The Stars Beyond

Chapter 203: A Brilliant Swan Song

Wang Xuan's heart raced as he realized that the furnace in his Inner Landscape was indeed the real deal, inscribed with the dense ghostly symbols—the so-called "celestial scripts." His emotions had swung from disappointment to exhilaration within moments.

"Where in the Hidden Land is the replica located?" asked a Transcendent, more interested in the replica, assuming the original to be unattainable.

"It's in the external area of the Hidden Land, within the black and white earth platform," the Peacock revealed.

However, it warned, "Even the replica is best left untouched. That area is peculiar, capable of annihilating Transcendents. Approaching it means certain death, even for Earth Immortals, Nourishing Masters, and Ascended beings."

As the Peacock spoke, the crowd fell silent, contemplating the decay of all things and the rarity of even encountering replicas of such treasures.

Atop the altar, the Great Veil displayed several blurry, indistinct artifacts, each a treasure beyond compare. Among them was a sword enveloped in mist, its exposed part gleaming with purity, over a meter in length.

"This is the Mortal World Sword," the Peacock introduced calmly. Its brief description—capable of slicing through the Veil separating the mortal realm from the world of immortals—left everyone in awe. The sword's unparalleled offensive power was evident, and legend had it residing in the mortal world.

"Alas, it's not my sword," lamented Grandmaster Ma, recognizing his own black, overly long sword couldn't be this legendary blade.

The crowd around them remained silent, understanding the futility of coveting such a rarity. After all, these were treasures fought over by the greatest of Celestials, only occasionally revealing themselves across epochs.

......

The emotional turmoil was palpable among the Transcendents as they struggled to grasp the concept of myths decaying and the imminent fading of transcendence. "I can't believe myths are decaying and transcendence is fading away. It doesn't make sense. Why would this happen?" questioned one, visibly shaken by the revelation.

The Peacock calmly explained, "The error lies in assuming myths should exist in the first place. In the more ancient history under the stars, the normal trajectory didn't include transcendence. It was an anomaly in a certain era that activated and drew out various transcendent beings. Now, we are simply witnessing a self-correction of the mortal world, a return to the norm."

Sighing, the Peacock conveyed the harsh reality, acknowledged by the Celestials after thorough research and introspection.

A Transcendent from Heluo Star inquired earnestly, "Elder, could there be an unfathomable force or invisible hands manipulating these events? Is there a bloody and dark conspiracy at play?"

The Peacock firmly dispelled the notion, emphasizing it was merely a natural rectification, where the aberrant spray that reached the heavens was inevitably doomed to shatter and fall.

"Is this the advent of the end times?" asked Zhong Cheng, unable to hold back.

To his surprise, the Peacock disagreed, interpreting the rise and potential fall of transcendence as mere deviations rather than definitive epochs. "You've read too many bizarre tales," it commented, dismissing the idea of an end-time scenario.

Old Chen pondered the situation, asking, "Elder, if myths become history and transcendence fades, might other phenomena or forces emerge?"

The Peacock could only shake its head in uncertainty.

"How long until myths decay and Celestials perish?" another queried, weighed down by the gravity of the situation.

"About three years," the Peacock estimated, hinting at a final surge of transcendence before the complete extinguishing of the Celestial era.

The timeframe stunned many, much shorter than the decades or centuries they had anticipated. The urgency was overwhelming, leaving them scrambling for preparations as they realized the significant figures of power would soon vanish from the world. Their voices trembled with the weight of the impending change.

The concept of myth decaying, with no new era of Earth Immortals emerging, was a bitter pill to swallow. In just three years, Transcendents could become a thing of the past, a mere thought of which was terrifying.

"Why must this be?" they lamented.

"Why does the divine forsake practitioners? We've walked a path fraught with life-and-death challenges, abandoning worldly ties to pursue the transcendental. What was it all for if it ends in emptiness?"

Some couldn't control their emotions, their mentality crumbling under the crushing weight of a severed path of cultivation within three years. The Transcendents felt a cold despair, their hearts filled with hopelessness.

Old Chen, however, viewed things differently. In an era where all was decaying, he was grateful for having come this far. At least he had regained his youth and vigor. He contemplated his future, considering marriage and fatherhood, an attitude quite unique among the gathered Transcendents.

"Still, it's hard not to feel a bit resentful. This era should be ours to define. Why should the decay of the Celestials affect us?" Despite his acceptance, Old Chen too harbored some reluctance.

Wang Xuan was profoundly affected, unable to find peace in his heart. He was particularly sensitive to the three-year timeline, having heard it mentioned multiple times before. Previously baffled by the fixation on this timeframe by figures like the Sword Immortal, Female Taoist, the Ferryman, and the Red-Clothed Demoness, he now understood the criticality of this impending period.

White Peacock remained silent amidst the uproar, arguments, and emotional outbursts of the Transcendents, not intervening or taking a stance.

"Would the Celestials, so powerful, simply await their demise?" Zhong Qing asked, her beautiful eyes shining with curiosity, yet her face remained composed.

"What use is struggling?" White Peacock replied with a shake of its head. "After reigning supreme for so long, they too must fall, decay, and return to the mundane, eventually becoming mere dust in the earth."

Now, with some of the veils of the celestial realms dimming and their extinction unstoppable, everyone present was left deeply shaken and complex in emotion. The once intense arguments subsided into silence. Could the celestials truly face such a bleak fate? And if they couldn't resist, what hope did others have?

Zhong Cheng, who had always aspired to the life of a celestial, found his dreams shattered before they could even begin. "Can't even the most exalted immortals resist? What about the progenitors of Taoism, the founders of Buddhism? Do such supreme beings also turn to dust?" he asked, unable to hide his dismay.

White Peacock corrected him, "There are no such things as 'progenitors' or 'founders'. Do not mistake folklore and legends for the true world of cultivation. Titles like 'founder' are mere honorifics, not realities. In the transcendent world, no one dares claim to be the originator, though certainly, there are some exceptionally powerful immortals."

This revelation distinguished the true transcendent world from the stories and legends they had heard.

Wang Xuan, intrigued, inquired, "Do these mighty immortals have a way to survive?"

White Peacock glanced at Zheng Rui, then back to the veil, and answered, "Some of the mightiest immortals are attempting to escape from the celestial realms, seeking various methods to do so."

This news sent ripples of shock through the gathered transcendants, stirring a wave of murmurs and discussions.

Wang Xuan was astounded at White Peacock's candor in revealing such monumental secrets openly. "But what good will it do? In three years, dust returns to dust, earth to earth, transcendance decays, and all laws cease. Even if they return and start anew, what can they do? Marry, have children, begin a life of ordinariness?"

White Peacock's words weighed heavily, leaving everyone dumbfounded. Could the celestial immortals truly end up as mere mortals?

Continuing, White Peacock posed a thought-provoking scenario, "Imagine once exalted female immortals, reborn and ordinary, how would they survive in today's world? Perhaps they will just become wives and mothers. Is that what they would want?"

The crowd was stunned, speechless, lost in thought, contemplating these images and pondering the future.

White Peacock spoke solemnly, "A candle flickers brightest just before it goes out. Similarly, as the era of transcendence nears its end, there will be a final burst of brilliance, much like the surging energies we're experiencing in the Hidden Land now. But this will be the last radiance, the final echo."

"Once the immortals turn to dust, the masters of longevity fade away, and the earth immortals decay, what will remain in this world? Will there be no more cultivators in the future?" an elderly transcendent asked in a voice filled with desolation, sensing the end of the road.

Old Chen inquired, "If some celestials manage to escape back, would they be stronger and live longer than ordinary transcendants?"

White Peacock replied, "Not necessarily. Those who once soared high may find their fall all the more catastrophic. Hence, some of the mightiest immortals are now trying to escape back with a portion of their power, prioritizing survival over everything else."

Wang Xuan pondered; time seemed to be on his side. The early return of the red-dressed demoness and the various contingencies of the ancient female immortal were due to their sense of urgency to escape back to the mortal world.

Imagining the future scenarios, Wang Xuan considered the possibility of these once-celestial beings becoming ordinary humans, ending up as wives and mothers, an almost unfathomable change.

He felt a growing confidence within. "Now, I'm the one avoiding them, but who knows what the future holds? Maybe the tables will turn," he thought.

Someone asked about the various scriptures floating in the celestial veil, like the golden bamboo scrolls, the five-colored jade books, and the ghostly symbols on turtle shells. Unfortunately, the highest-ranking scriptures were all missing, not a single one intact.

White Peacock's words carried a weight of finality, "In three years, those most profound texts might become less useful than simple martial arts manuals, as no one will be able to practice them anymore."

White Peacock advised kindly, "In the future, when transcendence fades and all magic decays, don't bother with secrets that require energy materials. Instead, choose secrets that focus on physical training or purely cultivate the spirit." This advice made sense; the most profound scriptures and highest secrets might become obsolete, useless without the necessary transcendent materials.

The transcendent beings present felt a chill of desolation, their paths ahead fraught with uncertainty and bleakness.

"Is there really no way out? Are transcendent traces doomed to be erased? Isn't there a sanctuary or some method to avoid this fate?" an elderly transcendent asked with a trembling voice.

"There's no turning back. The celestial veil is dimming, and the celestials are dying. The course is irreversible," White Peacock replied somberly, adding that only a few rare treasures might help retain some transcendent powers.

Old Chen, concerned about his own fate, asked, "I've drunk from the Earth Immortal Spring and my body has rejuvenated. If transcendence recedes, will I revert to my original state?"

"You shouldn't worry. Your body has fully assimilated the waters of the Earth Immortal Spring. This transformation is your greatest gain," White Peacock assured him, indicating a clear path forward for everyone.

Relieved, Old Chen nodded, his resolve to marry and have children seemingly affirmed by this revelation.

Wang Xuan and Old Chen stepped forward, having collected the most jade tokens, allowing them first dibs on the exchanges.

They gazed at the various treasures, marveling at the array of incredible items. Among them were celestial swords used by the immortals, shimmering with radiant, captivating light.

Despite the allure of the celestial swords in the array of treasures, Wang Xuan and Old Chen decided against them, realizing that once transcendental materials were exhausted, no one would be able to wield these swords. Among the treasures, there were fragments of blessed land with an interior space of five cubic meters, even more spacious than Wang Xuan's fragment. Old Chen was tempted but ultimately refrained, knowing the cost would mean sacrificing other valuable resources for cultivation.

Resisting temptation, they turned away from the treasures. For them, the scriptures weren't as enticing; they felt it was better to exchange with Old Clock or sneak into his library one day for a thorough read.

"Old Chen, have you set your sights on something?" Wang Xuan asked.

Old Chen responded, "I refuse to accept a bleak future where the path of transcendence is severed. I want to struggle and choose something rare and beneficial for my future cultivation."

Wang Xuan nodded, having already made his choice. He approached and touched an item, causing the celestial veil to ripple with flowing light and a mist of celestial essence.

"Congratulations, you have chosen a rare item from an exceptional celestial," White Peacock announced. To Wang Xuan's surprise, a graceful figure approached, a vision of extraordinary beauty, her clothes fluttering as she moved through the air towards him.

Wang Xuan felt overwhelmed as she approached, realizing he had unwittingly selected an item belonging to her.

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