On the Pamir Plateau, several small spacecraft landed to transport the bodies and clear away the shattered exosuits of Old Chen. Mo Hai, Xia Qing, and Chen Kai were no exceptions, all laid on cold stretchers, covered with white cloth.

Wang Xuan sighed, realizing the need for caution and to live carefully; if even a grandmaster could end up like this, he still had a long way to go compared to the three.

"Little Wang, why the lament? A grandmaster was killed by you," Wu Chenglin remarked.

Wang Xuan felt that Old Wu was being deliberate. He didn't want anyone to mention that achievement and preferred to keep a low profile.

Medium-sized spacecraft also descended on the frozen ground to rescue the injured, equipped with advanced medical facilities and professional staff. Heavily injured individuals were swiftly taken away, while the lightly wounded received treatment on-site.

Wang Xuan approached, pretending to be severely injured, claiming his heart and lungs were shattered. He wanted to keep a low profile, not wanting to be seen as an up-and-coming figure in the old arts or be labeled as Old Chen's successor.

Qingmu did look for help, but a new female medical staff member informed Wang Xuan that he was in excellent health, stronger than most.

Wang Xuan whispered that he had serious issues, but the girl, straightforward and agitated, exclaimed loudly, "You have no problems at all! Your heart and lungs are stronger than those of large beasts!"

Wang Xuan turned to leave, not wanting to continue the conversation. Her outburst drew attention, and many people looked his way, laughing.

The battle in the Green Ridge had concluded tragically, with three grandmasters of the new arts killed. While the old arts emerged victorious, their sole prominent figure had fallen.

Cold battleships and interstellar vessels continued to cut through the sky, leaving the plateau.

Wang Xuan and Qingmu escorted Old Chen back to An City. Following expert advice, they concluded that conventional medical treatments were futile; human efforts had reached their limit.

A group of masters practicing the old arts followed them to the city, sorrow evident on their faces. Meanwhile, various organizations and conglomerates from the new star and old soil sent representatives to express their condolences.

Wang Xuan found the atmosphere eerie. Everyone seemed to be preparing flowers for a memorial service, and if he managed to revive Old Chen, how would that play out?

Qingmu, filled with sorrow and noticing the movements around him, felt deep sadness; he truly believed his master wouldn't survive. As for Wang Xuan's insistence on saving Old Chen, Qingmu considered it a last-ditch effort, not holding much hope. He was already preparing for Old Chen's funeral.

Wang Xuan speculated that if Old Chen did survive, he would surely want to take revenge on everyone present.

They brought Old Chen to a spacious villa on the outskirts, suitable for accommodating those practicing the old arts. A calm deputy from the relevant department personally visited and spoke with Qingmu.

He handed over a box containing two golden bamboo leaves, a precious pre-Qin artifact known as the Feathered Ascension Bamboo from the Greater Khingan Range underground.

Though the items were few, the sentiment behind them was strong. The deputy had a knack for diplomacy, advising Qingmu to let Old Chen try the leaves first; if his condition improved significantly, he would seek further solutions.

The two leaves wouldn't have a major effect or bring him back to life, but the gesture of providing them showed goodwill.

Before leaving, he told Qingmu he would return in two days to check on Old Chen, indirectly hinting that he would attend the memorial service.

Seeing this, Old Wu urged Big Wu to quickly book a flower arrangement, as people from the relevant department would come to mourn Old Chen in two days. Various factions would be converging, and it might be hard to procure flowers then.

Wang Xuan looked down at the motionless Old Chen and sighed, "Old Chen, am I going against the world to save you?"

Various relevant parties promised to send all sorts of old items, and that night, small spacecraft delivered a room full of artifacts.

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To keep himself distanced, Wang Xuan did not engage with them immediately, and he and Qingmu made an effort to avoid frequent contact.

However, he received a note detailing what had arrived, stirring a wave of emotions within him.

Among the items were relics of the Immortal Celestials, including a peach wood sword used by Lü Dongbin, reportedly excavated from Lü Zu's practice site in Zhongtiao Mountain.

Wang Xuan continued to read the list and was shocked to find a broken alchemical furnace once used by Ge Hong, making him even less sure about these items.

This individual had significant background, with numerous works included in the Daoist canon, notable ones being "Baopuzi" and "Yuhan Fang."

Wang Xuan seriously doubted the authenticity of the items listed. If relics from figures like Lü Zu could be so easily obtained, perhaps he should just stay in the old soil instead of going to the new star.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he sought an opportunity to meet with Qingmu, deciding to visit the site in person to see what these strange artifacts truly were.

The room was filled with old items, everything from bronze arrowheads to meteorite knives, broken alchemical furnaces, and even the Dao De Jing inscribed on bamboo slips, as well as pots and pans allegedly excavated from ancient caves.

Wang Xuan glanced around and felt disappointment. What were these items? They might be ancient, but they had nothing to do with the feathered ascension artifacts he sought.

The so-called peach wood sword used by Lü Dongbin looked charred, as if it had been struck by lightning, yet it contained no mystical essence, leading him to toss it aside.

Qingmu became anxious, saying, "Slow down! This is a cherished item from an elderly gentleman, kept in his study for years to ward off evil!"

"Fine," Wang Xuan replied, picking up the supposedly broken alchemical furnace used by Ge Hong, only to find himself almost throwing it away again.

Surrounded by so many ancient artifacts, he found none appealing, feeling immense disappointment.

He sighed, realizing that items related to ascension were indeed hard to come by. But after some reflection, he felt relieved; if any old object could easily relate to ascension, that would be even stranger.

"None of these will work," Wang Xuan shook his head.

Qingmu, naturally disappointed, suggested, "Let's go to another courtyard."

"There's more?" Wang Xuan was surprised.

Qingmu nodded, saying, "There wasn't enough space here, so I had them put the later deliveries in another courtyard."

As soon as Wang Xuan stepped into the new courtyard, he sensed that there were "big finds" here, relics related to ascension that could potentially save Old Chen.

Without needing an introduction from Qingmu, he quickly rummaged through a pile of old items and discovered a jade box. Opening it revealed a piece of black bone, exuding a dense, mysterious aura that was hard for ordinary people to perceive!

Wang Xuan was certain this was a rare relic of ascension—he couldn't believe his luck. Rubbing his hand over it, the black surface faded slightly to reveal a faint golden sheen.

His heart raced. Was this the legendary golden bone? The charred exterior likely resulted from being struck by lightning!

"Who sent this? Where did it come from?" he couldn't help but ask.

"The relevant department later sent over a batch, and this bone was among them. Hold on, let me check the list," Qingmu replied, looking down.

After a moment, he found the information: "This was excavated near a collapsed nameless Daoist temple. After excavation and cleanup, nothing else important was found—only this bone remained."

Wang Xuan sighed, "A mountain doesn't need to be high; if it has an immortal, it's renowned. Water doesn't need to be deep; if it has a dragon, it's spiritual. Who would have thought that a nameless Daoist temple would leave behind relics of ascension?"

Qingmu listened, somewhat skeptical that Wang Xuan could determine the bone's significance so readily.

Wang Xuan shot him a glance. "Trust my instincts. This could very well be a relic left behind by an immortal!"

"You're thinking too much," Qingmu replied, observing him. "In a remote mountain, in a dilapidated temple, buried with a terrifying black bone? Even if it's unusual, it's more likely related to some demon or malevolent spirit."

Wang Xuan quickly interrupted, "Keep your speculative words to a minimum—this concerns your master's life. Don't say anything foolish."

Qingmu promptly fell silent, willing to believe in Wang Xuan's insight.

Not lingering, Wang Xuan swiftly moved to another side, grabbing a wooden box and opening it. Instantly, he felt immense joy—this was another valuable item.

Inside was a piece of jade, still partially covered in its rough stone exterior, revealing a section of its pure, delicate, and lustrous jade flesh—a rare raw jade.

"This stone was excavated from an ancient city site dating back to the Han dynasty. An elder collected it as a natural raw stone for display," Qingmu explained.

Wang Xuan inferred that the mysterious essence had melded into this jade after someone ascended—it was a true feathered ascension stone.

Next, he found one last curious item: a white bone, over half a foot long, its origin indiscernible at first glance.

"This was left behind in a burial chamber of a certain Buddhist ancestral temple after its relocation to the new star," Qingmu stated.

"Is this a high monk's bone?" Wang Xuan asked, surprised.

Qingmu shook his head, clarifying that this was another item sent by the relevant department, which meticulously cataloged the origins of each artifact.

"It's said to have been excavated from deep within the earth at the ancestral temple, bound with iron chains," he continued.

"Could this be something significant that the Buddhist temple suppressed long ago?" Wang Xuan speculated.

Qingmu assured him, "This bone is perfectly normal; there have never been any unusual occurrences related to it."

"Let's give it a try," Wang Xuan decided. There was nothing to fear; could anything from millennia ago be more formidable than a female immortal who had persisted for over three thousand years?

The female immortal was exceedingly extraordinary, having preserved her physical form until now. Despite her uniqueness, she hadn't harmed Wang Xuan, making him quite bold.

"While this doesn't quite meet my expectations, it's still useful enough. I hope I can successfully revive your master," Wang Xuan resolved to act that very night and enter the inner realm!