The Stars Beyond

Chapter 434: Slashing Through The Light Of A Soul

Wang Xuan's spirit, entangled with strands of crimson and golden light, ventured forth, mirroring the strife of two Evil Dragons vying for dominance, both seeking to devour him. Amidst this tumultuous journey, he remained composed and indifferent, devoid of fear, and armed with artifacts like flags and covers, he stepped into the realm of mysteries.

Ancient curses swirled around him, his spirit illuminated by a formidable inner light. It would be unrealistic to claim he emerged unscathed. Lingering in the mortal world would have spelled disaster, but having severed the connection between the curses and their masters, his spirit wouldn't collapse immediately.

His spirit, now as resilient as a sacred treasure, wielded the Slash Dao Sword's brilliance. His spirit, transformed into a radiant wheel of swords, unleashed its own soul-slicing luminescence. It was this very act that enveloped him in a metallic symphony, where two chains of ancient curses entwined him in their struggle, yet failed to consume him.

Upon reaching his destination, he claimed it as his domain. The endless darkness gradually gave way to light, with crimson clouds rolling across the void, illuminating this vast, starless expanse.

Here, in a universe seemingly drained of life and light, suddenly flooded with red luminance, Wang Xuan faced the ordeal with serenity. At the very edge of this realm, he bathed in the wisps of red essence, a ritual to cleanse and confront the dual curses ensnaring him.

"The curses, woven from the fabric of spiritual force, bear little of the original will," he mused, his tone even. Yet, deep within the core imprints of his spirit, his true sentiments diverged significantly. With the keen insight granted by his Spirit Eyes, he perceived the latent consciousness lurking within the curses—unleashed dragons harboring fierce intent.

Given the nature of these soul-bound chains, how could they lack the piercing will akin to swords and daggers?

Wang Xuan's outward calm belied his internal vigilance. By inviting these wolves into his den, playing with fire, he had embraced a certain resolve.

The ancient curse chains could hardly withstand the erosion of the crimson essence; they acted as a layer of outer armor, initially shielding Wang Xuan from the destructive force. Yet, as they attempted to burrow into the luminescent sphere of his spirit sword, seeking to penetrate his core essence, his valuable spirit armor, forged from rare materials for the battle in the celestial realm against Zheng Yuantian, now bore cracks and was on the verge of disintegration. The menace of the curse chains was undeniable.

Regret filled him; to utilize it again, he would need to forge anew.

"Even severed from the source of the spirit, your strength remains formidable, chilling to the bone. Another might have been consumed by you," Wang Xuan mused internally, aware this was not the moment for disclosures.

He took immediate action against these entities, one a terrifying "evil dragon" and the other an enigma, identities still veiled but presumably male. He had no intention of allowing these draconic entities to invade his spirit, an intolerable notion.

With a thunderous explosion, Wang Xuan detonated into an infinite cascade of light, detaching himself from the encroaching curse chains, then coalescing once more into a singular, intact spirit. Facing such ancient curses, he was thoroughly prepared, his collection nearly encompassing the sum of mythic records since the dawn of this mythic era.

The Myriad Transformations Spring Rain Curse allowed his spirit to disassemble instantaneously into countless particles, like a spring shower scattering, to elude the clutches of the most terrifying curses, breaking free and reconstituting his spirit.

The secret archives of Old Zhong and the various financial dynasties he had visited were not for naught; he had secured this esoteric and supreme method of curse dissolution among other secrets.

When confronted with the crimson substance, the curse chains dimmed and clinked like true metallic chains, imbued with the essence of the Dao, bearing witness to their formidable nature.

Now freed from the ancient curses, Wang Xuan faced the assault of the malicious entities, their essence transforming into venomous serpents and Evil Dragons, converging upon him with lethal intent in flashes of crimson and gold. Despite fully liberating himself from the curses, Wang Xuan remained vigilant, confronting the twin dragons with a detached calm.

Suddenly, the Godslaying Banner in his grasp thrummed violently, nearly slipping from his grip, tugged by an unseen force. It wasn't just one entity vying for the flag; both the Evil Dragons and the enigmatic golden being sought to seize this potent weapon.

"You seem to know me well, studying me in detail to learn that the Godslaying Banner is my strongest armament. You fear it," Wang Xuan remarked, his grip on the flagpole unwavering. A smirk crossed his face, surmising their true power from this desperate bid for his weapon. If they truly had the upper hand, would they resort to such tactics?

The dual curse chains, moving as if transcending space and time, swiftly encircled the banner, dodging and weaving with incredible speed to avoid direct confrontation. Wang Xuan's expression remained stoic as he swung the banner, the blood-stained chain dodging adeptly, and the golden light leaping to evade, only to swiftly converge on him once more.

"Strong indeed. If not crippled first, they could wreak havoc," Wang Xuan mused internally, deeming a preemptive strike prudent. "Think you can just take the Godslaying Banner?" he challenged coldly, his strike calculated to entice, yet both curses disdainfully bypassed his attacks, their embedded consciousness now fully awakened, showing scant regard for him in comparison to the banner.

Like serpents and dragons, they coiled around the flagpole, their speed astonishing. Wang Xuan, faced with entities that effortlessly evaded the Godslaying Banner's lethal embrace time and again, recognized the rarity of such prowess among the supernaturals.

The fabric of the void trembled with a hum as Wang Xuan struck the flagpole with the lid of his vessel, producing a resonant, melodious sound. The Godslaying Banner seemed to quiver with dissatisfaction.

The ancient curse chains shattered upon impact, unleashing two enraged roars as streaks of crimson and gold were partially destroyed and expelled. The spirits lurking within the curses, now unable to hide, materialized as faint, hazy lights, fixating on Wang Xuan and the cauldron lid in his grasp.

"One of the components of a supreme treasure? The Life Nurturing Cauldron!" the voice of the blood-colored entity, the malicious dragon that had repeatedly sought to devour Wang Xuan, echoed ethereally.

"Interesting... A weakling from the mortal realm, not even having reached the realm of Freedom, has obtained a supreme treasure!" rasped the golden figure.

Wang Xuan responded, "You're indeed formidable. I thought I had obliterated you completely, but surprisingly, you managed to escape with most of your spirit light and consciousness intact."

The Evil Dragon proposed, "For the sake of a new mythos, for extending the lives of the supernatural, you need not be my enemy. Offer me your physical body, and I will recreate heaven and earth, saving all supernaturals of this era!"

Wang Xuan regarded him and said, "How noble of you, claiming the moral high ground. If I refuse to die, to offer you my flesh and willingly surrender the treasures I possess, would I then be vilified as the eternal sinner of this mythological era?"

"Indeed, from a moral standpoint, that's correct. It's good you understand," the dragon replied calmly, its blood-colored light transforming into divine crimson radiance, increasingly dazzling with celestial aura.

Wang Xuan felt anger but restrained himself, retorting, "You lack the power to reconstruct the crumbling supernatural world, using others' lives as fodder for your ambitions, and yet you dare to preach about continuing the new myth?"

"Some must be sacrificed..."

"Why not sacrifice you then? See, the path to reality you failed to find, I've discovered it right here. You're just a bit more advanced in your cultivation, not indispensable. I could replace you with any transcendent being. And yet, you have the audacity to lecture me on morality?"

The Evil Dragon shook its head, "Others won't suffice, only those of us with special internal landscapes can undertake this mission!"

"Ha, it's not as if attempts haven't been made before. Though perhaps not as genuine as here, secret paths have been uncovered, yet even the supreme treasure, the Heaven's Mirror, was shattered," the golden figure interjected.

It continued, "Give me your physical body, let me wield the treasures. I have another way to reshape mythology!"

Wang Xuan's expression turned icy, "Are you both trying to play the big bad wolf with me? You think just because you're avatars, you can belittle me, casually demanding my treasures and my life as if you were something special?"

A battle erupted, a fierce three-way clash that lit up the dark realm with divine radiance, occasionally stirring the distant red substance.

Wang Xuan didn't immediately attack with the cauldron lid or the Godslaying Banner, curious about their techniques. After all, they were merely spiritual lights, not their true selves—how could they not be overcome?

The dragon's spirit light split into hundreds of characters, like a scripture shining with endless flames, aiming to refine Wang Xuan and annihilate the golden figure.

The golden figure shifted sideways, dissolving into three thousand golden swords that filled the space, piercing the void to combat both adversaries.

Wang Xuan remained calm; his spirit underwent transformation, shrouding the area in mystery before bursting into brilliance. He vanished, leaving behind a grove of divine bamboo, amidst which thunder roared. The Godslaying Banner stood embedded among the bamboo, as if to suppress the area, guarding against unforeseen dangers.

"To think at this level, not yet reaching the realm of Freedom, you've mastered the top-tier secrets within the golden bamboo slips," the dragon exclaimed in surprise.

"Perhaps not in other aspects, but when it comes to scriptures, I possess an abundance. The supreme divine powers I control are not few," Wang Xuan declared.

In a spectacular clash, Wang Xuan's radiance soared, mistaken from afar as a colossal Buddha. It was only upon closer inspection that one could see it was his own form, vast and imposing. His spirit filled the void, surrounded by three thousand Bodhi trees swaying, emitting the sounds of the great Dao, along with ancient temples and palaces materializing, and the deep tolling of a giant bell, aiming to purify the soul.

With a mere thought, he wielded a grand divine power from the Sutra of Shakya, effortlessly unleashing vast ripples of light towards the two adversaries.

His towering golden form, reaching out to slap, exerted immense pressure on them.

Boom! As Wang Xuan manifested more divine powers, his spirit transformed into countless stars, swirling in the dark realm, as if merging with the universe, to obliterate the duo.

The battle was intense and fearsome, yet brief. Wang Xuan scattered parts of the adversaries' spiritual lights.

Having assessed their strength and confirmed his ability to defeat them, Wang Xuan no longer held back. Utilizing the Godslaying Banner, the iron pestle, and various techniques, he subdued and imprisoned them.

"Some parts of your spiritual light have come here, and you've been found wanting. It seems I can draw more of you in next time, gradually wearing down your true forms," Wang Xuan contemplated whether to take them to the meteor channel for experimentation. However, he decided it was wiser to first annihilate them effectively, given their terrifying nature.

"Parts of your spiritual light have been extinguished by me. Will you be left flawed, perhaps a little less insightful?" he quipped.

The remnants of their spiritual light, cold and detached, chose not to engage with him.

Boom! Wang Xuan wrapped them in the Godslaying Banner, thrusting them into the dense red substance for a "roasting," quickly dimming and dissipating their spiritual light.

In the end, he used the supreme cauldron lid for a final strike, extinguishing them completely.

Later, Wang Xuan's physical form reappeared in the mortal world, feigning agony while secretly communicating with the male and female protectors, enticing the adversaries' spiritual light once more.

"This time, let's use a leather garment for insulation. I really don't want to be so closely entangled with you!" Wang Xuan vanished again, determined to keep dimming and weakening their spiritual essence.

Soon after, his figure returned, pleased with the outcome.

The true forms of the Evil Dragon and the golden entity, lurking in the boundless void, sensed something amiss as parts of their spiritual light dimmed—something was awry.

"Bring it on, let's see who is the last one standing!" Wang Xuan sat in meditation, expressionless, waiting for their next move.

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