Once again, a bright moon hung high in the sky. The realm of departure seemed unchanged from ancient times to the present, with deep night enveloping the world, and the sun had never risen. Perhaps the moment the sun broke the surface of the sea, this realm would forever vanish.
The tranquil azure sea reflected a golden stream as a bamboo boat cut through the water, swiftly approaching the shore through the mist. The ferryman stood at the bow of the boat, gazing up at the night sky, and sighed, "The eternal night lingers; the bright moon hangs in the heavens. One era passes after another, while human dynasties rise and fall. The immortal beings ascend and then fade away. Only you remain unchanged."
He felt a sense of nostalgia as he looked toward the horizon, the endless long night stretching on with no end in sight, with only that round moon illuminating the ancient and modern worlds, never altering. "One wave of talent after another arrives and departs. I wonder how they are now, whether they can still admire this moon."
He had been here to send off countless people, most of whom were radiant new-generation transcendents. Whether they chose the path of true bodies, transforming into golden-winged roc, demons, or the thousand-handed true gods—those demonized beings—or maintained their original forms, eventually following the path of divinization, none had ever returned.
The ferryman gazed at the sky; even if someone ultimately raised a divine nation, what did it matter? It was merely a flickering candlelight amidst the endless night. Whoever attempted to intervene in the present world would find it difficult!
"Therefore, some regret it. Others are still exploring their paths forward," the ferryman sighed. "The waves of an era will eventually wash away into the vast ocean of time, vanishing completely." He stood at the bow, looking toward the shore.
He sighed lightly, "New people are coming again. Let me see what kind of person they are. They won't know that one generation after another of extraordinary talents have passed through here, but they are merely passing by. I have sent so many away, yet not one has returned…"
Suddenly, he felt something was off!
The person on the shore was gazing up at the moon, lost in thought, exuding an ease that was not typical of newcomers, more calm and composed than him. Although he hadn't activated his heavenly eyes and was infinitely far away, he recognized that figure at first glance.
"How can it be him? He's back again?!" The ferryman was astonished. Just a moment ago, he had been lamenting that those he had sent off would never return, and now he was seeing a familiar face!
Then he saw the person turn his face and greet him with a radiant smile, completely unreserved. "You're a bit slow; I've been waiting for you for a long time." Wang Xuan approached the shore, not waiting for the ferryman to say anything, and jumped onto the boat.
He sat down in the boat and said, "With the soft scenery of departure, how many in the mortal world can appreciate it? At this moment, if there were a jar of immortal brew, gazing at the moon while drinking, crossing the sea and approaching the immortals, it would indeed be a wonderful experience."
The ferryman stared at him for a long time. This young man… really came again! Had he been possessed by some great demon? The ferryman was somewhat lost in thought. This young man was still a mortal, not yet a true cultivator, and yet he had entered again!
Was this a case of following through on words? A vague face emerged in his raincoat, eyes glistening green. "Senior, how do you usually spend your time here alone? Don't you occasionally have a drink?" Wang Xuan asked.
The ferryman looked at him, remaining silent. Wang Xuan spoke candidly, "I'm weak in strength and fear that the Red-Robed Fairy will find me soon, with dire consequences. If you have any immortal medicine or wine here…"
He was honest; he genuinely thought that the person in front of him must be a powerful figure at the level of ascension. Any elixir in his possession could completely change one's fate! Faced with a figure like the Red-Robed Fairy, a legendary being even among the immortals, it was not just him; even the ferryman felt tremendous psychological pressure.
The ferryman shook his head and said, "I only possess residual extraordinary powers; I have no flesh or other substances left. No one can persist in this world indefinitely."
"However, you truly surprised me by returning in less than a day," the ferryman said, scrutinizing him. He truly wanted to break his promise and use his heavenly eyes to see through him.
"I'll be coming often in the future!" Wang Xuan declared.
"Are you serious?" The ferryman glanced at him.
The bamboo boat set sail, crossing the sea. Wang Xuan knew they were actually on the blue lake; there was no sea at all.
"Senior, do you have any unfulfilled wishes in the mortal realm? I can help you accomplish them," Wang Xuan suggested. He sensed that the ferryman seemed somewhat silent tonight, as if burdened with thoughts.
"No, my very being has decayed and dissipated, let alone the people and events I experienced in the mortal world. What you see of me is truly just a remnant of mysterious power, so don't expect to exchange anything with me; I cannot help you," the ferryman shook his head.
"Do you have any immortal scriptures from the celestial beings that you wish to pass on? The loss of even one such scripture is a misfortune for humanity. I can help you bring it back to the world!" Wang Xuan said.
Last time he entered, he hadn't thought that much, but now that he was familiar with the process, he immediately realized that the ferryman must be a member of the celestial beings and a living treasure.
The ferryman laughed, amused. This was the first time he had encountered someone who stepped into the realm of departure like this. Not only had he taken a pile of treasures from the White Tiger Demon Fairy for free, but he also dared to confront the Red-Robed Fairy, claiming to wait for her arrival in the mortal world. Now, he was even considering the ferryman!
The key was that this young man looked utterly serious, incredibly earnest. Was this a manifestation of extreme inner strength?
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The ferryman said, "You shouldn't think too much about these things. I am the guardian of the agreement; I must follow the rules and cannot interfere with the cultivation of any being that steps into the secret path."
Then, smiling, he asked Wang Xuan if he wanted to trade with the celestial beings, approaching the grand curtain.
Wang Xuan shook his head, saying, "Forget it; I don't have anything to exchange with them. Besides, it's better to stay low-key and not let them know that I can come back a second time."
He thought for a moment and asked the guardian in front of him how the Red-Robed Fairy would most likely enter the mortal realm. He wanted to prepare accordingly.
"It's hard to say. No matter how she enters the mortal realm, she will have to pay a considerable price. She won't dare to enter in full; the individual strength she brings into the mortal world shouldn't be very high; otherwise, she would not be able to withstand the backlash from the Old Testament," the ferryman explained.
Wang Xuan pondered, "If her strength isn't excessive, can I subdue her and force her to remain in the mortal world? Would this help me restrain the one behind the grand curtain?"
The ferryman looked at him, wondering how big his heart must be to dare think like this.
"Are you serious?"
Wang Xuan nodded and said, "Everyone should have dreams. What if they come true?"
He decided he would do everything possible to increase his strength in the near future.
What if the female demon fairy was not that powerful in the mortal realm? Then he could give her a big surprise!
As the bamboo boat sailed across the sea, the ferryman did not contact anyone from behind the curtain, but he noticed something unusual on the water's surface, which Wang Xuan also saw.
"A message in a bottle? Are there such things in the Netherworld?" Wang Xuan exclaimed, as he spotted a shiny silver bottle drifting towards the bamboo boat.
The ferryman nodded. "Yes, it was thrown out from behind the curtain."
He opened the silver bottle, and a beam of light shot out, which he caught and read its contents.
"Someone wants to pay a high price to ambush the red-cloaked demon fairy and is now looking for collaborators!" The ferryman stated the information directly.
Moreover, this message in a bottle wasn't just appearing here; it was showing up in other major areas of the Netherworld as well.
"Good news!" Wang Xuan said with joy.
"Do you want to contact that person? Partner with them?" the ferryman asked.
"No, I'd rather watch them fight. I don't want to get involved," Wang Xuan refused, then added, "Who knows if the red-cloaked demon fairy is putting on a show to bait me into walking right into a trap?"
The ferryman was taken aback. Were the young people of this era all so suspicious? Learning too early from a bunch of old monsters.
Wang Xuan stood up, feeling a tingling in his body as his vitality surged, indicating he was growing stronger. He began practicing his Golden Body Technique, eager to become even more powerful.
"Senior, what's up there on that bright moon? Have you been there?" Wang Xuan asked as he stretched his body while chatting with the ferryman.
He was reminded of the moon on the old earth and the new moon revolving around the new star, both with large pits—one related to black technology, the other linked to the Immortal Ancients.
He wondered if the moon in the Netherworld had any mysteries of its own.
"I haven't been there; the rules do not allow me to approach it."
"Oh? That's quite suspicious. Senior, don't you think that round moon looks like a moon gate leading somewhere?"
"Your face is peeling!" The ferryman interrupted him, pointing at his face.
Wang Xuan shrugged it off. "It's fine; it's just normal skin peeling. I'm used to it by now. By the next time I come in, you'll get used to it too."
The ferryman was speechless, wanting to say, "Can you still come in?" But he had thought the same thing last time, only to have the other party show up again unexpectedly.
Wang Xuan regretted that he had only shed a layer of skin and had only managed to reach the late stage of the Grandmaster level, without touching the Transcendental stage. He found it rather disappointing.
The ferryman could hardly stand him anymore. Within a single day, he had walked the secret path of the Netherworld twice, advancing from a mortal's Grandmaster level to the late stage of the Grandmaster level, and still wasn't satisfied?
"It's mainly because most of the medicinal properties of the demon fruit were expelled from your body. One should learn to be content!"
Wang Xuan sighed and said, "What else can I do? I'll just have to come back next time."
The ferryman didn't want to talk anymore and finally warned him not to take this place for granted. A slight mistake could lead to trouble.
He directly pushed Wang Xuan off the boat, not wanting to see him for the short term.
Wang Xuan discarded the peeling skin and practiced Zhang Daoling's body technique along the way. The fourth form was no longer a struggle to perform; he could now execute it with complete mastery!
He could now smoothly perform the first four forms in one go, showcasing his strongest attacking power!
Additionally, he had reached the late stage of the seventh layer of his Golden Body Technique, further enhancing his defensive capabilities.
This body technique was not something many would practice. Not to mention the first six layers, achieving just the seventh layer usually took sixty-four years.
Besides those from the Transcendental star domains, who could use herbs and other aids to practice, ordinary people saw no hope of success.
However, after walking the secret path of the Netherworld twice, Wang Xuan was close to mastering the seventh layer entirely. If this got out, it would surely leave people dumbfounded and in shock.
By the time he reached the edge of the abyss, it was already late at night. The starry sky was filled with the howls of various monsters in the distance, which were quite eerie.
Wang Xuan lay down at the edge of the Netherworld and slept for the night. The next morning, he woke up to observe the surroundings, feeling a bit helpless.
He had continuously targeted the unique medicinal creatures—the silkworm snake, silver bear, and mountain turtle—alerting all the beings in this area, making it likely that he wouldn't be able to visit their nests for days.
Early in the morning, he saw a brass-colored mountain turtle patrolling. It moved lightly between cliffs and tree canopies, as if practicing the Spirit Turtle Light Steps.
It was as light as a swallow, almost flying, scouring the mountains and forests for him. Clearly, it was holding a grudge, wanting to find Wang Xuan.
Because it was convinced that the guy hadn't died and was hiding near the abyss, having seen him enter and exit without any issues.
Wang Xuan felt helpless. He took a large detour around the edge of the Mist, avoiding the mountain turtle and escaping the Netherworld area from another direction. He didn't plan to come back for the next few days.
He estimated that any humanoid creatures approaching this place would run into trouble!
"I wonder how Zhao Qinghan and the others are doing," Wang Xuan thought anxiously. It had been a day and a night since he had drawn away the major enemies and ultimately dealt with those alien Grandmasters.
However, he later learned that there were not just one group of people coming.
Although he was somewhat worried, he believed that with Master Ma by Zhao Qinghan's side, she would not be in danger; he just feared for unexpected events.
Wang Xuan followed the original path back and, along the way, his expression turned serious. He indeed encountered another group of young strong practitioners, all at the Grandmaster level.
He listened to their conversations and used his spiritual realm to capture some very valuable information.
In deep space, there were three Transcendental planets connected to each other. After this agreement, they all came to the Secret Realm to compete together, with a total of twelve organizations across the three planets.
This was because the Secret Realm held sacred artifacts, legacies left behind by the Immortal Ancients, which were worth contending for.
In the external regions, a non-Transcendental battle was taking place, and the ultimate victor would receive the treasures left behind by the Immortal Ancients, which could change the fate of those who had not yet transcended!
Wang Xuan was moved, but he decided to put these thoughts aside for now and first go find Zhao Qinghan. .