Against the Gods

[1]

Once again, the Dragon Lord was overwhelmed by the favor the Dreamweaver Divine Son was showing him. He did not expect to be talked to a second time.

“Long Jiang?”

The Dragon Lord’s astonishment only lasted a moment. He had an inkling what this was about, but instead of answering the question, he asked tentatively, “May I know why you are asking about her, Divine Son Yuan? Do you happen to be acquainted?”

“I wouldn’t say that we are acquainted,” Yun Che said with an expression of honesty, “but before I returned to Dreamweaver, I was wandering the world alone. One time, this junior encountered a grave situation that might have cost me my life if not for the timely assistance of a woman named ‘Long Jiang’. She disappeared after saving my life.”

“Since returning to Dreamweaver, this junior has been seeking to repay her kindness. However, the Xuanji Hall claimed that no such name was recorded within the dragon race. Since I was fortunate enough to make your acquaintance today, I thought that I might as well ask you about it.”

“I see.”

The Dragon Lord relaxed and let out a chuckle. “It is true that there is no woman named ‘Long Jiang’ among our ranks. However, there is a dragon woman who often calls herself ‘Long Jiang’ while wandering the world.”

Yun Che put on an expression of urgency, “May I know what her real name is?”

The Dragon Lord answered, “I’m sure you have already heard of her name, Divine Son Yuan. Her name... is Long Xi.”

A suitable amount of astonishment flashed across Yun Che’s face. “Long Xi... the Scarfaced Dragon Girl?”

At the same time, realization slowly took over his expression. “No wonder. I thought that her cultivation was unbelievably high considering her age. To think that...”

He suddenly changed his tune and said in a puzzled voice, “This junior has long heard of the Scarfaced Dragon Girl. Not long ago, I heard from the Xuanji Hall that she has successfully entered the Divine Extinction Realm. Is this true?”

“It is.” The Dragon Lord nodded with pride, though his expression rapidly waned after a moment.

Yun Che exclaimed in admiration, “I heard that a dragon’s cultivation progresses much more slowly than humans. The Young Dragon Lord, for example, possesses the Ancestral Dragon’s bloodline and talent that towers over all of his clanspeople. Yet, it still took him five sexagenary years to become a Divine Master. Although he had been progressing swiftly as of late, he is still unable to reach the Divine Extinction Realm, isn’t he?”

“On the other hand, Long Xi has become a Half-God even though she is less than two sexagenary years old. As far as the Xuanji Hall is aware, such a feat is unprecedented for the dragons.”

“Considering how astonishing she is, why have you not brought her to this Pure Land Meet, Dragon Lord?”

Behind the Dragon Lord, the expressions of Long Chixin and Long Qianxin grew complicated at the same time.

The Dragon Lord let out a bitter chuckle as he explained, “You do not know this, Divine Son Yuan, but the dragon race has always been helmed by the Ancestral Dragons. Wangchu isn’t just my only son; he is also the last descendant of the Ancestral Dragons.”

“Long Xi’s talent is indeed out of the world. I have never known anyone in the history of the dragon race who could compare to her. She even possessed the bloodline of the Ancestral Dragons.”

“Alas, she is not of the clan. To this day, this old one is unable to figure out the origin of her Ancestral Dragon bloodline.”

Eyes murky, the Dragon Lord said self-derisively, “Wangchu’s profound talent is passable in the dragon race, but compared to the Divine Son... Heh. Bringing him here would only embarrass all of us.”

“This junior understands.”

Yun Che nodded his head understandingly. “Since the Young Dragon Lord himself hasn’t shown up, it doesn’t make sense to bring another junior over.”

“It shames me to admit it, but it’s the truth.” The Dragon Lord let out another quiet sigh.

The Dragon Lord had met countless people throughout his life. His feelings toward everything besides succession had faded into a faint impression long ago. However, not only was the young man before him a prestigious soul possessing a miraculous divine essence, but his countenance was warm and friendly, and his behavior was refined and cultured. His confidence was sublime, but not so much that it strayed to the territory of arrogance. He was famous for his righteousness and loyalty as well. As a result, the Dragon Lord could not help but get a good impression of him despite this being their first meeting.

So, the Dragon Lord volunteered, “To tell you the truth, this old one tried multiple times to take Long Xi as my adopted daughter. However, she always turned me down. It was a kind of absolute rejection that leaves no doubt as to the truthfulness of her words either.”

The old dragon remarked in self-derision, “Had she accepted my offer, then maybe I could have brought her to the Pure Land to meet with the Abyssal Monarch. Sigh.”

“Why is that?”

Yun Che wore a perfectly understandable look of doubt on his face. “Isn’t it the highest honor for any dragon woman to be your daughter?”

“That is true for any other dragon woman, but Long Xi...”

The Dragon Lord shook his head. “The girl is not just reclusive and eccentric to an extreme; she is so extraordinarily stubborn you have to wonder where it even comes from. She is unwilling to socialize with anyone, just as she cannot be bothered to put on pretenses or speak falsehoods, no matter who she is facing. This has been the case for decades, and I am no exception.”

Yun Che asked seemingly casually, “If that is true, does that mean that she is rather disliked by her kind, and that her situation among the dragons is rather concerning?”

“I wouldn’t go that far.”

The Dragon Lord said with a smile, “Because she is reclusive and eccentric, I gave her a remote place of her own and forbade anyone from approaching her without her permission. If she isn’t out exploring, she is living inside this place. This has been the case for many years. Everyone in the dragon race is aware of her nature and has never provoked her out of their own accord.”

“So, despite everything, we are able to co-exist in relative peace and harmony.”

He wondered if it was his imagination, but the Dragon Lord felt that Yun Che’s aura had grown just a tad softer after hearing these words.

Yun Che raised his hands and paid him a respectful salute. “Thank you for informing me about all this, senior Dragon Lord. Now that I know that Long Jiang is Long Xi, this junior would like to pay her a visit at the Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range one day. Is that okay?”

The Dragon Lord hurriedly raised a hand. “You do not need to pay me such respect over such a small matter, Divine Son Yuan. The dragon race more than welcomes your presence, of course. You are free to visit us at any time. However, I must warn you that Long Xi may not... I would advise you to be mentally prepared, Divine Son Yuan.”

“Of course. Whether she accepts my visit is her choice. This junior would not try to force a meeting, much less barge into her home,” Yun Che said with an expression of sincerity.

This was a good point to ask about another thing that concerned him, so Yun Che said, “Speaking of which, during my brief interaction with Long Jiang—I mean, Long Xi, I discovered that she seems to be searching for something.”

The Dragon Lord’s eyebrows twitched a little.

“Would you happen to know what she is searching for, or if she has completed her search yet? If not, then this junior would like to lend her my full assistance and repay the favor I owe her.”

The Dragon Lord did not claim that Yun Che was wrong. “Long Xi is painstakingly searching for certain objects, but this matter also involves some of her secrets. This old one may be the Dragon Lord, but I still would not like to divulge her secrets without permission. I beg your understanding and forgiveness, Divine Son Yuan.”

“No, I’m the one who overstepped my bounds,” said Yun Che.

Yun Che caught a glimpse of something strange behind the Dragon Lord’s eyes when he gave him his response. This aroused a little suspicion, but given how the line of questioning ended, he could not press the Dragon Lord for more answers.

In any case, the information he probed out of the Dragon Lord was identical to what the Xuanji Hall had found out in the past couple of years. The Dragon Lord was rather fond of Long Xi and had tried to adopt her many times. The Dragon Lord allowed Long Xi to own a private territory where everyone was forbidden from approaching. The Dragon Lord never permitted anyone to harass or bully her either. So—at the Ancestral Dragon Mountain Range at least—he now knew that she was safe, sound, free enough to do what she wanted, and even protected by the Dragon Lord.

Right now, Yun Che’s salute toward the Dragon Lord did not contain a speck of falsehood in it. Not only that, it was infused with respect and gratitude that came from the bottom of his heart.

Suddenly, the surrounding air froze without warning. Even the surrounding volume had shrunk without anyone knowing. Yun Che subconsciously looked at the source of this unnatural change, and through the many layers of cloud and mist, he saw a group of shadows. They were rapidly approaching.

The next moment, Meng Jianxi quickly went over to Yun Che’s side and muttered, “Eternal Night is coming. Brother Yuan, remember that there is no need to greet anyone from the Eternal Night Kingdom of God, not even the Lightless Divine Regent. In fact, it is better not to approach them at all.”

“...”

“... Brother Yuan?” After waiting for a moment but receiving no response, Meng Jianxi gave Yun Che a confused look and noticed that his eyes were dazed and unfocused for some reason.

Noticing his own strange behavior, Yun Che met Meng Jianxi’s eyes and nodded. “I understand. It’s just... the Lightless Divine Regent’s divine pressure is quite strange, isn’t it?”

Thump! Thump! Thump!!

He could hear that his heartbeat was thunderous and intense.

What’s going on? Am I reacting like this because I feel pressured by the Lightless Divine Regent’s appearance?

No... I did not react like this even when the Abyssal Monarch was gazing down on me, or when I came face to face with the Chief Priest...

He subconsciously placed a palm on his heart.

What is this... What else is there in the Abyss that can make my soul tremble so...?

Yun Che exhaled until his lungs were completely devoid of air, and still his heartbeat would not slow down. On the contrary, it was only growing more intense.

“Of course, you are feeling weird. You can think of it as an aura of violence and hatred that rejects everything,” Meng Jianxi explained in a hushed voice. He did not notice Yun Che’s strange reaction.

By the time the group looked, the shadow had already descended on top of Eden’s Crown. To say that they stood out like a sore thumb in this world of pure white would be an understatement. Like the cold spring of the Netherworld, their auras crashed down like a waterfall and chilled everyone.

If Pray Eternal Divine Regent’s dark divine pressure was cold and oppressive, then this was a kind of icy chillness that seeped into one’s bones and gnawed at the very fabric of their souls. It felt like a viper was pressing its fangs against their throat.

The juniors of every Kingdom of God shuddered violently despite themselves.

The footsteps of the women of Eternal Night were perfectly silent, just as their expressions were utterly devoid of emotion. They looked like a group of wandering souls who were dressed in black.

At the center of the entourage was still the black palanquin. Despite having set foot on Eden’s Crown, the Lightless Divine Regent remained seated inside her vehicle and refused to show her true face. This had been the case for many years, and the Abyssal Monarch had never taken offense. Even her fellow Divine Regents could not be bothered to say anything.

This time, though, at nearly the same time, all six Divine Regents turned their heads and centered their gazes on the woman standing to the right side of the palanquin. It was the same for the experts of the Kingdoms of God. They were all wearing varying degrees of shock on their faces.

The right side of the palanquin was reserved for the Divine Daughter of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God. Twenty years ago, the former Eternal Night Divine Daughter, Shenwu Qing, was discarded and replaced by the current Eternal Night Divine Daughter, Shenwu Yi. It was known to every man and woman living in a Kingdom of God. However, no one had seen the new Divine Daughter with their own eyes until today. Her profile was so low that no one was able to acquire much information about her, and the few rumors that did spread were so outlandish and ridiculous that no one could believe them. It was literally the kind of rumors that someone would dismiss as false at first glance.

It was rumored that the former Eternal Night Divine Daughter, Shenwu Qing, was executed a couple of years ago. This rumor was most likely true.

It was rumored that the Lightless Divine Regent had found Shenwu Yi within the Shenwu Clan. She was half a sexagenary years old at the time, but already a peak Divine Master...

It was rumored that she took less than three years to overcome the threshold of Half-Step Divine Extinction Realm and become a half God...

It was rumored that Shenwu Yi was currently a fifth-level Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner...

It was rumored that the group of people who found Shenwu Yi at the beginning had all been silenced by Shenwu Yanye. The reason was unknown...

One of the rumors regarding Shenwu Yi was confirmed to be true. When Shenwu Yanye was taking Shenwu Yi back to her divine hall, they had made contact with a certain Kingdom of God’s spy. They confirmed that she was definitely a peak Divine Master.

However... it was absolutely impossible for her to be a peak Divine Master at half a sexagenary years old. It was even more outlandish for her to overcome the Half-Step Divine Extinction Realm threshold and four Half-God minor levels and reach the fifth level of the Divine Extinction Realm in just two decades. Not even the most audacious bullshitter would dare to bullshit like that.

However... when the Eternal Night Divine Daughter Shenwu Yi, who had stowed away for twenty years, finally appeared before them... the profound aura she released... was that of a level six Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner!

“Level six Divine Extinction Realm? How... How is this possible?” Meng Xuanji, Dream Lord of the Xuanji Hall and master of the biggest intelligence network of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, murmured in utter disbelief.

“Wh... What!?”

Meng Jianxi exclaimed in shock and disbelief. Not long ago, Meng Jianxi had mentioned the Eternal Night Divine Daughter during his regular reports of the Divine Sons and Divine Daughter to Yun Che. He had reported that her cultivation level had reached the fifth level of the Divine Extinction Realm with a chuckle. He could remember clearly how the corners of his mouth had twitched with mirth when he first received the intel, and his tone was anything but serious when he mentioned it to Yun Che. He even laughed in self-derision, saying that the intelligence of Xuanji Hall was reliable right until the moment it decided to tilt off a cliff.

Not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the actual Eternal Night Divine Daughter was even more insane than the rumor, so exaggerated that one could not help but laugh at its ridiculousness.

“Was the intel about her being a peak Divine Master at the age of half a sexagenary years... false?” He unconsciously murmured. It was the only reason he could think of to convince himself that he wasn’t dreaming.

Meng Jianxi was so lost that he did not notice Yun Che’s bizarre silence and utterly unfocused eyes.

The voices around him grew more and more distant, and the colors slowly faded, warped, and disappeared as he stared at the woman in a black dress. The entire world gradually turned into a chaotic, empty white, until all that was left was the eyes that shone into his soul sea through his own eyes. Those eyes were once the most dazzling color that invaded his life, the most painful and sorrowful tears of his soul, and the fantastical dream he forever sought... and the miracle and luxury he desired to no end.

To think it would appear so suddenly and without warning in his eyes; in his life once more!

But... those eyes were so cold and indifferent, they were like frozen lakes. When their eyes met, it failed to elicit even the slightest ripple, much less reflect his figure.

It’s her...

It’s not her...

He felt himself losing control over his body more than ever before. He felt his consciousness wandering even more aimlessly and uncontrollably.

“Yun Che... Yun Che! What’s wrong with you!? Calm your mind, still your breath, and focus your spirit! Your armor must be perfect, no matter when and where!”

Li Suo’s voice rang again and again in her soul sea. Each cry was more urgent than the last, and each emotional expression was more explicit than the last. However, her attempt to jostle him awake failed to quell the stunning waves in his soul sea this time. She had never seen him in such a soul state before. It was like taking a stroll in the park and suddenly entering an all-too-outlandish, fantastical dream. His reason wished to stir him awake, but he both desired the dream and feared that it would pop like a bubble, throwing him back to cold, stark reality.

“Hmph!!”

Pan Yusheng concealed his astonishment behind his eyes and let out a quiet harrumph. “So this is the pleasant surprise you spent twenty years preparing for us. How kind of you.”

“Pleasant surprise. Hah! As if you rotten men deserve such a thing!” A shrill, raspy response screeched out from the palanquin, and it was so terrible that the juniors grimaced in pain and nearly covered their ears.

“Today is the day, Wuyi. Show them your face and tell them your name! Make sure that they will never forget it for as long as they live!”

The Dreamless Divine Regent’s voice was practically a blight upon the living. Every sound wave was like a blade that sawed at the threads of their soul. This was doubly true for the juniors who were meeting her for the first time. For all their mental preparations, they still could not believe that a person’s voice could be this horrifying.

“Yes, Mother.”

While being showered by all sorts of gazes, Shenwu Yi slowly stepped toward the crowd. The moment she stopped in her tracks was the moment her black veil fell off her face without a sound.

“This is the first time Shenwu Yi of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God greets the Divine Regents and all seniors of the Kingdom of God. I request guidance from all of you.”

Gasps broke out all across the temple when the Eternal Night Divine Daughter’s true appearance was revealed to the ground—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM————

Yun Che’s world exploded like a million stars shattering at the same time.

The women of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God were only allowed to wear the simplest, plainest clothes. The only color they were allowed to wear was black, and they could not dress up, dye their hair, or wear even a speck of makeup. It was because the Lightless Divine Regent believed that colorful clothes, makeup, and whatnot were all ways to pleasure men. How could she possibly permit or tolerate them?

Light shone through the clouds and spilled onto her pitch-black sleeves and skirt, like the sheen of a silver halo. Her attire was so plain, so simple. One might even call it crude and coarse. And yet, it had never looked more luxurious and beautiful.

It was because its master was too beautiful. She was so beautiful that she looked like a celestial painting that was emanating the light of divinity; so stunning that even the most eccentric person would be enraptured by her beauty.

The clean clouds gently brushed against the icy skin and delicate bones of her neck as if naturally drawn to her. Every inch of her skin seemed to shimmer slightly with a light that resembled moonlight, but clearer. Her eyes were as beautiful as the ground pieces of starlight, and yet they were so cold and indifferent that they resembled a lonely lunar reflection in a frozen pond. They did not ripple even a little when encountering the presence of a whole group of Divine Regents.

She hadn’t applied any make-up, and yet her lips were a pair of light pink that even the most luxurious cosmetics could not hope to portray. Like a dot of crimson in a field of snow, one look was all it took to pierce the heart and soul. But just like her eyes, they were pressed in indifference and estrangement.

“So... beautiful...”

The whisper came from Hua Caili as she stared blankly at the woman. She was dressed in black, and yet she looked like an icy fair under the moon. She was as stunningly beautiful as she was untouchable.

“To think... that such beauty could...” Sha Xing murmured. The lonely pride of a Divine Son demanded that he look away, and he tried. He really did. However, despite veins bulging near the corners of his eyes, he could not do it.

Gulp!

Gulp!

The sounds of gulping happened here and there. Even the gazes of the Divine Regents went blank for an instant, much less the young juniors. Prior to today, they could not believe that there existed a woman whose beauty rivaled that of the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter. Even more unbelievable was the fact that she hailed from the Eternal Night Kingdom of God.

With such an appearance, no one doubted that she could woo the entire Abyss even if she were a mundane woman with no cultivation whatsoever.

Meng Kongchan looked away and said to Yun Che, “To think that this woman’s countenance is on par with Caili’s. It is truly stunning. Still, she is a woman of Eternal Night, so make sure you never...”

Before he could finish, he suddenly sensed something and wheeled around to look at Yun Che. It was only now that he noticed that his son’s pupils had become so dilated they nearly encompassed his entire eye sockets, and his aura, soul aura, body... they were shaking so violently that they were nearly at the brink of collapse.

He instantly appeared next to Yun Che and asked urgently, “Yuan’er? What’s wrong?”

“...”

With significant difficulty, Yun Che forced out a murky breath and grabbed Meng Kongchan’s wrist. “Senior, I need a barrier... ten breaths... twenty breaths will be enough.”

Astonishment flickered in Meng Kongchan’s face, but he did not say anything. He simply flipped his palm and isolated Yun Che in a barrier woven from the power of a True God. It was completely isolated from everything.

1. Translator’s Note: Alternate Title: UGH AH AH AH AH AH ☜