"Despicable!!"
"Shameless!!"
Yao Yue and Lianxing's faces were icy cold, filled with rage. They hadn't expected Tong Twelve to stoop to such vile levels. He was utterly depraved — the very definition of a sinister scoundrel.
"A dignified twelfth divine son of the Three-Eyed Clan using poison and aphrodisiacs on women? That's utterly disgusting!"
"Even if I, Old Cheng, die here today, I won't let you lay a hand on Fellow Daoist Yao Yue. Do you think all the men of the Human Race are dead? Come on, come at me! Eat your grandpa's axe!"
A burly man with thick eyebrows, bold eyes, and a massive double-headed battle axe slung over his shoulder stepped forward with a cold shout. His eyes shone with resolute determination.
Watching a female cultivator of the Human Race be humiliated before his eyes — he simply couldn't stand for it. If that happened, how could he still call himself a man?
"Submit, and prosper. Resist, and perish. All of creation must bend to my will. That's the divine creed I live by,"Tong Twelve replied without a trace of shame.
Reputation? What did that matter?
He bore the title of a Divine Son of Atlantis — the highest title one of their generation could attain. Above them were their royal fathers, and with a cultivator's longevity, it was nearly impossible for any divine sons to rise to the throne in a short time. All they could do was sit on their title and grow stronger.
Everyone had their passions. His passion was women.
Every time he saw a beautiful woman, a powerful sense of possession would rise in his heart — especially for Yao Yue. He didn't care how vile his methods were. What did honor or shame matter to him?
"Hmph, then come at me. Today, one of us dies."
A cold glint flashed in Yao Yue's eyes. An intense chill radiated from her body as the Bright Jade True Sutra (明玉真经) circulated within her. She visualized the Moon Palace Diagram, invoking a chilling yin force that quickly quelled the heat and restlessness in her body. Her mind grew sharp and her will resolute. The true essence of the Bright Jade True Sutra naturally countered such evil influences.
Swish!
The moon seal on her forehead pulsed. A dazzling, frosty blade shaped like a crescent moon appeared before her.
Bright Moon Life Aperture — Moon Essence Wheel (明月命窍——月精轮)
This Moon Essence Wheel resembled a curved sliver of moonlight, so tangible and solid it could be mistaken for a physical artifact. It exuded a bone-chilling cold, instantly dropping the temperature around it. One could faintly see icy crystals sparkling in the air. The moment it appeared, it rose like a waning moon, radiant and menacing.
Without pause, it shot forward, a beam of frosty light slicing through the air.
It was incredibly fast — truly as fast as light. In a blink, it reached Tong Twelve. One strike from it could undoubtedly cleave him clean in two.
"Bold!!"
An elderly Three-Eyed clansman behind Tong Twelve stepped forward. His divine third eye flared open, unleashing a brilliant crystal beam that instantly formed a translucent crystalline barrier around him and Tong Twelve.
Crystal Jade Eye — Crystal Jade Shield (晶玉之眸——晶玉罩)
The shield looked delicate like crystal, but in truth, it was tougher than ten-thousand-year-old black ice. When the Moon Essence Wheel struck, a strange divine light erupted, silently dispersing the incoming force across the shield, nullifying the energy like it had never been there.
Even so, the Moon Essence Wheel still carved a savage crack in the barrier. It forced its way through, continuing toward Tong Twelve.
Clang!!
At the same moment the shield cracked, a crystal sword of divine energy shot from the elder's eye, clashing with the Moon Essence Wheel. Both attacks were instantly annihilated.
"Yao Yue, your resistance is futile. The more you circulate your true essence, the faster the aphrodisiac takes hold. You're only at the peak of the Life Aperture Realm. In my Three-Eyed Clan, such cultivators are everywhere. The Human Race's constitution simply can't compare to ours. No matter how strong you are, I'll crush you. Save your strength."
Tong Twelve remained unbothered. Seeing the Moon Essence Wheel deflected didn't even make him blink. He was confident in his power — and the strength of his retainers counted as part of his own.
Yao Yue's face remained expressionless.
Even as her attack was blocked, she didn't retreat. Her eyes met Lian Xing's for a brief moment. Then, she shouted:
"Bright Moon Bow!!"
As her voice fell, the moon seal on her forehead burst forth with radiant moonlight. Countless moonbeams gathered, forming a snowy-white warbow. Strange moon patterns danced across it as a steady stream of lunar force poured into the bow, which gleamed as if veiled in pure moonlight.
"Hmph, a bow without arrows? Incomplete. That won't hurt this divine son."
Tong Twelve scoffed. The Bright Moon Bow clearly held great power — it even seemed capable of connecting to the nine heavenly moons and invoking Taiyin force. But without an arrow, even drawing from ambient energy wouldn't unleash its full potential. It didn't threaten him.
"Star Arrow!!"
Just then, Lianxing let out a clear shout.
A celestial seal on her forehead lit up, radiating brilliant starlight. Divine starry Dao runes swirled through the air, converging into a gleaming arrow composed of compressed stardust and astral energy. One could feel the crushing force of the vast stars from it.
This was a true arrow of cosmic might, capable of shattering all creation.
Heavenly Star Life Aperture — Star Arrow (天星命窍——星辰箭)
"To condense an arrow from the power of stars? Damn. You're… fusing your divine abilities. A joint Aperture Diagram?!"
Tong Twelve's expression turned serious. His pupils contracted sharply as he saw the Bright Moon Bow and Star Arrow resonate in the sky. Their divine origins began to intertwine — this was no ordinary technique. It was a fusion of two separate Life Apertures into one unified divine diagram.
More importantly — it was being executed by two people.
This was a Joint Diagram.
By fusing Life Apertures from different cultivators into a single divine construct, even those below the Diagram Realm could unleash devastating power on par with it. And top-tier Joint Diagrams could even shake the heavens.
But such a feat required unshakable trust and complete harmony between the two parties. Any imbalance would result in catastrophic backlash. This kind of synergy was extremely rare.
And yet — Yao Yue and Lianxing had done it. Tong Twelve felt a jolt of dread deep in his heart.
"Aperture Diagram — Stars and Moon in the Same Sky!!"
Yao Yue and Lian Xing shouted in unison.
Swish!!
In the next moment, the Bright Moon Bow and Star Arrow came together. No repulsion, no collision — only perfect harmony. The Star Arrow naturally aligned itself to the already fully drawn full-moon-shaped bow.
Moon essence and starlight fused together, forming a radiant tapestry in the skies.
Above the valley, a brilliant moon emerged, surrounded by twinkling stars. The sky transformed into a boundless cosmic panorama, awe-inspiring and serene — a true "Stars and Moon in the Same Sky".
The world's ambient energy surged into the fusion, making both bow and arrow glow even brighter.
"I, Yao Yue, am not someone to be defiled. Stars and Moon as One — return to the void!!"
Her cold voice echoed as she looked at Tong Twelve.
Swish!!
Before her words even faded, the arrow shot forth.
Like stardust streaking across the sky, it moved too fast to describe. Only a blinding streak of light marked its passage as it tore through space itself.
"Aperture Diagram—Stars and Moon… such a terrifying divine technique. It draws directly from the moon and stars. This arrow… it's as fast as light — and carries the power to annihilate everything!"
The moment the Star Arrow locked onto him, Tong Twelve felt death approaching. If launched separately, he could've blocked each technique. But fused as a Diagram Technique, its power surged tenfold. Worse, the arrow had locked onto his very essence — no matter where he fled, it would follow.
There was no escape.
Boom!!
In a flash, the Star Arrow was already upon him.
"Crystal Jade Shield!!"
The elderly Three-Eyed clansman instinctively moved in front of Tong Twelve. The Crystal Jade Shield appeared again — this time even denser, even stronger. From his third eye, another beam of divine crystal light shot toward the incoming arrow.