Wang Xuan felt a chill; had he not maintained his composure earlier and jumped down to contend for the scroll, he would have likely met a gruesome fate, shattered to pieces underground.

The Taoist master was incredibly powerful in life, and even after turning to dust, his presence triggered such a terrifying event when approached.

He began to believe that the Taoist's claims were not merely exaggerations or abstract legends but had a basis in reality.

Was that transformation into immortality? Wang Xuan pondered.

The Taoist's state was peculiar; upon first sight, he had glossy black hair and a vibrant complexion, only to vanish in an instant.

"Light as a feather, as if existing apart from the world, ascending into immortality." Even historical figures had composed verses yearning for such transcendence.

In various texts, the terms "transcendence" and "ascension" are often linked; what he just witnessed was perhaps the traditional depiction of achieving immortality?

Wang Xuan thought the revelation was rather harsh. Some existing religious texts bore striking similarities to what he had just seen; in ancient times, great masters isolated themselves, sealing their chambers, only for future generations to find their remains long gone.

The descendants worshipped these figures, believing they had transcended and become immortal.

Wang Xuan remained silent, realizing this was no form of ascension, but rather a transformation into dust, body and spirit scattered among the particles.

There was no doubt this was grim news for those practicing old arts, further proving that the idea of transcendence was a myth.

The truth was stark: the esteemed masters had all perished!

Bang!

A body was thrown down, landing near the beast skin scroll, its faint silver glow shimmering without any unusual occurrence.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Three figures jumped down into the lower palace, rushing towards the silver beast skin scroll.

The master in feathered robes, a top-tier Taoist, had remained engrossed in studying it, his expression focused, becoming one with his surroundings without awareness.

It was clear the silver scroll was extraordinary and likely held immense significance.

Wang Xuan was determined to acquire it, eager to discover its contents.

Nearby, stones exploded as two opponents opened fire, trying to suppress him with their firepower, preventing him from exposing himself. Energy beams shattered the rock walls, filling the area with debris.

Wang Xuan remained calm; targeting the two in front of him was difficult from his position, but he had the upper hand over the three in the lower palace.

Holding his energy gun, he patiently fired, practicing and familiarizing himself with its accuracy.

Bang!

One opponent fell, collapsing to the ground.

After several shots, the second was struck by a beam, convulsing before quickly losing consciousness.

However, the third person in the lower palace successfully grabbed the silver beast skin scroll and took cover behind a rock.

Wang Xuan exhibited great patience; time was on his side. Soon, Qingmu, Black Tiger, and the others would return—he was not the one who should be anxious.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before Zhou Yun couldn't hold back, shouting, "Throw the beast skin scroll up wrapped in stone!"

The black-clad figures below complied, and the scroll was tossed up, its silver light flashing as it landed amid the rubble.

Zhou Yun was frantic; the scroll was still a bit far from them, and due to the angle, it was challenging to bring it directly to them.

Wang Xuan remained unperturbed and began shooting at the black-clad figures sprawled on the ground, ensuring they were thoroughly incapacitated, whether they were feigning or truly unconscious.

The palace was almost entirely "cleansed" by his thorough approach, putting him at ease.

Crack!

During this process, nearby rocks occasionally exploded as the two men firing at him were quite accurate, continuously suppressing him, making him uncomfortable.

Zhou Yun was anxious, fearing Qingmu and Black Tiger might return at any moment. He whispered, "We don't have time! While he's being suppressed and can't show himself, one of us needs to go get the scroll!"

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The two men hesitated; even though their opponent wasn't intent on killing, merely using the energy gun's stunning effect, they were aware of similar tactics employed in the past.

Under Zhou Yun's pressure, one of them reluctantly dashed out, only to be nearly hit by an energy beam; he quickly retreated, fortunately agile enough to escape.

"Time is not on our side!"

Zhou Yun gritted his teeth, deciding to leap from behind the rock himself, hoping to use his agility to snatch the scroll.

But a beam brushed past his ear, startling him and causing a cold sweat to break out. He quickly flipped back behind the rock.

Wang Xuan sensed time was running out. He resolved to take the initiative; otherwise, Qingmu and Black Tiger would return before he had a chance to examine the scroll.

Rumble!

Wang Xuan pushed a rounded boulder forward as a shield, charging towards the silver beast skin scroll.

"This guy has some strength! Let's do the same and push the boulder forward!" Zhou Yun called out, pushing one himself while the other two worked together on another.

As they advanced, the angle shifted, and Wang Xuan successfully dealt with the person in the lower palace.

Gradually approaching the scroll, Wang Xuan was about to clash with the opponents.

The two pushing the boulder calculated when they would collide, preparing to shoot from different angles, believing their numbers would ensure victory.

However, they underestimated Wang Xuan's strength. Suddenly, he accelerated the boulder, shifting from a slow pace to a rapid charge.

Now, with both hands pushing the boulder, he resembled a roaring train, crashing forward.

Bang!

The two boulders collided unexpectedly, and the two underestimated the force, being sent flying by the sheer impact and sustaining significant injuries.

One groaned, his head striking the rock wall, blood streaming down as he fell unconscious.

The other was thrown into the air, firing wildly.

Wang Xuan nimbly dodged and returned fire, but his aim was lacking; several beams missed the opponent, making him sweat with embarrassment.

He swiftly threw a dagger, which struck the man's shoulder, causing a pained scream.

Wang Xuan felt speechless; using an energy gun was less accurate than cold weapons. He crouched low, avoiding the opponent's shots, and grabbed a rock, smashing it against the bleeding man's face, knocking him out without a sound.

"Hey!" Zhou Yun was both anxious and excited, having seized the beast skin scroll. He couldn't help but want to shout.

However, now wasn't the time for joy. He forced himself to stay calm, hiding behind the boulder while continuously firing towards Wang Xuan.

Wang Xuan retaliated, but his efforts proved ineffective.

He crouched behind a piece of blue stone, set down the energy gun, and pulled out a long knife, hurling it directly.

Zhou Yun stayed behind the rock, not showing his head, only occasionally raising an arm to fire. Suddenly, he felt a chilling sensation; as he lifted his energy gun, he heard a crack—his gun had snapped.

He reacted swiftly, retracting his hand just in time to avoid a blinding blade that sliced through his energy gun, grazing his hand and drawing blood, sending a chill down his spine.

If he had been even a moment slower, his hand would have been severed, and the alloy blade would have nearly struck his head, narrowly missing.

Seeing this, Wang Xuan leaped forward; he was close to Zhou Yun, and instead of retrieving the energy gun, he figured his old techniques were more reliable at close range.

Zhou Yun instantly laughed, revealing his white teeth, and said ominously, "You dare to engage me in close combat? You won't even know how you died; I practice super techniques!"

He leaped up with confidence, feeling that his opponent was merely relying on old techniques—coming at him like this was akin to seeking death.

Standing at one hundred eighty-five centimeters tall with a robust physique, a faint blue mist surrounded Zhou Yun, and blue light radiated from his fingers. He coldly laughed and charged at Wang Xuan.

He believed that his super technique could directly pierce through his opponent's body, overwhelming them with sheer power. He was already beginning to grasp the nature of supernatural substances!

In Zhou Yun's eyes, their previous encounter was a mere accident; finding a young person who could achieve such a feat through old techniques was rare.

This blue-eyed mixed-blood was trying to oppose him with outdated methods? Zhou Yun thought it was akin to courting disaster, waiting to be defeated!

Wang Xuan remained calm, not even furrowing his brow. This time, he didn't use the Five Organs Thunder Sound Technique, as its presence was too evident.

Instead, he employed another body technique—Golden Robe Technique.

He had consulted Qingmu on effective means to counter super techniques. Qingmu had mentioned the Golden Robe Technique, which, when mastered, rendered one impervious to blades and bullets and was particularly effective against supernatural substances.

Wang Xuan had practiced it in the past and had achieved some success.

Now, as he activated the technique, his body tightened, and a faint golden glow flashed across his surface.

Boom!

Zhou Yun felt as if he had collided with a mountain, his body soaring into the air while his palm throbbed with pain as the blue light dissipated.

He was deeply troubled; in just two days since mastering the old techniques, he had been defeated by two young individuals—most importantly, a mixed-blood!

Roaring in frustration, he staggered to the ground, then leaped back up to retaliate.

However, Wang Xuan's gloved hand struck again with a bang, causing Zhou Yun's hands to bleed, his palms splitting open and nails almost tearing off.

Bang!

Zhou Yun felt a surge of pain as his opponent struck his forearm, and he heard a distinct cracking sound.

Whoosh!

In the next moment, he felt a chill in his chest as his clothing was torn again, and the silver beast skin scroll was snatched away.

"No!" Zhou Yun felt extremely aggrieved, unable to hold back his furious shout.

But the next moment, he quieted significantly as Wang Xuan's fist smashed into his nose with a crack, breaking the bridge of his nose and sending him flying.

When he saw Wang Xuan approach, holding a basketball-sized rock, all of Zhou Yun's rage vanished, and he no longer dared to shout.

He covered his nose, forcing a smile, and said, "Friend, you're very strong—stronger than someone named Wang I know. I, Zhou Yun, admit defeat. Let's be friends; don't kill me. After all, I'm from the Zhou family, the son of Zhou Mingxuan. You may not care, but it's better to avoid trouble. If I die, the Zhou family will certainly investigate. Please show mercy, my friend."

Then he saw the blue-eyed mixed-blood suddenly bring the basketball-sized rock down towards his head!

Bang!

"Ah…" Zhou Yun screamed, his voice abruptly cut off.

He realized he wasn't dead and didn't feel any intense pain; the rock grazed his scalp and slammed into the ground, ringing in his ears and leaving him drenched in cold sweat. He was genuinely terrified, feeling that he had just brushed against death.

"Friend, thank you for sparing my life!" He felt somewhat moved, realizing it was good to be alive, almost brought to tears.

Bang!

Wang Xuan's foot landed on his head, knocking him out cold.

Then, Wang Xuan quickly unfurled the silver beast skin scroll. There was nothing to say; he had to memorize every detail at that moment!