Chapter 439: The Coming Of A Great Age

Chapter 439: The Coming Of A Great Age

"You're not in a bad spot, really; you're solidifying your foundation. Your cultivation was a bit airy before," Wang Xuan comforted Chen Yongjie.

"That makes sense. It's a good opportunity to consolidate," agreed Chen, nodding. His recent breakthroughs had been incredibly rapid, almost alarmingly so. Indeed, a moment to pause and appreciate the journey would serve him well for the next leap forward.

Of course, compared to Wang Xuan, his progress was gentle as a drizzle; his reflection was merely in contrast to some historical figures.

In a remote mountain eight hundred miles away, the Sword Fairy, despite possessing a crystal of creation, had shrunk a bit from the shockwave. With a huff, she glared with wide eyes, sketching a familiar figure on the ground with a tiny sword before poking at it aggressively.

Anticipating this reaction, Wang Xuan hadn't dared visit her, opting to let the little sprite cool off to avoid a "sword practice" session upon meeting.

"Wang Xuan, it's you, it has to be! Shaking me, jolting me again. What kind of freak are you? Annoying, really. Are you trying to keep me small on purpose?"

...

Wang Xuan rinsed his body with cold water, his skin glistening, illuminated by a strange brilliance—a result of reaching the upper limits of life. Indeed, the eleventh realm was quite extraordinary.

Yet, after a brief circulation of his scriptures and employing secret techniques to conceal his aura, he returned to his usual self, not wishing to stand out too much, though his skin... was unnaturally perfect.New n0vel chapters are published on

He changed into his practice clothes and handed Chen Yongjie a large bunch of tea fruits, signaling him to keep quiet and to meditate on the scriptures when in doubt, and to steep the fruits in water as a leisurely drink when pondering.

"I... wow!" exclaimed Chen, astounded.

"Go on, sneak these tea fruits to the Sword Fairy," Wang Xuan instructed, passing another bunch. The little sprite was trustworthy, after all.

"Why don't you go yourself? Scared of getting thrashed?"

"Right now, she might not be able to beat me."

Wang Xuan then left the area to stroll through Ancheng, eager to gauge the atmosphere following the suppression of the Transcendent ceiling. Unexpectedly, he ended up at Huang Ming's Exiled Immortal Tea House.

Contrary to his expectations, everything seemed calm, almost numb; the populace wasn't as panicky as before, having accepted the reality of their situation.

Huang Ming greeted him warmly, serving exquisite tea, "What's there to rail against fate for? If it's decreed we live ordinary lives, let the heavens shake us as they will; I've fully accepted my lot!"

"I, too, have accepted... Ah, spit!" Zhou Qinghuang, a regular here, caught herself mid-sentence, promptly refining her words, "My fate is not mine to command, powerless to alter the course set by the heavens, I shall let nature take its path."

Not far off, Gu Mingxi was whispering with Zhou Shiqi, discussing a potential endorsement deal. Gu, the fairy, planned to start a beauty company with Zhou Qinghuang.

Some spirits waned, yet many adapted swiftly, engaging in discussions about various plans—transplanting fruit trees from the realm of immortals, cultivating new species, opening longevity clinics to extend human lives. Conversations grew animated as the Transcendents expressed willingness to collaborate, to lend each other support, to collectively seek investment.

In a corner sat Mo Si, silent, draining cup after cup of tea without uttering a word. A purist in cultivation, he had always fought against the dying light of transcendence. But in this age, as the mythic era waned under the onslaught of the mundane world, his defenses crumbled.

He felt the desolation of deep autumn, where all life withers, as he rose and departed in solitude.

"My envisioned world of transcendence, barely explored, now faces extinction," Wang Xuan sighed softly. His recent breakthrough left him unsettled, touched by an inexplicable chill.

Frowning, he recognized the onset of a major epochal shift. Despite his confidence in finding a path forward, he knew it would be a long time before he could alter the overarching trend.

History was littered with confident beings from myriad mythic civilizations, including those beyond compare who perished without altering their fates. To the Transcendent, the eternal night was vast and dark, the occasional flicker of light too faint to matter.

Should he prepare a fallback plan for himself? If reduced to ordinariness in the future, with undying dreams yet no means or foundation to sustain them, how could he continue amidst such terrifying consumption?

Yet, opening this door, he feared it might tear a corner in his conviction, seeding doubt, undermining his resolve.

"Even as a commoner, bereft of power or Transcendent capabilities, I wouldn't starve. But to give up the path of transcendence is unthinkable; I must continue exploring. It's not a wavering of faith, but a necessary precaution against a barren era."

In the teahouse, amidst the conversations of Transcendents planning their survival and development, abandoning the path of cultivation for the tangibles of reality, Wang Xuan listened.

Was there fault in their logic? None. It was a rational choice. Yet, as an outsider, Wang Xuan felt a profound loneliness, his sigh deeper than theirs, his heart tinged with a bitterness that seemed even more acute than theirs at the downfall of the world of transcendence.

"To witness such brilliance only to lose it, to never stand at the pinnacle yet to descend with darkness into the abyss—in this grand era, to personally experience its decline. The vast Immortal Realm, the splendid mythological civilization, I do not know if this is a final farewell or just a temporary departure, but it is time to say goodbye!" With these words, Wang Xuan rose and departed.

Fang Yuzhu, Yan Yan, Zhang Daoling, and Ming Xue had sent back information via an ancient spacecraft, informing Wang Xuan that they were venturing far away for one final struggle, but they did not elaborate further.

"In this era, few continue down this path, aside from those in the realm of Gaotian; nearly all other Transcendents have relinquished their pursuit," Wang Xuan felt a heavy sadness.

"Could it be, one day, as a modern man, I'll become the last follower of the Dao? With everyone else who returned from behind the great veil having given up, leaving me as the lone struggler in the cold and dark night, clinging to the Transcendent path?" he mused bitterly.

Such a day would be profoundly sorrowful, signifying universal defeat, the abandonment by all immortals, void of any glimmer of hope.

If that day indeed arrived, over time, those around him might fail to understand his solitary journey. Against the backdrop of such an epoch, a single figure pressing onward isn't just a personal choice; it's an exposition of cruelty and harsh reality under the crashing waves of a grand era.

"While I still possess strength, I should try bringing back Goddess Zhao and Wu Yin home," Wang Xuan resolved to venture into the depths of space.