The Stars Beyond

Chapter 261: Meeting The Immortals

Wang Xuan was astonished, realizing Chen Yongjie had come prepared, specifically targeting the ancient temple at Zhou’s estate. However, the thought of the lotus pod’s origin excited him too, considering it was a divine seed harvested by Buddha himself from the highest spiritual realm!

He wasn’t sure about the specifics of ancient times, but doubted many at his level could plant such divine seeds in their Life Soil realm. This opportunity wasn't for the newly transcendent; it was a rarity, possibly only for the chosen successors of the greatest immortals.

Wang Xuan frowned, pondering the consequences of vying with Buddha for this chance. With a red-dressed demoness already eyeing him, adding a supreme Buddha to the mix would complicate his life.

Chen sighed, "In this age, we can't afford to be choosy. Everything's decaying and vanishing. It's about surviving on our own terms now. Look at what I'm practicing – the Sixteen-Arhat Body, Sakyamuni's Scriptures, the Bodhisattva Fist. I'm starting to feel like a monk already, but I just got married, so no way can I renounce the world."

Wang Xuan nodded, "If there's truly karma, and you can't handle it, you could always retreat to a monastery and become a future Buddha."

Chen stared at him incredulously, as if Wang Xuan was already setting him up to take the fall. "Try saying that to Guan Lin!" he challenged.

Wang Xuan chuckled, "Let’s not upset Guan Lin. I'm also practicing Sakyamuni's Scriptures. We're all connected by fate." He then shared the complete Sakyamuni scriptures with Chen, curious to see how far Chen could advance in the Buddhist path.

Chen felt conflicted, torn between his suitability for Buddhist practice and the fear of involuntary renunciation. "I'll balance it with other techniques. I’ve even picked out names for my son; I can't become a monk." He then glanced at Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan, feeling Chen's gaze, questioned, "Why are you looking at me like that?" detecting something impure in his look.

......

Elder Zhou, named Zhou Hongbin, eagerly awaited Wang Xuan. After several incidents, he was certain of Wang Xuan's capabilities in extending life; others were merely giving massages.

Wang Xuan, having finished chatting with Chen Yongjie, followed Zhou Hongbin to the ancient temple. Elder Zhou was quite straightforward, bringing out trays laden with various religious artifacts, from demon-subduing maces to Buddhist shrines and scriptures. It was evident that he was a true believer, cherishing these ancient items, not just as cultural relics but with a genuine reverence.

Elder Zhou’s sincerity was clear in the items he presented. Each piece, engraved with runes and exuding a subtle Buddhist aura, was a rare treasure. Among these, a particular bowl stood out as an extraordinary artifact. In the resplendent era of transcendence, such artifacts were considered divine and were powerful weapons in top sects.

Wang Xuan examined them carefully. He hesitated before the bowl and instead turned his attention to a three-foot-long, one-foot-wide silk cloth inscribed with characters he couldn't recognize.

Chen Yongjie also looked at the yellow silk, suspecting its power but unable to decipher it, speculating, "The Six-Syllable Mantra?"

Before making a decision, Wang Xuan first extended Elder Zhou's life. During the process, he infused some of the artifacts with mysterious factors for a closer examination.

"Such a large relic!" exclaimed Chen, surprised.

He saw a relic embedded in a piece of green stone within the temple, crystal clear and perfectly round like a gem. However, even he couldn't perceive the gap leading to the inner landscape.

As Wang Xuan infused Elder Zhou with life-extending energy, he also covered Zhou Yun, who had accompanied them, bestowing benefits upon him as well. Wang Xuan knew that as the era of calm was ending, opportunities to be near true bones or relics were dwindling, and he wanted to help his acquaintances while he could.

He also infused Chen Yongjie's flesh with the mysterious factors since Chen had almost depleted his energy after advancing to the Herb Gathering realm.

When Wang Xuan focused on the yellow silk, infusing it with mysterious factors, it began to emit a Buddhist light, and the characters glowed. He sensed the item's profound nature and decided to choose it over the bowl.

After infusing mysterious factors, Wang Xuan and Chen Yongjie both projected their spirits and hurried to the Zhou family's treasury, eager to discover if the half lotus pod was there.

In the treasury, they found numerous treasures and several extraordinary artifacts, the most prominent being a golden Buddha statue of immense dignity, covered in dense runes. It was a top-tier extraordinary artifact.

Wang Xuan scrutinized it but refrained from touching it, sensing that the golden Buddha was tampered with.

Despite a thorough search, they found no trace of the lotus pod. "There are only a few families with temples; we'll find it eventually!" Chen was not disheartened and remained confident.

Wang Xuan reminded him of another ancient temple on the New Moon. Chen nodded but felt the heavenly medicine seed was likely on New Star.

In the temple, Chen looked dignified in his kasaya. He took out the kasaya and a five-colored feather fan, asking Wang Xuan to replenish them with mysterious factors. Chen had drained these artifacts of their supernatural substances for his cultivation.

When Zhou Hongbin opened his eyes, he was startled to see Chen draped in the kasaya, radiating golden light, wondering where this formidable monk had come from.

After leaving the Zhou residence, Chen parted ways with Wang Xuan, planning to search separately. He intended to visit the Qin family, which possessed the Sakyamuni Scriptures, to check for the lotus pod.

Chen advised Wang Xuan to prioritize visiting families with temples for his "consultations."

Wang Xuan cautioned him, "Be careful and avoid recklessly entering secret treasuries. It seems mysterious beings have occupied the treasure troves of various families. Wear your kasaya for protection against any covert attacks."

......

"Xuan, Professor Lin is about to fight with someone from the Huang family!" Qin Cheng's urgent voice came through the phone, informing Wang Xuan of the situation.

Wang Xuan, seated in a hovering vehicle, had traveled over a thousand miles from the coastal city of Tai City, now only about four hundred miles away from Yu City, where the Huang family resided.

Originally planning to visit the Wu family, he changed his route to head directly to the Huang family, known for upholding the orthodox traditions of ancient martial arts.

"Don't worry, they wouldn't dare to seriously harm him," Wang Xuan assured Qin Cheng, already en route. He was convinced that the Huang family's real intention was to invite him over, and after repeatedly refusing, they resorted to this tactic to compel his appearance.

"What does the Huang family want?" Wang Xuan mused. The family had several individuals who attained immortality in ancient times and were quite powerful during certain eras.

He was aware that mysterious beings were likely watching him and wondered if the Huang family had any ulterior motives. His expression remained calm, ready to measure up against some ancient figures if necessary.

The hovering vehicle sped away, transforming into a streak of light, heading toward Yu City.

"Recently, he's been quite bold, moving around freely without hiding in the city. Isn't he afraid we'll lock onto him from space and hit him with a super-energy cannon?" someone from the Sun family remarked coldly. They had been closely monitoring Wang Xuan, employing various means to track his movements.

Feeling that Wang Xuan was growing increasingly audacious, they wondered if he no longer feared battleship attacks.

"Isn't it that we haven't used battleships against him? More than once," Sun Rongsheng said coldly. "But did he die? Let's just watch for now. I feel something big is about to happen."

For the hovering vehicle, four hundred miles was negligible. When Wang Xuan started to speed up, it didn't take long for him to arrive outside Yu City.

At that moment, in the Huang family, Professor Lin had accepted Huang Jinglin's challenge and stepped into battle.

Qin Cheng viewed Huang Jinglin's challenge as reopening Professor Lin's old wounds, given that it was Huang Jinglin who had pierced the professor's chest years ago. And now, they were to fight again?

"Lin Mengliang, it was regrettable that we fought when you were severely injured by a thermal weapon. Today, seeing you so vigorous, stronger than before, I feel gratified. Let's have a friendly match," Huang Jinglin said.

Boom!

In the arena, thunderous explosions erupted between the two combatants, with forceful punches and palm strikes causing leaves to scatter and burst midair.

During their intense exchange, Professor Lin's palms emitted a faint glow, breaking Huang Jinglin's arm and landing a hit on his chest, though he deliberately held back some of his strength. Otherwise, with his current power, he could have easily pierced through his opponent's chest.

Huang Jinglin, his chest bone shattered, was sent flying backward, continuously spitting blood. He was in disbelief. Was the gap between them really this vast? As a master close to grandmaster level, he would have been a renowned figure in the ancient martial arts domain if not for the emergence of superhumans.

"You... not only have you recovered from your old injuries, but you've also become a grandmaster?" he uttered in frustration.

Indeed, after over three months of recuperation, consuming Earth Immortal Spring water, royal jelly from superhuman bees, and other spiritual medicines, Professor Lin had not only recovered but also made a breakthrough.

The spectators at the exchange meeting were dumbfounded. Many knew about Professor Lin's recovery, but his ascent to grandmaster status was truly astonishing. In the absence of superhumans, he would be considered one of the top masters of this era.

"Hmph!" A cold snort came from Huang Jingfeng, Huang Jinglin's cousin, nearly seventy but with hair still jet black and showing no signs of aging. He was one of those who had been lost in the Blessed Land years ago. After spending over a decade in a superhuman world and consuming various spiritual medicines, he had become a superhuman himself.

As someone who prided themselves on their ancient martial arts heritage, he almost couldn't resist intervening, his face cold as he stepped forward. At a critical moment, his uncle, Huang Xinghai, stopped him, signaling him not to act rashly.

"Hey, Old Wang, where are you? There's bloodshed at the scene. It's not Professor Lin, but he's the one who beat the other guy up, covered in blood," Qin Cheng loudly informed Wang Xuan over the phone, his voice loud enough for others at the meeting to hear.

The crowd was speechless. Although Huang Jinglin had lost, he wasn't in agonizing pain as Qin Cheng described.

Irritated, Huang Jinglin got up from the ground, wanting to throttle Qin Cheng, suspecting that Professor Lin's disciple was deliberately slandering him.

"I'm just outside the Huang family's estate," Wang Xuan informed him.

The Huang family, while not a financial powerhouse, had considerable assets. They couldn't maintain their reputation as an ancient martial arts family without substantial resources.

Everyone present, being cultivators with keen hearing, overheard the conversation between Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng, and were stunned to learn that the recent influential figure, Wang Xuan, had arrived!

"Quick, welcome the Sword Immortal!" Huang Xinghai led the crowd out to greet him with great respect.

The crowd was momentarily dumbstruck upon seeing Wang Xuan. He was surprisingly young. While his combat videos were all over various platforms, they were all blurry, never showing his face clearly. Now, in person, they were shocked to see someone so young already a powerful superhuman.

"Sword Immortal!" many exclaimed, their eyes filled with fervor.

Wang Xuan wanted to correct them—he wasn't a Sword Immortal, as swordsmanship wasn't his forte—but seeing their eager expressions, he chose not to clarify. He smiled and nodded in greeting, then approached Professor Lin and Huang Xinghai.

"Professor, are you alright?" he asked.

The crowd had mixed emotions, marveling at how Professor Lin had mentored such a remarkable disciple in the old land.

"I'm fine, very good," Professor Lin replied with a smile, looking much younger than before, brimming with vitality even though he deliberately dyed his temples white.

"Wang Xuan, you've been invited repeatedly; is there something important?" asked Wang Xuan, looking at Huang Xinghai.

"Indeed, there's an urgent matter. Please, let's talk inside; it's not convenient here," Huang Xinghai responded, his heart tumultuous at the sight of Wang Xuan, a prodigious talent capable of opening inner landscapes, especially in this era of superhuman decay. It was a pity he wasn't a part of the Huang family.

Maintaining composure and with a secret treasure masking his inner thoughts, Huang Xinghai wasn't worried about a superhuman detecting his intentions.

"I'd like to challenge you, superhuman, Sword Immortal!" Huang Jingfeng interjected, eager for a match since returning from the Blessed Land and having heard much about Wang Xuan.

"Huang Jingfeng, stand down!" Huang Xinghai ordered sternly.

"It's fine," Wang Xuan signaled for him to proceed, curious to gauge the strength of someone who had returned from the Blessed Land.

Huang Jingfeng attacked, his fist glowing and emitting blinding lightning. Dozens of light beams intertwined like a spider web, striking towards Wang Xuan.

The crowd gasped in awe. Was this the power of a superhuman? Witnessing such a display of thunderous might at close range was truly astonishing.

Wang Xuan extended his right hand forward, and with a loud boom, all the lightning extinguished, the energy and light collapsing. At the same time, Huang Jingfeng grunted, staggering back with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Was it over already? The onlookers were dumbstruck.

"Let's go," Wang Xuan said, motioning for Huang Xinghai to lead the way. He was quite disappointed with the Huang family's superhuman, who was only at a "weak mist" level of the Mist Realm.

"Please," Huang Xinghai, although shocked, quickly composed himself and led Wang Xuan inside.

He apologized to the crowd, explaining they would not accompany them to the ancestral hall, a crucial area of the Huang family.

Wang Xuan frowned, sensing something amiss as they approached the building. There... a being was awakening! Was this his first encounter with a returned immortal?

Now that he was facing this situation, he had no reason to hesitate. He strode forward, the God Slaying Banner at the ready.

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