The Stars Beyond

Wang Xuan, with his keen perception, recognized the benefits of battling with a fragment of the soul light of beings from beyond the supreme realm. Although he had yet to break through to the eleventh segment, the mythological frontier theorized in ancient texts, he sensed an accumulation within himself, a deepening of life's essence.

"Is this what thickening the essence of life feels like?" he pondered, immersed in a unique state of awareness. He could perceive malevolence at the ends of the void and grasp the subtle shifts within his being.

The realm of breaking limits combined with the spiritual eye marked a significant elevation in his spiritual awareness. His perception of both the internal and external worlds had drastically improved, incomparable to the past.

"Recently, my strength has surged rapidly, yet I've seldom paused. Battling with entities like the evil dragon and the golden figure, lingering at the threshold of breaking limits, has unexpectedly brought such benefits."

He reflected on why the eleventh segment, seemingly within reach, remained elusive. Perhaps what was missing were substantial experiences at that level of existence. Clashing with beings like the evil dragon provided a rare opportunity for growth.

He considered the ancient cultivators' environment, marked by intense competition and ready violence. As a modern individual, he faced battles and life-and-death crises, yet something was missing.

In the mythological world, some supreme beings traversed blood-soaked paths, climbing from piles of corpses and seas of blood. The Demon Lord and Old Zhang were such examples.

Wang Xuan had seen ancient depictions of the Demon Lord Yan Yan battling across entire battlefields, leaving behind lands drenched in blood and mountains of demon corpses. Despite her unparalleled beauty, she had traversed a path marked by blood and combat, facing countless rivals with her blade.

Old Zhang's journey was no different, still engaged in subduing demons and exploring extraterrestrial civilizations, facing the most formidable creatures in the depths of the universe.

"Though I face adversity, blocked by the evil dragon and having experienced numerous battles, my current environment pales in comparison to the bloody mythological era. The sense of despair and crisis isn't as profound."

Wang Xuan mused on his journey. While he had faced moments of life and death, they were fleeting and lacked the intensity of battles against equals. In the current world, most of his path was marked by unchallenged victories.

......

Wang Xuan found himself in a quandary, not for a lack of effort, but because his adversaries worthy of a life-and-death struggle were few and far between at his current level of power. "Indeed, there aren't many who compel me to fight with all I've got. At this stage, due to my strength, opportunities for bloodshed are scarce," he mused.

He felt the need to create his conditions, not out of a masochistic desire, but to genuinely refine himself and fill the gaps in his experience. "I yearn for a life on the edge, where tomorrow is uncertain, and sleeping atop mountains of corpses and seas of blood is the norm. The times, however, won't allow it. But I can seek out formidable opponents for myself. The essence of the evil dragon and the golden figure still needs gleaning. Moreover, the condition of the seven supreme beings in the meteorite passage beckons my understanding."

Thus, Wang Xuan sent out a provoking ancient curse towards the endless void, targeting the evil dragon and the golden figure, continuing to harvest their soul light.

"Dead for so many years, only to return with vengeance, does your existence merely serve to prove the bitterness of your past demise?" He taunted them calmly, albeit such remarks had little effect on such supreme beings. Yet, their intentions towards him, surprised and curious at his resilience against the ancient curses, were unmistakable.

After thorough preparations, they struck again, and Wang Xuan vanished for the third time. This disappearance lasted longer, and upon his return, he was contemplative, reflecting and summarizing the gains and losses.

"The strengthened soul light posed some trouble but was ultimately resolved, benefiting me even more. However, such entities like the evil dragon and golden shadow lack discipline and reverence; they are fit only for sparring partners or to be burnt outright."

Especially after igniting them in the meteorite passage, a return visit confirmed their complete eradication; their use was fleeting. "Disposable items, hardly of any lasting value," Wang Xuan lamented, displeased with the outcome.

The likes of Fang Yuzhu, Zhang Daoling, and the Demon Lord persisted, enabling a continuity in his ventures, like picking up a serial drama right where he left off. He pondered what might cause such individual differences.

Upon his fourth wool-gathering expedition, the evil dragon reached its limit of tolerance and... vanished. At the dark void's end, the creature with golden eyes also made a decisive retreat, overwhelmed by the loss of soul light. Even the mightiest cannot withstand such depletion.

In an era of mythic collapse and the exhaustion of the extraordinary, the repeated diminishment of their soul light seriously affected their futures. Both the evil dragon and the mysterious entity were incredibly aggrieved; how could their essence be diminished by such an insignificant being? They were certain it wasn't the act of that man and woman duo, making the situation even more unbearable.

Deep in the cosmos, aboard an ancient spacecraft, the four mighty beings frequently found themselves smoking and fading, tormented by the harassment, especially once they had an inkling of the culprit's identity, leaving them speechless.

The Demon Lord, in particular, wished to pilot the spacecraft back immediately to bury that youngster in the ground, embarrassed by the losses incurred. Her garment now sported four "paw prints," missing four pieces more than the others—was this targeted harassment?

Fang Yuzhu remained calm despite her skirt missing three pieces. Old Zhang, on the other hand, scowled at the two gaping holes in his sleeves, missing their corners.

As for the Underblood Patriarch, a piece was missing from his soul armor, hardly finding the situation amusing, feeling deeply affronted. What was wrong with that young man?

Wang Xuan had no ill habits; his repeated acquisitions of their garments were solely for comparison, to ascertain if the materials obtained were truly of the same origin and not fabrications under mysterious influences.

"The great Underblood Patriarch must punish the supreme cub. This is an insult, a grave disrespect!" the mechanical bird, adept at reading the room, flapped its wings and cried out.

"Exquisite Miss Yan, you're all exposed, your fair long legs revealed..." It misjudged the mood this time, cut off abruptly as a pristine fist turned it into a metallic liquid, instantly deflating and splattering everywhere, causing it to scurry away for reassembly.

By now, the four supreme beings, pooling their insights, naturally conjectured various scenarios, linking it all potentially to the Mirror of Heaven's Veil.

In an era where myths crumble and the supernatural wanes, the self-inflicted depletion of their soul power had grave implications for their futures. Both the evil dragon and the mysterious entity were loath to see their essence dissipate in the hands of someone they deemed lesser. Their frustration was palpable, especially knowing that this was not the doing of the male-female duo protecting Wang Xuan.

Deep within the cosmos, aboard an ancient spacecraft, the four formidable beings suffered, their forms smoking and fading repeatedly under the relentless harassment. Particularly the Demon Lord, who was tempted to pilot the spacecraft back and bury that young upstart for the embarrassment he caused.

On her garment, four distinct "paw prints" marked where pieces were missing, more than the others had lost. Was she being specifically targeted?

Fang Yuzhu's robe was missing three pieces, but she remained serene. Old Zhang scowled with two patches torn from his sleeves, and the Dark Blood Cult Master's spiritual armor had lost a segment, feeling a deep sense of violation.

Wang Xuan, with no ill intentions, gathered these extraordinary fabrics merely for comparison, to ensure their origins and not be duped by counterfeit spiritual forces.

"The great Dark Blood Cult Master must punish this super cub for the insult," chirped the mechanical bird, attuned to the mood. Yet, it miscalculated the atmosphere with a remark about the Demon Lord's exposed "fair long legs," and was promptly smashed into metallic liquid by her punch, leaving it to reconstitute in fear.

Together, the four powerhouses theorized, linking their predicaments to the Supreme Mirror of the Heavens, possibly tied to that undestroyed scripture spanning several mythologies. This scripture, seen differently by each individual, speaks to seeking truth and dismissing illusions, echoing a call to uncover the reality's source amidst the universal void.

Their discussions suggested the scripture, and by extension, the mirror, were born from a civilization that deeply understood these concepts, though none had mastered its teachings. It regarded those unaffected by mental divergences as unsuitable practitioners, a jest hinting at Wang Xuan's unique mental constitution.

Despite the jests, their collective insights hinted at a grand civilization capable of mirroring reality itself, possibly the same that crafted the enigmatic Supreme Mirror of the Heavens. Amid their deliberations and the mechanical bird's antics, only Fang Yuzhu remained unprovoked, suggesting a profound respect for the civilization that wielded the mirror to bridge the tangible and the intangible, casting the earthly myth into a realm of true essence.

Zhang Daoling's expression was grave as he spoke, "Indeed, their audacity knew no bounds, attempting such an inversion of the natural order, reversing the essence of yin and yang, reality, and illusion." The Dark Blood Sect's Mentor sighed in lamentation, "It's a pity, in the end, the mythological world within the mirror lacked a foundation and couldn't transform into reality. The civilization met with a catastrophic end, exploding in entirety."

Zhang Daoling speculated, "I suspect it's not as simple as Wang Xuan just listening to that scripture. That piece of parchment, enduring through several mythological eras without decaying, might have fallen into his hands. Either he's encountered a problem in his practice, or he's made some minor progress unknowingly, plunging deep into a cycle of bizarre, alternative reincarnations without his own awareness."

The mechanical bird, usually bold, whispered, "The super cub has turned into a psychiatric case," its voice low, gaining rare acknowledgment from the others.

"How come you know so much?" The Demoness Yan Yun questioned, focusing on Zhang Daoling. "Oh, fragments of the Cosmic Mirror are with you, providing many clues?"

Zhang Daoling answered uncertainly, "There's a possibility, given the Cosmic Mirror was forged from that bizarre scripture. If the cub, unknowingly, made some progress in the deranged scripture, or is trapped in a state of mysterious mental alteration, it might somewhat replicate the effects of the Cosmic Mirror. Adding other stimuli of illusion and reality might push this further. If he contemplates us, it might indeed cause certain events to unfold."

"The Cosmic Mirror of yore aimed to translate an entire mythological civilization into the realm of reality. Wang Xuan only thought of a few of us, there's a slender chance..." Fang Yu Zhu spoke up, her gaze shifting towards Zhang Daoling's rust-covered mirror, "Especially with the mirror's fragments in your possession, it could be easier."

"So, in the end, we're dragged into this because of little Zhang?" The Demoness turned her gaze back to him.

"I'm implicated in this, the main connection still lies with that kid!" Zhang Daoling hastily clarified. Then, an idea struck him, "We could learn from the cub's mouth who else has appeared in his psychiatric world, allowing us to estimate the whereabouts of other fragments of the Cosmic Mirror."

Fang Yu Zhu suggested, "We need to contact Wang Xuan and inform him about some developments. It's highly likely there's an issue with his mental state."

However, their communication with Earth was sporadic, often delayed by days due to the vast distances in space.

Yan Yun lamented, "What's infuriating is that each time our spirit essence gets pulled in and then returns, we have no recollection of what transpired."

"The cub must have committed a crime!" the mechanical bird interjected, only to be squashed by a pristine slap once again.

"Let's inscribe a message on the spirit armor to inform him," suggested the Dark Blood Sect's Mentor.

Promptly, they set about leaving their messages, with Fang Yu Zhu and Old Zhang writing more extensively.

Yan Yun's message was succinct yet forceful: "Tear my skirt hem again, and you're dead!"

Soon, they found themselves smoking and flickering more severely than before, their spiritual essence dimming and drifting away.

In the asteroid channel, Wang Xuan, taken aback, scrutinized Yan Yun's figure closely. Her red dress was tattered, burnt with numerous holes, yet four glaring characters remained intact: "Tear my skirt hem."

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