Against the Gods (Web Novel)

“Hmph, General Manager Sushan’s quite right.” Mu Fengshu snorted lightly. “Mu Bingyun is Thirty-sixth Ice Phoenix Palace’s Palace Master and is also the Great Realm King’s close relative. Even though I cannot allow this selfishness to happen as Freezing Snow Hall’s Main Hall Master, how could I dare to not give a little face?”

Mu Fengshu shifted her gaze to Yun Che and said, “Your name is Yun Che, right? Alright, since it’s an order from Palace Master Bingyun, I will give you a chance. Those who wish to enter my Freezing Snow Hall must pass three tests. Everyone standing here today haspassed the first test, because the first test is a profound strength assessment. Anyone with profound strength lower than the Divine Origin Realm has been disqualified because someone who hasn’t even touched the divine way is not able to receive the next test. As for someone of your cultivation level, heh…”

Mu Fengshu hardly concealed the deep ridicule inside her low chuckle. With her standing, she obviously was not mocking Yun Che… but Mu Bingyun, who had brought him here.

“...” Yun Che did not say a single word.

“However, I’ll make an exception today and directly exempt you from the first test. I will allow you to be together with everyone here who will be participating in the second and third test. If you pass, you will obviously be able to honorably enter Freezing Snow Hall and I won’t say a word against it. How about it? As a Freezing Snow Hall Master, I don’t even give the slightest leeway to my own nephew, yet I’ll break such a precedent for you… You mustn’t say that I am not giving Mu Bingyun any face!”

“Pfft…”

“Haha… hahahahaha…”

Mu Fengshu’s words caused the profound practitioners watching the spectacle to break out into laughter that was becoming louder by the second.

Even a fool could hear it clear. This was not a concession but an obvious mockery… it could even be said to be a humiliation. Allowing a person at the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm participate in Freezing Snow Hall’s second and third tests… this was simply a joke.

“Sigh.” Mu Sushan shook his head, lacking any more words. The surrounding Freezing Snow Hall disciples who assisted in the exams also could barely resist laughing as they cast pitying eyes on Yun Che.

Mu Xiaolan’s complexion immediately became green. But the person in front of her was Freezing Snow Hall’s Main Hall Master. Even if she burned with a nestful of rage, she didn’t dare to curse out loud. She only clenched her teeth, turned around, and said furiously, “Yun Che, let’s go!”

“Oh? Does this mean you are rejecting this hall master’s good intentions?” Mu Fengshu turned around in disdain as a pleased expression flashed in her eyes. “Then after you return, do not forget to tell Mu Bingyun about the good intentions and face I gave her!”

Mu Xiaolan dragged Yun Che far away yet the resounding roar of laughter could still be heard behind them. Mu Xiaolan’s hands tightened into fist as her face alternated between red and white. “She’s gone too far… gone too far!”

She yelled furiously as glistening tears revolved in her eyes.

In comparison, Yun Che was much more calm. He waved his hand in front of Mu Xiaolan’s eyes and asked in confusion, “That Main Hall Master from earlier, she can’t have some kind of animosity for Fairy Mu, can she?”

“What animosity!?” Mu Xiaolan wiped her eyes, then vented while yelling, “Isn’t it only because she wants to take Master’s place to become an Ice Phoenix Palace Master!?”

“Master was infected by the flame poison more than one thousand years ago and because she lost her powers, the flame poison invaded her soul. When she returned to the Snow Song Realm, it was no longer curable and she was doomed to die. If Master died, then she, as Freezing Snow Hall’s Main Hall Master, would easily inherit Master’s Palace Master position. A Palace Master is at a higher rank than a Main Hall Master. Thus, from a thousand years ago, she has long since made preparations to become an Ice Phoenix Palace Master. Everyone in Divine Ice Phoenix Sect knows this. But in the end, because of the close sister relationship between the Master and Great Realm King, the Great Realm King didn’t hesitate to pay any cost in order to prolong Master’s life. Any item in the entire sect that was able to prolong a life was taken by the Great Realm King in order to save Master. As a result, every year that Master stays safe causes Mu Fengshu, who had long ago declared that she will become Palace Master, to lose face. It seems that she has received quite a bit of ridicule.”

“I’ve also heard that Mu Fengshu obtained a rare ‘Primordial Duskcold Soaring Blossom’ in the training grounds. It would help her profound strength make a breakthrough, but after the Great Realm King heard about it, she took it away to replenish Master’s life… All these things caused her to have a really deep grudge against Master. She doesn’t dare to do anything to Master in public but a majority of the malicious rumors about Master come from her! Master is just too kind. Master thinks she owes her, so she never struck back, causing her to become even more aggravating.”

“...I see.” Yun Che nodded slightly.

“But today… she seriously went too far today.” Mu Xiaolan forcefully stomped her foot and said angrily, “Master is still an Ice Phoenix Palace Master and even the Great Realm King’s sister, so even if Mu Fengshu was like that in the past, she has never dared to target Master in public… but today… today… this makes me so angry!!”

“It’s simple. It’s because she was completely reasonable this time.” Yun Che answered as he spread his hands out. “She obviously would not publicly speak words of slander. However, her words today were just and upright. Going through the backdoor is shameful behavior after all. She was completely right and her own nephew was within the teams waiting to be evaluated. Anyone could see that she was not being selfish about that at all. If it were to be circulated, even if they knew she was targeting Fairy Mu, the public opinion would still favor her… This was especially the case for profound practitioners who suffered untold hardships when attempting to enter Freezing Snow Hall. You heard their laughter earlier. Honestly, if I was one of them, I probably would’ve laughed along as well.”

“You… isn’t Master doing this for you? Yet you’re actually speaking up for Mu Fengshu,” Mu Xiaolan said angrily.

“Let’s go, we’re going back there.” Yun Che stopped walking and suddenly turned back.

“Back? Ah? What are you going to do?” Mu Xiaolan hurriedly pulled him to a stop.

“Even though my first rule in the God Realm is to not cause trouble...” Yun Che inhaled slightly. “I’m still the cause of this matter. Fairy Mu did all of this for me. I cannot allow her to be humiliated because of me anymore.”

“What… what do you want to do? Oi! Don’t mess around! This is Snow Song Realm, not your Profound Sky Continent. Even if it wasn’t a Grand Palace Master, any disciple from Freezing Snow Hall would be able to… ahhhhh stoppp!”

Yun Che acted as though he did not hear what Mu Xiaolan had said and sped up. In an instant, he had already returned to where Mu Sushan and Mu Fengshu had stood. Although Mu Xiaolan had wanted to stop Yun Che, she was too late and could only grit her teeth and follow behind Yun Che.

Their auras could never escape the senses of Mu Fengshu and by the time both of them had returned, Mu Fengshu had already turned around and coldly said, “What’s wrong? You still have things to say?”

“Palace Master Fengshu,” Yun Che adopted the way Mu Xiaolan referred to Mu Fengshu, “You previously said that you could exempt me from participating in the first exam and allow me to directly enter the second and third exam. Do your stand by your word?”

“Heh,” Mu Fengshu snorted, “This palace master’s words are of course of utmost trustworthiness. Why? Could it be that you have changed your mind and are prepared to receive the special permission that this Palace Master has granted you?”

Mu Xiaolan anxiously said, “Yun Che, don’t mess…”

“Of course!” Yun Che completely ignored Mu Xiaolan’s shouts and said with utmost seriousness, “Palace Master Fengshu is fair and just, yet she bestowed such benevolence upon this junior. If junior does not appreciate this kindness, it would be unbecoming of him. Palace Master Fengshu’s words previously were completely fair. If this junior wishes to enter Freezing Snow Hall, it is only right for me to go through the examination. Not only is taking shortcuts unfair to others, it is also disrespecting the law and order of the sect. Then, I’ll have to trouble Hall Master Fengshu to make plans to allow this junior to participate in todays exams.”

“Yun Che, you…” Mu Xiaolan was both angry and anxious. She wanted to jump with fury but because she was infront of everyone, she could not scream too loudly and could only forcefully suppress her voice and said, “Are… are you crazy!”

“Hahahaha!” Mu Fengshu as well as the surrounding profound practitioners began to laugh loudly. Mu Fengshu then glanced at Yun Che with intent… Obviously, she had treated Yun Che’s words as flattery. As she has served as the Hall Master for Freezing Snow Hall for more than two thousand years, she had already seen all sorts of flattery and could not be bothered with it anymore. However, Yun Che’s words made her feel exceptionally pleasant and happy as, after all, he was the person that Mu Bingyun had brought and wanted to specially allocate a place in Freezing Snow Hall for. It would seem that he was being highly regarded. However, now, this person was flattering her. This caused her to take Yun Che even more lightly while at the same time feeling exceptionally satisfied.

“...” Mu Sushan sighed inwardly while shaking her head with utmost disappointment. Regardless whether it was in Mu Fengshu’s eyes or the eyes of everyone present, Yun Che’s words seemed like they were legitimate flattery. Yun Che was the first person that Mu Bingyun had brought from the lower realm all these years. Although his profound strength was weak, he was pleasant and curious and never seemed like such a pathetic person.

“Excellent.” Mu Fengshu nodded slightly but turned around and glanced at Yun Che with contempt, “Since that’s the case, then you can enter the first group. Ji Hanfeng, add him into the first group. The preparation is almost done as well. The exam today should begin any time now.”

“Yes, Hall Master.” A tall young man that was dressed in blue bowed. He was Ji Hanfeng, who was a disciple from the first hall of Freezing Snow Hall. Today’s first examination was organised, held and witnessed by him.

This group was the group that was the closest to Yun Che and Mu Xiaolan. They were the group that had laughed at them the entire time… The nephew that Mu Fengshu had shouted for previously, Li Mingcheng, who possessed profound strength in the third stage of the Divine Origin Realm also belonged to this group.

Mu Xiaolan “slowly” took two steps forward and grabbed Yun Che. She suppressed her voice and viciously said, “Hurry up and leave with me. Don’t embarrass yourself here. You’ll cause Master to become a laughingstock as well.”

Yun Che slowly spoke, “I’m only doing this in order to not trouble Fairy Mu and cause her to become a laughingstock. You can just stay at the side and watch. Ai, so troublesome…”

Yun Che helplessly muttered, turned around and shrugged off Mu Xiaolan’s arm that was holding onto his sleeve.

Ji Hanfeng walked towards Yun Che and plainly said, “You, enter the group. The examination is going to start… You’re the ‘first person’ in the history of the Freezing Snow Hall to enter directly into the second round of examinations. Don’t forget the kindness the Main Hall Master has granted you.”

“Pu…” The surrounding people once again burst out in laughter. Everyone knew that the “first person” actually meant the number one person in terms of weakest profound strength.

When Yun Che began moving towards the examination team, the eyes of the first group of ten thousand profound practitioners followed him. Their previous nervousness and carefulness was replaced with a face of contempt and laughter. All of them who dared not even breathe too heavily within Freezing Snow Hall now found a sense of superiority from one person… A sense of superiority in both strength and intelligence.

Mu Fengshu suggested that “on the account of Mu Bingyun” she could exempt him from the first examination. It was originally meant to insult and humiliate. No one would imagine that this person from the lower realms who was only within the fifth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm would accept instead of actually wising up and running away.

They had started to see the beginnings of a joke happening during this examination for the Freezing Snow Hall.