In the Secret Realm, it's rare to see a clear blue sky due to the dense energy materials, with luminous bands of light drifting in the air and between the trees, creating a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
Wang Xuan was lost in thought after leaving the passage of death, still reflecting on his conversation with the ferryman. Not only did the physical world have its own realities, but there were also different layers of spiritual worlds. This made him ponder: does the Buddha exist in the material world, or is he situated in the spiritual realm of Alaya consciousness?
Are the mythological gatherings of the Jade Pool similar in nature? Different layers of spiritual realms possess distinct spiritual powers, which are colorful and require deep exploration to uncover higher-level worlds and gain incredibly powerful abilities.
"Could ascension to immortality also be entering a certain layer of the spiritual world?" he wondered. However, he shook his head; the world behind the scenes evidently had tangible matter, as the hairpin the White Tiger True Immortal "gifted" him was still on his person.
"Look, that kid is still alive! He seems dazed and lost, wandering outside the passage of death. Could he have just suffered a severe blow?"
Xiong Kun and his two companions spotted Wang Xuan from a distance, their expressions reflecting surprise.
"The Black Horned Beast is a century-old demon with deep cunning; it must have tormented this kid terribly, turning him into a fool. His mind must be traumatized," one said.
"That's possible. His female companion and that flying horse are both gone. The Black Horned Beast probably had them killed in front of him, leaving him here to suffer," another added.
Just as Xiong Kun was about to draw his bow, he was stopped by his companions.
"Without the flying horse, he can't escape. Why worry? If you shoot an arrow at him, he'll shatter into pieces," one replied, smirking.
The three walked toward Wang Xuan with indifferent smiles.
Wang Xuan sensed them immediately but remained unperturbed, still lost in thoughts about the spiritual world. Even though he no longer feared some extraordinary beings, he didn't want to reveal himself, preferring not to become a target in battle.
"Look at this fool! Did he lose his female companion and become so mentally unstable that he doesn't even know where he stands?" one of the extraordinary beings mocked coldly.
Unbeknownst to them, Wang Xuan had approached them closely. Although he didn't usually resort to insults, he now felt compelled to curse them as a way to convey a different cosmic culture, to teach these interstellar savages.
Thus, Wang Xuan took action. It had been years since he had done something like this, but he still managed to let out a long string of curses: "#￥%..."
"What kind of gibberish is that?" one extraordinary being asked suspiciously, realizing it was neither the language of the Aura Star nor that of Ascension or Heluo Star.
But soon, his expression changed, as he could sense the meaning behind it spiritually: it was a fervent and intense "greeting."
He became enraged, shouting, "You dug your own grave! If you don't want to die, I'll turn you into a wooden stick!"
"Euler!" At the last moment, Wang Xuan remembered to shout this name, as if to declare his identity.
"An Euler Star person? You're looking for death!" another extraordinary being yelled back.
Then they saw this dazed young man, previously lost in thought, suddenly spring into action and charge toward them.
The two sides were already in close proximity; at this level, even a distance of several dozen or a hundred meters could be traversed in an instant.
Wang Xuan didn't target the other two; he focused first on Xiong Kun, the man with the large bow who seemed dangerous. He wanted to eliminate this threat before engaging in battle, lest he be struck by a surprise attack.
To his surprise, Xiong Kun was exceptionally powerful. Besides his archery skills, his combat abilities were terrifying. He kicked out with his right leg like a dragon, while simultaneously unleashing a spiritual domain to intimidate and attack Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan released his own spiritual domain in response, shocking everyone, including himself.
His spiritual domain, accompanied by misty, ethereal mountains, crashed toward his opponent!
Wasn't this the mountain he had seen within himself after changing his scripture? It belonged to the spiritual realm, and he had barely brushed against the first layer of the spiritual world, yet it was now manifesting outside his body.
"How is that possible?!" the three exclaimed in unison.
How could a mere mortal touch such a level? They found it hard to believe!
Even they, who had advanced into the extraordinary realm, had struggled to reach this level, yet here was a mortal who had done it?!
They were convinced that this young man was still not an extraordinary being; he lacked the aura of transcendence and did not exude the rich super-material essence during his breathing.
This was truly… unbelievable! How did he manage this?!
In a rapid assault, Wang Xuan dodged Xiong Kun's sweeping leg, closed in, and seized one of his arms.
"False! Although scenery appeared in his spiritual domain, he can't use the mountain from the first layer of the spiritual realm to attack my domain. He's only grazed the edge of that spiritual world and can't truly utilize it," Xiong Kun exclaimed.
However, just as he finished speaking, his expression changed. The strength in this mortal's grip was outrageous; he couldn't shake him off, let alone break free.
As the other two charged forward, Xiong Kun also summoned his strength. His arm began to glow, and a massive bolt of lightning struck Wang Xuan.
Wang Xuan finally understood the difference between himself and extraordinary beings.
Once they reached the extraordinary realm, they could wield near-divine techniques; this lightning was exponentially more powerful than what he had experienced as a grandmaster!
Moreover, it didn't emanate from his organs but from his arm, capable of unleashing the legendary palm lightning.
Though Wang Xuan's physical and spiritual strength was tremendous, the lightning and flames he produced were still at the grandmaster level, not yet transcending.
With a loud bang, the clothing on Wang Xuan's arm was blasted to ashes, and his body became scorched, but he still held on, resisting the blow.
His physical strength was indeed formidable, even more terrifying than the Golden Body Technique.
In that moment, despite the excruciating pain from the lightning strike, he activated the first True Form diagram to test its efficacy.
With a muffled sound, Wang Xuan tore apart Xiong Kun's forearm, ripping it off completely as blood sprayed everywhere.
"Ah..." Xiong Kun screamed, his face contorted in agony as cold sweat dripped from his brow. He never expected that a mere mortal could deal such heavy damage to him.
Just yesterday, he had been nearly shot by an arrow, escaping in a sorry state, with blood holes in his body and his back nearly blown apart. Now, this same young man had become a threat to him.
The other two's eyes shone with fierce determination as they launched full-scale attacks on Wang Xuan. One sent out a flurry of sparks, melting the surrounding rocks, while the other enveloped himself in white mist, creating a whirlwind that swept Wang Xuan up, and then he punched upward at him.
Wang Xuan realized that he had no better way to counter this storm technique. However, as the punch came flying toward him, he quickly seized the opportunity, grabbing the man's fist, using it to escape the storm, and landed safely on the ground.
Wang Xuan locked onto this person's arm and dragged him toward the nearby place known as the Departed Land.
Electric sparks erupted from this person, striking Wang Xuan, but he utilized his First True Form to resist it; the thunder could not penetrate his body.
Behind them, two others pursued, including Xiong Kun, who disregarded his severed arm, his eyes gleaming with murderous intent, eager to kill Wang Xuan immediately, his rage surging.
He had wanted to soar like his grandfather, but now, with his arm broken by a mere mortal, he had become crippled—how could he draw a bow now?
Wang Xuan's body was struck by lightning and touched by flames; his clothes exploded into ashes, yet he still did not let go, dragging the man into the Departed Land.
"No... ah!"
This person was horrified, terrified, screaming and struggling, but his strength was no match for this mortal, as he was pulled into the misty region.
He knew well what this place was; who would dare enter on a normal day?
Indeed, the moment he entered, his body was nearly torn apart, blood gushing everywhere, and then he began to undergo a transformation, golden wings sprouting and a silver heart swelling.
He could not withstand such intense changes; his body was collapsing rapidly…
The scene was gruesome; within moments, he crumbled, becoming a pile of shattered bones and flesh.
This is the terror of the Departed Land—ordinary beings who enter will mutate, and if they cannot control this change, they will die a horrific death.
Thus, this place remains silent year-round; either no beings dare approach, or those who do will perish.
As soon as Wang Xuan set foot here, he let him go, not even glancing at him as he walked straight out.
"You... can walk out alive?!" Xiong Kun was shocked.
The other person's expression also changed. They were aware of the Departed Land and knew there was a secret path here, but no one dared to traverse it; everyone who entered would die.
It was said that anyone who survives is extraordinary and will achieve great things in the future.
They had provoked such a person; no wonder this young man, still a mortal, could exhibit such exceptional prowess!
Wang Xuan remained silent, striding forward, using their shock and unease to launch a sudden attack.
He employed Zhang Daoling's body technique to counter the thunder and flames from the two men. His secret power flowed throughout his body, his hands glowing as he shattered the terrifying flames from his opponents.
One must say that the body techniques recorded in the Five-Page Golden Book are formidable and unique. Even though Wang Xuan had learned the mysterious scriptures from the stone tablet, he would not abandon this body technique.
However, the speed of their thunder was too fast to block entirely, forcing him to endure the brunt of the blows.
In the rapid exchanges like lightning, Wang Xuan altered his attack posture, fully unleashing the First True Form diagram from the stone tablet, and with a loud bang, he shattered the palm of the extraordinary being before him.
One must admit that extraordinary beings are not simple. Even after his hand was crushed by Wang Xuan's True Form, he did not retreat, his face filled with killing intent, his entire body glowing, flames boiling around him, nearly engulfing him, and his mental power surging as he fought Wang Xuan desperately.
At this moment, Xiong Kun, with one arm severed, was also roused into a fury, no longer holding back, and charged over to attack.
For Wang Xuan, this was a tough battle. Even though both men were injured, once they fought desperately, their destructive power was still astonishing, and the fight was fierce.
Wang Xuan, apart from a short sword in his hand, had lost everything else; either it had fallen or been destroyed by the flames and thunder, even his clothes were in tatters.
He could contend with extraordinary beings in the mortal realm, but the process was arduous. With a sudden noise, Wang Xuan braced against a burst of flames, using the True Form to channel his secret power, resisting the invasion of the extraordinary matter. He swept out with his sword, decapitating that person.
Only Xiong Kun remained, and there was no suspense left. He held on for a while before Wang Xuan punched through his chest, exploding it open, and he died a miserable death.
Wang Xuan rummaged for spoils, then found one of his bags and went to the edge of a pool to wash his bloodied body. Some areas of his body were slightly charred, singed by the lightning, but his insides remained unharmed.
Having killed three extraordinary beings in the mortal realm, this achievement would surely stir up a tempest if it spread—it was a sensational piece of news.
Wang Xuan dressed, feeling neither complacent nor arrogant; instead, he was acutely aware that he needed to enter the extraordinary realm, or else the battles would be too grueling.
He was completely resisting the opponent's techniques with his powerful physique!
"How strange, there are actually benevolent extraordinary beasts that don't attack humans and even take in disciples."
"Yeah, they say it's for the Liuxian to take in disciples, it's too bizarre, but I think that fox has only just entered the extraordinary realm not long ago, is it really that mystical?"
"So far, they've only taken in one girl, claiming she's a descendant of the Liuxian, and they're about to take her into the depths of the Secret Realm."
Wang Xuan was astonished; he unexpectedly heard such conversations.
This was a team from the Feathering Star, all young grandmasters, discussing such matters.
"That girl has a slender waist, long legs, ample bosom, and a beautiful face, a pity that she's going to be taken away by the fox; she looks very unwilling."
"That woman is a bit strange, whether in her attire or speech, she doesn't seem like someone from our three extraordinary planets."
"What are you thinking? That woman is a fox spirit, alright? A fox demon transformed into human form, putting on an act; the extraordinary fox beside her can only be considered a cub."
Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan's heart surged. He immediately thought of Wu Yin; could that fox spirit be her?
He quickly stepped out, without saying a word, pressing several people to the ground, and in the awkward language of the Feathering Star, repeated key phrases from what they had just said.
"Fox, fox spirit, take in disciples…" he interrogated.
The group was genuinely frightened; how could this master be so powerful, possibly even younger than them? Had he entered the extraordinary realm, capturing them with ease?
"That way!" One of the women was inspired and understood his meaning, pointing in a direction.
"Quickly go; otherwise, they will soon enter the depths of the Secret Realm! Hurry! Becoming a disciple of the fox spirit, no, becoming a disciple of the Liuxian, is a rare opportunity!" This woman was quite persuasive.
Wang Xuan ignored her, leaped up swiftly, and with one step, the air exploded, shattering the nearby trees as he vanished from the spot.
He followed the pointed direction and pursued swiftly.
Before long, he saw a woman from afar—her figure graceful, long legs, slim waist, ample chest, a beautiful face, and an excellent body shape. It was indeed Wu Yin; she had not died!