Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Thirty-six crimson lotuses slowly bloomed before everyone’s eyes. At first, the lotuses only had one layer; a total of nine petals burning as bright as flames. But over time more and more layers of petals added themselves around the lotuses—two layers, three layers, five layers—the lotuses were so suffocatingly beautiful that someone might’ve thought that they had suddenly fallen into a dream.

The instant the thirty-six crimson lotuses bloomed, Luo Changsheng suddenly roared as a thick yellow profound light burst from his body. It was the strongest defensive barrier he could create, and he went on to make a second barrier, a third barrier… a tenth… a twentieth...

He poured every ounce of strength he possessed into defense. He didn’t save anything for anything else.

While Luo Changsheng stacked barriers like he had gone crazy, the thirty-six crimson lotuses were blooming at an extraordinary rate as well. Every time a new layer of petals was added to the lotuses, they would become twice as big as before. The spectators watched dumbfoundedly as the fiery lotuses grew to several thousand meters each.

When the petals of every lotus came into contact with one another, their fiery auras connected, and a pillar of crimson flame suddenly gushed into the air. The impossibly clear, giant figure of a burning phoenix manifested into existence—it was almost as if the real Phoenix Spirit had descended into the world—and it spread its wings, arched its head and let out a long cry. Every feather on its body was burning with the hottest flames of the Phoenix.

The lotuses actually melted into one another and soundlessly transformed into one giant lotus that was at least several hundred kilometers wide.

Yan Juehai’s entire body shook when he saw the beautiful lotus. A hoarse shout escaped his lips, “T-that’s the World Illuminator Red Lotus!”

Yan Juehai’s involuntary roar caused everyone around him to widen their eyes even further.

The blooming red lotus looked beautiful enough to intoxicate a person. It bloomed soundlessly before everyone’s stunned faces and enveloped the entire Conferred God Stage. Its enchanting light gently dyed the surrounding space and sky crimson.

But as gentle it might seem, the giant lotus was a mighty power of the Phoenix that was capable of annihilating seas and burning skies into nothingness!

“What… what… what is that?”

“Is that the legendary… strongest fire lotus of the Phoenix!?” a middle realm king uttered in disbelief.

Yun Che and Luo Changsheng’s figure could no longer be seen on the Conferred God Stage. Everything had been enveloped, no, buried by the silhouette of the gigantic fire lotus. The unimaginably terrifying heat and power caused many souls to shiver all over, even though there was a powerful barrier standing between it and them. They just couldn’t imagine what kind of burning hell existed for the fighters who were right beneath that lotus.

“Sect master, is that really… World Illuminator Red Lotus?” a Phoenix Sect disciple stuttered.

“...” But Yan Juehai was staring at the scene blankly. He didn’t react to the question at all.

“Sect Master Yan, it’s been a long time since World Illuminator Red Lotus last appeared to the Phoenix Sect, right?”

“...” Yan Juehai was breathing heavily. The question finally pulled him back down to earth, but he was still staring at the fire lotus as if he couldn’t bear to look away for even an instant, “It has been ninety thousand years to be exact. Ninety thousand years ago, there was an ancestor in the sect who managed to cultivate World Illuminator Red Lotus. I never thought I’d live to see it bloom once more. Ninety thousand years…”

Huo Rulie looked greatly moved by his words. He could understand Yan Juehai’s feelings completely, because it was probably the same as what he had felt when he saw Huo Poyun successfully unleashing Nine Suns Heaven’s Fury for the first time.

World Illuminator Red Lotus was the strongest flame of the World Ode of the Phoenix. It was an ultimate divine flame on the same level as the Golden Crow’s Record of the Burning World’s Nine Suns Heaven’s Fury.

Unlike Nine Suns Heaven’s Fury, it bloomed quietly and prettily when it appeared. But that didn’t stop it from burning its enemy to dust without a sound!

Nearly everyone sitting at the Holy Eaves Realm had gotten up to their feet. Even Luo Changsheng and Luo Guxie were keeping Luo Changsheng firmly centered in their spirit perception, a taut expression etched on their faces.

One by one, the barriers Luo Changsheng created were devoured by the fire lotus. Every inch of his body was dyed crimson by the fire lotus’ crimson light. Although he was still surrounded by many barriers, he screamed painfully as if he was sinking into the depths of hell.

In the east side seats, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s sent his spirit perception through World Illuminator Red Lotus and onto Luo Changsheng. A moment later, he looked away before snorting quietly and disdainfully, “If Luo Guxie hadn’t warned Luo Changsheng with a sound transmission, he wouldn’t have poured everything he had into defending himself at first notice, and that half a breath’s delay might’ve decided the battle. To think that she would do this in the grand final of the Conferred God Battle.”

“Her actions don’t seem to match her title as the Eastern Divine Region’s number one.”

As the public number one profound practitioner of the Eastern Divine Region, Luo Guxie’s realm was of course very high. No one—not even Honorable Qu Hui—should’ve been able to detect the sound transmission she created. However, that didn’t include the likes of the Brahma Heaven God Emperor.

Beside him, Qianye Ying’er said indifferently, “If Luo Changsheng was just her nephew or her disciple then yes, she wouldn’t have done what she did. On the other hand, it’s only natural for someone in her ‘position’ to lose her cool in a ‘situation’ like this, no matter how powerful she is.”

“Oh?” Brahma Heaven God Emperor shot a sideway glance at her. “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Earlier today, Uncle Gu had told me something very interesting all of a sudden.” Qianye Ying’er said in a leisurely tone, the corner of her lips tugged into a playful smile. “He told me that Luo Changsheng’s life aura, in a certain ‘way’, is quite similar to Luo Guxie’s.”

“...What are you trying to say?” Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s eyebrows shot up suddenly.

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just a thought in my mind.” But Qianye Ying’er didn’t reveal the truth, “Auras have never been a reliable thing anyway. I just thought that it was interesting, that’s all.”

“...” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor didn’t prod further. He moved his gaze away from her while looking thoughtful.

Although the fire lotus on the Conferred God Stage looked gigantic, it was actually a shrunken version of the real “World Illuminator Red Lotus”. Yun Che’s energy was drained away the instant the fire lotus was unleashed in full, causing him to fall straight toward the ground and the crimson flames around him to die away.

However, he didn’t relax for an instant after the attack was unleashed. He had immediately looked in Luo Changsheng’s general direction.

Luo Changsheng truly is the strongest God Child of the Eastern Divine Region… He immediately constructed his defenses the second I raised the red lotus formation. What an incredible spirit perception and battle instinct… in that case...

Naturally, Yun Che couldn’t unleash the complete version of World Illuminator Red Lotus, just like he couldn’t summon nine actual suns when he executed Nine Suns Heaven’s Fury. He just didn’t have enough profound energy to manage such a feat.

Therefore, the World Illuminator Red Lotus couldn’t destroy Luo Changsheng once and for all even though it was incredibly powerful, not to mention that the latter had gone all out from the start… Although the fire lotus managed to crumble most of Luo Changsheng’s defenses, one last barrier stood in the way between Luo Changsheng and the withdrawing flames.

Yun Che gritted his teeth and lifted his profound energy to its limits again just as it was done circulating. He forcefully reignited the dying flames and pounced toward Luo Changsheng.

“Falling Moon Sinking Star!!”

Luo Changsheng had to spend every ounce of strength he possessed to withstand World Illuminator Red Lotus. Before he could even draw one full breath into his lungs, Yun Che had already reached him and sent him flying with his sword. Both the Holy Lightning Sword and the Divine Wind Battleaxe were smacked out of his hands and sent flying in different directions.

There was a loud bang as Yun Che landed heavily on the ground. His arms were screaming, his body was weak, and he was unable to pursue Luo Changsheng further despite the successful strike.

Luo Changsheng rolled in the air and bounced a dozen of times off the ground before he finally came to a stop. He looked like a heavy rock that had been flung into the distance by a hurricane.

Although he ultimately managed to withstand the might of the World Illuminator Red Lotus, his current condition could only be described as appalling. His white clothes were black and tattered, more than half of his long black hair was burned away, and nearly half his body was completely covered in black marks and scorched holes.

The pain inflicted by the crimson flames was so terrible that nearly every muscle in his body was twitching violently.

Although he managed to keep the Phoenix’s flames from reaching him, he wasn’t able to isolate its terrible heat completely.

Clang! The Holy Thunder Sword landed behind him.

Bang!!

The heavy Divine Wind Battleaxe crashed right in front of Luo Changsheng before bouncing into the air. Suddenly, it split into three pieces before it fell one final time on the ground.

The painful ring coming from the battleaxe weakened swiftly until it could no longer be heard. Then, the storm contained inside the weapon spilled outward like water from a burst dam...

The Divine Wind Battleaxe was destroyed by Yun Che’s sword strike after it was repeatedly burned by the crimson flames!

The spectator stands were completely silent except for the incessant sounds of drawing breath.

The Divine Wind Battleaxe… had crumbled!

The famous, highly intelligent, and powerful storm battleaxe that had accompanied Luo Changsheng for a very long time had actually crumbled under the might of Yun Che’s sword!

Luo Changsheng’s eyes turned blank. He seemed incapable of accepting or believing the reality that had just happened right before him. However, his absent mindedness didn’t last for a very long time. Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet with both arms.

He made a grabbing motion, and the Divine Wind Battleaxe’s shattered remains flew back into his hand. He put it away without sparing it another glance. The Holy Thunder Sword flew back into his hands as well, but instead of using it he put it away just as he did with the battleaxe.

Staring at Luo Changsheng and sensing his presence, Yun Che’s expression was gloomy as shock rolled inside his heart.

Luo Changsheng was burned badly by his full powered World Illuminator Red Lotus, and he was hit hard by Yun Che’s sword after nearly all of his defenses had crumbled… However, the wounds on Luo Changsheng’s body weren’t nearly as terrible as Yun Che predicted they should be.

Yun Che was shocked, but he didn’t know that Luo Changsheng and those who were familiar were Luo Changsheng were ten times more shocked than he was, if not more.

Many people in the upper star realms were aware that the reason Luo Changsheng was so powerful, that he was “a realm of his own” even among the God Children, was mainly because both his body and soul had been tempered by the “Divine Water of Absolute Beginning”.

Even for Luo Guxie, the process of obtaining the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning was a very, very dangerous one. Every drop of the water could be considered a top tier treasure in the Primal Chaos Dimension. However, Luo Guxie hadn’t used the water on herself after all the trouble she went through to get it. Instead, she had gifted it to Luo Changsheng and even tempered both his body and soul personally. As a result, his body and soul were as tough as a city protected by a wall of metal and a moat of boiling water.

However, Yun Che still managed to hurt him to this extent with his sword and flames.

Luo Guxie’s chest went up and down rapidly. The light in her eyes was normally soft and indifferent, but today it was shaking slightly with emotion. She had raised Luo Changsheng singlehandedly since he was a child, and she had never seen him this injured or humiliated until today.

Luo Changsheng breathed heavily as he stared confusedly at Yun Che. A few breaths later, Yun Che suddenly noticed that a calmness had passed through Luo Changsheng’s eyes. Although his facial muscles were still twitching in pain, his pupils were scarily calm.

“Yun Che…” he started slowly and hoarsely, “I must admit that I thought that I hadn’t underestimated you at all… but I was wrong. Very, very wrong.”

He raised his right arm, and a bolt of sinister-looking lightning suddenly flashed above his palm.

“You are the first person to ever hurt me to this extent.”

Ssss… another bolt of lightning flashed above Luo Changsheng’s palm.

“You are also the first person… to push me this far!”

Luo Changsheng’s eyebrows abruptly came together, “Is Changsheng planning to…”

“Don’t stop him!” Luo Guxie suddenly spoke up and cut off Luo Shangchen’s attempt to stop Luo Changsheng, “He must win this fight! He must return the pain he suffered hundreds and thousands of times back to his enemy!”