The Stars Beyond

Chapter 224: Challenging The Myths

Chapter 224: Challenging The Myths

Wang Xuan ordered a drink, his gaze drifting over the pedestrians on the street outside the window, lost in thought. He sat quietly, contemplating his journey back on the old Earth, his family, and his cultivation path. Should he follow the traditional path of Golden Core and Nascent Soul, or forge his own way? He was slightly absent-minded. Outside the window, the world bustled with activity. Spaceships soared into the sky, disappearing into the horizon. People came and went, gathering the latest news in a cacophony of noise.

But his world inside the window was disconnected from the chaos outside, serene and tranquil, seemingly untouched by the turmoil.

Occasionally sipping his cool coconut-berry juice, he listened to the soothing music of the beverage shop, immersing himself in his own world, passing the time.

"A strong adult, excellent at swimming, drowns in a small pool? How absurd for this to be the news that spreads!" someone fumed miles away in a hidden building, their face a ghastly shade of blue.

The news had reached all corners, causing humiliation and anger. In a lowered voice, the person argued with another in the room, insisting on using top-grade energy weapons to directly target Wang Xuan in Su City.

"Are you insane? This city has a population in the millions; it's not some uninhabited wilderness! How many are watching? Do you dare use weapons of mass destruction to turn this place to rubble?" another person retorted.

Especially considering the presence of influential families residing in Su City. If they were to destroy the Li and Qian families' bases, it would spark a war!

"So, we use a controlled weapon, a precision strike. Erasing one or two buildings in Su City shouldn’t be a problem, right?"

The speaker was cold and merciless, prepared to wreak havoc in Su City. Destroying a few buildings seemed insignificant to them – it wasn't like they were planning a full-scale massacre.

"In that case, we'll claim it was an accident during a terrorist pursuit, a spaceship malfunctioned and opened fire!" His eyes gleamed with malice, a cold smile on his lips. "Dare to drown one of ours? I’ll crush you into pulp. Do they really think we won’t strike in the city?"

Suddenly, his eyes bulged, as if invisible hands were strangling him, lifting him into the air. He wanted to yell in disbelief. How was this possible? The man they were after was miles away in a beverage shop, nowhere near this location.

The other person in the room was equally horrified. Had they been wrong all along? Was the real danger neither Chen Yongjie nor the mysterious Wang Xuan, but someone else entirely?

Even those newly ascended to the supernatural realm, no matter how gifted, shouldn't be able to project their spirit so far from their physical body. They had been studying the ancient arts recently, and even in those days of glory, such feats were rare.

"Is it him? No... it can't be!" The man’s neck was about to snap.

Soon after, someone found him drowned in a bathtub, lifeless. The other person in the room had consumed several bottles of strong liquor, dying of alcohol poisoning in a drunken frenzy.

With the deaths of the person in charge and his two deputies, all had perished under bizarre circumstances, despite being miles apart, leaving an ignominious end.

Meanwhile, in the beverage shop, an old song played, its rhythm soothing, evoking a sense of nostalgia. Wang Xuan sat quietly, listening, never leaving his seat.

Outside, however, tranquility was far from reach. People from all walks of life gathered nearby, peering through the glass at him. Those not involved in the conflict boldly entered the shop to observe him up close. As the world outside teetered on the brink of a storm, this young man remained calmly seated.

In broad daylight, three of the Sun family's key figures in Suzhou City had met strange ends. It was a spectacle for all to witness, a clear declaration of war.

As a storm brewed outside, peace and serenity reigned inside, with people accompanying the young man, listening to an old song that bore the marks of passing years.

After receiving the latest news, some members of the Sun family were visibly cold with anger. Repeated bizarre incidents, with each death more absurd than the last, seemed like a deliberate slap in their face.

“It’s clear now. He's a transcendent being, issuing a challenge with those corpses, declaring his stance. This young man has quite the audacity. How does he wish to die?” A middle-aged man spoke evenly, yet his voice carried a weight of authority.

“There's a problem, though. How did he manage to kill people miles away? Even with spirit projection, it’s impossible to stray so far from the physical body,” someone questioned.

The Sun family, with their extensive collection of ancient texts, including two complete golden bamboo scrolls, one of which was in their possession, demonstrated their formidable strength. Their secret vault, filled with mysterious artifacts from ancient times, further testified to their deep heritage.

They had significant understanding of ancient lore, employing senior advisors who specialized in researching the mysteries recorded in these old texts.

“Indeed, even during the most splendid periods of ancient history, such feats were rarely mentioned. Someone newly ascended to the transcendent realm couldn't possibly achieve this,” the advisors agreed, confirming the anomaly.

“Could it be that he's been a transcendent being for years, a hidden old monster?” someone suggested.

“No, he must have recently become a transcendent being, perhaps after consuming some rare elixir in the secret lands. He wasn’t one before. We have audio-visual recordings that prove this. He was known as Wang Xiao, revered as Master Wang...”

The Sun family, with their extensive network, had managed to unearth this information, bringing to light Wang Xuan’s past confrontations, captured in real recordings. The footage showed him fighting for his life, nails shattered, bloodied and battered, his eyes showing genuine exhaustion. Clearly, he was not overwhelmingly powerful then.

These evidences suggested that his breakthrough to the transcendent realm occurred only after entering the secret lands.

“Could we be wrong? Might there be an even more formidable transcendent being behind him and Chen Yongjie?” some in the Sun family wondered, frowning. If that was the case, the situation was far more complicated and dire, especially since they had yet to detect this mysterious individual.

......

“Speculating about a third person out of nowhere isn’t wise,” Sun Rongting spoke up, his demeanor still calm and detached. “What if, just maybe, he truly is akin to the legendary figures of ancient times?”

“It’s impossible. In this era, such people can’t be born. Even in times when myths were still flourishing, such legends were rare, let alone now!”

Someone suggested, “Mr. Ghost has finished his seclusion. He was originally meant to eliminate Chen Yongjie, but perhaps we should have him assess this Wang Xuan first.”

“When should we deploy our trump card?”

...

All sides watched and discussed the unfolding events. In just one morning, three of the Sun family’s leaders sent to Suzhou City were eliminated, astonishing everyone.

“Chen Yongjie is on the move again, traveling in a hovercar. It seems he’s indeed heading towards the Sun family’s stronghold!”

Soon after, news came that the hovercar met with an accident, crashing into a mountain and exploding on impact. The melted rock wall raised suspicions about the vehicle’s energy output being excessively powerful.

The real situation soon reached various powers: the Sun family had deployed their latest advanced mechanoids, which destroyed the hovercar en route.

“Is Chen Yongjie dead? His journey to Kangning City, almost 1,400 miles away and near the Sun family’s base, was fraught with danger. It was likely he’d be annihilated along the way.”

“No, he wasn’t even scratched. He seemed to have sensed the danger in advance, jumping out of the hovercar and hiding in the mountains. He’s already been spotted in a city with nearly a million inhabitants in that region.”

“At this rate, if Chen Yongjie advances hundreds of miles daily, the Sun family will deeply feel the chill of his murderous intent, causing immense psychological pressure!”

Everyone was deeply moved by these developments.

In Suzhou City, Wang Xuan had been sitting in the beverage shop for a long time, ignoring the many eyes on him as he processed various pieces of information. An hour later, he left and returned to his residence.

This day was destined to be restless, with a storm already brewing, impossible to calm down. Chen Yongjie temporarily ceased moving, staying in the city with nearly a million residents.

Wang Xuan spent the day studying maps and contemplating his route, planning to leave the city for a significant endeavor. While executing the Sun family's responsible person, Wang Xuan captured his thoughts and uncovered some secrets. It seemed the Sun family’s higher-ups were unaware that this man had unexpectedly discovered some of their most guarded secrets.

Wang Xuan prepared to teach the Sun family a bloody lesson that night, a lesson they would never forget.

That night, the Sun family unexpectedly made a ruthless move, shockingly direct and domineering, as if tearing off all pretenses, stunning everyone. A terrifying beam of light descended from the sky, piercing through the Rehabilitation Hall, flattening the entire building into a horrific scene of molten concrete and steel. The Rehabilitation Hall vanished!

This beam shook all parties involved. In Suzhou City, both the Qian and Li families were alarmed and contacted the Sun family overnight, furiously accusing them of threatening their safety.

“The Sun family went too far, using a medium-sized warship to strike directly in Suzhou City. They clearly didn't want Wang Xuan alive to serve their interests, completely obliterating the Rehabilitation Hall. Everything there melted, nothing left behind!”

This news spread rapidly among the conglomerates and major institutions, causing huge waves in the specific circles.

Everyone was in shock. It had been many years since any major power had deployed a warship on their own territory, an action that could disrupt a certain balance. If all the families were to act this way, opening fire whenever conflicts arose, what would become of New Star?

"People of the Sun family are already preparing to compensate other families. Without paying the price, they certainly can't justify their actions," someone said coldly. Rules are rules, and even the super conglomerates must abide by them, or face collective punishment from all parties.

"They controlled the firepower, precisely destroying that building. There were tremors nearby, some buildings cracked, but none collapsed," someone observed.

"The storm has indeed arrived! But what about that young man? Could he have survived?"

People waited for a long time, and the Sun family rushed to the scene, deploying high-level mechanical beings to scan the area thoroughly. There was no sign of Wang Xuan, no traces of his life signs left.

"If he didn't escape the building and was struck by the sudden beam of destruction, then... he must be dead, with no room for doubt. What a pity!"

"Why has the Sun family gone mad? Targeting this young man with a warship seems excessive, doesn't it?" some questioned, puzzled. Even Chen Yongjie hadn't been killed by a warship, only struck once by a "misfortunate" spaceship.

At the Sun family, many awaited the news. As confirmation came that Wang Xuan had not escaped, some people gradually began to smile.

"Comparable to ancient legends? Hah, he couldn't withstand a single strike from a warship, after all!"