The Stars Beyond

Chapter 137: Dark Side Of The Hidden Land

The seasoned member of the expedition team spoke up, "Generally, these flying horses have a gentle temperament and won't harm humans." However, upon laying his eyes on the young horse beneath Wang Xuan, he quickly silenced himself.

The wind suddenly picked up, heralding the descent of three majestic flying horses. Their arrival stirred the forest, causing a whirlwind of leaves to flutter about. Two mature flying horses, with icy glares, fixated their attention on Wang Xuan. Their hooves scraped the earth, digging large holes and crushing rocks underneath.

Before approaching Zhong Cheng and the others, Zhao Qinghan had already dismounted. Now, only Wang Xuan remained atop the young white horse, and he was growing increasingly uneasy. These two adult horses were easily on the level of Grandmasters. More alarmingly, a whole group of their kind had settled on a distant mountain peak, their gazes trained intently on the scene unfolding before them.

What did this mean? An entire cohort of equine Grandmasters!

Even for someone as formidable as Wang Xuan, the prospect of facing sixty or seventy equine Grandmasters, perhaps even accompanied by a transcendental "Superior Horse," was a battle he couldn't hope to win.

So, with a resigned determination, Wang Xuan gracefully dismounted. His eyes softened with an expression of reluctance. Gently patting the young horse's head, he whispered, "Reunite with your family."

But unexpectedly, the young white horse didn't move away. Instead, the sorrow and reluctance in its eyes transformed into defiance. It glanced back at the two mature horses and took a few steps back. Then, its gaze shifted to another young flying horse of similar age. The broad wings of this other horse bore bloodstains that tinted some of its white feathers red.

The two young horses locked eyes, clearly adversaries. White mists puffed from their nostrils, and the tension in the air suggested they were moments away from charging at each other.

Amid the tension, a young pegasus with pristine white wings stepped back, its head tilted, as though urging the solitary colt by Wang Xuan to rejoin the herd. But the lone colt defiantly exhaled a white mist, signaling its decision to stay. It continued backing away, silently communicating its reluctance to rejoin the two elder pegasi.

Quick to act, Zhao Qinghan presented the last rejuvenating lotus to the colt. After a fleeting moment of contemplation, the colt nibbled and swallowed the sacred herb.

A palpable exchange passed between the two elder pegasi, ending with a pointed gaze directed at Wang Xuan. To everyone's astonishment, one pegasus began to shimmer, exuding an aura so powerful it brought Zhong Cheng, Zhou Yun, and the other expedition members to their knees.

Stunned, Wang Xuan recognized the magnificent creature as the legendary "Superior Pegasus." He subtly leaned on the young colt, feigning exhaustion, while Zhao Qinghan genuinely clung to the colt for support.

Eventually, the two elder pegasi and the white-winged youngster took to the air, soaring toward their kin. The young pegasus was notably shepherded protectively within the flock. Reflecting on the recent confrontation, Wang Xuan theorized that the colts were contending for a princely title within the herd. The wingless colt's tenacity and refusal to yield hinted at its potential greatness.

A sense of anticipation ignited within Wang Xuan. He envisioned the wingless colt's evolution into a "Superior Pegasus" in time, given its audacity to vie for future leadership. He voiced his respects aloud, declaring, “Farewell to the Superior Pegasus and the revered Grandmasters.”

As the expedition members gradually regained their composure, their faces etched with confusion over Wang Xuan's unfamiliar titles.

The atmosphere lightened with the herd's departure. But the seasoned explorer looked thoughtful as he mused, “I've encountered this herd deep within the hidden land. What brings them here now?”

A palpable sense of dread weighed down the group. The seasoned veterans had forged ahead, accompanied by elite fighters, and now their status was uncertain. All the troubling signs from the forbidden area indicated that a grave incident had taken place.

"Why are you here? What about the others?" Zhao Qinghan questioned.

"We were scattered during an ambush," Zhou Yun explained, his face shadowed with a mix of rage and sorrow. "We found a rare medicinal plant today and wanted to harvest it. But we were ambushed by hordes of monsters. We had no choice but to flee. Do you know what they were?" He hesitated, then spat out the word, "Mantises!" The shame was evident; they had been chased for miles by mere insects.

Zhong Cheng elaborated, "These weren't ordinary mantises. They resembled a beastly species, each about four meters long, covered in dark fur. Their forelimbs were as sharp as blades. Ordinary men stood no chance. Our team was decimated on the spot, with over twenty to thirty casualties."

They recounted that even a master-level genetically-enhanced individual had been slain by a unique silver mantis. This devastating turn of events had sent them into disarray, fleeing in every direction.

"Your sister has gone missing, and you seem so relaxed. Haven't you thought of mounting a rescue?" Zhao Qinghan remarked, a hint of accusation in her voice as she gazed at Zhong Cheng.

Zhong Cheng's face crumpled, "After the initial chaos, my sister shouted for everyone to scatter, hoping it would save more lives. I got separated from her, and then all the formidable warriors chased after her. Look around; there's not even a sub-master level person with me."

Zhou Yun added, visibly frustrated, "I ran in a different direction from Wu Yin. Those master-level enhanced beings didn't spare me a glance, but chased after Wu Yin instead."

Zhao Qinghan remained silent, biting back a retort about their evident lack of appeal.

But Zhong Cheng sought to bring some solace, "We managed to survive, which means they likely did too. Those mantis beasts seem focused on guarding that rare plant; I doubt they'd stray far from it."

Zhong Cheng struggled with his feelings of inadequacy. Even the mighty guardian assigned to protect him had eventually left him to follow his sister. How could there be such a vast disparity between individuals?

"In the face of death, some instinctively seek safety and avoid danger," Zhao Qinghan consoled, drawing from her personal experiences. She remembered being lifted into the air by a monster while the elite guards from her household hesitated, too fearful to ascend and rescue her.

"What extraordinary find did you come across?" Wang Xuan inquired.

"A Black Gold Date Tree," Zhou Yun began, his voice quivering with emotion. "Imagine a four-meter-tall tree bearing over a hundred Black Gold Dates. I've never seen such a bountiful spiritual medicine before!" Their group had been exhilarated, rushing forward to pluck the nearly ripe dates, anticipating that each of them would obtain a share of this rare remedy. But their elation was cut short when the mantis beasts attacked, nearly annihilating them.

"Over a hundred spiritual dates within our grasp, and now... lost," Zhou Yun sighed deeply. He then approached Wang Xuan, a gleam in his eye, "Wang, sell me that white horse of yours. We can negotiate a price."

Wang Xuan chuckled, "Are you sure? Let me warn you, it's a creature of great power, a spiritual horse of grandmaster caliber. It could easily trample a person to death."

"Why is it following you?" Zhou Yun asked skeptically.

"We found it injured during our journey," Wang Xuan explained. "After we nursed it back to health, it refused to leave and insisted on accompanying us."

In reality, after feasting on the Spiritual Lotus in Zhao Qinghan's possession, the horse wasn't as attached as they believed. It had already begun wandering off into the forest, clearly indicating a desire to depart.

"See? This spiritual horse and I share a special bond," Wang Xuan said, hastily catching up to the horse, grabbing its neck, and forcefully pulling it back, making it appear as if they were close companions.

"Zhao, how did you two manage to survive?" Zhong Cheng asked, echoing the curiosity of the group.

"As the creature flew near the treeline, a golden bird of extraordinary power swooped down and bit off half its body," Zhao Qinghan recounted. "Wang and I plunged into a river within the forest, and miraculously survived." The profound weariness in her eyes conveyed the gravity of their brush with death, a tale of narrow escape.

"After a brush with death, one often finds good fortune," echoed amongst the group. They all believed the sentiment, deeming it implausible for the duo to have defeated such a creature on their own, or else they wouldn't have been captured in the first place.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the woods were blanketed in darkness. Everyone shared a light meal and decided to rest there for the night. Zhong Cheng's earlier bravado waned, replaced by growing anxiety for his sister's safety. They had been separated in the afternoon, and as night deepened, there was still no word from her or her group. The looming shadow of the forest only intensified his unease.

"Is this truly a grandmaster-level spiritual horse?" Zhong Cheng asked, his voice wavering between excitement and anxiety. Finally, he grabbed Wang Xuan's hand and blurted, "Can you ride this horse and look for them? I'm genuinely worried. If you help me with this, I promise a generous reward once we're back at the New World."

In this critical moment, Zhong Cheng's deep concern for his sister was evident. Tears formed in his eyes, and his voice trembled with emotion. Zhou Yun, sympathizing with the distress, also urged, "Brother Wang, if this is indeed a grandmaster-level horse, please help. We're all from the New World after all."

Making up his mind, Wang Xuan nodded, "I'll go check." If he had the capacity to help, he wouldn't remain indifferent.

"Just... be careful," Zhao Qinghan advised, emphasizing the importance of Wang Xuan's own safety.

As Zhong Cheng babbled a few more words to the white horse, he nearly received a swift kick in return.

Under the moonlit night, Wang Xuan mounted the seemingly reluctant white horse and rode in the direction indicated by Zhong Cheng.

Around twenty miles out, Wang Xuan encountered a man, bloody and on the brink of death, sitting beneath a tree, gazing weakly at the moonlight. Hopping down, Wang Xuan noticed the bloodied handprints on the man's tattered clothes and the missing right shoulder and arm. It was evident that this injury was inflicted by another human, not a creature.

"The Qin family... they've ordered the Moonlight Bodhisattvas to kill," the man uttered with great difficulty.

"Why?" Wang Xuan pressed urgently.

"In the afternoon," the gravely wounded man began, "we encountered members of the Qin family. They deceived us into returning to that spot to jointly harvest the Black Gold Dates. They were already familiar with the location and the Mantis Beasts there. They sabotaged us, turning many of our own into bait for those creatures to pursue... All the while, the Qin's went about harvesting. Even worse, they then unleashed Moonlight Bodhisattva to exterminate any of us that survived."

With a surge of determination, Wang Xuan quickly mounted the Grandmaster Horse, racing forward. The head of the Qin family had clearly lost his moral compass, sacrificing lives with impunity and covering up their heinous acts. Wang Xuan lamented the depth of darkness in this mysterious land. It was a brutality that even established exploration teams could stoop to, readily destroying another team. No news of such occurrences ever reached the New World—these vile acts were well-hidden.

From a distance, Wang Xuan spotted a luminous figure—the Moonlight Bodhisattva—shattering a near-grandmaster with ease, then scattering the surrounding Mantis Beasts with powerful blows. But the unfolding scene was not as Wang Xuan had anticipated. The radiant figure, clearly a Grandmaster-level Moonlight Bodhisattva, advanced menacingly towards a pale-faced young man.

"What are you doing, rebelling?" The young man questioned, his face drained of color but defiance evident in his eyes.

With an icy tone, the Moonlight Bodhisattva responded, "It's laughable. You think your ruthless cunning qualifies you to lead? Using those explorers as bait, sending them to their deaths, and then ordering us to finish the job. But did you ever stop to consider where we are? This isn't the New World. Do you still see us as mere tools or dogs? Sure, we did the dirty work on the explorers. But who are you to claim the spiritual herbs? You fail to grasp that this is a secret land, a new world, governed by a dark code you know nothing about!"

With a swift move, the Moonlight Bodhisattva launched a kick, gravely injuring the young man who screamed in agony, looking on the brink of death.

"My brother is nearby... He won't let you go!" were the young man's final words, brimming with menace, before he took his last breath.

The Moonlight Bodhisattva chuckled coldly, "Are you asking me to go after your brother?"