Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Chapter 1952 - Arrival of the Emperor

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

A dark storm began sweeping through fearlessly. The will and the devilish blood of the dark profound practitioners were fully ignited.

From the beginning, Chi Wuyao knew that her chances of changing her people’s mind was less than ten percent.

She had come to this place with only one thought in mind, and that was to stand together with them no matter what their decision might be.

Dark energy flashed all around Chi Wuyao. The Nine Witches appeared around their master like nine black stars adorning the grayish skies of beginning above their heads.

“Mo Beichen, there isn’t nearly enough blood on your hands to claim total domination of the God Realm, and we are but one small fragment of the will to resist of this world.”

“When the time comes, there is a not insignificant chance your so-called benevolent and compassionate Abyssal Monarch won't find a tranquil, entirely subjugated cosmos, but one that's filled with blood and smoke. I wonder what kind of expression he will wear then?”

“Hehehe, hahahaha!”

Mo Beichen burst out in laughter for the first time of the day.

It was just a normal laugh, but it caused countless people to cover up their ears with their hands, and their hearts to clench and unclench like crazy.

“What a great monkey show!” Mo Beichen praised with his arms half-raised—he was a hair's breadth away from giving them a slow clap. “I have to say, this ceremony would’ve been most boring without you all.”

After he said that, he casually turned toward the northern region forces and unleashed his aura.

Unleashing one’s power was the simplest action a profound practitioner could learn in their journey to the top, but this universe was in no way ready to withstand even such a simple action from Mo Beichen.

Heaven and earth sank a few centimeters in an instant, and a slight tremor coursed through the oppressed space.

Then, the world itself began to groan ominously.

It was as if the very world was clinging to their bodies and shaking in abject fear. There was no one whose blood flow and breathing weren’t cut short by the display of power.

It was a terrifying pressure that easily crushed the common sense of the denizens of this universe. They were Divine Masters, and yet every cell, every ounce of power in their bodies felt like they were being crushed by ten thousand mountains.

Some dropped to their knees and shivered on the spot.

The blazing, tumbling storm of darkness was easily overwhelmed by the aura, and every northern region profound practitioner stiffened to varying degrees. However, the devilish flame in their eyes hadn’t weakened in the slightest.

Chi Wuyao continued to stand proud and tall despite the impossible weight bearing down on her. Not only did she refuse to give an inch, she shot Mo Beichen a smile of astonishment and ridicule before saying, “Mo Beichen, you’re not… planning to take us out yourself, are you?”

Mo Beichen: “...”

“You’re a self-proclaimed noble knight of the Abyss, and you’ve just recruited a bunch of loyal dogs. However, you’re going to fight us yourself even though we’re just a bunch of ‘lowly’ beings from a lower plane?”

“Who is the master here, you or your dogs?”

The Devil Queen’s voice was somehow soft, pleading, and soul-piercing all at once. “You’re not aiming to become the first pioneer of the Abyss and the biggest laughing stock among the Abyssal Knights, are you?”

As an Abyssal Knight, the words of this world were equivalent to the chirping of ants. There was nothing that a resident of the Primal Chaos could say that could affect his knightly soul even a little.

Even the show of loyalty that shook the three divine regions was nothing but a comedy to his eyes. However, his aura froze visibly after he heard Chi Wuyao’s taunt.

To an Abyssal Knight, their honor was a weakness that could not be impugned no matter what.

Seven thousand people had chosen to submit, and less than a thousand had chosen rebellion.

This meant that his side—relatively speaking, since none of them truly deserved to stand with him except Huo Poyun—outnumbered the rebels seven to one, and here he was deigning to deal with a bunch of Divine Masters and Divine Sovereigns himself. When the Abyss officially took over this world, it was possible that his enemies might use this to sully his honor. He might even become a laughingstock exactly as that lowly woman said.

Even Abyssal Knights fought and schemed against one another after all.

Mo Beichen glared at Chi Wuyao for a moment. He knew exactly what she was planning, but he still withdrew his aura in spite of that.

“Well said,” he responded indifferently, “your filthy, devilish blood does not deserve to stain my hands.”

Yes, he was playing into the hands of a lowly being’s scheme. Yes, the people who surrendered to him were going to suffer a significant amount of casualties… but so what? A billion people from this world could die, and they still wouldn’t be worth even a fragment of his knight’s honor.

For a second, Qi Tianli could not process what he was hearing. Then, his face stiffened like dried fish.

Every Eastern, Southern and Western Divine Region profound practitioner visibly blanched at his declaration as well.

The Devil Queen had obviously come here with the intention of dying for her cause. However, they never imagined that she was planning to take them to the grave with her!

All the terrifying memories they had unconsciously repressed after the Devil Queen became their ruler abruptly rose to the surface. It was like the demons shackled inside their souls had broken free from their seals. They suddenly remembered why they didn’t want her as an enemy.

The Devil Queen wasn’t even their only opponent.

The Snow Song God Emperor who stood at the pinnacle of the profound way and was second only to Emperor Yun in the entire universe, Mu Xuanyin.

The thirty-year-old Heavenly Wolf who killed six Eternal Heaven Guardians in a single sword strike, Caizhi.

The Brahma Monarch God Emperor whose veins ran with the devilish blood of the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and could easily convince the Brahma Kings to turn against them at any moment, Qianye Ying’er… And of course, the dark profound practitioners who were already looking at them like they were dead!

When the Northern Divine Region invaded, that these people had already fought like death was but a fleeting concept to them. To this day, they could not remember those days without feeling a profound sense of fear in their veins. Moreover, the commendation ceremony had not taken place yet. There was a chance—a very high chance, in fact—that the three divine regions weren’t united in their cause.

The Brahma Monarch Realm and Glazed Light Realm of the Eastern Divine Region were obvious examples… The Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm of the Southern Divine Region was a potential threat as well…

Meanwhile, every northern region profound practitioner was suddenly brimming with bloodlust.

We can take these people to the grave with us? How wonderful!

This means we’ll be able to adorn Emperor Yun’s final curtains not just with our blood, but these betrayers’ gore!

Qi Tianli turned around in panic, “Ve… Venerable One…”

The Qilin God Emperor could not even control the tremor in his voice. It showed just how panicked he was right now.

Before he could say anything though, a dark, heavy gaze shot down from above and killed his voice instantly.

“You’re not going to tell me that you’re all just a bunch of useless cowards, are you?”

Qi Tianli’s outward display of fear not only earned Mo Beichen’s scorn, but also wiped away whatever acknowledgement he had had toward the Old Qilin up until his point.

Qi Tianli’s back became drenched in sweat instantly. He blurted out in a hurry, “N-no! This old one isn’t planning to say that at all! It’s just… it’s just…”

In the end though, the Devil Queen just wasn’t as scary as Mo Beichen.

After gritting his teeth and doing his best to regain control of his senses, he declared swiftly, “Do not worry, Venerable One. We have chosen to submit to the Abyss, so of course we will do our best to serve it.”

“As you decreed, these rebels do not deserve your personal judgment. We shall seal our loyalty to the Abyss with the use of our lives and the blood of the rebels!”

After he said that, Qi Tianli moved to the back, blurred, and reappeared in front of Chi Wuyao.

There was no one in the God Realm besides Yun Che who truly dared to stare Chi Wuyao in the eye.

Qi Tianli didn’t have a choice though. His expression was severe, but his gaze was traveling everywhere but the woman’s eyes.

“Devil Queen,” Qi Tianli began. He was doing his best to control his voice, but it was still tinged with deep sorrow. “It was a matter of survival. We had no other choice. Know that there is no one in this world who would go against you if they had any other choice.”

Chi Wuyao looked up and stared at the stifled yet pure sky above her head for a moment.

It was because it would be dyed in sorrowful red until the end of its life in the next moment.

“There is nothing wrong with bending one’s knees to survive.”

Chi Wuyao raised her arm slightly, and her ribbon immediately danced all around her body. It left pitch black scars along the path it traveled. “But if you think you can get away with betrayal… then you’re sorely mistaken!”

The fury behind the Devil Queen’s voice was such that Qi Tianli felt as if the words were physically searing his soul.

At this point, the air of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning had gone completely crazy. No matter how saddened and reluctant the profound practitioners of the three divine regions were, they had no choice but to fight what would be a most terrible war.

While everyone was gearing up for battle, the source of this calamity, Mo Beichen, was watching from above like he was enjoying a most interesting drama.

This was what the ancients meant when they made the saying, “tigers toy with the mice.”

“Stay here, Poyun,” Mo Beichen said to Huo Poyun with his soul voice, “We shall enjoy this game of weaklings together.”

“Keep in mind to not spend an extended period of time in a weaklings' world if you do not want to suffer such a tragic fate.”

His instructions were simple, but it showed just how much he valued Huo Poyun.

“Yes,” Huo Poyun replied simply.

Chi Wuyao’s fully unleashed Nirvana Devil Emperor Soul had transformed her eyes into a pair of infinite, devilish abysses that could devour everything. The devilish energy running along her ribbon had also become as thick as lightning bolts.

She alone posed an incredible amount of pressure to the Divine Masters of the three divine regions.

Her aura was tied to the auras of the other dark profound practitioners. The moment she brought down her ribbon was the moment the bloody war began.

Right before she could fling her ribbon at Qi Tianli though, her hand suddenly froze in mid-movement, and her pupils suddenly shook like wobbly vortices.

Mo Beichen narrowed his eyes a bit.

Mu Xuanyin, Qianye Ying’er and Caizhi’s bursting auras came to a standstill as well.

Qi Tianli, Cang Shitian, Huo Poyun and more… everyone’s expression was changing in varying ways. Everyone’s gaze was attracted to a single point in the distant east as if it was pulled by an irresistible force.

Time itself seemed to have frozen unnaturally in that moment.

It was because the new presence they were sensing…

Belonged to none other than Emperor Yun himself!

“Devil… Master?”

Yan Wu, Fen Daoqi and every northern region profound practitioner turned slack-jawed as they stared toward the east.

Not only did his presence fail to excite or motivate them in the slightest, fear and panic were swelling inside their hearts like never before.

They didn’t fear death, but that didn’t mean they didn’t fear anything. To them, there was no greater surprise—or more accurately, nightmare—than this.

“...” Chi Wuyao let out a quiet sigh.

Shred~~

There was a crimson flash, a faint noise.

And the next thing she knew, two people were standing right next to her.

Yun Che, Shui Meiyin.

Yun Che was dressed in plain clothes today. His long hair was draped carelessly across his shoulders, and his body seemed completely free of injuries. His eyes were pits of utter calmness, and floating above his palm was a pearl that emanated many divine powers. Eighteen Southern Sea divine origins swam quietly inside the divine artifact.

Shui Meiyin was clinging to his arm like an accessory. The World Piercer’s light was weaker than ever before, but the young woman refused to let it fade just in case a situation where its power was needed arose.

“Devil Master…”

“Devil Master!”

“Yun… Che?”

“Emperor… Yun…”

Cries filled with all kinds of emotions cut through the sky. There was no one who wasn’t affected by his appearance.

It had only been sixteen days since Mo Beichen had set foot in this world, and yet the profound practitioners of the God Realm felt as if they hadn’t seen Yun Che in a lifetime.

“...” Qi Tianli’s gaze flickered, and his mouth twitched uncontrollably at the sight of the young man. Forget speaking, he could barely keep his former liege within his sight.

Further back, something in Cang Shitian’s pupils crumbled and gave way to the madness within. It was like a sun beam cutting through an entire realm, like a hot knife through butter.

He was also the first person to give Yun Che a proper greeting. Relatively speaking.

“Hehehe, hahahaha… WELCOME TO THE COMMENDATION CEREMONY, EMPEROR YUN!”

He laughed and laughed like a complete madman. “I WAS THIS CLOSE TO THINKING THAT THE MIGHTY EMPEROR WHO FLATTENED THE GOD REALM BENEATH HIS BOOTS HAD BECOME A COWARDLY TURTLE!”

His voice was epileptic and piercing. He roared and taunted his former liege without any fear or shame whatsoever.

Yun Che didn’t spare the seemingly crazed man even a single glance. From the start, his gaze had been centered on Mo Beichen and Mo Beichen alone. His perception swept across the imprisoned Yun Wuxin, swept across the Devil Queen, Yan Wu, everyone.

The Southern Sea Divine Pearl started flashing erratically in his palm. It looked like it was close to exceeding a certain threshold.

“Why did you come here?”

Qianye Ying’er was the first person to reach Yun Che and gripped his arm with a cold hand. Her fingers tightened unconsciously despite her best efforts to control herself.

Yun Che smiled a little. “Did you really think I was going to abandon you all and survive by myself for some false hope?”

“I don’t mind visiting big sis with you.” Caizhi was a lot calmer than Qianye Ying’er. She simply shot him a gentle smile and said, “This way, none of us will be left alone…”

Mu Xuanyin looked down in disappointment. “If only you hadn’t woken up so quickly...”

If all was already lost when he woke up, then Yun Che would most likely have followed the script they had laid out for him. He would’ve concealed himself and survived to take revenge in the future.

Unfortunately…

“You’ve done enough for me.”

He said not just to them, but the entire Northern Divine Region.

“So leave the rest to me.”

“Devil Queen,” Yun Che’s voice abruptly darkened, “Take everyone as far away from here as possible.”

“Yes.”

She did not hesitate or waste her breath on pointless words. She immediately unleashed her gathered energy, grabbed the Nine Witches, and shot toward the distance at high speed. “All units, pull back!”

“But…” Yan Wu was still staring at Yun Che with infinite worry and fear.

“The Devil Master’s order is law!” The voice of the Nirvana Devil Emperor Soul crushed all hesitation in their souls to dust.

“... yes!”

The northern region profound practitioners departed the scene a moment later.

Shui Meiyin had been pulled away from Yun Che as well.

Mo Beichen did not try to stop them. It was because their lives’ worth could be multiplied a hundred times, and they still wouldn’t be worth a single hair on Yun Che’s body.

The Heretic God, the Devil Emperor, the World Piercer, the Sky Poison Pearl…

Since the young man had so kindly delivered himself to his doorstep, the least he could do was to be a good, unrelenting host.

As for the profound practitioners of the other three divine regions, they weren’t planning to fight anyone to begin with. Of course they weren’t going to stand in the way of this duel.

Yun Che grasped the Southern Sea Divine Pearl as it landed in his palm. The divine origins inside the artifact immediately darted left and right like startled fish.

Yun Che looked Mo Beichen in the eye for the second time, but there was neither wariness nor shock in his eyes anymore.

“My name is Yun Che, and I am the emperor of this world.”

He declared slowly and imposingly, “Mo Beichen, for the crime of transgressing my rule, your sentence is death!”

Emperor Yun’s heavenly might was supreme. There was no one in the Primal Chaos who dared to defy it. However, his opponent was an Abyssal Knight. To their ears, his declaration sounded powerless at best.

“Heh.” Mo Beichen snorted through his nose. During this time, he had already sealed off all possible avenues of retreat with his divine perception. “You think you have the power to do anything against me?”

The golden light grew stronger right as he finished his sentence. The next second, all eighteen Southern Sea divine origins broke out of the Southern Sea Divine Pearl and entered Yun Che’s body.