The Stars Beyond

Chapter 23: Hyper Perception

Like a ghost, Wang Xuan vanished between the leaves. He moved from one side of the forest to the other with a murderous intent. He was hunting his hunters under the cover of night. Cold fury burned in his heart. Despite his usual composure, he could not simply overlook the audacity of his assailants who were trying to kill him in the middle of the city. The beast within him demanded to be unleashed. He had never experienced such an intense bloodlust before. It was his way to hide his strength from those around him, but it did not make him a coward, and he was far from weak.

Now that he was locked in a situation of life and death, there was no longer a reason to hold back. He would strike fast and hard in his counterattack.

“I knew it, there’s more of them!”

Wang Xuan's perception was now extraordinarily acute. After the recent gunshot, and the near miss of a bullet, his inner vitality surged. His metabolism accelerated, and he found himself in an extraordinary state.

The nearby vegetation became remarkably clear to him. The calls of nocturnal birds and the footsteps of pedestrians on the street seemed to draw closer to his ears in an instant.He fixed his gaze on the fence on the opposite side of the aged complex. Within the shadow of the trees in that area, he detected the cold barrel of a gun pointed at the forest—something that had escaped the notice of most.

Wang Xuan was in an unusually heightened state. His senses were extraordinarily acute. In this state, his vision, hearing, and even his sense of smell became many times sharper than that of an ordinary human being. He was in a state of “hyper perception”.

In the realm of Old Arts, this was the activation of a cultivator’s "superego," an instinctual self-liberation used to counter external threats. From a modern medical perspective, it would be explained as an intense "stress response." It involved heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, increased secretion of pituitary and adrenal cortex hormones, and a rapid surge in cardiac output, resulting in an all-encompassing boost in both physical and mental faculties, aimed at self-defense.

For practitioners of Old Arts, the situation was naturally more intricate. Wang Xuan's current "hyper perception" was exceptionally acute, granting him visual and auditory capabilities beyond the comprehension of ordinary people. In these fleeting moments, he continued to shift positions within the woods, meticulously tracking any activity outside the complex. His focus gradually cooled, and he was able to hold back the beast within him.

Seven individuals lay in quiet ambush, patiently awaiting his emergence from the dense forest. Disaster would have struck if he misread the situation and acted upon the information that there were only three shooters. He had a hunch that there were even more attackers hidden even further away.

Wang Xuan continued to shift positions. He did not want to get boxed in. Yet, he knew that remaining purely on the defensive was against his instincts. Regardless, he needed to keep these individuals occupied, prolonging the encounter and buying time for Qing Mu's team. He picked up a fist-sized rock from beneath a tree root, weighing it in his hand. He chuckled at himself. The weapon in his hand was incredibly primitive, like a relic from the Stone Age facing off against modern firearms. Yet, he truly had no other options.

His sole reliance lay in the state of Hyper Perception that was growing stronger. His eyes gleamed with brilliance like two bright stars under the night sky. Although the distance was considerable, he sharply perceived the gunmen's positions. He could even make out the eyes beneath the headgear and the tattoos on the exposed arms of one of them.

He could not afford to step out of the dense woods as they would immediately lock onto him. In the open space where cover is lacking, the enemy's equipment and capabilities would be able to defeat his heightened senses. They would definitely prove lethal to him.

That was why he opted to wait for the right opportunity. The gunmen beyond the fence would never imagine that someone in the darkness could clearly perceive their every move even without the aid of modern equipment.

As Wang Xuan's physical and mental states harmonized at this moment, his Hyper Perception became even more terrifying. As he focused, the movements of the distant figure were projected into his mind. He could anticipate the instant when the person would make a move—ultimately, the gunman would become somewhat lax, not fully regarding his threat as a practitioner of Old Arts fully.

Wang Xuan hurled the fist-sized stone with all his strength, propelling it with a force that was beyond the comprehension of ordinary humans.

Bang!

In the fleeting moment when the person peeked out, the stone struck his forehead with remarkable accuracy. Without even a stifled groan, he collapsed backward, producing a muffled thud as he hit the ground.

The two nearby individuals swiftly turned their heads to his direction. They were shocked. They simply could not believe their own eyes. Their companion's forehead had caved in, with blood gushing out of the sizable crater.

They were left gaping and utterly baffled as they struggled to comprehend what just happened. It was like going against a caveman with advanced weaponry and having a highly advanced bomber being shot down by a thrown spear.

They were both elites, professionals on a mission to kill a practitioner of the Old Arts. Yet, their target had just used a stone to crack open their companion's skull. Having carried out numerous assignments, and having encountered and dispatched multiple adept ancient arts practitioners, they had never encountered a situation like this before.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

In the split second that Wang Xuan took to shift his position, several bullets whizzed past his original spot. Some struck the tree trunks, while others embedded themselves into the ground, producing faint sounds on impact.

He slipped deeper into the woods, taking cover behind a thick tree trunk. A sense of warning gripped him as he realized that the individuals outside seemed to have been provoked into action. They were now firing into the forest without restraint.

Wang Xuan's movements were agile, nimble, and swift as he reached the back of a large limestone. It was a park decoration sometimes used as a makeshift bench. However, at this moment, it offered him the best cover.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Shards of stone erupted as bullets struck the makeshift barricade.

Wang Xuan's eyes were burning with intense anger. His attackers knew no restraint. They had ignored the unspoken rules set by the many factions and were trying to murder someone in the middle of the city. They have even resorted to firing blindly at a target they could not see in the middle of a residential complex.

What allowed them to act with such impunity? And who is the one who shielding them from the consequences?

"Don't let me find out who you are. Otherwise, sooner or later, you'll be rooted out. I don't care if you're from some organization or a corporation. There will be a reckoning," Wang Xuan vowed. He was regretting that he had not mastered the Golden Body Technique. His position would not be so precarious had he been able to master it.

Suddenly, the woods fell quiet. Wang Xuan saw several figures carrying the fallen man retreat in different directions, displaying nimble agility as they vanished. Swift as a feline, Wang Xuan leaped up and approached the electrical room in the woods. He found a steel rebar stick that was over half a meter in length which was the best option at hand.

With cat-like grace, he moved through the woods, utilizing his heightened senses to the fullest. He then swung his arm, the air almost seeming to crackle with a sonic boom.

Among the retreating figures in the distance, one person stumbled forward and collapsed with a thud. His eyes widened as he groaned in pain. A clear hole had been pierced through his chest, front to back. His heart was torn apart.

A steel rebar stick went clean through the wound and fell to the ground about twenty meters away with a loud metallic clang. The expressions of his companions changed. They were stunned by the strength displayed by Wang Xuan. He was able to fling a steel rebar stick from such a distance, and was able to pierce through one of their comrades who was highly alert – it sent shivers down the spines of the remaining individuals.

"Quick, let's get out of here!" someone whispered. They lifted the fallen man and wasted no time in retreating.

Before leaving, one of them sprayed something onto the bloodstains on the ground. It was clear that they were professionals. Although Wang Xuan was filled with a vengeful fury, he ultimately refrained from chasing after them. Instead, he shifted to another position within the woods. He still sensed the presence of distant threats of guns being trained on the forest. Venturing from cover would place him in the sights of the hidden snipers.

Their retreat signaled to Wang Xuan that Qing Mu's team had arrived. The attackers were either highly informed or had individuals stationed at a distance that detected their approach. Suppressing his urge to pursue, Wang Xuan remained in the woods, silently waiting.

Before long, Qing Mu's team did arrive. From the moment Wang Xuan had contacted them until now, their speed was astonishing, and their efficiency was exceptional. However, the assailants were exceptionally vigilant and had retreated early.

"Go after them and find out who they are! They will pay for opening fire in the middle of the city" Qing Mu arrived personally, directing a group of men to pursue the retreating attackers.

Meanwhile, he contacted Wang Xuan and entered the forest alone. He had brought along a complete set of top-notch equipment.

Wang Xuan quickly changed his clothes. They were quite heavy, comprising three layers of bulletproof vests, and he also put on a specially designed windbreaker with some defensive capabilities. Additionally, he wore a casual-looking duckbill cap that was deceptively heavy.

While he wasn't accustomed to such attire on regular days, he equipped himself with the windbreaker and duckbill cap, then picked up a firearm. He was ready to head out of the forest. The events of today had ignited the fire of fury within him. He could not stay calm while there were those out there attempting for his life.

"Wait a moment, I'll change my clothes too. Let’s head out together," Qingmu said as he removed his green mask and changed his coat. His true appearance was not hidden under the mask. He was still wearing a lifelike silicone mask. The group of professionals he brought with him had left in pursuit of the attackers in the direction projected by Wang Xuan.

The two of them holstered their firearms and ran in the same direction as well.

Unfortunately, due to the influence of the New World, Old Earth had seen a decrease in surveillance cameras and monitoring devices due to increasing concerns about privacy. Many blind spots and dead zones existed along the roads. Qing Mu could have used his connections to directly access the surveillance footages, but there were simply too many spots that were left uncovered.

Wang Xuan could feel the power of the Adventurer’s Guild. In such a short period, they mobilized a group of "professionals" to track down the gunmen.

"You took down two gunmen with just a stone and a steel bar?" Qing Mu exclaimed in astonishment upon hearing about the incident. After all, Wang Xuan was still a novice, a young man in his early twenties, yet his experience and skills far exceeded those of Qing Mu in his prime.

Maintaining his composure, Wang Xuan's gaze blazed as he arrived in a densely populated area with numerous bars lining the sides of the road, where nightlife was just beginning.

Qing Mu frowned, "This place is chaotic and full of all kinds of businesses. Every establishment has their own way to ensure the safety of their customers. It's not easy to find someone here."

Wang Xuan had already realized that the assailants were likely well-prepared and had probably been assisted halfway through. Chasing them down like this would be a challenge.

At that moment, he looked up and spotted familiar faces on the lively bar street.

A group, including Zhou Yun, Wu Yin, and Zhou Ting, were walking not far away. They seemed headed to a well-known bar on the street.

Zhou Yun noticed Wang Xuan and approached. He was tall and had a somewhat wild look that might intimidate others. But Wang Xuan wasn't fazed – he had faced him before, more than once.

"You're dressed differently from before, but you look cool today. Are you here for a romantic encounter tonight?" Zhou Yun asked casually.

However, Zhou Yun himself did not look good at the moment. He had bandages on his head, a cast on his broken arm, and his injured nail was treated with ointment. Even his broken nose had been fixed.

"Every inch of you is covered in injuries. You’re wrapped up like a dumpling. Who did you have a showdown with this time, to end up in such a state?" Wang Xuan's words pricked at Zhou Yun, and his eyes immediately flared.

He thought about that mixed-race boy with blue eyes. At first, he had stopped hating Wang Xuan, channeling all his bitterness toward that mixed-race kid. But now, Wang Xuan's words struck right at his sore spot.

Wang Xuan continued, "You're really something else. You’ve picked more fights than I have fingers in just a few days. It's like you're either in a fight or on your way to start one. Don't tell me you're on your way to a brawl with someone?"

Oh, come on! Zhou Yun nearly choked. He was so angry that he almost coughed up blood. He pointed at Wang Xuan, but words eluded him for a moment.

Naturally, Wang Xuan was deliberately provoking him, eager to witness his most genuine emotional reaction. Simultaneously, he seized this chance to scrutinize the young people across from him, this serendipitous encounter was too convenient. He wouldn't let any doubt or caution slip by. It was hard to tell who was making a move against him tonight.