The Stars Beyond

Chapter 531: Boon Or Disaster?

In an era where the decay of Immortal Dao and the waning of Transcendence was apparent. It was astonishing to encounter such a formidable being who had truly surpassed an Earth Immortal. His spirit shone so brightly it could illuminate the void, and his vitality surged like a tsunami! Wang Xuan's heart sank. He knew that today's situation was precarious. From a standpoint of sheer power, he was no match for his opponent. Even though his spiritual third eye remained fixed on the man, trying to penetrate his essence, it was thwarted by the brilliance of the man’s spirit, as radiant as the sun—a phenomenon he had never encountered before.

The spirit’s light was so overwhelming that it blocked his vision, an unheard feat! Although his third eye was obstructed, Wang Xuan still gleaned something valuable; he sensed a familiar quality in this man. Jiang Qingyao stood next to him, her expression grave. Both her hands gripped the Purple Dawn Sword, standing shoulder to shoulder with Wang Xuan against this unprecedented foe, their figures illuminated by a soft purple glow.

“Is this the special essence that the evil spirit inside Qi Tian craved so much? I'm disappointed. Should I give up or should I analyze and study it further?” the man mused to himself.

He was tall and lean, not particularly muscular, but with a commanding presence. Appearing to be in his thirties, he was handsome yet carried an air of detachment, his eyes flashing like lightning. The Ascension Banner, now in his possession, spontaneously sprinkled celestial mists, blending naturally with him as if they were one, transforming his very stand into a celestial ground.

Wang Xuan spoke, "We have no quarrels or grievances. We are both fallen beings in a fading era of the extraordinary, both unable to see a way forward. There’s no need for bloodshed or conflict. If you are interested in the special nature of the Inner Landscapes, we can sit and discuss it. I withhold no secrets."

“I take what I want on my own; there's no need for discussions,” the man replied sternly, his demeanor unyielding. “While I sense a tinge of decay in your flesh, spirit, and Inner Landscapes, which indeed fits this age, I still feel there are secrets within you worth exploring. My instincts tell me to dig deeper.”

His gaze locked on Wang Xuan, trusting his instincts, he added, “Perhaps I could try the techniques of that evil spirit inside Qi Tian.”

Hearing him refer to the evil spirit as such, Wang Xuan realized that this man was likely not a fallen evil spirit himself.

“Could you be...” As he gazed at the man, Wang Xuan's suspicions deepened, sensing that they might share similar traits. Could this man also possess a unique Inner Landscape? If so, his identity was startling, sending shockwaves through Wang Xuan's very core. In this mythological era, the records were clear: before Wang Xuan, only three individuals had ever opened their special Inner Landscapes during their mortal phases. The implications were staggering—could it really be that one of the ancients had returned after millennia?

"Could he be the foremost among Immortals?" Jiang Qingyao, too, was taken aback, her eyes wide with disbelief. Earlier today, they had witnessed the true celestial lord Qi Tian, overtaken by an evil spirit, and now they faced another figure, potentially even more formidable.

Both found it hard to believe. This was no evil spirit. His vitality surged like an ocean, and his spirit shone so brightly it seemed capable of eclipsing the stars and moon, exuding a divine and holy aura. Was this the fabled first among Immortals, alive from ancient times until today, hidden in the shadows? The thought was terrifying, but Wang Xuan puzzled over something else: why had this first being, upon seeing his kindred Qi Tian consumed by a evil spirit, shown no emotion? No sense of loss or kinship?

This man exhibited no sadness, and moreover, he seemed intent on emulating the evil spirit, keen to analyze and unravel Wang Xuan's unique essence, preparing to strike.

As the man approached, wielding the banner, he took a step that made the sun and moon pale, and the stars tremble. The ground beneath him cracked with numerous dark fissures as he and the celestial banner became one, sending shivers down the spine of even the most formidable beings.

Both Wang Xuan and Jiang Qingyao staggered back from the force of his presence—truly terrifying!

Wang Xuan sighed. His condition was dire; his body battered from the fight with the black evil spirit, with many a bone broken. Now, facing this supremely powerful first being, even he, who never admitted defeat, felt a bitter helplessness. What choice did he have?

"Let her go," Wang Xuan finally spoke, facing his inscrutable opponent. "This is between you and me. Whatever the outcome, I am prepared to face it alone." He hoped his adversary would agree to let Jiang Qingyao leave.

"I'll fight alongside you!" Sword Immortal declared resolutely, unwilling to flee alone.

"Let's see if you're worth my time first!" the man stated flatly, his dominance unfaltering as he stepped forward, causing the stars to quake again. With a single hand on the Ascension Banner, he slashed forward.

The simplicity of the strike was deceptive—it was unavoidable due to its incredible speed and the way the laws of the universe seemed to roar into life, binding the cosmos with countless strands of sword light, enveloping everything in a vast aura of celestial energy. Wang Xuan and Sword Immortal had no choice but to meet the attack head-on. They each wielded their treasures, the Elixir Furnace and the Purple Celestial Dao Sword, in a desperate counterstrike.

The collision was cataclysmic, an explosion that shook the heavens. Despite their best efforts, they couldn't withstand the blow. The Ascension Banner struck down, hitting both the Elixir Furnace and the Purple Dawn Sword, fracturing their arms and leaving them bloodied, as they were flung backward, spitting blood. This was a clear demonstration of the vast gap in their powers.

"Not bad, I didn't hold back, and yet you weren't obliterated. There are few in the mortal world who could withstand this much," the man said calmly.

Wang Xuan and Jiang Qingyao fixed their gaze on his effortless wielding of the Ascension Banner as if it were a sword—was this his way of mastering the artifact?

......

In the vastness of space, aboard a starship, Fang Yuzhu, the Shadow Couple, the ancestors from the Superlative Palace and the Hook Chen Imperial Palace, along with the strong from both the Buddhist and Taoist factions, and three individuals who had emerged from the Life Pool, all wielding their respective divine relics, successfully restrained the frenzied Shang Yi from escaping.

“A union of five divine relics might just construct a mirror of light, revealing the source of the disturbances caused by the other two relics,” a Buddhist ascetic suggested.

With a resonant hum, the five divine relics shone brightly, forming a temporal-spatial mirror of light while simultaneously intimidating Shang Yi, urging him to behave.

Indeed, with so many transcendent beings collaborating, the five relics succeeded, though the images produced were slightly blurred.

“What?” someone gasped, pupils contracting as they stared at the figure wielding the Ascension Banner in the cosmic void, disbelief coloring their features.

“How can it be him? How many years have passed? He's been dead for over five thousand years at least, right?” even the mother of the Demon Lord was taken aback.

Apart from Shang Yi, none had lived through that ancient era, but the image of this "First Being" had been vaguely passed down through crumbling portraits. The superlative beings present, whether Fang Yuzhu, the ascetic monk, or the parents of the Demon Lord, had all seen those tattered images at some point.

Therefore, some recognized him at first glance.

All eyes turned to Shang Yi, watching for his reaction. The once subdued madman would surely confirm if this was indeed the reappearance of the First Being.

"It's him. I never thought he’d still be among the living. No wonder," Shang Yi said gravely, his expression solemn. "I often felt as if someone from afar had once watched over me. It turns out it was him!"

Hearing this, the superlative beings around him were deeply shaken. The First Being had not died? Living from at least six or seven thousand years ago, how powerful must he have become? And yet, he had always been in hiding, unsettling everyone with the mystery of his silence.

“You haven’t told us the truth!” Fang Yuzhu accused, staring at the figure in the mirror and then back at Shang Yi. “That man is actually you!”

“Look at how he holds the Ascension Banner, exactly as one would hold the Mortal Sword, his mastery of the supreme sword arts unmistakable,” the mother of the Demon Lord added.

“No wonder you wanted to leave, afraid your secrets would be exposed. You never anticipated that the gathering of relics could reveal the truth here.”

“Madman, if you dare harm Wang Xuan, I will not rest until you are dead!” the father of the Demon Lord declared icily, his gaze locked fiercely on Shang Yi.

......

In the depths of the cosmos, Wang Xuan wiped the blood from his lips, his gaze fixed on the so-called First Being. The style of swordsmanship, the invisible domineering posture, and the essence—all bore a striking resemblance to the Sword Madman. Wang Xuan and Jiang Qingyao had studied his sword scriptures and witnessed the Sword Madman's combat stance in the realm of the immortals. Every gesture and the supreme essence of his swordplay matched perfectly.

"Could it be that this ancient First Being and he are the same person?" Wang Xuan pondered. "No, it’s more likely that he obtained the body of the First Being and cultivated it into a fleshly body nearly as powerful as his own real body!"

In an instant, Wang Xuan and Jiang Qingyao conjured numerous speculations. The many bloody events of ancient times and the discrepancies in the records now seemed suspect! Wang Xuan felt a chill run down his spine. Whether this man was the First Being or Shang Yi, he belonged to a class of supreme beings from six or seven thousand years ago. In the present age, apart from Fang Yuzhu, no one could contend with him. Wang Xuan’s condition was dire. His bones were broken, his organs ruptured. Even forcing out the three specks of light had not been enough to withstand this man’s power.

For the first time, he felt utterly powerless and even a touch of despair. It wasn't that he lacked the will to fight, but rather that his current level of cultivation simply could not match his opponent's. No wonder the Ascension Banner could blast the lid off the Life Furnace and escape; the fan had clearly been consecrated and mastered over many years.

This confirmed some of Wang Xuan’s suspicions. The Sword Madman, aside from mastering the Mortal Sword, had likely refined other divine relics, now proven! Whether it was Heng Jun, figures from even earlier eras, the ancestors of the Superlative Palace, or "Qi Tian," they were merely passing users of the Ascension Banner. Its true master was Shang Yi! Many had doubted this before, reasoning that even the most powerful individuals could only fully master one divine relic at most due to the limits of human capacity.

However, Shang Yi, having obtained the corporeal body of the First Being, essentially recreated a version of himself, every bit as formidable as his own original form. Given his strength and the extensive time he had lived—he hailed from an era six or seven thousand years prior in the lands of immortal cultivation—he could accomplish this feat.

Wang Xuan and Jiang Qingyao were tumultuous with realizations, making sense of many things, yet they opted for silence, choosing not to provoke this formidable madman.

Historically, it was well-documented that the Mad Shang Yi repeatedly challenged the First Being and never won; at best, he managed a draw. Yet, the First Being never killed him. With the passage of such extensive time, it was hard to know the First Being's details, but he was certainly not a bloodthirsty man. His character was sound; otherwise, being repeatedly challenged and victorious, a cruel and bloodthirsty person would have slain the madman long ago.

Now, however, Shang Yi had cultivated the First Being's fleshly body into his strongest avatar, a stark contrast that laid bare the Sword Madman's ruthless nature.

If it were Wang Xuan, he felt he would have given the First Being a respectful burial.

"Let her go, please. This really has nothing to do with her," Wang Xuan spoke up, not out of a lack of fighting spirit, but from a place of calm after realizing he truly had no power to withstand this formidable foe. Hot-headedness would be futile.

Jiang Qingyao was about to interject but was cut off by Wang Xuan, who telepathically whispered, "Don't argue with me. Surviving is what's most important. What can you change by staying? I no longer have the strength to fight, and you're not in good shape either. Let's calm down for now."

Who doesn't understand the reason? It's just that some hurdles in the heart are too hard to overcome," Jiang Qingyao declared, "How will we know unless we try?"

The man before them, whose strength appeared no less formidable than Shang Yi's true self and who was indeed the real Shang Yi, glanced at the Sword Immortal and said, "You've seen my Sword Scripture at my retreat, the Qixia Plateau. Stand aside for now."

He then gazed down at Wang Xuan, approaching step by step, and said, "As for you, I think it best to absorb your essence and see the results. After all, this body of mine is akin to yours; it should prove beneficial to me."

With a thud, he wielded the Feathered Fan as if it were a long sword, slashing downwards. Supreme sword light cascaded, tearing through the cosmic void.

With a resounding crash, the Life Furnace erupted in terrifying roars, brilliant immortal light surged, and shards of laws scattered across the heavens like stars, yet they could not halt Shang Yi.

Wang Xuan's arms fractured inch by inch, his flesh tore open, and he could no longer grasp the furnace. The sacred artifact was flung away, his entire body began to crack open, and his blood stained the starry sky.

It wasn't that he wasn't strong enough; it was that he faced a being of divine, sacred, and ferocious power, far beyond normal comprehension. Six or seven thousand years of cultivation could not be fully suppressed in this world.

This was, after all, the body of the first person to carve out a special internal landscape, supremely powerful and unmatched, now combined with Shang Yi's spirit, nearly rendering him invincible among mortals.