The Stars Beyond

Chapter 422: Master Of The Mortal Realm

Wang Xuan felt a tinge of regret, having once harbored dreams of personally wielding the Celestial Furnace to confront supreme treasures and defeat a peerless master. Now, it seemed he might have to rely on the assistance of others.

"Come on!" he shouted, his voice tinged with urgency, but the shadow didn't swoop down immediately.

In the sky, the fluctuations from the treasure were too intense, more awe-inspiring than the furry hand that had once covered the nearly million-populated An City.

The Ascension Banner lit up, piercing into the present world. As it descended, the void shattered, as if returning to the era of creation, turning night into day. The pouring rain instantly evaporated, leaving not a trace, and even the lightning dried up, with the thunder in the clouds seemingly too afraid to burst forth.

This was merely the result of the Ascension Banner extending partially and vibrating slightly, not even a full-force strike. Otherwise, not only would the rain have evaporated, but the cities on the ground would have vaporized, completely erased from existence.

The shadow disappeared, moving away from above An City. Even being as powerful as it was, it avoided a direct confrontation with the Ascension Banner.

Heng Jun stood calmly upon the clouds in the realm of immortals, looking down below, the Ascension Banner in his hand growing larger, swelling in size, but this time without the light tremor, as he tried to track the shadow's whereabouts.

Then, he made his move again, instantly locating the shadow and lightly vibrating the Ascension Banner. With a thunderous sound, the heavens split and the void tore apart, the light so terrifying it seemed capable of destroying the Old World. Fortunately, all this occurred high above.

The shadow moved away in advance, faster than lightning, once again evading the slight tremor of the Ascension Banner. Heng Jun's expression turned icy, filled with intent to kill. The adversary was in the mortal world, while he was in the realm of immortals, unable to effectively lock onto the opponent in the short term. Finally, his lips curled into a cold smirk as the Ascension Banner slowly descended towards An City, instilling fear in many within the city. Was he about to destroy an entire city?

"Those who obstruct me today shall only face death," Heng Jun stated calmly, his voice echoing clearly in the night sky, reaching everyone's ears.

Wang Xuan realized that Heng Jun was using the threat of destroying a city to force the shadow into appearing, a rather malicious strategy. Heng Jun was showing exceptional dominance today.

"A special physical body, you say? Fellow Daoist, feel free to take it. It's just a city, after all. Countless city-states have been destroyed in ancient times; it's nothing significant," spoke a person in a golden robe by Heng Jun's side, his voice cold and merciless.

A shadow appeared, ethereal and transcendent, lacking a physical body yet exuding a sense of detached clarity, floating towards An City amidst lightning. This was the formidable adversary, the terrifying shadow from the previous night, capable of opening Wang Xuan's inner landscape. Now, he had returned.

The person in a golden robe was assisting him, and Heng Jun, by slicing through the veil, was essentially lending a hand. The shadow's ability to wield such power and summon assistance made him seem rather fearsome.

The detached "Enemy Shadow" laughed coldly, filled with confidence. His laughter caused the newly darkened world to shake violently, the heavy rain dissipating into mist.

"Isn't being brought back to life enough for you? You've turned into the very dragon you ought to despise the most, becoming the person you should hate the most. It's truly lamentable," said the man who had directly faced Heng Jun earlier, still a shadow, floating amidst the rain.

"Last night, the two of you hurt me. Today, you either die or flee. Don't meddle, no one can stop my advance!" the Enemy Shadow declared.

He remained ethereal and detached, his shadow becoming slightly clearer, even gaining a sense of three-dimensionality, with his facial features gradually becoming less indistinct.

"Are you planning to stop me?" The Enemy Shadow turned back, smiling faintly. With a step forward, he was almost upon An City, targeting Wang Xuan.

Swipe!

This time, not only the man but also a woman appeared, two shadows standing across the void, blocking the mysterious Enemy Shadow.

"Hehe, then the two of you are going to die!" The man in the golden robe spoke from within the veil, his face still hidden, much like the person who ventured to the heart of the earth, unwilling to reveal his true identity.

He continued, "My old friend merely desires a physical body, that's all. Why make such a fuss? You two supreme beings are stirring up trouble over a mere weak fleshly furnace. Such an intervention."

Heng Jun's Ascension Banner penetrated the mortal realm, hanging over An City. He watched the two figures silently, feeling nearly able to lock onto them.

"Who could survive being struck by such a supreme treasure? I'm confident that a single blow would be sufficient to eliminate two of the most powerful beings!"

"This suggests that while you do seek a special physical body, your actual aim seems to be eliminating us first. We appear to be your primary targets."

"Yet, do you believe that just the three of you can take us down?" The pair, a man and a woman, spoke in succession, exuding firmness. Even faced with formidable enemies and the Ascension Banner, they showed no intention of retreat, standing their ground in the night sky.

Inside An City, all supernatural beings were astounded. Who were these two, and what was their background, to remain so confident in a two-against-three scenario, especially against opponents possessing a supreme treasure?

"My apologies to both of you. While I may have deduced your astonishing origins, my faction still has to assist them in hunting you down, to repay a debt from the past."

At that moment, within the dark rain, a light appeared, revealing a decaying blessed land and a colossal palace. A man sat in the grand palace, half his face rotten and parts of his skull exposed. He spoke with a hint of helplessness but with an underlying threat in his tone.

"Are you the fellow Daoist from the decayed blessed land fragment in the heart of the old earth?" The man among the duo asked, surprised and frowning.

At this juncture, even the top powerhouses deep within the veil trembled upon hearing such dialogue.

"To have lived from the ancient times to this era, leaving behind a physical body in the mortal realm? Incredible endurance, truly remarkable!" someone remarked solemnly.

Many supernatural beings were stunned. The presence of such terrifying individuals lurking in the old earth was indeed horrifying.

"In the current era, where supernatural rules are collapsing, he resides in the heart of the earth yet can project his voice and image thousands of kilometers away to the surface. Such methods, such cultivation level, are indeed spine-chilling!" Even nearly peerless masters felt a shiver down their spine at the thought of such terror.

The supernatural beings in An City felt their scalps tingle upon hearing this. This wasn't occurring in the immortal realm but in the mortal realm, where all laws had vanished. What kind of background did the powerhouse in the heart of the earth's colossal palace possess?

"Thank you, Dao brother!" The person in black robes within the decayed blessed land fragment spoke up, requesting the half-decayed supreme being still lingering in the mortal realm to strike immediately.

"Go, friend Mu," said the man seated in the heart of the giant palace, indicating he was rooted there, unable to leave. "Alright," replied a veiled woman from a dark corner of the palace. Despite her lifeless, desiccated face bearing immense strain in the mortal realm, she rose to act.

The man in the black robe gasped, shocked by the revelation of another living top-tier power, not inferior to him, which was terrifying. He wished to request the seated master to act as well, considering him a top-tier force potentially beyond comparison.

However, the man shook his head, simply stating, "I cannot move."

The black-robed man, showing respect, did not insist further. He bowed politely, wishing, "May you endure the cold winter and see the grass turn green in spring."

He and the woman surnamed Mu, utilizing extraordinary treasures, transformed into streaks of light and rapidly departed from the heart of the earth, covering thousands of kilometers in no time. In the mortal world, not to mention their true strength, just their speed powered by peerless treasures was almost akin to that of an earth immortal!

Soon after, they emerged from the mountains, quickly reaching the outskirts of An City, ready to jointly hunt down the man and woman.

"How about it?" the ethereal "Enemy Shadow" spoke. He had been pursued by the pair the previous night, and now, his old friend had mobilized forces to corner them.

By now, Wang Xuan realized he had overestimated himself. The shadow's primary targets were actually the man and woman, not him. The shadow's goal was clear: to organize forces to kill the powerful pair, eliminating threats in the mortal realm with ruthless efficiency.

Wang Xuan and An City were also under threat, hostages in the game played by the shadow and powerful beings like Heng Jun, to bait the man and woman.

Desperately, Wang Xuan sent mental messages, urging them to come, realizing that without using the treasure, a counterattack or turnaround was extremely difficult, and the situation was dire.

He grew increasingly anxious, the Ascension Banner in his hand fluttering violently as he shook it. Yet, the man and woman did not respond, did not approach him, pushing Wang Xuan to the brink of shouting, "I have the Celestial Furnace!"

"The Ascension Banner has locked onto them!" Heng Jun spoke from above the clouds, his voice cold. The two were indeed powerful, their ability to evade capture impressive. Previously, he could only envelop them generally, unsure if he could hit their true forms in one strike.

Now the scenario had changed. The pair hadn't left, still hovering over An City. How could they avoid the Ascension Banner's targeting?

"I want his physical body; you cannot stop me. Now, you might very well be risking your own lives," the detached shadow declared.

"The preparation is indeed thorough. Three supreme masters of the mortal realm, two from the veil's exit, plus a supreme treasure—it's quite the arrangement," the man among the pair spoke.

With a deep rumble, Heng Jun, having locked onto the two, pressed down the Ascension Banner, ready to strike decisively.

As the Enemy Shadow, the man in the black robe, and the woman surnamed Mu took their positions, blocking every possible escape route for the two supremely powerful beings, the very void trembled lightly. An immense shadow enveloped An City, and with the true might of the Ascension Banner unleashed, the city's fate hung in the balance. Within the city, every supernatural being was on edge, the atmosphere oppressively tense.

"I'm here to claim what's mine, the special physical body. Will you continue to obstruct me?" the ethereal Enemy Shadow asked, his tone a mix of arrogance and coldness.

"Stop!" The woman among the pair of shadows responded with a single, definitive word.

"Then, the two of you can only face death," Heng Jun declared, his voice chillingly cold. Without a supreme treasure, what hope did they have to block him?

Wang Xuan nearly succumbed to frustration, despite his calls, the duo had not descended. Yet, he couldn't openly state his plea since the gathering was comprised of peerless individuals who could easily intercept secretive messages.

"Fellow Daoist, finish them quickly, to prevent any complications," urged the man in golden robes from the realm of immortals, pressing Heng Jun to act.

"Alright!" Heng Jun nodded. Initially cautious, fearing unforeseen issues, he now saw no anomalies and prepared to eliminate the supremely powerful adversaries.

"It seems only the five of you will act. So, it's the treasure you truly rely on. Without it, could you still unite to hunt us?" the man among the pair spoke.

"Too bad, no 'ifs' apply here. Die!" Heng Jun, resolute, pressed down the Ascension Banner, his power terrifying to the extreme.

In An City, the more powerful the supernatural beings, the more acute their discomfort, feeling as though their spiritual souls were about to explode. Many collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed by the force exerted.

"Even with a supreme treasure, you don't dictate the affairs of the mortal world. There are rules, Heng Jun, and you are far from being their master," the woman among the pair spoke.

She, too, was in a shadowy form, quite ethereal, but now, in her hands, she held something real and splendid, embodying terror to its utmost – it was a scroll. She shook it vigorously, causing the heavy rain to evaporate, the dark clouds in the sky to burst apart, and the veil of the immortal realm to shake violently. Heng Jun's Ascension Banner became uncontrollable, attempting to flee from his grasp.

"No!" Heng Jun shouted, his complexion utterly changing as panic sunk in.

"An ancient covenant?!" An exclamation of shock came from a peerless master, utterly astounded.

"Splash!" In the veil, an unknown supreme being took action, a blinding sword light piercing through the realm of immortals. It happened so suddenly that a spray of blood erupted, and one of Heng Jun's arms was severed, falling forward.

From afar, numerous eyes suddenly opened. Previously, no one dared approach Heng Jun as he wielded the Ascension Banner, but now, figures like the Hades Blood Ancestor could no longer restrain themselves!