ABRIWMTHM Chapter 50

In the Twin Star Galaxy, the Imperial main planet is a massive planet located at the edge of the galaxy.

It is vast but sparsely populated.

The resources between the main planet and its satellites are present but far from abundant compared to those in the entire galaxy, let alone to be compared with a high-quality resource planet like Campbell Star.

Also due to its position at the edge of the galaxy, after external invaders pass through the asteroid belt of the Twin Star Galaxy, the first planet they are likely to encounter is the Imperial planet.

Since the existence of beast tides, the Empire has borne the brunt as the outermost planet in the galaxy.

In this harsh environment where they must charge and confront the beast tides, the Empire’s people have undergone several generations of environmental selection, making their combat power the highest in the Twin Star Galaxy. The average level of mental power among the Empire’s people is also the highest across the galaxy.

The Empire is a military powerhouse.

These were all things Shi Xing learned from the textbook at the tree nest.

In his previous life, he didn’t encounter star beasts within the Empire but on a barren planet along the boundary line where the Empire’s Third Army was stationed year-round.

At that time, he and Lu Lu hadn’t officially graduated from the military academy. Lu Li took them in and gave Lu Lu a team, but the carefully planned and well-trained star beast hunting operations were led by Lu Li, with him and Wen Xi in command.

They had once hunted an S-level star beast, non-mutated, under his lead.

But due to the leakage of mental power during the Blue Star humans’ maturity period, he was guarded inside the spaceship throughout the entire hunt, fearing that his mental power would drive the star beasts mad, thus complicating the entire hunt.

At that time, he couldn’t see the commotion outside the spaceship; he was only told the phrases “it has started” and “it has ended,” and then disembarked to absorb the beast core.

Once the beast core leaves its body, the stored energy begins to dissipate.

Therefore, after the hunt, the beast cores absorbed by the Blue Star humans would not be fully extracted. Shi Xing would reach in from the cuts on the star beast’s wounds, touching all the energy contained within the beast core.

He has forgotten what it felt like, only remembering that the soldiers participating in the hunt weren’t exactly at ease.

And today, it was his first time witnessing the hunt up close.

There was curiosity, excitement, and a strong anticipation of how much his abilities would improve after absorbing the beast core.

The battleship initiated the first round of encirclement, the beams flickering outside the clouds, a lightning effect caused by the continual clash of mental powers.

【Pull at one hundred kilometers completed, star beast entering the atmosphere】

【Block the mental barrier at one hundred kilometers, completed】

【Star beast detected within ninety kilometers, star beast detected within ninety kilometers】

【Battleship at ninety kilometers prepared, initiating consumption pull】

Reports from various command centers flowed directly into Chi Yao’s communicator. He was controlling the channel but remained silent, just observing.

Marshal Tan Bai Shan was the main commander of this action.

After issuing numerous commands, follow-up reports from various command centers quickly followed.

【Block the mental barrier at ninety kilometers, completed】

【Battleship requests retreat at one hundred kilometers】

【Star beast’s altitude is decreasing, entering the eighty-kilometer range】

……

【Star beast’s altitude is decreasing, entering the thirty-kilometer range】

【Mental power barrier established at forty kilometers】

……

【Warning, warning, star beast’s altitude is decreasing into the troposphere, about to enter the eleven-kilometer range, about to enter the eleven-kilometer range】

【Battleship at eleven kilometers received】

“Roar——”

The approaching roar of the beast drew near.

Tan Bai Shan, 【Ground mental power barrier established】

【Acknowledged】

【Acknowledged】

【Acknowledged】

In an instant, the energy surged, as if petals unfurled in layers centered around Shi Xing and Chi Yao, sweeping magnificently toward the distance.

For the first time, Shi Xing witnessed the mental power barrier of high-ranking mental power soldiers fully opened, feeling his innate ability activate almost instinctively. The scene on his retina made his pupils constrict.

He saw mental power like layered transparent gauze, countless streams of mental power, and high-level barriers established by various layers of different mental powers unfurling step by step, centered around him and Chi Yao. Each layer of mental power belonged to different individuals, thus presenting different colors in Shi Xing’s eyes.

When all these colors piled up in one place, combined with a hint of transparency, Shi Xing… seemed to be enveloped in bubbles refracting different gleams in sunlight.

The difference was that he knew these “bubbles” were indeed indestructible, with each layer possessing powerful protective capabilities, similarly vibrant in color, like a dream.

The most saturated among them was undoubtedly Chi Yao’s mental power barrier, emitting a faint glow, which was one of the display characteristics of a high-level mental power constructed under innate abilities.

In the next moment, the clouds above churned violently, and a massive star beast burst through the clouds.

【Establish a barrier in the troposphere, don’t let it escape upwards】

【Acknowledged!】

【Pressing down the barrier in the troposphere, Tan Yan, you go, pull the star beast down】

【Received】

【Received】

Tendrils of mental power intertwined in the sky, creating intense colors. The barriers among the battleships connected with the energy dispersers, piecing together the mental power barriers of all soldiers to form a large, colorful barrier.

The star beast sensed something and tried to turn back immediately.

A huge collision sound erupted in the sky, as the star beast collided fiercely against the united barrier.

The direct resistance between mental powers, aided by the energy, created gusts that even reached the ground, swirling the snow and mixing it with chaotic flurries following irregular tumult.

“The battleship will establish the barrier above once more; the star beast is about to launch a second wave attack. Everyone, hold on until the high-dimensional barrier is fully established.”

While Tan Yan directed, he stepped onto the mental power barrier, standing alone amidst the vast heights.

Shi Xing could no longer make out the details of his face, but the Empire’s people could. Chi Yao was beside him explaining.

“Tan Yan’s weapon of choice is a mental power knife, which I estimate he has already started charging.”

However, Shi Xing’s innate ability allowed him to clearly see the mental power belonging to Tan Yan.

What the prince said was correct; the mental power surrounding Major Tan had begun to glow brightly, and the sensing device in his hand had already revealed the outline of the mental power knife.

Bang——

The star beast struck again, and the clash of mental powers erupted into even louder sounds. After the collision, the entire mental power barrier dimmed significantly, proving the draining nature of forcibly sealing the star beast was quite substantial.

“The upper layer of the barrier has formed,” Shi Xing said.

In the next moment, a report came through the communicator about the barrier’s establishment.

Tan Yan took a deep breath, raised his hand to swing his arm, and a ten-meter-long knife formed, crafted from mental power.

Tan Yan squatted at the barrier, “I’ll count to three; after three, dismantle this barrier.”

【Small bottom layer barrier established】

【Acknowledged】

“Three, two, one, open—”

“Ha—”

As the star beast charged once more, waiting for him was Tan Yan’s long knife, which came crashing down with the force of a landslide, instantly piercing the beast’s left front paw, the knife sinking in and emerging from the beast’s body on the other side, as Tan Yan used the gravity from the impact to firmly grip the handle, his feet stamping heavily on the star beast.

The impact of mental power erupted again, and the non-mutated star beast of the same rank was firmly suppressed by Tan Yan’s mental power.

With this position, Tan Yan rode the star beast down like a falling shooting star from high above.

Bang——

The star beast’s body crashed violently against the small barrier several hundred meters away, causing it to shatter. People and star beasts received a degree of cushioning, pausing in mid-air for a fraction of a second before plummeting again…

Shi Xing watched as Tan Yan pressed down on the star beast, feet planted firmly on it, using the force of the fall to shatter layer after layer of pre-prepared deceleration barriers, using the star beast’s body as a cushion. The incessantly erupting mental power collisions even burst the star beast’s skin, leaving the collision sites a mangled mess.

Halfway down, Tan Yan called for the barrier to be reinforced.

As the next violent collision came, the barrier held firm in the air without breaking. Tan Yan dispensed with his mental power, letting the knife dissipate, waving his hand to condense mental power once again. The star beast had lost more than half its strength from the impact. Tan Yan maintained a firm grip on this monster with mental power, delivering the final strike at its neck, and withdrew the knife.

Tan Yan: “Get a battleship to take me.”

“Work’s done; land.”

Even before hitting the ground, the snow-white battlefield was only stained with the star beast’s blood dripping from high above.

Shi Xing hesitated, “Is the star beast this easy to exhaust?”

In his memory, this creature had impressive endurance in prolonged fights.

Chi Yao: “No, it started from the boundary line; there’s likely been intentional drainage all the way to the Imperial main star.”

“When Tan Yan engaged, the star beast was already down to half its fighting strength; close combat mainly aimed to immobilize it.”

The battleships in the air maintained their mental power barriers, slowly bringing the bloodied star beast down to the ground.

Tan Yan had blood splatters on his face, giving him a wild and lethal aura.

Chi Yao was present, and all the senior members of the Seventh Army participated in this hunt. Tan Wen moved forward from the back, using mental power to suppress the star beast while another officer from the Seventh Army positioned himself on the opposite side, applying a second layer of suppression.

Tan Bai Shan confirmed the star beast was half-dead and came to retrieve Chi Yao.

Chi Yao looked at Shi Xing and asked him, “Are you scared?”

Shi Xing shook his head.

It wasn’t his first time absorbing a beast core.

Chi Yao: “Then let’s go; we’ll try some fresh beast core.”

When the two walked to the star beast, its distorted form was unrecognizable due to the impact. Shi Xing couldn’t discern where its eyes or nose were, only having a vague sense of its general shape.

However, Shi Xing had an advantage; he accurately pointed to the side of the beast’s body that Tan Yan feared to damage the core without piercing, “The beast core is here, about one meter down.”

“Alright~”

Tan Yan wielded his knife and skillfully cut open the beast core like gutting a fish for Shi Xing.

The star beast let out a long, mournful howl, its mental power thrashing wildly.

Yet before it could act, Tan Wen and the officer’s mental powers once again pressed down, firmly pinning the star beast to the ground.

This star beast was not small, around three times Shi Xing’s length, but when Shi Xing felt the energy surging in the air from the beast core, his first reaction was excitement.

Shi Xing wanted to get closer to the star beast, glanced at Chi Yao, who understood and let go, “Go ahead.”

Shi Xing nodded. With each step closer to the star beast, it violently convulsed under the suppression, trying to struggle but unable to find space to do so; it was firmly held down.

Shi Xing reached his hand into the beast’s flesh and, upon touching the beast core, the star beast seemed to sense something and emitted another mournful cry.

But Shi Xing felt something rapidly pour into his body through the beast core, filling his mental sea.

Yun Wu was right; he perceived the rich energy changes, those easily dissipated and those harder to capture high-level energy, all flowing continuously into his mental sea, sourced directly into his palm.

This energy was fresh and incredibly active.

His mental sea welcomed their arrival wholeheartedly.

Click, click.

The beast core cracked open in front of everyone.

Yun Wu’s expression changed slightly; she knew Shi Xing could absorb crystals, but the beast core…

Just as she was questioning, the beast core in Shi Xing’s hand shattered into ash.

So rapidly did he absorb it because all the energies were suitable that he left not even a trace of the beast core. With a loud sound, it exploded, dissipating into powder in the wind.

Shi Xing took a deep breath.

His whole body felt warm and very comfortable.

In the next moment, an unexpected change occurred.

A continuous violent mental power surged towards Shi Xing; everyone’s faces grew serious—it was the star beast’s final strike, which it had accumulated without anyone noticing. Shi Xing…

In an instant, mental power shattered against Chi Yao’s barrier, not even grazing Shi Xing.

Everyone let out a breath.

Chi Yao withdrew the barrier and asked Shi Xing, “Are you okay?”

Shi Xing shook his head; he hadn’t even reacted but…

Shi Xing extended his hand, sensing the residual violent mental power in the air, something within his mental sea stirred.

Turning his head to look at the star beast, he saw it was filled with violent mental power that should ordinarily be useless to Blue Star humans.

“What’s wrong?” Chi Yao was keen and asked Shi Xing.

Shi Xing hesitated for a moment and then truthfully said, “I… can I try to absorb the mental power from it?”

Chi Yao was taken aback.

Fu Qing/Xu Jin/Yan Chángyue: “?”

Tan Chi/Tan Wen/Tan Yan/Tan Mei/Yun Wu/Tan Bai Shan: “??”

From the back, Xiang Fei and Qín Jué: “???”

“What did you say?” Chi Yao asked again.

Shi Xing repeated, his eyes shining, “I feel like I can absorb it, I want to absorb it?”

Everyone: “…”

Chi Yao was the first to regain his composure, saying, “Try it, see how much you can absorb and to what extent.”

Shi Xing nodded and placed his hand on the star beast. As he began to absorb the mental power surrounding the star beast, it let out an angry long howl.

This mental power gathered into his mental sea but didn’t enter it directly; instead, it fell onto the outer beach.

Seeping into the bottom of the beach, passing through cracks, it disappeared into the void.

He felt very comfortable.

After honestly informing Chi Yao, Chi Yao sensed Shi Xing’s mental sea and confirmed there were no issues, then let go, “Then try to see how much you can absorb and to what degree.”

Shi Xing nodded, looking eagerly at the star beast.

The bloodied star beast trembled!

This time, it wasn’t just one of those terrifying hands; Shi Xing extended both hands onto its body.

“Ah—— Aahhh——”

Later, as recalled by the Tan family members, they never heard the star beast’s cries so mournful.

As soon as Shi Xing placed his hands down, the violent mental power poured into his mental sea’s outer layer like mud into the ocean, sinking into the void, faster and faster.

When Shi Xing finally felt that there was no more mental power to absorb and opened his eyes, everyone was staring at him in a daze.

Shi Xing was confused.

Chi Yao pointed to his feet.

Shi Xing looked down.

What he saw before him made him widen his eyes in shock.

Where the star beast had originally been lying, there was now just a skeleton, a puddle of fleshy muck on the snow, and a layer of beast skin.

He didn’t know when, but by absorbing the violent mental power, the star beast had…

Its flesh had disintegrated like the beast core?!

Chi Yao: “What do you feel?”

Shi Xing felt a bit embarrassed, “I… can I take a bit more?”