Trials of the Abyss-Chapter 559: Divine Punishment

In the Lunar Divine Palace on the moon in the starry skies, the divine souls and consciousness of two Outer Gods maintained a connection with their puppet vessels below.

Their attention was focused on the Shadow Abyss, and their true bodies had not spoken for a long time as they instead relied on the puppet vessels to communicate.

The Lunar Divine Palace was silent, and the Bright Moon Race followers of Ying Yue dared not disturb them.

A hint of bitterness seeped through the downward curl of the Frost Crystal God's luscious, crystalline lips. Her followers in a starry skies world had relayed a message to her through an altar.

The high-ranking God who had once gifted her a cold-attribute artifact to aid her ascent to a mid-ranking God had dispatched an envoy to her domain to deliver a message on his behalf.

She was to visit that high-ranking God's domain and meet him in person once matters in the Abyss were concluded. If she refused, she would have to relinquish her rank as a mid-ranking God and return to the ranks of the low-ranking Gods. This was to repay that high-ranking God for his assistance.

The Frost Crystal God let out a weary sigh as she opened her eyes. "I came here to avoid him, but he still managed to find me."

"What did he say?" Ying Yue frowned.

"The cold-attribute artifact he gave me has already been refined into my body. If I want to sever ties with him, I'll have to shatter my rank and lower myself a tier," the Frost Crystal God said, her voice heavy with exhaustion and dejection. "If not, I'll have to obediently go to his domain after the matters of the Abyss conclude."

Ying Yue silently ran through the high-ranking Gods she was acquainted with, considering if any would be willing to offend another high-ranking God for the Frost Crystal God. Although some would, it would undoubtedly come at a cost.

"We'll just have to eliminate the Star Devourer in the Shadow Abyss as quickly as possible and seize its body," Ying Yue said calmly. "Only by doing so can we help you resolve this issue once and for all."

"Once Pang Jian returns, we can combine our force and slay the Star Devourer," the Frost Crystal God replied.

***

A grayish-yellow star hung high above the six continents, casting a dim glow on the Shadow Abyss.

In the eyes of those on the six continents, this star was one of calamity, a harbinger of disaster signaling the Star Devourer's growing power.

The Star Devourer had already plunged them into despair, leaving them powerless. Any remaining glimmers of hope would likely be extinguished over time.

Every time the inhabitants of the Shadow Abyss gazed at the grayish-yellow star, they were overcome with an oppressive sense of dread.

One day, the star started to quake softly, its already dim light fading.

The star suddenly crumbled, sending chunks of its mass hurtling downward like meteors. Dozens of colossal meteors hurtled toward targeted regions on the six continents like devastating shooting stars.

Boom!

The first meteor struck a temple dedicated to the Shadow God that was perched atop a towering mountain.

The temple and mountain were obliterated, leaving behind nothing but a massive crater. Hundreds of the Shadow Spirit Race living in the temple perished in the blink of an eye.

Another meteor fell, this time striking the holy city of the Shadow Spirit Race, Shadow Spirit City. The devastating impact of the falling meteor instantly annihilated hundreds of thousands of the Shadow Spirit Race and the Dark Shadow Race.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

On other continents, the meteors successively struck the temples and ancient cities of the Dark Shadow Race, along with ancestral lands of the Geospirit Race and the Mountain Spirit Race.

The Shadow Abyss and its six continents had become a world of ruin and devastation. The grayish-yellow star overhead had become a weapon capable of eradicating the living beings of this world.

An unseen will guided each falling meteor, precisely targeting specific locations.

Aboard different flying vessels near the bizarre mist, the High Priest of the Shadow Spirit Race and the elders of various races watched in despair as meteors streaked down from the sky. They wept bitterly, cries filled with anguish, but they could do nothing.

The meteors crashing down from the sky destroyed their ancient cities, temples, and hope in their hearts.

No matter how they mourned or wailed, the meteors continued to fall, completely erasing their targeted regions.

"It's the Star Devourer! It's trying to annihilate the Shadow Abyss!" an elderly woman of the Dark Shadow Race wailed hoarsely.

Her voice cracked, tears and mucus streaming down her face.

The meteor shower had destroyed her homeland and killed her young grandchildren.

"It found out we used new altars to communicate with two Outer Gods. These meteor showers are its divine punishment!" The High Priest of the Shadow Spirit Race wept tears of blood at the realization.

Their plea for help had enraged the Star Devourer, and this was their punishment.

The elders of the various races sobbed in despair, only to notice several meteors streaking down toward their flying vessels.

"We're also being targeted. We too are among those marked for eradication!"

These were the High Priest's final words before his death.

The falling meteors adjusted their trajectories mid-air with uncanny precision, targeting two fleeing flying vessels. The elders aboard were annihilated in the ensuing explosions, and what little remained of their bodies tumbled into the deepest reaches of the Shadow Abyss, disappearing into the bizarre mist.

***

The last remaining flying vessel was a shuttle-shaped ship with unique altars mounted on top. This flying vessel hovered near the edge of the bizarre mist, far from those carrying the High Priest and the others.

Only three individuals were on this ship, the two descended Outer Gods and the Holy Maiden of the Shadow Spirit Race, Cui Ling.

Cui Ling knelt on the deck, crystalline tears rolling down her beautiful cheeks. Her choked sobs echoed softly. It was as if she wanted to cry but could not, causing her to let out muffled "wu-wu" sounds instead.

Her eyes brimmed with boundless sorrow as she repeatedly kowtowed toward the two Outer Gods, murmuring barely comprehensible pleas. The two Outer Gods from the starry skies silently gazed at the kowtowing Cui Ling with unreadable expressions.

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The Star Devourer's brutal massacre of the Shadow Abyss inhabitants appeared like a venting of its displeasure on the surface. However, it was actually a calculated attempt to intimidate the two Outer Gods into retreating.

Even while consuming a star, the Star Devourer could fragment its surface and unleash a barrage of meteors. This was a testament to its extraordinary power.

The two Outer Gods could not descend with their true bodies and had to rely on puppet vessels to wield their divine artifacts in battle. Faced with this warning, they could not help but wonder if they had the strength to defeat it.

What are the consequences of failure? Loss of divine consciousness is one thing, but losing divine artifacts is another entirely.

Every divine artifact is priceless as it can significantly enhance a God's power. How will we recover our divine artifacts if we lose them in the Shadow Abyss?

We're both mid-ranking Gods. Can we still maintain their footing in the starry skies without our trusted divine artifacts? Will our domains and followers abandon us as a result?

The Frost Crystal God and the Moon God were forced to weigh these risks carefully.

"That Pang Jian..." Ying Yue hesitated. "He fused with a divine seat of the Abyss and ascended as an Immortal Realm God. I'm not sure how his combat prowess measures up in comparison to the other True Gods of the human race.

"Even if he can re-enter the Shadow Abyss, that won't matter if he's weak as the assistance he'll provide us will be limited. We need to figure this out."

"I've seen him fight the Star Devourer. His performance...is worth gambling on," the Frost Crystal God replied cautiously.

The Star Devourer's power had exceeded their expectations.

The Frost Crystal God's decision to involve Ying Yue was to free herself from a certain high-ranking God's entanglement.

Achieving ultimate victory would naturally be the best outcome, but if they failed and Ying Yue lost her treasured divine artifact, the Frost Crystal God would not be able to face her afterward.

Although the Frost Crystal God was known for her aloofness among the Outer Gods, it was undeniable that she valued Ying Yue.

Ying Yue was her only friend, even willing to venture into the Shadow Abyss for her.

On the one hand, she could not bear to drag down Ying Yue. On the other, the high-ranking God...

The Frost Crystal God's mind was in turmoil.

"Let's wait a while longer. Hopefully, Pang Jian won't disappoint us. Let's hope the Star Devourer doesn't escalate its pressure in the meantime," Ying Yue said, feigning composure.

Fortunately, they did not have to wait long before Pang Jian crossed the boundary wall with his true physical body.

Pang Jian's eyes immediately fell upon the shuttle-shaped ship after passing through a stretch of bizarre mist. Standing on its deck were two women from the Shadow Spirit Race and Dark Shadow Race, serving as vessels for the divine consciousness of two Outer Gods.

"I'm Han Yi. We've met before," the Frost Crystal God revealed her true name with a tone of delight. "This is Ying Yue. You've also encountered her before within the Abyss.

"Pang Jian, we've been waiting for you here for a long time!

"Knowing you would come, we selected two volunteers from the Dark Shadow Race and Shadow Spirit Race as vessels for our divine consciousness so we could descend and help them eliminate the Star Devourer!"

Ying Yue quietly used her divine sense to probe Pang Jian but found she could not penetrate Pang Jian's sea of consciousness. So, she could only gauge the strength of his physical body and the power contained within the fragmented land in his dantian.

The brief assessment left her disappointed.

"Han Yi, perhaps we should leave the Shadow Abyss," she said coldly.

Han Yi fell silent as though doused with cold water.

"He won't be able to provide us with much support," Ying Yue said helplessly, tone tinged with regret. "We've already taken an enormous risk, and the True God we were counting on cannot serve as a decisive force.

"Rather than risk losing our divine artifacts, isn't it better if we retreat instead?"