisting they invite Wang Xuan over.

Meanwhile, Wang Xuan was in Yong'an City, visiting the Zhao family at Zhao Qinghan’s grandfather’s request. He had chosen this over other invitations.

Three months had passed since Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin entered the secret world. Why hadn’t the old fox in the hidden land sent them back?

Both the Zhao and Wu families had people waiting at the brown star base, hoping for their return from the transcendent planet, but there was no movement.

In the antique room filled with tall rosewood bookshelves and yellowed ancient books and secret texts, Zhao Mingzheng, Zhao Qinghan’s grandfather, smiled at Wang Xuan. “Feel free to browse and take any scriptures or texts that you find useful,” he offered generously, making it difficult for Wang Xuan to exploit the situation.

Wang Xuan smiled and chatted politely with Zhao Mingzheng. Browsing the bookshelves, he indeed found incredibly valuable scriptures, such as the "Lingbao Bi Fa" (Complete Methods of the Spiritual Treasures), "Jindan Qimi Tu" (Golden Elixir Secret Diagrams), "Wu Zhen Pian" (Understanding the Truth), "Lu Zu Jian Jing" (Sword Scripture of Master Lü Dongbin), and "Neidan Shi Mi" (Ten Secrets of the Inner Elixir).

Already possessing the Five-Colored Golden Elixir scripture from Chen Tuan, Wang Xuan was astonished to find the secret texts of Zhongli Quan and Lü Dongbin, effectively completing the Golden Elixir Daoist system. The key classics from several patriarch-level figures were all present, compelling him to focus on studying the Golden Elixir path more closely.

Realizing Zhao Qinghan practiced the old arts to maintain her figure, he noted that these many texts were left untouched, presumably never perused by her.

Wang Xuan also discovered the "Zifu Dao Jing" (Purple Mansion Daoist Scripture) and the "Hunyuan Mi Tu" (Chart of the Primordial Unity), texts of patriarchal significance, which deeply moved him. In the mythological era, any of these scriptures would have incited bloody conflicts among transcendents, yet in this era, Zhao Mingzheng casually displayed them on his bookshelf, allowing Wang Xuan to browse freely.

Wang Xuan couldn't help but marvel at how this unique era was abundant with treasures that would have made ancients envious. Treasures from various historical periods had fallen from the void into this world, shining brilliantly together.

Sadly, in this era, few could cultivate these arts. Wang Xuan, regardless of his ability to practice them, memorized them with his powerful spiritual field for future study.

He was surprised by Zhao Mingzheng's generosity. "These ancient books are mere collectibles here, artifacts. Whatever you like, take it with you," Zhao Qinghan's father, Zhao Zejun, said, inviting Wang Xuan to choose freely.

Wang Xuan thanked them and later went to the Daoist temple the Zhao family had moved from the Old World. There, in the main hall's copper plaque, he indeed found a piece of bone.

Wang Xuan felt that the financial conglomerates of New Star were heavily infiltrated. He suspected that the proposal to rebuild Daoist temples and monasteries over a hundred years ago was deliberate, part of a calculated plan. It seemed too coincidental that all these temples had genuine bones left within them.

He pondered deeply. Could it be that over a hundred years ago, some of the powerful beings among the transcendent immortals were already dividing their spheres of influence? Was this a scheme by some transcendent beings within the great curtain or the doing of a superpower?

He knew that once these true bones completed their flesh and blood reconstruction, and if the three-year period had not yet passed, these places would instantly become holy lands for cultivation, transforming into grand teaching institutions.

The situation in the Zhao family was also quite serious. The true bone there was interwoven with blood and had started growing flesh. Wang Xuan wondered how long it would take for the true form to manifest.

He was tempted to swing the God-Slaying Banner at the slumbering being within that bone to test its effectiveness, curious if it could be destroyed.

He was concerned that the true bones "residing" within various financial conglomerates could be formidable beings, difficult to handle.

In the end, Wang Xuan summoned the mysterious factors, covering both Zhao Mingzheng and Zhao Zejun, generously using the transcendent beings' resources to extend their lives.

Zhao Zejun was overjoyed and excited, feeling a tangible change in his body. Even though he wasn't old, the nourishment from the mysterious factors noticeably strengthened his physical functions.

After leaving the Daoist temple, Zhao Zejun privately informed Wang Xuan that his father had been visited in a dream by a mysterious being. The specifics of their conversation were not disclosed by Zhao Mingzheng.

"I'm a bit worried," Zhao Zejun sighed.

Wang Xuan glanced back at the Daoist temple, pondering whether the bone was self-reviving or if some creature was using it to locate and send dreams through the great curtain.

"Uncle Zhao, there shouldn't be any trouble for now," Wang Xuan reassured. "That being is unlikely to go too far, considering it's quite cunning. If its demands are reasonable, try to accommodate them. If there’s any trouble in the future, I'll come and have a look. Don't worry."

Wang Xuan believed that as long as the dream-sender was not overly arrogant, they would not act rashly. These were beings who had survived the brutal struggles behind the great curtain and were likely to be gentle and even generous to the Zhao family, considering they hadn't yet regained their true form.

Zhao Zejun was taken aback by Wang Xuan's confidence. He wondered how strong this young man truly was.

Wang Xuan did feel confident. Given more time, he believed anything was possible. He even contemplated testing the effects of the God-Slaying Banner on the bone.

Zhao Zejun hesitated before saying, "Come with me. My father has been frequently visiting the secret vault lately. I suspect that a being is directing him to search for something."

Preferring Wang Xuan over the mysterious being, especially knowing his daughter's close association with Wang Xuan in the secret land, Zhao Zejun led him to the treasury.

Stopping at the entrance, Wang Xuan frowned. The sensation here was similar to what he had experienced in the Sun family's vault. It seemed possible that every financial conglomerate's secret vault had been occupied by someone.

Using his exceptional perception and special sight, Wang Xuan noted that although there were powerful treasures here, none compared to the God-Slaying Banner or the Soul-Locking Bell.

After some thought, Wang Xuan decided not to stir up conflict or alarm anyone. He signaled Zhao Zejun to leave the area with him.

"Uncle Zhao, there are indeed some issues there, mainly targeting transcendent beings. It won't affect ordinary people much. For now, act as if you know nothing. If any strange events occur in the future, contact me," Wang Xuan advised.

Zhao Zejun nodded and personally saw Wang Xuan off, watching him disappear into the distance.

Following persistent invitations from Qin Hongyuan, Wang Xuan visited the Qin family and finally completed his reading of the entire Sakyamuni True Scripture. This gave him access to the full text of this significant work.

Soon after, Qin Cheng contacted Wang Xuan to inform him about a recent development. "Wang Xuan, we're now at the Huang family's residence, who claim to be the orthodox practitioners of ancient techniques. We've been attending an old technique exchange meeting for several days, and unexpectedly, the people from Yuntai University brought us here to the Huang family. We couldn't refuse. Here, Professor Lin saw the person who pierced his chest years ago."

Wang Xuan's heart sank momentarily, wondering if the Huang family had intentionally invited Professor Lin and Qin Cheng. He recalled that several old technique families, including the Huang and Yun families, had invited him, but he had politely declined.

Qin Cheng continued, "The Huang family has been very courteous, and there haven't been any incidents. Professor Lin remained calm and didn't dwell on the past. However, the Huang family would like to invite you for an exchange."

"Okay, I understand," Wang Xuan nodded, relieved there were no unpleasant surprises.

In the Huang family's ancestral shrine, amidst thin wisps of white mist, an elder was in a deep slumber, communicating with a mysterious entity in his dream.

"Yes, every time he prolongs someone's life, he enters a Taoist temple, monastery, or shrine," the elder said in the dream.

"Invite him here," a voice echoed through the mists in the elder's dream.

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