The Stars Beyond

Chapter 199: Checkmate

Chapter 199: Checkmate

Wang Xuan marveled at Old Zhong's audacity. Not only had he caused a stir in the mortal realm, but he had also dared to meddle with the foundations of the immortals themselves. "There's really no one else like him," Wang Xuan thought, considering the consequences if the immortals were to discover Old Zhong's actions. "They'd be enraged enough to devour his heart alive."

Wang Xuan contemplated seeking out Zhong Cheng for a serious discussion, curious about whether Old Zhong's household truly possessed any relics of the immortals. Such items were akin to "nuclear bombs," harboring immense and vibrant life forces that could potentially be harnessed. The thought of gaining access to the celestial relics, particularly if Old Zhong had once unearthed the dwelling of a fallen red-clothed female immortal, excited Wang Xuan. He was determined to acquire any celestial bones she might have left behind.

The scene beyond the curtain in the center of Earth Immortal City was hazy yet magnificent, with majestic landscapes, divine birds soaring, and auspicious beasts roaming. It radiated a profoundly celestial aura, stunning the city's inhabitants and eliciting a chorus of awed exclamations. "Is that the realm of immortals?" they wondered, trembling with excitement and longing.

Wang Xuan and Old Chen exchanged glances in silence, knowing something the awe-struck crowd didn't: the immortals on the other side were likely just as eager to step into the mortal world.

The altar at the center of Earth Immortal City, with its gradually blurring curtain, was not a permanent fixture. It would reappear in three days, serving mainly to stimulate everyone's ambition and enthusiasm.

"My collection of jade talismans is insufficient; I should strive for more," one person mused aloud, while another openly sought to buy talismans at high prices. The competition for these coveted items was heating up.

......

In Earth Immortal City, many extraordinary beings were stirred into action, each contemplating their strategies. Wang Xuan, however, felt uneasy. Despite having enough jade talismans to secure the top spot, he dreaded facing the immortals. For him, it was perilously risky. The thought of encountering multiple true immortals, who might see through his deceptions and discover his unique inner landscape, was a prospect he couldn't risk.

He understood that his achievement of opening the inner landscape as a mortal was exceptionally rare, even in ancient times. The last thing he wanted was to become a conduit for the return of the immortals.

Old Chen, too, was apprehensive. He sought out the white peacock to inquire which famous immortals might appear. The peacock hinted at the possible appearance of one or two renowned immortals. Wang Xuan's mind raced with thoughts of Zhang Daoling, but he quickly dismissed the idea. If Zhang had ventured behind the curtain, he too might be ensnared in a dangerous trap.

Wang Xuan, determined to avoid direct contact with the curtain, handed his collection of jade talismans to Old Chen, entrusting him to claim the rewards. Old Chen felt the weight of this responsibility. He understood Wang Xuan's fear of his inner landscape attracting calamity, while he himself dreaded encountering the red-clothed female immortal, having once engaged with the white tiger and wielded his sword against her.

"Coincidences are rare in the vast expanse behind the curtain," Wang Xuan reassured him. Old Chen decided he too would find a proxy to claim his rewards, no longer daring to flaunt his status as a spiritual leader.

Their conversation turned to Old Song, the other half of the Song-Zhong duo. Zhong Cheng's expression dimmed as he revealed that Old Song had ventured outside the city seeking jade talismans, hoping to exchange them for fortune. He never returned. Zhong Qing added that Old Zhong's slaughter of those people was partly in vengeance for Old Song.

Wang Xuan and Old Chen sighed, mourning the loss of the second-ranked being of the new star.

In Earth Immortal City, Wang Xuan wandered, only to unexpectedly encounter Zhou Yun. To his surprise, Zhou Yun had managed to enter the city. Wang Xuan's headache intensified when he also spotted Zheng Rui, whose wrist bracelet housed the female Daoist.

"Little Wang!" Zhou Yun called out excitedly, waving at him. Wang Xuan immediately turned and fled, internally pleading for them not to notice him, which unfortunately they did. In Zheng Rui's bracelet, a ripple appeared, and a vague shadow of the female Daoist emerged, smiling as she watched Wang Xuan's retreating figure.

Feeling overwhelmed by the turn of events, especially with the appearance of the Early Qin female Daoist, Wang Xuan sensed potential chaos. Many in Earth Immortal City were terrified, thinking the alien demon was fleeing from another formidable being from a different realm.

Old Chen also made a quick exit with Wang Xuan. "Old Chen, I've decided to go outside the city to gather some local specialties. I don't want to stay here anymore," Wang Xuan said, wanting to lay low for a while.

"I'm coming too," Old Chen replied, feeling uneasy about the female Daoist, whom he remembered causing him sleepless nights.

Wang Xuan disagreed, "Why go out? With so many valuable jade talismans, we should claim our fortunes first, then we can divide them."

He had promised Qin Cheng to treat him to delicacies like chicken stewed with golden mushrooms and garlic-steamed snails after returning from the secret land. He set out to collect these valuable 'local specialties,' particularly interested in the elusive mountain snails. These rare creatures, found in the mountains, were considered valuable, capable of extending life by five years when consumed regularly.

After a fruitless search outside the city, Wang Xuan returned to discuss with Old Chen their next move: claiming the 'inheritance' left behind in the city by Mu Xue, Yuan Kun, and Ou Yuxuan. They hadn't found anything valuable on their bodies after defeating them, suggesting their assets were stored in the city.

Wang Xuan and Old Chen learned, much to their dismay, that the belongings left behind by the deceased had been confiscated by the enforcers under Bai Kongque's orders.

Seeking jade talismans, Wang Xuan proposed a trade: mountain snails for jade talismans. Despite many coveting his abundance of jade talismans, no one could offer any mountain snails, highlighting their incredible rarity and value.

Wang Xuan had already gathered several spiritual medicines like golden mushrooms, Earth marrow, purple coiled peaches, and nourishing lotuses as 'local specialties' to bring back, capable of aiding a mortal's breakthrough.

The next morning, he revisited the silver bee hive, promptly retreating upon spotting bees in the abandoned lower nest. He was relieved to have previously collected the royal jelly, mixed with the divine spring water.

At noon, a Heluo star transcendent being approached him hesitantly with a few baby fist-sized mountain snails, each as translucent as jade, emitting a mysterious light and a pleasant fragrance. The six mountain snails, though valuable, were insufficient for his plans to treat Qin Cheng and his parents.

Promising four jade talismans, Wang Xuan sought the snails' harvesting location, planning a substantial harvest for the future.

Old Chen busied himself finding a proxy for claiming rewards, initially considering Zhou Yun and Zhou Cheng, then shifting his attention to Zhou Yun.

In the afternoon, Wang Xuan set off for the dangerous stone mountains, guarded by formidable transcendent serpents, where the mountain snails resided. He observed four massive snakes from a distance, the largest with a head as big as a car, its body covered in bright red scales, signaling its deadly nature.

In the rugged terrain of the stone mountain, riddled with myriad small holes likely the work of elusive mountain snails, Wang Xuan stood amidst the subtle whisper of spiritual energy. His mind drifted to the imminent celebration he planned upon his return from the Secret Land, a feast with Qin Cheng and Qing Han. He pondered over Zhao Qinghan and Wu Yin's departure from the Fairy's Cave, curious about their fate.

His contemplation was abruptly cut short by an icy shiver running down his spine. An acute sense of impending peril gripped him. His extraordinary perception had detected something amiss. A bone-chilling danger was rapidly closing in. Without a second thought, Wang Xuan retreated hastily, his instincts screaming for escape.

But his retreat was thwarted. Emerging from the shadowy woods behind him, more than a dozen figures formed an impenetrable wall. In front of this formidable assembly, an array of weapons hovered ominously - flying swords, silver knives, and slender spears danced in the air like serpents, all wielded by skilled swordsmen from the Herb Gathering Realm.

Shock registered on Wang Xuan's face. He had nearly obliterated all his enemies from the Herb Gathering Realm back in the Celestial Immortal City. And now, he was confronted with strangers, faces he had never seen before. The air was thick with their unmasked aura, brimming with intense killing intent. Most of these adversaries were in the late or even the peak stages of the Herb Gathering Realm. Among them stood elderly figures, their white hair and beards framing faces with eyes sharp as eagles, fixating on Wang Xuan as though he were already a ghost of the past.

"You killed my beloved Mu Xue! My love! I'm here for vengeance!" roared one, the air vibrating with his hostility. While others maintained an icy composure, their faces stoic as they prepared for battle, their intent clear and deadly.

Another voice broke through, "Jiang Xuan, my little Xuan, how you suffered, brutally shattered in the forest without even a whole body to mourn!" The words were laced with pain and fury. They were relatives and kin of Jiang Xuan and Mu Xue, accompanied by a cohort of formidable Herb Gathering Realm masters, all united in their quest for retribution.

Wang Xuan's heart pounded with the realization of the dire situation. Could these people have arrived from the Feather Transformation Star on such short notice? The air around him grew heavier with the weight of the life-and-death crisis he now faced.

From another direction, the forest exploded with movement as a group of imposing figures emerged, led by a towering figure standing about two and a half meters tall. His upper body was bare, revealing bronzed skin that shimmered with a metallic sheen in the sunlight.

“The warriors of Heluo Star have come to exterminate the alien demon,” the leader proclaimed with an authoritative voice. “This secret realm belongs to Yu Hua, Oula, and Heluo. We absolutely will not tolerate the presence of aliens here. We'll exterminate every last one!”

The majority of this group followed the path of physical cultivation, with many as formidable as Yuan Kun who practiced the Immortal Body technique. However, they were all at the level of the Gathering Herbs stage, brimming with formidable strength.

Meanwhile, from a nearby part of the forest, thunder roared and lightning crackled, heralding the arrival of another group. They were unmistakably the masters from Oula Star.

“I’m curious,” Wang Xuan asked sternly, “did you just arrive from your home stars?”

The three factions had him completely surrounded, forming a deadly trap.

Wang Xuan sighed internally. He had been complacent, believing that after defeating all the formidable opponents in the secret realm, no one could threaten him anymore. How could he have anticipated the sudden appearance of over forty experts?

All of them were masters in the later stages of the Gathering Herbs realm, each a ruthless killer specifically dispatched from the three extraterrestrial worlds to eliminate him and Old Chen.

One of the towering beings, nearly three meters tall, stepped forward. Covered in black fur with piercing green eyes, he looked like a demonic creature. This was the leader of the Mountain God tribe, the enforcers of the secret realm, descendants of those left behind by the three extraterrestrial worlds.

“Exterminate the alien! This secret realm must not be tainted by outsiders,” he bellowed. “Intruders from beyond our domain must die. This is our sanctuary, the garden of the Immortals. All fortunes belong to us, not to the demons from beyond!”

The Gathering Herbs stage masters echoed the sentiment, their voices resonating through the forest.

Even the massive snakes on the nearby stone mountain, terrified by the overwhelming presence, retreated into their burrows and fled. The fearsome reptiles, typically imposing, were nothing compared to the dread inspired by these warriors.

Dozens of late-stage Gathering Herbs practitioners united – few of their peers could withstand such a force. And Wang Xuan, though impressive in his ability to combat those in his tier, stood no chance against this overwhelming onslaught. Even with his extraordinary skills, he would be crushed to dust, leaving no room for doubt.

In Wang Xuan's left palm, he clutched a thumb-sized piece of Yu Hua Divine Bamboo, infused with the essence of the Earth Immortal Spring and Royal Bee Jelly. This exotic item, belonging to the Immortals beyond the curtain, was given to him by the White Tiger True Immortal, with instructions to implant it into... 'Wang Xuan.' Such a deed, he knew, he would never commit in his lifetime. Thus, after cleansing it, he kept this Immortal-crafted divine object stored safely within his fragment of the blessed realm.

If left with no choice, he considered unleashing this artifact, curious yet fearful of the consequences. However, the thought of activating it and potentially summoning the red-dressed female demon filled him with dread.

“Kill him!” The assailants roared in unison, attacking with full force, giving Wang Xuan no quarter. Their intent was clear – to incapacitate him quickly, extract information about the alien realm, and then subject him to a thousand torments.

“Killing my beloved Xue Er warrants your death a hundredfold!” an elderly woman screamed through tears. Her anguish was palpable.

Wang Xuan dodged frantically as sword beams sliced through the air, shredding the ground where he had just stood and leaving a gaping, black chasm in their wake.

“Your hundred deaths couldn’t assuage the agony and hatred in my heart. My dear Yu Xuan died so tragically. I want to torment you slowly to death, a piece of flesh each day for a hundred days,” another voice growled, filled with vengeance.

Wang Xuan desperately wanted to ask them: Were only their disciples precious? Did no one else’s life matter? Why should only their descendants be allowed to kill and not be killed in return?

The forest exploded around him. In the initial clash, Wang Xuan was left bloodied and battered. Surrounded and pursued by dozens of experts, his body was torn with wounds deep enough to expose bone. A gaping hole in his chest and scorch marks from lightning strikes on his back spoke of the severity of his injuries.

Cornered and severely wounded, he realized another joint attack would seal his fate. For a fleeting moment, he contemplated activating the Yu Hua Divine Bamboo but refrained, concluding that summoning the red-dressed demon was a worse fate than death in battle.

In that critical moment, Wang Xuan’s gaze turned fierce. He knew he wasn’t utterly without hope, but he needed to reach that elusive state – to activate his super-senses, even his divine perception.

With a thunderous roar, he prepared to confront his seemingly insurmountable situation.

Many beams of light, including six or seven sword glows, pierced through Wang Xuan, breaking his bones and slashing off chunks of his flesh. Never before had he experienced such a harrowing ordeal. His adversaries aimed to cripple him first, then force him into submission.

With a low growl, Wang Xuan furiously channeled his mental power, intertwining various spectacular scenes and fusing them together. He felt as if his brain was about to explode.

Finally, under the immense external pressure and facing utter despair, he triggered his super-sense – the first time he had consciously achieved this in such a situation.

Boom! His Inner Landscape flared open, and his spirit entered it. Countless mysterious factors surged, spreading into the forest, blanketing it like a heavy snowfall. The dense, active particles engulfed his physical body.

"What is that? The legendary Inner Landscape?!" someone with keen perception immediately discerned the truth.

In his Inner Landscape, Wang Xuan attempted to activate a divine object, a treasure extracted from the edge of the secret realm, coveted by Immortals and fiercely fought over by the Early Qin female alchemist and the red-dressed demoness. They had even battled Immortals for it and clashed with each other!

Wang Xuan sensed that the treasure had transformed after being nurtured in his Inner Landscape for days. As he attempted to connect with it... there was a response!

"How is it possible? He's opened his Inner Landscape? At such a young age!"

"This... He's just stepped into the realm of the extraordinary. It's impossible to open an Inner Landscape at this stage!"

The group was shocked. But their resolve to kill him only intensified.

Clang!

In the Inner Landscape, the lid of the artifact moved, lifted by Wang Xuan's will. He also realized what this object truly was.

"My own Inner Landscape, opening it is no big deal. Today, let's settle our scores and fight to our heart's content!" he bellowed, fuelled by pent-up rage. To him, the actions and speech of the outside world seemed incredibly slow. His thoughts raced unbelievably fast within his Inner Landscape. He tried to manipulate the lid of the divine object, determined to use it against his enemies.