The Stars Beyond

Chapter 132: Human Nature

"Miracle? My back feels broken!" Wang Xuan exclaimed, lying still.

"What?" Zhao Qinghan exclaimed, quickly sitting up, prepared to inspect his injuries.

"It's fine," Wang Xuan reassured her. "Probably just a bruise from hitting a tree trunk. I just need to lie down and rest a bit."

"We should take advantage of the lull, with all the wild creatures having fled," Zhao Qinghan suggested. "Rest up, and we'll leave as soon as dawn breaks."

Wang Xuan nodded, quickly settling into sleep amidst the woods. It was crucial for him to maintain his optimal condition, ready to face any unexpected challenges. Bathed in moonlight, Zhao Qinghan watched over him, thoughts racing. Her astute mind was filled with speculations, mainly because of how composed Wang Xuan had remained throughout their ordeal.

Regardless of everything, the image of Wang Xuan leaping through the air to save her at the crucial moment was etched in her heart. To her, he was a true friend, one she could entrust her life to. Feeling a mix of gratitude and emotion, she finally closed her eyes under the soft glow of the moon. The past couple of nights had been eventful, leaving her sleep-deprived. Now, in this moment of tranquility, she quickly drifted into a deep slumber.

By dawn, Wang Xuan remained motionless. His arm was pinned under Zhao Qinghan. He contemplated pulling it out but hesitated, not wanting to disturb her restful sleep. He thought it best to let her sleep a little longer.

Finally, Zhao Qinghan's eyelids fluttered as she gradually awakened. Realizing she had been clutching Wang Xuan's arm, she released it in embarrassment and adjusted her clothing.

"It's alright; you didn't drool much while sleeping," Wang Xuan teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"You're the one who drools! I never do," Zhao Qinghan retorted, her cheeks flushed.

"Why is my hand wet then?" Wang Xuan asked, standing up. He paused, noticing a slight dampness on his right hand. Could it be?

"It's just dew!" Zhao Qinghan said defensively as she got up.

The two then determined their direction, aiming to head back to reunite with their group.

Even though they had only been captured by the beast for a brief moment, Wang Xuan estimated that they had been carried dozens of miles away.

"We missed the creature's lair and a potential rare herb. What a pity," Wang Xuan remarked with a sigh.

"Let's not dwell on lost treasures," Zhao Qinghan advised. "We need to get back first. I'll need to reassess this mission; the dangers of this wilderness far exceed my expectations."

The information she had received didn't match the reality. The wilderness seemed to have grown significantly more perilous, hinting at unforeseen changes. With caution, the two embarked on their journey back, navigating through mountains and forests. Along the way, Wang Xuan's keen senses helped them avoid numerous dangerous zones. Considering this was still the outer regions of the wilderness, encountering a formidable creature like the golden predator was quite unexpected.

"There's someone there!" Wang Xuan paused, spotting a figure seated by a lakeside ahead in the woods. It was a human.

The middle-aged man's attire was marred with blood stains, and even his protective gear had seen better days. Despite this, he looked unscathed. Spotting Wang Xuan and Zhao Qinghan, he gestured for them to come over.

"Who are you, and why are you here?" Wang Xuan inquired, approaching with a confident stride. He quickly sized up the man: a gene-enhanced individual of master level, seemingly unhurt and at his prime. Wang Xuan wasn't particularly threatened by him.

"I'm an explorer who got separated from my team," the man responded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "I stumbled upon some spiritual herbs here and decided to wait until they ripened for harvesting. The lake houses five 'Soul-Nourishing Lotuses'. How about a deal? I'll claim three, and you both can share the other two."

A delicate aroma wafted from the lake, from which five radiant lotus flowers shone brilliantly, signaling their rare nature.

The Soul-Nourishing Lotus, as its name implied, was revered for both its physical and spiritual rejuvenating properties. The optimal benefits were reaped from the seeds of its pod, but the luminous petals also provided a potency of their own, albeit lesser.

No explorer, however, would typically wait for the lotus to mature fully.

Feeling an enticing pull toward the lotus, Wang Xuan believed its consumption would undoubtedly elevate his capabilities.

"Why don't you pluck the lotuses yourself?" the stranger probed with a grin.

"There's an unsettling presence in the lake," Wang Xuan replied, his heightened intuition detecting a disturbance beneath the placid surface, “You didn’t pluck them yourself because you’re afraid of it.”

Wang Xuan directly confronted the man's sinister intentions. In this lawless frontier, far from the oversight of New Star's laws, some seemed to cast aside their moral restraint, behaving even more ruthlessly than wild beasts.

Veteran explorers had often warned of the danger of encountering unfamiliar adventurers in the wild. Some of these wanderers exhibited disturbingly low morals, making their actions even more treacherous than the native creatures.

"Just do what you're told," the man snapped, gesturing for Zhao Qinghan to join him. "Miss, come here. We'll wait for him to collect the herbs."

His smile was duplicitous, and the menacing glint in his eyes was clear. Feeling superior due to his genetic enhancements, he intended to send Wang Xuan into the perilous lake. And the lecherous gaze he fixed upon Zhao Qinghan was nauseating.

"In places removed from societal norms, humanity's true nature is unveiled, be it pure goodness or profound wickedness," Wang Xuan stated coldly. "Unfortunately, you embody the latter." When faced with such depravity, kindness was misplaced.

"And who do you think you're speaking to?" the middle-aged man retorted with disdain.

He was confident, knowing that most Master-level experts were over thirty years old.

The young man in front of him was barely in his early twenties, yet he dared to challenge him? It was true that a prodigious youth had emerged from the old territory, a rare specimen who had never ventured beyond those stars.

"You stand before a Master!" he declared coldly.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Qinghan's face changed slightly. She quickly grabbed Wang Xuan's hand, intending to retreat. She might have had some inklings about Wang Xuan's capabilities, but she was still concerned. The person before them was undeniably a seasoned Master.

Wang Xuan chuckled, "Qinghan, you almost fell for his ruse. This man is severely injured. He's too proud to share the spiritual herbs here with anyone else and aims to deceive us."

The genetically enhanced individual approached, finding the young man's naivety endearing. It even prompted a smile from someone like him, a Master who had blood on his hands and wouldn't hesitate to kill his own companions.

Releasing Zhao Qinghan's hand, Wang Xuan confidently stepped forward. "Trying to act tough but weak inside, who are you trying to fool? I see through your fa?ade, you paper tiger!"

The middle-aged Master laughed. However, a fleeting coldness shimmered in the depths of his eyes. He reached out, attempting to grasp Wang Xuan's arm, seemingly intent on breaking it.

Wang Xuan reacted swiftly, grabbing faster and with more force than his opponent. In an instant, accompanied by a sickening snap, he broke the man's arm.

Turning to Zhao Qinghan, Wang Xuan said, "Look at him, all bluster and bravado. His arm had been broken before, and it hasn't even fully healed. And yet, such a person dares to commit evil?"

The genetically enhanced individual's forehead glistened with sweat from the intense pain. A moment of sheer astonishment swept over him, followed by a chilling horror. He thought, 'What sort of creature is this?'

Before he could finish his thought, he started to speak, "I am a..." He was about to declare himself a Grandmaster, but another quick movement and snap from Wang Xuan silenced him, leaving his other arm broken and his words turning into stifled moans.

"It's ludicrous," Wang Xuan remarked with a shake of his head, "How audacious that anyone would pretend to be a Grandmaster."

The middle-aged man desperately wanted to protest, to clarify that he was no imposter but a true Grandmaster. However, before he could, Wang Xuan touched his shoulder, and it dislocated with a crunch.

Gasping for breath, the man tried to speak. Yet, he was overwhelmed by a formidable psychic force, rendering him mute. Terror and shock coursed through him, pushing him to the brink of madness.