The Stars Beyond

Chapter 344: An Immortal As Gift?

"Zhou Qinghuang, you demon!" Gu Mingxi's face paled, her usually immaculate and ethereal beauty marred by fear. Becoming a captive, falling into the hands of an unknown man, what fate would await her?

Her heart raced with dread, unable to bear the thought of the terrible possibilities that might unfold. The spectators, other transcendents watching the duel, were shocked. Gu Mingxi, a renowned celestial figure, was about to be captured? This was beyond unexpected. Zhou Qinghuang, equally famous and formidable, had outmaneuvered her opponent in a move few could match, seizing victory against her rival.

"Much appreciated!" Wang Xuan stepped forward, his approach casual, a smile playing on his lips.

"Stay your hand, Wang Xuan of the mortal realm! You shall not defile Celestial Gu!" came a shout from someone who couldn't hold back any longer, rushing forward to intervene and block Wang Xuan.

"And who might you be? Qi Chengdao's cousin, or perhaps Gu Mingxi's own brother?" Wang Xuan quipped, eyeing the tall, agitated youth before him.

"Neither, but that doesn't grant you the right to disrespect Celestial Gu!" the youth retorted, making a swift move to intercept, particularly as Wang Xuan didn't halt his advance during their exchange, drawing ever closer to the two women.

"A mere bystander, then? Meddling without ties to Qi Chengdao or Gu Mingxi. What concern is it of yours? Ah, I see, even the realm of immortals has its sycophants," Wang Xuan remarked disdainfully. To him, anyone blocking his path or thwarting his pursuit of foes was an enemy, undeserving of civility.

In his view, enemies were to be eliminated outright—thus ensuring peace and tranquility in the world.

"Boom!"

For those in his way, mercy was not an option. With a swing of his blade, a dark gleam erupted, cutting through the forest with a deafening roar. Vegetation exploded, rocks shattered, and the man who had dared to obstruct him... his protest was cut short as a gush of blood soared into the air—he was bisected at the waist.

He stood there, his spell shattered, his body falling lifelessly to the ground, his spirit barely emerging before being sliced by Wang Xuan's blade, dissipating amidst a shower of light, extinguished forever. Spectators were dumbfounded. Just a confrontation, and he was annihilated? This young man was a renowned nine-stage expert, yet Wang Xuan, seemingly of only six or seven stages, managed to obliterate him with a mere one or two strikes?

"Seems I was underestimated," Wang Xuan mused with a shake of his head, advancing confidently.

Fresh from a breakthrough, his combat prowess had naturally surged. Before entering this unique realm, he had already slain numerous nine-stage masters, nearly eradicating a group sent by the Hengjun faction single-handedly.

As more approached, hesitation crept in. They, too, were of the nine-stage caliber, but now, faced with Wang Xuan's display, they questioned their own chances. Then, a formidable man in the early stages of the Transcendental Realm approached, wielding a silver divine hammer enveloped in sacred radiance, boldly attacking Wang Xuan.

His intent was clear: to dominate through sheer force, his initial stage in the Transcendental Realm considered only a thin barrier from the peak of the ninth stage, but significantly more powerful, aiming to suppress Wang Xuan with this advantage. Indeed, the man in green was formidable. As the silver hammer descended, the space itself seemed to explode with its force, sending other nine-stage experts reeling back, unable to withstand the shockwave even from a distance.

Wang Xuan's armor vibrated with metallic resonance as he faced the onslaught, his blade ready to test his newly acquired skills against a Transcendental Realm adversary. The clash of his cold, brilliant blade against the divine hammer and its celestial aura was monumental. Despite the tremble in his frame, Wang Xuan did not retreat, stunning all onlookers. This wasn't merely a gap of a few minor stages; usually, those of a lower realm feel overwhelmed by the superior might. Yet, here stood Wang Xuan, unwavering, challenging the very norms of their world.

In this realm, the usual constraints of cultivation level suppression held no sway, and Wang Xuan stood valiantly, matching his foe blow for blow. Sparks flew, and blinding light enveloped them as Wang Xuan, wielding his dark demonic blade, clashed repeatedly with his adversary. The two were like lightning incarnate, their movements reaching the pinnacle of speed.

"Can he now stand against an early-stage Wanderer?" someone exclaimed in shock.

Indeed, had they been in the mortal realm, Wang Xuan, even a few realms below his opponent, would confidently claim victory in a brief encounter. However, here, under the influence and suppression of a higher realm, he could only engage in fierce combat, not quite able to vanquish his foe on the spot.

"Hurry, she's about to flee! We can't let this opportunity slip through our fingers, capturing the renowned Fairy Ming Xi will be much harder then!" Zhou Qinghuang called out, her voice tinged with urgency. Employing the astonishing technique of Locking the Void, she was noticeably drained, fearing Ming Xi might escape her grasp.

"I'm on it!" Wang Xuan, fully aware of the immense pressure from the higher realm, acknowledged his current strength and the necessity to push beyond. Yet, that didn't mean he was incapable of dealing with an early-stage Wanderer, especially the green-robed powerhouse before him.

With a slash, his blade carved through the air, radiating a brilliance that was both mesmerizing and blinding. Wang Xuan had invoked the ancient art of the Slash Path Sword from the Pre-Qin golden bamboo scrolls. Just half a month ago, he had recited this sword scripture to the Sword Immortal Child, leaving the youngster utterly fascinated and awestruck by the profundity of the text.

This testament to the extraordinary nature of the sword scripture was evident in Wang Xuan's current confrontation. His blade gleamed with a cold, fierce light, ready to demonstrate the depth of his newly acquired might against the early-stage Wanderer before him.

Wielding a blade yet manifesting the essence of a sword scripture, Wang Xuan unleashed streams of radiant beams that intertwined in the void, clashing fiercely with the man in green. The final revelation of the true meaning behind the ancient sword scripture flickered through the air, inscribing dense, mysterious characters amidst the intertwining light, shredding the man's divine hammer into oblivion.

With a swift motion, the sword scripture decapitated him, his body pierced repeatedly by the relentless beams until it exploded, obliterating both his physical form and spiritual essence.

Wang Xuan advanced, unimpeded. Those ahead, attempting to flee, were enveloped by the expanding sword light, meeting their demise under the scripture's relentless assault, reduced to mere mists of blood.

The onlookers were stunned. Who indeed were the descendants of the celestials? Hailing from beyond the grand curtain, their access to cultivation resources far surpassed anything imaginable in the mundane world.

Yet here, every individual, distinguished far beyond ordinary transcendents, should have been superior. However, Wang Xuan, with a mysterious sword scripture at his command, cut through them with ease, an unstoppable force.

What truly sent shivers down their spines was the apparent inefficacy of the hierarchical suppression of realms against him, as even a formidable opponent at the threshold of Wanderer realm was vanquished by his sharp sword light.

"Should he ascend to the realm of Wanderer, even the renowned geniuses, several minor realms above him, would likely fall to his blade," someone murmured under their breath.

Naturally, there were still formidable beings in this place, but who would dare to confront him now? What if the likes of Mo Si returned, or Bai Yuxian made an appearance?

"Seems he has broken through again recently," another whispered.

This was becoming truly terrifying. In an era where the world was bereft of spiritual essence, Wang Xuan continued to elevate his realm.

Many harbored a deep wariness towards him. Once Wang Xuan stepped into the realm of Wanderer, if he sought retribution, it was doubtful many could withstand his onslaught.

"Quick, quick, quick!" Zhou Qinghuang called out, her usual intellectual beauty now replaced by a wild and enticing desperation. She trembled slightly in the sky, seemingly on the verge of falling at any moment.

Fortunately, by this time, Wang Xuan had dispatched all his adversaries. With each step covering two to three hundred meters, he skimmed across the ground, swiftly closing the distance between them.

Guan Mingxi, her body aglow with celestial light, struggled with all her might, attempting to flee. The lotus platform beneath her pure white shoes shook violently, as if it were about to burst into flames.

With a clashing sound, cold and sharp, a silver chain appeared in Wang Xuan's hand, a top-tier treasure he had confiscated from Zheng Wu.

Zhou Qinghuang, seeing this, knew it was settled. A smile blossomed on her beautiful face as she said, "Today, I present the renowned Guan Mingxi as a gift, a gesture of my respect."

"Thank you!" Wang Xuan nodded, the chain of the spirit in his hand shooting towards the sky with incredible speed.

Many sighed, some wanted to intervene but hesitated, preferring to wait and see how the situation unfolded, given it hadn't completely deteriorated yet.

However, what happened next took everyone by surprise. In an instant, the onlookers' eyes widened in shock, a chill running down their spines.

Zhou Qinghuang was also taken aback, her beautiful eyes wide open in disbelief.

With a thrust, the silver chain pierced through Guan Mingxi's chest, blood splattering as it went straight through her, locking her in place, front to back, clear and bright. This top-tier treasure, bestowed by the supreme being Zheng Yuan Tian to Zheng Wu, was designed to capture the spirit of a person, but it could also harm the physical body.

"This is the gift I offer you, a very famous fairy, and you just pierced her heart with it?!" Zhou Qinghuang was genuinely shocked. Without saying another word, he had mercilessly executed the fairy, striking a lethal blow.

At that moment, she was completely drained, about to fall from the sky.

"Is the fairy dead?!"

"My god, this butcher, he killed Guan Mingxi?"

The outcry was widespread, causing an uproar throughout the forest.

"She's not completely dead yet, still warm," Wang Xuan commented, nodding towards Zhou Qinghuang, who was about to plummet. Gu Mingxi's eyes dimmed; her heart pierced, her soul locked, yet unwilling to yield, she summoned all her strength to unleash a treasure within her, fiercely striking at the soul lock chain.

With a loud bang, as the treasure shattered, it blasted open the silver soul chain, freeing her spirit from her body, which then swiftly fled. As Zhou Qinghuang's strength was utterly drained, ceasing her hold on the void, Gu Mingxi's soul made its escape.

With a flick of the silver chain, Wang Xuan yanked Gu Mingxi's bloodied body down, crashing it beside him along with her lotus pedestal.

"Didn't kill her, her soul escaped?" Wang Xuan was about to activate the Godslaying Banner for a swift pursuit.

"A living Fairy Gu holds far more value than a dead Gu Mingxi!" Zhou Qinghuang shouted, somewhat speechless at encountering such a ruthless person. Meanwhile, she plummeted down, unable to sustain herself any longer.

Wang Xuan hesitated for a moment. As an ally, he refrained from immediately pursuing Gu Mingxi's fleeing soul. Holding the Godslaying Banner in one hand and the soul chain in the other, he cautiously spread his arms to catch Zhou Qinghuang.

Thud. Catching her, he couldn't help but notice, despite her tall, slender, and graceful figure, she felt surprisingly substantial in his arms, dressed in a modern short white shirt.

Zhou Qinghuang, now with her glasses mysteriously back on, regained her intellectual charm.

"Release Fairy Zhou!" someone shouted, undeniably, Zhou Qinghuang had a significant reputation with many followers.

"Are you going to make me?" Wang Xuan looked towards the woods from where the voice emanated.

Zhou Qinghuang, wordlessly, tapped him, signaling to be put down.

"Is this... considered a second gift?" Wang Xuan appeared quite pleased with the situation.

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