The Stars Beyond

Chapter 358: Undefeatable

Chapter 358: Undefeatable

Wang Xuan, gripping the banner in his left hand, collided its fabric with the attacker's palm, creating a shockwave reminiscent of a small asteroid striking the earth. The explosion kicked up a blinding, umbrella-shaped energy mist. The pain was unbearable. Despite wielding a legendary artifact, Wang Xuan's left hand fractured under the impact. The flesh between each pair of his fingers split open due to the immense force, bleeding profusely.

He had never faced such a formidable opponent. Even with the repaired Godslaying Banner in hand, the outcome was brutally harsh, his entire arm spasming in pain.

The assailant's palm only paused momentarily, nicked by the banner and bleeding luminous red, before striking down again with unstoppable force.

The sound was deafening, like the explosion of an ascension tribulation, signaling Chen Yongjie's intervention. Mounted on his shoulder, the energy cannon fired dozens of dazzling beams in rapid succession. Some actually hit the target, impacting the mysterious figure directly.

The remaining beams missed, exploding against the distant low hills of the desert and demonstrating their immense power.

The silver-masked individual, struck by the beams, merely stumbled slightly, showing no significant harm. Even Chen Yongjie, usually composed, was left speechless, marveling at the resilience of this seemingly invincible being. The most advanced energy cannon couldn't even phase him, let alone kill him.

It became clear that the attacker, with his superior spiritual awareness, could have easily dodged the assault but chose not to, deeming it unnecessary and not wanting to waste time.

This realization was horrifying. Were both he and Wang Xuan doomed to die here? This being was monstrously powerful.

The silver-masked figure glanced at the wound on his hand and then reached for Wang Xuan with a speed that was almost divine, moving so fast it was impossible to react in time.

Wang Xuan, with his left hand gripping the flag, clashed against that palm, creating an impact as if a small planet collided with the earth, sending a blinding mushroom cloud of energy into the air. The pain was unbearable. Despite wielding a peerless treasure, Wang Xuan's left hand fractured under the force. The flesh between his fingers split open from the powerful vibration, blood flowing freely.

He had never encountered such a formidable opponent. Even with the mended Godslaying Banner in hand, the outcome was brutally severe, causing spasms throughout his entire arm.

The attacker's palm hesitated only momentarily upon being sliced by the banner, shedding luminescent crimson blood, then swiftly descended again.

"Boom!" The sound was deafening, akin to the explosion of a celestial tribulation, marking Chen Yongjie's intervention. Shouldering an energy cannon, he fired a barrage of blinding beams. A few strikes landed squarely on the mysterious figure.

Despite the power of the blasts, the figure merely staggered slightly, showing no significant harm, leaving Chen speechless. Was this creature invincible to even the most advanced energy weapons?

In an instant, it became clear. The attacker could have dodged the strikes but chose not to, unwilling to waste time. This realization was horrifying—were they both doomed to perish at the hands of this monstrous being?

The silver-masked figure glanced at the wound on his palm and made another grab for Wang Xuan, moving with divine speed that was almost impossible to react to.

Wang Xuan, his vision nearly obliterated by the oppressive force and with both arms broken, exerted his last bit of strength to wave the Godslaying Banner again. This time, he successfully activated the supercharged red substance embedded in the banner, drawn from the red twilight of the void. It was a terrifying energy that he could only refine in minute amounts, but the banner had accumulated much more.

Chen Yongjie, gasping for breath under the overwhelming pressure and severely wounded, made a frantic effort to save Wang Xuan. His arm grotesquely twisted, suffering complete fractures, and the energy cannon he wielded was torn apart by the mysterious force field, crashing to the ground in pieces.

Chen activated a precious artifact to shield himself, emitting divine chants and wrapping himself in a robe interwoven with gold and red, attempting to block the invisible domain. But the artifact shattered, and the robe burned to ashes.

Shocked by the severity of his injuries as he was thrown backward, Chen quickly employed other protective measures, barely keeping himself from being twisted into a pulp by the powerful force.

Wang Xuan, pushing the Godslaying Banner to its limits, filled its golden grid with the red substance, repeatedly colliding with the mysterious attacker's palm.

The man with the silver mask stepped back, surprised at the sight of his own hand, which was now a blurry mess of flesh and charred black. Even his arm was injured by the Godslaying Banner activated with the red substance, and golden grids along the wound sought to invade further into his body. The power of "Slash Body" didn't concern him much; it was merely an unexpected incident. He realized that the "patch" was just a crude imitation. However, the aspect of "Slash God," where golden grids could invade through the wound, caught him off guard and warranted his caution.

Wang Xuan, gasping for air, thought he was on the brink of death, almost overpowered by this formidable being whose strength was off the charts. This was an adversary like no other he had faced, a terrifying opponent who almost had him in a life-or-death predicament.

Now, with his arms spasming and suffering multiple fractures due to the opponent's powerful domain, his heavy armor shattered. More alarmingly, even the spiritual armor protecting his soul showed cracks, with fragments falling off, indicating the sheer might of the attack that targeted both his physical and spiritual essence, nearly obliterating him on the spot.

Seizing this brief respite, Wang Xuan pulled out the silver beast skin from his storage, activating and enlarging it to serve as a battle garment wrapped around him, which also contained accumulated red substance.

Spiritual chains rattled, wrapping around his arms, lifting them, aligning and securing the broken bones back in place.

The man with the silver mask remained composed. In his view, such struggle and resistance were futile against absolute power. He vanished from his spot and reappeared in front of Wang Xuan, hand pressing down again, all without using any spells, relying solely on his physical might to crush Wang Xuan, seemingly intending to capture him alive.

Wang Xuan, fully alert, braced himself for the confrontation, ready to fight with all his might against the overwhelming force descending upon him.

However, the man, ghost-like, vanished silently from in front of him, reappearing behind with a hand that seemed to traverse space, slamming down with force. Wang Xuan, chilled to the bone, swung the banner backward in reflex.

The man with the silver mask sidestepped, dodging the Godslaying Banner, his palm grazing Wang Xuan's ribs and back, sending him flying as if struck by numerous bolts of lightning.

Coughing up blood, Wang Xuan struggled to his feet, his left ribs completely shattered, some bones piercing into his organs, causing unbearable agony.

The silver beast skin on him glowed, hundreds of mysterious symbols lighting up, emitting dense red mists of supreme substance, importantly, the symbols possessed an inexplicable, formidable power.

The man glanced at his hand, now blackened from the burns caused by the symbols and the red mists, showing a hint of interest as he examined the beast skin.

Wang Xuan's body trembled, his spine broken. Despite his resilience, he couldn't withstand the man's blows, a testament to the vast gap in their strength.

In such a dire situation, an ordinary person with a broken spinal column would have been immobilized, but Wang Xuan, bloodied and battered, silently faced his foe, though his heart sank. He acknowledged the sheer might of this celestial demon, capable of annihilating all formidable beings within this space on his own.

Faced with such a predicament, Wang Xuan wondered if he needed to resort to using his most precious treasures. Yet, he doubted if he could even mobilize the Life-Preserving Furnace without inadvertently aiding his enemy, which would be both tragic and laughable.

Bright beams of light flew in as Chen Yongjie, lying on the ground in the distance, retrieved another energy cannon from the fragments of his sanctuary, controlling it with his feet to fire.

Their desperate situation underlines the immense gap between their capabilities and those of their mysterious and powerful adversary, prompting them to consider every available option, however slim their chances of success.

Despite their efforts, their attacks merely served as a distraction, causing the man in the silver mask to momentarily stagger, his body emitting a faint glow, unaffected by their assault. Chen Yongjie cursed under his breath, incredulous at their inability to harm such a monstrous foe. Seizing a moment of instability, Wang Xuan quickly accessed his inner domain to clumsily lift the lid of a mystical furnace, not even daring to contemplate controlling the entire artifact.

In an instant, he activated the Zhanshen Flag, enlarging it and ingeniously incorporating the furnace lid into its fabric by removing and then reapplying a patch that served as a makeshift repair. This fusion of spirit and flesh, wrapped in golden threads, was executed in the blink of an eye. With his limbs aching from fractures, Wang Xuan brandished the flag, now brimming with a formidable red essence, unleashing its augmented might towards his adversary.

The flag billowed majestically, its golden mesh saturated with the potent red substance, its power astonishing. The man in the silver mask, undisturbed by the show of force, sidestepped the attack with a cold indifference, his body flickering as he attempted to close in once more. At this critical juncture, Wang Xuan tapped into a newly acquired ability, aiming to immobilize the assailant by locking down the immediate vicinity with an intricate network of patterns emanating from his eyes.

Fully aware that such a formidable being could not be easily restrained, let alone vanquished single-handedly, Wang Xuan's goal was merely to hinder his opponent's movements momentarily. As anticipated, the man proved too powerful, easily breaking free from the spatial constraints, though his movement was momentarily less fluid than his usual instantaneous shifts. This slight delay was all Wang Xuan needed; seizing the opportunity, he swung the flag with both hands, filling the air with a roaring red mist as he struck down with renewed vigor.

The man remained composed, his hands moving rapidly in a series of gestures, forming seals as if to counteract the impediment directly. For the first time, his expression shifted slightly when he made contact with the flag, beginning to retreat rapidly and initiating a powerful domain as if traversing through the void. Attempting to distance himself, his palms and arms still came into contact with the flag.

His hands turned charred, and his arms trembled slightly, emitting sounds of misaligned bones, causing him to frown for the first time. Wang Xuan inwardly lamented the missed opportunity; the flag, wrapped around the furnace lid, only grazed him and failed to land a solid hit.

The man's eyes sparkled with intrigue, pondering, "This is peculiar. Could it actually be a fragment of the Zhanshen Flag and not merely a crude imitation?" He snapped his dislocated left arm back into place while his right arm glowed, healing from a fracture with dense life-giving factors.

Despite the blurring flesh and dripping blood from his right arm, he seemed unfazed, instead focusing intently on the flag. Wang Xuan took a deep breath, facing such an adversary, the gap in their powers vast, like a child wielding a sharp blade against a guarded adult.

He considered activating the furnace lid recklessly, but hesitated, fearing it would miss and inadvertently gift a treasure to his opponent. If the disparity in their strengths wasn't so pronounced, he wouldn't be in such a dire situation.

Taking another deep breath, Wang Xuan realized he had no choice but to fight with all he had, cornered with no alternatives. Suddenly, the masked man turned as if sensing something, then abruptly vanished towards the horizon.

Far off, near the wreckage of a vast spaceship, an elderly astronaut's forehead emitted a silver flame, pulsing as he approached with a few specters. Chen Yongjie, puzzled and unable to see the specters without the spiritual vision, questioned the situation.

Wang Xuan, with a heavy heart, explained, "Specters are approaching. Do not let your spirit wander; the leading specter seems extraordinary, possibly the king among them!"

As they spoke, Wang Xuan covered Chen Yongjie with the Zhanshen Flag to conceal their presence, clutching tightly to the silver beast skin he wore. Both remained utterly still, silent as the grave. The figures in tattered astronaut suits, relics of countless eras washed by time, wandered aimlessly, heads bowed in contemplation.

Chen Yongjie felt a chill run down his spine. Though he couldn't see them, he sensed his spirit threatened, as if a black hole nearby aimed to tear his soul into its depths. The lead astronaut glanced their way inadvertently, lingered for a long while, then abruptly looked skyward, seemingly alerted to something. With a grave expression, he led the specters away without making any aggressive moves.

"Did he notice us?" Chen Yongjie asked, his scalp tingling with fear amidst the continuous dangers surrounding them.

"I don't know," Wang Xuan replied, shaking his head.

"There's something new happening!" Chen whispered.

At the horizon's edge, Zhang Daoling appeared, fleeing wildly, piloting a corroded copper mirror across the sky like a meteor crashing into the desert.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Following closely behind him were three mysterious fires plummeting to the desert, burning not far from him, where they confronted each other as countless pages of scripture fluttered down from the sky.

"Gentlemen, as the saying goes, 'All good things must come to an end.' Let's part ways here; take care of yourselves!" Zhang Daoling, looking utterly exhausted, bid his farewell.

Wang Xuan, initially intending to greet him, shut his mouth at this spectacle.

Spotting them, Zhang Daoling's eyes brightened, and he called out with a smile, "Wang Xuan, Chen Yongjie, you're here! Come quickly and delve into the celestial scriptures; endless fortunes await."