novel against the - Chapter 2106

Chapter 2106: Sha Xing, Xian Yue

“Prey?” Li Suo¹ asked, puzzled.

Yun Che stood up, a cold smile playing on his lips. “The Star Moon twins.”

Li Suo’s hand retracted, the holy light around it fading. “No wonder. These past few days, whenever I mentioned information about the Star supreme-ruler Realm, your soul reacted the most strongly, as if you cared a great deal.”

Yun Che adjusted his breathing, extending a hand. The surrounding abyssal dust swirled around him, gathering in his palm, forming a vortex of moderate intensity.

The Sea of Mist was endlessly vast. Even for a Divine Official, finding a specific aura or anomaly in this boundless expanse was a near impossibility. As long as the Fog Emperor² chose not to reveal itself, even a True supreme-ruler wouldn’t be able to find it.

Even so, Yun Che had been extremely cautious this entire time.

“Based on the location of the Star supreme-ruler Realm, combined with the information about the Star Moon Divine Sons’ previous training trips into the Sea of Mist, this area is the most likely place they would set foot… It wasn’t in vain that I spent so many days painstakingly searching here!”

Li Suo asked, “But you’ve never encountered anyone from the Star supreme-ruler Realm since entering the abyss. How do you recognize their auras?”

“I haven’t met anyone from the Star supreme-ruler Realm, but… I recognize the auras of the Heavenly Wolf and the Purple Quiver³!”

As he spoke, the vortex of abyssal dust in his hand rapidly compressed, ultimately transforming into a narrow, elongated thread.

“As Divine Sons, and twins at that, they wouldn’t come here to train alone. There must be someone protecting them in secret.” Li Suo couldn’t help but worry. “It’s incredibly risky for you to make a move.”

“You worry too much.” Yun Che smiled faintly. Just then, a moderately sized abyssal beast lumbered over, stopping obediently before him.

Yun Che had specifically chosen this abyssal beast half a month ago. It had been quietly lying low not far from him this entire time… Finally, Li Suo understood his intentions.

Yun Che grabbed its sharp claws, tore open its arm, and directly plunged the highly compressed thread of abyssal dust into its flesh.

“This time, we’ll be staying in the middle region of the Sea of Mist for at least six months. Sha Xing⁴, are you afraid?”

“Afraid? Are you joking? If not for Star Venerable’s orders, I’d really like to venture deeper in.”

“You may not fear the Sea of Mist, but… what about the Fog Emperor?”

“There are rumors that the Fog Emperor is omnipresent in the Sea of Mist. Perhaps, at this very moment, we are also under its watchful eye.”

“I’m even less afraid of that. Legend has it that the Fog Emperor bestows blessings and has saved countless people from abyssal corruption. Although the two abyssal knights in the projection were severely punished for their offense, their lives were ultimately spared. This shows that the Fog Emperor is at least superficially benevolent. In that regard, it’s not as terrifying as the abyssal beasts.”

The two walked side by side. One had eyes as bright as stars, the other’s were as clear as the moon. Their attire was similar, their builds alike, and even their steps were surprisingly synchronized.

Upon closer inspection, one would notice that even the intensity of their profound energy, the circulation of their auras, and the rhythm of their breathing were astonishingly consistent.

If not for their different appearances, they would be like reflections of each other.

Sha Xing, Xian Yue⁵. The current generation of Divine Inheritance Twins of the Star supreme-ruler Realm.

The current Star Moon supreme-ruler Venerables, Star supreme-ruler Emperor and Moon supreme-ruler Emperor, were twins. Their parents had inherited the powers of the Star supreme-ruler and the Moon supreme-ruler respectively. The twins awakened their Divine Ways together, resonated with the powers of the Heavenly Wolf Star supreme-ruler and the Purple Quiver Moon supreme-ruler together, and even bore the supreme power together, becoming the Star Moon supreme-ruler Venerables. They were hailed as the Miracle Twins of their era.

Sha Xing and Xian Yue were not twins, nor were they related by blood. However, they had grown up together since childhood and were chosen as Divine Heirs at the same time. Over the years, their compatibility and “balance” had gradually reached perfection. Now, they were no less impressive than the Miracle Twins of the past, even astonishing the Star Moon supreme-ruler Venerables.

Their footsteps slowed in unison.

“Once we enter the middle region, we cannot easily leave. Let’s make our final preparations.”

Just then, a dangerous aura suddenly appeared ahead, rapidly approaching the moment they detected it.

The two exchanged glances. “It seems our preparations will have to wait.”

“Divine Extinction Realm… second level?” Sha Xing frowned slightly. “Why would there be a Divine Extinction Realm abyssal beast in this area?”

“Indeed, it’s rare,” Xian Yue said. “Just in time to warm us up.”

The abyssal fog split open, and an abyssal beast shrouded in gray mist pounced fiercely… At that very moment, azure starlight and faint purple moonlight erupted simultaneously.

A heavy sword and a purple sword, their might and agility achieving perfect harmony in an instant, the power of the stars and the moon intertwined and erupted.

Boom!

The heavy sword smashed into the beast’s body, shattering its profound energy, while the purple sword pierced its heart with a single strike. In a flash, the Divine Extinction abyssal beast was sent flying, its blood splattering everywhere.

The abyssal beast let out an instinctive roar. Despite its contorted form and lack of pain, it still twisted its body in a desperate attempt to retaliate. Two sharp claws, wreathed in abyssal fog, shot straight towards Sha Xing’s heart.

The heavy sword was indomitable, but it was complemented by the ever-changing fragments of the Star supreme-ruler’s shadow.

Rip!

The abyssal beast’s claw tore through the air, but Xian Yue had already anticipated Sha Xing’s every move. With a flick of his wrist, a purple moon abruptly exploded where Sha Xing had been standing a moment before. The unleashed moonlight completely enveloped the abyssal beast, mercilessly obliterating its body and its perception of its surroundings.

Sha Xing’s figure flashed above. Gathering half of his strength, just as the abyssal beast struggled to break free from the purple moon, the shadow of a howling Heavenly Wolf appeared behind him.

“Heavenly Star Fall!!”

Boom!!

The might of a single sword strike was truly like a star falling from the heavens. The Divine Extinction abyssal beast let out a mournful howl as its spine snapped, its body sent crashing heavily to the ground. The impact created a massive crater in the incredibly hard ground of the Sea of Mist.

Starlight and moonlight descended simultaneously, their destructive power intertwining and merging, erupting in a blindingly brilliant sphere of destruction within the dark Sea of Mist.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Twelve bursts of power later, Sha Xing and Xian Yue’s strength converged at the same moment. Their figures returned to the sky in unison, their backs to each other. The heavy sword and the purple sword vanished from their hands as if they had never been there.

Their perfectly synchronized movements and unified rhythm would undoubtedly leave anyone who witnessed them dumbfounded.

But in reality, this was their daily routine, honed over a thousand years.

“Back then, when we first encountered a Divine Extinction abyssal beast in the Sea of Mist, we were in a sorry state, both of us terribly wounded. Now…” Sha Xing smiled faintly. “I feel that even if it were a level four Divine Extinction abyssal beast, with our combined Star Moon power, we would still have the strength to fight.”

“No, it’s more than just the strength to fight.” Xian Yue looked up and laughed. “Although the two of us haven’t reached the fourth level of the Divine Extinction Realm, within the entire Star supreme-ruler Realm, with our combined might, there is no one below the fifth level of the Divine Extinction Realm who can defeat us… The same applies to abyssal beasts!!”

Sha Xing’s gaze shifted downwards, towards the shattered corpse of the abyssal beast they had jointly destroyed. “Let’s go collect our spoils of war.”

With the Divine Extinction abyssal beast’s body broken, they could already sense the aura of an abyssal crystal.

Sha Xing descended, reaching out to tear open the abyssal beast’s body.

But the moment his hand touched the beast’s corpse, its severed upper body suddenly sprang to life. Its sharp claws, glowing with a sinister light, shot straight towards his heart.

Abyssal beasts had no consciousness, so they naturally wouldn’t possess any cunning, nor would they play dead or resort to trickery.

One might still harbor a sliver of vigilance when facing a dying person, but when facing an abyssal beast that had been torn to shreds… no one would maintain their guard.

This sudden turn of events left Sha Xing horrified. Xian Yue turned back in alarm… However, with one side launching a surprise attack and the other caught completely off guard, Sha Xing couldn’t even muster the Star supreme-ruler’s Shadow, let alone circulate his profound energy.

The abyssal beast’s claws pierced straight into his chest, the sharp tips erupting from his back.

Sha Xing’s pupils constricted to the size of pinpricks before instantly turning fierce.

Bang!

The power of the Star supreme-ruler erupted from his chest, forcefully repelling the abyssal beast’s claws. At the same time, the Purple Quiver’s supreme power descended, heavily blasting the already mangled upper body of the abyssal beast away. In a series of exploding purple lights, it was obliterated into countless scattered fragments.

“Are you alright?” Xian Yue asked, his brow furrowed, as he kicked the other half of the abyssal beast’s corpse far away.

“I’m fine, just a scratch.” Sha Xing raised his hand, his profound energy quickly sealing the wound. His brow furrowed like Xian Yue’s. “Strange, if the abyssal beast wasn’t dead, it would have attacked relentlessly under its instinct for destruction. It clearly had its body shattered and didn’t move at all. How could it suddenly have the strength for a final attack?”

“I don’t know,” Xian Yue said. “The Sea of Mist is vast, abyssal beasts are endless, and all sorts of strange things can happen. However, this isn’t entirely a bad thing. At least it serves as a reminder before we enter the middle region that even when facing a lifeless abyssal beast, we absolutely cannot let our guard down.”

“Right.” Sha Xing sat down cross-legged. “I’ll heal myself for a bit. Keep watch for me.”

Sha Xing closed his eyes, his profound energy slowly circulating, focusing on his injuries… Suddenly, he opened his eyes, pain etched on his face. A groan escaped his lips.

“What’s wrong?” Xian Yue moved closer.

“Abyssal… corruption!” Sha Xing choked out the two words.

Xian Yue immediately relaxed… The abyssal corruption from an early Divine Extinction Realm abyssal beast was something they could easily dispel, as long as they didn’t deliberately allow it to eat away at their bodies for an extended period.

But in the next instant, he noticed the extremely unsightly expression on Sha Xing’s face. He quickly reached out, his profound energy flowing forth. His expression shifted drastically as well.

The abyssal dust that had invaded Sha Xing’s body was so potent that even his soul trembled upon contact.

After a brief moment of shock, Xian Yue didn’t hesitate any longer. He abruptly stood up and shouted, “Senior Tian Gang⁶, please show yourself! Sha Xing has been corrupted by abyssal dust, and it has directly invaded his profound veins!”

“Senior Tian Gang!”

He shouted several times before a gruff voice finally responded, “A mere Divine Extinction abyssal beast, and you’re already this flustered?”

His words were laced with disappointment.

“Tian…” Sha Xing turned his gaze, his voice laced with pain. “This abyssal dust… it’s not normal…”

A middle-aged man clad in star-patterned robes, with a fierce countenance and gray hair that stood up like halberds, descended from the sky.

He pointed a finger, aiming it at Sha Xing’s body. In a matter of breaths, the disappointment on his face vanished without a trace, replaced by rapidly growing terror.

His finger transformed, the tip radiating Divine Limit profound energy. Then, his pinky finger morphed into a sword, piercing straight through Sha Xing’s heart.

Sha Xing’s face paled, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood… However, Star Monarch Tian Gang’s brows were tightly knitted, and the Divine Limit profound energy in his hand didn’t recede. Instead, he continued to channel it with utmost caution.

Just as Sha Xing’s chest was about to split open, his internal organs about to be damaged, Star Monarch Tian Gang abruptly withdrew his hand. He suddenly turned around, his gaze fixed on the scattered remains of the abyssal beast, a voice filled with disbelief escaping his lips.

“It was clearly just a Divine Extinction abyssal beast… How could this be… How could this be?”

“Senior Tian Gang, even you… have no way?” Xian Yue asked in alarm.

Star Monarch Tian Gang’s brows twitched. After a long while, he said in a deep voice, “This level of abyssal corruption shouldn’t have come from an early Divine Extinction abyssal beast. It’s more like… the level of abyssal dust that a Divine Limit Realm abyssal beast could produce.”

“What!?” Sha Xing and Xian Yue exclaimed in unison.

“If this abyssal corruption had invaded my body, I could easily dispel it. But…” He turned to look at Sha Xing, his gaze flickering with fear. “The abyssal corruption… has invaded Sha Xing’s profound veins. If I forcefully dispel it, it will cause irreversible and permanent damage to his profound veins.”

“Just now, I only dispelled the abyssal corruption outside his profound veins. As for the corruption that has invaded his profound veins… I can only temporarily seal it. As for how to dispel it without harming his profound veins… perhaps only the two Venerables can do it.”

With that, he grabbed Sha Xing. “Abort this training mission. Return to the Star supreme-ruler Realm immediately!”

“But… but…” Sha Xing gritted his teeth.

“No buts!” Star Monarch Tian Gang’s brows furrowed, his tone brooking no argument. “Do you not know the consequences of permanently damaging your profound veins!?”

Sha Xing fell silent. He shot Xian Yue an apologetic look before hurriedly leaving with Star Monarch Tian Gang.