Chapter 2108: Cleaving Star and Crescent Moon

"Prey?" Li Sha asked.

Yun Che stood up and said chillingly, "The Star-Moon Twins."

Li Sha withdrew her hand, and the holy light extinguished. "No wonder your soul was most stirred and you seemed particularly attentive whenever Meng Jianxi mentioned news from the Star-Moon Divine Kingdom during this period."

Yun Che adjusted his breathing, then outstretched his hand. Immediately, the surrounding Abyssal Dust formed a gentle vortex, gathering towards his palm. The Mist Sea was immensely vast; even a Divine Official would find it nearly impossible to locate a specific aura or anomaly within its boundless expanse. In other words, as long as the Mist Emperor didn't actively reveal itself, even a True God descending upon the Mist Sea would be unlikely to find it. Despite this, Yun Che remained exceedingly cautious during this time.

"Based on the location of the Star-Moon Divine Kingdom, and considering the Star-Moon Divine Children's previous training excursions into the Mist Sea, this area is where they are most likely to set foot... My arduous search here for so many days has not been in vain!"

Li Sha asked, "But you've never encountered anyone from the Star-Moon Divine Kingdom since entering the Abyss, so how would you recognize their aura?"

"I haven't indeed met anyone from the Star-Moon Divine Kingdom, but... I recognize the aura of Sirius and Zique!" As he spoke, the Abyssal Dust vortex in his hand rapidly compressed, finally forming a narrow line.

"Since they are Divine Children, and twin Divine Children at that, they wouldn't come here to train alone. There must be someone secretly protecting them." Li Sha said with some concern, "If you act, the risk will be extremely high."

"You're overthinking it." Yun Che smiled faintly. Just then, a medium-sized Abyssal Beast slowly walked over and obediently stopped in front of him. Yun Che had specifically chosen this Abyssal Beast half a month ago, and it had remained quietly near him since... At this moment, Li Sha finally understood his intention. Yun Che gripped its sharp claw, prised open its beast arm, and directly injected the extremely compressed Abyssal Dust into it.

"This time, we'll be staying in the central region of the Mist Sea for at least six months. Sha Xing, are you afraid?"

"Afraid? Are you joking? If it weren't for the Star Venerable's order, I'd very much like to venture deeper."

"You might not fear the Mist Sea, but... what about the Mist Emperor? There are rumors that the Mist Emperor is omnipresent within the Mist Sea. Perhaps we are even within his sight and hearing right now."

"Even less so. The rumored Mist Emperor grants blessings everywhere, saving many who suffer from Abyssal Erosion. The two Abyssal Knights in the projection, despite their grave offense, were heavily punished but ultimately spared their lives. Thus, the Mist Emperor is at least outwardly a benevolent being. In that regard, his terror is less than that of an Abyssal Beast."

The two walked side by side, one with eyes as bright as stars, the other with eyes as clear as the moon. Their attire was similar, their figures alike, and even their footsteps were remarkably in sync. Upon closer inspection, one would notice that even the intensity of their profound energy, the circulation of their aura, and their breathing frequency were astonishingly identical. Were it not for their different appearances, they would have seemed like reflections of each other.

Sha Xing and Xuan Yue. The current generation's Twin Divine Successors of the Star-Moon Divine Kingdom.

Currently, the two Divine Venerables of the Star-Moon Divine Kingdom, Wu Shenxing and Wu Shenyue, were twin siblings. Their parents separately bore the power of the Star God and Moon God. They jointly awakened their divine identities, jointly aligned with the power of the Sirius Star God and the Zique Moon God, and jointly bore divine power, becoming the Star-Moon Divine Venerables, hailed as the Miracle Twins of that era. Sha Xing and Xuan Yue were not twins, and they had different parents, but they grew up together and were simultaneously chosen as Divine Successors. Through their years of interaction, their mutual compatibility and "balance" gradually approached perfection. By now, they were no less impressive than the Miracle Twins of old, even earning the profound admiration of the Star-Moon Divine Venerables themselves.

At this moment, both their steps slowed simultaneously. "Once we enter the central region, we cannot easily leave. Let's make our final preparations."

Just then, a dangerous aura suddenly appeared ahead, rapidly approaching the moment it was sensed. The two exchanged a glance: "It seems our rest will have to wait."

"Divine Annihilation Realm... Tier Two?" Sha Xing frowned slightly. "How can there be an Abyssal Beast of the Divine Annihilation Realm in this area?"

"Indeed rare," Xuan Yue said. "Just in time for a warm-up."

The abyssal mist parted, and an Abyssal Beast enveloped in gray mist lunged forward... In that very instant, azure starlight and profound purple moonlight simultaneously burst forth. A heavy sword and a purple sword, their might and profound mystique achieving perfect harmony in an instant, as the combined power of star and moon erupted. The heavy sword struck its body, shattering its profound defense, while the purple sword pierced its heart. In a single exchange, abyssal blood splattered from the Divine Annihilation Abyssal Beast, and its posture became unbalanced.

The Abyssal Beast let out an instinctive shriek. Lacking a sense of pain, even with its distorted body, it twisted and tore, its two sharp claws, wreathed in abyssal mist, stabbing directly at Sha Xing's heart. The heavy sword was fiercely unstoppable, but it was complemented by the myriad shifting Star God Shattered Phantoms.

*Rip!*

The Abyssal Beast's claw tore through empty air, for Xuan Yue had already anticipated all of Sha Xing's movements. As Sha Xing's sword tip indicated, a purple moon suddenly erupted at Sha Xing's previous location. The moonlight completely enveloped the Abyssal Beast, mercilessly destroying its body and its perception of auras. Sha Xing's figure flashed above, gathering power for half a breath. The moment the Abyssal Beast struggled to escape the purple moon's grasp, the raging silhouette of Sirius appeared behind him.

"Heavenly Star Lament!"

*Boom!*

The might of that single sword strike was truly like a heavenly star falling to earth. With a pained shriek, the Divine Annihilation Abyssal Beast's spine instantly snapped, and it was violently slammed to the ground, creating a massive crater in the incredibly tough Mist Sea earth.

Starlight and moonlight descended simultaneously, their destructive powers intertwining and merging, erupting into a dazzlingly brilliant realm of destructive light within the dim Mist Sea.

*Boom boom boom boom—*

After twelve bursts of power, Sha Xing and Xuan Yue's energy converged at the exact same moment, and their figures simultaneously returned to the sky above. They stood back to back, their heavy sword and purple sword vanishing from their hands in unison. Their perfectly synchronized actions and identical pace would surely leave any first-time observer dumbfounded. But in truth, this was their daily routine for a thousand years.

"Back then, when we first encountered a Divine Annihilation Abyssal Beast in the Mist Sea, we were in a sorry state, both grievously wounded. Now..." Sha Xing smiled faintly, "I feel that even against a Tier Four Divine Annihilation Realm Abyssal Beast, with our combined star and moon power, we could put up a fight."

"No, more than just a fight," Xuan Yue laughed, looking up. "Although neither of us has reached Tier Four of the Divine Annihilation Realm, within the entire Star-Moon Divine Kingdom, with our combined power, nothing below Tier Five of the Divine Annihilation Realm can defeat us... and that includes Abyssal Beasts!"

Sha Xing tilted his gaze downwards, looking at the Abyssal Beast they had jointly shattered. "Time to collect our spoils." As the Divine Annihilation Abyssal Beast's body broke apart, they sensed the aura of the abyssal crystal.

Sha Xing descended, reaching out to tear open the Abyssal Beast's body. But the moment his hand touched the beast's body, its severed upper half suddenly erupted, its sharp claw, glowing with eerie light, piercing directly into his heart. Abyssal Beasts possessed no consciousness, thus no cunning, and certainly could not feign death. One might maintain a degree of caution against a being whose life force was fading, but against an Abyssal Beast shattered and seemingly dead... no one would remain on guard. This sudden anomaly left Sha Xing aghast, and Xuan Yue turned back in alarm... But with one party attacking unexpectedly and the other completely unprepared, Sha Xing couldn't even activate his Star God Shattered Phantoms, let alone circulate his profound energy. The Abyssal Beast's claw struck directly at his heart, its sharp tip piercing straight through his chest and out his back. Sha Xing's pupils contracted to pinpricks, then instantly filled with ferocity.

The power of the Star God erupted from his chest, violently dislodging the Abyssal Beast's claw. Simultaneously, the Zique divine power descended abruptly, heavily blasting the already mutilated upper half of the Abyssal Beast far away, then destroying it into scattered fragments amidst successive bursts of purple light.

"Are you alright?" Xuan Yue asked, frowning, as he kicked the other half of the Abyssal Beast's corpse far away.

"I'm fine, just a minor injury." Sha Xing raised his hand, his profound energy quickly sealing the wound. His brows furrowed just like Xuan Yue's. "Strange. If the Abyssal Beast hadn't died, it would have attacked relentlessly under its destructive instinct. It was clearly shattered and motionless a moment ago, so how did it suddenly regain residual power?"

"I don't know," Xuan Yue said. "The Mist Sea is vast, and Abyssal Beasts are endless; all sorts of anomalies can occur. However, this isn't entirely bad. At least it's a reminder before we enter the central region: never drop our guard, even against an Abyssal Beast that no longer shows signs of life."

"Right." Sha Xing sat down cross-legged. "I'll do some healing. Guard me." Sha Xing closed his eyes, his profound energy slowly circulating, directly covering the injured area... Suddenly, he opened his eyes, his face contorted in pain, and he let out a gasp of shock.

"What's wrong?" Xuan Yue moved closer.

"Abyssal... Erosion!" Sha Xing slowly uttered the two words.

Xuan Yue immediately let out a sigh of relief... Abyssal Erosion from an early-stage Divine Annihilation Realm Abyssal Beast could be easily dispelled by them, as long as it wasn't allowed to corrode for an extended period. However, he quickly noticed Sha Xing's extremely distressed expression. He swiftly reached out, and as his profound energy made contact, his own expression drastically changed. The Abyssal Dust that had invaded Sha Xing's body was so potent that even his soul trembled when his profound energy touched it.

After a brief moment of shock, Xuan Yue no longer hesitated. He abruptly stood up and shouted, "Senior Tiangang, please show yourself quickly! Sha Xing has suffered Abyssal Dust erosion, and it's directly corroding his profound veins!"

"Senior Tiangang!"

He called out several times before a rough voice finally responded, "A mere Divine Annihilation Abyssal Beast has left you this panicked?" His words were full of disappointment.

"Tiangang... Star Monarch..." Sha Xing turned his gaze, his voice laced with pain. "The Abyssal Dust that invaded this time... it's very wrong..."

A middle-aged man, clad in a star robe, with a fierce countenance and gray sideburns like halberds, descended from the sky. He pointed a finger, placing it on Sha Xing's body. In mere moments, the disappointment on his face vanished, replaced by rapidly escalating dread. His finger abruptly changed, profound ultimate power swirling at its tip. Then, his pinky finger transformed into a sword, piercing directly into Sha Xing's heart. Sha Xing's face turned pale, and he spat out a large mouthful of scarlet blood... Yet, Star Monarch Tiangang's brows were tightly furrowed, and the profound ultimate power in his hand not only didn't retract but was instead meticulously continued to be urged forward. Only when Sha Xing's heart was gradually fracturing and his internal organs were damaged did Star Monarch Tiangang abruptly withdraw his hand. He then suddenly turned around, looking at the scattered Abyssal Beast corpse on the ground, uttering sounds of incredulous surprise:

"It was clearly just a Divine Annihilation Abyssal Beast... How could this be... How could this be?"

"Senior Tiangang, even you... have no solution?" Xuan Yue exclaimed in shock.

Star Monarch Tiangang's eyebrows twitched. After a long moment, he said in a deep voice, "Such Abyssal Erosion should absolutely not originate from an early-stage Divine Annihilation Realm Abyssal Beast. It's more akin to the level of Abyssal Dust that only an Abyssal Beast of the Divine Ultimate Realm could produce."

"What!?" Sha Xing and Xuan Yue exclaimed simultaneously.

"If this Abyssal Erosion were in my body, I could easily dispel it. But..." He turned his gaze to Sha Xing, his eyes flinching slightly. "The erosion is in Sha Xing's profound veins. If I were to forcibly dispel it, it would inevitably cause irreversible and permanent damage to his profound veins."

"I merely dispelled the erosion outside his profound veins just now. The part that infiltrated his profound veins... I can only temporarily seal it. As for how to dispel it without harming the profound veins... perhaps only the two Venerables can achieve it."

As he finished speaking, he had already grasped Sha Xing. "Stop this training excursion and return to the Divine Kingdom immediately."

"But... but..." Sha Xing bit down hard on his teeth.

"No buts!" Star Monarch Tiangang's brows were tightly furrowed, leaving no room for argument. "Do you not know the consequences of permanent damage to your profound veins!?"

Sha Xing said nothing further. He cast a look of apology at Xuan Yue and hurried away with Star Monarch Tiangang.

The Purity Land Assembly is coming soon. Have I missed anything before then?