The Stars Beyond

Chapter 329: Fang Yuzhu

Chapter 329: Fang Yuzhu

In the Early Qin cave dwelling, a woman in a pure white dress stands gracefully, surrounded by golden bamboo leaves that shower her in a light rain, making her look ethereal and unparalleled, a true Immortal.

Although it's not the first time Wang Xuan has seen the female practitioner, he still finds her stunning. Her quiet presence alone seems to bring an aura of immortality to the entire environment. And in fact, she truly is... a being who has attained immortality.

"Greetings, Immortal," Wang Xuan says, with a calm demeanor. As for the teasing about "thousands of women in the ranks of immortals" that's something he'd only dare joke about when alone.

Facing the actual person, who would dare to speak so frivolously about a supreme immortal? It would likely get one smacked to death.

The female practitioner stands with her back against the bamboo boat, her figure slender and graceful, her black hair shimmering, her face flawless, detached, and tranquil.

"My name is Fang Yuzhu." She smiles, her beauty dazzling, enough to silence a room instantly if she were in the outside world.

Wang Xuan is slightly surprised. She's very approachable, lacking the arrogance of a supreme being, simply stating her name in a natural manner. Perhaps it's because her spirit awakened early and has wandered the mortal world, adapting to the modern pace of life.

Though she's understated, Wang Xuan doesn't overstep but keeps a polite distance, maintaining a proper respect.

"You seem a bit restrained," Fang Yuzhu remarks with surprise, then smiles. "That's not like you. I remember you being quite bold."

Indeed, she doesn't seem like someone from ancient times; her speech and behavior aren't much different from modern people's, except for her almost unreal beauty and the faint halo that seems to surround her.

How was he bold? Wang Xuan thinks they haven't had much interaction, mainly because he's always been wary and intentionally kept his distance.

Suddenly, he recalls something. The night he released Fang Yuzhu's fragmented spirit, she appeared in his dreams.

In his mind, the stunningly beautiful and unattainable female practitioner revealed another side to her, wearing white with red shoes, floating in mid-air, following by his side, startling him. Then, he boldly retaliated by touching her face.

Wang Xuan snapped back to reality, showing surprise. Standing under the vast sky, even a supreme being commanding a powerful faction in the backdrop of the great beyond has another side to them.

He felt the need to reevaluate the female practitioner, yet he remained cautious, deciding not to mention the dream incident.

"I've always held great respect for immortals. When we first met here, I thought of rescuing the immortal from peril, but that was presumptuous of me. With your unparalleled powers, you freed yourself upon awakening."

"Thank you for awakening me, or there might have been troubles," said Fang Yuzhu, acknowledging the truth. She had merely predicted the general trend of events back then.

She invited Wang Xuan to sit. Despite her ethereal presence, she was approachable and down-to-earth.

A young woman came in to make tea, her elegant and fluid tea-making skills a pleasure to watch. She didn't linger and soon left.

"This era is much better than ours. Though society has its issues and some divisions are irreparable, people can still live on. In the Early Qin era, even I faced survival crises. To live, one had to fight fiercely. There were threats from humans, unimaginable monsters, divine birds, and beasts. It was a time of blood for food and survival of the fittest."

Wang Xuan was moved, realizing even such a celestial being had emerged through the struggles among various races, painting a rather terrifying picture of that era.

Then, Fang Yuzhu cheerfully spoke about the current era. Wang Xuan was surprised to find that she, having integrated into this age, was just like any modern urban woman, even sharing some of her favorite accessories and perfumes.

He was speechless for a moment, and then, through his spiritual eye, he noticed the female practitioner's dressing room, filled with various dresses, lipsticks, bags, and more. He automatically imagined her wearing cheongsams, evening gowns, hot pants, and high heels... quite a dazzling thought indeed, considering she is a celestial being.

"Are you looking at those clothes? To blend into modern society, I've bought a variety of them but haven't tried them on yet," the female practitioner said with a smile, seemingly aware of his spiritual eye and guessing his thoughts.

"With your extraordinary beauty and perfect figure, it's not the clothes that enhance you, but you that elevate the beauty of those clothes. Hmm, but wearing these modern outfits, I believe there would be a unique charm," Wang Xuan commented.

He pondered how striking the contrast would be if she were to wear a cheongsam while battling supreme beings from the great beyond.

"Times change, dynasties fall, and the world evolves. The present is vastly different from the past, and indeed, modern times are better."

When Wang Xuan heard this, he immediately became serious.

He timely mentioned the importance of peace and stability in the current world, emphasizing the need to prevent immortals and demons from acting recklessly.

The female practitioner nodded, "That's also what I wanted to say. Whether human, immortal, demon, or devil, all should be restrained and follow rules."

Wang Xuan was surprised. Before he could elaborate, the female practitioner had already grasped everything, directly addressing the issue and agreeing with him.

He quickly realized that her praise of the modern era and mention of her favorite accessories and clothes were just on the surface; it was all for the sake of fitting in.

He knew there wouldn't be any issues with this visit. True to her reputation as a supreme being with vision, she had already considered these matters. Despite being a top figure among the immortals, she was willing to establish new rules to regulate her followers.

There was no need for further explanation as the female practitioner said, "This requires a joint commitment from all parties, and naturally, a collective discussion. I will contact some people."

The meeting went unexpectedly smooth, with both parties enjoying a pleasant conversation and reaching a consensus on the main issues.

However, Wang Xuan couldn't fully relax. If he were facing the Sword Immortal, he might delve deeper, but he still felt a certain distance from this female practitioner.

Despite her modern demeanor, she still radiated an ethereal glow, shrouded in a mist of immortality, the epitome of a celestial being's grace.

However, Fang Yuzhu was also pondering, feeling as though she had overlooked something related to the man who awakened her in the present world. "Will there be some involvement with him in the future?" she wondered, slightly alert yet unable to deduce anything. The unease didn't seem to be a matter of life and death, so she gradually let go of the thought.

Wang Xuan really wanted to ask her, "Immortal Fang, do you want to be invoked? Could you first give me a heavenly herb to nourish my body?"

This time, however, she did not bring up the subject, probably focusing on the treasure and not wanting her main body to come out.

"Huh, a call from Old Zhang." Wang Xuan was surprised to have a signal even deep underground.

"Let him come over directly," Fang Yuzhu said, already knowing who it was from the voice on the phone.

"Immortal, who exactly is Old Zhang? Is he a demon or an immortal? Is he the one from Daoism, or does he have another identity?" Wang Xuan asked.

"He now calls himself Zhang Daoling," the female practitioner informed him, clearly writing those three characters on the table with her white finger.

...

It took a while for Old Zhang to appear underground, still elegant, with a warm smile, "Immortal Fang, it's been a long time."

"Zhang Daoling, last time at that bar on the new star, you kept looking at me with a copper mirror."

Old Zhang smiled handsomely, "At that time, I felt a supreme being had locked onto me. I had to see who it was; it was a misunderstanding."

Then he changed the subject, looking at Wang Xuan, "What have you been eating? You change every day, even more incredible than when I was young!"

Wang Xuan glanced at Old Zhang, what kind of remark was that?

Zhang Daoling skillfully made tea, with movements filled with Daoist charm, "I mean, how could your realm advance so fiercely in just a few days? You've broken through again, faster than I did back in my day."

He then looked towards the female practitioner, "Probably faster than the Immortal here back in her day, right?"

The female practitioner nodded, looking at Wang Xuan with a surprised expression. When they first met, he was insignificant, and in just over half a year, not only had he stepped into the realm of the extraordinary, but he had also advanced to the late sixth stage in the mortal world.

Her surprise at such speed led to some speculation in her mind.

Wang Xuan said, "I found the half lotus pod left by Shakyamuni and ate two seeds. I didn't expect to break through consecutively."

"Ascetics talk about karma; their things aren't so easily taken without a price to pay in the future," Old Zhang remarked.

"I suppose that counts as passive fate. I think they're pretty good people," Wang Xuan said.

"Fate, indescribably wonderful," Old Zhang nodded, then looked at him and the female practitioner, remaining silent for a while before saying, "Things are a bit messy."

"Zhang Daoling, lend me that copper mirror of yours for a few days, so I can see for myself and save you from talking nonsense," the female practitioner said with a smile.

Old Zhang quickly shook his head, "I didn't bring it. Last time I used the mirror on myself, it exhausted its energy. I left it in the New Moon to absorb extraordinary substances."

"Excuses!"

Old Zhang kept quiet, fearing it would be lent but never returned.

He looked around, changing the subject, "Immortal, your bamboo boat is truly marvelous, preserving your body intact until now, making you invincible. Wise and visionary! How about I trade the mirror for your boat?"

"Let's talk business," the female practitioner said. "As Wang Xuan mentioned earlier, with the excessive crossing of immortals and demons into this realm, acting recklessly, it's necessary for people like us to step forward and jointly impose restrictions. I think it makes a lot of sense."

Old Zhang nodded, agreeing without hesitation. At their level, no one wished to see a bloodied present world; all parties need to adhere to rules.

"On my way here, I even encountered a young demon, ambitious and even wanting to devour me to become the Demon Emperor," Old Zhang sighed, noting the young demons and immortals were too bold.

"Why keep him then? Just kill him," Wang Xuan said.

Old Zhang casually said, "I'll leave him to you. He was coming for you anyway. If I were to strike, I'd go after his father, but since he calls me 'uncle,' I won't make a move."

"Who's his father?" Wang Xuan asked.

"The Demon Emperor Qi Yi," Old Zhang casually mentioned.

Wang Xuan: "..."

He was stunned. That so-called young demon was the Demon Emperor's own son?!