The Stars Beyond

Chapter 16: The Silver Beastskin Scroll

Wang Xuan stood resolute. Had he not shown enough restraint just moments ago and leapt into the fray, he would have shared their fate. His life would end then and there, in the dark underground cavern. This practitioner, in his prime, wielded such formidable power that even in his demise was he able to unleash such carnage upon those who approached his earthly remains.

He was starting to believe. The tales of the practitioner's astounding feats and transformations weren't merely exaggerations or legends. They held grains of truth. Was what I witnessed a state of spiritual ascension? Wang Xuan pondered this question. The practitioner's condition was profoundly peculiar. At first encounter, his hair was a deep black, his complexion vibrant, lifelike. But in the blink of an eye, he vanished into dust.

"Drifting and detached from the mortal realm, undergoing ascension to ascend as an immortal." Even renowned figures from history had penned verses. It was what they yearned for. Throughout the annals of various writings, the terms "ascension" and "immortal ascendence" were often intertwined. He could very well have just witnessed a manifestation of the timeless pursuit of transcending humanity, as passed down through the ages.

Wang Xuan pondered deeply, realizing that the revelation of the truth might not be the best thing—for truth is cruel.

Certain surviving esoteric records from various religions closely mirrored the scene before him. In the years during humanity’s long forgotten past, venerable sages had sealed themselves within these stone chambers, secluding themselves from the world. But when these subterranean vaults were unlocked by the next generation, they were gone without a trace. The observers of later times paid their reverence to these sages, believing that they had transcended earthly bounds into the realm of immortality.

Wang Xuan lamented. This is no ascension. It is metamorphosis into dust. The earthly remains of the practitioner had crumbled into nothingness.

There was no doubt about it, this was far from good news for those who still practiced the Old Arts. It was affirmation that there was no such thing as an immortal. It was proof that gods did not walk among men. The practitioners of the old have all met their demise.

A resounding thud echoed as a lifeless body was cast down, landing upon the patch of beast-skin parchment. A faint silvery glimmer danced, yet nothing out of the ordinary occurred.

Whizzing through the air, a series of hushed sounds followed.

Three figures descended into the lower chambers of the palace and once again made an attempt at the silvery beastskin scroll. The practitioner clad in feathered robes, one of the strongest among the practitioners, had their life in its study. They were so engrossed with the scroll that they had passed away trying to fathom its secrets. This was sign that the silver scroll held extraordinary significance.

Wang Xuan was determined to get his hands on the scroll. He wanted—needed—to learn its secret. Around him, fragments of rock splintered as gunfire tracked his movements. The corporate goons sought to suppress him with overwhelming firepower to prevent him from leaving his cover. Bolts of energy shattered the rock walls, enveloping the area in their pulsating glow.

But he remained unperturbed. His eyes were on the prize. But first, he needed to incapacitate the enemy combatants. Targeting the two ahead of him was a challenge from his current position, but the three individuals in the lower chamber of the palace were now well within his range.

He took careful aim with his energy weapon and laid down fire on the men below, honing his skills and adapting to the weapon's accuracy.

Thud!

One of them fell, brought down by his precise shot.

Wang Xuan took a few more shots, and hit a second person squarely on the chest with a beam of light. The man dropped onto the ground, convulsing as he drifted into unconsciousness.

However, the third man managed to reach the silver beast-skin scroll and successfully sought refuge behind a rock. Wang Xuan was patient. Time was on his side. Qingmu, Black Tiger, and the other operatives would soon return.

Zhou Yun, on the other hand, did not enjoy such luxury. He knew that his assailants would be back soon from the pursuit of the bait, "Wrap the beast-skin scroll over and toss it up here!" he shouted at his subordinate. The black-clad figure below obeyed. With a flash of silver, the scroll was hurled upward, landing amidst a jumble of rocks above. Zhou Yun grew agitated. The scroll had landed in a position too far away from his group. The man underneath was simply too far away from them to toss the scroll with precision.

But Wang Xuan was in no hurry. He began peppering the black-clad figures laying on the ground with gunfire, regardless of their state. He could not risk more of them feigning unconsciousness. He had to make sure that they had truly been taken out of the fight.

He felt assured once he had “baptized” all the figures lying on the ground within the underground palace.

Crack!

Amidst this process, fragments were blasted out from the rocks around him, as the opposing gunmen demonstrated uncanny precision in their firing. His position was rapidly becoming untenable. Zhou Yun grew increasingly desperate. He dreaded the return of Qingmu, Black Tiger, and the rest of the assault teams.

In hushed tones, he gave his men the order, "We’re running out of time. That guy over there is pinned down. I need one of you to grab the beastskin scroll."

The pair found themselves in a quandary. Although their opponent from across the cavern didn’t seem to be out to take lives with his choice of turning on the stun setting of his weapon, it could still be a ruse. Such tactics have been employed in the past to lure the unsuspecting to their deaths.

But they eventually relented under the weight of Zhou Yun's insistence. He charged forward, dodging the beams of energy and narrowly avoiding a direct hit before ducking into cover.

"Time is not on our side!," Zhou Yun urged.

Zhou Yun gritted his teeth. He mustered the courage to pop out from behind the rock, aiming to utilize his nimble agility to seize the prize himself. But a beam of light grazed past his ear, sent him back to the safety of his cover. Sensing that the situation was rapidly turning against him, Wang Xuan quickly made a decision to go on the offense. If Qingmu, Black Tiger, and the others were to return early, he might miss his chance to study the beastskin scroll.

A resounding rumble echoed in the cavern. Wang Xuan pushed a relatively round boulder forward, employing it as a mobile cover. He was getting closer and closer to the silver beast-skin scroll.

"The guy is strong. Let's follow his lead. Find a boulder and push it towards the scroll!" Zhou Yun shouted. He found one for himself, while the other two of his men joined up behind another boulder.

With his position shifted, Wang Xuan was able to reach an angle where the last remaining combatant in the chamber underneath could be hit. He fired off a shot and dispatched the man.

As both sides closed in on the scroll, Wang Xuan knew that confrontation was inevitable. The two individuals assessed when their paths would intersect, and positioned themselves to open fire from different angles. With superior numbers on their side, the odds were naturally tilted in their favor.

However, things took an unexpected turn. They had underestimated Wang Xuan's strength. With a sudden surge of strength, he pushed the boulder forward with incredible speed. He was hurtling towards the two men like a train.

Boom!

Two massive boulders collided abruptly, a miscalculation on the part of the two men. They were swept away by the force of the collision. Their injuries were grave. One of them let out a muffled groan, his skull had smacked against the rocky wall. Blood streamed down from the back of his head as darkness clouded his vision. The pain overwhelmed him, and he slumped into unconsciousness. The other individual, who was flung into the air, was disciplined enough to still fire his weapon and Wang Xuan.

With a display of impressive agility, Wang Xuan evaded the incoming shots and retaliated with his own gunfire. To his chagrin, his accuracy proved lacking. Multiple energy beams zipped through the air without striking their intended target, leaving him frustrated. With a quick flick of his wrist, he unsheathed a dagger and threw it at the man. With a thud, it embedded itself into the shoulder of his opponent, who cried in pain.

Wang Xuan was speechless. His accuracy with a cold weapon was actually higher than the precision he displayed with modern weaponry. He ducked down, narrowly avoiding shots from Zhou Yun’s weapon. Lifting up a rock, he smashed it against the head of the man he had just hit with his dagger, knocking him out immediately.

"Heh!" Zhou Yun exclaimed, with a mix of nervousness and excitement coursing through him. He had successfully reached the beastskin scroll. But he knew it was no time for jubilation. He steeled his emotions and took cover behind a massive boulder, unleashing a continuous stream of suppressive fire towards Wang Xuan's position.

Wang Xuan retaliated, but his efforts were ineffective. He hunkered down behind a slab of green stone, setting his energy rifle aside in favor of a long blade, which he swiftly hurled in Zhou Yun’s direction.

Zhou Yun remained behind cover while occasionally firing off shots at Wang Xuan. He raised his arms out from cover to pop off a few more shots when suddenly, a bone-chilling coldness enveloped him. He heard a distinct snap, and found his weapon broken.

His reflexes were lightning-fast. He quickly retracted his arm. A glint of sharp steel sliced through the air. It was an alloy blade. It chopped through the energy rifle, simultaneously grazing his hand and drawing blood. A chilling sweat broke out over him.

If his reaction had been even slightly slower, he might have lost his palm. Moreover, the alloy blade had narrowly missed his skull, grazing the top of his scalp in a close call.

Seeing what was happening, Wang Xuan leapt directly across the gap. He was already in close proximity to Zhou Yun, and was able to cover the distance in a single bound. He didn't even bother picking up his energy weapon. In his assessment, relying on his Old Arts was a better choice in such close quarters.

A smile crept across Zhou Yun’s face when he noticed his intention, revealing his snow-white teeth. "You dare to engage me in close combat? You won’t even have a chance! Witness my Transhuman Arts"

With equal confidence, he vaulted into the air. He was confident in his abilities to put his opponent down. Wang Xuan's stance clearly signaled that he was a practitioner of the Old Arts, which made his approach a reckless move. Zhou Yun stood tall at a height of 185 centimeters, his robust physique was now shrouded in a faint blue light. The same blue coated his palms as well. He sneered at Wang Xuan, and threw a punch at him believing that his New Arts technique was capable of punching through his opponent’s defenses. He was seeking to knock Wang Xuan out with a single blow.

In Zhou Yun's perspective, his opponent stood no chance against his attack. After all, he was able to master the early stages of the New Arts. He had always considered his previous encounter with Wang Xuan as a mere fluke. Young individuals who could achieve such mastery in the Old Arts were rare.

The blue-eyed mixed blooded youth before him thinks that he can defeat me with his Old Arts? He’s in for a surprise. He’s asking to be beat up.

Wang Xuan remained remarkably composed. He was unfazed. This was not his first rodeo with the heir of the Zhou family. He refrained from using the Five Organs Thunder Resonance Technique as it would have given away his identity. Instead, he employed a different form of combat technique - the Golden Armor Technique.

He had consulted Qingmu in the past, seeking effective means to counter the Transhuman Arts. Qingmu had mentioned the Golden Armor Technique, a discipline that claimed to render its practitioners nearly impervious to physical harm, especially from supernatural sources.

Wang Xuan had dabbled in this technique before, and was able to achieve a certain level of mastery. This was the perfect chance to put it to the test. His body tensed as a faint golden aura briefly shimmered across his skin.

Boom!

Zhou Yun felt as if he was hit by a moving mountain. He was sent hurtling through the air, his body twisting and turning, his palm stinging from the impact as the blue light surrounding it scattered. He was shocked. Despite his mastery of the New Arts, he had been defeated twice by practitioners of the Old Arts twice within a span of two days. To make matters worse, one of them was a person of mixed heritage.

He roared in anger, stumbling as he landed on the ground, only to spring back up immediately. He was ready for a counterattack. But once again, the opponent's palm, protected by defensive gloves, came crashing down with a resounding thud. In an instant, Zhou Yun's hands were turned into a gruesome mess. The impact had torn a wound between his thumb and index finger, and had torn his nails.

Bang!

Zhou Yun felt a searing pain as his opponent’s hand slammed onto his forearm, accompanied by a distinct cracking sound of bones breaking.

Crack!

What followed next was a chilling sensation that washed over his chest as his clothes were torn apart. The silver beastskin scroll was snatched away.

"No!" Zhou Yun roared in anger and frustration.

Wang Xuan silenced him with a hit on his nose. A sharp crack echoed through the air as the bones of his nose gave way to the punch that sent him flying backwards through the air.

Zhou Yun's anger dissipated when Wang Xuan approached him with a basketball-sized rock in hand. Fear gripped his heart. He dared not even scream. Clutching his nose, he forced a smile and said, "Friend, you're strong, even more so than a certain person I know. I'm impressed. Let's be friends, spare my life. I’m a member of the Zhou family, the son of Zhou Mingxuan. You might not give a damn about who I am, but I assure you that it is wise to let me live. If I die, the Zhou family will hunt you down. Please, spare me, friend."

The blue-eyed mixed-blood youth threw the basketball-sized stone at his head.

Bang!

“Ahhh!” Zhou Yun yelped.

He found himself alive and without pain. The stone had struck the ground right beside his head, the impact leaving his ears ringing and his body drenched in cold sweat. Terrified, he realized how close he had come to death. He had narrowly avoided the Grim Reaper’s scythe.

"Friend, I owe you my life!" He could barely hold back his tears. Never have he felt so good to be alive.

Wang Xuan brought his foot down on the man’s head and knocked him out cold.