The Stars Beyond

Chapter 214: Controversy And Destruction

"Old Qian, this is the footage we managed to capture, but it's only a partial scan. There must be an incredibly dense concentration of Transcendent substance around Chen Yongjie, which disrupted our insectoid detectors. Almost 90% of our devices were destroyed!" reported someone on the silver spacecraft, as a holographic projection displayed parts of Old Chen's battle.

"It's somewhat terrifying! High-grade automatons, each costing billions, were deemed unbeatable in individual combat and seen as the prototypes of future deep-space super soldiers. Yet, they were utterly overpowered by a Transcendent," commented Qian An, who was in his seventies and one of the senior members of the Qian financial consortium. He had a good relationship with Old Chen and had recently facilitated his transport to the site.

"Not only were we scanning, but there were also other unknown origin micro-detectors in the area," someone else added.

Old Qian nodded, understanding that the return of a Transcendent to New World and his first display of power would naturally draw attention from all sides, each trying to get close and obtain first-hand information.

"Someone has released a video of the Transcendent battle!" exclaimed another person.

In this era, information networks were highly developed, with virtually no print media remaining, having long since shifted to online operations. Major platforms were fiercely competitive.

Any sensational news capable of causing a stir would be a prime target for these platforms. The emergence of Chen Yongjie and Old Zhong as Transcendents naturally attracted attention from all quarters, everyone eager to capture news about them.

Approaching Old Zhong was hopeless, completely inaccessible. As for Chen Yongjie, he had long been under scrutiny.

However, it was surprising that platforms got hold of the footage so quickly. Old Chen had immediately taken a spaceship to the location, and only a few conglomerates and organizations were able to keep pace, their insectoid detectors capturing blurry videos.

"Who's leaking the information?"

"Most likely, someone took a risk for a quick profit, selling the footage to platforms for a high price."

Conglomerates and major organizations collecting first-hand data on Transcendents were primarily interested in research and analysis, not in selling information for a small profit.

A blurry video surged up the trending charts within just half an hour. Though it was initially at the bottom, it was on track to break into the top ten. The footage, which captured Old Chen’s confrontation with automatons, sparked widespread disbelief and curiosity.

"Is this even real? Who is this guy fighting automatons barehanded? He’s got to be insane,” viewers commented, skeptical about the authenticity of the video.

A professional from the Deep Space Power Research Institute weighed in, adding credibility to the footage: "Those are high-grade automatons, deemed invincible in single combat. Not even the most skilled human cultivators can defeat them, as they can take down small spacecraft."

Debate swirled around the video's legitimacy, with many unable to believe that three high-grade automatons, equipped with mountain-splitting alloy blades, could be defeated by a seemingly young man with a crew cut.

As another video emerged, offering a different perspective of the battle, a professional commentator clarified that the young-looking man was actually Chen Yongjie, a Transcendent.

The public, largely unfamiliar with Transcendents, was abuzz with the revelation that myths were blending into reality. Despite the video's enhancement, Chen Yongjie’s image remained hazy, leading to his mistaken identity as a young man, thus birthing the internet sensation "Crew Cut Bro."

While the general public was entertained, real cultivators, conglomerates, and organizations analyzed the footage seriously. They recognized the implications of a Transcendent being able to disrupt and destroy high-grade automatons using substances like the X material.

The widespread destruction of their costly, precision insectoid detectors, deployed to capture footage of the Transcendent, highlighted the high price of tracking such extraordinary individuals.

These organizations labored to construct a model based on various data points, including the number of destroyed detectors and the presence of unanalyzable, mysterious elements around Chen Yongjie. The inconsistencies in the data suggested the influence of powerful, yet unidentified variables.

Among these organizations, advisors with deep knowledge of ancient myths and Transcendents speculated that spiritual power played a crucial role in these variables. Their studies of ancient texts and legends had helped them unravel many such enigmas surrounding Transcendent abilities.

......

The battle of the Transcendents caused a sensation on online platforms, becoming a hot topic of discussion. Despite many expressing skepticism, the level of debate and interest was remarkably high.

"The high-grade automatons self-destructed but couldn't kill the crew cut young man. If this is true, I might even consider taking up cultivation myself," some speculated with a mix of belief and doubt. The emergence of new arts in New World made the existence of even more powerful Transcendents somewhat believable.

"Hey, another young man appeared in the video, but he didn't seem to take action. He was incredibly composed in that situation. He might be a Transcendent too. Could he be the crew cut young man’s brother or disciple?" people pondered upon seeing a blurry figure of Wang Xuan without any footage of him in action, as the interference was too intense, destroying nearby detectors.

Major organizations took these few segments of blurry footage seriously, repeatedly analyzing them. "After Wang Xuan appeared, the surge in Transcendent substances around Chen Yongjie dramatically increased, destroying the nearby detectors. It seems he cares a lot about this Wang Xuan, likely considering him a disciple or successor, thus ensuring his utmost protection."

They noticed that at that specific moment, the surge in Transcendent substances was like a volcanic eruption, annihilating all the high-cost detectors in the area.

"Shifting our perspective, many ordinary people who saw the blurry video are wondering if the young man who appeared later might be related to the crew cut young man, perhaps his brother or disciple."

"Is it possible that Wang Xuan is actually an incredibly powerful Transcendent? His appearance caused a surge in Transcendent substances, like a flood breaking through a dam, even more terrifying than Chen Yongjie?"

"But that's unlikely. He's just a Grandmaster and so young. If he's a Transcendent, it’s beyond imagination, surpassing even the legendary figures from ancient teachings."

"If that moment of terrifying Transcendent substance energy, akin to a volcanic eruption, originated from him, he would be more powerful than Chen Yongjie. But is that even possible?"

......

Attention shifted towards Wang Xuan, with some focusing their research on him. In this era of dazzling technology, no one could keep all their secrets hidden; traces would inevitably be left behind.

After entering the primitive forest, Wang Xuan and Old Chen moved swiftly towards the Ashen Blood Organization's real stronghold in the Cloud Mist Plateau. The New Arts domain indeed harbored other Transcendents, hidden deep within New World, possibly having stepped into the Transcendent realm even before Wang Xuan and Old Chen.

"Could there be real powerhouses on 'Superstar,' the source of the New Arts?" Old Chen pondered, realizing they had underestimated the New Arts. These people had bided their time, possibly waiting to strike a harsh blow against the conglomerates when strong enough.

"Could the conglomerates be overthrown in the future?"

Wang Xuan responded, "Not necessarily. Some conglomerates have deep cooperation with the New Arts domain. I suspect some conglomerates are aware of them and even control them."

Old Chen became serious. If that was the case, then certain conglomerates were dangerously powerful, wielding both visible battleships capable of killing Earth Immortals and nascent Transcendent forces.

"The major powers of New World are undergoing drastic changes. In the end, some organizations will become increasingly formidable, while others may decline and be divided."

Some conglomerates were still focused on obtaining Transcendent flesh and blood for analysis. Others, however, appeared to have already gained control over a few Transcendents, ambitiously accumulating unconventional power.

Arriving three hundred miles away at a crucial site of the Ashen Blood Organization, they encountered a challenge. "It’s tricky here with numerous micro-automatons and scanning devices. This area is heavily surveilled, and we’ll be detected if we get too close."

Using their spiritual realms, they detected a dense array of miniature instruments throughout the forest.

"I’ll leave my physical body under your protection and scout ahead with my spirit," Wang Xuan proposed.

Old Chen, hearing this, was speechless. He too could project his spirit, but the idea of traversing several miles in such a state was daunting; it could be exhausting. They hadn’t yet reached the grand realm of carefree wandering, where one could travel vast distances in an instant. For now, lingering nearby seemed more feasible.

"You sure you can travel that far?" Old Chen asked, skeptical of Wang Xuan's ambitious plan.

Wang Xuan, uncertain of his own limits, said, "I'll give it a try."

He then sat down cross-legged, and his spirit left his body. Fortunately, he encountered no bizarre or terrifying sights in the dense forest. Like a flash of lightning, his spirit swiftly bypassed the surveillance devices and penetrated underground.

The base was vast. After traveling three miles in spirit form, Wang Xuan had only explored a portion of the area and was already feeling strained. Pushing to four miles, his exhaustion intensified. Reaching five miles, he didn’t dare venture further, feeling an overwhelming urge to sleep – a dangerous sign.

In the enormous underground complex, various biological laboratories contained a multitude of monsters, some from the hidden lands and others unrecognizable. Some labs were gruesomely using living humans as experimental subjects, and in certain areas, human bones were piled up. The revelation of such practices would undoubtedly cause a public uproar, exposing the Ashen Blood Organization's blatant disregard for human life and their rampant human experimentation.

Additionally, there were training camps for assassins and specialized teams of automatons with formidable armed forces capable of devastating an entire region. The underground also housed a fleet of small spacecraft.

Returning to his physical body, Wang Xuan gasped for air and quickly drank from the Earth Immortal Spring, running his strongest scriptures. This reconnaissance was more exhausting than a major battle.

"To avoid their scorched-earth tactics, we need to destroy their key areas immediately after breaking in. Several control rooms must be taken quickly," he concluded.

"We're just going to storm in?"

"Let's see if pure Transcendent power can level this place!"

"Alright then, let’s go!"

Eventually, they both vibrated with intense spiritual energy and unleashed their Transcendent power, destroying all nearby detectors to avoid leaving any visual records. With a thunderous roar, they burst into the underground base. This time, they showed no mercy. In an instant, lightning flashed and thunder roared as they tore through the base, flinging the so-called assassins around like straw dolls.

Crack! Following a flash of lightning, a squad of automatons turned into scrap metal.

"Attack!" Soon, the underground base echoed with the sound of massive explosions as control rooms were destroyed.

Over a dozen high-grade automatons, accompanied by a dense army of standard mechanical units resembling a steel forest, rushed in, firing high-energy weapons. However, due to the numerous underground shelters and winding paths, they struggled to cover the area with firepower instantly.

Once Wang Xuan and Old Chen went all out, they became terrifying forces. Rows of automatons sparked with energy as their internal precision chips were torn apart. From afar, it looked like a forest of steel had frozen in place, completely immobilized.

Boom! An energy cannon fired within the base, recklessly targeting the area where the duo was located, regardless of the underground facilities.

The vast underground labyrinth had many paths, but as the duo transformed into killing gods, they slaughtered every Ashen Blood Organization member they encountered. They moved swiftly and ruthlessly, crushing everything in their path.

That day, the Ashen Blood Organization's Sector 10 was bloodied, with countless assassins from their training camps killed.

Some tried to flee in small spacecraft, unable to believe they had to escape so desperately on their home turf.

Boom! The area erupted in a massive explosion as Old Chen hurled paralyzed high-grade automatons, detonating their energy sources and causing a terrifying blaze in the spacecraft area.

"There are no so-called gods here? No Transcendents!"

Sweeping through the underground, Wang Xuan and Old Chen didn’t want to linger too long. Their path was one of sheer devastation, their destructive power astonishing.

When Wang Xuan located their target, Zheng Hui couldn't believe his eyes. Wang Xuan wielded a flying sword like a silken ribbon, shredding the mechanical beings around Zheng Hui. The cold light of the sword, like the sun descending underground, radiated a brilliant glow. Everything in its path, including thick alloy doors, was sliced open and shredded.

After capturing Zheng Hui and two other high-ranking members of the Grey Blood Organization, Wang Xuan and Old Chen immediately rushed to the surface, setting a timer to detonate the underground weapons depot.

"Old man is exhausted!" Old Chen gasped, his body radiating intense heat and Transcendent energy. He felt utterly drained. During their thunderous assault, both his spiritual realm and physical body had been pushed to their limits, obliterating everything in their path, including the enemy and all detection devices.

Zheng Hui and the two senior members were shocked and cursing under their breath. An entire base had been annihilated, and all they felt was tired?

Wang Xuan was also fatigued. The full unleashing of his power was akin to a true Transcendent battle.

Boom! The Grey Blood Organization's Sector 10, a critically important base, exploded in a massive blast, completely obliterated.

On that day, when the major conglomerates and organizations of New World initially received news of the incident, they were all profoundly shaken.

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