Against the Gods

“Incredible. You’re seriously incredible.”

From Hua Caili’s perspective, Yun Che had manifested her Heaven Breaker Sword Intent just a dozen or so breaths after he saw it from her, and there was no doubt that this feat had completely transcended the realm of “impressive” or “genius”. Even “miracle” seemed like a lackluster descriptor.

As someone who stood at the pinnacle of the world from a young age, praise and looking up to others were two things she had almost never done. Naturally, she could not find the words or behavior necessary to express them properly.

Then again, she doubted that even the Divine Sons and Daughters of the Kingdoms of Gods could do what she couldn’t.

“No, my master’s the one who’s amazing,” Yun Che replied humbly.

Hua Caili said with fascination, “Your master must be an extraordinary man who transcends imagination. I could be mistaken, but it feels like his attainment in the way of the sword… is even greater than auntie.”

Her words did not disturb Hua Qingying.

After all, she could tell that it was the opposite. Yun Che’s “master” definitely did not specialize in the way of the sword.

Just who on earth is…

It had almost been half a month since the journey began. Now, she was actually starting to get cold feet.

It was because her mind had, despite her best efforts, brought her to the most distant, impossible answer.

The one they said controlled all the elements in ancient times… the one they used to call a Creation God.

Hua Caili took one step closer to Yun Che and said with deep anticipation, Young Master Yun, I just can’t figure out how you managed to execute that wisp of sword intent. Can you please teach… ah, it’s fine if you reject me. I just realized that it is an incredibly unreasonable request.”

All descendants of the Heaven Breaker lineage were obsessed with the sword, and Hua Caili was no exception. She could hardly believe she asked something that she knew to be absolutely taboo among profound practitioners, much less swordsmen. But by the time she stopped herself, it was already too late. She could not help but berate herself over it.

“I…” Yun Che looked hesitant. “It’s not that I don’t want to help you, but…”

“It’s fine! It’s fine!” Hua Caili turned a shade of scarlet. “I shouldn’t have—”

“Sister Qu,” Yun Che said softly to melt Hua Caili’s self-recrimination. “I would not hold back anything that is beneficial to your cultivation. I wouldn’t hesitate for even an instant.”

Yun Che’s gaze and words calmed Hua Caili, but at the same time, it also caused her heart to beat a little faster. She didn’t understand why.

“It’s just that my sword possesses neither form nor art. It relies completely on my enlightenment and compatibility with my sword. With that in mind, there is nothing verbal I can share with you.”

It was at this moment he recalled something and lit up. “That said… When my master was teaching me the sword, he would summon his sword intent and circulate it throughout my body so I may perceive it. That is how I unconsciously attained what I have.”

He raised the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword once more. “How about this? I’ll circulate my sword intent a couple times, and Sister Qu can try to perceive it. If it works; if you manage to glimpse even a speck of enlightenment from it, then I would be most honored.”

Before Hua Caili could respond, Yun Che closed his eyes and circulated his sword intent.

Hua Caili hurriedly gathered her focus and stared at Yun Che with both her eyes and her divine perception.

Chi!

A line of sword power rose into the sky, but it was the ground beneath his feet that was severed. It was the weak Heaven Breaker Sword Intent he executed before, though Hua Caili could tell that it was stronger.

His blade did a flip before pointing toward the sky. As it shook, a vermillion line appeared in the sky. However, it was the ground twenty or so meters behind him that was sliced.

Just when he changed his stance again and prepared to demonstrate his intent a third time, he heard Hua Caili whispering very, very timidly, “Young Master Yun, can I…”

She unconsciously bit her bottom lip, and her beautiful eyes darted about a long time before she finally spoke up, “Can I place my hand on your arm?”

She wasn’t Yun Che. She knew she could never transcend the need for sword foundations and sword arts and manifest the heart and form of a sword just by perceiving their sword intent.

That was why she wanted to touch Yun Che and perceive the circulation of his sword intent directly.

Even as Yun Che arranged his expression into a look of surprise, he thought to himself, “She fell for it already? And here I was ready to tempt her for at least three days or more. Is it because she really is obsessed with the sword, or is it because my ‘groundwork’ is so excellent that we have become even closer than I thought?”

“Er… I…” Young Master Yun was normally so calm it would not be a surprise if people thought that he could not feel emotions, but now, he was stammering like a child, “I-If you think it’s fine, then s-sure! Of course y-you can, Sister Qu.”

It was such a rare appearance that Hua Caili’s own panic lessened and was replaced by astonishment and curiosity.

“I shall continue then.” Yun Che swiftly closed his eyes and manifested the Heaven Breaker Sword Intent once more.

Hua Caili stepped forward and raised her hand. Her fingers looked as white as snow, and they were circulating with pure, jadeish light despite the dark and murky Endless Fog.

She moved slowly. When Yun Che raised his sword, her fingers finally made contact with Yun Che’s arm.

She did not feel the mundane fabric of his black outfit however. No, she felt… his skin.

Having fought countless battles in the Endless Fog, it was only natural that Yun Che’s clothes were damaged here and there. “Coincidentally”, Hua Caili just happened to grab a spot where his clothes were damaged. Hence, physical contact.

It seemed like a coincidence, but Li Suo clearly saw Yun Che dissolving his clothes where Hua Caili’s fingers would make contact with his arm. Thanks to the abyssal dust, neither Hua Caili nor the distant Hua Qingying noticed anything.

The warm sensation instantly froze Hua Caili in place. At the same time, an unfamiliar sensation she couldn’t describe swiftly overtook her body and her soul.

Her gaze wavered. It took her a moment before she finally realized what had just happened and tried to pull back. Before she could do so though, a strange sword intent started circulating around Yun Che and spread into her fingers; her mind.

Her mind instantly sharpened and cut away all distracting thoughts. Using her sword heart like a human would use their own eyes, she quickly gathered her focus and did everything in her power to perceive every wisp of sword qi, every circulation of sword intent… and that so-called “compatibility” between sword, body, and heart.

Chi!

Bang!

Buzz—

Yun Che could only eject a sliver of Heaven Breaker Sword Intent each time, and he did not possess the skill to execute it without a trace like Hua Caili. Therefore, each execution brought forth a different kind of noise.

Four swings later, Yun Che suddenly came to a stop and exhaled deeply. Then, he glanced at Hua Caili only to look away in a hurry and say awkwardly, “S-Si, did you… gain anything, Sister Qu?”

Hua Caili slowly opened her eyes. Her sword heart was still focused, and a faint mist seemed to be covering her eyes as she mumbled, “Yes… and no…—ah!”

It was only now that she recalled that she was touching Yun Che directly and let out a cry of surprise. She hurriedly withdrew her fingers, but yet her fingertips felt unnaturally warm for some reason. Not only that, it seemed to tickle her heart and soul and speed up her heartbeat.

“Aunt said that men are yang. Is that why their bodies are so hot?” she thought haphazardly to herself. “That makes no sense though. Father’s hand never made me feel like this…”

Seemingly unaware of her feelings, Yun Che’s eyes lit up at her answer. “Really? As expected of Sister Qu! It took me many years to finally capture this ‘indistinct’ feeling. To think that you would figure it out instantly!”

“Huh?” Hua Caili was obviously caught off guard by his reaction.

Yun Che continued in a serious tone, “My master once said this to me: ‘What exists may feel like nothing, and what does not exist may feel like something. A sword intent may be nothing, and nothing may be a sword intent. When you finally grasp this, you will begin to experience the beginnings of enlightenment’. With that in mind, your cultivation in the way of the sword is seriously impressive, Sister Qu.”

“Is… that so?” Hua Caili replied while questioning her own feelings repeatedly when suddenly, she noticed that Yun Che’s complexion looked rather abnormal. Puzzled, she asked, “Your breathing seems rather disturbed, Young Master Yun. What’s wrong?”

“Er—ahem.”

Embarrassment like nothing she had ever seen before suddenly bloomed on Yun Che’s face in full force. He even forcefully tore his gaze away as if panicking about something.

Once he was looking away from her, he finally rediscovered some of his previous calm and answered, “I… well… this is the first time I touched a woman, so I… kinda… panicked a little…”

Li Suo: “????”

“Wh… What?” Hua Caili exclaimed in surprise. While staring at Yun Che as if seeing him in a whole new light, she asked, “You’ve been to many places and experienced many things, haven’t you? How is it possible that you’ve never touched a woman before?”

“What… What about that Helian princess from the Qilin Abyss Realm?” she added a beat later, even though she had no idea why she thought of her.

“No, no, absolutely not,” Yun Che denied without any hesitation whatsoever. “My master warned me that love between a man and a woman is both the most picturesque canvas in the world, and the blade that wounds the most. He told me that as a man, I must never wound a girl’s heart. It is one thing to touch a woman who gave me her heart, and one I had vowed to protect forever and ever, but if not, then I must never lay a finger on her person.”

“I have never forgotten my master’s advice, which is why I have always maintained a clear distance between myself and all women since entering the world. I may have lingered in the Helian Empire for a time, but I have never touched a hair on the First Princess’ person… literally.”

Hua Caili tried to recall if Yun Che had made physical contact with the Helian princess during the Qilin Abyss Conference. There was no telling if he had touched her when she wasn’t looking, but at the very least, she personally could not recall any such moment.

“Pff!”

She subconsciously let out a giggle. Realizing how rude it was, she hurriedly stopped herself and covered her mouth. When Yun Che looked even more embarrassed, she hurriedly tried to console him in her own way, “To tell you the truth, you are the first man I’ve ever touched as well, so… we’re even?”

Father doesn’t count… right?

Hua Caili’s reply caused Yun Che to look back in surprise. Their gazes met for a long time before they both burst out laughing.

“So, may I perceive your sword intent this way in the future?” Hua Caili asked with anticipation and a hint of embarrassment and trepidation.

“Of course you can.” Yun Che nodded seriously.

The Endless Fog was dark, windless, and dead. And yet, a wave of something was undoubtedly rippling right now.

High above in the sky, Hua Qingying was frowning as if worried about something. In the end though, her furrowed brow relaxed, and she let out a sigh.

Hua Caili had just grasped the Heaven Breaker Sword Intent, and by all rights, she should focus on deepening her mastery right now. And yet, she was irresistibly drawn toward Yun Che’s anomalous way of the sword.

Distraction was a taboo, especially for someone who practiced the sword. On the other hand, Yun Che was bizarre beyond even one’s wildest imagination. Who knew… maybe Caili really could learn something from Yun Che and experience a massive boon instead?

She was supposed to be guarding her in secret and not make her decisions for her anyway, so… she would do just that.

……

The Abyss, the Owl Butterfly Kingdom of God.

A man was walking across a corridor. He had a tall, slender figure and long, black hair. He was wearing a loose, black robe covered in the noblest demonic patterns.

His face looked like it was chiseled out of stone, sharp and cold. His black eyes resembled ten thousand overlapping nights. His footsteps were slow, but each time his foot landed on the floor, the blue sky above his head seemed to darken a little.

The reason for this was simple. He bore the dignity and power of a god in his body. He was the Divine Regent of the Owl Butterfly Kingdom of God, the Pray Eternal Divine Regent Pan Yusheng.

Following behind him was a lanky middle-aged man with the same hair style and robe. An astonishing amount of demonic power was circulating throughout his body.

Both men stared ahead. They saw a young man slumped against the hall entrance like mud.

His face was flushed, and his eyes were dim and unfocused. He was hugging a large wine jar in his lap, and he was soaked from head to toe in wine. Literally, even his hair was covered in wine. One could smell him from far, far away.

The legendary wine the young man was indulging was called “Not Even A Thousand Dreams”, meaning that not even a thousand dreams was enough for the drinker to awaken back to reality.

Unfortunately, at their cultivation level, it took but the slightest bit of effort to neutralize a wine that was a thousand times more potent than this.

The young man wanted to be intoxicated though. That was why he sought the most potent wine he could find to numb his spirit. It looked like he wanted to drown in eternal dreams, never to awaken again.

Pan Yusheng’s brow furrowed, and the chilly pressure that escaped his body for an instant froze even the man behind him.

He immediately looked away from the young man, however. He stepped past him as if he did not even exist.

Then, he came to a complete stop, looked behind himself, and uttered harshly, “You disgraceful thing! How much longer will you abandon yourself?!”

The angry words of a god could cause both heaven and earth to tremble, but the young man merely lifted his head a little and stared at Pray Eternal Divine Regent with his murky eyes. A long time later, he finally recognized who he was looking at, but instead of gathering himself in a hurry, he simply cracked an uncaring, drunken grin.

“It’s you, Father… burp!” He burped loudly and without a care for courtesy, his voice possessing none of the respect one should have when facing a Divine Regent or a father. “What happened? A god like you cannot possibly spare the time to bother with worthless trash like me… burp!”