Against the Gods

When Yun Che returned to the Sacred Hall, he saw Mu Xuanyin waiting for him as he expected her to be. She didn’t ask what had happened in Mist End Valley.

“Have you gotten your answer?” Yun Che had just gotten to his knees when the question came.

“Yes, Master. This disciple has gotten his answer and many more terrifying truths that are beyond his expectation.”

He didn’t hesitate for too long before he started telling Mu Xuanyin everything. He began from the tale of the Heaven Smiting Devil Race being exiled to the world beyond by Mo E using the Ancestral Sword, to the truth behind the incident, and finally the reason why the crimson calamity had appeared.

Even if he didn’t tell her now, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor would’ve announced the truth of the crimson calamity to everyone during the Eternal Heaven General Assembly anyway.

When Mu Xuanyin heard that the Heretic God and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had broken the taboo and secretly gotten married to each other, her pupils colored with deep shock… By the time Yun Che was done speaking, her standing posture had largely changed, and her eyes were heavy with emotion.

Silence reigned in the Sacred Hall for a very long time after Yun Che was done telling everything.

The return of an ancient devil emperor was without a doubt a million times worse than any nightmare the denizens of the current world could conjure. It was much, much worse than the worst disaster anyone could ever imagine!

Yun Che was the source, and Mu Xuanyin was the receiver. But even then, it took her a long time before she managed to calm herself down.

“Are you absolutely certain that everything you said is the truth?” Mu Xuanyin finally opened her mouth, but it was clear that she was still having a hard time believing her own ears.

“That was what the Ice Phoenix divine being told this disciple, and… now that I think back, some of my past experiences after I’d inherited the Heretic God’s divine power seem to prove these assumptions. Therefore, it’s probably the truth.”

Yun Che continued, “Since the Eternal Heaven Realm was able to sense the World Piercer thanks to the Eternal Heaven Pearl, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor should know the truth as well. It’s very likely that he will announce it during the Eternal Heaven General Assembly.”

“...” Mu Xuanyin fell silent for a very long time again.

If everything Yun Che had told her was true, if a devil emperor really was returning to the Primal Chaos… then this was a calamity that no power in the entire universe could possibly resist. Not even for a bit.

It was only natural for a devil emperor, for anyone who had accumulated several million years worth of hatred, to vent on a different target—the world—after discovering that both the gods and the devils of the Primal Chaos were all dead...

As for the best case scenario…

“Master,” Yun Che said in a low voice as he observed Mu Xuanyin’s expression, “this disciple has obtained permission to attend the Eternal Heaven General Assembly when he was purifying the devilish aura in the Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s body just now. Therefore, please allow me to accompany you on the day of the Eternal Heaven General Assembly… This matter relates to the entire God Realm, the future of the Primal Chaos and the safety of the Snow Song Realm. This disciple simply must try to face the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor at least.”

Mu Xuanyin shot Yun Che a sideways glance… Here was a man who needed constant protection from her, asking to face an ancient devil emperor who was so powerful that the mere thought chilled even her...

She could notimagine what would happen when they actually met face to face.

“Alright, I will bring you to the Eternal Heaven Realm… but you must stay here until the day of the departure.”

Mu Xuanyin turned away from Yun Che and allowed her mask to slip for a couple of breaths’ time.

To the Primal Chaos, the arrival of a devil emperor was without doubt a terrible disaster. The fate of the entire world would be overturned, and nothing would ever be the same.

But to Yun Che, and Yun Che alone… this was an opportunity to change fates.

Not just the world’s, but also his own fate.

Yun Che stood up when a sudden thought struck him. He blurted without thinking, “There is one more thing, master. Back at the Heavenly Netherfrost Lake, this disciple has found the… the…”

He was already regretting his slip of the tongue when he opened his mouth… and he literally could not finish his last sentence when the magnitude of his blunder hit him.

Mu Xuanyin, “...”

Yun Che, “...”

“You… didn’t see anything, did you?”

Mu Xuanyin still hadn’t turned around to face him, so Yun Che couldn’t see her expression when she said those words.

Yun Che quickly replied in a hurry, “Yes, Master… this disciple didn’t see anything.”

“Feixue!”

Mu Feixue abruptly appeared and knelt down on her knees. “Disciple is here.”

“Keep watch over Yun Che and make sure that he doesn’t take a single step away from this hall. You have my permission to break his legs if he dares disobeys my order!”

After that, her snowy figure blurred and reappeared far, far away from the Sacred Hall. She would need a long time to digest everything Yun Che had just told her.

“...Yes, Master.”

Mu Feixue entered the Sacred Hall and sat next Yun Che. They stayed that way in silence for a very long time.

The world was exceptionally silent, and the sound of the wind and snow outside the hall was exceptionally clear. Yun Che snuck a peek at Mu Feixue’s profile… She had an exquisite countenance, white and soft skin, and a glow that colored her features in a way that not even the best painting in the world could describe no matter where he looked.

She was only sitting in silence, and yet that did not stop her from looking like a proud, blooming ice lotus in the Heavenly Netherfrost Nake, so perfect that her mere presence dissuaded anyone from getting near.

Yun Che lips moved slightly as he tried to think of something to break the ice, but to his surprise Mu Feixue actually took the initiative to look at him and ask, “You’ve found your ‘Little Fairy’, haven’t you?”

“Erk…” Her question caught Yun Che off guard. “Why do you say that?”

“It’s because the way you look at me is different from before.”

Yun Che opened his mouth slightly, but couldn’t say anything in return.

“It looks like I’m right,” Mu Feixue whispered. “Do we really look that similar to each other?”

“Mn.” Yun Che nodded. “Appearance wise, the two of you don’t really look all that similar to each other. But personality wise? That is a completely different story. You both give off the feeling that you’re a block of ice all the way down to the heart, and it is as if emotions would eternally remain a foreign concept to you even though you possess such amazing beauty. When I met you for the first time, especially because your back was the first thing I glimpsed… there were several instances that I thought that I’d finally found her.”

He couldn’t help but recall the first time he met Chu Yuechan and the daughter they had. The corner of his lips subconsciously curled into a smile.

Mu Feixue turned away when she saw the small but sincere smile on his face that seemed warm enough to melt everything. She asked quietly, “If she is truly as cold and heartless as you claimed, then how did she become your ‘Little Fairy’ in the first place?”

“That is a good question.” Yun Che placed his hands behind his head before sighing emotionally, saying, “I thought I knew women very well already, but it is only later that I realized that a woman’s heart is without a doubt the hardest thing to figure out in the world.”

Mu Feixue, “...”

“For example, I still don’t understand how you were able to recognize me back at Illusory Smoke City.”

Yun Che started staring at Mu Feixue’s profile without restraint after her gaze had turned away from him… Unfortunately, not only did Mu Feixue not react to his wanton attention in the slightest, she hadn’t spoken to him since.

…………

Although there were only a handful of people who knew the truth behind the crimson crack, a tense atmosphere still soundlessly enveloped the entire Eastern Divine Region as the day of the Eternal Heaven General Assembly approached.

Even the Western Divine Region and the Southern Divine Region were growing more and more anxious because of the changes that were occurring across the Eastern Divine Region as of late.

Obviously, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s decision to invest every resource and manpower in the king realms and upper star realms into building a great dimensional formation ensured that everyone’s attention was firmly affixed to the Eternal Heaven General Assembly that was soon to begin.

In fact, Luo Guxie’s intrusion into the Snow Song Realm, only to be defeated decisively by Mu Xuanyin and have an arm taken away in the process, didn’t cause as much of a ripple in the God Realm as it should have.

Of course, neither Xia Qingyue, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor, nor Shui Qianheng were planning to spread this news.

Luo Guxie, the loser of the battle, was even less likely to spread the news of her defeat to a middle realm king to the world.

That was why the news was only known to a small circle.

However, it was impossible to keep it a secret from everyone.

Time passed quickly, and the day of the Eternal Heaven General Assembly had finally arrived.

Although the Eastern Divine Region, the Western Divine Region, and the Southern Divine Region had all sniffed something awry, none of them had any idea that this shockingly massive meeting, that demanded the participation of all Divine Masters from the Eastern Divine Region… was really a meeting of impossible despair.

It was a meeting where the strongest powers in the world gathered to… make one final struggle.

The dimensional formations and the star tablets set up for the Profound God Convention several years ago were long gone, so the participants of the general assembly could only head to the Eternal Heaven God Realm themselves.

A frost-looking profound ark soared through the sky of the Snow Song Realm and vanished in an instant, leaving behind an instantaneous trail of blue light.

No one could imagine that this blue light would be deciding the fate of the entire Primal Chaos.

The profound ark flew out of the Snow Song Realm and straight into the cosmos. Countless stars were passing through the sides of the profound ark at high speed.

If they had used the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace instead, they could’ve reached the Eternal Heaven God Realm in just a day’s time. However, the suggestion had been rejected by Mu Xuanyin.

"The Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace uses a huge amount of rare fuel. It should be saved for a time of need.”

The ice profound ark they were riding on was small, but it was pretty fast since it was enhanced by Mu Xuanyin’s power.

On the other hand, it had no interior space to speak of whatsoever. Since the moment they entered into space, Yun Che had had a hard time trying to deal with the fierce gale of the cosmos. By the time he had finally gotten used to it, his bones had nearly collapsed.

Not only did Mu Xuanyin show no intentions of helping him at all, she had been doing nothing except standing at the frontmost part of the ice profound ark, staring forward. She had completely ignored Yun Che and his predicament.

The space of Eternal Heaven was vast, beautiful, and mysterious. This was also the second time Yun Che had left the boundaries of a star realm and flown across the cosmos in person… His first time in the cosmos was with Xia Qingyue, but they had been inside the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace at the time. This time though, he was feeling every bit of the cosmos without any sort of protection.

“Master,” Yun Che walked up to Mu Xuanyin’s back while keeping the flow of the cosmos around him under control, “this disciple has a question to ask. Has there been any rumors regarding me being the inheritor of the Heretic God’s power in the Eastern Divine Region while I was gone?”

Mu Xuanyin frowned slightly before asking, “Why do you ask?”

Yun Che answered, “When I forced my way into the Star God Realm, I had thrown some of the consequences of my actions to the back of my head. At the time, Heavenly Origin Star God Tumi had figured out immediately that I might possess Heretic God’s inheritance. Although he’s dead now, the Star Gods and elders who were present that day still heard everything clearly.”

“...” Mu Xuanyin considered this for a moment before replying, “Right now, there is nothing the Star God Realm is more afraid of than being exposed as the reason why the Evil Infant has awakened into the world. Therefore, they’ll only do their very best to hide the details of your forced entry and your relationship with the Heavenly Slaughter Star God, not the other way around. I haven’t heard of any such rumors in the Eastern Divine Region, so that probably means that your secret hasn’t been exposed yet.”

Yun Che nodded. “I see… I guess it no longer matters though. Everyone in the world is soon to find out.”

“Have you figured out how to face the Heavenly Smiting Devil Emperor?” Mu Xuanyin asked.

Yun Che nodded, then shook his head immediately. “I don’t know. Maybe my preparation will turn out to be entirely useless… No one can predict what will happen next after all.”

“Then there’s no need to think any longer.” Mu Xuanyin’s voice turned colder, “Remember, you are not allowed to leave my side after we’ve entered the Eternal Heaven Realm, and you are definitely not allowed to make any decisions without consulting me. Understand?”

“... Yes, Master,” Yun Che replied obediently.

When he first entered the Eternal Heaven Realm, Mu Bingyun was the one who was in charge of supervising him. However, Mu Bingyun was really a gentle person despite her stern appearance. There were many times she couldn’t bear to stop Yun Che even though he did something wilful.

But Mu Xuanyin was different from Mu Bingyun. It would take a miracle for Yun Che to do something crazy while she was present!

Three days later, the massive gate that was the Eternal Heaven Gate and the cloud piercing tower that was the Eternal Heaven Tower finally entered their vision. When the ice profound ark landed, Yun Che followed right behind Mu Xuanyin as he entered the Eternal Heaven God Realm once more.