Against the Gods

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

“Hah!” Yun Che let out a cold, indifferent chuckle. “Can you see the devil in my eyes then?”

Cang Shuhe stared directly into his eyes before answering, “The devil in Your Magnificence’s eyes is dark, sinister, and ready to devour a deserving person at any moment. However, it no longer seems to live in your heart and soul.”

Yun Che: “...”

Qianye Ying’er: “...”

“Ahem! Ahemhemhemhem!” Noticing that Qianye Ying’er’s expression was off, Cang Shitian hurriedly interrupted the conversation with a question, “How is Shuhe’s condition, Your Magnificence?”

“...” Yun Che stared into Cang Shuhe’s supple eyes one more time before summoning a white light around himself. It flowed along the soft sprout that was Shuhe’s hand and spread to her entire body.

Cang Shuhe was born with a defective life vein. If a king realm’s God Emperor hadn’t paid every price to keep her alive, she would’ve died a long, long time ago.

Every part of Cang Shuhe’s body rejoiced like a dying plant that was blessed with timely rain. Her life force was growing exponentially at an extraordinary rate.

Most permanently sick people would be hard pressed to control their emotion after such a miracle had fallen upon them. However, as far as Yun Che could sense, Cang Shuhe’s mind and aura were as calm as a windless lake. There were barely any ripples of emotion at all.

He furrowed his brows and looked up. He discovered that Cang Shuhe was watching him with a level of calmness and concentration that even he found difficult to understand.

Two hours passed by in the blink of an eye. Throughout the healing process, Yun Che didn’t break his posture, expression or silence even once.

He withdrew his arms, but the sheen of white light remained on Cang Shuhe’s body. At the same time, a light profound formation created using the Divine Miracle of Life appeared beneath her feet.

Cang Shitian’s tense expression dissolved into deep concern as he took a step toward his sister and asked her, “How… how do you feel, Shuhe?”

Cang Shuhe bowed elegantly toward Yun Che. “Thank you for your gift, Your Magnificence.”

“Hmph. You should be thankful.” Yun Che turned his back on her before continuing in a cold tone, “I shouldn’t need to remind you of the price of this gift, should I?”

Cang Shuhe raised her head and said softly, “I promise not to betray the favor and kindness you’ve shown me today, Your Magnificence.”

“You better!” Yun Che said, “Starting now, you will spend at least 12 hours in the formation everyday. You will become as healthy as a normal person in a month, and your cultivation will return to your former peak in two months. When it is time, I will return to correct your compatibility with the Deep Sea divine energy.”

He blurred out the profound ark before Cang Shitian or Cang Shuhe could respond and said, “Let’s go, Qianying.”

“Ah… long live His Magnificence!” There was no time, so Cang Shitian suppressed his intense desire to check out his sister’s condition and followed Yun Che.

Qianye acted to leave as well, but right before she was about to step out of the profound ark, she abruptly paused in her footsteps and eyed Cang Shuhe. “There must be a reason Chi Wuyao has chosen you to become His Magnificence’s consort besides your familial ties to Cang Shitian. I look forward to your future performance, sick, forgotten princess of the Deep Sea Ten Directions Realm.”

Cang Shuhe replied quietly, “I have always shunned the world and led an ascetic life. That I have been reborn has only diminished my undeserving desires even more than they already were. I don’t believe that I can live up to the Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s expectations.”

“Are you questioning the Devil Queen’s insight? Hmph.” Qianye Ying’er let out a cold chuckle. “She has never been wrong in this regard, and I don’t believe that she intends to start now.”

Cang Shuhe looked up and met Qianye Ying’er’s biting golden eyes head on.

“Those who are too wise will be hurt by their wisdom. Those who are too bonded will see their bond end prematurely,” Cang Shuhe recited softly. “I have spent the first half of my life cultivating the mind and shunning the mortal coil, and I don’t foresee my mind changing during the latter half of my life. However, I promise to pacify the southern region to repay His Magnificence and His Majesty’s favor.”

“Pacify the southern region? You?” Qianye Ying’er sneered condescendingly. “You’d better. The Devil Master doesn’t need a useless woman who will bring only shame to his name as his consort!”

“Oh right, I might as well inform you of something you were going to learn anyway in advance.” Qianye Ying’er turned her back on Cang Shuhe as she said, “The price of correcting your compatibility with the Deep Sea divine energy by force… is a shorter lifespan.”

“Who knows, it may be even shorter than what you would’ve had otherwise.”

She finally left after leaving behind those chilling words.

Cang Shuhe remained completely unperturbed. Rui Yi turned as pale as a sheet, however.

“Miss, what she said…”

“Don’t speak of this matter to my brother,” Cang Shuhe ordered while slowly closing her eyes.

“But…”

“You will obey,” Cang Shuhe said in a distant voice. “My brother has protected me for half a lifetime. Now that the world has changed, it is time I repay the debt I owe.”

“... yes.” Rui Yi bowed her head and bit her lip strongly.

..............

Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er traveled together until they returned to the Eastern Divine Region.

It was there that Qianye Ying’er finally bid Yun Che goodbye and left for the Brahma Monarch God Realm. She was the Brahma Heaven God Emperor, and the Brahma Monarch Realm was deeply wounded from all the calamities it had been put through so far. Naturally, it was her duty to guide them during these tumultuous times.

The problem was that Qianye Ying’er had to be persuaded like a petulant, stubborn child. Yun Che almost had to throw her out physically before he finally got her to leave to perform her duties. Considering that the title had once been her life’s dream, it was almost ironic and very amusing.

Yun Che flew past many star realms until he finally arrived at a certain wasteland. Signs of destruction were everywhere, and there was a frightening crack on the ground that looked like it had split the very world itself in half.

It was the Star God Realm, or what remained of it.

Very soon, Caizhi appeared in Yun Che’s vision.

She was standing in front of a giant stele and pressing her hands together in front of her chest, praying. The names of six Star Gods were engraved onto the stele.

Although the star realm was destroyed a long time ago, it was the place of origin and honor of the Star Gods. That was why Caizhi had chosen to bury their remains here. She then watched over them for a very, very long time.

“Caizhi,” Yun Che called out to her softly after walking to her side.

The girl slowly opened her eyes and stared at the stele before her. She murmured so quietly that it was almost unrecognizable, “For so many years, my hatred for them was unending… So why did they sacrifice their lives for me?”

Yun Che grabbed her small hands and said, “A God Emperor’s order must be obeyed. They didn’t have a choice back then. In a sense, they have atoned for their sins by dying to protect you. I am sure that they passed away peacefully and willingly.”

“My Caizhi is so cute after all. Who wouldn’t love you from the bottom of their hearts?”

Caizhi dug a nail into Yun Che’s palm before humphing softly. “I bet you said the same thing to big sis before.”

“...” Yun Che recalled as hard as he could before replying seriously, “Yeah, you’re probably right.”

Caizhi didn’t respond. She stared at nothing in particular until her eyes turned blurry. “Brother-in-law, if I tell them that I’ve forgiven them now… do you think they can still hear me?” 

The Heavenly Wolf divine power she wielded was a power of hatred, but despite falling into darkness in both body and power, the supple nature hidden in the deepest part of her soul had never changed.

Yun Che withdrew his smile and hid a sigh. He then took out the Star God Wheel from the Sky Poison Pearl and said, “If you truly regret this, then take this and find new successors to their power. You may see it as a rebirth of the Star Gods… and the Star God Realm.”

Six starry lights flashed slowly on the Star God Wheel. The Heavenly Poison, Heavenly Origin, Heavenly Strength and Heavenly Chief origin power were gone forever because he had sacrificed them for one purpose or another.

Caizhi’s Heavenly Wolf divine power immediately resonated with the Star God Wheel after he produced it from the Sky Poison Pearl. She slowly held the Star God Wheel in her hands until suddenly, her eyes widened a bit. “Where is big sis’ origin power?”

Yun Che answered heavily, “The Wall of Primal Chaos separates all. Her origin power wouldn’t have been able to return to the Star God Wheel.”

However, Caizhi remained frozen for a moment until she looked him in the eyes. “Brother-in-law, do you think it’s possible that... big sis is… still alive?”

“...” Yun Che froze like a statue before looking away. He couldn’t give her an answer even after a very, very long time.

Finally, Caizhi put away the Star God Wheel and turned away. “I’m leaving, brother-in-law.”

“...” Yun Che returned to himself. “Where are you going?”

“The God Realm of Absolute Beginning, of course,” Caizhi replied. “I should’ve done so a long time ago.”

“Very well.” Yun Che smiled at her. “Come back soon. When we return to Blue Pole Star, I want you to meet father and mother right away.”

Caizhi froze for a second before looking away from Yun Che. After calming her rapidly beating heart, she said, “Hmph! I’m not going to fall for that anymore. I bet you say that to every woman you slept with.”

“No, seriously, you’re the first! You’re the only woman I’ve officially married after all!” Yun Che continued with a stern expression, “Also, how many times have I told you not to call me brother-in-law? I’m your husband!”

Caizhi lifted her nose. “Never! I will always call you my brother-in-law!”

Yun Che feigned a surprised expression before breaking into an evil smirk. “Oh, I see now~~ I had no idea you had this type of fetish!”

“Fetish?” Caizhi looked like she didn’t understand the term, but she was quick-witted enough to say with a straight face, “Yeah! I want the entire world to know that you’re a bastard who lays his hands on his sister-in-law even though you already have my big sis!”

Yun Che: (⊙o⊙)...

“It’s also because… I don’t want you to ever forget about big sis. Heehee.”

Caizhi stuck out her tongue cutely and flew away after that, leaving Yun Che to stew in his own thoughts.

A long, long time later, he looked to the east.

“Brother-in-law, do you think it’s possible that... big sis is… still alive?”

As Caizhi’s murmur resounded in his heart again, and again, and again, he kept staring to the east without making a move or sound. 

It wasn’t until many hours later that he finally returned to himself and took off to the Glazed Light Realm.

..............

God Realm of Absolute Beginning, the Abyss of Nothingness.

Jun Wuming was sitting cross-legged on the ground with his eyes closed. A dry leaf flew toward him from somewhere, but was cut in half by an invisible sword aura before it got close.

Jun Wuming opened his eyes and stared at the pair of split leaves. He could feel that he only had less than fifty years left in his lifespan.

That he might not live long enough to see Jun Xilei reach the pinnacle of the way of the sword.

“You are back, Lei’er,” he said in a voice that was as soft as a thin mist.

Jun Xilei slowly descended in front of him and kowtowed to her master respectfully. Then, she began,

“It is all true, master. Long Bai is dead, and all other king realms of the Western Divine Region besides the Blue Dragon Realm and Qilin Realm have been destroyed. Strangely though, the God Realm hasn’t descended into complete chaos despite this. It almost feels like… they’ve submitted to the fate that is Yun Che’s ascension to power.”

“...” Jun Wuming exhaled long and deep before saying, “I once praised him as a true son of the heavens. Only now did I realize that no one in the world possesses the right to assess him.”

“...” The memory of her fateful battle against Yun Che at the Profound God Convention flashed across Jun Xilei’s mind. Her emotions were plenty complicated as well. 

“Clear your mind and focus on the sword,” Jun Wuming instructed while whispering in his own mind: I don’t have much time left, my dear student. When the time comes, you will… truly be alone.

It wasn’t all bad news, however. By a stroke of coincidence, he had helped Yun Che and left him with a fairly good impression. Considering that the young man was the almighty heaven right now, Jun Xilei’s future might turn out to be better than he expected.

“Yes, master.”

Jun Xilei did everything she could to accommodate the dying Jun Wuming. Naturally, she had no reason to deny his request now. She sat down and was about to focus her mind when suddenly, a tremor rippled across her soul.

She abruptly opened her eyes and stared at the Abyss of Nothingness.

“Why have you become distracted?” Jun Wuming asked.

Jun Xilei’s frown deepened little by little. She continued staring into the Abyss of Nothingness, but that shiver in her soul didn’t happen again.

A long time later, she finally faced Jun Wuming and asked, “Did you… hear something strange just now, master?”

Jun Wuming let out a soft sigh before saying, “Distracting thoughts are a distortion in the soul, and your heart of the sword has never truly freed itself from Yun Che’s shadow since that fateful battle.”

Jun Xilei panicked. “Master, I…”

“Calm down. It is neither a mistake nor a devilish thing,” Jun Wuming said gently. “He is now the sovereign of the world. Only by growing stronger will you truly be able to approach him. Do you understand?”

“...” Jun Xilei was going to deny it, but she couldn’t say anything despite opening and closing her mouth a couple of times.

Before she knew it, her mind had submerged into her sword until an invisible… and almost aura-less sword intent rolled around her.

A short distance away, the white mist floating inside the Abyss of Nothingness suddenly distorted without any reason before returning to calm once more.