The Stars Beyond

Wang Xuan watched their fading figures, lost in thought, his heart stirring with emotions he hadn’t felt in a long time.

"Is it a pity? Such profound affection, a trace left in the mortal world. May the place where you chose to stay illuminate your hearts forever, free of regrets."

Turning around, his wounds began to close, staunching the flow of blood. This battle had taken a serious toll on him, with bones shattered and organs pierced multiple times.

Yet, he bore no resentment. It was rare for him to encounter an opponent he respected and who unsettled his mind. If placed in the same situation, could he, like that man, forsake a unique opportunity to stay in the mortal world, content to decay alongside another through the years?

The outer world was in an uproar, with every spacecraft buzzing with the news, transmitting images back to their respective planets.

"The battle between beings of unmatched potential has ended!"

"He encountered a hell-level challenge and emerged victorious!"

"Is this the same person who killed the Mechanical Black Peng? I didn't recognize him. He held back in his fight against the disciple from Gou Chen Emperor's Palace, but this battle with the extraordinary swordsman forced him to reveal his true strength."

"Do you know where he's from? Green Mist Star, neighboring my home planet. We’re practically neighbors!"

The discussions were fervent, with significant repercussions.

Wang Xuan reflected on the battle, hoping to assimilate valuable insights. The experience had deeply affected him.

"If we were to fight again, it would still be a close match, uncertain who would win or lose. I need to improve further."

Not far away, Zhao Qinghan wiped her tears, a woman who rarely cried and possessed strong independence and will. Now, she appeared somewhat disoriented. Although the woman had departed, withdrawing those intense emotions, Zhao still retained fragmented memories and was affected by them.

"Please rid yourself of those emotions and do not disturb the people around me," Wang Xuan spoke as the landscape of ink and wash dissipated, leaving only the blurred book before them.

After speaking, blood seeped from his wounds again, exacerbated by the swordsman's light that carried a terrifying power beyond any technique, like the remnants of a rule, exceptionally daunting.

Blood spurted, and he staggered, struggling to keep his balance.

The outer world fell momentarily silent, all aware that Wang Xuan was gravely injured, the situation far from promising.

"Xuan!" Zhao Qinghan rushed to his side, attempting to steady him.

From a distance, Qingmu, Little Fox Spirit, Wu Yin, and Transcendent Ma also hurried over.

"The issue remains unresolved; your choice is still undergoing correction," the voice emerged from the obscured book, which began to turn its pages.

Looking skyward, Wang Xuan, with his acute spiritual perception, realized many were watching. Various detection devices could undoubtedly capture the scene here vividly.

He had to endure. Otherwise, he wished to smash the book with a lid, destroying this enigmatic tome he sensed was dangerous and could severely threaten his life.

"What are you?" he inquired.

"Me? The Book of Ages. If you reach the end, we shall meet again," the voice from the book responded.

Stirred, Wang Xuan, despite his pain, scrutinized it with his spiritual eye, seeking its essence. Yet, all he saw was chaos, indecipherable.

His heart raced. This annoying book seemed to have a significant origin, hinting at a reunion should he reach the journey's end.

Could it be... one of the ultimate prizes? He speculated it might be an unutilized Legacy Carrier from a bygone supernatural civilization!

Contemplating his next move, he wondered if he should find a secluded spot, unnoticed, to attack it with the Life-Nourishing Furnace, seizing the Legacy Carrier. Why bother with the competition when he could acquire the Book of Ages beforehand?

As the book turned its pages, a shadowy realm emerged, as if stepping into the cosmos.

"Qinghan, leave now. Wu Yin, Qingmu, stay back!" Wang Xuan was on high alert, bracing for what the book hinted was yet unfinished.

Indeed, as the dim world enveloped them, his vigilance intensified, mixed with weariness. He longed for a fair match among equals, not endless battles in this state, especially now, severely wounded.

From the shadowy realm, a page in the book acted as a portal, through which a tall figure emerged. With thick gray hair, amber eyes, and bronze skin, he held a black longsword, advancing through the mist.

Emerging from the dense fog within the space-time gateway, a figure executed a swift and decisive beheading of a woman, spilling her blood across the ground without a moment's hesitation.

"The land of the divine, once home to a supernatural civilization, sends its mightiest mortal to confront you!" the book disclosed before vanishing.

The towering figure stepped out from the portal, his amber eyes fierce and devoid of mercy, radiating a ferocious aura. Standing over six feet tall, his first move was to launch a devastating strike at Wang Xuan with his dark blade, silent yet emanating a cataclysmic force that seemed to mourn the divine and demonic alike. His presence was backed by a phantasmagoric backdrop of deity and demon corpses, drenched in blood, with severed limbs strewn beneath his feet.

Clang!

Wang Xuan met the blade with a radiant hand-as-blade strike on its side, his other fist exploding with boundless light and golden brilliance, aimed directly at his opponent.

Without words, their deadly engagement commenced, each seeking to eliminate the other first. Their encounter was a blitz of countless clashes, marked by sheer force, brilliance of blades, and fists that illuminated the gloom.

Observers aboard distant spacecraft were stunned by this new deity-like adversary capable of contending with Wang Xuan fresh from his unprecedented battle.

"Back and forth, both sides fiercely matched. Who is this godly figure?" voices echoed through the cosmos, speculation rife about this unpredictable powerhouse's identity.

"Could this be the avatar of a supreme deity?" some pondered, recognizing the towering man's extraordinary might, suggesting his strikes could have easily vanquished the Mechanical Black Peng.

Amidst their ferocious combat, neither Wang Xuan nor the mysterious figure yielded, blood and grave injuries marking their exchanges. A severe blow nearly severed the bronze-skinned youth's left arm, exposing bone, while Wang Xuan's thunderous punch dented his opponent's chest, blood spraying from the impact.

But Wang Xuan nearly had his shoulder cleaved open, his body soaked in blood!

"Xuan!" Outside the gloomy domain, Zhao Qinghan, Wu Yin, Qingmu, and others trembled with anxiety and urgency, fearing he might fall in battle.

Was this supposed to be the easy first round of trials? It was more like a descent through eighteen levels of hell.

With a gruesome clash, accompanied by bloody skirmishes, Wang Xuan's hand, sharp as a blade, sliced through his opponent's chest, nearly severing the heart. At the same time, he too was struck by the blade, his body drenched in blood.

"Time is up." From the vast void of space, a voice echoed from within the colossal steel fortress, signaling the end of the first round of trials.

Yet on the eighteenth planet, Wang Xuan and the man's close combat had not concluded, the ground stained with their blood.

"You are indeed powerful, beyond my expectations. Likely, we will meet again soon." As the dark world faded, the mysterious book reappeared, its voice echoing. Pages fluttered fiercely, revealing a gateway. The silent man with the black blade, after casting a final glance at Wang Xuan, stepped through the portal, transforming into an illustration within the book, narrating an ancient tale.

The abrupt end to the battle left Wang Xuan with compounded injuries. With his remarkable control over his body, he sealed his wounds, stopping the flow of blood.

"Remove those irrelevant emotions and memories from her heart," Wang Xuan commanded the book, knowing that retaining those fragments could make Zhao Qinghan grow closer to him. Yet, he deemed it unnecessary and inappropriate to be influenced by external forces or others' emotions.

With a flash of light, Zhao Qinghan was instantly brought back to reality, her mind no longer adrift, fully restored.

"You are a demonic book!" Wang Xuan exclaimed, criticizing its manipulation of emotions and alteration of memories.

"Until next time!" The book blurred and disappeared into the extinguished domain, vanishing from sight.

Soon after, Wang Xuan left the planet, returning to the vastness of space.

"Two protective charms awarded!" announced a voice from within the massive steel fortress floating in space, presenting Wang Xuan with his prize.

The public announcement of rewards left everyone dumbfounded, causing quite a stir amidst the ongoing chatter. Yet, before the discussions could settle, the grand steel fortress voiced again: "The number of contestants remains too high. The second round of trials will commence immediately, featuring a battle to the death to eliminate half of the participants. Think carefully about how to survive before entering the arena; losing your life is not worth it, but those who endure will find their fortunes."

Humanity was considered even in this ruthless trial. Should an opponent concede defeat prematurely during the fight, the victor must cease their attack, sparing further bloodshed. Overall, the objective was to sustain the supernatural realm and seek a way forward, not to indulge in carnage. The organizers were well aware that the era of myths was likely coming to an end, with little hope remaining. They wished not to burden the final days of mythology with excessive casualties among the superhumans.

Whoosh! Contestants were whisked away in beams of light, dispatched in groups to nine extinguished domains, now serving as battlegrounds.

Qingmu's expression darkened. Was the competition to start immediately, without any delay? This was hardly fair, especially since Wang Xuan had not yet recovered from his injuries.

"This is particularly harsh on Wang Xuan. After engaging in battles with two beings of extraordinary heritage, he's already gravely wounded. To be thrust directly into the second round?"

"Could this be an intentional ploy to escalate the difficulty, targeting Wang Xuan for elimination?" Wu Yin and Zhao Qinghan expressed their concerns, suggesting he withdraw from the contest.

"It's fine; I have protective charms. Besides, I doubt I'll constantly face hell-level challenges," Wang Xuan reassured, intent on not abandoning the battle midway.

"I'd advise the rest of you not to participate," he cautioned Qingmu, Transcendent Ma, Little Fox Fairy, Zhao Qinghan, and Wu Yin.

"The first three rounds are qualifying matches, and withdrawal is not an option once they begin. After these rounds, the true inter-dimensional warfare commences, with battles unfolding both within the great barrier and the real world, where participants can retreat at any time," clarified a voice from the steel fortress.

"What a scam!" exclaimed Transcendent Ma.

"Warning: Insulting the order maintainers more than twice will result in elimination!" a stern rebuke echoed through the void of space.

Transcendent Ma was stunned, later muttering, "So, I still have one risk-free insult left? I'll save it for when I'm really upset, then."

Wang Xuan too felt aggrieved by these seemingly absurd rules, largely because they had rushed into participation without thoroughly understanding the regulations.

In an instant, they too set off, vanishing from the steel fortress amidst showers of light, teleported to an extinguished domain!

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