Against the Gods

To Xia Qingyue, this response was undoubtedly celestial music from the heavens themselves. She jerked her head up before deeply bowing yet again. “Senior Shen Xi, this junior knows that disturbing your meditation is an unforgivable sin, but… my husband has been afflicted with the Brahma Monarch God Realm’s ‘Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark’, so this junior has been left with no other choice than to come here and beg this senior to show us her magnanimity.”

“Since you know who I am, then you should also know that I am someone who exists beyond this mortal realm, and that I never meddle in the affairs of man. On account of the utter devotion and wholehearted sincerity that you showed in desiring to save your husband’s life, I forgive you for the crime of disturbing my rest. You should leave and never disturb this place again.”

Her voice was incomparably pure and gentle. It sounded like it could soothe even the most terrible of rages, and cause a person whose heart had been dyed in evil to weep tears of regret. But to Xia Qingyue, that voice sounded incomparably cruel and merciless… because it was not willing to grant her even the tiniest sliver of hope.

“Senior Shen Xi,” how could Xia Qingyue be willing to leave just like that, instead, she spoke in a soft voice, “I beg that you bestow knowledge upon this junior. Do you have any method to lift the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark that is afflicting his body?”

A long and heavy silence lingered in that misty world before that celestial voice, which seemed to come from a dream, rang out once more in slow dulcet tones, “The Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark afflicting his body, besides the one who has cursed him, I am indeed the only person in this world that can release him from it. But I say these words only because I do not wish to lie to anyone, and they are not meant to give you any hope. This is a place that mortals souls are absolutely not allowed to enter, so it would be better if you left.”

Xia Qingyue felt as if her heart had been struck by a comet as it shone with the intense light of hope. Previously, she had brought Yun Che to this place because she was grasping at that last sliver of hope… This hope originated from the time when the Moon God Emperor had told her about “Shen Xi” and had previously mentioned that she had an extremely unique power which was able to purge and cleanse all forms of curses and contamination.

But, in the end, that had only been a mere hope… However, the celestial voice that rang in her ears had actually admitted to Xia Qingyue that she could indeed get rid of the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark!

It was just that this bright and resplendent light was separated from her by an enormous gulf of indifference. She once again begged that voice, “He is no ‘mortal spirit’. Senior, you have dwelled in this celestial abode all this while, so perhaps you are unaware that he induced a nine stage lightning tribulation to descend upon this world just half a month ago, and the Heavenly Mystery Realm even prophesied that he was the ‘child of the heavens’. Furthermore, the Dragon Monarch also greatly admires him and he even took the initiative to try to take him as a foster son…”

As she spoke, Xia Qingyue raised the Dragon God Mark high above her head, “This is the Dragon God Mark that was personally bestowed by the Dragon Monarch… So every word that this junior is saying is one hundred percent true. If the Dragon Monarch were here himself, he would definitely also hope that Senior would be able to save him.”

Just as her words finished falling, the celestial voice replied, “I have never stained myself with the dust of the mortal world, and this is not because I am fickle-minded or lack any desires. It is because there are certain unique circumstances and difficulties which prevent me from doing so. Before I am able to resolve these issues, I will definitely not make an exception for anybody.”

“The Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark on his body is far from ordinary so it could only have come from either the Brahma Heaven God Emperor or the Brahma Monarch Goddess. Given my power, expeling this curse from his body will not only harm my vitality, it will also require at least fifty years to accomplish. Not only that, it will also embroil me in the grievances between you and the Brahma Monarch God Realm. As such, I have no reason to get involved in your affairs, so please take him and leave… Even if the Dragon Monarch were here with you, my answer would still be to ask you to leave.”

Xia Qingyue had originally believed that even if her words did not cause her to have a change of heart, it would still definitely move the other party. But who would have thought that the voice that rang in her ears was not the least bit moved, it remained as placid and resolute as before.

Xia Qingyue found it hard to breathe as she closed her eyes and said, “Senior Shen Xi, this junior is definitely not asking you to save him for free. Even though junior is merely a mortal woman, I possess the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’. If Senior is willing to save him, this junior is willing to pass this ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’ to Senior… I beg that Senior take mercy on us and save him.”

When she was facing someone on the level of Shen Xi, the ‘Nine Profound Exquisite Body’ was the only bargaining chip she could bring to the table.

“Ai…” A long and drawn-out sigh of lamentation rang in the air. She could sense the despair in Xia Qingyue’s words and voice, and she knew that these feelings of despair had no doubt been engendered by her uncompromising response, “The Nine Profound Exquisite Body is a divine body that was gifted to you by the heavens themselves, do not treat it as such… Ling’er, see them off for me.”

Very light footsteps rang in the air as a green-clothed girl slowly emerged from the mist-shrouded world in front of Xia Qingyue.

The young girl’s figure was willowy and delicate, and she was dressed in light green robes. Even her hair was a bright shade of emerald green and it seemed as if her entire body was drenched in faint green shadows.

She did not look older than twenty and her features were exceedingly beautiful, containing an innate delicate and charming frailty. The skin beneath her green-colored clothes was like the petals of a freshly-bloomed flower, it was whiter than snow and more lustrous than jade. It was inconceivably tender and soft, and as people marvelled at it, they were loathe to even touch it.

As she approached, the fresh and delightful fragrance of flowers also slowly wafted over. The girl stopped a step before the barrier before speaking to Xia Qingyue, “Big Sister, this place is a place that no one is allowed to enter, so the both of you should go.”

Her eyes were very pretty and they twinkled with a viridian light and from beneath her emerald green hair, two long, lustrous, and snowy ears peeked out; they were clearly different from the ears of a human being.

A wood spirit… The name of this particular race flashed in Xia Qingyue’s mind.

The handmaiden that the guardian Dragon God said that Shen Xi had brought back not too long was actually a young girl of the wood spirit race.

The Forbidden Land of Samsara was a completely unstained land, and only the energy of nature rested within it. Hence, only the wood spirits, who were the purest beings in this world, had the qualifications to enter and accompany Shen Xi.

The only hope lay in front of her, so how could Xia Qingyue leave just like this? She was already kneeling but she refused to rise as she once again made a deep bow and said, “Senior Shen Xi, I beg for you to show mercy to us. If you don’t save him, then he’s definitely going to die. As long as you’re willing to save him, no matter what you want and no matter what you want me to do… I am willing to do it.”

She had never begged anyone in such a manner before.

Even when she had reached the God Realm, she directly entered the Moon God Realm and the Moon God Emperor had viewed her as his own daughter. After that she had also carried the title of “God Empress”, so she had never needed to be subordinate to anyone.

But today, she had knelt on the ground for a long time, setting aside all of her cold pride and dignity… Yet the only thing she had received in return was the warm and gentle heartlessness.

“Big Sister,” the wood spirit girl said, “Master has her own difficulties and she won’t make an exception for anyone. Even if you knelt her for ten or even a hundred years, Master would still not give her assent. Furthermore, it might just make the Dragon Monarch angry… So, you had better leave as soon as you can and find some other method.”

Some other method? This was the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark we were talking about, what other method could there be?

“Senior Shen Xi…” Xia Qingyue was just about to start begging again, but all of a sudden, golden marks flashed across the body of the Yun Che she had been hugging tightly all this while. He violently shuddered before both of his eyes instantly shot open and he let out a wail that was filled with devastating pain.

“Uwaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh…”

“Uwaaaahhh… Agh… AAHHHHHHH!!”

After his short lapse into unconsciousness, he had once again woken up to this nightmarish abyss as he let out cries that sounded like the howls of an evil spirit.

Within this world that was so pure that it was practically a dream, his howls were exceptionally shrill and ear-piercing as they startled countless flying birds and insects, causing them to take to the air in fright.

“Yun Che!” Xia Qingyue hurriedly hugged him tight once more and she was especially careful to tightly grasp Yun Che’s hands, so as to prevent him from hurting himself again. She raised her head and shouted in a grim voice, “Senior Shen Xi, I beg that you save his life no matter what. Xia Qingyue will forever remember your generosity and mercy and will use her entire life to pay it back… Even if I am unable to pay you back in this life, I will definitely repay this debt of kindness even in my next…”

“Ahhhhhhhhh…. Ah!!”

“Arghhhhh——Ahhhhh…”

It was clear that she had never heard such wails of agony in her entire life before, so the wood spirit girl’s tender and fair face, which had originally had the color of a freshly peeled lychee, had now turned ashen. Her gaze timidly zipped around as she did not dare to look at the struggling and howling Yun Che. This coupled with Xia Qingyue’s pleas, which were practically laced with tears and blood at this point, caused her to be unable to bear it as she also started to plead with her master, “Master, he looks to be in such great pain, is it truly… not possible for you to save him?”

The celestial voice rang out as if it came from a distant place, “There are countless tragedies and sorrows in this world, and no one person can save them all. That is their fate, and as someone who exists outside the world of mortal man, I naturally should not interfere. The curse afflicting his body is also not an ordinary one. So if I were to save him, not only would it allow him to stain this place, it would also embroil us in the petty grievances and hatreds of the mortal world. Even worse than that, it would cause the complete and utter ruin of at least twenty thousand years worth of my ‘heart’s blood’.”

Those words caused the wood spirit girl’s beautiful eyes to widen spectacularly. It was clear that she had not realized that the consequences would be quite so serious. She could only force herself to put away her pity and speak to Xia Qingyue in an apologetic tone, “I’m sorry Big Sister. He’s really very pitiful, but… but Master really can’t save him, so I’d advise you to take him away from this place as soon as you can.”

“I beg Senior… please save him,” Xia Qingyue’s figure did not move. She closed her eyes, her voice distressed and powerless. Within the vast God Realm, the only person by her side was Yun Che, now that she had left the protection of the Moon God Realm, and no one else could help her. The only bargaining chip she could bring to the table was her Exquisite World or her own life… Other than those, she did not know what other methods she had left to her.

But if they left this place, it would mean that there was truly no hope… So the only thing left for her to do would be to kill Yun Che herself.

This kind of painful powerlessness… It was exactly the same as when Frozen Cloud Asgard had been pushed into a corner all those years ago...

Upon seeing Xia Qingyue’s appearance, and especially the look in her eyes, the wood spirit girl bit her lip. Following that, it seemed like she recalled something, because her eyes suddenly went red as tears fell to the ground...

She hurriedly wiped those tears away, and she turned around and prepared to leave. But just as she had taken two steps, she came to a stop yet again and turned around after that to speak to Xia Qingyue once more, “Big Sister, you should take him and go. Master really can’t save him. I have several spiritual medicines that Master made herself with me. They can’t save him, but… but they might just be able to ease his pain.”

As she spoke, the wood spirit girl held up several emerald green medicinal pellets. She took a few steps forward before stepping directly out of the barrier as she prepared to hand them over to Xia Qingyue.

But the moment this wood spirit girl had stepped out of the barrier, Yun Che and her chests started to shine with a strange viridian light.

In that instant, the wood spirit girl reacted as if she had been struck by lightning. She completely froze in place as the emerald green pills she held rolled off her hand and fell to the ground.

“Lin… er…” She mumbled to herself in a dazed voice. But suddenly, she rushed towards Yun Che as both her hands tightly grabbed his body, tears streaking across her face in the next instant, “Lin’er… Lin’er… It’s Lin’er… Why… Why does your body contain Lin’er’s aura… Who are you… Why does your body contain Lin’er’s aura…”

Xia Qingyue raised her head and stared dumbfoundedly at the wood spirit girl. She had originally been delicate and timid, yet she had suddenly morphed into a crazy person. She just muttered a few incoherent words over and over again, as her tears gushed forth like a bubbling spring.

After she had drawn nearer, the viridian light shining from Yun Che’s chest started to get even denser. It was as if it sensed something. Under that viridian light, Yun Che regained a few motes of clarity. Through blurry eyes, he gazed upon the wood spirit girl whose beautiful face was marked by a torrent of tears, and a strange feeling started to spread throughout his entire body.

He opened his mouth with much difficulty, and his voice trembled as he spoke, “You… are… He… Ling…”

The hands which had grabbed Yun Che tightened as He Ling nodded vigorously, her uncontrollable weeping having drenched her entire face in tears, “It’s me! I am He Ling! Lin’er, he… what happened to him… What happened to him… Tell me, please, please tell me!”

Yun Che’s dry lips parted, even if his soul had been plunged into a deep abyss, it still quivered with agitation and emotion.

He Ling...

She was He Ling...

When He Lin was alive, she had always been on his mind and before he turned to dust, he had begged him to find his big sister… who was also the last descendant of the wood spirit royal family.

He had finally found her, yet it had come at such a time...