The Stars Beyond

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In utter silence and amid desolation, the Inner Landscape stretched endlessly, resembling an exhausted cosmos devoid of stars. It represented the pinnacle of meditation, where mere minutes in the outside world could translate into years spent within. Taoist interpretations of this Inner Landscape of the Yellow Court seemed most appropriate. This was a realm of emptiness and serenity. Time seemed to stall here, and one could remain detached and composed in a way that defied understanding.

Thrilled to be here for the second time, Wang Xuan was fully aware of what this place symbolized. This was the core reason behind the tremendous power of the Early Qin practitioners.

"Signs of lightning strikes!" Wang Xuan focused intently, observing that some parts of the usually dim and chilling Inner Landscape were scorched black. It was different from what he had seen during his previous visit.

As soon as he entered the Inner Landscape, Wang Xuan's perception heightened, and his mind transitioned into a state of extreme serenity. Even in such a tranquil state, he proceeded cautiously while surveying the scorched regions. Amidst the oppressive stillness, he felt as though destructive forces were seeping out.

Suddenly, with a resounding boom, it was as if history had rewound. Wang Xuan saw a vivid flashback of a thunderbolt that once tore across the Early Qin sky like a comet colliding with the Earth—deafening, devastating, and unstoppable.

For a fleeting moment, he envisioned an Ascended Taoist Master in white robes, looking up. Although powerful beyond measure, even the master could not withstand the thunderbolt and was dispersed into a shower of light that was scattered across time and space.

A shiver ran down Wang Xuan's spine. How can humans possibly hope to weather the force of such phenomena? He wondered.

But his absolute state of detachment allowed him to quickly return to a quiet and tranquil state of mind. He continued observing in silence. The large swaths of scorched land within the Inner Landscape still bore remnants of the thunderbolt. It was something that exceeded Wang Xuan's wildest imaginations.

In Wang Xuan's understanding, the Inner Landscape was isolated from the mortal world. Only the spirit could traverse this barren and quiet realm; the physical body had to remain outside. What he saw was nothing but desolation. A sense of decay loomed over the eerily quiet landscape. The flickering remnants of the thunderbolt disappeared into the scorched earth, overturning his previous assumptions.

As he took a step forward, he found that even the slight breeze caused by his movement led to drastic changes ahead. The expansive areas of scorched earth and remaining lightning swiftly vanished, collapsing like sandcastles in the tide. As Wang Xuan advanced, all the things that had differed from his previous visits disintegrated into ashes. Scorched and dim lands, remnants of thunderbolts, all vanished. Everything ceased to exist.

Wang Xuan halted, looking at the surroundings that had reverted to their original desolate and vacant state, deep in thought. "Is the Inner Landscape free from the influence of the mortal world? What I just witnessed turned to ashes and decay as I moved forward."

Standing in place, Wang Xuan silently attuned himself to his surroundings and eventually let out a soft sigh, "What I see before me is a re-enactment of history, not the current reality."

As he uttered these words, the Inner Landscape seemed to grow even more desolate and was filled with an air of death. Wang Xuan gradually understood that what he had witnessed was the residual spiritual energy left by the female practitioner, not an actual lightning tribulation from the past.

"Ascension Stones are rare treasures. They are priceless artifacts!" Enlightenment dawned in his eyes, and he felt more confident than ever in following the old path of cultivation. He could see many future possibilities. At this moment, he fully understood why he was able to appear in this place.

Back then, the female practitioner had been incredibly powerful and aspired to ascend to immortality. However, her attempt had ended in failure, and her essence was shattered by a massive bolt of lightning. In the underground cave, a horrifying explosion caused by an Ascension had taken place. Her spiritual energy and the mystery factors she had brought from the Inner Landscape had dispersed.

"Mystery factors, along with remnants of her spiritual energy had impacted the layers of rock. They have mostly dissipated and only a fraction remained, forming the Ascension Stones," Wang Xuan pondered.

With this understanding, Wang Xuan could see the great value of the Ascension Stones and how they played a role in his own journey. This revelation further solidified his resolve to become powerful enough to face what laid ahead of him, be it dealing with the Ashen Blood organization or unraveling the mysteries of the Inner Landscape.

In this state, even without activating his heightened senses, Wang Xuan was able to catch a glimpse of the periphery of the Inner Landscape and returned to it once more. This was because the residual spiritual energy of the female practitioner contained within the Ascension Stones. Although she had long passed away, the energy she left behind still held considerable value for future generations.

This residual spiritual energy naturally resonates with the Inner Landscape she had once opened. Once activated, it enables one to delve back into this desolate realm.

"The mystery factors within the Inner Landscape are the key," he mused.

He believed that these energies were preserved when they were enveloped by the mysterious substances and were then infused into stones. His ability to sense the Ascension Stones and enter the Inner Landscape again was also related to the mystery factors he had absorbed before.

Wang Xuan pieced together these causal relationships, but could still not fully grasp what the Inner Landscape truly was. In fact, no one had ever been able to explain the secrets of this desolate and seemingly lifeless place. Though he could see the outlines of objects in the distance, Wang Xuan did not immediately explore the place any further. He had not forgotten the original purpose of entering the Inner Landscape: He wanted to gain power swiftly so that he could confidently face all that the mortal world had to offer.

This was like a shortcut for Wang Xuan. He was unsure if he could still practice martial arts within the moment of emptiness and clarity he had in the Inner Landscape and increasing his strength.

Wang Xuan recited the scripture of the Golden Body Technique silently and proceeded to practice it from the first layer, advancing up to the latter stages of the third layer—the point he had reached during his last session.

"It works!" He felt his body aligning perfectly with the technique's descriptions, flawlessly executing the postures. His movements were perfect.

Fully engrossed in his martial practice, he forgot about everything else. His thoughts were solely focused on the Golden Body Technique, using it to improve his physique. It was only when he felt fatigued one day that he paused and began practicing the core technique taught by the Early Qin practitioner.

Mystery factors seemed to emerge from the void, scattering within the Inner Landscape to nourish Wang Xuan's spirit and sweep away his fatigue. Once again, he felt revitalized, and was filled with vibrant energy. He let out a sigh of relief. Despite his unconventional entry to this place, nothing had changed. The Inner Landscape remained as it was, a place where he could practice his body cultivation techniques and boost his strength.

Wang Xuan was already close to advancing to the fourth layer of the Golden Body Technique. When he practiced it again, everything fell into place naturally. His body was enveloped in a golden glow, which then burst into an intensely bright beam of light, before returning to normal.

At the same time, his spirit flickered like a mass of golden flames before finally calming down.

The fourth layer of the Golden Body Technique... I’ve achieved it!

Wang Xuan was certain that the Inner Landscape had not lost its mysterious properties. Standing here was just like entering the highest realm of meditation. His mind felt even more peaceful and serene than before. Taking slow steps forward, he decided to explore the scenery he saw at a distance.

Before him lay a sea of buildings that showed signs of decay and neglect. Dried up lakes, collapsed towers dotted the land. Is this also the result of the residual spiritual energy left behind by the female practitioner? Wang Xuan could not help but wonder as he continued his journey.

Only a few buildings still stubbornly stood among the ruins, with decay sprawled all around them. In one room, a window was left open. A long table inside was stacked with bamboo slips from the Early Qin era. Among them was a golden bamboo slip.

Even in his transcendent and tranquil state of mind, Wang Xuan could feel his heart rate accelerating and his breathing became heavy. How many scriptures can so many Early Qin bamboo slips contain? What sort of core techniques and body cultivation methods might they cover? And a golden slip among them too! Wang Xuan was tempted.

However, he dared not move any further, fearing that even the slightest gust of wind created by his movements could disintegrate everything in sight. After contemplating for a while, he let out a soft sigh. Even if he could approach the table, it would do him no good. All the bamboo slips were closed. If he were to try to read them, he would likely be left with nothing but fading light and decaying dust.

Wang Xuan was so close, and yet so far. He did not like such a feeling. It was hard for him to just stand there, unable to approach or touch these invaluable scriptures that lay on the table just beyond his reach.

"Forget it. I already have the core techniques from an Early Qin practitioner, as well as body cultivation methods left behind by Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism. These are already going to require a lifetime of study. There's no need to be greedy. Even if I can take all the bamboo slips on that table, I wouldn't have the time to practice them," Wang Xuan consoled himself.

Taking a step back, he suddenly felt a sense of freedom and spiritual elevation. Is this... Enlightenment?

But he was quick to realize that it was not the case. The scenery around him had changed—it was no longer a cluster of buildings but an expansive landscape that left him in awe.

What is happening? Why has the scene changed without my intervention? Is it the residual spiritual energy left by the female practitioner that's causing this? That was the first possibility that came to his mind. Standing there, he silently practiced the core techniques of the Early Qin practitioner.. novelbuddy.(c)om

In an instant, everything returned to its previous state. The ruined, decayed buildings reappeared, and the long table in the empty room was once again laden with invaluable bamboo slips.

Suddenly, Wang Xuan felt an eerie change in the atmosphere. Spinning around, his pupils constricted involuntarily, and he took several steps back. Before his eyes was a pair of blood-red shoes, hovering at his eye level. Clearly, they belonged to a woman.

The unexpected appearance of these red shoes in the dim ruins set even the usually-composed Wang Xuan's heart racing. Blood dripped from the shoes, almost landing on him as he stepped back. A streak of blinding lightning then fell from the heavens, descending like a river of light from the sky and piercing through the red shoes.

At that moment, a pair of jade-white feet appeared from within the red shoes, followed by straight, white legs. Almost instantly, a long, white skirt unfolded, draping around her body.

Is she a ghost?

A haunting feeling enveloped Wang Xuan. Although he had not seen the woman's face, he felt certain it was related to the female practitioner. Wang Xuan felt extremely uneasy. Despite not seeing the woman's face, he felt she must be related to the female practitioner. In this desolate, lifeless environment filled with a creepy and terrifying atmosphere, he blurted out an unexpected comment: "You've had a wardrobe malfunction!"