The Stars Beyond

Streaks of radiant light sliced through the air, the might of Limit-Breakers' techniques, capable of instantaneously slaughtering other transcendent beings, all shattered under Wang Xuan's fist light, dissipating before Zhao Qinghan, Wu Yin, and the others.

They were truly targeting them, the Limit-Breakers—at the tenth segment—hunting Wang Xuan, drawing Qing Mu and the others into their trap, aiming to exploit Wang Xuan's hesitations?

In their initial clash, someone among the Limit-Breakers bled from the corner of their mouth, a wake-up call to their strength and the foundation of this exceptional young powerhouse.

All eyes turned to Wang Xuan, a momentary silence, a suffocating tension filled the air.

Transcendent Ma broke the silence, not wanting to burden Wang Xuan, straightforwardly asked Little Fox Spirit for a favor, "Hit me!"

Slap!

Without any hesitation, Little Fox Spirit complied, delivering a crisp, loud slap across its long horse face in the silent scene.

"I concede!" shouted Transcendent Ma.

The Limit-Breakers showed no expression, ignoring their antics.

Observers in outer space felt the tension of an impending storm but laughed upon seeing the golden celestial horse's actions, first shocked, then amused by its attempt to exploit a loophole.

"Why haven't I been removed?" Transcendent Ma became anxious and confused. Was it all for a slap? Quickly, it called out again, "Old Qing, I challenge you to a duel, strike me."

Zhao Qinghan shook her head, "They see us as one team, not recognizing the cunning nature of 'internal strife.'"

Transcendent Ma was left speechless.

"Is this really necessary?" Wang Xuan looked towards his adversaries, all of whom were experts at the tenth segment, joining forces to hunt him down, creating an almost surreal scene.

After all, Limit-Breakers represent the pinnacle of strength in this era, hailed as the highest achievers, shining brightly as the youthful powerhouses within a transcendent realm.

In the vast cosmos, amidst endless stars, the Immortal Lands are so vast, home to numerous transcendent planets. Yet, now, only three Limit-Breakers are known to live across this immense expanse. Similarly scarce are the Limit-Breakers from the lands of divinity, the path of immortals, and the realms of technological life. Some of these Limit-Breakers remained silent, unwilling to speak.

Yet, eventually, one voice rose, carrying a tone tinged with the weariness of twilight, saying, “No hard feelings. We have no past grudges, being strangers until now. Our actions are driven not by prejudice, but desperation, for we see no future and yearn simply to survive.”

This voice belonged to a Vermilion Bird of astonishing lineage, a rare divine bird destined to ascend to godhood but temporarily donning a human form. With his long crimson hair and a pallid complexion, he lacked the spirited aura once his, now exuding a forlorn desolation.

“What's the story behind this?” Wang Xuan inquired further.

Another person looked up, a youth with golden locks, surpassing in beauty many women, seemingly from the long-lost royal lineage of the Solar Elves.

He too lacked the vibrancy of youth, lamenting, “The advent of another mythological ice age is known to all, an endless night without dawn. We see no future; the next era of transcendence will be beyond our reach, by then we'll be but cosmic dust. Yet, we cannot resign to this fate!”

He confessed their loss of hope, acknowledging their incapacity to prolong the era of transcendence. Even the mightiest divinities within the great barriers had surrendered, unable to reforge myth.

“Survival is our prime concern now, to endure until transcendence reawakens,” another Limit-Breaker spoke, an enigmatic being of shadow without a distinct form.

The Vermilion Bird, his face ashen, added, “Beings from a past mythological age have survived, emerging alive, but only a scant few. They huddled within a stone cottage carved from real matter, slumbering through the long barren night.”

This revelation sent shockwaves through Wang Xuan's heart, the reality that beings from the far-flung ancients had weathered through time, enduring in such a manner.

"A new massive stone made of real matter has indeed been discovered, but it can only accommodate a limited number of people. Without any surprises, in our era, among the Limit-Breakers, only three to five spots are available," a metallic being spoke.

This creature, belonging to a peculiar race and a native spirit birthed from transcendent laws, appeared exhausted. After the decay of mythology, it would face certain demise.

Wang Xuan understood, asking, "So, you've decided to eliminate me first to compete for those few spots?"

Some remained quiet, while others solemnly nodded.

Another couldn't help but explain, "Your team consists of six members. Normally, with you standing at the pinnacle of the eleventh segment, virtually unbeatable, and leading them, you nearly monopolize all the slots meant for our generation."

In essence, not just them, but everyone at the twilight of mythology had lost faith, carrying a sense of world-weariness and pragmatism. No one fantasized about the emergence of a new myth; all were contemplating the future.

They felt their own realms too low, too young, preferring to survive this cold spell. In the next resurgence of mythology, once they had fully matured, they'd address the existential crisis of transcendence.

As Limit-Breakers, they all had significant backgrounds, insider knowledge, and recognition among each other, hence forming an alliance well before their arrival, divided into two teams.

Wang Xuan was speechless. Facing two teams of Limit-Breakers, for competitors of this era, it indeed seemed an insurmountable challenge unless confronted by someone of the eleventh segment.

"Have you all given up, then? Despaired of a new mythology?" He looked at these Limit-Breakers, once vibrant and proud young elites, now quiet and devoid of their former ambition to rival the heavens.

"Yes, we've conceded to reality. We lack the right to speak of new myths or the power to alter anything," spoke a female from the insect race, her body covered in tough exoskeleton.

"In fact, in the grand domains, there are beings of the eleventh segment, transcending eras, but they too have compromised, finding no solution. They seek the supreme treasures, aiming for the Bearer ofOld Covenant, merely to endure through the eternal night of oblivion. Even the mightiest deities bow their heads in the face of transcendence's imminent end, for there's simply no hope left," a creature covered in red scales, its race unknown, roared, gripping its claws in despair and venting its frustration. It was visibly out of sorts.

Can they be blamed? With just a few months remaining in this period, despair is understandable. Even the supreme beings and transcendent entities within the grand domains are weary, disheartened. What can these young Limit-Breakers do?

Wang Xuan stood silently, initially furious, contemplating the annihilation of his opponents. Now, however, he lost that impulse, feeling a strong sense of identification with the transcendent beings for the first time. He had always felt like an outsider, a modern man amongst them, walking a solitary path.

Today, he truly felt the heaviness of an era's end, a time of despair and sorrow for all transcendents.

"Forget it, just leave. To this point, I feel I've lived like neither human nor ghost, a far cry from who we once were," a young man with gray hair spoke, gesturing towards Zhao Qinghan, Qing Mu, and the others to concede defeat and leave the battlefield. Once prideful, his demeanor now showed a lack of enthusiasm, mocking himself for becoming the very antagonist he once despised, using hostages to leverage his opponents.

The gray-haired young man, a distinguished disciple from the realm of deities, belonged to the renowned faction of the Transcendent Palace.

A young woman with a crystal on her brow added, "Enough, I too feel demeaned, having fallen to this. I withdraw to continue my experiments. My name is Yuan Lin, from the Eternal Laboratory of the realm of technological life. Farewell, should fate allow."

The fiery-haired Zhuque, with a pallid face, also gestured for Wu Yin, Qing Mu, and the others to depart.

No one anticipated this turn of events. What began as a collective hunt against Wang Xuan, a being with a transcendent foundational base, ended in a general lack of aggression, leaving only fatigue and discomfort from their lingering convictions.

"Alright, we concede!" Qing Mu and the others spoke one after another, being led away and disappearing from the extinguished grand domain amidst a shower of light.

"Thank you," Wang Xuan said. Although these beings sought to eliminate him to compete for a chance to survive the transcendent dark age, in the end, they preserved their integrity.

Wang Xuan, injured and facing significant challenges, was confident he could fend off these attackers and ensure Qing Mu and the others' safe departure. Yet, this outcome still moved him, changing his perception of these contestants.

Observers from across the cosmos were initially surprised, then fell silent, empathizing with the emotions of those within the battlefield. Forced into an alliance against one, these Limit-Breakers endured inner turmoil, driven by the primal desire to live.

"I'm truly sorry. I desperately wish to witness the rebirth of the next transcendent civilization," approached a Limit-Breaker, flanked by myriad energy arms, hailing from the Thousand-Hand Divine Race.

Another spoke up, "Regardless of securing a chance to survive, encountering a being of the eleventh segment here compels a mix of feelings. I'm keen to experience what you represent."

Wang Xuan responded, "Certainly, I too am eager to witness the splendor across the cosmos and appreciate the unique allure of different transcendent civilizations. Let's exchange insights."

"Agreed!"

The Zhuque was the first to charge, reverting to its true form—a radiant red bird, engulfing the sky in flames, resembling a comet striking the earth as it dove towards Wang Xuan.

Among the Limit-Breakers, it stood at the pinnacle, surpassing many tenth-segment beings documented in ancient texts.

Wang Xuan faced his opponents with earnest respect, aware that any hint of leniency might be construed as an insult. He acknowledged those who maintained their integrity to the end.

Shrieks of energy lacerated the space before and behind him as beams akin to sword energy pierced the heavens. Around his true form, a law body manifested, enveloping him in the Second True Form depicted within the ancient stone tablet scriptures.

At this moment, Wang Xuan seemed like a deity delicately handling a blossom, a lone seeker traversing the cosmos, a solitary traveler adrift in the sea of years, confronting the Zhuque.

With a thunderous impact, the Zhuque bled, its divine red feathers shedding like withered petals, dimming as it plummeted into the distance.

The youth from the Solar Elf Royal Family, wielding a golden bow, hovered in the sky, drawing and releasing an arrow towards Wang Xuan.

Instantly, it was as though the sun itself exploded, turning into billions of fiery streams hurtling towards Wang Xuan, illuminating the heavens and earth with dazzling light.

Utilizing a technique from the bamboo slips of pre-Qin dynasties, Wang Xuan executed the "Mountain and River Beast Sacrifice," levitating amidst a swirl of runes that transformed into sacred beasts around him, like a galaxy in which he stood at the center, surrounded by auspicious creatures as stars. Then, roaring heavenward, they surged upwards.

This was the sacred beasts' onslaught and the fleeting manifestation of the cosmos, roaring as if a small universe, smashing towards the heavens.

The youth from the Solar Elf Royal Family was struck by this miniature cosmos; thousands of arrows shattered, his great bow's string snapped, and his body twisted and deformed, nearly compressed into pulp.

Wang Xuan spoke, "Can't you let go of your pride? If we are to battle, there's no need for hesitation. Come at me together, you fight for a spot, for survival, there's no need to hold back."

"Alright!"

Instantly, several figures charged, collaborating to challenge Wang Xuan. Despite his physical vulnerabilities, Wang Xuan resolved to unleash his full strength. Serious in his confrontation, he remained a formidable force. To many, the echelon of Eleven-Segment was insurmountable, a height difficult to comprehend without reaching it— the very pinnacle of mythical theory.

With each punch, armor shattered, bodies, drenched in blood, were hurled away, their fate uncertain as they lay immobile upon the ground. Spells blossomed like celestial buds, casting a radiant expanse of supernatural light across the battlefield. Some staggered back in retreat, others were pierced through, while yet more fell to the earth, blood spewing, as they toppled in defeat.

......

In the vast expanse of outer space, within a steel fortress, an aged voice echoed: "He is strong, built on the foundation of Eleven-Segment, transcending the ordinary. I even believe he could become stronger. But how can we further increase the difficulty for him?"

"Such an individual is rare. Should we try to push him, to see if he can pave a unique path and create a new situation?"

"Everything is already too late. It's truly too late. He's just starting out, still a young man. His realm is too low."

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