The soft sound of yellow leaves falling outside the window reached Wang Xuan's ears clearly. His eyes captured the fleeting trails of night birds flying across the dark sky.

Something had changed. Even without being in a heightened state, his senses—hearing, sight—were noticeably improved, bringing him closer to the world around him.

He traced his fingers along his skin and immediately felt a kind of elasticity. As he applied more pressure, his flesh trembled and resonated, causing his fingers to slip away. At this stage, his fingers could leave deep marks on tree trunks and carve words into tables, but now they were pushed away by his resilient skin.

Was this the most direct effect of the Golden Body Technique?

He knew well that the benefits extended beyond this. He could clearly perceive the vigorous vitality within his flesh, a manifestation of his overall physical enhancement. It was reasonable to assume that if he were injured, his wounds would heal more rapidly, shortening his recovery time.

Moreover, his five senses and mental acuity surpassed their previous states.

"The Golden Body Technique is indeed extraordinary!"

Especially in this era, the significance of the Golden Body Technique was extraordinary for him. It could protect against cold guns and defend against firearm attacks. Just this alone was enough to make Wang Xuan willing to pay any price to master the Golden Body Technique. If those people dared to show up again, none would escape.

The key was that the effects of the Golden Body Technique opened his eyes to the value of ancient techniques. Although they had declined, there must still be many treasures buried within the pages of history if one were to dig deep.

In the vanished ancient times, there were legends of various extraordinary skills and secret arts, some of which were exceptionally legendary. The mere thought of uncovering and mastering the topmost among them stirred excitement in the usually composed Wang Xuan.

He quickly calmed himself; it was pointless to think too much at this stage. He needed to take steady steps forward.

"The third layer of the Golden Body Technique already provides a strong defense. Although it can't stop bullets, cold guns aren't as lethal to me anymore."

Wang Xuan believed that the resilient flesh could effectively mitigate the damage from firearms, making it difficult to kill him in a short time as long as the shot didn't hit vital organs like the heart. If those gunmen appeared again, he could annihilate them all in a very short time, provided he was willing to pay a certain price.

"Don't let me find you!"

This matter couldn't simply be brushed aside; Wang Xuan would investigate thoroughly. He wanted to find out who was behind the attempts on his life.

"The Golden Body Technique isn't quite sufficient at the third layer. If I could push it directly to the sixth or seventh layers, bullets would likely be ineffective against me."

Of course, larger caliber and more powerful firearms would still pose a threat. However, if he could elevate the Golden Body Technique to above the tenth layer, the outcome would be uncertain.

As for the perfect realm of the Golden Body Technique, it was hard to speculate. After all, even the legendary Zhou Kunkong from the Northern Song Dynasty hadn't mastered it himself; he only left behind texts for empty speculation.

Wang Xuan calmed his mind and emptied his spirit. He wanted to once again immerse himself in that special state, to enter the highest level of meditation and establish a connection with the inner landscape.

However, despite multiple attempts, he failed.

Even after running the foundational techniques from the pre-Qin bamboo slips dozens of times, he couldn't sense that tranquil inner landscape again; he simply couldn't enter.

He tried to meditate several more times, hoping to reach that supreme level and spend years in the void, but no matter what, he couldn't manage it.

Wang Xuan sighed lightly, mentally prepared to accept this result. After all, even master-level figures in the realm of meditation spend their lives pursuing the highest meditation state, but very few succeed.

At the very least, no one had been reported to have done so in modern times.

As for discussing it through the Daoist lens of the inner landscape, that would be even harder. Wang Xuan believed that since the end of the old era, no one had entered the inner landscape.

Imagine a master of the ancient techniques who, after much effort, ended up dead while practicing the secret scriptures of the Daoist ancestral hall, with all their organs rotting away.

If he could enter the Daoist inner landscape, such an event would surely not happen.

In the inner landscape, one could clearly see changes in their organs, and mysterious essences would descend to nourish them. Even if one couldn't fully succeed, they wouldn't die.

Wang Xuan strongly suspected that since modern times, those studying ancient techniques might not even know about the mysterious realm of the inner landscape.

Even if some ancient sects still spoke of it, they mostly regarded it as a legend, and later generations might not believe that one's spirit could reach such a unique place.

Wang Xuan wasn't anxious; since he had entered once, he would surely have another chance in the future.

Moreover, he had a rough idea of how to enter that mysterious place, having experienced it personally and knowing every detail.

"It requires a heightened state, and then the foundational techniques of the pre-Qin practitioners must be activated to succeed."

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But how could the heightened state arise?

He pondered: was it through intense external danger triggering a severe stress response within him, causing a resonance with the ancient techniques, thus inadvertently activating the heightened state?

"I'm not in a hurry; I can take my time, using various methods to stimulate and recreate that heightened state."

He even had the idea to participate in various adventure activities, which would greatly increase the chances of triggering a stress response and activating the heightened state.

Wang Xuan stood up and tidied up the discarded leather; the sight was rather bizarre. What kind of force had erupted within him in just a few minutes to cause such a drastic change?

Unfortunately, at that moment, his spirit had been in the inner landscape. Externally, he only had vague sensations and didn't clearly capture that brief yet astonishing transformation.

However, he understood that all living beings in the world are constantly evolving, and this has never changed throughout history. Species that cannot keep up will ultimately be eliminated.

Yet, there are rare historical periods where certain species evolve rapidly, experiencing explosive growth.

For example, when humanity diverged from other life forms, there was a period of incredible explosive evolution, achieving a qualitative leap in their level of existence in a very short time.

Many speculate that some mysterious event led to this sudden and drastic evolution, resulting in humanity's later brilliance.

In Wang Xuan's view, those following the path of ancient techniques are also experiencing various "events," which can sometimes greatly shorten the original transformation process.

Take the pre-Qin practitioners, for instance. While ordinary people feared tigers and wolves, practitioners were already able to cut rivers, throw elephants, and slice mountains.

What kind of power was that? How could it be gained in such a short time?

As for the Immortal Beings, they would likely be even stronger and experience more dramatic mutations.

Now, after having been to the inner landscape, Wang Xuan's perspective on the Immortal Beings subtly changed; he felt that perhaps such people still existed.

Of course, he still believed that Immortal Beings were human and that if they were human, they would ultimately die.

Wang Xuan took a cold shower, changed into loose pajamas, and browsed the Huang Ting Jing, searching for anything related to the inner landscape. Unfortunately, he found no new discoveries.

These texts were very vague, occasionally containing obscure phrases that relied on personal understanding.

The true foundational techniques were in the pre-Qin bamboo slips; later texts could only serve as supplementary materials to understand the terminology and names of ancient techniques.

"Reaching ultimate emptiness, maintaining tranquil solidity…"

Wang Xuan was unwilling to give up and continued to search for other materials. However, even after poring over texts, he couldn't find a conventional method to trigger the heightened state.

"There must be some conventional method; otherwise, the pre-Qin practitioners wouldn't have been so strong. Only by frequently entering the inner landscape could they achieve accomplishments that later generations could not match."

Wang Xuan believed that he should pay attention to any pre-Qin bamboo slips in the future, collecting and reviewing anything related to practitioners.

He believed that within certain ancient texts, there might be descriptions of conventional methods for entering the inner landscape.

"It's a pity that all the good things are in the New Star, in the hands of those life research institutes and top financial groups. If I could see all their bamboo slips and classic texts, I would surely find what I seek."

Wang Xuan felt regretful and increasingly eager to go to New Star.

But soon, he adjusted his emotions, calming himself to maintain a peaceful mindset, which was important for those on the path of ancient techniques.

"One should be content; in just a few minutes, I gained a level of achievement in the Golden Body Technique that others might take five years to achieve."

Thinking about this time ratio was truly astonishing. If word got out, even amidst the rise of new techniques in New Star, it would surely cause a huge storm.

After regaining calm and rationality, Wang Xuan further judged that he might have been overly optimistic. Even pre-Qin practitioners couldn't enter the inner landscape all the time.

Otherwise, over the years spent inside, even if there were no Immortals in the world, they would likely achieve immortality themselves.

A few minutes would equate to several years in there, while one day in the real world would be years.

What about a year?

What about a lifetime?!

Wang Xuan felt that pre-Qin practitioners could only enter once every so often.

Moreover, he estimated that the method to enter was not universally applicable; only a few could achieve it.

"Is this the reason for the decline of ancient techniques? The requirements for individuals are simply too high."

He then speculated whether certain external factors had changed over time, whether the environment was different, making it increasingly difficult for later generations to enter the inner landscape.

Wang Xuan suspected that since modern times, he might be the only person to have entered the inner landscape.

"Although I stayed there for five years, I didn't feel the erosion of time or the profound sense of having lived through an era. On the contrary, my spirit felt more vigorous. Whether it was my physical vitality or mental energy, both improved, and I felt a new vitality overflowing."

Wang Xuan noticed that during those five years in the inner landscape, his spirit didn't age, primarily because he was fully immersed in the understanding of ancient techniques, isolated from the outside world, free from distractions and untouched by worldly concerns.

This was likely connected to the mysterious essences that fell in that void, nourishing his spirit and flesh—perhaps the most crucial factor.

That night, despite having experienced gunfire and being ambushed in the residential area, Wang Xuan slept soundly, having found his path.

He was confident that if those people returned, he could handle them all.

In the morning, Qin Cheng sent a message: "Brother, I'm leaving. See you!"

He was going to New Moon, leaving the Old Earth behind and heading into the Deep Space.

"Take care!" Wang Xuan silently messaged back.

At 9 a.m., Professor Lin informed Wang Xuan that he was setting off back to New Star, leaving him the address and contact information from New Star.

This meant that all the students heading to New Star would soon depart, embarking on a new journey.

Indeed, Wang Xuan quickly received several texts from Zhou Kun, Kong Yi, Su Chan, and others bidding him farewell.

Half an hour later, he received a letter from an unexpected sender.

Li Qingxuan, someone from New Star, warmly invited Wang Xuan to join her family's adventure team. The letter included an address and contact information for her family on the Old Earth.

She promised generous compensation and assured that if he agreed, she could help him find a way to New Star.

"Li Qingxuan…"

Wang Xuan recalled her appearance from the night before at the bar street—long hair slightly curly, a pair of alluring phoenix eyes, and sexy red lips. She was a very youthful and vibrant girl.

However, he had no significant connection with her; they had only met once. What did she want from him? Did she really want to recruit him for her family's adventure team?

Wang Xuan tossed the letter aside, contemplating quietly. Zhao Qinghan had also invited him to collaborate. The organizations and financial groups from New Star seemed to be preparing for something.

"Wang Xuan, we have a lead! Do you want to hunt them down?!" At noon, Qingmu called to inform Wang Xuan that they had located the hideout of the gunmen.

Having just mastered the third layer of the Golden Body Technique, Wang Xuan naturally decided to personally join the hunt.

"These people are not simple. According to the latest information we have, their attempt on your life was just a small task for them; they have actually pinpointed… the Tomb of the Immortal Beings and are coming for it!"

As Qingmu spoke, his voice trembled with excitement.

If the intel was accurate, it was incredibly shocking. Many people didn't even acknowledge the existence of Immortal Beings, yet someone had tracked down the tomb of such creatures and was about to dig it up!