Against the Gods (Web Novel)

There was a tall and wide crystal mirror at the center of the main hall that displayed the reflection of a beautiful, dreamlike woman sitting. She wore no makeup, but it didn’t matter, for the heaven itself seemed to have done everything in its power to sculpt her countenance to perfection. Her skin was a perfect match for the expression “bone of jade, flesh of ice”, and not one part of her facial features, her snow white skin or her vermillion lips, were imperfect, inelegant, or crude.

However, her perfect countenance also exuded a coolness and holiness that averted all eyes. She gave off the impression of a pure, untainted fairy who resided in a world higher than the nine heavens.

A young girl dressed in a moon white long dress was grooming the woman. The more the young stared at the impossibly beautiful countenance in the mirror, the more absent minded she grew. She muttered in her daze, “God Empress… you’re so beautiful. It’s almost like you’re a fairy from heaven… The legendary Goddess and Dragon Queen cannot possibly surpass this, can they…”

“No wonder the God Emperor is so infatuated with you, empress. Only a fairy like you is worthy of his love.”

The woman said nothing. Her eyes looked as clear as water.

The young girl adorned the empress’ hair with a simple flowing cloud hairpin. Then, she carefully spread the empress’ hair across her shoulders.

“God Empress,” the young girl couldn’t stop herself from asking as she groomed the woman’s hair, “Why won’t you let your hair to grow longer? Considering your godlike beauty, surely you’ll look even better if you were to grow your hair.”

The god empress looked down slightly and whispered, “The hair was cut for love, but the man is dead, the love is gone, so why is there need for hair to grow?”

“Ah?” The young girl blinked her eyes stupidly.

When the grooming was done, the young girl stared at the god empress in the mirror just like she always did. Her eyes were bright; half-stunned and half-dazed.

“God Empress, Jin Yue heard that the final four God Children of the Conferred God Battle has been decided.” The young girl told the woman about the latest news in the Eastern Divine Region, knowing that the god empress was unconcerned for anyone or anything inside or outside Moon God Realm.

“...I guess the Profound God Convention will end pretty soon,” the god empress said quietly. Her tone was as gentle and plain as still water.

“Mn! The God Emperor must be wanting the Profound God Convention to end as soon as possible, so he may complete his wedding with you.” The young girl pursed her lips into a small smile when she said this, “Considering how much the God Emperor dotes on you, he must be missing you day and night after several months of being apart, hehe.”

God Empress, “...”

“Oh right, the Four Conferred God Children this time are unlike all previous times. One of them actually hails from a middle star realm. He has defeated many proud children of the upper star realms on the Conferred God Battle, and he even managed to beat Lu Lengchuan and replace him as a new God Child. Everyone is talking about him since it’s such incredible news.”

The God Empress spoke, “This may be the first time in the history of Eastern Divine Region where a middle star realm cultivator joins the ranks of the Four Conferred Children. It’s only natural for a commotion to occur.”

“Mm!” The young girl nodded, “As it turns out, he actually hails from the middle star realm you often spoke of, the Snow Song Realm.”

“Snow Song… Realm.” Finally, a small ripple of emotion appeared in her eyes. “I owe Snow Song Realm a great favor, but unfortunately I wasn’t given permission to set foot in that place and repay the favor. What is his name, Jin Yue? If he’s a Conferred God Child, he will surely be invited to the wedding a month from now. We should gift him something useful when the day arrives. It will scarcely make up for what I owe the Snow Song Realm, but it is still better than nothing.”

“Yes, Jin Yue will not forget your instructions, God Empress.” The young girl bowed before continuing, “That Snow Song Realm disciple is called Yun Che. Apparently, he actually hails from the lower… Ah!?”

She could feel the god empress shuddering all of a sudden.

In the young girl’s eyes, the god empress was as quiet and elegant as the moon in the sky. That was why her unusual, intense reaction had given her a near fright. She hastily asked, “What’s wrong, empress? What… what’s wrong?”

“...” The god empress’ breathing was a little rapid, but she quickly regained her cool in the next instant. She shook her head slightly before answering, “It’s nothing. I just recalled someone who passed away many years ago.”

“Passed away?” The young girl was slightly surprised, “Did you happen to know a… Yun Che in the past, empress? He must be a blessed person to be remembered by you despite his passing.”

The god empress slowly rose to her feet and stared to the distance. “He’s my late husband. He has been dead for eight years already.”

It has been eight years...

“Ah?” the young girl was stunned for a second. Then, her face quickly drained of all color as she collapsed on her knees and trembled all over, “E… Empress, Jin Yue… Jin Yue heard absolutely nothing, nothing… please spare me, empress…”

“There’s no need to be afraid.” The god empress sighed quietly, “The god emperor is aware that I have a late husband.”

Even she herself couldn’t understand why she was able to speak of the “taboo” so easily.

Her voice went farther and farther away, and the young girl looked up to find the god empress’ figure outside the main hall already. She asked frightfully, “Where are you going, empress? Are you going to see… the lady?”

“You don’t need to follow me.”

By the time the voice reached her, the god empress’ figure had vanished from her sight.

The young girl blankly knelt on the floor for a very, very long time. She had accompanied the god empress for many years, but in that one moment, she had become completely different from the god empress she had known...

That moment, after she said the name “Yun Che”.

Eternal Heaven God Realm.

The Conferred God Battle continued along its course. After the latest Conferred God Children had been chosen, the Conferred God Battle officially reached the end stage. The battle of the God Children would be ensuing soon, and no one had any doubt that the matches would be fiercer than ever.

Today’s battle was the final match within the Conferred Gods Group. Luo Changsheng would be fighting Shui Yangyue. They were the only two combatants who had not suffered a defeat since the Conferred God Battle began.

Just like everyone had expected earlier, Luo Changsheng defeated Shui Yingyue and became the champion of the Conferred Gods Group. Shui Yingyue fell to the Losers Group and would be fighting the winner of Jun Xilei and Yun Che’s battle. Her battle would also be the final battle of the Losers Group.

Everyone predicted Jun Xilei to be Shui Yingyue’s next opponent. It was the only logical choice.

High up in the air beyond the Conferred God Stage, Qianye Ying’er withdrew her gaze after the battle had ended, “Considering that Yun Che hasn’t shown up today, I guess he isn’t ready to surrender the battle against Jun Xilei just yet.”

“Do you think he can defeat Jun Xilei, Miss?” The withered old man asked. He knew very well that Yun Che was the reason Qianye Ying’er had hung around in Eternal Heaven Realm all this time. It was also why she was completely disinterested in today’s battle even though it was a fight between two God Children.

“What do you think, Uncle Gu?” The Goddess shot a question right back at him.

“Absolutely impossible,” Uncle Gu said calmly. “It’s absolutely impossible for him to beat Jun Xilei, unless he can climb up to a whole new level in just three days.”

“We will see,” Qianye Ying’er whispered to herself. Her golden hair danced in the wind, and the world around her dimmed in shame even though her face was still covered.

“Miss,” the old man asked, “what in the world is different about Yun Che?”

The corners of her naturally red lips curled slightly in response, “You’ve led a long life, Uncle Gu, but this has to be the first time you cannot control yourself from asking a question, am I right?”

“Heheh,” the old man let out a rasping laugh. “He is someone at the Divine Tribulation Realm who took down an opponent at the late stage Divine Spirit Realm, and has also unleashed two Manifest Gods. I have lived for a hundred and twenty thousand years in vain, as this is inexplicable even to me.”

“It absolutely isn’t something that can be explained by the word ‘talent’ alone.”

“To think that even someone of your experience and knowledge would use the word ‘inexplicable’.” Qianye Ying’er smiled. “However, your sense of shame is unfounded, Uncle Gu. There are only a few people in the entire God Realm whose experience and knowledge are equal to yours. When it comes to Yun Che though, I must admit that his secret exceeds even the recognition of the God Realm.”

And of course it was, because his secret was something the God Realm had never witnessed until now; an inheritance on the level of the Creation Gods!

Uncle Gu looked up.

“Still, it is such an important secret that the fewer people who know about this, the better. This is something you taught me yourself, Uncle Gu.”

Her tone was flat, but somehow it was still the most melodious and intoxicating sound in the entire world. It was almost as if her voice was tinged with magic.

“Hehe,” Uncle Gu nodded smilingly, “it seems you already have a plan, Miss.”

“I do not,” Qianye Ying’er shook her head in denial. Behind the mask, no one could see what sort of light was sparkling in those eyes that could fell the hearts of every man or woman of the Eastern Divine Region. “I simply wish to see the extent of his abilities and the heights he can attain.”

“Once I’ve ascertained that, then I’ll decide if he’s worth all that effort I spent!”

The days passed by slowly. Although everyone was looking forward to last few Conferred God Battles, their tension was actually a lot lessened. No one was doubting the quality of the remaining few matches, but the winners and the losers already felt clear to the onlookers.

There was no question that the first place of the Conferred God Battle would belong to Luo Changsheng. The second place would be decided among Jun Xilei and Shui Yingyue, and no one was surprised if either combatant turned out to be the better of the other. Yun Che was destined to lose to Jun Xilei, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t the biggest real winner of this Profound God Convention. The praises he won, the eyes he attracted, and the commotions he triggered were far bigger than even the other three God Children put together. He was already titled the pride of all middle star realms by countless profound practitioners in countless middle star realms.

Three days later.

Jun Xilei and Yun Che’s battle finally arrived.

However, Yun Che hadn’t been seen or heard at all for the last three days. No one had seen him in the Eternal Heaven Realm either.

God Burying Inferno Prison, Flame God Realm.

For the last three days, Huo Rulie had been standing at the edge of the inferno prison. He hadn’t taken a single step away throughout this time. He was calm and unperturbed at the beginning, but as time passed his worry grew bigger and bigger. It was because Yun Che hadn’t come out of the inferno prison even once.

The young man had sunk into the inferno prison, and gone down to a depth where even his consciousness couldn’t reach… and stayed there for three whole days...

Words couldn’t describe how incredible this feat was.

It wasn’t something the strongest expert of the Flame God Realm, Yan Wancang, or he himself could do.

Anyone else in his position would’ve thought that Yun Che had perished inside the inferno prison… there was just no way it could’ve ended any other way.

But Huo Rulie never left this place. He believed Yun Che’s words, and he was waiting very, very nervously for a miracle to come true.

Today was the day of Yun Che and Jun Xilei’s battle. There were less than six hours left before the battle officially began, so his emotions were understandably strung taut. His hands were tightly clenched, and his breathing had grown heavy for some time.

“That boy can’t have…”

Just as he was starting to mutter to himself worriedly, an explosion suddenly occurred from the flames before him. Then, a figure flew out and landed lightly in front of Huo Rulie.

Huo Rulie’s mouth was agape for a long while. Finally, he let out a loud laugh before shouting, “You finally came out, Yun boy! I guess I haven’t spent the last three days in vain after all.”

He might be laughing on the surface, and there was undeniably relief in his heart, but that emotion was quickly being overrun by a tidal wave of absolute shock.

Three days… he had stayed within the God Burying Inferno Prison for a whole three days!

Yun Che was smiling calmly unlike the Golden Crow Sect Master, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Sect Master Huo.”

“Hahaha, the important thing is that you’re safe. You never make a promise you’re not sure you can keep, so I should’ve known that you’d be fine. Oh?” Huo Rulie’s eyes suddenly changed, “Ninth level of the Divine Tribulation Realm… have you achieved a breakthrough!?”

Yun Che’s profound strength was at the eighth level of the Divine Tribulation Realm before he entered the inferno prison. However, that was obviously not the case right now.

Still, he didn’t think that a small breakthrough like this meant that Yun Che had any chance against Jun Xilei. Anyone else would be thinking the same too. However, as Huo Rulie stared at Yun Che, he suddenly became wrapped in an inexplicable feeling… it should’ve just been a small breakthrough, but somehow Yun Che’s aura felt completely different from before.

Yet he couldn’t tell exactly what was different.

“Mn.” Yun Che nodded, “The Time Wheel Pearl allowed me to cultivate for seven months straight inside the inferno prison, so I’m glad something came of it. I have no regrets left even if I lose to Jun Xilei today.”

“Seven… seven… seven months!?” Huo Rulie trembled all over and he stared wide-eyed at Yun Che. He nearly bit his own tongue in the process.

Three days in the inferno prison was a feat to cause tidal waves in his heart already.

Seven months...

“Let’s return to the Eternal Heaven Realm now. I’ll be relying on you, Sect Master Huo.” Yun Che’s eyes were clear, and a fire seemed to be burning deep inside them. He had tuned his condition to the optimal state prior to leaving the inferno prison, and unlike a few days ago, he was absolutely itching to fight Jun Xilei now.

“...Alright.” Huo Rulie’s eyes wavered, his lips trembling for a very long time. Finally, he barely steadied himself, slowly nodded, and grabbed Yun Che’s hand, both then vanishing from the edge of the inferno prison.