The Stars Beyond

Chapter 27: The Immortal Tomb

The origins of those mercenaries seemed complex. Eliminating him was merely their secondary mission?

When Wang Xuan heard this response, he lifted his right hand and effortlessly sliced a leaf that fluttered in front of him into two. It was noon, and he was on his way to have lunch. Since he was walking outside, he only informed Qing Mu that he would be joining the operation.

Although they did not talk much on the phone, Wang Xuan already had a rough understanding that the mercenaries belonged to an organization known as the “Ashen Blood”. They could be hired for explorations and even... assassination.

According to Qing Mu, this organization was very powerful. They were mainly active in Terra Nova, and had even intercepted Qing Mu and his Adventurer’s Guild during a major discovery.

Upon learning of their arrival, Qing Mu immediately made a report. Soon after, several groups of powerful experts arrived, gathering their strength to prepare for a confrontation and settle their old scores with them. Even if it was not for that, the discovery of the Great Tomb of the Immortals was still big news in the Old Earth. Anyone who caught wind of it would surely get involved if strength allowed.

“Hiring the Ashen Blood to kill me... The people behind this must be quite wealthy and aren’t willing to expose themselves. themselves. It doesn’t matter though, I’ll eventually get to the bottom of this,” Wang Xuan thought.

Wang Xuan could not let the fact that he was being stopped and almost killed in the city slide. He knew that unless he uncovered the mastermind orchestrating these events, there was no guarantee that something worse would not happen.

Despite all this, his interest was still piqued by the shocking discovery of the Great Tomb of the Immortals. He could hardly believe that yet another significant discovery had been made in the Old Earth and found himself rather skeptical about this news.

Over the years, there had been several claims of discovering the burial ground of immortals, but they all fell short of expectations. Following the excavation of those dungeons, it was confirmed that they were merely grand tombs of powerful individuals from the Early Qin dynasty.

“If this turns out to be true, the scriptures and artifacts related to the immortals that will be unearthed should have a profound impact on this world,” Wang Xuan mused. In an era where Old Arts were declining, such a discovery could potentially change this decline.

After lunch, Wang Xuan got himself a fresh haircut to ensure that the strands around his ears appeared normal as he was going to start his new job the next day. While preparing to start his new job, he thought about how he would soon be venturing into the deep forests to partake in an operation filled with violence and bloodshed. The stark contrast between these experiences and thoughts left Wang Xuan with a strange feeling.

Fortunately, Qing Mu did not contact him the next day, and Wang Xuan did not have to take a day off from his first day of work. He joined a branch of a design institute that was a subsidiary of the Star Group. Although it sounded prestigious, it was actually quite the opposite.

When it came to the technologies involved for deep space exploration and interstellar travel, the Terra Nova side proved to be much more reliable as the technology groups on the Old Earth were seriously lagging behind.

The design institute of a subsidiary of the Interstellar Group had been unable to achieve any noteworthy results for several years and was essentially abandoned. The branch that Wang Xuan joined was no exception, as it had become a place for people looking to retire, with a leisurely work pace.

On his first day of work, Wang Xuan noticed that some desks in the office area were unoccupied, and there were only five or six people present. As he approached them to introduce himself, he noticed a guy with black-rimmed glasses was already dozing off in front of his computer while watching the news.

Only an energetic little girl, who was applying lipstick in front of a small mirror, greeted the newcomer with enthusiasm. Wang Xuan speechlessly looked at his unenthusiastic and bored colleagues. He had chosen to work here because he had heard it was a leisurely job, but he did not expect it to be this slow-paced.

He could already hear two senior ladies making plans to play mahjong after work. Another colleague in his fifties had been on the phone for over half an hour, arranging a fishing trip for the weekend.

Despite their lack of motivation, everyone was kind to Wang Xuan, making him feel welcome. They even offered to take him out for lunch instead of waiting until dinner. When Wang Xuan suggested treating them as a newcomer, they all opposed the idea, forcing him to give up.

In the morning, Wang Xuan tried to find tasks to work on, but was told to familiarize himself with the work environment first. It seemed like there were no urgent tasks to be done, further confirming his thoughts that this place truly operated like a retirement home.

The only person younger than Wang Xuan in the office was a girl named Liu Xue. She paid a lot of attention to her appearance and was the most energetic person there. She had started the job in July, just a few months before Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan ended up spending his entire morning reading ancient texts on the computer, which he considered a good use of his time. Now that he thought about it, this job was not too shabby after all. It was a position that many people probably prayed for.

During lunch, there was a small incident. Liu Xue enthusiastically tried to help Wang Xuan retrieve his windbreaker, but it slipped from her grasp and almost hit her feet. She shrieked in surprise. The windbreaker probably weighed about ten kilograms, which she found difficult to comprehend. She stared at Wang Xuan in disbelief, as if he were some sort of monster.

Doubting her own perception, she tried picking up the windbreaker up from the ground and discovered that it was indeed outrageously heavy. The others gathered around and marveled at its weight when they attempted to pick it up too.

Wang Xuan quickly explained that he had been working out recently and had specially customized the windbreaker to add weight, so that he could continue training during his commute to and from work. Everyone immediately praised Wang Xuan for his perseverance, stating that his fitness habits were inspiring.

When he noticed Liu Xue attempting to help him retrieve his baseball cap, Wang Xuan quickly grabbed it before she could and put it on his head. Since it was a bulletproof cap, it was also made of special materials and weighed about a kilogram.

Everyone was very friendly during lunch and Wang Xuan had initially wanted to use this opportunity to ask for advice on the job, but decided against it when his colleagues told him to just take it easy.

After lunch, the office, which was already relatively empty, had three fewer people. The guy with black-rimmed glasses said he had a headache from drinking too much and decided to go home. The other two also made similar excuses and left.

There were no punch cards, face scans, or checkpoints here. It was truly a free and relaxed environment. Although this was a great place for him to research on Old Arts, Wang Xuan knew that he could not remain here for too long. After all, it was often easy to observe strange things around people who practiced the Old Arts.

Fortunately, Wang Xuan knew that he would be going to Terra Nova soon, so his secrets should be safe for the time being. Such a relaxed atmosphere in the office also meant that Wang Xuan’s colleagues would not suspect anything even if he were to take his leave after only working for two days.

Wang Xuan was picked up by someone in a car and once again arrived at the manor outside the city. He received his equipment, put on a human face mask, and immediately set off. However, Wang Xuan did not remove the thickened bulletproof vest he was wearing. Instead, he replaced his windbreaker with a protective suit. The weight of his protective gear was not something ordinary people could bear. Since he would be actively hunting this time and it would likely be more dangerous than his previous mission in Qingcheng Mountain, he made sure he had ample protection.

During the journey, Qing Mu announced they were heading to the Greater Khingan Range. It was in this mountainous region that the Great Tomb of the Immortals was said to be located, hidden deep within the old forests. Their destination today was just an ordinary mountainous area. From the outside, it appeared unremarkable, but somehow it had been discovered that there was a buried immortal corpse there. This was different from what Wang Xuan had initially anticipated. He had expected it to be among some famous mountain or river, places associated with myths and legends.

As usual, Old Mu was piloting the starship, while Black Tiger and Kite were busy polishing their knives and checking their energy weapons.

“Brother Qing Mu, have you ever experienced a time when your five senses and intuition were exceptionally sharp?” Wang Xuan asked cautiously, not wanting to reveal to anyone that he had managed to enter “Inner Landscape”. After all, there was no telling what the megacorporations and research departments would do if they were to discover his secret. Even so, Wang Xuan wanted to indirectly tell Qing Mu about it, hoping that he would give it a try.

Before Qing Mu could respond, Black Tiger chimed in, sharing that he had experienced something similar a long time ago. He described feeling an emptiness in his heart and having the illusion that he was about to ascend the heavens. This revelation surprised Wang Xuan, who promptly asked when it had happened. If Black Tiger had truly experienced Hyper-Perceptive State, perhaps he could do so again in the future. Wang Xuan did not mind indirectly suggesting this possibility.

“It happened about ten years ago, when I was with my first girlfriend. But I haven’t felt that way again since then. Once you have witnessed the vastness of the oceans in life, it becomes challenging to develop affection for the smaller rivers. The same principle applies to love.” Black Tiger sighed.

Wang Xuan was stunned for a moment before feeling the urge to slap Black Tiger for his lack of seriousness and shamelessness.

Noticing that Kite also wanted to share his thoughts, Qing Mu interrupted him by smacking the back of Kite’s head. “Although it’s important to relax before a big battle, don’t get too carried away. By the way, Wang Xuan, did you receive any insights when you were practicing Old Arts?”

Qing Mu's keen perception allowed him to notice that Wang Xuan seemed different this time, with a significant improvement in his strength.

“I think I managed to enter a special state last time. My vision, hearing, smell and intuition became incredibly sharp and powerful at that time...” Wang Xuan was still trying to find the right words to articulate his thoughts about the Inner Landscape when Qing Mu appeared surprised before letting out a sigh.

“Such a state is extremely rare, even grandmasters struggle to achieve it. Different ancient sects have their own names for this state, such as the Bodhisattva’s Clear Expanse or Celestial Union. Legend has it that in ancient times, one was very likely to receive great benefits through such a method with the guidance from a powerful master or sect ancestor. However, in the present world, finding someone to guide and provide such benefits is nearly impossible.”

Qing Mu sympathized with Wang Xuan, realizing that he had missed out on a unique opportunity without anyone to guide him. In the legends of ancient sects, this was considered a great opportunity.

Based on the information given by Qing Mu, it seemed like one could only gain access to the Inner Landscape with the help of a very powerful figure after reaching the Hyper-Perceptive State in ancient times. Wang Xuan was quite surprised and realized that he had a different experience. However, he decided not to delve further into the matter at the moment and planned to continue this conversation with Qing Mu at a later time.

Shortly after, they arrived in an ancient forest in the Greater Khingan Range, where they closely monitored a mountainous area. The Adventurer's Guild had brought more people this time compared to their exploration of Qingcheng Mountain, with Qing Mu alone bringing twelve teams of his own. The other teams were also made up of very seasoned elites.

“Look, something strange is going on there!” Old Mu suddenly called out. An inexplicable haze filled the mountains ahead, causing the entire area to appear distorted and blurred. It gave off an eerie feeling amidst the holy aura.

“There can’t really be an immortal, can there?!” Qing Mu felt his heart pounding, feeling intensely uneasy even from a distance.