Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Chapter 2009 - The Last Heretic God Seed

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

“But young human, you are missing the most important quality you must have in this Abyss,” the Qilin God abruptly changed his tune, “Vigilance!”

“As an outsider, it is inevitable that you will garner attention when your identity is exposed. If they learn that you possess the inheritance of the Creation God of Elements as well, then you will surely be hunted by everyone in the Abyss. It would be unimaginably difficult for you to make any move when that happens.”

“That is why you shouldn’t have revealed everything to me. Aren’t you afraid that I would announce everything about you to this world?”

Yun Che replied honestly, “Oh, I’m scared. If you were anyone else, I would be acting with utmost caution, much less divulge to you my mission. It is easily my biggest secret to keep.”

“But I know I can be honest with you. In fact, total honesty is the only way I can convince you to treat me with equal honesty.”

“After all,” Yun Che smiled, “You are the final qilin. It is my belief that you would rather die than to lose your last bit of radiance.”

To the qilin, betraying others, their benefactors, and those who wish to “save the world” was a cardinal sin that would taint not just their own honor, but their race’s. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they would be denounced and ridiculed by the latter generations for eternity.

He was the final qilin. He must protect his race’s final honor and nobility to the past.

Some methods of persuasion were more effective than others, but there was no such thing as a one-stop solution. Those who believed there was must not have interacted much with others.

Take Cang Shitian for example. If someone asked him to sacrifice himself for the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm as repayment for everything the realm had done for him, the only response they would get would be a swift death.

The Qilin God however? Now, that was a very different story.

“Hehehehe, you definitely have a silver tongue.”

The Qilin God was a supreme being who had lived for god-knows-how-many-years. Yun Che’s subtext did not escape his notice. “However, you seem to have forgotten that this place is named the Qilin God Realm; a gift the Abyssal Monarch Himself has bestowed unto me. I may hide your existence from the rest of the world, but I am obligated to reveal it to the Abyssal Monarch. Do you understand the situation you’re in right now?”

Yun Che’s smile didn’t fade, however. “Come on, senior Qilin. I know that your relationship with the Abyssal Monarch isn’t nearly as close to what the people of the Abyss seem to believe. In fact, I dare say that the two of you are deeply estranged due to a certain topic.”

“...” The divine light in the Qilin God’s eyes suddenly dimmed. It didn’t mouth a retort because it was the truth, and it wanted to know how Yun Che was able to find out about this.

Yun Che replied, “To tell you the truth, it has only been a month since I came to the Abyss, so I know very little about this word, much less their supreme ruler, the Abyssal Monarch. But I do not need to know the Abyssal Monarch to pick up the clues.”

He glanced at the yellow sand all around the Qilin Sacred Palace and said, “From what I heard, you and the Abyssal Monarch are long time friends, and He had created the Qilin God Realm to protect you. There is no one in the entire Qlin Abyss Realm who questioned this story. Everyone believes that this secret realm and its unbelievably rich earth element was bestowed to you by the Abyssal Monarch, and it is how you, the final qilin, were able to survive until now.”

“When I learned that the final elemental seed was most likely with you though, I knew that the Abyssal Monarch’s ‘gift’ wasn’t the reason you were able to live to this day. The elemental seed is the reason you were able to survive to this day, not Him.”

“It’s understandable why most people didn’t think to question this belief. After all, they do not have my information and my perspective.”

Yun Che stared into the Qilin God’s eyes so that none of its reactions could escape his grasp. “If the Qilin God Realm isn’t a gift to you, then what could it be? It’s really not that difficult to figure out. In fact, let me put it this way: if the two of you really were long time friends, and if the Abyssal Monarch really wanted to preserve the final qilin, then why didn’t He just keep you in the Pure Land where no abyssal dust exists?”

The Qilin God: “...”

“They do say that the Pure Land is the greatest realm there was in the Abyss, so perhaps he couldn’t make an exception even for you. In that case, why didn’t He place you in the Six Kingdoms of God? They too possess the power to isolate abyssal dust, right?”

“You are a powerful god and a well-renowned beast of benevolence and auspiciousness. Not only that, you’re the final qilin. Barring exceptional circumstances, I cannot imagine any Kingdom of God who would turn you away.”

“In reality, you weren’t relocated to the Pure Land, the Kingdoms of God, or even somewhere close to the Kingdoms of God. Instead, you were slumbering at the edge of the world. If you ask me, it looks more like you were exiled than you were bestowed a ‘gift’ by the Abyssal Monarch.”

“And if you really were exiled, then the Qilin God Realm isn’t a safe zone created to keep you alive. It is really a prison to keep you in.”

“The Qilin God Realm opens once every six hundred years, and an Abyssal Knight is dispatched to open the barrier and keep an eye on the entrance the entire time. The participants who are allowed entrance must obey the rules set by the Abyssal Monarch as well.”

“But why would the Abyssal Monarch even bother to come up with a set of rules for a secret realm at the edge of the borderland, much less dispatch an Abyssal Knight periodically to keep an eye on it? “It can only be because the Abyssal Knight was really meant to supervise you, senior Qilin.”

Yun Che paused for a moment to see if the Qilin God would give him a response, but there was none. So, he continued, “I tried putting myself in the Abyssal Monarch’s position and imagining why he would do such a thing. The conclusion I arrived at was that ‘something’ had caused a huge crack in your relationship, and this ‘something’ was most likely…”

“... A secret. You found out about a certain secret relating to the Abyssal Monarch that he never wanted anyone to learn about.”

The light in the Qilin God’s eyes was blown to smithereens then. Before this, Yun Che was less than forty percent sure that his assumption was correct, but the Qilin God’s reaction more or less confirmed it.

It wasn’t difficult to arrive at this deduction. The Abyssal Monarch had exiled the Qilin God to the borderland and imprisoned him. He even dispatched an Abyssal Knight to supervise the barrier every time it was opened, and set up all kinds of rules pertaining to the Qilin God Realm. It all pointed toward the Abyssal Monarch trying to keep the Qilin God away from the six Kingdoms of God or even anyone from a higher plane.

From his actions, Yun Che deduced that the Qilin God knew a forbidden secret about the Abyssal Monarch, but the Abyssal Monarch would not or could not kill the Qilin God for some reason. He most definitely didn’t want to rouse the people’s suspicions either. That was why he had no choice but to exile the Qilin God and pretend that it was a gift.

In this case, the Qilin God’s nature might very well have saved its life. Everyone knew that the qilin was a benevolent and auspicious creature, so the Abyssal Monarch couldn’t just come up with an excuse to kill it. If it was any other race, he was certain that the Abyssal Monarch would have killed it no matter how close they were in the past. Such was the way of a monarch.

“Impressive.”

The Qilin God finally spoke up again, and his tone was filled with astonishment and admiration, “You’re so young, and yet you were able to discern the truth with unerring accuracy. You really are his successor. No wonder you, a human, were able to inherit his power.”

Its praise hadn’t really changed, but it was a million times more truthful than before.

Yun Che replied, “You flatter me, senior Qilin. Anyone who knew that the earth divine power that blesses this land did not come from the Abyssal Monarch would have easily arrived at the same conclusion.”

“Haha, you don’t need to humble yourself. This secret realm has been visited by countless Divine Masters, but none has ever dared to set foot in these lands. You are just a Divine Sovereign, and yet you’re neither arrogant nor obsequious in front of me. This quality alone puts you above most of your race.”

Yun Che: “...”

“May I retake the elemental seed now, senior Qilin?” Yun Che wiped clean his expression and stared at the Qilin God’s eyes calmly.

The Qilin God asked, “Shouldn’t you ask me what the Abyssal Monarch’s secret is first?”

“I want to know very much,” Yun Che shook his head slowly, “but if I were to ask that question, it would undoubtedly be an insult to you."

“Hahahahahaha!” The Qilin God burst out laughing. Since his aura was no longer heavy and condensed, the sand within the palace went flying all over the place because of his laugh. “Your responses are perfect, just perfect…”

His comment made Yun Che frown a little. Now that he thought about it, he had responded to each and every one of the Qilin God’s questions perfectly, too perfectly. It was like he had practiced his answers a million times over, and that in itself was a mistake.

The Qilin God didn’t seem to notice this “mistake”, however. A long laugh later, its voice turned as gentle as water, “Young human, do you know which line you have said so far is my favorite of them all?”

Yun Che thought for a moment before trying, “‘I am certain that it’s no coincidence that the elemental seed somehow fell into your hands. Only the qilins could be trusted with the seed and are worthy to be protected by the Creation God of Elements himself, and only the qilins could withstand the test of time and still fulfill their duty without fail’?”

“No,” The Qilin God objected, “It is, ‘Not only are you not angry at my appearance, I’m willing to bet that it’s the best surprise you’ve had in forever’.”

“...” This shook Yun Che greatly.

He was about to say something when suddenly, a yellow light shone from above. His Heretic God Profound Veins throbbed harder than ever before. He subconsciously looked up and saw a yellow star falling toward him.

As it approached him, its light slowly deepened and the Heretic God Profound Veins throbbed a little harder. Speechless, Yun Che hastily yet carefully held the star in his hands, and in that moment, every seed in his profound veins shone like stars as well. A deep satisfaction and excitement spread to every corner of his body.

Yun Che clenched his hands around the final Heretic God Seed tightly. The Qilin God could sense his excitement as clear as day, and it let out an amicable chuckle, “To tell you the truth, your first reason is all I needed to give you the Heretic God seed. As you say, it is only thanks to the Creation God of Elements that I am able to survive to this day. I had thought I would never be able to repay this favor, but then, you appeared before me.”

“Your arrival was the best pleasant surprise I have received in a long time. It is because I can finally repay the Creation God of Elements for what he did and pass away in peace.”

“As for saving the Abyss… the Abyss is destined for destruction. No one can save it, not even you.”

“... !?” Yun Che abruptly looked up in shock. “What do you mean by that, senior Qilin?”

“I cannot tell you,” the Qilin God answered, “Successor of the Creation God of Elements, I don’t care if your desire to save the Abyss is the truth. My only desire is for you to leave the Abyss and return to your birthworld as quickly as you can.”

Yun Che was about to ask when the answer came to him.

It can’t tell me?

Does it have something to do with the Abyssal Monarch’s secret? The one that got it exiled to this place?

The Abyss is destined for destruction? The Abyssal Monarch’s secret??

“Don’t ask, for I won’t tell you about it,” the Qilin God cut off Yun Che before he could speak. “All you need to remember is that the Abyss is destined for destruction, and that his obsession is the most terrifying thing that no one can defy. The reason I have forced myself to live until now is because I wish to witness that day, however reluctant and helpless I feel.”

The Abyss is destined for destruction…

His obsession?

Is he referring to the Abyssal Monarch?

If I heard him correctly… he’s implying that the Abyssal Monarch… is obsessed… with destroying the Abyss…

That can’t be right!

The Abyssal Monarch was the one who founded the Abyss. The reason the Abyss was so stable was thanks to him, and the Abyssal Knights were specifically created to keep the order of the Abyss.

This meant that he shouldn’t interpret the Qilin God’s words this way.

In that case, how should I…

Now wasn’t the time to overthink things though. Yun Che reined in his curiosity, let out a sigh and thanked the Qilin God solemnly, “Understood. Thank you for your advice and your sacrifice, senior.”

“No thanks is necessary. The Creation God of Elements’ power belonged to you to begin with.”

That one line of response seemed to cost the Qilin God a lot of strength, because the light in his eyes grew a lot dimmer than before. “This elemental seed has remained inside my body for a long time, and as you said earlier, it has become one with my life force. The divine energy coated around the seed is my divine origin, so instead of absorbing the elemental seed immediately, you should slowly refine my divine origin as well. I am certain that it will greatly hasten your cultivation progress.”

Yun Che had sensed the Qilin God’s divine origin as soon as he touched the Heretic God Seed. The Qilin God could’ve separated the Heretic God Seed from its life source and kept itself alive for many years to come. Instead, he gave it all to Yun Che simply to help him on his way and to repay the favor he owed the Heretic God.

“I will,” Yun Che didn’t bother with pretenses. He nodded strongly and said, “I’ll refine it right now so as not to waste even a sliver of your divine origin.”

“No, not here.”

This time, even the Qilin God’s voice had become much weaker. “This secret realm is tied to my life force. Once I die, the Qilin God Realm will automatically crumble in six hours, and I only have about a hundred breaths left to live.”

“... !?” Yun Che’s pupils contracted.

He couldn’t believe it. Knowing the qilin’s strength, the Qilin God should be able to last at least several days even after it had abandoned its divine origin.

Before he could say anything else, a pair of blindingly bright yellow stars descended from the air again. “Over half of my body had been eroded by abyssal dust a long time ago, and if it wasn’t for the elemental seed, I would’ve transformed into an abyssal beast just like my ancestor a long time ago… This is the remnant of my purest origin blood and origin marrow. My race greatest’s defense, the Qilin Sacred Palace, is engraved in them as well.”

“This is the only way I can repay the Creation God of Elements. May they be of use to you, young human.”

“...” Yun Che’s mouth fell open. He was unable to reach out to accept the gift or even say anything.

“You should leave this realm and find a safe place to refine my power and the seed as soon as possible… the reborn Creation God of Elements—no, the reborn Heretic God. Hehehe, I can’t wait to see it from the afterlife.”

The Qilin God’s laughter had become incredibly weak. He was like a spent wind that could die at any moment. And yet, Ye Qing could sense no reluctance or resistance toward his fate whatsoever. There was only peace and satisfaction.

Yun Che lowered his gaze slightly and whispered, “This junior… can never repay the favor you have bestowed on me, senior.”

Half of what he told the Qilin God was a lie. His only true objective was to obtain the Earth Seed without resorting to violence.

The Qilin God… had clearly seen through his lies, and yet it hadn’t called him out. In fact, he even returned the Earth Seed and gave him… everything.

This… is the Qilin God.

“All things come and go, and the light of the qilin should’ve disappeared a long time ago. If anything, I am glad I lasted long enough to see the light of the Creation God of Elements be reborn in his successor. I have no regrets.”

“...” Any thanks he could give would only sound empty. Yun Che slowly reached out and accepted the Qilin God’s heavy gift solemnly.