Against the Gods

It was at this moment that a silver shadow descended from above and dispelled the terrible pressure encompassing Yun Che in an instant. The next moment, Meng Kongchan fell from the sky and stood in front of Yun Che. He asked with a light smile on his face, “This one was just about to pay you a visit. I wasn’t expecting to run into you by accident. Long time no see, Chief Priest. How have you been?”

The Chief Priest did not react at all despite receiving a greeting from the Dreamless Divine Regent. He continued to stare straight at Yun Che.

Meng Kongchan frowned a little and said, “This clumsy boy here is my son, Jianyuan. He was lost for over a century before I finally found him. As a result, he is lacking in education. This is his first time visiting the Pure Land, so it is inevitable that his ignorance and recklessness may lead to unconscious acts of transgression. If he offended you in any way, I ask that you forgive him and overlook this for now, Chief Priest. When this Pure Land Meet is behind us, I will definitely bring Jianyuan with me to pay you a formal apology.”

Still, the Chief Priest did not react. His eyes resembled pits of bottomless darkness.

He opened his mouth once more, and his pressure grew severalfold. “Answer me. Where did your power of Buddha come from?”

The space between the Chief Priest and the Dreamless Divine Regent abruptly grew warped. His terrifying voice also lifted some corners of his clothes and caused them to float aimlessly.

“The power of Buddha?” Meng Kongchan cast Yun Che a sidelong glance, clear shock residing in his eyes. Despite being protected by the Dreamless Divine Regent, the ungodly divine pressure still gave Yun Che a head-splitting migraine. His mind was ice cold and whirling at top speed as he reorganized the response he had initially prepared.

He was going to reserve this response for when he faced the Abyssal Monarch directly. Ni Xuan, the Heretic God’s memory, had informed him exactly who the Abyssal Monarch was. It also informed him just as clearly that the Great Way of the Buddha he was practicing was invented by none other than the Abyssal Monarch himself.

On a side note, the Rage Gods were gods “created” from the Great Way of the Buddha during the Era of Gods. Therefore, assuming he wasn’t wrong about the identity of the Abyssal Monarch, the Abyssal Monarch could surely sense the power of Buddha he carried effortlessly.

However, he had stumbled onto the Chief Priest before he met the Abyssal Monarch. With only a few seconds to spare, he needed to determine if the response he prepared for the Abyssal Monarch was “applicable” to the Chief Priest as well.

Yun Che looked up and met the Chief Priest’s gaze directly. It was only now that he got a good look at the man’s appearance. His face, no, his whole body was engraved with tyranny and tenacity. These qualities were so powerful that they overwhelmed almost all other features. It was to the point where Yun Che could not even determine his age.

His facial features seemed sharp enough to cut apart age itself, and the darkness residing in his eyes seemed deep enough to consume the entire Abyss.

Right before Yun Che could open his mouth, a voice came from somewhere.

“Rage, withdraw.”

The voice was as soft as a drizzle and as gentle as a breeze. It felt both real and unreal. It was clearly devoid of any emotion, and yet it instantly soothed the mind like a clear spring.

The divine pressure vanished in an instant. The Chief Priest’s gaze seemingly lingered on Yun Che for an instant longer before he turned around and left just like that. He did not say a single word.

Meng Kongchan looked puzzled, but his relief was greater. He said loudly, “Farewell, Chief Priest.”

Slowly withdrawing his external aura, Meng Kongchan turned around to face Yun Che and asked gently, “Yuan’er, the power of Buddha the Chief Priest mentioned... Do you actually have it?”

Yun Che hesitated for an instant but nodded his head. He explained, “Of the many things master taught me, there was a body tempering profound art called the ‘Great Way of the Buddha’. I assume that the power I gained from this art is what the Chief Priest called the ‘power of Buddha’.”

“Master warned me not to leak anything about his existence, so I do not understand how the Chief Priest was able to identify this power in just a glance...”

He muttered under his breath, “Could my master have shared a connection with the Chief Priest in the past?”

“...” Meng Kongchan frowned, his expression thoughtful.

“Senior Divine Regent, that voice just now. Could it be... ?”

Yun Che did not finish his sentence. It was as if he was afraid of pronouncing that supreme’s name.

“Voice? What voice?”

Meng Kongchan realized the answer as soon as the question left his mouth. He exclaimed in realization, “No wonder he left so suddenly. To think...”

His gaze immediately grew complicated, but he was in the Pure Land right now. For now at least, the Divine Regent did not dare to make a conjecture, much less infer anything from this.

Yuan’er, that master of yours is probably greater than even your wildest imagination.

“Your master may not wish to be a part of this mortal coil any longer, but here in the supreme Pure Land, all secrets are revealed, no matter how well hidden they are.”

Meng Kongchan did not press Yun Che. Instead, he said with a sigh, “However, this isn’t a bad thing for you. In fact, judging by what I just saw... it may be beneficial beyond imagination for your future.”

“Mm.” Yun Che’s eyes shone with emotion. “Master’s protection is with me even now.”

Meng Kongchan smiled. “Now, let us return. Although your safety is absolutely guaranteed in the Pure Land, your absence still makes me feel uneasy.”

“Yes, let’s.”

Meng Kongchan carried Yun Che. He had just risen in the sky when a gust of sword wind cut through the air and reached them in an instant. Following right behind it was a cool, celestial-like beauty.

Meng Kongchan’s expression was serious, but the sight of her caused his lips to split into a wide grin instantly. “Qingying...”

Hua Qingying scanned Yun Che’s whole body in an instant and asked in a frigid voice, “Did the Chief Priest’s divine perception lock onto you just now??”

Clearly, she had sensed the disturbance and came as soon as she could.

“Sorry for making you worry, Aunt.”

Yun Che hurriedly said, “The Chief Priest was just asking me a question. Perhaps he sensed something odd with my aura? In any case, he did not mean any harm.”

Hua Qingying’s deeply furrowed, crescent-shaped eyebrows did not relax, however. Yun Che did not know this, but she was the outsider with the most contact with the Chief Priest. In fact, she dared to say that she understood him better than even the six Divine Regents.

If the Abyssal Monarch was kind to a fault, then the Chief Priest was indifferent to the extreme. He had almost never treated anyone from outside the Pure Land favorably. Even Hua Caili, the girl with a world-shattering countenance, a pure and innocent heart and everyone’s favorite, had only ever received a cold stare from him.

In Hua Qingying’s memory, the Chief Libationist had never concentrated his divine perception on a single junior of a Kingdom of God so thoroughly.

After casting a glance in the direction the Chief Priest’s aura had disappeared to, the cold focus in Hua Qingying’s eyes finally relaxed a little. “This is for the best. Prior to this, you paid Dian Rahu and Dian Jiuzhi a visit, didn’t you?”

“I was just about to ask you about this as well,” Meng Kongchan.

Yun Che answered honestly, “I did. This is Caili’s and my business. It’s inevitable that I will face down the Boundless Divine Regent and Boundless Divine Son one day. Considering the opportunity, I thought it would be wise to learn about them as best I can.”

Meng Kongchan let out a quiet sigh and said half-proudly and warningly, “Yuan’er, I know you are far more mature and responsible than your age suggests, but—”

“Just leave this to Dreamless and Heart Painter.”

Hua Qingying interrupted the Divine Regent. Staring at Yun Che, she said in a cold but not hurtful voice, “Yun Che, the resistance preventing your union with Caili is countless times weaker than it was before your identity underwent a massive change, and your perfect divine essence was made known to the world. I know that your heart for Caili is true. I know you wish to do everything in your power to improve your odds even a little. However, there are tangled messes to this situation that you simply are not capable of dealing with right now.”

“Overreaching is just as bad as underreaching.”

Yun Che bowed his head and said a bit guiltily, “You are right, Aunt. I did let my impatience get to me. I’m sorry for worrying you, Aunt.”

“Er... yeah... right.”

The poor Dreamless Divine Regent, who was ignored by both his son and his unforgotten love, could only smile awkwardly like a simple, reticent father.

“It is not wrong to be driven by emotion. You do not need to blame yourself. As long as you understand the stakes, then all is well.”

Hua Qingying turned away and gave him one last piece of advice, “This Pure Land Meet is meaningful like no other. There will be conflicts between the Divine Children. You’d best stay out of it and stick close to your Father at all times.”

“I will remember your advice, Aunt. Thank you, and farewell.”

Meng Kongchan would look longingly at Hua Qingying’s back until it was entirely out of sight. Although Yun Che had acted incredibly obedient before Hua Qingying, he did not feel jealous in the slightest. On the contrary, he was glad for it.

“Your aunt is right. Just leave the matter of Caili and you to your elders. We’ll handle it all.”

Yun Che suddenly asked, “There is a question I’ve been wanting to ask for the longest time, Senior Divine Regent. However, I could never muster the courage to voice it.”

Meng Kongchan replied smilingly, “We are father and son. There is no need to act reserved.”

“My question is...”

Yun Che’s gaze grew a tad worried and apprehensive, “Assuming the best case scenario... What will become of your bond with the Heart Painter Divine Regent and the Boundless Divine Regent?”

Meng Kongchan’s easy smile fractured for just an instant.

The Divine Regent did not try to give a half-hearted answer or gloss over it. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh and said, “No one understands Dian Rahu better than Hua Fuchen and me, and our conclusion is the same. No matter what happens, a permanent, irreparable scar will appear in our relationship.”

“In the best-case scenario, a crack will appear in our relationship, but our comradeship will still be there. However, it will take a lot of patience and setup to achieve this outcome. It will especially require Hua Fuchen and me to basically throw our faces before his feet. Well, we are in the wrong here. It is only right that we pay our dues. Dian Rahu deserves this much.”

“In most other cases, the comradeship between Dian Rahu and us will disappear, leaving behind only cold indifference. Considering Dian Rahu is a man who would rather break than bend... this is the possibility Hua Fuchen and I believe has the highest chance of happening.”

He paused for a second before continuing, “That said, the only difference in these two outcomes is the bond we share. You and Caili will always be together, and your union will no longer face any resistance. All things considered, both are excellent outcomes.”

Yun Che looked almost aghast as he lowered his gaze. His voice was much lower as he said, “But your comradeship survived the passage of ten thousand years. To call it valuable would be the understatement of the era... Is it really worth losing it for just Caili and me?”

“Hahahaha!”

Meng Kongchan interrupted his guilt-ridden words with a peal of laughter. “Yuan’er, your and Caili’s love was tested and proven true by a trial of life and death. You are also both perfect God Bearers. When the two of you have become Divine Regents, there probably won’t be anyone in the entire history of the Abyss who is as perfectly matched as you two.”

“Most importantly...”

He reached out and gently rested his hand on Yun Che’s shoulder. “You are my son; my Yuan’er. This is your life and future we’re talking about. Is there anything a father wouldn’t do for his son? It is the same for Hua Fuchen and Caili, so you do not need to be concerned with this.”

“You will understand my feelings when you have become a father yourself.”

Yun Che’s lips trembled for a good while. Finally, he asked softly, “And... What is the worst-case scenario?”

Meng Kongchan’s smile slowly faded, and his gaze shifted to the emptiness beyond the horizon. “If we confess to him directly without any preparation whatsoever, then it will surely result in a complete severance of our bond. It will be difficult to predict the consequences of his uncontrollable rage.”

“Even so, this is still not the worst-case scenario. Worse than this... is Dian Rahu finding out about the truth before we have sufficiently guided, laid the groundwork, buffered, and compensated him... then he would view Hua Fuchen and my actions as an act of utter deception, cover-up, betrayal, and even humiliation.”

He slowly closed his eyes. “In that case, the consequences would not be as simple as explosive rage. It might very well be accompanied by hatred... bone-deep hatred.”

“He will die for those he considers comrades; hate a betrayer more than he hates a sworn foe, hate them so much he wishes they would die a thousand times over.”

Yun Che said in a low tone, “The Boundless Divine Regent of the rumors... sounds more or less identical to your impression of him.”

Sensing Yun Che’s worry and apprehension, Meng Kongchan withdrew his gaze and grew relaxed. “Hahaha. This is why Hua Fuchen and I have been visiting the Boundless Kingdom of God for the past couple of years, and why we forbade you and Caili from seeing each other. Do not worry though. Hua Fuchen and I have planned thoroughly for this. Barring an exceptionally terrible accident, this so-called worst-case scenario will never come true.”

“That said, I need you and Caili to control yourself as best you can. When the Pure Land Meet is over, you still need to return to your respective kingdoms and keep your meetings to a minimum before the dust is settled... though I am sure that someone as wise and intelligent as you already understands this.”

“One more thing. Before we leave the Pure Land, Hua Fuchen and I will bring you and Caili to the Abyssal Monarch in secret.”

Yun Che looked astonished. “Caili and I?”

Yun Che predicted that Meng Kongchan and Hua Fuchen would secretly meet with the Abyssal Monarch and confess about the matter between him and Hua Caili. However, he did not anticipate that they would bring him and Hua Caili with them.

“That’s correct.”

Meng Kongchan nodded. “In fact, we arrived at this decision a year ago. The reason...”

“A small part of the reason is that the Abyssal Monarch is quite fond of Caili. When the time comes, we hope that her presence will quell his anger at least a little. But the biggest and most important reason...”

His eyes were smiling as he said this, “Both Hua Fuchen and I believe that you are capable of winning at least some of the Abyssal Monarch’s affection yourself.”

“Er...”

Yun Che replied in a modest tone, “What existence do you think the Abyssal Monarch is? You really think too highly of me.”

“Hahahaha!!”

Meng Kongchan laughed uproariously. “Caili is a good, obedient girl who has never broken a rule in her life, and yet she went so far as to break her engagement and even challenge her own Father, the one man she used to obey absolutely and without question, for you. I have watched Jianxi since he was young, so I know very well how competent he is. And yet, you have dominated him thoroughly in an unbelievably short time.”

“You speak modestly, but both of us feel that you are far more capable than we can imagine. Hahaha!”

By the time Meng Kongchan laughed, he had already brought Yun Che back to their courtyard. Yun Che did not leave after that. He sat next to Meng Kongchan and meditated quietly, waiting for the audience with the Abyssal Monarch to begin.

As he withdrew his senses, the noises of the outside world faded completely into silence. All that was left in his soul sea was countless streams of thoughts mixing with each other and calculating all kinds of possibilities.

This lasted until a burst of profound qi suddenly descended from the distant sky. A low and intimidating rumble accompanied it. Every Dreamweaver member opened their eyes at the same time and rose to their feet with solemn expressions.

“It is time, Brother Yuan.”

Meng Jianxi’s voice rang in his ears, and Yun Che stood up. He put on a suitable mask of nervousness, anticipation, and excitement.

“No need to be nervous. Just act normally.”

After sending Yun Che a sound transmission, Meng Kongchan proudly rose to his feet while the divine pressure of a True God brimmed around him. “It is time. Let us head to Eden’s Crown!”

The Pure Land was unquestionably the purest land in the entire Abyss, and this place was the purest place in the Pure Land.

The only color one could see in this place was pure, flawless white. The clouds beneath their feet, the sky around them. Excluding the people, one could not find even the slightest speck of impurity, no matter where they looked. The air especially felt like it had been cleansed by the purest spring. Forget abyssal dust; one could not even find a speck of ordinary dust in this place. Such a place was exceedingly rare even in the God Realm.

They called it—Eden’s Crown.

If the Pure Land was the highest place of the Abyss, then Eden’s Crown was the highest place of the Pure Land. It was also where the Abyssal Monarch resided. Behind the countless cloud layers sat a lofty audience hall that even the six Divine Regents didn’t seem to look at directly—Eden’s Temple.

“What an odd place. It’s so pure it actually feels discomfiting.”

The remark came from the woman who represented the absolute purity of the universe, the Creation Goddess of Life Li Suo.

His thoughts interrupted, Yun Che replied, “It’s obvious that this space wasn’t formed naturally. To go so far as to create such an extreme place of purity... it feels like a reflection of some kind of obsession.”

“Obsession?” Li Suo asked in confusion.

“Er... this is going to be a long and difficult explanation, and right now I have to focus on the important matters in front of me.”

Yun Che cast his gaze forward and encountered many foreign gazes along the way. Soon, the core power of the six Kingdoms of God and the only existing Beasts in the Abyss—the dragons—would be gathered here.

Unfortunately for these lofty, supreme existences who stood at the peak of the Abyss and ruled over all abyssal worlds, they had no idea that a demon god who swore to destroy the Abyss at all costs lurked within their ranks.