Chapter 153 An Appointment in the Human World
As soon as Wang Xuan spoke, there was silence behind the grand curtain and over the azure sea; suddenly, no sound could be heard. Even the gentle drizzle seemed to stop, as if it no longer dared to fall.
The several demon fairies lowered their heads to the ground, pretending they hadn't heard anything, afraid of attracting blame. Is there really someone in the world so fearless? Did he even know what he was saying? By sheer strength alone, the red-clad woman was a legendary figure among the celestial beings.
To dare suggest that she perform a demon fairy dance? What audacity! The demon fairies were taken aback, having never seen a mortal so bold as to set their sights on the red-clad fairy!
"I believe you won't cooperate with her now," the ferryman nodded, acknowledging that this was the first time he had encountered such a mortal.
Facing a stunning demon fairy, this young man dared to say such things, making the ferryman sigh; today's youth were incredibly bold.
The White Tiger Demon Fairy roared, seemingly angry on behalf of her master, wanting Wang Xuan to pay for his words. However, the red-clad demon fairy did not get angry, maintaining a faint smile, as she wouldn't have brought it up if it bothered her.
She brushed her damp hair aside, her eyes shimmering, her red dress fluttering, exuding an enticing charm. "Soon, I will be heading to the human world in a different form, looking forward to our encounter in the realm of mortals."
Wang Xuan: "???"
He felt a surge of frustration! Wasn't she supposed to remain sealed for three years? He thought he would have time to prepare and improve himself. How could she be leaving so soon? Wasn't this a threat to his very existence?
His expression shifted between various emotions, astonished by the sudden change in circumstances; their encounter was bound to be disastrous. He fell silent, contemplating the possible outcomes.
"You love the demon fairy dance so much; when we meet for real, I'll surprise you," the red-clad demon fairy smiled enchantingly just before turning to leave.
Wang Xuan felt stunned, staring at her retreating figure, unsure of how to respond.
"It's been a long time since I've visited the human world; I truly look forward to it." Her red dress billowed, a mesmerizing sight, gradually fading away, casting one last glance filled with allure.
Yet, Wang Xuan was not in the mood to appreciate such beauty; he felt he was facing a survival crisis!
"Does she truly believe the Old Testament is just for show?!" the ferryman spoke coldly. To declare her intention to enter the mortal realm in front of him was a blatant mockery, an open challenge.
"Senior, shouldn't you hurry and chase her down to slay the demon?!" Wang Xuan turned to him, hoping for the guardian's intervention.
"I… cannot break the contract," the ferryman replied.
Wang Xuan felt a surge of disappointment; was he really hesitant to pursue her?
"No worries, even though she met you here across the great curtain, she has no idea what planet you're currently on; your whereabouts are uncertain," the ferryman reassured him, suggesting that the demon fairy might not find him in the mortal realm!
Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan froze for a moment. Suddenly, he felt much calmer. He was far from the old earth, not on the new star, separated by countless light-years from his homeland!
He doubted that the red-clad demon fairy could locate him across numerous star systems at the end of deep space. It was impossible!
Thus, he calmly replied, "I'll wait for you in the human world; we won't part ways!"
He refrained from mentioning the old earth, fearing that might reveal too much to her.
The demon fairy departed without responding.
Wang Xuan sighed, feeling uneasy about being targeted by such an invincible demon fairy; what if she truly crossed multiple star systems to find him?
"The time is almost up; I will send you away," the ferryman said.
Wang Xuan was reluctant; he hadn't undergone a transformation yet, and it was all coming to an end? What a useless secret path!
"If you choose the top-tier true body path, like transforming into a Golden-Winged Roc, a Thousand-Armed True God, or a Demon, your strength would undoubtedly increase. But you rejected that option."
"That's demonization!" Wang Xuan emphasized.
"Entering the void, experiencing extraordinary radiation, offers not just demonization but also divinization. You primarily consumed the demon fruit first, which is why you have not seen any divinization."
According to him, divinization could maintain one's original form, regardless of whether one was human or demon, as it allowed one to choose this path.
Of course, some changes would still occur, such as developing eyes along the sides, pointed ears, or a third vertical eye appearing on the forehead.
There were also organisms whose hearts grew larger and stronger, turning silver after divine transformation.
Some people would grow golden patterns on their bones, becoming sturdier and taller, reaching several meters in height.
While divinization did not diverge too much from the original form, it still led to some changes compared to one's original body.
Could he accept such divinization? Wang Xuan pondered.
Instantly, he thought of the Five Pages of Golden Scripture, a relic left behind by Zhang Daoling, the founder of Taoism; all the engravings on the golden scripture depicted human forms!
Moreover, the scripture involved diagrams of organ resonance that showed no abnormalities, consistent with normal human anatomy.
He quickly realized that there was no need to choose divinization at this stage; the Five Pages of Golden Scripture seemed to provide the answer!
Wang Xuan asked, "Is the extraordinary radiation in the void limited to demonization and divinization?"
"I knew you would ask that." The ferryman pointed to the sea, saying, "There's another, more radical approach: you can jump into the water, envisioning yourself transforming into a certain creature. If you don't die, you'll eventually undergo intense transformation into that creature. If you're lucky, various organs may also undergo divinization."
Wang Xuan was lost in thought; this was a fusion of demonization and divinization.
He shook his head, saying, "I just want to remain human; I don't want to jump in and transform into something else."
The ferryman replied, "Thus, I am simply rowing you across the sea; I could tell you have this fixation from the start, and you are more suited for the gentler path of the void."
"How so?"
"There's a bamboo boat with divine feathers protecting you, allowing you to gently absorb the extraordinary radiation of the void, increasing the vitality of your physical body. After you leave this place, if you practice for a while, your strength will naturally improve gradually."
Hearing this explanation, Wang Xuan was unsatisfied; he entered the void precisely to break through rapidly. If it would take time, he would choose another path.
The ferryman continued, "Everything must emphasize balance. Divinization and demonization are results of the strong radiation of the void, which also provides mysterious energy. If you choose the peaceful route, while your body will be activated, you will still need to supplement the required energy from the outside world over time. Therefore, you cannot ascend immediately."
He added, "Actually, if you consume more Blood Grapes, after arriving here and rejecting demonization, once the demonic properties are expelled from your body, the residual normal properties might also sufficiently replenish the energy you need for the peaceful path, allowing you to break through quickly."
Wang Xuan was stunned. "So the conclusion is that even the demon fruit can be purged of harmful components here, allowing for purification? If there's enough, I can break through smoothly?"
"That's right," the ferryman nodded.
Wang Xuan regretted that when he fled from the cave of the silkworm snake, he had the chance to pick the remaining bunches of blood grapes, but he completely ignored them.
Because at that time, he already knew those were demon fruits.
"Quick, take me to shore!" Wang Xuan shouted.
"Why the rush?" the ferryman asked in surprise.
"I'll be back shortly; I need to break through here!" Wang Xuan decided and immediately planned to go harvest the demon fruits.
He had carefully calculated that when the adult silkworm snakes went out to hunt, he would have enough time to pick the blood grapes; trying to escape far away would inevitably fail.
However, if he escaped from their extraordinary nest toward this forsaken land, the distance was very close, and he would have no problem at all!
Furthermore, there were eight extraordinary creatures nesting around this forsaken land, and they all likely had rare medicines.
In an instant, Wang Xuan's eyes sparkled; he wanted to fully leverage the secret path of the forsaken land to enhance himself. He felt that it wouldn't be long before he could catch up with Old Chen!
The ferryman interrupted his thoughts and said, "Do you think it's easy to come here? Unless you have Inner Landscape treasures, or your family ancestors have particularly taken care of you and refined that kind of mysterious essence for you, which is accumulated in your flesh and blood. You must know, the great environment of the world has changed; the strength of future ancestors is not as high, and they cannot accumulate much essence themselves."
He knew that Wang Xuan had mysterious essence of Inner Landscape in his body, but he adhered to the Old Testament and had not used his heart connection, celestial vision, and so on, so he was unaware of his true depth.
Upon hearing this, Wang Xuan felt more assured.
He had opened his own Inner Landscape, so he was equivalent to an ancestor!
Additionally, he had consumed the "flesh" of the white tiger demon with Old Chen and Qingmu in the Inner Landscape; the female sword fairy said it was composed of mysterious essence.
"So, this should be our last meeting; take care," the ferryman said.
Wang Xuan ignored him, confident that he could still enter. He looked at the grand scene and said, "Fellow immortals, does anyone want to taste the wild delicacies of the current world? I will be back shortly; if anyone needs it and wants to trade, you can place your orders now."
He didn't know if the wild game could be brought in intact.
"Earth immortal-level wild game can be considered," a demon immortal spoke up.
Wang Xuan didn't want to say more and urged the ferryman to set sail.
The feathered bamboo boat transformed into a streak of light and sped away; soon, it arrived at the shore.
Wang Xuan jumped off the boat and found himself standing by a small blue lake, the golden bamboo boat stopped in the water.
He was taken aback. Is this small lake the azure sea?
"This forsaken land is just a lake," the ferryman spoke.
"I'll see you later!" Wang Xuan turned and ran away.
"You really think this place is your backyard," the ferryman shook his head, maneuvering the small boat as it slowly drifted away, gradually disappearing into the mist.
Before Wang Xuan left the forsaken land, he felt his body's vitality enhancing and undergoing transformation, but he lacked some energy, making it difficult to sustain.
The remaining energy from the blood grapes was not enough.
He thought for a moment, took out a dozen blue shimmering worms, crushed them one by one against himself, and activated the root methods of the pre-Qin sorcerers.
Indeed, these worms were quite strange; they contained a large amount of mysterious essence, which was very beneficial for his body.
These worms were much stronger than ordinary spiritual medicines.
"I'm sorry, Master Ma, but I will use these worms first; I'll directly bring you the demon fruits later!" Wang Xuan murmured.
With the new energy supplement, Wang Xuan felt itchy all over; he was about to shed his skin again!
In fact, not only did the mysterious essence from the worms take effect, but he also had accumulated a large amount of mysterious substances within his body, which were now surging.
After a moment, Wang Xuan shed his tattered clothes, completely peeling off a layer of skin. This time, he had no unpleasant odor and shone with a crystal-like luster.
Earlier, his Golden Body Technique was at the critical point of the seventh level, barely entering the seventh level; now, it had directly advanced to the mid-stage of the seventh level!
"At the same time, I've also broken through to the Grandmaster realm!" Wang Xuan quietly sensed the changes in himself; with a slight shake of his organs, thunderous light burst forth.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, a firelight flew out and melted a piece of rock on the ground.
His body underwent a significant change; his physique improved dramatically, and the secret power contained in his flesh and blood surged, which could be described as a thick accumulation bursting forth.
He estimated that if he encountered those alien beings again, he could handle them all; not a single one would escape!
"Being a Grandmaster is not enough. Guarding the secret path of the forsaken land, adjacent to the nests of eight extraordinary creatures, I must advance into the true extraordinary realm here!"