The Stars Beyond

Chapter 37: Accompanied By A Celestial Beauty

Wang Xuan felt his hair stand on end. Given his current intuitive instincts, it was virtually impossible for someone to be able to sneak up on him unaware. Even in deep sleep, he should have been able to sense any intrusion. Now, in the dead of night, to wake up in such horror and find a furry creature beside him gave him goosebumps.

Worse still, as he looked down, he found those cold, ghostly eyes already locked onto him. With a high-pitched, gut-wrenching howl that stung his eardrums, the creature screamed. Given the stillness of the late night and the pitch-black darkness of the room, anyone else just waking up from sleep would've been frightened into unconsciousness by such a startling occurrence.

Thwack!

Wasting no time, Wang Xuan swung his hand down in a heavy slap. With the force he currently possessed, not only could he obliterate a face with one slap, but he could probably also crush a skull.

However, the creature was agile. Letting out another cry, it leapt away, displaying a level of nimbleness far exceeding that of a human.

Wang Xuan retracted his hand at the last moment, finally recognizing what the creature was—a large black cat with sleek, shiny fur and glowing green eyes. It was quite big, weighing close to nine pounds, almost as large as a medium-sized dog. How did it get in? Turning on the light to look for clues, he found that a window had not been securely closed. The large black cat had managed to squeeze through the gap.

"Get out. If you dare to come in again, I'll slap you into a pulp," Wang Xuan said as he opened the window to shoo the cat away.

"Meow!" The cat darted out and leapt onto a branch of a large tree extending in front of the window. Before leaving, it let out a piercing meow at Wang Xuan and looked back at him. Its eyes were cold and eerie, and its mouth was slightly open, revealing what looked like a sinister smile.

For a moment, Wang Xuan felt the urge to chase after it and give it a good slap. Something about this cat seemed off. He could feel the malevolence oozing from the creature. What a night this had been—first, the dream about the woman in white with red shoes, weeping tears of blood, and then this chilling scream from a creature in his bed. It was too much. Wang Xuan washed his face and sat down to center himself.

He suspected that this cat was probably related to the woman in his nightmares and might have even been sent by her. It was all too eerie.

"I've said before, when I have the ability, I'll go to the Greater Khingan Range to rescue your physical form. But right now, I'm not qualified to intervene," Wang Xuan spoke aloud, unsure if the other party could hear him, but feeling the need to emphasize and clarify his stance once more.

"Could someone have taken your blood again?" Wang Xuan wondered, growing increasingly suspicious. He had always believed that death was the end, like a lamp being extinguished. But now, in the middle of the night, he was being disturbed by this mysterious woman. She prevented him from sleeping. It was quite unnerving.

Wang Xuan practiced his foundational techniques for a while and then began to visualize the woman. Normally, he would meditate on the visualization of a "Red Makeup Skull," but this time he hypnotized himself to think of her as beautiful and pure, with blood streaks on her face.

If Qing Mu knew about this, he would be impressed by Wang Xuan's audacity. Wang Xuan was so bold that he was able to turn a frightening apparition into a celestial figure in his mind. Having set his visualization, Wang Xuan went straight to sleep. Sure enough, in the middle of the night, the woman with disheveled hair appeared again in his semi-conscious state.

"Ah, you've come?" Wang Xuan greeted her in his dream, before drifting back into sleep.

The woman in disheveled hair seemed to pause for a moment, but she continued to approach him. With red shoes on, her pale face still had disturbing blood streaks. She was now so close that her face was almost touching Wang Xuan's, as she stared at him intently.

"I get to share my sleep with a celestial beauty?" Thanks to his self-hypnosis and "alternative visualization," Wang Xuan found himself face-to-face with what he now saw as an exquisite beauty in his dream. Rather than being horrified this time, he felt that her eyes were incredibly tender. Without thinking, he reached out to touch her face. The mysterious woman almost exploded with fury. She did not expect him to be delighted to see her appearance, and was even reaching out for her.

"Boom!"

A bolt of thunder came crashing down, brilliantly white like a fallen starry river, echoing through Wang Xuan's consciousness. The deafening sound awoke him with a start. What’s going on? Was there a thunderstorm outside? He pulled back the curtains and saw a sky filled with moonlight and twinkling stars; there was no sign of a thunderstorm.

Upon reflection, he realized that the woman had used a bolt of thunder in his subconscious to wake him up. Wang Xuan looked down at his right hand; it felt like he had touched a face that was smooth, delicate, and elastic, but no blood was left behind.

He had gained some understanding. No matter how extraordinarily beautiful and powerful she had been in her prime as a Early Qin practitioner, she had still met her end. At least at this stage, she couldn't interfere with the world directly; she could only act through dreams and unleash some of her extraordinary abilities within the depths of his subconscious.

Wang Xuan once again steadied his mind for meditation. He not only imagined the female practitioner with blood on her face as a celestial fairy but also transformed the glaring thunderbolts into ethereal celestial music. Additionally, he added various sceneries and adorned them with poetic verses and dances.

He then dove back into sleep, hoping to last until dawn this time.

The female practitioner appeared more quickly than he had expected. He had barely fallen asleep when she manifested, her white robes billowing, feet not touching the ground. This time she kept her distance, her palm beginning to glow with imminent power.

However, as the thunderbolts drew near with a rumbling noise, the scenery surrounding Wang Xuan and the female practitioner changed. In an instant, an atmosphere of music and dance filled the air, petals fluttered down, and the sky was filled with a fragrant aroma. Amidst the barely visible flashes of thunder, translucent petals began to fall continuously from the void.

Nearby, women started to dance, musicians played zithers and guzheng, hermits recited sacred texts, and voices sang: "Delicate clouds artfully float, flying stars spread sorrow, the Milky Way subtly stretches across the sky. When golden winds and jade dews meet, they eclipse countless encounters in the mortal world..."

The female practitioner was momentarily stunned. Her palm still glowed, but she refrained from unleashing the energy. Her focus wavered as she watched the dances and heard the songs of this later world, her mind becoming fuzzy in the midst of the musical setting.

Her gaze soon regained its clarity, indicating she was well aware that this whole setting was orchestrated by Wang Xuan, who had pre-configured every aspect of the dream landscape. She understood that she was in his home field.

She floated over to where Wang Xuan lay and looked down at him. Her palm glowed, suggesting the impending presence of thunderbolts.

"You're back?" Wang Xuan, still in the realm of dreams, continued to perceive her as a celestial beauty. Even though this was a subconscious action on his part, the arena was his to control. His thoughts and feelings materialized almost instantly. Delighted at the sight of a celestial being, he grabbed one of her delicate hands.

Boom!

The thunderbolt in her hand struck him squarely, jolting him awake with a loud scream. He hastily checked his physical condition and then introspectively examined his inner vitality, finding no harm done to either. This reassured him. It appeared that the practitioner could do no more than this. She was unable to harm his body nor was she capable of injuring his spirit.

"Celestial beauty, accompany my sleep!" Wang Xuan proclaimed before drifting off to sleep again. There was nothing to be afraid of now; he considered it an ethereal adventure, a spiritual interaction with a celestial being.

Throughout the night, he did wake up several times, but he had gained a certain sense of assurance, rendering him more composed and unfazed. On the other hand, the practitioner seemed a bit bewildered, and she completely disappeared before dawn.

After the sun had risen, Wang Xuan finished his morning routine and breakfast, then immediately sought out his old colleague. Although he had been calm in his dream, calling for a heavenly fairy to accompany his sleep, he knew he couldn't sustain this night after night. While the practitioner couldn't interfere with the real world, being frequently disrupted in his sleep was still a major nuisance.

His old colleague, who loved peace and quiet, had a secluded courtyard on the outskirts of the city. He was practicing Tai Chi when Wang Xuan arrived.

"Old Chen, we need to come up with a solution. I can't spend every night in my dreams singing and dancing with her. Our paths are fundamentally different; I can't keep meeting her like this."

Wang Xuan didn't dare divulge the details about his inner spiritual realm. He merely mentioned that the female practitioner had sought him out for two consecutive nights, which was already more than enough to handle.

"Greater Khingan is thousands of miles away from here, and she managed to follow you? Moreover, she's been dead for three thousand years, yet she can still create such unpredictable disturbances? She must be extraordinary indeed," Old Chen, formally known as Chen Yongjie, sat down, pondering the matter seriously.

"That's strange. Nothing has happened in the Great Khingan Range’s underground lab yet." Old Chen wondered aloud.

Wang Xuan contemplated, thinking to himself that the matter was likely due to the spiritual energy he had released from the Ascension Stone into his inner spiritual realm. For now, it was following him. Perhaps, once it regained some energy within that realm, it would start to appear in other people's dreams as well.

"Old Chen, could you reach out to your contacts to ask whether they've drawn her blood again recently? And could they possibly pause that for a while? I'm worried that something severe might happen. As you know, she's now capable of intervening in people's subconscious. Who's to say she won't be able to intervene in the real world soon?" Wang Xuan framed the issue as gravely as possible.

"Don't worry. I'll make some inquiries and think of what steps to take next," Old Chen assured him, then left to make a phone call. He returned shortly, nodding his head. "It turns out the underground lab in Greater Khingan has indeed drawn blood from her recently."

"Did you tell them how serious the issue is?" Wang Xuan was hopeful that Old Chen would communicate the project's inherent risks. At the same time, deep down, he also wished to help the female practitioner.

After contemplating for a moment, Old Chen said, "I don't have much sway over them. How about this: you behave yourself for a while, and I'll give you my upcoming business trip to the New World as an opportunity for you to temporarily evade this issue. Surely she can't follow you all the way to a New World, can she?"

Old Chen quickly added, "It's not a permanent position, don't even think about staying there indefinitely. It's incredibly difficult to get someone sent there these days. It’s just a business trip."

Wang Xuan immediately became alert. Could Old Chen be using this opportunity to transfer him for some mysterious expedition? Ever since Old Chen had given him that book, he had suspected that the old man was laying the groundwork for something.

At the same time, he thought of his classmate Zhao Qinghuan, the 'goddess' of his cohort, and the mesmerizing Li Qingxuan with her charming phoenix eyes from the New World. Both women—or rather, both families—appeared to be assembling expeditionary teams and had tried to recruit him.

People on the New World, ranging from tycoons to life research institutes and various alliances and organizations, seemed increasingly restless. Could it be that they, including the Old Chen standing in front of him, were all eyeing that Immortal Herb?

"You have two choices for your cover while you're there. One is to serve as a bodyguard for a wealthy conglomerate's heiress. The other is to be the driver for a renowned, extraordinarily attractive widow," Old Chen said casually.

Then, with a look of earnest gravity, Old Chen said, "Young man, you have to seize the opportunity. Many renowned explorers who go to Nova don't get chances like this. Although it's just a temporary job for identity concealment, it's something many people would die for."

Wang Xuan's taste for the conversation soured the more he listened. What was this about being a bodyguard for a wealthy heiress or a driver for an attractive, wealthy widow? All sounded eerily familiar. Staring at Old Chen, he said, "Old Chen, you're really going to great lengths to get me to Nova, aren't you?"

"What's wrong? Isn't it good? I'm fully considering your needs here. You're young, skilled in the Old Arts, and highly capable—aren't you the type who would enjoy these kinds of jobs?" Old Chen countered.

Wang Xuan was speechless. Where did Old Chen even get such conclusions? The more Old Chen wanted to send him to Nova, the more he resisted the idea. He was afraid of being involuntarily drawn into unpredictable adventures and becoming cannon fodder.

"Can you just help me with the issue at hand? Stop beating around the bush. My parents wouldn't want me to go far away; going to Nova is out of the question right now."

"Young man, you have to seize the opportunity," Old Chen patted his shoulder and turned to make a phone call.

Later that morning, two elderly monks arrived. They chanted scriptures and sprinkled water over Wang Xuan, fussing around for a good part of the day before finally leaving.

After they left, Wang Xuan finally asked, "What kind of water is this? Why do I feel so dirty after it's been sprinkled on me?"

"It seems they used incense ash from the temple's brass burner, mixed it with water, and then sprinkled it on you," Old Chen told him calmly. "Those two venerable monks from the thousand-year-old temple outside the city only agreed to do this as a favor to me."

Looking down at his gray and grubby clothes, Wang Xuan was speechless. He politely excused himself and left. In the evening, Qing Mu called him to inquire about his potential trip to the New World, offering to advance him an exploratory compensation fund of around 5 million in old currency.

Wang Xuan was instantly thrilled; he'd just graduated and had never seen so much money. With this sum, he could offer his parents some security, even if he left for a while. However, his excitement soon gave way to caution. Old Chen's subtle preparations, followed by this tempting offer, made it clear that there was more to his being sent to the New World. He couldn't just blindly accept the offer.

"Sigh, should I continue looking for the Ascension Stones? I'm already dealing with issues now. If I find more, would that mean even more spectral entities attaching themselves to me? Celestial maidens, monks, female alchemists, Taoist sages, female demons... If they all got together, who knows what would happen!"

Sighing, Wang Xuan knew he couldn't make any rash moves until he resolved the issue with the female Taoist practitioner.

During the night, she did indeed reappear. "Talking to me is useless," Wang Xuan explained, wearied, "I don't have any say right now, I can't interfere with what's happening in the underground testing facility at Daxing'anling. You'd have more luck speaking to Old Chen."

Perhaps the female Taoist was reasonable, or at least open to his argument. In any case, she didn't appear again that night, allowing him to sleep peacefully.

His peace lasted until dawn broke when Old Chen showed up, hammering loudly on his door to wake him prematurely. One look at Old Chen and Wang Xuan found it almost impossible not to burst into laughter. He was a sight to behold. With dark circles under his eyes, which were bloodshot, it was clear that he did not sleep well. But what was truly striking was that he was covered in talisman papers. The calm demeanor he usually maintained was shattered; he looked anything but composed.

"What's the meaning of this? Why is she bothering me now?" Old Chen growled through gritted teeth.

Wang Xuan was surprised. "How should I know? Maybe she's figured out that you have more sway than I do. Why don't you help her out?"

Old Chen cracked a smile so painful it looked like he was about to cry, then turned and left, presumably to figure out how to save himself. It took a good while for Wang Xuan to regain his composure. Had his problem just solved itself? The ups and downs of life were indeed unpredictable.

The next day at work, Wang Xuan noticed Old Chen still had dark circles under his eyes. More intriguingly, Chen was carrying a Bagua symbol on his back. A quick glance revealed he was still plastered with talisman papers under his clothes.

"What's going on, Old Chen?" a colleague inquired.

"I've recently taken an interest in the I-Ching and am exploring it through the Bagua Eight Trigrams," Old Chen responded nonchalantly.

For two straight days, Old Chen looked increasingly haggard. On the third day, he didn't show up at all. Wang Xuan received a call from Qingmu, who got straight to the point: "What did you do to my master?"

"What could I have possibly done to him?" Wang Xuan retorted. "I'm the one who's supposed to be confused. Where did he go today?"

Qingmu sighed, "Old Chen has fled. Early this morning, he hopped on an interstellar ship to New Star, muttering something like, 'There's great terror associated with this young man; this old man needs to get out of here to avoid disaster.'"

"You're kidding!" Wang Xuan was stunned. So, in the end, it was Old Chen who had run off to New Star to escape some calamity. What sort of horrors is he facing in my stead?

It then dawned on Wang Xuan that the 5 million in Old World credits was about to be transferred into his account. With his troubles seemingly behind him, he could probably start looking for a couple more Ascension Stones. His spirits lifted at the thought, feeling refreshed and invigorated.