Deep Sea Starship Apocalypse

A gloomy, oppressive sky hung low over the desolate ancient domain. A biting, piercing wind whipped up endless yellow sand, howling and whistling through the broken mountains and withered trees. The already deathly stillness and chilling atmosphere was now completely filled with a ferocious aura gathering from all directions. Layers upon layers of malevolent energy, like a thick, impenetrable fog, spread along the sandy gullies, gradually eroding the meager remaining energy around the two. The faint hisses of low-level evil spirits and the deep roars of high-level ferocious beasts intertwined and swirled, carried by the howling wind, penetrating Jiang Duyue's ears with crystal clarity.

Jiang Duyue abruptly stopped, the clear starlight surrounding him instantly tightening. A dense, thick silver-white luster flowed across the surface of his Zhouxiao Star Armor. His gentle brows suddenly hardened with a chilling intent. His gaze, which had been tender and loving, was now sharp as a cold blade, intently scanning the approaching dark mist. He had already sensed the change in the surrounding atmosphere; the surging evil energy fluctuations from all directions had solidified, forming layers of encirclement. A dense, overwhelming killing intent completely blocked his path.

Beside him, Yu Moyan remained mired in endless despair and hopelessness. His mind was scattered, his soul adrift. The pain of failing to break through the ancient barrier still lingered in his limbs. The power of the Emperor's inheritance lay dormant, his azure eyes were empty and lifeless, and his steps were unsteady and weak, like a shell without a soul, moving forward aimlessly. His stellar spiritual power was extremely weak, and he was almost completely oblivious to the increasingly intense and dangerous aura around him. Despite the myriad evil forces pressing in from all sides, he did not show the slightest vigilance or intention to dodge. His thin and lonely figure appeared particularly fragile amidst the overwhelming murderous aura.

"Mo Yan, danger is imminent! Be on high alert!"

Jiang Duyue's deep and urgent voice suddenly rang out, filled with anxiety and worry. The moment he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated. A continuous stream of rich and warm cosmic energy surged into Yu Moyan's meridians, trying to forcibly awaken the other's scattered mind and stabilize his restless and disordered spiritual foundation.

However, Yu Moyan, deeply mired in a mental breakdown, had already shattered his defenses. His heart was filled with the desolate helplessness of shattered hope, and neither the calls from the outside world nor the soothing power of spiritual energy could shake his dormant and depressed mind. In just a moment, the first batch of low-level evil spirits broke through the layers of yellow sand, roaring as they charged straight at the two, completely opening the prelude to this desperate battle.

The first thing that came into view was an overwhelming number of low-level beast-shaped evil spirits. Groups of young Sand Demons were thin and emaciated, their bodies covered in hard, dark yellow hides. Their limbs were short and sharp, and their mouths were filled with fine, sharp fangs that gleamed with a cold, menacing light. They surged forward in dense swarms, their limbs kicking up clouds of murky dust as they pounded the sand. They were swift and cunning, always waiting for an opportunity to pounce and ambush. Following closely behind were the Corpse Beasts, their bodies robust and clumsy. Thick, stiff armor covered their entire bodies, the mottled, blackened plates stained with dried, blackened blood and rotting flesh. Their heads were twisted and grotesque, their eyes swirling with a murky, ferocious light. Their powerful limbs pounded the cracked earth, each step causing the sand to tremble. Their brute force was immense; with a single charge, they could crush anything in their path. The countless Soul-Eating Flying Insects resembled dark, gloomy clouds. They were tiny, about the size of a fingertip, and their bodies were jet black with a faint green glow. Their wings vibrated, producing a piercing buzzing sound. Their mouthparts were slender and sharp, capable of spraying out a gray mist filled with putrid poison. Wherever they passed, vegetation withered and all life was extinguished.

Endless low-level evil spirits surged forth in layers, one after another, without the slightest fear or retreat, like a tide closing in from all directions, densely surrounding the two in the central open space of yellow sand. The cramped space for movement was constantly compressed, and a biting, fishy wind mixed with a pungent, putrid stench hit them, making their chests feel tight.

Jiang Duyue frowned deeply, instantly positioning herself half a step in front of Yu Moyan. The power of the Celestial Sphere erupted, layers of dazzling silver-white starlight blooming. Protected by her black armor, the air around her surged and churned. With a raised hand, she unleashed a powerful and heavy palm strike of stellar power. The vast stellar power, carrying the purest power to purify evil, clashed head-on with the swarms of young, sand-fiend demons charging towards them. A deafening roar erupted, and a violent shockwave swept through the surrounding yellow sand. Countless small, low-level demons were instantly shattered by the stellar power, their bodies disintegrating into a shower of foul-smelling debris that vanished in the fierce wind.

However, the number of low-level evil spirits was simply too enormous. As soon as one batch fell, a continuous stream of successors immediately filled the gaps, showing no sign of decreasing; on the contrary, they became even more dense and surging. Just as the low-level beast-shaped evil spirits were locked in fierce combat, the mid-to-high-level evil spirits mixed in with the beast tide were already slowly approaching. Their powerful and domineering evil pressure poured down from the sky, instantly enveloping the entire battlefield.

The Sky-Burning Winged Beast took to the air, its enormous wingspan exceeding several meters. The dark red, hard feathers were patterned with ferocious fury, and with each flap, it stirred up a violent, fiery wind. The scorching air currents burned the surrounding yellow sand, instantly turning the ground dry, cracked, and blackened. Its mouth opened wide, and a torrent of raging, crimson flames roared forth, crashing down upon the two. The Earth Vein Sand Demon, rooted deep within the yellow sand, its massive body blending seamlessly with the vast desert, its dark brown body covered in rough, stony patterns, casually waved its hands. The endless yellow sand around it suddenly coalesced, forming countless massive, sharp, and heavy sand blades, each several meters long, that appeared out of thin air. These blades, densely packed and crisscrossing, slashed down with overwhelming force, capable of tearing everything apart. The Illusionary Eye Demon Lion lurked deep within the black mist, its slender and eerie form shimmering with a pair of alluring, murky vertical pupils. An invisible and colorless soul-illuminating barrier quietly spread through the air, specifically targeting Yu Moyan, whose mind was already unstable, attempting to disrupt his remaining consciousness and render him completely vulnerable to being slaughtered.

Besides the various ferocious and bizarre beast-like evil spirits, a few strange, neither-human-nor-beast creatures also stood among the crowd. These were all forcibly pieced together from withered bones and rotting, foul-smelling flesh. These evil spirits were humanoid in shape, with crooked and twisted skeletons. The exposed, pale white bones were mottled and cracked, and chunks of swollen, rotten, bluish-black flesh clung to the crevices of the bones. The loose, sagging flesh dripped with a thick, turbid, and foul-smelling dark green liquid. The skulls were incomplete, some missing half of the skull top, exposing rotten and blackened brain tissue; others had all the skin and flesh of their faces peeled off, leaving only their white gums exposed. The bones of their limbs were abruptly elongated and twisted, and the tips of their hands and fingers had turned into sharp, razor-sharp bone claws. When they walked, the bones rubbed together, making a grating and unpleasant sound. They were surrounded by extremely dense corpse poison and death aura. Their movements were stiff, but their lethality was bizarre and cunning. They were good at close-quarters combat, and their skin, flesh and bones were exceptionally tough, making it difficult for ordinary attacks to completely injure them.

All sorts of evil monsters advanced layer by layer, with low-level ones laying the groundwork for encirclement, mid-to-high-level ones launching a fierce attack, and humanoid skeletal evil creatures roaming and ambushing. Thousands of ferocious forces intertwined and converged, transforming into a dense and dangerous net that tightly imprisoned Yu Moyan and Jiang Duyue within it, leaving no room for an easy breakout.

Jiang Duyue single-handedly supported most of the offensive, pushing his cosmic power to its limit. Silver-white starlight crisscrossed as he sometimes formed a shield to block the blazing sand blades, and at other times, he slashed down approaching high-level ferocious beasts with his palms. His movements were fluid and his combat power was unparalleled. However, the number of opponents was simply too terrifying. High-level evil spirits appeared one after another, and bizarre humanoid bone demons constantly lurked in the shadows to launch sneak attacks. He also had to constantly spare a thought to care for the distraught Yu Moyan beside him. Under such circumstances, his aura gradually began to fluctuate and become chaotic, and fine beads of cold sweat seeped from his forehead. The long and intense battle was constantly depleting the abundant cosmic power stored within his body.

Only now, Yu Moyan was forcibly pulled back to his senses by the intense fighting around him and the bone-chilling killing intent. His unfocused, empty emerald eyes narrowed slightly, and he was forced to activate his remaining imperial spiritual power. His elegant brocade robes fluttered wildly in the wind, and faint emerald starlight struggled to swirl around him. However, his mind was shattered, his Dao heart unstable, and his spiritual power flowed sluggishly. His moves were weak and powerless, completely lacking the domineering presence he once possessed, the one who wielded the imperial path and swept across all directions. Facing the onslaught of evil attacks, he was constantly restrained and passive, repeatedly falling into dangerous situations.

A massive, blazing winged beast seized an opening, bypassing Jiang Duyue's direct blockade, and suddenly swooped down, its scorching flames aimed directly at Yu Moyan's face. Simultaneously, a humanoid, bone-rotten evil creature silently attacked from the side, its bone claws coated with viscous poison, aiming straight for Yu Moyan's left arm.

Yu Moyan's mind was not yet fully stable, and his reaction was a fraction of a second slower. In his haste, he raised his hand to block, but his meager star energy was simply insufficient to withstand the combined attack of the high-level ferocious beast and the eerie bone fiend. The scorching flames burned the fabric of his shoulder, instantly charring and tearing his brocade robe. A piercing pain spread throughout his body, while the sharp bone claw, covered in rotting flesh and stark white bones, pierced his entire left arm without any resistance.

A muffled, suppressed groan escaped Yu Moyan's throat, his face turning deathly pale, devoid of any color. The sharp, hard bone claws, with their savage and domineering force, instantly tore through the surface flesh and embedded themselves deep within the muscle. Incomparably powerful evil energy surged wildly into his meridians through the wound, violently ramming and tearing at his flesh and bones.

Visibly, the skin and flesh of the entire left arm instantly rolled back and split open, the delicate surface of the skin cracking inch by inch. Bright red, warm blood gushed out from the cracks in the flesh. Layers of muscle tissue were forcibly torn apart by brute force, muscle fibers twisted and broken, and crisscrossing tendons completely shattered and displaced. The deep, hard, and dense arm bones could not withstand the combined attack of the two powerful forces. First, there was a series of sharp, piercing cracking sounds, followed by a deafening, resounding crack. The thick, hard humerus, ulna, and radius bones all broke in the middle, the sharp, protruding bone fragments piercing through layers of flesh and protruding slightly outwards. The pale bones were stained with scalding blood and dark, malevolent energy.

The dense network of blood vessels inside his arm was torn and severed by brute force. Hot, scarlet blood gushed from the broken ends of the blood vessels, both thick and thin. The blood gushing from the major arteries was powerful, splashing up patches of scarlet blood in the air. The warm blood flowed continuously down his arm, soaking most of his clothes and dripping into the yellow sand at his feet, instantly staining large areas with a dark and glaring crimson color.

A wave of excruciating pain swept through Yu Moyan's entire body, tearing at every limb and bone. His vision blurred, he felt dizzy, and his body trembled uncontrollably. His frail frame swayed precariously, nearly collapsing to the ground. In the agonizing pain that brought him to the brink of unconsciousness, his last remaining survival instinct suddenly surged forth. The last vestiges of his azure star energy surged uncontrollably, rapidly flowing through the meridians of his severed arm, precisely targeting every broken and damaged blood vessel.

The clear, warm, and purifying star energy enveloped the severed and torn blood vessels layer by layer, like a fine and resilient barrier, firmly sealing the wound from which blood continued to gush out, forcibly suppressing the outflow of blood, and preventing the evil poison from rampaging into the depths of the internal organs along the severed limb's meridians. The torn muscles were still twisted and turned outwards, and the broken bone fragments were exposed in a grotesque manner. The entire left arm was completely severed from below the shoulder, the wound of the missing arm was a bloody mess, the muscle texture was tattered and broken, and star energy swirled and flickered at the break, barely stabilizing the injury and temporarily saving the life, but the permanent limb loss was already an irreversible fact.

"Mo Yan!!"

Jiang Duyue caught a glimpse of this breathtaking scene out of the corner of his eye. His heart suddenly clenched violently, and a surge of overwhelming rage and extreme panic welled up in his heart. His eyes were bloodshot, and his star power suddenly increased several times over. He disregarded the ferocious beasts that were blocking his way and transformed into a streak of silver light, rushing to Yu Moyan's side in an instant.

He immediately raised his hand to protect the swaying and severely injured Yu Moyan behind him. His eyes were cold and bloodthirsty, and his whole body was filled with murderous aura. Looking at the ferocious Burning Sky Winged Beast and the humanoid Bone Demon in front of him, he no longer held back and unleashed his full power to launch a crazy counterattack.

Several powerful mid-to-high-level evil spirits sensed the surge of power Jiang Duyue had gained in his rage and immediately surrounded him to block him. Several powerful evil forces simultaneously bombarded him, while several humanoid, skeletal evil creatures launched a cunning surprise attack from the side, their bone claws and blades all aimed at Jiang Duyue's vital points.

Jiang Duyue was focused on protecting Yu Moyan, who was seriously injured and had a broken arm behind her. She dared not move or dodge much, and could only raise her hand to block the attack coming from the front. Her hard and condensed star power arm faced several sharp and cold bone claws.

A piercing sound of bones colliding suddenly rang out as rotten, hard bone claws viciously gripped and bit Jiang Duyue's right hand fingers. The powerful and eerie power of the corpse demon penetrated in, and the sharp bone tips pierced through the flesh, viciously gnawing and tearing at the finger bones.

Jiang Duyue felt a piercing pain in her fingertips. Her brows furrowed tightly, her teeth clenched, and she forced herself to endure the pain, using her star power to repel the attacking bone demon. Looking down, she saw that her right hand had been severely injured. The skin and flesh of her index and middle fingers were torn, the bones were broken and twisted, and the wounds were bloody and mangled, with white bone fragments exposed. Under the intense impact of the fight, the two broken fingers had been completely torn off.

Warm blood also gushed from the severed fingertips. Xingyuan subconsciously circulated to seal the blood vessels and stop the bleeding. Two fingers were permanently missing, and his right hand was incomplete. A continuous dull pain lingered around his fingertips, tormenting his nerves.

One had lost an arm, and the other a finger; both were severely injured, their combat power greatly reduced. The surrounding thousands of evil spirits continued their relentless and frenzied attacks, the attacks of the high-level ferocious beasts became increasingly fierce and ruthless, and the humanoid bone evil spirits kept roaming around, launching continuous sneak attacks. The encirclement from all sides was constantly shrinking. If they continued to defend and fight to the death, they would only completely exhaust their spiritual power and eventually perish in the mouths of the myriad evil spirits.

Jiang Duyue clearly recognized the desperate situation before her. Her heart sank heavily. She looked down at Yu Moyan behind her, whose breath was weak, face was pale, and who had lost his left arm. Her eyes were filled with heartache and determination. There was no room for continuing the fight. The only way to survive was to immediately abandon the fight, fight desperately to break through the encirclement, and find a secluded place to temporarily hide and recuperate.

"Mo Yan, hold on! I'll lead you to escape!"

Jiang Duyue lowered her voice, her tone unwavering and resolute. Her left arm carefully encircled Yu Moyan's slender waist, steadily supporting his weak body and preventing the amputee from experiencing any jolt or strain. With her missing right hand, she channeled the remaining stellar energy, condensing it into an extremely powerful stellar energy strike. Aiming at a relatively weak point in the encirclement, she unleashed a full-force attack.

Boom—

The enormous explosion reverberated through the desolate wilderness. The violent stellar energy blasted open a brief gap. Jiang Duyue dared not delay for a moment. Holding the seriously injured Yu Moyan, she moved swiftly, taking advantage of the opening, and fled without looking back towards the distant ruins and abandoned old houses.

As the two tried to escape, the thousands of evil spirits behind them immediately let out fierce and violent roars. All the evil spirits took off and followed closely behind. The overwhelming number of figures were dense and relentless in pursuit. The deep roars of beasts, the strange sounds of bones grinding, and the shrieks of evil spirits followed closely all the way, never giving up the chase.

Jiang Duyue exhausted most of her remaining star power, rushing forward at breakneck speed without daring to stop for even a moment. The killing intent of the pursuers was always close behind, and she was nearly overtaken by high-level ferocious beasts several times, each time narrowly escaping thanks to her tenacious will and remaining combat strength. She fled through dilapidated forests, traversed muddy puddles littered with withered bones, and crossed broken and collapsed ancient stone walls, finally bringing the barely breathing Yu Moyan into this dilapidated village that had been abandoned for countless years.

The houses within the village were all dilapidated, with crumbling walls, broken roofs that let in drafts, and ruins everywhere. Overgrown with weeds, they bore the marks of time and decay. Their secluded location was perfect for blocking the wide-ranging surveillance of evil spirits from the outside world. Jiang Duyue quickly scanned her surroundings, selecting an old adobe house with relatively intact walls and a well-sealed, secluded space. She pushed open the door and used a broken wooden panel lying nearby to firmly block it, shutting out the continuous sounds of pursuit from the outside.

The low, howling sounds of the evil spirits could still be clearly heard from the outside. The evil spirits kept searching around the village, and the heavy evil aura lingered for a long time. Fortunately, the houses were hidden and secluded, and no evil spirits broke into them for the time being, which narrowly kept them from the deadly pursuit.

Upon entering the dilapidated house, the surroundings instantly descended into darkness and silence. A thick layer of dust covered the interior, with withered weeds, broken wood chips, and discarded debris piled haphazardly on the floor, the air thick with the musty smell of decay. Jiang Duyue carefully placed the weak and powerless Yu Moyan in her arms onto the cold, flat ground, her movements extremely gentle, as if afraid to touch or aggravate his broken left arm and worsen his injuries and pain.

After settling Yu Moyan in, Jiang Duyue finally had time to examine his own mutilated right hand. The wounds on his two missing fingers had been sealed with star energy to stop the bleeding, but the skin and flesh were severely damaged, and the bones were broken, causing waves of persistent pain. He endured the discomfort of his own injuries, his gaze fixed on Yu Moyan beside him, his heart filled with worry and anxiety.

Yu Moyan lay quietly on his side on the ground, his face deathly pale, devoid of any color. His lips were cracked and a pale, ashen gray, and his long eyelashes drooped limply. His once exquisite and handsome face was now devoid of any life, showing extreme weakness. His entire left arm was completely severed below the shoulder, and a faint emerald starlight lingered around the mangled, blood vessels tightly sealed to prevent further bleeding. The torn and exposed muscle tissue was gruesome, and the broken, protruding bone fragments were clearly visible. His thin, slender body, lacking the support of one arm, appeared even more lonely and frail. Most of his clothes were soaked in dried blood, making him look wretched and pathetic, a sight that evoked a pang of sorrow and heartache in the viewer.

The constant running and the intense pain from the severed arm were draining Yu Moyan's energy. He was already exhausted and his consciousness was hazy. He had fallen into a light and weak coma, his breathing was shallow and slow, his chest rose and fell gently. Each weak breath would pull at the wound on his severed arm, causing his body to tremble slightly involuntarily. His eyes and brows were always filled with unbearable pain and loneliness.

The room was dimly lit and cold, with a bone-chilling cold permeating the air. Prolonged exposure to the low temperatures, coupled with their severe injuries, had made them increasingly vulnerable to the chill and weakened state of their bodies, making them highly susceptible to further injury from the cold. Jiang Duyue glanced around, her gaze landing on the pile of dry, rotten wooden sticks, broken beams, and bits of firewood in the corner. A plan immediately formed in her mind.

He stood up, his body aching and exhausted. Enduring the pain from his missing right hand, he bent down and painstakingly gathered the scattered dry wood and debris. He collected the dead branches of varying thicknesses, broken planks, and dried thatch, piling them all in the open space in the center of the house. Then, he took out a small amount of kindling he had kept with him, activated the faint star energy with his fingertips to ignite the fire, and gently brought it close to the pile of dry wood.

A faint flame slowly rose, and the scattered light gradually spread. The dry firewood ignited quickly, and a warm and bright campfire steadily rose and danced in the center of the house.

Crackling... crackling...

The burning firewood emitted a crisp, continuous sound, and the flickering orange-red flames dispelled the lingering chill and coldness inside the house. The warm firelight slowly spread, illuminating the entire dilapidated and dim old house. The leaping firelight, shining on the mottled old walls, briefly isolated the endless coldness and the menacing atmosphere of the outside world.

The warmth of the campfire slowly spread, gradually enveloping the two severely injured figures inside the house. The cool, bright moonlight flowed quietly down through the cracks in the broken roof, its soft, hazy glow gently spreading across the ground and landing precisely on Yu Moyan, who lay unconscious on his side.

The gentle moonlight outlined his thin, frail, and lonely figure, missing an arm. His body, devoid of his left arm, appeared even more frail and helpless under the interplay of moonlight and firelight. The gruesome wound at the amputation was particularly glaring in the light and shadow. His pale and weak profile was stained with dust and blood. Even in his unconscious state, his brows were furrowed, concealing an indelible pain and sorrow.

Jiang Duyue leaned against the cold, dilapidated wall, utterly exhausted. Two fingers on his right hand were missing, and his spiritual energy was severely depleted. Days of fighting and running had completely drained his strength. He gazed tenderly and affectionately at Yu Moyan, who was fast asleep beside him. The tension that had gripped him for days eased slightly, and a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He slowly closed his eyes and fell into a deep sleep against the wall.

The bright moonlight poured down silently, the crackling campfire burning brightly, filling the dilapidated old house with warmth and sheltering it from the endless dangers lurking outside. One man, weakened and unconscious with a missing arm, the other, weary from rest, rested peacefully. These two figures, who had endured life-or-death ordeals, found a hard-won moment of peace and tranquility in the vast, desolate landscape, aided by the light of the campfire and the moonlight. Outside, however, evil still lurked, and countless unknown storms lay hidden. The road ahead was long, and the trials would not cease.

Jiang Duyue understood that the world had been collapsing ever since that meteorite and that rainstorm.