Against the Gods

Shen Xi pressed down with her finger once more, not answering He Ling’s question. Another mote of light slowly floated down, touching the center of Yun Che’s brows.

AOOOO!!!!

The white light scattered as yet another dragon roar reverberated through the incomparably pure space of the forbidden ground, shocking innumerable animals living there.

“Ah!” He Ling was shocked back a step. She looked at Shen Xi, who was clearly out of sorts, and worriedly asked, “Master, are… are you alright?”

“...” Shen Xi slowly withdrew her hand. The white light surrounding her was like candlelight blown by a gentle breeze as a slightly chaotic fluctuation appeared.

He Ling stared at her in a daze and didn't know what to do. He Ling knew the identity of the woman before her, she was the world's most respected, most divine existence. She never asked about the affairs of the world, never entered the mortal realm, and would never be stirred by anything. She was like the leisurely clouds in the skies above, unstained by any extreme emotion and desire.

He Ling had never seen, nor had she ever believed that such a reaction would appear on her body.

She gently spoke after a long stretch of strange silence, “I cannot seal his memories.”

“Ah?” Hand on her chest, He Ling did not know how to respond. Then, under her shocked gaze, Shen Xi slowly crouched down in front of Yun Che.

This was the first time she had ever seen Shen Xi lower her body before anyone… even if it was an unconscious person.

Shen Xi stretched out a hand. She pressed a finger at his chest and stroked lightly as a cluster of holy white light also followed her fingertips… Sensing her power, Yun Che’s chest flooded with a dark green radiance and released a pure aura exclusive to the Wood Spirit Orb.

But before Shen Xi’s hand had stopped, a bizarre attraction came from Yun Che’s left hand.

When the white light brushed over, a vermillion flash came from Yun Che’s left arm, revealing a sword shaped vermillion profound mark.

A delicate little figure suddenly appeared within the brilliant light of the sword shaped profound mark.

She possessed vermillion colored hair, a red as lustrous as crystal. Her face resembled sculpted jade and was filled with the immature innocence of a young girl. Her eyes were also vermillion, they sparkled like stars, radiant and moving.

It was actually Hong’er!

To Yun Che, and even the laws of this universe, Hong’er was an extremely special existence. She had clearly been under Jasmine’s Soul Star Relegation and had been subjected to the harshest master-servant contract by Yun Che, yet her own will was still immensely independent. She was never completely obedient to Yun Che, and frequently caused a commotion, cheating him or forcing him to compromise to her needs.

She had also often left Yun Che’s control and randomly appeared at will.

Although that was true, she still had some “propriety”, and never exposed herself to outsiders.

But this time, when Yun Che happened to be unconscious, she suddenly and voluntarily, appeared in front of Shen Xi.

“Ah…” He Ling gently cried out. “A… little girl?”

“Phew… aaaah!” When Hong’er came out, she gave a big stretch. It was obvious that she had been sleeping just a moment ago. Glinting with vermillion light, her eyes scanned her surroundings before locking onto Shen Xi… earnestly staring at her, her milk white face slowly filling with doubt.

Shen Xi stilled when she saw Hong’er and the two stood like that for a long time until she broke the silence. “Wan… Hu… is it really you… You're… still... alive…”

“...” He Ling lightly covered her lips with her hand. She heard the tremors in Shen Xi’s voice… and even heard a hint of tears.

Upon hearing her words, Hong’er tilted her head, puzzled. “Wan food? Big Sister, are you about to eat something? I just happen to be a little hungry now too.”

“Oh right! Big Sister, who are you? I couldn't help but come out when I sensed your aura, why is that? And… and…” She looked at the white light around Shen Xi, confused, and subconsciously bit her finger until she finally found the words she was looking for. “And I feel really nostalgic… weird.”

After saying that, she then said muttered to herself, “If Master finds out, he'll definitely get angry again.”

Seeing Hong’er’s completely innocent eyes, Shen Xi said gently, “Wan Hu, do you really not remember me… I'm Shen Xi…”

“Shen breathe?” Hong’er blinked, then giggled in mirth. “Big Sister, your name's really weird. I don't know why, but I feel like I really, really like you… As much as I like Master too! Oh right! Do you want to be Master's wife? If you become his wife, I'll get to play with you often.”

“...” Shen Xi’s gaze fell on Yun Che. “You call him… Master?”

“Yeah!” Hong’er nodded with a smile, “Master’s super good to me and gives me so many yummy things to eat. He even tells me really strange stories sometimes.”

“...” She stared at Hong’er, and softly muttered, “Master… how could there be someone in this world worthy of being your master...”

“You don’t remember me… nor do you remember who you are?” She asked softly, her voice dreamy. It was the first time in her life that she felt like she had fallen into dream.

That soul piercing dragon cry and the vermillion figure before her… seemed to all be a dream.

“Of course I do!” Hong’er crisply declared, “I am Hong’er, Master’s favorite Hong’er! But who are you, Big Sister? Why do you give me such a weird feeling… oo, it's really weird. I always listen to Master when he tells me to never randomly come out but I felt like I really really wanted to see you.”

“Hong’er…” She gently murmured this name, then softly answered, “Because we were once… the best of friends.”

Drip...

Tears fell within white light, dripping onto the ground. Covered in a layer of lustrous white radiance, the surrounding plants around her seemed to have been reborn as they released a vitality more than twice that of before.

“Ah?” Hong’er gaped, her face full of shock. “F-friends? Us? Eh? Big Sister, why are you crying?”

“...I'm not.” Shen Xi gently shook her head. A soft smile graced her lips as she held out a hand that slowly neared Hong’er. However, the fingers immersed in white light were unable to touch her as they quietly passed through a head of vermillion.

Spirit body...

She truly had become this human man’s sword spirit...

“Hehe, only Master can touch me, you know.” Hong’er beamed. “But as long as Master says it's okay, you can touch me too.”

Shen Xi’s retrieved her hand and asked, as if she was also talking to herself, “You were clearly inflicted with a devil poison that even Lord Li Suo was unable to cleanse, how are you still alive? Could it be… the Sky Poison Pearl?”

“Eh!?” Hong’er’s eyes brightened as she vigorously nodded and said, “Waow! Big Sister, you're so awesome! I just happen to be inside the Sky Poison Pearl, you know! It's super big inside, super comfortable to sleep in, and it even has a ton of really yummy things. I can't finish eating them all even if I tried! It's like Hong’er’s home.”

“...” Shen Xi’s aura fluctuated as she looked at Yun Che in a new light. “He… has the Sky Poison Pearl?”

“Yeah.” Hong’er giggled with a nod. In front of Shen Xi, she cast away all her defenses.

“So... it was like that.” Her voice was incredibly light and soft. “To be recognized by the Sky Poison Pearl as its master, it seems like your ‘Master’ is quite the special person. Can you… tell me more about your ‘Master’?”

“Sure, sure.” Not only did Hong’er not hesitate, it was evident that she was very happy about it. But then she immediately put her hands over her little belly and said a little pitifully. “But I’m a little hungry all of a sudden.”

Shen Xi smiled. With a wave of her white hands, a jade white short sword appeared within her grasp. “Is this okay?”

It was apparent that she was very familiar with what Hong’er liked to eat.

“Wah!!” Hong’er’s eyes brightened, shouting as she pounced over. Grabbing onto the short sword, she took huge bites out of the sword without care, stunning the onlooking He Ling for quite a while…

She had never seen Shen Xi like this, nor did she understand anything the vermillion girl had said.

—

Eastern Divine Region, Eternal Heaven God Realm.

After the strange turn of events at the Moon God Realm’s wedding celebration, the various star realms were all sent back to the Eternal Heaven God Realm amidst confusion. Aside from those star realms and sects with disciples that had been selected to become “heaven chosen children”, the others all left in great haste.

Mu Bingyun allowed Mu Huanzhi to lead the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect disciples back, but she herself remained and did her best to find Yun Che and Xia Qingyue’s whereabouts. But even after several days had passed, there was no word from either Yun Che or Xia Qingyue.

One day, when Mu Binyun was about to go ask to see the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, an icy silhouette flashed before her and Mu Xuanyin silently came out from the air.

“Big Sister!” Mu Bingyun seemed to finally have found support once she saw Mu Xuanyin, “Where have you been these couple of days? Why couldn’t I contact you? Yun Che, he… he’s currently… I don’t even know what I should do.”

The Moon God Realm’s affairs had pretty much imploded. It would not take many days for everyone to know about the ridicule of a king realm so there was no reason for Mu Xuanyin to not know about it.

As for the Moon God Realm’s fury, that would naturally fall upon the heads of Yun Che and Xia Qingyue.

That was the fury of a king realm!

“Where is he?” Mu Xuanyin asked.

Mu Bingyun shook her head. “I don’t know, we still haven’t heard from him.”

Mu Xuanyin’s crescent brows fiercely twitched. “He isn't back yet!?”

Mu Xuanyin’s reaction stunned Mu Bingyun. “Of course not, I’ve been trying to get news about him all these days here, without success. Big Sister, why would you say that?”

“...” Mu Xuanyin did not answer for a long while. What happened? They had obviously escaped Qianye Ying’er’s vile clutches. Coming back to the Eternal Heaven God Realm would be the best choice, why weren’t they back yet?

No news, which meant.... that they had not returned to the Moon God Realm.

And perhaps not even the Eastern Divine Region!

Where did they go? What in the world happened?

Whether it was her or Jasmine, neither of them knew that Qianye Ying’er had placed the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark on Yun Che.

“Big Sister, what happened?” Mu Bingyun anxiously asked.

“...” Mu Xuanyin shook her head. “Nothing. He should be back s… cough!”

Before she finished her sentence, she suddenly gave a violent cough, her snowy mein instantly paling.

Mu Bingyun was shocked. “You’re injured? What happened? Who did it?”

“Just a very light injury, no need to worry.” Mu Xuanyin clearly did not want to divulge any details. Her face quickly frosted over. “Yun Che has already decided to enter the Eternal Heaven Pearl so he will definitely return before the Eternal Heaven Divine Realm opens. Go back to Snow Song, I will stay here and wait for him.”

“No.” Mu Bingyun rejected, “You being here is already a huge risk. If you were to be found, the consequences would be unthinkable.”

Mu Xuanyin sank into silence before answering with a slight nod of her head, “Alright.”

Once she said that, she turned around, about to leave.

“Sis, where are you going?”

“Moon God Realm.”

Once her voice fell, her figure gradually faded, only leaving behind a light, icy afterimage.

On Yun Che, Moon Splitting Cascade’s realm of invisibility was already considered a world-defying divine technique that would even shock a crowd of Divine Masters.

On Mu Xuanyin, however, it could truly be called “supernatural”.

As powerful as the Eternal Heaven God Realm was, to her, it was like an uninhabited world.