# Chapter 2107: Imbalance
The Star and Moon Twin's realm-breaking training had collapsed before it even truly began.
With the Heavenly Firmament Star Lord nearby, Yun Che did not dare to get too close. He walked out from the shadows, a sinister low smile slowly spreading across his face.
"And this act, what is its purpose?" Li Suo asked.
Yun Che dispersed the Abyss Dust on his body, returning to the aura and state of an ordinary Xuan practitioner: "I am merely creating an opportunity for one of them to come to the Mist Sea alone."
"Alone?" Li Suo negated this based on her understanding of the Abyss Divine Sons: "As one who bears the future of a Divine Kingdom, his safety outweighs everything. A Divine Son abroad cannot possibly be alone, let alone in the Mist Sea."
"He will be." Yun Che said with extreme certainty: "Based on the time it takes for them to return to the Star Moon Divine Kingdom from here, the Abyss Erosion I planted will have deeply invaded their profound veins. By then, even the two Star Moon Divine Sovereigns won't be able to perfectly dispel it without damaging the profound veins."
"You mean..." Li Suo seemed to understand: "To force him to come to the Mist Sea, seeking the Mist Emperor who is legendarily capable of perfectly dispelling Abyss Erosion?"
"Yes."
However, Yun Che's response failed to convince Li Suo. She pondered briefly and softly said: "The Mist Emperor is still too mysterious and ethereal in the eyes of the world today. The only thing that can be determined is the Mist Emperor's opposition to the Pure Land... After all, your contempt and filthy words toward the Pure Land and the Abyss Emperor that day should be known throughout the world by now."
"And the Six Divine Kingdoms exist because of the Abyss Emperor, and their inheritance comes from the divine power bestowed by the Abyss Emperor. Although the Abyss Erosion suffered by the Star Divine Son requires wounding the profound veins to be completely eliminated, with the power of two True Gods, even if it's permanent damage, it won't be too severe."
"Therefore, I don't believe that a Divine Son of a Divine Kingdom would make the choice to betray the Pure Land because of this... especially since finding the Mist Emperor is already an ethereal matter."
Yun Che smiled, speaking lightly: "If it were a Divine Son of another Divine Kingdom, your words would be entirely valid. But only for the Star Moon Divine Kingdom..."
Li Suo: "......?"
"Let me ask you a question." Yun Che suddenly said. "A multiple choice question."
"Which situation is a person least able to accept: First, someone who surpassed them has suddenly reached a height they can never attain; Second, someone who was always on par with them has gradually surpassed them; Third, someone who was originally inferior to them has gradually risen above them."
"The third." The moment Yun Che finished speaking, Li Suo had already given her answer.
"A very human answer." Yun Che said. "But for Sha Xing and Xian Yue, the answer is the second."
"Why?"
Yun Che looked ahead, a fleeting complexity passing through the depths of his eyes: "If it were many years ago, facing this question, I would certainly have given the same answer as you. Until... when I first entered the God Realm, I briefly had a friend."
"His name is Huo Poyun."
Li Suo knew of Huo Poyun. At that time, through Yun Che's eyes, she had witnessed the tragic and resolute of his jade-shattering, wu jue destruction... but couldn't understand the words he had shouted then.
"Huo Poyun wept bitterly at news of my death, harbored hatred upon my return, saved my life when the world was my enemy, wished to die by my hand when I descended as a demon... and ultimately, shattered like jade and perished utterly at my moment of desperation."
He did not elaborate on the complex changes in Huo Poyun's emotions toward him, because even if he spoke them, Li Suo would certainly not understand: "None of his actions were ever within my expectations, and all his bizarre behavior stemmed from the word 'imbalance.'"
"As for Sha Xing and Xian Yue, from the coordination of their power just now, one can tell how terrifyingly matched they are. And when someone like them experiences 'imbalance'... the 'heart demon' it triggers will absolutely far exceed Huo Poyun's."
Li Suo remained silent for a long time, seemingly reexamining her understanding of human nature through Yun Che's words.
"I am also extremely looking forward to the evil flower this seed will bloom. Star Divine Son who bears the Celestial Wolf's divine power, you who possess the dignity and pride of a Divine Son—never disappoint me."
When he walked out from the Abyss Mist again, a fierce battle was still raging ahead.
Pan Bu Wang was wrapped in black qi, but the filthy blood covering his entire body was even denser than the dark demonic qi. The ferocity and malevolence in his eyes were even more fierce and piercing than the abyssal gaze of an Abyss Beast.
A dark storm suddenly rose, layer by layer devouring the abyssal power of two Divine Annihilation Abyss Beasts, then their bodies... Pan Bu Wang let out a low roar, and the pitch-black spear shaft pulled a hovering black trail, piercing through the two Abyss Beasts in an instant. The black trail then erupted with multiple dark storms, completely dragging the severed Abyss Beasts down into the abyss of death.
He slowly placed the spear on the ground. Pan Bu Wang was already half-kneeling, bowing his head and saying: "Your disciple Bu Wang respectfully greets Master."
Drip... drip, drip...
The sound of blood falling to the ground was exceptionally clear in the eerie Mist Sea.
But his face was completely expressionless, and he didn't even glance at his own bloodstains. Though his entire body was exhausted, his half-kneeling posture remained upright and unmoving.
"Very good." The Mist Emperor gave a brief commendation: "It seems you have already become proficient in the Alienation fourth realm. The obsession with revenge is indeed the most miraculous power in this world."
"Today, this Emperor can teach you the Alienation of the fifth realm."
Pan Bu Wang raised his eyes, the fatigue in them instantly transforming into the demonic light of excitement and desire. He heavily kowtowed in gratitude, then suddenly said: "Master, does your disciple have the fortune... to catch a glimpse of your true countenance?"
"True countenance? Hahahaha!" The Mist Emperor laughed coldly: "This Emperor is the Emperor Spirit born from the Abyss Force of the Mist Sea. I have never possessed what you humans call a true countenance. Or rather, every grain of Abyss Dust in this Mist Sea is my true countenance."
"No," Pan Bu Wang looked at the twisting, strange-shaped eyes within the Abyss Mist: "Your disciple knows that Master is actually human."
The Mist Emperor: "......"
Pan Bu Wang maintained his kneeling posture, speaking candidly: "The demonic art I cultivate is already the strongest dark profound art in this world. Yet Master, after just one demonstration from me and reciting the profound mantra once, can within a few short days Alienate it into an even more powerful demonic art."
"Moreover, the Alienation demonic art is also more compatible with my body and profound veins. At the same time, to maximize the power of the demonic art, every realm's Alienation demonic art, when executed, perfectly activates all fifty-four profound passes in the profound veins."
"When Master Alienates the demonic art, you must inevitably align and modify it with your own profound veins first... And fifty-four profound passes belong only to the human race. The power operation of beast clan, spirit clan, and human race are completely different. If Master were not a human possessing fifty-four profound passes, how could the demonic art of every realm be Alienated to such perfect compatibility with fifty-four profound passes?"
"......" Yun Che secretly took a deep breath.
This damn thing could also be a flaw...
For a few moments, he wanted to kill him to silence him.
"Hehehe!" The Mist Emperor laughed coldly. He did not deny it, but his already hoarse voice abruptly turned several times more chilling: "Pan Bu Wang, you are indeed cleverer than I thought. But since you are so clever, you should know when to play dumb."
In a trance... he remembered the time when his master had spoken the same words to him.
"Your disciple naturally understands."
Facing the sudden onslaught of coldness, Pan Bu Wang showed no fear at all. Instead, he raised his head to meet the Mist Emperor's gaze: "Without Master's salvation, even if your disciple were not dead, I would be no different from a living corpse."
"Mother taught me that as a man, one must not betray emotions or forget kindness... Master has the grace of salvation and recreation toward your disciple. The depth of this kindness is no less than being reborn by parents. How could your disciple pretend or lie before Master?"
When facing Abyss Beasts, his eyes were full of ferocity; when facing the darkness, his eyes were like a dead abyss; but only when facing the Mist Emperor did his gaze possess the clarity of a human... a clarity almost without any impurities.
He was indeed a person of deep passion. Otherwise, how could he have done so much for his mother and his beloved?
He said sincerely: "Your disciple desperately wants to know what kind of person Master—who has given me kindness and bestowed upon me teachings—truly is... This is my greatest desire besides revenge."
He did not say that he would never reveal the Mist Emperor's true identity beneath the Abyss Mist. But every word, every expression, every change in his eyes was telling the Mist Emperor that even if he died ten thousand deaths, he would never commit even the slightest act of betrayal toward his master.
The cold wind swirled, carrying a pungent smell of blood.
The Mist Emperor finally responded: "You will know. And by then, perhaps you will have already completed your revenge."
"This Emperor permits you this one time today. Do not speak such words again! Do not forget what you should be doing most!"
Pan Bu Wang bowed his head, his heavy response carrying no resistance: "Yes."
He slowly rose from the ground, his long spear returning to his hand, its black radiance rekindled. Covered in wounds and bloodstains, he did not propose a temporary rest. Instead, he stared at the Mist Emperor with blazing eyes: "Please instruct me, Master!"
...
Time tumbled and flowed beneath the unfeeling black tide. It rolled through vicissitudes, spurred growth, healed wounds, and purified the heart and soul... but tortured the Star Divine Son.
Sha Xing's hand once again gripped tightly at his heart. Six months had passed, yet when his profound force circulated, the piercing pain brought by the Abyss Erosion was still as excruciating as ever.
But even more terrifying than the excruciating pain was the blockage of his profound qi circulation and the almost complete stagnation of his profound force progression.
And today, a heartening message spread throughout the entire Star Moon Divine Kingdom.
The Moon Divine Son Xian Yue had successfully broken through to the fourth level of the Divine Annihilation Realm this morning.
Every breakthrough of the Star Moon Divine Sons was inevitably a major event that shook the Star Moon Divine Kingdom for a time. But this time was vastly different from before... because this time was not the synchronization of the Twin Divine Sons breaking through in lockstep as always, but only the Moon Divine Son's breakthrough.
When the news came, Sha Xing had a smile on his face, but blood was dripping between his fingers.
He came to the Star God Palace where the Heavenly Star Divine Sovereign resided, but encountered the Heavenly Firmament Star Lord who had just walked out.
He saw through Sha Xing's thoughts at a glance, and sighed: "If you want the Divine Sovereign to sever the Abyss Erosion for you, I won't stop you. If you still harbor illusions... it's better not to disturb the Divine Sovereign. It's been half a year now. You should face reality."
"Reality..." Sha Xing gritted his teeth: "The Divine Sovereign is so powerful, there must be a way, there must be..."
The Heavenly Firmament Star Lord glanced at him and said: "The Sovereign has already sent several transmissions to the Immortal Spirit Divine Official on your behalf, and even personally went to the Pure Land once. You already know the results. The Sovereign's might is boundless, but when it comes to Abyss Erosion that invades the profound veins... no one can resolve it."
He reached out and patted Sha Xing's shoulder: "To contain the invading Abyss Erosion and prevent it from worsening, the Sovereign has already expended immense effort and Abyss Crystals over this full half year. Continuing to drag it out like this will never bring the turning point you desire. It will only continue to increase futile consumption... You should know that because of this matter, quite a few Star Lords and Star Officials are already dissatisfied with you."
Sha Xing's lips trembled slightly. He immediately lowered his head, never letting anyone see his out-of-control emotions.
The Heavenly Firmament Star Lord continued to urge: "Severing the tail to survive is not cowardice, but a necessary and unavoidable action. Moreover, the Sovereign has said that combining the power of two Sovereigns, forcibly removing the Abyss Erosion will limit the permanent damage to your profound veins to within ten percent."
"... Ten... percent... Hah." He murmured softly, then let out a self-mocking and painful laugh.
A ten percent permanent loss to his profound veins meant that his cultivation, progress, operation of profound force, and the upper limit he could achieve in the future... would all be severed, and forever.
As one of the Star Moon Twins who were supposed to be matched and balanced, he would forever... forever become a drag on Xian Yue.
No longer stepping toward the Star God Palace, Sha Xing turned around and said in a low voice: "I understand. I will seriously consider this matter and will no longer continue to cause trouble for the Divine Sovereign and all the Star Lords."
"Mm." The Heavenly Firmament Star Lord nodded and said nothing more. As the secret protector during their training back then, he too had always been deeply burdened with guilt and shame.