Against the Gods

“Hmm?” Meng Kongchan felt puzzled, though he did not show it on his face. “Are you not ready to accept your title yet, Yuan’er?”

“Yes and no.” Yun Che saluted him respectfully before answering. “To be honest, some of what the Dream Lords said earlier is right. I don’t have any memories regarding Meng Jianyuan right now, and I cannot truly accept my former identity. I am grateful that the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God would take me in, but I have no sense of belonging toward it. Right now, my master’s grace remains my one true faith; the sanctuary that must never be tainted no matter what.”

“You are a broad-minded man, Divine Regent. You allowed me to keep my name, ‘Yun Che.’ However, the Dream Lords are right that allowing a Dreamweaver Divine Son to keep his old name would surely garner endless criticism both inside and outside the Kingdom of God, even if it does show off your magnanimity.”

“”Therefore,” he looked up, met Meng Kongchan’s eyes, and said sincerely, “before I recover my memories and accept that I really am Meng Jianyuan, it is not suitable for me to become the Dreamweaver Divine Son. I am satisfied with just proving that your choice was unquestionably correct. I’m terribly sorry to say this, but your grace… will have to wait for another day.”

The audience looked beyond shocked and stupefied. They could not believe that there existed a person who would reject the title of Divine Son.

In their opinion, any wanderer would lose their minds learning that they were allowed to enter a Kingdom of God. To become a Divine Son? To say that they would be overjoyed would be an understatement. They would need a constant reminder that they weren’t living in a dream.

Yun Che chose to remain true to himself simply because he could not yet accept his current identity. He had rejected the title of Divine Son not just in front of the Divine Regent, but also the entire kingdom.

In other words, he truly held no desire for a dream that most did not even dare to dream of.

His earlier insolence, domineering attitude, arrogance and competitiveness… it was all just to prove that he was worthy of the position, and that the Divine Regent wasn’t wrong. He actually did not desire to compete for the position with Meng Jianxi at all.

Meng Kongchan watched Yun Che for a moment before asking, “If I’m not mistaken, there are other reasons why you chose not to accept the title, am I right?”

Yun Che replied, “I have told you my main reasons, but yes, I do harbor some personal reasons that aren’t worthy of being shared.”

“Haha,” Meng Kongchan chuckled, “For the past week, I have grown an inkling regarding your temperament. You are loyal, grateful, true to self, disciplined, and unbending. Those are all excellent qualities. I would be lying if I said your decision hadn’t surprised me, but on second thought, it certainly sounds like a decision you would make.”

It was clear from his words that he wasn’t angry at Yun Che’s rejection of his title at all. If anything, he was overflowing with praise and a hint of pride.

“That is why this divine regent cannot help but be interested in your personal reasons. Why don’t you tell me? Whatever it is, I promise I won’t fault you for it.”

Yun Che hesitated for a second but came to terms with it very quickly. He answered, “As you command, Divine Regent.”

He looked up and declared seriously, “I should have died in the Endless Fog, but my master saved me. Since I was a child, he repeatedly taught me that a man may be as humble as a speck of dust, but he must never bend the knee to curry favor, abandon my pride even if my body is broken, or abandon myself even if my soul plummets into the Abyss.”

Yun Che then side-eyed Meng Jiangxi without any reservation whatsoever. “I have never forgotten master’s teachings, and I never will, which is why I could never stand shoulder to shoulder with the hypocritical and treacherous!”

Even if Yun Che hadn’t side-eyed Meng Jianxi, anyone could tell who he was referring to.

It was no different from humiliating the Divine Son to his face.

For a time, the entire venue was silent. No one dared to respond to that.

Humiliated as he was, Meng Jianxi was still the Dreamweaver Divine Son, not to mention that he was backed by a powerful clique helmed by his mother’s side of the family.

Of course, the heavens only know what they really thought on the inside.

An involuntary tremble coursed through Meng Jianxi’s body, but he gritted his teeth and kept silent.

“Mm.” Meng Kongchan nodded. “Having firm opinions is a characteristic all rulers should have. Very well then. I will allow your conferral ceremony to be set aside temporarily. Now that you’ve returned safely, I am certain that it is only a matter of time before you regain your memories.”

Yun Che replied gratefully, “Thank you for showing me generosity yet again, Divine Regent. This junior is beyond grateful for it.”

Having said that, he turned around and saluted in Hua Qingying’s direction. “Aunt, you came all the way here to witness my conferral, but instead, I only showed you insolence… You must be terribly disappointed in me.”

Hua Qingying responded, “You have always been one to hold true to your beliefs, and this is your personal choice. There is no such thing as right or wrong.”

She turned around and said to Meng Kongchan, “Since the outcome is decided, then I shall be taking my leave, Dreamless Divine Regent. Goodbye.”

Meng Kongchan subconsciously took half a step forward. “Sword Fairy, it isn’t everyday you visit Dreamweaver. Why don’t you allow us to act a gracious host for—”

“Yun Che, escort me out.”

The blue silhouette was gone even as she said this. Meng Kongchan had no choice but to withdraw his hand awkwardly and declare with a straight face, “You heard her, Yuan’er. Escort your aunt to the border.”

“As you command.”

Yun Che saluted the Divine Regent and the audience in a hurry before rushing in the direction Hua Qingying had taken off in.

Yun Che’s departure meant that this conferral ceremony was no longer meaningful. Meng Kongchan turned serious and declared in a casual tone, “Since Meng Jianyuan is unwilling to become the Dreamweaver Divine Son just yet, the conferral ceremony shall be postponed to another date. However, it is rare for all of you to be gathered in one place, so I would like to take the opportunity to discuss another matter.”

Although “Meng Jianyuan” had rejected his conferral, everyone knew that, barring exceptional circumstances, he was absolutely going to become the future Divine Son of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.

It was the only possible outcome after the perfect divine essence—a miracle in every sense of the word—he had displayed today.

They could already imagine Meng Jianyuan becoming countless times more famous and unforgettable than he was a century ago.

The Dreamweaver Kingdom of God itself would be gilded in never-before-seen glory all thanks to him.

“The audience with the Abyssal Monarch will happen in another three years, and this meeting is nothing like what it was. Before three years are up, all Dream Halls are required to select their three most talented juniors to participate in the meeting, and…”

It wasn’t until Yun Che was outside the kingdom’s barrier that he found Hua Qingying waiting for him.

“Aunt,” he cried out softly and walked up to her with barely suppressed excitement and gratefulness. “You cannot imagine how pleasantly surprised I was to see you today.”

Hua Qingying turned around and asked in a cool tone, “Do you know why I intervened?”

“I know.” Yun Che nodded immediately. “You don’t wish for me to reveal my upper limit.”

“Correct.”

Hua Qingying was a traditional, immortal-like painting every time she came to a standstill. “It is stunning enough that you absolutely crushed nine profound practitioners in the same cultivation level as you. Meng Jianze is a level three Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner. Had you blocked his attack in public, the Pure Land would surely be alerted to your deed.”

“It hasn’t been long since you stepped into the world, and your foundation is still quite unsteady. While there are times you should show off your strength to win status and bargaining chips, concealing it at the right times may prove crucial for saving your life.”

“More importantly, you mustn’t underestimate Meng Jianxi. His mother’s clan isn’t just strong, it is deeply rooted in the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God. The only reason you were able to batter him to the extent you did today is because he completely underestimated you. Do not emulate his mistake.”

“I know!” Yun Che nodded obediently. “I will engrave your words into my heart, aunt.”

“…” Hua Qingying shot him a long look but ultimately asked, “You were able to face Meng Jianxi and his entire clique with perfect composure earlier, so why are you losing control of your aura now? Are you troubled by something?”

“N-no.” Yun Che shook his head in a hurry before replying in a meeker tone, “It’s just… it’s been many years… too many years since someone taught me like my master and truly cared about my safety after he was gone. That’s why…”

Hua Qingying replied, “You have rediscovered your roots and gained many family members. In the future, the number of people who care for your safety will only be a dime a dozen—”

“No, it’s not the same!” Yun Che interrupted her almost agitatedly before saying seriously, “As you know, I was forced to accept my identity as Meng Jianyuan. To this day, I still can’t quite accept it, much less view the others as my family.”

“But you, aunt… you are the lofty sword fairy, but you were still willing to accept me, protect me, speak on my behalf, and share with me your care and wisdom when I was alone and destitute.”

“I understand that these are probably just perfunctory gestures to you, but to me, they are as precious and warm as my master’s grace.”

“Hmph. You really are a silver-tongued fox.” Hua Qingying’s voice remained as cool as ever. ‘No wonder you managed to win Caili over to the extent you did. You don’t need to do this. I can tell you right now that I am doing all this for Caili’s sake, not yours.”

Yun Che did not seem disappointed by her curt statements, however. In fact, he smiled and said, “Whatever your reason may be, I can feel that you truly meant me well, aunt. That is all I need to know. If one day you don’t like me anymore… you will still forever be my irreplaceable aunt.”

“… Do whatever you like.” Her expression was hidden as her back was facing toward Yun Che. “Caili has already entered the Seven Star Heaven Breaking Formation, and she won’t be leaving in the short term. So don’t worry, and don’t be distracted by her circumstances. Just focus on improving yourself.”

“One more thing. You are no longer the rootless duckweed you used to be, and after today, your perfect divine essence will surely stun the entire Abyss. Even so, it is unwise to announce your relationship with Caili too soon. We will see after three years when the audience with the Pure Land is over.”

Yun Che replied, “Understood.”

“I’m leaving.”

Hua Qingying floated into the air but stopped suddenly. “As long as it doesn’t involve a divine origin, the Abyssal Monarch never interferes with the businesses of a Kingdom of God. During the previous generation, Shenwu Yanye killed the Divine Son who should have inherited the True God divine power of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God and stole his divine origin, and still he did not say a single word about it.”

Yun Che: “…”

“Therefore, it is not impossible for the tragedy you experienced a century ago to repeat itself. Be careful.”

With that said, Hua Qingying finally took off. Yun Che shouted after her back, “Don’t worry, aunt! If only for Caili and your sake, I will do everything to ensure that I am safe and sound!”

It wasn’t until Hua Qingying’s figure had completely disappeared from his view that Yun Che finally turned around and flew back to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.

When he passed through the kingdom barrier, the border disciples all dropped to one knee and greeted him, “We greet you, Divine Son Yuan!”

Although they hadn’t participated in the conferral ceremony, the Divine Regent’s voice was spread throughout the entire kingdom, and the three words “perfect divine essence” was a heavenly thunder even louder than his voice. Even now, the news was spreading to every corner of the Abyss like a world-ending tsunami.

Yun Che did not return to the venue. Instead, he traveled straight to his Divine Son Palace. Everyone he ran into dropped to one knee and greeted him with the utmost reverence.

“Why… did you give up the title of Divine Son?” Li Suo finally asked. “I thought this is what you were fighting for this whole time?”

“You thought wrong,” Yun Che replied in a leisurely tone. “It is true that I wish to suppress Meng Jianxi from the beginning, but never once have I desired to become the Dreamweaver Divine Son.”

Li Suo asked, “Why’s that?”

“You would know the answer if you really thought about it,” Yun Che explained slowly and lazily. “Who do you think would enjoy a better reputation inside and outside the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God after today?”

“You.” It was as clear an answer as any.

“Yep. And that is all I need.” Yun Che smiled. “I may not be a Divine Son in name, but I am certainly one in spirit. The opposite is not quite true for Meng Jianxi—it is just one setback after all—but he is certainly in an awkward position right now.”

“A thing you fight for and a thing that others are begging you to have are two different concepts. I have already gotten what I wanted, but I don’t need the baggage that comes with the title of Divine Son. As the official Divine Son, Meng Jianxi is the one who should deal with that baggage, not a ‘mere prince’ like me… don’t you agree?”

“…” Li Suo was speechless for a moment.

Yun Che sighed almost emotionally as he gazed into the horizon. “You know, Meng Jianxi and I actually, in a sense, share the exact same thoughts.”

“Meng Jianxi… shares the same thoughts as you?”

Yun Che explained slowly, “Meng Jianxi plans to humiliate me with his profound practitioners and give me an eternal brand of shame so I will have no face to accept the title of Dreamweaver Divine Son ever again. I am the same. I too desire to give his title an eternal brand of shame to facilitate my plans. In this regard, the only difference between the two of us is that I succeeded, and he failed.”

“Methods are methods. I know what I said earlier, but there is no such thing as a method that is right or wrong, intelligent or stupid. Any method that produces good results is a good method.”

Li Suo was silent for a short while before saying quietly, “Meng Jianxi used lowly methods against you because he underestimated you, but also because he was only planning to defend his position. In essence, anything one does in self-defense cannot be too vile. But you… your identity is false to begin with, and everything you did is to further your own goals. To that end, you humiliated him in public, painted him as a hypocritical and treacherous man, and absolutely destroyed the stability of his position… in truth, you are the absolute villain in this scenario.”

Yun Che squinted a little. “Thank you for your praise. Your comment proves that I am slowly but surely getting better at my role as the devil who is in the midst of damning this side of the universe.”

“…”

When he returned to the Divine Son Palace, the guards led by Lu Laisheng dropped to their knees and greeted him as expected, “Welcome back to your palace, Divine Son Yuan.”

Yun Che exhaled a little and said with a tinge of exasperation, “I’m sure you know that the conferral didn’t actually go through.”

“No, Your Highness!” Lu Laisheng declared loudly, “You didn’t become the Divine Son not because you are unworthy, but because you don’t need the position yet! Even if you aren’t crowned a Divine Son yet, you are surely the…”

He paused for a moment but resumed confidently, “… one and only Divine Son that every Dreamweaver profound practitioner approves of!”

This was the power of a perfect divine essence. With this advantage, it no longer mattered if he was officially the Divine Son or not. Everyone in the entire kingdom was eagerly waiting for the day he became the true Dreamweaver Divine Son.

Yun Che waved them off. “I understand your sentiment, but rules are rules. Also, address me as young master as you did before.”

“As you command, young master!” Lu Laisheng answered immediately, his respect countless times more sincere than what it was before.

His servants and attendants were already waiting for him when he got close to his bedroom. Everyone was overflowing with unbridled excitement and passion.

It was understandable. The difference between serving an ordinary prince and a Divine Son wasn’t just night and day.

When they first set foot in the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, they never dreamed that such a boon would fall into their laps. They were certain that they were the most excited people in the entire kingdom besides the Dreamless Divine Regent himself.

Meng Zhiyuan strode up to him and bowed respectfully. “Welcome back, Your Highness the Divine Son. Thank you for your hard work at the conferral ceremony.”

The others were so nervous that they froze in place, unsure if it was appropriate to step up.

“Don’t call me Divine Son,” Yun Che said helplessly.

Meng Zhiyuan giggled. “Yes yes yes, your wish is my command, young master.”

Yun Che lifted his head and glanced at Liu Zhanyi and Shangguan Helu. “What’s with you two? Did you suddenly forget who I am or something?”

“It… It’s not that, young master…” Liu Zhanyi squeezed the hem of her shirt and answered nervously, “It’s just that… this servant girl… isn’t sure how to act in your… divine presence… young master.”

Yun Che felt the corners of his lips tugging upward. He was just about to tease them a little when a clear, bright voice came from afar:

“Dian Jiuzhi of the Boundless Palace requests an abrupt meeting with you, Brother Yuan. Please oblige this one’s request if it isn’t too sudden.”

Hmm?

Yun Che turned slightly in the voice’s direction and thought quickly.

“Zhanyi, lead Divine Son Dian to the guest hall. Helu, prepare the tea and snacks. Zhiyuan, help me change… This Divine Son outfit is way too conspicuous and does not fit your young master’s bearing at all.”