The Stars Beyond

Chapter 268: Immortal Death

Chapter 268: Immortal Death

In the warship, the Ashen Blood organization's middle-aged man was drenched in sweat, gripped by fear and tension. He felt that today's actions would mark a new chapter in history. Engaging immortals with a warship? This was the dawn of a terrifying new era, and he was both a participant and a witness.

Wang Xuan was ready to wage war, and the man was compelled to execute these orders, inevitably becoming a background figure in this monumental event. "I'm scared, terrified. Could Ashen Blood be obliterated because of me?" he thought, swallowing hard. But did he really have a choice? He felt powerless before the young man's icy gaze.

Before the misty veil, the wooden figure was riddled with cracks, divine light shooting through every fissure. The screams of the six beings inside chilled the immortals on the other side, a grim reminder of the terrible fate awaiting them in the mortal world without support.

The immortals suddenly looked up, focusing on the distant, imposing warship, just like the man clad in black and golden armor.

Back on Earth, people grew anxious as the images from Golden Summit Mountain became increasingly blurred. "What's happening to Wang Xuan? His body seems to be glowing," they wondered. The glowing veil, the vast and ethereal immortal realm, and the silent immortals were never so close to reality.

"People are wondering if immortals are about to emerge," someone said. There was a mix of nerves and excitement. The thought of immortals, once only part of legends, becoming a reality, where ordinary people could immerse themselves in myth, seeking masters, and learning the arts of immortals, was thrilling.

Some people looked forward to the emergence of immortals, believing the legends about various deities to be beautiful. "Don't be so optimistic," warned others. "In a sense, they're already a different kind of being, no longer human." This group was cautious and skeptical, especially since the main peak of Golden Summit Mountain was destroyed and some transcendent beings were suspected to have died there.

"Yellow Family's ancestral shrine is destroyed!" The news spread, raising concerns. "What will that warship do next?" Major financial groups and organizations, much more knowledgeable than the general public, closely monitored the situation. Some viewed the immortals with hostility, while others, influenced by prophetic dreams, considered collaborating with them.

The future, especially the next two to three years, seemed fraught with danger. How they responded and preserved their current status was a critical decision. Numerous eyes were fixed on Golden Summit Mountain. Despite appearing calm, there was an undercurrent of tension and anxiety. What would be the catalyst for a significant event?

For a brief moment, the world seemed to freeze, as if anticipating a pivotal event that would shape the future.

Suddenly, a divine sword-like beam cleaved the sky from the horizon, striking directly at Golden Summit Mountain, targeting Huang Kun. "Finally, he's opened fire on the Golden Summit area!" The real world was shocked, sensing the gravity of the situation.

The financial groups, with their well-informed networks, had already captured Wang Xuan's image as he opened the warship's hatch and struck the Yellow Family's shrine.

Inside the warship, Chen Yongjie tried to remain calm. He hadn't yet decided how to confront the immortals, but they were already at his doorstep, intending to use Wang Xuan as a pathway. Now, there was no choice but to act.

"After this, I must find that half of the lotus pod. We need to strengthen ourselves quickly!" Chen Yongjie's expression was grave. Regardless of the choices made by the financial groups and major organizations, he firmly stood by Wang Xuan's side.

"Don't be nervous, the situation isn't that intense yet," Wang Xuan reassured with a smile. Then he stared at the middle-aged man from the Ashen Blood organization, signaling him to continue firing at a specific area in front of the veil. His target was Huang Kun, and regarding the beings behind the veil, as they couldn't come through, they were momentarily at an impasse. It remained to be seen if they would send someone across the boundary.

Huang Kun soared into the sky, affected by the impact. As a main fragment of a transcendent spirit left in the current world, he was not weak. He quickly crossed the sky towards the warship at the horizon's edge, intending to breach it.

"In our presence, someone dares to attack an immortal?" someone from behind the veil spoke, watching the distant space. They were beings who had lived from ancient times to the present era, each capable of changing dynasties and worshipped by people. The current scene was shocking to them.

"To act against our guide in our sight, such a lack of reverence!" came a cold voice from the veil. Some of the more conservative immortals couldn't accept this scene; in their view, how could a mortal dare to strike at an immortal?

The warship fired several times at Huang Kun, but most of the shots were evaded by his swift movements. He was both shocked and enraged, as someone had destroyed his shrine and obliterated his immortal essence. Now, a warship was pursuing him for the kill.

Eventually, a supercharged energy beam grazed him, as he couldn't avoid the wide-ranging impact while approaching at high speed.

Onlookers from all sides were alarmed as the warship continued firing into the sky. Were they attacking an invisible immortal approaching? Whether ordinary people or major powers, everyone was tense, witnessing a collision between the realms of immortals and mortals.

"It's Wang Xuan in action. He's inside that warship!" This information spread through the secret networks and onto other platforms, causing a stir among the public.

After being grazed by the attack, Huang Kun's spirit fragment trembled violently, scattering some of his transcendent substance, though his pure spirit remained unaffected. He continued his charge, now closing in on the warship.

"Here he comes!" Old Chen, draped in a cassock and radiating red light interwoven with golden threads, took on a majestic appearance, like a radiant monk. Wang Xuan gestured for Chen to hold back, ready to act himself. Holding a yellow gourd in his hand, he opened the warship's hatch, prepared to hunt the immortal.

Huang Kun was hit again, his transcendent substance within the spirit fragment vibrating and shedding parts of it. He approached furiously, his killing intent sky-high. Spotting Wang Xuan calmly waiting inside the hatch, Huang Kun was filled with a mix of shock and rage, completely losing his composure.

"It's really you!" His anger was uncontrollable, feeling deeply wounded. All his suffering was caused by this young man before him. His immortal essence was destroyed, leaving him rootless and adrift.

"You destroyed my foundation, cut off my future, it's a fight to the death!" Huang Kun's spiritual energy surged in the sky, the waves piercingly strong. His unmasked emotions were heard by some in the distant city of Yu Cheng.

Wang Xuan looked at him, undaunted, and said, "When harming others, you never reflect or look for faults in yourself. How can a being devoid of humanity like you, who annihilates others, dare to call himself an immortal? Time to end you!"

In his hands, the yellow gourd glowed, and a vortex appeared at its mouth, generating ripples that locked onto Huang Kun. Huang Kun, wielding a wooden staff that was also a treasure, charged forward amidst thunder and fire, attempting to overpower Wang Xuan and seize his gourd.

The thunder and fire were absorbed by the gourd, but the staff temporarily held off its suction. Huang Kun sneered, drawing ever closer.

But the moment Huang Kun entered the warship, his expression froze in fear. Thin golden lines wove through the air, tearing apart his spirit fragment. "No!" he screamed, as he was swiftly pulled into the gourd, leaving no doubt about his fate. In an instant, he saw the Godslayer Banner inside the gourd and realized what it was – an ancient, legendary weapon, the bane of spirits. He wanted to shout, but he couldn’t; his end was inevitable.

Wang Xuan gently shook the gourd, and with a 'poof', Huang Kun was reduced to ashes inside. Wang Xuan chose not to reveal the Godslayer Banner in front of the beings beyond the veil, preferring to conceal it within the gourd for his attack.

The capture of a Celestial Immortal? Huang Kun's final scream echoed in people’s minds, then silence fell. Remote detectors captured the scene: Wang Xuan shaking the gourd, concluding the battle. Had he successfully slain an immortal?

Observers were stunned. Although they hadn’t seen the invisible being, it was widely surmised that Wang Xuan had swiftly vanquished his opponent. Some organizations were convinced that Wang Xuan had targeted the beings beyond the veil and had now won the first battle.

“Did Wang Xuan just kill a legendary immortal?” This speculation caused a massive stir, with many people arriving at this conclusion.

......

In front of the great veil, the wooden figure shattered, and six beings burst out, engulfed in flames and bound by chains made of symbols, screaming in agony as they were torn apart before the veil. These individuals faced a great calamity, leaving behind only a few faint shadows, destined to disperse in a matter of days.

The demise of the six sent shivers through the Celestial Immortals, evoking fear and anger, as if they were witnessing their own inevitable fate.

"People of the present world are hunting immortals!"

Beyond the veil, a group of powerful beings, filled with murderous intent, stared into the realm of reality. It was now evident that Huang Kun’s captive was a decoy, not the true possessor of the special inner landscape. Unquestionably, this was a top-tier treasure that even the immortals couldn’t differentiate from the real thing. The veil only compounded their inability to make accurate judgments.

The great financial conglomerates were restless. Had an immortal really died? They pondered their next move: should they use the latest super warships to fight the Celestial Immortals? Or should they observe and decide later who to ally with and who to keep at a distance?

Wang Xuan instructed the middle-aged man from the Ashen Blood organization to contact the Sun family and directly spoke with Sun Rongsheng, the core member, "Old Sun, I'm battling the Celestial Immortals. Care to join?"

Sun Rongsheng, shocked, immediately hung up. How could he agree at such a time? Even if he harbored intentions, he wouldn’t dare make a move now.

"Not getting hit by your energy cannon is good enough, and you want to drag us into this?" The Sun family felt it was outrageous for Wang Xuan to contact them at this time. They coldly observed from the sidelines, unwilling to make any moves.

"The New World is on the brink of chaos for three years; it's time to initiate the Primordial Plan, to prevent future troubles," a major financial group decided swiftly in their communication.

Meanwhile, the Celestial Immortals beyond the veil stared into the distance, addressing Wang Xuan, "Are you declaring war on us by killing our guide?" Their voices, though not loud, were terrifying, piercing through the veil with the sound of thunder and lightning.

"I have great respect for those who can become immortals. I'm merely protecting myself," Wang Xuan downplayed the unpleasantness, carefully omitting the part about being imprisoned and trampled upon by his opponents.

"Some of our companions have perished, and you've done things that displeased us," spoke a being from beyond the veil.

"I can't be expected to offer up my life, can I?" Wang Xuan replied.

In the warship, the Ashen Blood member was ashen-faced, witnessing a negotiation with the Celestial Immortals. Despite the seeming calmness, a fierce confrontation could erupt at any moment.

"We can cooperate," a powerful voice from beyond the veil suggested, audible only to Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan sighed, "I can't do that." Assisting them equated to a death sentence, and he certainly couldn't agree.

"Are you going to reject our goodwill? Actually, things aren't as bad as you think. We can offer you a lot, ensuring your safety," the voice continued.

Wang Xuan shook his head, maintaining restraint. He didn't believe those promises and would not entrust his fate to their mercy.

"You hunt true immortals and kill our companions; we have been remarkably restrained. If you choose to oppose us, it will be as you wish," came a calm voice from beyond the veil.

Another added, "If you choose us as your enemies, you will indeed face enmity!"

"I don't want to be your enemy, but if you force me into a corner, then we will each have to use our means," Wang Xuan responded, unperturbed.

"You're forsaking a glorious path!" Finally, a Celestial Immortal lost patience, ready to intervene in the mortal world.

Wang Xuan, too, lost his patience, ready for a fight if necessary.