Deep Sea Starship Apocalypse

Morning mist, mingled with raindrops, seeped into the room through the broken window frames, spreading a damp, cold, pale gray across the floor. The already dim light, suppressed by leaden clouds, and after passing through layers of crumbling walls, only a faint, almost bleak glimmer reached this abandoned hut, barely enough to make out the dusty outlines of the interior. The air still reeked of a lingering, putrid stench, barely dissipated even after a night's rest, though diluted somewhat by the morning rain. It was more like an invisible haze, clinging to the nose, sinking into the heart, impossible to shake off.

Yu Moyan was awakened by a slight noise.

In this ruined city, now a living hell, the slightest breeze could instantly tighten one's nerves. Almost the instant his consciousness returned, his fingertips had already subtly clenched, the stellar energy dormant within his meridians flowing silently through his flesh, a layer of almost instinctive pale silver starlight faintly appearing on his skin, his vigilance instantly heightened. Only when he slowly turned his head and saw the scene around him did his extremely tense shoulder lines gradually relax.

Jiang Duyue was still fast asleep beside him.

The boy huddled in the corner, his brow still slightly furrowed, as if he hadn't yet escaped the nightmare of last night's brutal battle. Yet, the deep despair and pallor on his face had faded somewhat. His nose twitched slightly, his breathing even and steady, his chest rising and falling gently with each breath. In this deathly silent, suffocating ruined city, this steady breathing was the only sound that suggested life. Clearly, the low-level healing potion given to him by the system last night was extremely effective, not only repairing his corroded hands but also completely relieving the fatigue of his tense mind, allowing him to truly sleep for a moment.

The rain outside the window was slightly lighter than last night, but it still drizzled on and on. Fine raindrops tapped against the peeling, mottled walls, the broken, crooked steel bars, and the ground saturated with crimson sewage, producing a continuous, muffled sound. Monotonous and somber, it sounded like the low tolling of a death knell, or like heaven and earth silently weeping for this dead city. The sound of the rain mingled with the steady breathing of the two people inside, echoing in the empty, deathly silent building, only amplifying the desolate and bleak atmosphere, making it hard to breathe.

Yu Moyan slowly sat up, his back against the cold, rough wall. A bone-chilling cold spread through his skin, giving him a slight jolt. He lightly brushed his fingertips across the ground beside him, where a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of pale silver starlight remained after the star core had dissipated the previous night. The moment his fingertips touched it, a gentle aura of star power rippled out, only to be instantly swallowed by the surrounding murky atmosphere.

The scenes of last night's battle flashed rapidly through his mind like a shattered nightmare.

The grotesque, monstrous creature, pieced together from rotting flesh and bones, stood over eight meters tall, its massive body a dark, bluish-black, decaying flesh, its ghastly white bone spurs protruding, its body writhing with white maggots, and the eerie sounds mixed with wailing and howling… each scene was crystal clear, each filled with blood, stench, and twisted horror. The monster's spurting dark green, corrosive fluid, the excruciating pain, the broken ribs, the festering muscles, Jiang Duyue's mangled hand, and finally, the pale silver star core ripped out from the filth…

Everything is still vivid in my mind, as if it just happened.

Yu Moyan raised her hand and gently placed it on her chest.

His skin was as smooth as ever, delicate and firm, without a single scratch. The ribs that had been broken by the monster's punch last night, and the muscle tissue that had been corroded and rotted by the corrosive fluid, had long since healed completely under the effects of the healing medicine, leaving not even a faint scar. The star power of the second level of the Spirit Realm flowed slowly within his body, circulating throughout his body, more condensed and stable than when he had just broken through. Each flow carried a warm yet sharp aura, completely cleansing away the trace of putrid poison remaining in his body.

An improvement in strength should be a cause for celebration.

But Yu Moyan's heart felt not at all lightened; on the contrary, it grew heavier.

He slowly raised his eyes and looked out the window.

The rain blurred the distant scenery into a hazy gray-black. The crumbling walls and ruins stood silently in the morning rain, like tombstones, a testament to this once-prosperous city now a living hell. Crimson pools of water meandered across the ground, shrouded in the morning mist, gleaming with a cold, eerie light, like blood seeping from the earth. A faint, putrid stench, like a leech, seeped into the air, penetrating the nostrils and lungs, sending an unbearable chill down one's spine.

The system's words from last night echoed in his mind once again.

Half a celestial skeleton, a vast abyss.

The power of domain.

The night rain continued incessantly.

The sea level is rising continuously.

In just a few days, the global population of billions has plummeted to only 18 million.

Every piece of information felt like a heavy boulder pressing down on his heart, making it almost impossible for him to breathe. This planet had reached the brink of collapse. Cang Yuanmi was like a sharp blade hanging over the heads of all the survivors, ready to fall at any moment and sever the last vestige of life. And those mutated monsters scattered throughout the cities were merely the most insignificant pawns in this apocalyptic catastrophe.

Their current strength is still as insignificant as ants in the face of this monstrous catastrophe.

Just as Yu Moyan was deep in thought, Jiang Duyue beside him suddenly moved.

The boy's long eyelashes fluttered gently, like butterflies about to take flight, before he slowly opened his eyes. A trace of lingering sleepiness remained in his eyes, hazy and drowsy, but in an instant, that sleepiness vanished, replaced by clarity, sharpness, and a resolute determination and fighting spirit born from composure. Having experienced the life-or-death struggle of the previous night, much of the boy's childishness had faded, replaced by a maturity and ruthlessness beyond his years.

Jiang Duyue leaned against the cold wall, slowly sat up, and moved her wrists.

With a slight clench of his fingers, a flash of pale silver starlight appeared and disappeared. The aura of a third-level Spirit Illumination Realm cultivator spread out steadily and vigorously, still carrying a hint of immaturity, yet already possessing immense power. He let out a long sigh, a look of relief appearing on his face, and looked at Yu Moyan, his voice slightly hoarse from just waking up, yet exceptionally clear:

"Brother Yu, you're awake?"

"I feel full of energy, like I have inexhaustible strength."

Yu Moyan nodded slightly, turning his gaze from the window to the young man beside him, a gentle light flashing in his eyes. In this devastated, hopeless city, the light in Jiang Duyue's eyes was like a star in the darkness—faint, yet warm enough to keep one going.

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed open the dilapidated wooden window.

The window frame was rotten and fragile; a gentle push produced a piercing creak, and debris fell in a flurry. A chilling drizzle from outside swept in, striking his cheeks with an icy touch that instantly cleared his mind. Yu Moyan looked down at the bluestone floor beneath his feet.

The water stains left from last night had been slightly dried by the morning mist and cool breeze, revealing the rough and mottled stone surface underneath. And between the cracks in the bluestone, a few strands of tender green moss stubbornly emerged from the muddy and decaying soil, showing a faint but incredibly tenacious vitality amidst the gray and dilapidated landscape.

Even if the world collapses and the city decays, life is not completely extinguished.

Yu Moyan withdrew his gaze, his expression calm, his tone even yet carrying an undeniable firmness:

"Let's tidy up first, then we'll go take a look around the perimeter of the neighborhood."

"Last night, that Spirit Realm monster blocked our only way out of the city. Its lair is most likely nearby. If we go and investigate, we can not only learn about the habits of these mutated monsters, but we might also find more star cores or other resources that can be used for cultivation."

In this apocalyptic world, strength is everything.

To survive, to protect those around him, to fight against Cang Yuanmi, and to avenge his tragically killed family, the only way is to constantly grow stronger, to fight relentlessly, and to carve out a path to survival from despair.

A resolute glint flashed in Jiang Duyue's eyes, without the slightest hesitation.

He quickly stood up, brushing off the dust and cobwebs that clung to his clothes. The humiliation, fear, and excruciating pain of the previous night had been completely washed away by a fierce battle and a breakthrough in his cultivation level, replaced by a burning fighting spirit and unwavering courage. He clenched his fist, and starlight surged within him. The jet-black Starry Sky Battle Blade, adorned with specks of silver starlight, slowly materialized, its blade radiating a mysterious and majestic aura, gleaming brightly in the dim room.

"Okay! I'll go with you!"

"Even if there are even stronger monsters, we can handle them!"

Yu Moyan glanced at him, a faint smile playing on her lips.

In this suffocating ruined city, the light in the boy's eyes shone brighter than any starlight and warmer than any stellar power. He said no more, and stellar power surged in his palm, slowly forming a silver Tang sword. The blade was long and smooth, engraved with intricate and profound star patterns, its sharp edge radiating a chilling aura.

"Walk."

"But remember, do not rush in rashly; follow my instructions completely."

Jiang Duyue nodded emphatically.

Without further hesitation, the two walked out of the abandoned hut side by side and stepped into the continuous morning rain.

The crimson puddles were shattered by footsteps, splashing up tiny, murky droplets. Raindrops pattered on shoulders, on the blade, and on the flowing starlight, shimmering with a faint silver light. Two figures moved through the ruins, their steps firm, their eyes sharp, each step treading on mud and decaying earth, each step moving towards unknown danger and a glimmer of hope.

They were unaware.

Behind them, in the darkness shrouded by the rain, a pair of murky, dull eyes, yet gleaming with an eerie crimson light, stared intently at their retreating figures. A hunched and twisted figure slowly disappeared behind the broken wall, a low, hoarse roar emanating from its throat, like the hiss of a venomous snake, silently pursuing them.

The two walked silently among the dilapidated buildings, accompanied only by the sound of rain and their footsteps.

The surrounding landscape became increasingly dilapidated.

The once orderly streets are now unrecognizable, the pavement cracked and collapsed, revealing jagged rubble and steel bars beneath. Collapsed high-rises have crushed low-rise houses, broken concrete blocks piled up like mountains, and exposed steel bars, like withered bones, pierce the sky, their surfaces gleaming a cold, hard, dark red rust from the rain. The wind howls through the cracks in the ruins, a mournful wail, like the whispered cries of countless wronged souls, sending chills down one's spine.

The stench of decay in the air fluctuated, and an occasional gust of wind would bring a nauseating stench—the scent of rotting corpses and mutated monsters in the distance. On the ground, dried, dark red bloodstains, tattered pieces of clothing, and even scattered, whitish bones, soaked by the rain, stood out starkly against the backdrop of devastation.

The entire journey was utterly silent.

There were no birdsong, no insect chirps, no human voices, not even the roars of the mutated monsters. The whole world seemed to have been muted, leaving only the monotonous sounds of rain, wind, and their own footsteps. This extreme silence was far more terrifying than being surrounded by monsters; it was so oppressive that it made their hearts pound, as if some terrifying creature might pounce out of the darkness at any moment.

Jiang Duyue's brows furrowed more and more, and her doubts grew stronger.

They had been walking for over an hour. Normally, this area, so close to the core region, should be teeming with mutated monsters and fraught with danger. But at this moment, they hadn't seen a single powerful monster, not even a low-level mutated zombie. It was too clean, too quiet, giving off an eerie and chilling atmosphere.

He couldn't help but speak, breaking the deathly silence:

"Brother Yu, we've been walking for over an hour, haven't we?"

"Why is this place so clean? There isn't a single monster here. That's so strange."

Yu Moyan was also on guard.

Something too unusual must be suspicious.

The area was eerily silent, as if all the monsters had been intimidated by some force or summoned by some being, and had all vanished. He didn't answer rashly, but silently inquired of the system within his mind:

"System, are there any monsters nearby?"

The cold, mechanical, and emotionless system voice that was usually heard did not sound this time as expected.

Instead, a clear, playful, and slightly mischievous loli voice gently echoed in his mind:

"Host, please beg me! If you beg me, I might tell you!"

Yu Mo said: "..."

He frowned slightly, a hint of dissatisfaction flashing through his mind.

Since signing in a few times, this system seems to have gradually developed its own intelligence, just as he vaguely sensed. It is no longer the cold machine that only knew how to execute instructions. It has even learned to tease and joke with its host.

But at this moment, safety is at stake, and there is no room for complacency.

Star cores are the fastest way to increase strength. If they want to survive in this ruined city, pay off their debts to the system as soon as possible, and fight against stronger monsters, they must actively hunt and take risks.

Yu Moyan suppressed a hint of displeasure in his heart and patiently spoke to the system in his mind:

"Please, please, please."

The system seemed quite pleased with his compliance; a clear laugh echoed in his mind, tinged with arrogance and smugness.

"Hmph, that's more like it."

"Host, a Bone-Eroding Corpse-Corroding Dragon is lurking nearby, at the fourth level of the Spirit Illumination Realm."

"Physical characteristics: Large areas of skin and flesh are ulcerated and peeling off, the spine and ribs are completely pale and exposed, the dragon horns are hollow and black, the whole body is crawling with white bone maggots, and when the maggots crawl, the rotten flesh falls off in a rustling sound, and the stench of the corpse is overwhelming."

"Skills: Maggot Swarm Outbreak - An endless stream of bone maggots can surge from the body surface, forming a tidal wave to kill the target; Corpse Regeneration - Relying on maggots and rotting flesh to slowly repair its own injuries, making it extremely difficult to kill completely."

"Weakness: Extremely vulnerable to purifying star power. If all the maggots can be wiped out in one go with pure star power, their regenerative ability will be completely rendered useless."

"Based on your current skill levels, and assuming excellent teamwork and proper tactics, your chances of winning are 54%."

54%.

It's barely halfway done.

It means a near-death experience; the slightest mistake could lead to death in the dragon's belly, becoming food for the rotting flesh and maggots.

Fortune and wealth can be found even in perilous situations.

In this apocalyptic world, there is no absolutely safe path to becoming stronger and surviving. Stagnation will only lead to being devoured by increasingly powerful monsters, ultimately resulting in a gruesome death. Only by facing challenges head-on and honing oneself in life-or-death battles can one gradually overcome adversity and reach the pinnacle.

Yu Moyan made a decision in an instant.

He turned to look at Jiang Duyue beside him, his expression solemn and his tone earnest:

"Togetsukyo, there really is a monster here."

"The fourth-level Spirit Realm dragon is called the Bone-Eroding Corpse-Corroding Dragon, which is even stronger than the monster we killed last night."

"If the two of us work together properly, there's more than a 50% chance we can take it down."

Jiang Duyue did not hesitate at all.

Like Yu Moyan, he knew perfectly well that in this hellish ruined city, hunting high-level monsters and seizing star cores for cultivation was the fastest, and only, shortcut to increasing strength. Fear and retreat would only hasten death.

He didn't say a word more, but simply gripped the Starry Sky Battle Blade in his hand, his eyes sharp and his fighting spirit boiling, giving the most resolute answer with his actions.

Looking at the boy's completely trusting expression, Yu Moyan felt a warmth in his heart and a touch of emotion swept over him.

In this time of fear and uncertainty, this unwavering trust is all the more precious.

He said no more, and asked the system in his mind again:

"System, where exactly is that dragon located?"

The system's voice became arrogant again, with a hint of smugness:

"Host, it's lurking in a rotten hole connected to the city's main sewage pipe and the collapsed basement. It's a perfect rotting nest!"

Having obtained the exact location, Yu Moyan no longer hesitated.

He determined his direction and sped off towards the city's underground pipe network. Jiang Duyue followed closely behind without a word. The two moved with incredible speed, like two streaks of light, darting through the ruins. Raindrops pelted their bodies, but their star power automatically circulated, keeping the raindrops away completely.

An hour later.

The two stopped in front of a manhole cover covered in mud and filth.

The manhole cover was rusty and covered with thick silt and decaying leaves, emitting a faint stench that blended with the surrounding putrid smell. If it weren't for the system pointing it out, no one would have noticed that a terrifying fourth-tier dragon-like monster was lurking in this inconspicuous corner.

Yu Moyan stood in front of the manhole cover and remained silent for a moment.

Below is what the system calls a rotten cave, a hellish lair filled with a stench and maggots.

Going down there would mean a life-or-death struggle.

But he had no way out.

After a brief hesitation, Yu Moyan's eyes sharpened, and he no longer hesitated. Star power surged in his palm, and a pale silver light burst forth as he unleashed a powerful punch!

"Bang!"

A loud bang.

The rusty manhole cover was instantly shattered by the stellar force, sending metal fragments flying into the dark opening below. An indescribable, intensely foul stench erupted from the opening, shooting straight into the sky!

Yu Moyan turned to look at Jiang Duyue, his expression solemn, and gave her instructions, word by word:

"Be extremely careful after you go down."

"The environment here is even more terrifying than we imagined."

Jiang Duyue nodded emphatically, without the slightest fear, and leaped into the dark cave entrance first.

Yu Moyan followed closely behind, and with a flash, disappeared into the darkness at the cave entrance.

The crack in the broken manhole cover lay silently open in the morning rain, like a gaping maw of the earth, devouring all life. A foul stench poured out, mingling with the rainwater and spreading in all directions.

Below, there was no light at all.

An absolute darkness, like thick ink, completely swallowed everything.

The moment the two landed, they felt a soft, sticky, and tooth-grinding sensation beneath their feet. It wasn't hard ground or muddy soil, but a strange, semi-liquid, semi-solid substance. Stepping on it caused them to sink slightly, followed by a chilling "gurgling" sound, as if they had crushed some rotting organ.

A stench that could rot one's soul and corrode one's consciousness trembled instantly rushed towards one's face and head straight for the top of one's head!

It was a stench that defied description.

The stench of long-rotted flesh and blood, the sour stench of fermented feces, the stale stench of moldy corpse water, the fishy and pungent stench of rotting toxins from dragons, and the slimy smell secreted by countless wriggling maggots... all these smells intertwined together, thick as solidified black mud, heavy, sticky, and pungent. One breath and your throat would instantly spasm, your stomach would churn violently, and a strong urge to vomit would rush straight to your throat.

Even the stellar energy circulating in the meridians was slightly sluggish due to the stench, and its circulation speed slowed down a bit.

This is an underground cesspool, concealed by a half-collapsed sewer and a rusted iron gate. A dark crack connects it to the outside world, while the rest is buried deep underground, never seeing the light of day, making it the perfect lair for mutated monsters.

Yu Moyan and Jiang Duyue activated their star power almost simultaneously, and a pale silver light overflowed from their bodies, forming a faint halo around them, barely illuminating a radius of several meters.

But the sight within just a few meters was enough to terrify anyone and send shivers down their spine.

There was no ground beneath our feet.

What one sees is only semi-liquefied mud and rotten flesh.

A viscous paste, a mixture of dark brown, dark green, and dark red, was incredibly soft, sticky, and disgusting. Stepping into it would cause one to sink deep in, squeezing out streams of murky pus that slowly climbed up the shoe's upper, clinging to the skin in endless, stringy strands that were impossible to shake off. Mixed within the paste were countless fragments of broken human bones—finger bones, leg bones, skull fragments—as well as the withered bones of mutated monsters, blackened, flaking scales, bloated, whitish pieces of clothing, rotting hair, and broken fingernails…

Each step felt like stepping on a pile of viscera formed from the melting of countless corpses. With each step, one could feel the subtle sensation of bones shattering beneath, and each step was accompanied by the eerie sound of pus being squeezed out, sending chills down one's spine and making the hairs on one's body stand on end.

The surrounding walls were even more appalling.

Thick, dark green moss and inky black mold covered the concrete wall like festering skin. The wall was slippery and sticky, cold and viscous to the touch. A light touch would bring down a large clump of mushy grime mixed with insect eggs, putrid fluid, and tiny maggots—utterly disgusting.

From the cracks in the wall, a murky, yellowish-white liquid seeped out—a toxic mixture of long-accumulated sewage and putrid fluid. It meandered along the wall, converging on the ground into small, steaming streams of putrid water. Countless tiny bubbles floated on the surface of these streams, constantly rising and bursting. Each burst released an even more pungent and concentrated miasma, causing dizziness and disorientation.

The entire cave was shrouded in a thick, gray mist, a poisonous fog formed from the mixture of putrid and miasma. Visibility was severely obstructed; even with starlight, one could only see what was nearby. Further away, all that remained was a blurry darkness, concealing endless terror and deadly intent.

Looking into the depths of the cave.

The scene was nothing short of hell on earth.

Dozens, even dozens, of partially gnawed remains were haphazardly piled together, forming a low mountain of corpses. There were human skeletons, and also the withered bones of various mutated monsters; the flesh had long since been devoured, leaving only pale or blackened skeletons corroded by putrefactive poison. The crevices between the bones were filled with dried, blackened blood clots, rotting flesh scraps, and dried scabs. Many bones had been blackened and brittle by the dragon's venom; a light touch would cause them to crumble into bone dust.

In the very center of the mountain of corpses was a pool of putrid blood, more than ten feet in diameter.

The pool water was murky, a mixture of dark red, dark green, and blackish brown, with a layer of oily, disgusting pus floating on the surface, like congealed corpse oil, emitting a suffocating stench. In the pool water, countless white, translucent, plump maggots writhe, burrow, roll, and multiply wildly in the pus.

Densely packed.

Layer upon layer.

countless.

From afar, it resembled a white wave composed of living creatures, churning and surging within the pool of blood, emitting a continuous, scalp-chilling "rustling" sound. The sound was faint, dense, and persistent, like countless insects gnawing at the ears and burrowing into the mind, causing mental tension and pushing one to the brink of collapse.

Flies swarmed in the air.

Giant, black, venomous flies, each the size of a fingernail, buzzed frantically around the rotting corpses, putrefaction, and pools of blood, landing on themselves and spreading a stench of decay throughout the cave with each flap of their wings. If disturbed, they would explode into a cloud of black mist with a deafening roar, a dark, oppressive mass that would slap against your face and body, sticky, itchy, and nauseatingly repulsive.

Hanging from the cave ceiling were countless half-rotten tendons and filthy threads, like an extremely filthy spider web, densely covering the top of one's head. Dried, blackened bits of flesh, dripping pus, congealed blood clots, and countless small, deformed corpses stuck, dried, and suffocated alive were attached to the threads. Cold wind seeped in from the cracks in the underground pipes, causing the rotting flesh and bones to sway gently. In the dim starlight, they resembled countless hanged ghosts, silently watching their prey that had intruded into their lair.

The entire rotten cave was devoid of any life or light, containing only decay, wriggling, stench, bones, pus, blood, and maggots.

The stench of blood, the putrid smell of corpses, the sour smell of decay, the musty smell of mold, and the stench of poison mingled together, like a huge, ferocious, living stomach slowly digesting all the creatures that had entered, turning them into putrid pulp and food for maggots.

This is a forbidden zone for life.

It is the end of despair.

It is a true purgatory.

"Something is wrong here."

Yu Moyan pressed down on Jiang Duyue beside him, his brows furrowed tightly, his expression extremely solemn. He quietly activated the "Star River Divine God - Silver Star Realm Sacred Body Technique," his divine soul spreading out in all directions like an invisible net.

The next instant, countless dense, nauseating wriggling breaths surged into his sea of ​​consciousness.

The life force of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of bone maggots surged through his senses like a tidal wave, so nauseating that it caused a slight stinging sensation in his sea of ​​consciousness and a wave of discomfort to his soul. In addition, there was a vast, turbid aura filled with putridity and evil, which lingered in the center of the blood pool like a sleeping ferocious beast, radiating the terrifying pressure of a fourth-level Spirit Illumination Realm cultivator.

That was the bone maggot-corroded dragon.

Below is an abandoned underground parking garage that has been completely soaked and rotten by sewage. Over the years, it has become the exclusive rotting nest of this bone maggot-like carrion dragon.

Beneath their feet lay an endless expanse of rotting flesh and mud, gurgling and oozing pus. The walls were covered in moss and mold, with putrid liquid trickling down. Mountains of corpses and bones piled up, pools of blood teemed with maggots, swarms of poisonous flies filled the air, and the stench of decay permeated the atmosphere.

And right in the center of that pool of putrid blood.

The repulsive bone-worm-like rotting dragon lay motionless, half its body submerged in pus, like a huge, rotten, foul-smelling lump of flesh, quietly lurking and waiting for its prey to come to it.

Its appearance was even more terrifying, disgusting, and bloody than the system described.

The flesh had long since rotted away completely, with large areas peeling off, leaving almost no intact skin. The entire pale, grotesque spine, stretching from the neck to the tailbone, protruded high and was completely exposed, like a monstrous white skeletal snake. On both sides of the chest and abdomen, the pale ribs were exposed, neatly arranged, like a fence tightly surrounding the chest cavity. The crevices between the bones were filled with writhing white bone maggots, burrowing in and out, gnawing at the remaining rotten flesh.

The dragon horns had long since decayed, leaving only two hollow, blackened bone spikes pointing straight into the sky. The horn holes were also crawling with maggots, which kept going in and out.

It had no complete head, only a mass of rotting flesh covering the facial bones. The eye sockets were two deep, bottomless, black holes filled with blood. There were no eyeballs, only a constant dripping of dark green putrid fluid. The mouth and nose were completely ulcerated and everted, constantly oozing highly corrosive pus that dripped into the pool of blood, making a "sizzling" sound and corroding the putrid fluid into tiny pits.

With each slight wriggling movement, large chunks of rotting flesh would detach from its body and fall into the pool of blood, instantly triggering an even more frenzied swarm of maggots. Countless maggots would swarm forward, gnawing at the fallen rotten flesh and completely decomposing it.

The putrid and miasma surrounding it had become so dense that it was almost tangible, turning the surrounding light a grayish-black. At the bottom of the blood pool, foul-smelling bubbles constantly rose, and with each burst, more and smaller maggots would surge out, swimming and multiplying in the putrid liquid, turning this nest into a living, ever-expanding rotten inferno.

Yu Moyan and Jiang Duyue stood there, and after just one glance, they felt their stomachs churning and almost vomiting.

The extremely strong, putrid stench almost completely polluted and corroded the star power around them.

"Level 4 of the Spiritual Illumination Realm..."

Yu Moyan clenched his fist, and a silver Tang sword instantly materialized, surging with star power. The blade shone with a chilling silver light, and his expression became extremely solemn.

"This thing is ten times more disgusting and ten times more terrifying than the monster from last night."

"Beware of its bone maggots. Once they burrow into the body, they gnaw at the veins and flesh, making them extremely difficult to remove. They can even parasitize the body and turn the inhabitant into a monster."

Before he could finish speaking...

The calm pool of putrid blood suddenly began to churn violently!

"Splash—"

Large amounts of putrid scum, pus, blood, and maggots were thrown high into the air and splashed all around.

The bone maggot-corroding dragon, which was entrenched in the blood pool, suddenly raised half of its massive, rotten body.

The entire pale spine arched high, the exposed ribs like a ferocious fence, and countless bone maggots burrowed wildly between the bones, falling like white raindrops with its movements into the blood pool, stirring up a grotesque, undulating wave that made one's scalp tingle.

Dark green putrefactive fluid gushed from its hollow eye sockets. Its throat was devoid of flesh, only a bare laryngeal bone remained. The joints rubbed and vibrated, emitting a low, hoarse, piercing roar, like a broken gong shattering.

There was no resonance of flesh and blood, only the sound of pure bone conduction, yet it still pierced through the putrid air and reached the ears of Yu Moyan and Jiang Duyue. It was deep, sinister, and chilling, making their hearts tremble.

Large chunks of rotting flesh peeled off, revealing the blackened bones beneath. A thick, putrid stench, like a tangible giant wave, slammed down on the two of them with immense, malevolent pressure!

Battle is imminent.

The true hellish battle has begun.

The bone maggot-corroded dragon was completely enraged.

These two tiny creatures dared to trespass into its nest, disturb its slumber, and desecrate its territory.

The roar shook the entire rotten cave. Rotten mud and broken bones fell from the ceiling, the blood pool boiled, putrid liquid splashed everywhere, rotten flesh flew everywhere, and a stench filled the air.

"Beware of maggot infestations!"

Yu Moyan gave a low shout, his voice heavy and urgent.

He gripped the silver Tang sword tightly in his palm, his star power surging forth. A chilling silver light burst forth from the blade, illuminating the decaying cave. Jiang Duyue followed closely behind, his star-sky battle sword coalescing once more, its dark blade adorned with specks of silver stars, mysterious and majestic. Almost simultaneously, the two activated their star power, a pale silver star power shield appearing around them, protecting them from the onslaught of putrid fumes and maggots.

"These maggots are extremely parasitic; once they burrow into the flesh, they will gnaw at the veins. Absolutely no contact with them is permissible!"

Yu Moyan once again sternly instructed him.

"Understood! Brother Yu, I'll hold it off; you find an opportunity to attack its vitals!"

Jiang Duyue responded in a deep voice, his eyes sharp, showing no fear, only a burning fighting spirit.

Before he could finish speaking...

The dragon's chest suddenly contracted violently, and the exposed rib cage opened and closed abruptly!

next moment.

Countless bone maggots, like a white torrent, gushed out wildly from the cracks in the bones!

Densely packed, covering the sky and blocking out the sun!

Tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of bone maggots formed a white tidal wave, accompanied by a chilling rustling sound, and fiercely attacked Yu Moyan and Jiang Duyue!

The maggots surged and writhed incessantly, almost filling the space inside the cave and completely blocking all escape routes.

The rustling of maggots, the bubbling of putrid liquid, and the hissing of bone dragons intertwined to create a terrifying, eerie, and maddening symphony of purgatory, echoing endlessly within the cave.

Yu Moyan's eyes sharpened, and he no longer hesitated.

With a sudden twist of his wrist, the silver Tang sword slashed across the sky!

"boom--"

A six-meter-long, exquisitely refined silver star blade burst forth, carrying a sharp edge that could purify all evil, and slashed into the oncoming swarm of maggots!

Star power, especially the star power nurtured by Yu Moyan's Star River Sacred Body Technique, naturally possesses purifying properties and has a devastating restraining effect on these evil and rotten bone maggots.

Wherever the star blade passed, the bone maggots that pounced on it were instantly crushed, purified, and dissolved by the star power, turning into pools of foul-smelling, pitch-black pus that dripped into the rotten mud, making a sizzling sound.

The number of maggots was simply too enormous.

One wave is wiped out, and another wave immediately swarms in, one after another, endlessly.

A few bone maggots broke through the Star Blade's blockade and crashed heavily into the two's Star Power Shield. The shield flashed with silver light, and the purifying power erupted instantly. The bone maggots that hit the shield melted instantly, turning into puddles of pus mixed with fragments, which slowly slid down the shield.

But the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

Thousands upon thousands of bone maggots relentlessly rammed into the shield, causing its light to dim slightly and its star power to be consumed at an alarming rate.

If this continues, the star power will be exhausted in no time, the shield will shatter, and the two will be overwhelmed by the maggot horde and devoured into a pile of bones.

Yu Moyan made a decision in an instant.

He turned his head and shouted loudly at Jiang Duyue:

"Watanabe, you fight with all your might and hold on for a moment! I'll go and engage this monster head-on, looking for its weakness!"

"Okay! Brother Yu, hurry up! I can't hold on much longer!"

Jiang Duyue gritted her teeth and replied, gripping the Starry Sky Battle Blade tightly with both hands. She unleashed her full star power, causing the blade to shine brightly with silver light as she continuously slashed at the surging maggots, holding the line of defense.

Yu Moyan no longer hesitated.

With star power surging beneath his feet and stepping on a layer of pale silver star mist, his figure suddenly accelerated, like a silver lightning bolt, swiftly shuttling through the gaps in the maggot tide. In the blink of an eye, he broke through the maggot tide's blockade and rushed to the vicinity of the Bone Maggot Corrupted Body Dragon!

He held nothing back, channeling all his star power into the blade. The silver Tang sword, imbued with the sharpness of burning away evil and impurities, leaped up and slashed fiercely down at the exposed spine of the dragon monster!

"clang--"

A sharp, metallic clang rang out, extremely piercing.

The Bone Maggot Corpse Dragon reacted extremely quickly. Its massive body suddenly spun around, and its tail vertebra, covered in bone spurs and rotting rotten, swept across in an instant, forcefully blocking the full-force strike!

The blade clashed violently with the white bones.

Yu Moyan felt a tremendous force coming from the blade, the recoil surging and causing his hand to go numb instantly, followed by excruciating pain, making it almost impossible for him to grip the hilt. He was jolted back several steps, stepping into the rotten mud, splashing up a cloud of filthy pus and blood.

The bones of this dragon monster are incredibly hard!

"Togetsukyo! Come quick! Let's join forces and attack it!"

Yu Moyan shouted loudly.

Seeing this, Jiang Duyue stopped defending and dodged the swarm of maggots. Carrying the Starry Sky Battle Blade, he sped towards Yu Moyan and the dragon monster.

Yu Moyan instantly understood Jiang Duyue's intention. The two were of one mind and needed no further words. They leaped at the same time, one on the left and one on the right, to attack the bone maggot rotten dragon from both sides!

Jiang Duyue leaped into the air, his body soaring into the sky, and the Starry Sky Battle Blade slashed down from above!

A burst of silver starlight exploded, shining brightly in the dim, decaying cave, forming a massive arc-shaped star curtain that stretched across the cave. The swarming bone maggots crashed into the star curtain, instantly being burned and purified, emitting a sizzling sound, and dissipating into wisps of black smoke. The maggot swarm's attack was momentarily halted.

But the dragon monster didn't care at all about the deaths and injuries of the maggots.

Dragging its massive, rotting body, it charged forward with a ferocious thud, its tailbone splinter carrying a potent putrid venom, as it slashed fiercely at Jiang Duyue! Maggots continuously fell from between the bones, plunging into the putrid liquid, stirring up the entire blood pool and filling it with a stench that reached the heavens.

"Get out of the way!"

Yu Moyan flashed and instantly stood in front of Jiang Duyue, holding his silver Tang sword horizontally in front of him to block with all his might!

"clang!"

Another loud bang.

The bone fragments collided with the blade again, and a dark green corrosive liquid instantly splattered, falling like a torrential rain.

Yu Moyan was prepared, and he activated his star power to the fullest extent, making his shield taut. The corrosive liquid fell on the shield, emitting a violent sizzling sound. The silver light of the shield fluctuated violently, rippling outwards, and it was almost directly corroded through. A tremendous force came from the blade, causing him to retreat repeatedly.

The serpent used the force to violently shake its body, and large patches of rotten flesh on its chest and abdomen completely fell off, revealing the half-rotten, blackened organs underneath, which swayed slightly in the pus.

And deep within that filthy, visceral mass.

A star core, emitting a pale silver glow and pulsating slowly, appears and disappears!

"The star's core! It's located between its thoracic and abdominal organs!"

Yu Moyan locked onto the vital point at a glance, his eyes flashing with a sharp light, and shouted loudly:

"Crossing the Moon, using vast amounts of stellar power to completely repel the maggot horde! I'll seize the opportunity to rupture its abdomen and strike its core!"

Jiang Duyue nodded, a resolute glint in her eyes.

He abruptly retracted his Starry Sky Battle Blade, his hands rapidly forming hand seals, drawing upon all the star power within his body, and he solemnly chanted the battle technique incantation:

"The wind draws the Milky Way, and the dragon coils in the azure sky!"

A torrent of energy surges, shattering the sky into a prison!

The instant the mantra is uttered.

A terrifying wind-elemental star power suddenly erupted!

The airflow around him instantly became violent and swirled wildly. Pale silver starlight and blue-green gale intertwined and swirled, rising straight up from the ground with Jiang Duyue as the center, and suddenly forming a spiral tornado that reached the sky and the earth!

On the outer layer of the tornado, countless wind blades, like thousands of silver blades, roared and sliced ​​through everything; the inner layer saw the airflow swirling at high speed, the wind pressure terrifyingly intense, faintly condensing into the shape of a semi-transparent wind dragon. The dragon's head was raised high, roaring angrily, its body spiraling upwards with the tornado. Its whiskers were formed from wind threads, its scales woven from wind blades; the entire tornado resembled a colossal wind dragon soaring through the sky, its power overwhelming!

At the edge of the wind column, light and color flowed, and starlight and wind and mist layered on top of each other. When it rotated, it left an extremely gorgeous silver and blue tail. Wherever it passed, the air was torn apart and faint spatial ripples were created. It was gorgeous and dazzling, violent and suffocating!

This move, Dragon Surge Starry Sky Shattering Wind Dragon, is incredibly powerful and magnificent.

A terrifying tornado instantly swept through the entire rotten cave.

The swarming bone maggots, the sticky, filthy putrid liquid, the floating poisonous flies, and the scattered bits of flesh were all swept into the tornado, shredded by the wind blades, purified by the star power, and swept away by the gale, completely clearing everything away!

The swarm of maggots in the cave was completely wiped out!

Upon seeing this, the bone maggot-corroding dragon let out a furious roar.

It opened its mouth and spewed out a thick, toxic black mist that was so thick it couldn't be dissolved. The mist churned and was extremely corrosive, crashing violently into the tornado, trying to break through the wind and kill Jiang Duyue.

It's now!

A cold glint flashed in Yu Moyan's eyes as he seized the fleeting moment.

His figure moved like a silver lightning bolt, leaping into the air, pouring all his star power into his silver Tang sword. The star patterns on the blade shone brightly, the purifying power reaching its peak, carrying a terrifying sharpness that could burn away evil and shatter everything, as he fiercely slashed towards the exposed chest and abdomen of the dragon monster!

"Sizzle—"

A piercing, tearing sound that ripped flesh apart.

The incredibly sharp Star Power Tang Blade easily sliced ​​through the Flood Dragon's tough, rotten flesh, fascia, and internal organs.

Dark green putrefactive liquid, half-rotten and blackened internal organs, remnants of rotten flesh, and countless bone maggots that couldn't escape in time gushed out instantly!

An extremely strong, suffocating stench instantly filled the entire cave, several times stronger than before!

The pale silver star core, completely exposed amidst a pile of filth and entrails, pulsated slowly, radiating a pure and powerful aura of star essence, shining brightly.

The dragon monster suffered a fatal blow.

The massive body stiffened abruptly, and the roar abruptly ceased.

The remaining rotting flesh convulsed and spasmed violently, the exposed white bones rustled, and bone maggots thrashed wildly, trying to make a final counterattack.

But the star's core has been exposed, and its life is about to be extinguished.

Its aura rapidly decayed at a visible speed, its eerie fluctuations quickly dissipated, and its life force rapidly diminished.

"Quick! Get the star core!"

Yu Moyan staggered as she landed, her body unsteady.

Although most of the putrid black mist spewed out by the dragon monster was blocked by the tornado, a trace of its residual force still eroded him, causing his meridians to become slightly sluggish and his breathing to become unstable.

Jiang Duyue did not hesitate.

He suppressed the nausea churning in his stomach, leaped to the front of the dragon monster's belly, ignoring the gushing putrid fluid and maggots, and grabbed the warm, pulsating star core!

A scorching, corrosive sensation instantly washed over me. The residual toxins on the star core instantly eroded my palm, causing a stinging pain and a slight reddening of my skin.

But Jiang Duyue gritted her teeth, endured the excruciating pain, and exerted all her strength!

"Rip—"

The star core was forcibly and completely ripped out of the dragon monster's internal organs!

The instant the star's core leaves the body.

The bone maggots and decaying dragon completely lost all vitality.

Its enormous, rotting, skeletal, and terrifying body could no longer hold on and collapsed with a crash, slamming heavily into the pool of putrid blood.

"Boom!"

Rotten pulp splattered everywhere, pus and blood flew about, maggots were scattered, and the stench was overwhelming.

Without the support of the star core's power, its bones rapidly blackened, became brittle, and cracked. The remaining rotten flesh, without a host, dissolved away. Countless bone maggots, deprived of their life force, wriggled wildly in the blood pool for a moment before melting away one by one, turning into pools of pus that were gradually submerged by the putrid mud.

In a very short moment.

This terrifying dragon monster, at the fourth level of the Spirit Realm, was completely reduced to a pile of scattered bones and filthy putrefaction, vanishing entirely from the infernal lair where it once roamed, never to be seen again.

The rotten cave finally returned to deathly silence.

All that remained was the sound of rain dripping from the cracks and the lingering, pungent, putrid stench in the air.

Jiang Duyue held the warm, pulsating pale silver star core and staggered a few steps.

Having continuously unleashed wide-range wind-based combat techniques, coupled with the forced extraction of stellar energy, his stellar essence was already completely depleted, and his mind was stretched to the limit. Now that his formidable enemy was dead, his mind relaxed, and he could no longer hold on.

Everything went black before his eyes, his body went limp, and he fell straight to the ground.

"Watatsuki!"

Yu Moyan's expression changed drastically, and a strong sense of anxiety and worry surged in his heart.

He rushed forward and caught Jiang Duyue, who had fainted on the ground. He reached out to check his pulse and breath. His heartbeat was still steady, but his face was pale and he felt completely weak.

Even so, Yu Moyan was still worried and immediately asked the system anxiously in his mind:

"System! What happened to Jiang Duyue? Why did he suddenly faint? Is he alright?"

The system's voice quickly sounded, still with a touch of playfulness, but also providing the accurate answer:

"It's alright, host, don't be nervous~"

"He has simply overdrawn his star energy and suffered severe mental exhaustion, resulting in a deep coma. He will fully recover after a period of rest and is not in any danger to his life."

Upon hearing this, Yu Moyan finally felt a little relieved and let out a long sigh of relief.

He looked at Jiang Duyue's slightly reddened palm, marked by a red line from the corrosion of the star core, and gently swept a wisp of purifying star power over it, completely dissolving the remaining corrosive force. Then, he looked down at the star core in Jiang Duyue's hand, which emitted a pale silver glow.

The star core is pure and exudes a powerful aura; its value far exceeds that of the one from last night.

But Yu Moyan felt no joy; instead, his heart grew increasingly heavy.

Just in the underground rotten cave on the outskirts of the community, there was a dragon-like monster of the fourth level of the Spirit Realm. The nest was terrifying and the battles were brutal.

So what terrifying existence might be hidden deeper within this ruined city, in the core area of ​​Cang Yuanmi's power?

Beneath this ruined city lurks monsters far more numerous, stronger, and more terrifying than they imagined.

Cang Yuanmi's power has long since infiltrated every corner of this city, every darkness, and every ruin, like a maggot clinging to a bone.

Their journey remains long and arduous.

Yu Moyan put away the star core, carefully helped the unconscious Jiang Duyue up, carried him on his back, and turned to walk towards the crack in the rotten cave.

Step by step, they trudged through the putrid mud and pus, passed through piles of bones, and avoided churning pools of blood, finally emerging from this suffocating underground hell.

Outside, the morning rain had stopped, and the sky was beginning to brighten.

But the sky remained gloomy, covered with dark clouds, and the oppressive atmosphere persisted.

Yu Moyan carried Jiang Duyue on his back and searched among the dilapidated buildings for a while before finding a relatively intact, dry, and sheltered abandoned house.

He gently placed Jiang Duyue against the wall to make sure he was steady, then went out to find some dry wood and scraps of cloth, lit them with star power, and started a bonfire inside the house.

The campfire crackled, and the flickering flames dispelled some of the chill and darkness, bringing a faint warmth.

Yu Moyan sat by the campfire, gazing at the sleeping Jiang Duyue, and then spoke to the system in his mind:

"System, check-in."

"Congratulations, host, on successfully checking in! You have received 5,000 Star Crowns!"

"Bonus Reward: Successfully killed a Spirit Realm Tier 4 Bone Maggot Corrupted Flood Dragon, gaining 4000 Star Crown Points!"

"A total of nine thousand Star Crowns have been automatically used for repayment. The current host's debt is 159.1 Star Crowns."

"You're almost done paying it off! Keep up the good work, host!"

The system said playfully, with an encouraging tone.

But the slight excitement on Yu Moyan's face from just killing a powerful enemy was instantly extinguished by this string of numbers.

The debt of over a million yuan still feels like a mountain pressing down on us.

He sighed softly, gazing at the flickering campfire and looking out at the still gloomy and oppressive sky, his unease growing stronger.

The future of this planet, their future, remains shrouded in uncertainty.

"System, wake me up immediately if any living being approaches."

"Understood, host. This system will do its duty to the best of its ability."

The system responded arrogantly.

Yu Moyan said no more, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and gradually fell asleep in the warmth of the campfire.

Outside, the ruined city was deathly silent, with dark clouds hanging low.

An even bigger storm is brewing.

But the journey for Yu Moyan and Jiang Duyue has only just begun.