The Stars Beyond

Chapter 501: A Defenseless Heart

"What relationship?" Wang Xuan was taken aback. Normally, he wouldn't get caught up in such a question. No matter how he responded, it wouldn't be appropriate. The key was to avoid getting trapped in this question.

But now, he drank more than anyone else. Everyone had clinked glasses with him. This was the liquor brought back from the immortal real. It was infused with various divine herbs and spiritual substances, leaving him thoroughly intoxicated.

"Maiden Qingyao... She's a very good person," Wang Xuan said.

Goddess Zhao’s usual cool demeanor was nowhere to be found as she was clearly intoxicated. She suddenly burst out in laughter upon hearing this, her flushed face showed a hint of coquettishness as she tucked her hair behind her ears, saying, "You...friendzoned the maiden?"

Jiang Qingyao's expression immediately darkened. By now, she knew what that meant. Who could possibly friendzone her? The Celestial Sword Maiden was proud and she couldn’t allow it!

"No, how could that be? It's two different things, it’s not like that," said Wang Xuan, shaking his head, trying to sober himself up. "I mean, it's true that Qingyao is really nice. She’s not only ethereal but also kind-hearted."

The wine was talking for Wang Xuan, these weren't just empty words. He vividly remembered how, before heading to the New World, the Celestial Sword Maiden had appeared in his dream, asking him to bury the True Bone under the ruins of the deserted mountain Daoist temple. She also told him to scrape off the black powder from the immortal bone, saying it could save his life.

At first, he didn't know what it was. It wasn't until he arrived at the New World and fought against the monsters that he realized that the vitality of the immortal path was nurtured by the heavenly tribulation. It was the source of life of the Celestial Sword Maiden. It was crucial for a fallen immortal who was trying to revive.

Since then, Wang Xuan had felt that the Celestial Sword Maiden was trustworthy and reliable, with a bright core at the bottom of her heart, reflecting a person's true nature. And knowing that she was about to be guided back, her main body searched hard in the Immortal Realm for Heavenly Herbs to prepare for the possible loss of her origin. So, Wang Xuan had no guard against her. He could stand back to back against enemies, entrusting his life and death to her. He was also the first to guide her back from the Great Veil.

"I trust her and am relaxed. We can support each other on the path of cultivation, sharing life and death," Wang Xuan couldn't help but say.

Then, he continued to speak the truth, saying, "Of course, the Celestial Sword Maiden looks youthful and beautiful, just like a Celestial Immortal. But she also has some flaws, she's proud, a bit of a schemer, vain, likes to hear praises..."

Beside him, Jiang Qingyao's face turned completely black. She wasn't drunk and heard it clearly. There was a gleam of killing intent in her eyes as she stared at him. Anything that was unpleasant and not praising her couldn't be allowed to continue!

The miniature version of the Celestial Sword Maiden was also glaring at him, wondering if he was referring to her. She was clenching her fists, ready to fight, regardless of whether she could win or not.

"I'm asking you... how far have you gone with her, what's the relationship?" Zhao Qinghan pursued. She’s not her usual self, no longer so reserved. She was actually focused on this one thing.

Bang!

Younger Qingyao took action, punching Wang Xuan's head, saying, "Who's vain, who's proud, who likes to hear praises?!"

Wang Xuan couldn't take it anymore.

Was this younger Qingyao rebelling?

He immediately grabbed her and then pinched her flushed little face.

In an instant, not only did the younger Qingyao cry out, struggling to break free, even the Celestial Sword Maiden's beautiful eyes glared over with killing intent.

"Jiang Qingyao, I'm you, you're me. Won't you restrain him if he touches me?!" exclaimed younger Qingyao, complaining.

Qin Cheng, Little Fox, and Liu Huai'an were all stunned. Although they had drunk a lot, they still heard it clearly.

The big one and a younger Qingyao were the same person?　

Wu Yin and the Little Fox stopped dancing immediately. Their intoxication faded a bit, as they turned to look.

"One person?!" shouted Zhao Qinghan as she also looked up.

"Drink, share a cup, raise a toast to the moon. There’s three people in front of the mirror." It wasn't even evening yet, and it was clear that Liu Huai'an had drunk too much.

Then, the atmosphere returned, and they clinked glasses again.

"Friendzone him!" The younger Qingyao glanced at the drunk Zhao Qinghan and went up to her, egging her on.

She would remember the grudge after being pinched by Wang Xuan.

"I can’t friendzone him, but are you really... the same person as her?" asked Zhao Qinghan with a graceful sway. She laughed as she held the little one's hand and carefully examined her.

"I am indeed. Here, have another drink. You don't need to praise me. Just tell a bit of Wang Xuan's embarrassing stories, I'd love to hear them." The miniature version of the Celestial Sword Maiden raised her glass again to cheer, she was hardly drunk.

"He's my college classmate. He saved me in the Secret Land and, oh, even kissed me..." Goddess Zhao was indeed drunk, she would never have said such things.

She was still smiling while swirling the crystal-clear wine glass. Looking at the rare liquid brilliance inside, she said, "Here... have another drink."

Qin Cheng, whose head was heavy, rubbed his forehead. So the goddess had this side to her too. He really wanted to capture her adorable appearance as she demanded for more drinks. Then, he slightly sobered up.

What happened between old Wang and Zhao Qinghan in secret?　

More sober were Chen Yongjie and Qing Mu... they pretended not to hear anything.

"Uh-oh, Zhao Zhao, you're done for! I heard it, I'm going to take pictures and record it. I'll show it to you and let you listen to it tomorrow," shouted Wu Yin.

Then, she sobered up slightly. She walked over while swaying her proud figure, glaring at Wang Xuan, and said, "What...did you do?"

Wang Xuan's head was pounding from the drink. He remembered that it was Zhao Qinghan who kissed him first in the Secret Land, and he just returned the gesture twofold, but now it seemed like he couldn't explain it clearly.

After returning from the Secret Land, his ambiguous relationship with Zhao Qinghan seemed to have cooled down. He hadn't said anything all along, but hearing these things today felt strange.

"Such fragrant wine, such unique delicacies. What's wrong with your restaurant? You have good stuff but you're not serving it to us. I've said it before, I’m hosting honored guests, and you're just brushing me off like this?" A voice came from outside the room.

The door of the private room wasn't closed tightly, and someone passing by caught a whiff of the intoxicating fragrance of the wine and saw the table full of specialty dishes. He immediately became dissatisfied and vented his anger at the restaurant staff.

"Uh, this.., it's not provided by us, they brought it themselves. After ordering food and drinks, they replaced it with their own." The restaurant manager came over personally to apologize with a smile.

That person was very domineering, he pushed open the door of the private room and barged in. He had thick golden hair, a tall figure, and a full face of stubble. He was a very strong cultivator that was full of vigor and vitality, with no pretense.

"There must be some among you who have returned from the Immortal Realm, right? The ingredients brought back are really good and are worthy of being called delicacies. It seems like they have quite a background," said the person with golden hair.

His eyes were sharp, and he immediately knew that these ingredients were not something ordinary establishments could obtain, and that the wine was equally rare.

"It’s our fate to have met today. I have some distinguished guests on my side, and they also have some great background. Can you give me some fine wine and special ingredients?" He smiled and said.

When he saw the purple gourd in Wang Xuan's hand, he couldn't help but stare at it. It was indeed not an ordinary item. At first glance, he recognized it as a treasure of extraordinary value.

"We are also happy to make friends, but the wine is gone, and the ingredients are all on the table." Wang Xuan activated his scripture to clear his head a bit.

Although the other party spoke openly, the blatant intrusion and the faint hint of dominance made him uncomfortable.

Did he really think Roc’s Wing, Phoenix Marrow, Sea God Clam, and Celestial Conch were ordinary items?

Even in the Immortal Realm, they were extremely precious treasures. No one could just casually ask for them.

The golden-haired man smiled and said, "Everyone, I'm giving you an opportunity, giving you a great fortune, to let you meet a true power. Missing it would be a lifetime regret."

Qin Cheng didn't like hearing this. He said, "Who are you, hosting an immortal feast empty handed? Do you know what these ingredients are? You’re able to offer us fortune and opportunities, then why are you asking us for rare delicacies and exquisite wine?"

"A great power? Is that fake?" Qing Mu was even more direct. Who dared to call themselves a great power in the mortal realm? In the private room, there was a godslayer and a peerless fairy. How much courage does it take one to claim to be a great power?

The Little Fox looked at him with suspicion and said, "Is he a foreign trickster here to deceive people for food and drink?"

"Huh. I’m of the Orc tribe. Don't talk nonsense, little one. A great power involves the fate of creation, it’s not something you can judge," said the golden-haired man with sharp eyes.

"You better leave, you’re welcome here," said the Little Fox as she snapped her fingers, and a clear light shot out, trying to send him away.

However, with a loud bang, thunder rang out, and the man's fist shattered the clear light, showing his formidable strength. He was still at the Ninth Stage even in the twilight of the mythical era. He took a big step forward, causing the Little Fox to stagger back. She almost fell on her butt, but she was supported by younger Qingyao.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly changed and became cold instantly. The golden-haired man was originally very domineering and full of vigor, but he suddenly felt something was wrong. None of the people here seemed to be afraid of him.

Especially after he displayed his strength, instead of being afraid, the people across from him looked down on him. Instead of a flock of sheep, he suddenly felt like he had fallen into a tiger's den. His whole body was cold and was almost trembling.

He noticed that the aura emanating from the man and woman in front of him actually made him tremble with intense uneasiness.

"Everyone, there's been a misunderstanding. I apologize for my impulsiveness. We have three ancestors descending on our side, and I was a little anxious. This happened because I was afraid of being inhospitable. Please forgive me," said the golden-haired man. He was very quick to explain because he was truly horrified and didn't want to suffer losses here. He decided to leave first and explain later.

With a bang, he was kicked out by the miniature version of the Celestial Sword Maiden, and he couldn't dodge at all. He flew out from the open door of the private room.

The golden-haired man fell to the ground in embarrassment, got up, and left without daring to say anything threatening.

"Qing Qing, you're amazing!" exclaimed Little Fox, praising her immediately.

"My name is Qingyao, you silly sweet thing!" replied younger Qingyao. She corrected her as she was dissatisfied with being called the wrong name.

"It's interesting, some foreign gods have come and they are quite strong. No wonder the golden-haired man was so confident and self-assured," said Wang Xuan with surprise.

He wouldn't casually use his spiritual eye in the city, but now, he immediately noticed something unusual with a quick scan. Obviously, the Celestial Sword Maiden had also sensed it long ago.

In the mortal world, strong individuals would conceal their aura to avoid disturbing ordinary people. Now, the people in the distant private room had also noticed them. They were emitting strong vitality and transcendent fluctuations. Finally, those people came over together.

"The Old World is really extraordinary. Anyone here can injure my disciples with just one move. It's truly a gathering of hidden dragons and crouching tigers," someone said, pushing open the door.

There was no doubt that these people who came were very self-assured. In fact, now they emitted the aura of gods and were all enveloped in divine light. Ordinary transcendents couldn't resist, and might even involuntarily bow their heads, feeling suppressed and kneeling on the ground.

"Three mighty gods of the same level as a peerless transcendent have suddenly appeared in the Old World." Although Wang Xuan was fearless, he was somewhat surprised.

Why did these people come? Did they come from the Land of the Undying by spaceship?

The three leaders were covered in splendid divine light. They were all mighty gods of the Great Barrier. In addition to them, there was also a Demon Saint and a Celestial Immortal by their side. They were Quasi-supreme experts from the Land of Immortal that were accompanying the foreign gods.

The Demon Saint and the Celestial Immortal were both at the Ninth Stage of Ascension Realm, second only to the peerless transcendent from the immortal realm. They were unexpectedly friends with those three great powerhouses.

Recognizing the Celestial Sword Maiden, the Demon Saint’s expression changed slightly, but soon calmed down because they had three peerless transcendent level gods here.

"She is Jiang Qingyao, known as the strongest genius in recent antiquity, a Quasi-supreme expert." The Demon Saint whispered, informing the three great gods.

He didn't know that the Celestial Sword Maiden had already broken through the shackles and become one of the peerless transcendent, and had even consecutively broken through several minor barriers.

"You guys are very confident, not even rising to greet the mighty gods," the former golden-haired man sneered, he was now completely unafraid.

"You guys have quite an attitude even with three great powers present. Where’s your respect for the gods?!" a gray-haired person spoke out, rebuking them.

"My ass!" The younger Qingyao sneered disdainfully. She was least susceptible to this kind of nonsense. Weren't they just foreign people of the Quasi-supreme level? How dare they come here to show off and scold her.

The three mighty gods had brilliant eyes and could see that she and the Celestial Sword Maiden were of the same origin, and should be the same person. One of the gods reached out and was intending to her. Normally, it was easy for mighty gods to deal with Quasi-supreme experts, so he didn't say anything and just took action.

However, his facial expression froze the next moment as he felt a sharp pain in his neck. A powerful hand grabbed his neck and lifted him up. Wang Xuan took action. How could he tolerate their insolence? This group of people was instantly stunned.

What's going on? Where are they? Who is the young man who took down a mighty god in one move?!