Against the Gods

Chapter 355 – Burning Heaven Clan’s Forbidden Secret

As those words fell upon Fen Juechen’s ears, he felt himself awash with immense humiliation. No matter the reasons as to why Yun Che had spared his life, it all seemed to him like a form of sympathy… sympathy from a person who set out to kill his kinsmen and annihilate his entire clan.

“Yun Che… kill me if you have the guts! I don’t need mercy and sympathy from a fiend like you!” Fen Juechen gasped rudely, his fingers dug deeply into the ground, as streaks of blood flowed freely between them. His eyes, stared daggers with deep killing intent, desiring to tear Yun Che to pieces with his gaze.

“I shall repeat myself, the reason as to why I am not killing you, is not because I pity you, nor is it sympathy, but is due to my Little Aunt’s plea to spare you… however, this will be the only time I’m showing you such leniency! If one day you do dare to plot against me nefariously, I will personally kill you! So, if you do intend to seek revenge, look for me once you have cultivated the sufficient strength, do not waste this rare opportunity at life you have been given!”

Without giving Fen Juechen another look, Yun Che turned his body, and silently departed.

Looking at Yun Che’s departing figure, Fen Juechen’s eyes bulged wildly, as his heavily weakened body struggled violently. He yelled out with a voice as coarse as sandpaper: “Yun Che… you’re not allowed to leave! You’re not allowed to leave… I have not taken your life… I want to kill you! I want to break your body into a thousand pieces, and grind your bones into ashes! I want to let you experience all the suffering in the world… you’re not allowed to leave… get back here… AHHH!!!!”

Despite Fen Juechen’s hysterical cries, Yun Che’s departing steps were undeterred, and in a short amount of time, Yun Che disappeared from Fen Juechen’s line of sight. He threw himself onto the ground, grasping the charred ashes that littered the ground with his blood stained hands, and began to weep with the utmost despair.

More than ten years have passed since he started cultivating profound energy to now, yet he had never shed a single tear.

But today, he wept deeply with heart-rending pain.

His parents, his paternal grandfather, all his kinfolk, clansmen, and his home, were all gone! His life as the offspring of the clan master, disappeared in a the span of a day, leaving him with nothing. All that he was left with was a vast and limitless hatred which coursed through his very heart, blood, marrow and soul.

The entirety of his consciousness had the imprint of Yun Che’s figure deeply branded into it.

“I want to take revenge… I want to take revenge… I want to take revenge… Yun Che… I will… kill you!!!!”

“Even if I am hacked to pieces, and suffer through the nine levels of hell, I will kill you!!!!”

The sounds of his rage filled vow were carried to great distances by the desolate wind, and as the sky became more gloomy, the howling wind became hurried, as though the boundless sky was quaking in fear from the intense hatred carried in his voice.

“The reason as to why I am not killing you… is because of my Little Aunt’s plea to spare your life…”

It was her…

It was her who pleaded Yun Che not to kill me…

It was her… who allowed me to have this wretched life…

Fen Juechen’s gaze, suddenly became misty, as those unforgettable times began to surface in his mind.

That fateful day, he personally brought an entourage to Floating Cloud City to abduct Yun Che’s two family members. When he had arrived at the rear mountain area at the Xiao residence, in that blink of an eye when he saw Xiao Lingxi, his usually domineering and haughty demeanor and state of mind fell apart.

At that time, Xiao Lingxi was sitting by a creek, with both her hands on her knees. She exuded a sweet smelling fragrance, her gaze was misty-eyed, with an affectionate look, though it was not clear what exactly captured the attention of her mind. The waterfall-esque rivulets of water gushed into the creek, causing the water in its wake to scatter quietly. From Fen Juechen’s angle, all he could glimpse was the side of her face, yet simply just from seeing this side of her face, his heart was acutely entranced for the very first time in his life.

With exquisite and tender brows, her nose seemed to be crafted from the finest jade. She had delicate and sweet smelling lips, her beautiful eyes shone like precious gems, her smooth snow white skin overflowing with the luster and gloss, seemingly covered with a layer of cosmetic powder.

In the boundless mountains surrounded by pristine water bodies, and the blossoming of flowers heralding the arrival of spring, the luscious greenery, as well as the landscape that presented a beauty beyond imagination, completely dimmed when placed beside the illuminant beauty of the young lady, only able to serve as a mundane prop. Fen Juechen felt a ferocious tugging of his heart strings, he who had never once seen a girl like her, felt his emotions run wild in that moment… he could not even be sure if what laid before his eyes was a girl, or a beautiful and elegant fairy from the mountains.

In that moment, he felt himself falling under an indescribable and inescapable spell.

Going from the Burning Heaven Clan to Floating Cloud City took him four days. Yet the return journey back to the Burning Heaven Clan from Floating Cloud City took him close to six days. He meticulously slowed the pace, as he was worried that Xiao Lingxi could not bear the arduous quick pace back. Throughout the journey, he ensured that Xiao Lingxi was not harmed by anyone. Conversely, he took the initiative to reassure her that nothing would put her safety at risk, and also that it would not be long when he would personally send her back home.

And he complied with what he had promised, even as to go so far as to come to blows with Fen Juecheng, as he absolutely would not permit any harm to come to Xiao Lingxi.

Never would he have thought that Xiao Lingxi would actually specially beg for mercy on his behalf to Yun Che… sparing his life in the process.

An unexplainable feeling surfaced in his heart, in his world which was clouded with hatred and coldness, suddenly came a feeling of utmost warmth and gentleness, yet immediately, at the crossroads of his doom, he left behind those feelings of his… all he could think of now, was hatred! And she, was inevitably Yun Che’s Little Aunt, the kinsman of the demon that annihilated his family!

“Kill… kill… I will definitely kill you… I will have my revenge!!”

Fen Juechen stood up, looking at the scorched earth beneath his feet with a vacuous gaze. He began to stumble forward with no idea where he should go or where he could go, plodding forward like a machine, his steps landing upon a ground that was burned beyond recognition. He passed countless bodies as he trudged on… and it was at this moment, he suddenly heard a soft groan sound out beside his ear.

Fen Juechen froze his tracks and threw himself to the ground, furiously scrambling towards the side of Fen Yijue’s body… Fen Yijue’s chest had a blood-filled cavity that was approximately the size of a human brain, his inner organs were completely broken down. In that moment, he was completely breathless. Almost close to two hours had passed; even if he was a Throne, he should have passed on beyond the point of no return…

Yet he was not completely dead, hanging on dearly to his final breath. In that moment when Fen Juechen threw himself to the ground beside him, his eyelids gently fluttered open.

“Grandpa… Grandpa!”

Fen Juechen and Fen Yijue usually did not have much interaction with one another. There was even no love lost between the two, yet in that moment, looking at his paternal grandfather who still had life in him, Fen Juechen was trembling from his uncontrollable emotions.

“Chen’er…”

Fen Yijue called out in an extremely weakened voice, unhurriedly, he used all his remaining strength and lifted his right arm, and among his fingers, clasped a pitch-black key which was shrouded in black mist.

“Chen’er… this key… was left behind by your forefathers… seals a… forbidden taboo… and a terrifying secret… our forefathers left a message… that only at the end of one’s rope… are we able… to take out this… key… Within this key… lies a memory imprint… it will guide you towards… the place where this key can be used… it will make you lose your soul… lose everything… even destroy… the entire… Profound Sky Continent…”

“However… our Burning Heaven Clan… should not… be left in such dire straits… you must take revenge… take… re… venge…”

Fen Yijue’s uplifted right arm came crashing down heavily, as the last breath of life left his body. He desperately clung on to the last vestiges of his life and refused to pass on, all for the need to pass down the Burning Heaven Clan’s last secret…

A forbidden secret.

Fen Juechen reached out with a trembling hand, closing Fen Yijue’s eyes who passed on without contentment. His other hand, which held the pitch black key tightened… suddenly, a strange black mist started to flow out from the gaps between his fingers and a strange demonic presence drifted out…

————————————————

With the destruction of the Burning Heaven Clan came the exhaustion of Yun Che’s evil intentions. He was extremely clear of what he had committed, and even clearer of the troubles he would attract from the great stir he had caused, as well as the repercussions of doing so.

After leaving the Burning Heaven Clan, Yun Che called out to the Snow Phoenix Beast, which soared into the sky, heading towards the north, flying straight back to the Blue Wind Imperial City.

“You have indeed activated the Mirror of Samsara, passed through a reincarnation, and altered the karmic cycle!”

Yun Che was just about to fall asleep on top of the back of the Snow Phoenix Beast when Jasmine’s voice suddenly rang out in his mind.

“Er, why do you say that?” Yun Che’s eyes which had just closed fluttered open, as he questioned back.

“Killing so many people in one go, yet maintaining such a sombre expression, even your aura and pulse did not experience a single change! Even the most ruthless and murderous demon, would not have been able to maintain his cool in the face of taking so many lives.” Jasmine coldly said: “You are only at the age of nineteen. Based on your life’s experiences, it is not possible to have achieved such a feat, the only possible explanation, is that you have used the Mirror of Samsara and undergone a reincarnation! Before activating the Mirror of Samsara, your life experiences must not have been mundane, and you must have definitely taken countless lives, bearing upon yourself countless sins and blood debts. And the fact that the Mirror of Samsara had no reaction, is proof that it had been used in within these past twenty years!”

“The Azure Cloud Continent’s time period is misaligned with the Profound Sky Continent’s, and during the time in which you were sent to the Azure Cloud Continent by the Evil God’s soul, all kinds of unusual reactions took place, I had my suspicions at that point in time, I can now deduce… you must have had a previous life on the Azure Cloud Continent. That Su Ling’er, heh… must have been one of your female companions!”

“Huu… “ Yun Che lightly let out a sigh. With Jasmine, there was definitely nothing in which he could keep from her. Closing his eyes, he gently spoke: “Your guess is indeed correct, I did have an unfathomable ‘past life’, moreover it was on the Azure Cloud Continent. But it was in that time that I should have lost my life after falling to my death, yet I had no idea why I was reborn here. It wasn’t until I knew that I had the Mirror of Samsara in my possession, that I started piecing together the facts slowly. Yet this matter, other than you, who else would have believed me even if I had told them the truth?”

“Do you remember that time, I once mentioned to you, the people whom I have killed far outstrips the number of those you have killed? At that time, you treated my words with contempt… yet, I really was not joking with you at all. Not only are the people I have killed greater in number than those you have killed, the number is way more insurmountable than you can imagine… if you think of yourself as a vile creature, a demon who could never been forgiven, then I…” Yun Che turned away, and added in an indifferent manner: “Am the demon among all demons. But I have never once taken a life in vain, or ever regretted every single life that I have taken. I believe you and I are alike in this sense.”

Jasmine became taciturn, and turned silent for a long time.

After a while had passed, Jasmine suddenly chimed: “This time, you spared the one person that you shouldn’t have! That Fen Juechen is extremely dangerous. In the future, perhaps there is possibility that he might have the ability to threaten you.”

“I am aware of that. His willpower is astonishingly strong. Under the provocation he has suffered today, his desire to seek revenge against me will lead him to see to acquire strength at all costs no matter the methods, and become a crazed lunatic who is willing to forsake everything. However, regardless of whether he had saved Little Aunt, or because Little Aunt interceded on his behalf, I was unable to take action against him.”

Following that, Yun Che’s mouth twitched, and added in a relaxed manner: “I have the Dragon God and Phoenix’s bloodline, and the Evil God’s Profound Veins within my body, even if he became a lunatic among lunatics, it would not be possible for him to catch up to me in terms of strength. I instead hope that he can treasure this precious life that was given to him by my Little Aunt, and find a place to spend his life peacefully and safely. If the day should come when he does come looking for me to take revenge, the only road left to me would be to reunite him with his deceased family members.”