The Stars Beyond

Chapter 403: The Future Is Unpredictable

In a world where both immortals and demons flaunted their prowess, there was only one figure enduring relentless beatings: Zheng Yuantian. Whoever arrived, they would proudly display their identity as members of the Hades Blood Sect and seize the opportunity to strike at old Zheng. Some took advantage of the chaos, aiming to snatch the ancient demon emperor's blood from Zheng Yuantian's grasp, while others genuinely sought to end his life. In the midst of the struggle for the treasures, they seized the chance to deliver fatal blows.

Zheng Yuantian endured unimaginable pain as the golden scroll crushed him, blood spraying everywhere. His situation was already dire, but he also had to guard against various sinister forces lurking around him.

No one showed mercy; they all attacked ruthlessly. With a sharp sound, someone not only aimed to seize the ancient demon emperor's blood but also sought to absorb his severed arm, stealing his true blood.

Enraged, Zheng Yuantian, who had always been the one devouring others, found himself reduced to mere flesh and blood. His innate blood, which could have regenerated his severed body parts, was now permanently lost.

"Are you all determined to see this through to the bitter end?" he roared. "Fine! I, Zheng Yuantian, will fight to the death. Even if it means total annihilation, I will drag two of you down with me!"

His fury ignited, flames engulfing his entire body as he stood towering into the sky, his colossal form radiating with boiling true blood.

But in this harsh reality, at this level of conflict, no one cared about his threats. A giant hand descended, crashing onto his form, causing two nearby moons in the outer space to explode into debris.

And that was not the end of it. Zheng Yuantian's main body, suppressed by the colossal hand, ruptured, blood flowing like a torrent from his shattered body, an awe-inspiring yet horrifying sight.

Witnessing this, the onlookers were stunned. Zheng, standing on the earth, now towered into the outer space. Although his form was intricately woven with rules, his foundation severely damaged from the relentless onslaught, he was no match for such formidable adversaries.

Almost simultaneously, a beam of sword light flew forth, severing his right hand. Then, with a thunderous punch, someone smashed his head, larger than the moon, into a pulp.

"Has Patriarch Zheng been killed?!" Shock reverberated through the crowd, especially among his disciples who now trembled in fear. These people were mad; they showed no mercy, even towards such an unparalleled powerhouse.

"No, Zheng, the peerless one, has escaped. What you saw was his blood-colored avatar, a mere shell. His true form, carrying the golden scroll, has broken through and left this place," someone with sharp eyes pointed out. At the edge of the sky, Zheng Yuantian's true self sprinted away, spewing fierce words of determination, but ultimately fleeing.

If it weren't for the golden scroll shadowing him every step of the way, people wouldn't have noticed his escape. Zheng Yuantian felt deeply unsettled; he sensed impending danger today. So, filled with murderous intent, he let out a roar... and then turned and ran.

He sensed this place had become a vortex of death, a ground where peril lurked, possibly to entomb him. He trusted his instincts.

Today was too sinister; two treasures appeared consecutively on his turf. As a supreme being with keen perception, he felt an unfathomable connection to them.

Despite his swift escape, people still attempted to intercept him, knowing he was gravely wounded and on the brink of death. Opportunities like this were rare.

Like a predator smelling blood in the water, the underwater behemoth seized the chance, determined not to let it slip. Zheng Yuantian's essence, blood, and bones were all prime materials, capable of refining a substitute body. It was akin to his endeavor to cultivate the ancient demon emperor's physique.

The sky turned blood-red as Zheng, the peerless one, was pulverized by assailants. With a wretched scream, his primordial spirit and the essence of his blood fragmented into thousands of pieces, dispersing into the ground and scattering far and wide.

Undoubtedly, his loss was immense. The remnants of the demon emperor's essence and his true blood were seized, along with the tearing of his own foundation.

As Zheng Yuantian fled, he left behind a significant portion of his vital blood, but his fragmented form fled, causing his cultivation to plummet from the realm of the peerless.

This led to even more dire consequences. As the golden scroll descended to crush him, he could barely resist. Moreover, other peerless powerhouses aimed to eliminate him directly.

The fragmented shards of his soul dispersed once again, carrying the essence of his true blood, which was then collected into a purple gourd harvested from the Mount Buzhou.

"Stop! Anyone who seeks to kill Zheng Yuantian is my enemy. I owe him a debt, and today I must ensure his safety!" Heng Jun shouted, thousands of miles away. He waved his feathered banner, releasing a hazy radiance that halted the golden scroll and repelled three mysterious experts.

"Infinite sky, infinite earth, infinite dharma, by my name Heng Jun..." Heng Jun chanted, invoking an ancient spell. A burst of light enveloped the reappearing Zheng Yuantian, shielding him from disaster.

"Friend Zheng, endure this day, for the sea is vast and allows for boundless leaps," Heng Jun spoke.

Zheng Yuantian nodded, turning to leave. However, he couldn't conceal himself; the golden scroll had locked onto him, destined to persist for another day.

Fortunately, with Heng Jun's ancient spell protecting him, he couldn't be killed temporarily, even in the face of the New Covenant. Most importantly, others refrained from attacking him further.

"Heng Jun, you meddle too much!" Wang Xuan felt strong dissatisfaction. If it weren't for this man's interference, Zheng Yuantian might have perished.

"Nevertheless, Zheng Yuantian will die!" He didn't know the fate of his parents, but since Zheng Yuantian's disciples had acted and casualties occurred, and since Zheng Yuantian had even captured a battleship into the fray, the situation was evidently intense. Not killing him would pose too great a risk.

Taking a deep breath, he temporarily left the vast city. With the golden scroll having a day left, it would serve as a radiant beacon, guiding Zheng Yuantian's whereabouts. On the God's Sky Cliff, lay a vast stone forest devoid of much vegetation. There were towering stone mountains that seemed to pierce the clouds and colossal meteorites, rumored to be fragments of the moon, harvested for rare materials like moon gold.

Wang Xuan had arranged to meet the Sword Immortal here. It wasn't too far from Zheng Yuantian's territory, a flight of about two hours. Frowning, he searched for a long time, eventually spotting a graceful message left by the Sword Immortal's avatar, indicating her presence but also her departure from the immortal realm several days ago.

She went to the higher spiritual realm - the Guanghan Palace, to continue her sword training, vowing to become an unparalleled expert in the near future. She wouldn't leave this time, even when Wang Xuan departed. She had originally intended to look after him, but he neither showed up nor sent any messages. Wang Xuan hadn't anticipated that it would take more than ten days to travel from his current location to Zheng Yuantian's territory. The expanse of the realm was vast.

"Well, it's better to wait until she breaks through to the unparalleled level before leaving!" Wang Xuan turned and left.

Next, he settled down and waited patiently for time to pass. With Zheng Yuantian beaten to a pulp and falling from the unparalleled realm, it was the perfect time to kill him if not for Heng Jun's ancient spell.

"But even if you hold on for another day, you'll still die. Just stay there," Wang Xuan muttered as he studied the map. The location where Zheng Yuantian was waiting for death wasn't too far from Heng Jun's dojo.

With Wang Xuan's current strength, it would take about two days to rush over there. If he used the teleportation techniques comparable to unparalleled experts, it wouldn't take much longer.

He glanced at the magnificent mountain range where Zheng Yuantian was, chaos thunder occasionally striking down upon him as he endured the punishment.

As he estimated the time, he prepared for a third round of 'warmth-giving' activities for Zheng Yuantian. However, he couldn't do it too frequently, lest it arouse suspicion among the unparalleled experts.

"In fact, all parties are probably considering it now. At most, one more round can be arranged. After that, Zheng Yuantian must be killed, and I must leave immediately."

For now, he would use the golden scroll to consume the ancient spell on Zheng Yuantian. The time hadn't come yet.

As expected, the People's Sword escaped. Even Heng Jun couldn't retain it. When the sword energy clashed with the feathered banner, the atmosphere was filled with a terrifying aura, piercing through the stars.

People fell silent. The treasures were too difficult to seize. Heng Jun obtaining the feathered banner left people speechless, showing his extraordinary luck.

In the final period, Wang Xuan gradually experienced the customs and sentiments of the immortal realm. Overall, amidst the beautiful landscapes, there was an air of decay and pessimism among the people.

......

Now, it's widely known that the immortal realm is coming to an end, driving many beings to madness. Chaos has erupted everywhere, lasting for a long time until exhaustion sets in, and many people begin to feel numb and pessimistic.

In a small town, a gloomy atmosphere prevailed.

"Elder Zheng’s dojo has been breached, but my family has surrendered all our spiritual treasures to buy departure slots for me and my sister to leave. We were supposed to enter the mortal realm along with Zheng Xianzu's faction. Now that the massive inter-realm altar has been destroyed, will it be rebuilt?" someone trembled.

It was a young man, his face filled with confusion. His family had sacrificed too much for him and his sister, and now, unexpected changes had arisen.

"Just now, one of Zheng Xianzu's disciples said they wouldn't rebuild the altar. It's not surprising." someone sighed.

The young man's face turned pale. "Can we get the spiritual treasures back? They represent all our savings. If not, even getting half of them back would suffice. I'll go to other sects' dojos and bid for a slot for my sister. I won't leave myself."

"Zheng Xianzu's disciple said they won't return them!" someone said heavily.

...

This was what Wang Xuan witnessed and heard as he passed through a small town. He saw the young man holding his still-underage sister, his face filled with despair.

In fact, this wasn't an isolated case but rather too common. The immortal realm was currently in turmoil, and not all supernaturals could enter the mortal realm.

Those who could purchase departure slots and find ways to enter the mortal world were already considered powerful supernatural families.

"We'll go through the veil ourselves when the immortal realm is about to extinguish. We'll fight to the death for our achievements in the mortal realm. If we die, we'll perish with the immortal realm." someone said.

Wang Xuan couldn't find peace in his heart. The immortal realm, contrary to people's idealized images, was now like the end of the world, filled with mourning and desolation everywhere.

He saw couples embracing and crying bitterly, one side being able to enter the mortal realm while the other couldn't qualify, unable to purchase the escape "slots."

Wang Xuan shook his head vigorously. He could save some people, but he couldn't save this entire realm. If all those supernaturals were to enter the mortal realm, it simply couldn't bear the burden. Those sect leaders weren't heartless but rather unable to take everyone with them; the mortal realm couldn't accommodate them all.

A young couple, destined to part, looked at each other tearfully, feeling helpless and desolate.

"You go to the mortal realm and live well..." the woman choked up before she could finish her sentence.

"I won't go. I'll stay here with you and go nowhere!" the man gritted his teeth, wiping away his tears, determined to stay within the veil.

The woman was both moved and saddened, stopping him and saying, "Don't be foolish. Your family has finally fought for a slot for you."

"Give it to my brother. I'll stay with you!"

......

Wang Xuan felt powerless to save this vast world. How would it evolve? Was it really going to bury all beings? How many lives would be lost? Just thinking about it weighed heavily on his heart, rendering him speechless.

Although the immortal beings sighed and lamented that they were born in the wrong era, that myths were dying, and there was no way forward, they still had the opportunity to enter the mortal realm and live as ordinary people.

But for many lower-tier supernaturals, they were destined to perish along with the immortal realm, without even the chance to survive. They were the ones to be pitied.

"I've always worried that the arrival of mythical figures in the mortal realm would bring endless bloodshed and unimaginable misery to ordinary people. But now, it seems that those terrible things haven't happened. All supernaturals have been restrained." Wang Xuan felt somewhat oppressed. In the end, were the most bitter, helpless, and desolate ones the supernaturals?

Soon, many people would no longer be able to survive, without any chance left.

The supernaturals who entered the mortal realm, when the day came that their supernatural abilities disappeared, their eidetic memory faded, and their various talents were worn down, would they become disadvantaged groups?

And when he thought about the day when those super warships in deep space would return, his emotions fluctuated. He took a deep breath and left the small town.

In the past, he worried about ordinary people being trampled by mythical figures and treated as blood sacrifices. In fact, there were indeed descendants of demonic lineage wreaking havoc in the New Stars, so he vehemently opposed them.

Now, he worried about the supernaturals who would lose everything in the future. Would there come a day when he would have to stand up and defend those former supernaturals?

Overall, he sympathized with the weak and didn't want any special class to oppress and trample on the lower class.

"I don't know what the future holds. Correcting the present will bring endless joys and sorrows, far more cruel than I can imagine." He could only take one step at a time.

Now, he needed to act. He had to kill Zheng Yuan, from whichever angle he looked at it, this man was a disaster, and there was no need to let him live.