Against the Gods

“Yun Qinghong, your so-called ‘son’… Where did he come from?!” Duke Huai roared out with a solemn tone.

Yun Qinghong lightly snorted. “This is my family matter, so there isn’t a need to explain to you, Duke Huai. It doesn’t matter even if you don’t believe that he’s my son either, but my son Yun Che has already clearly displayed the power of his Profound Handle, and has proven that he’s a true member of the Yun Family! He naturally, and absolutely has the qualifications to represent the Yun Family in battle!”

“The reason why you, Duke Huai, couldn’t accept your defeat no longer exists!”

“In this battle, the twelve participants from your side were defeated, while my side’s Yun Che stood till the very end. The victory of this duel which decides the fate of my Yun Family, belongs to our side! Though it was a close victory, we have won fair and square, staying true to our name!”

Though Yun Qinghong’s expression looked calm, his gaze was like that of a hawk, and his words could shake one’s heart. With every word he spoke, the expressions of the people from the various families and Duke Palaces of the opposite side would darken. Yun Qinghong’s gaze swept through the opposing party, and he said lightly, “According to the agreement made before the duel, if we come out victorious, the Yun Family would continue to keep the title of Guardian Family, and you, the seven great Families of the Helian Family, Jiufang Family, Chiyang Family, Nangong Family, Xiao Family, Bai Family and Lin Family, and sixty Duke Palaces will never bring up the matter of banishing our Yun Family again! In addition, the seven great families will each have to each submit two and a half kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to our Yun Family respectively within the span of one month.”

“While you, Duke Huai, within a span of a month, have to submit ten kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystals to our Yun Family!”

“This is the agreement that both sides made before the duel, and all of you have personally assured it!”

“The Little Demon Empress can testify to this, and the heroes of the realm can testify to this as well!”

“Do you people still have any objections regarding this result… and of course, they would have to be justified objections.”

Yun Qinghong’s words caused the expressions of the seven great families to turn incomparably ugly. Until now, they were still unable to accept the huge difference, from clearly being the side with greater absolute strength, to suddenly being stepped on by the opposing party’s feet. Duke Huai’s expression was ashen, and he did not speak for a long while. However, in the dark, with profound sound transmissions, he was currently transmitting his voice to several people at the same time.

The Little Demon Empress swept her eyes at the hall, and slowly said. “The Hundred Year Reign Ceremony is held every hundred years, and in every session, a duel between dragons and tigers will always take place. However, there had never been one as fantastic as this.”

The Little Demon Empress’ brows gently sank, and her voice carried a slight cold intent. “Regarding the removal the Yun Family’s title of a Guardian Family, this empress has never wished for it to occur in the first place! This result is the joy of the Yun Family, and follows the will of this empress as well. Though Yun Che is still of young age, he possesses peerless talent, astonishing strength, and extraordinary courage. His performance today was even more so stunning and matchless! His background and origin are of no importance. Since he is the son of Patriarch Yun, then that would be the joy of the Yun Family, and also the fortune of my Illusory Demon Royal Family! In the future, he will definitely become a pillar of my Illusory Demon Realm!”

“Duke Baoqing, where are you!”

From the western wing, a man with a bland expression and simple dress slowly came forward and respectfully said, “Little Demon Empress, please provide me your instructions.”

Although this Duke Baoqing was similarly a duke, his dress and demeanor did not display the slightest trace of extravagance. When he walked, a very thick medicinal scent was exuded by his body. Duke Baoqing Palace was a unique existence among the many Duke Palaces, because their ability and responsibility laid in refining pellets and medicine. As history told, they had listened solely to the Demon Emperor’s orders. Those wondrous pellets and medicine which could shake the Illusory Demon Realm had mostly come from the Duke Baoqing Palace. The resources that were distributed to the various Guardian Families and Duke Palaces every year had mostly come from the Duke Baoqing Palace as well.

The people of the Duke Baoqing Palace had always dedicated their lives wholeheartedly to refining medicine, while their profound strengths were a secondary priority. Because of this, they all possessed bland and clear hearts, without any greed or ambition. Hence, even though Duke Huai wished that he could have the Duke Baoqing Palace submit to him in his dreams, he had never rashly tried to rope them in.

“Has the Overlord Pellet been refined yet this time?” Little Demon Empress asked coldly.

“When the two words ‘Overlord Pellet’ were spoken, the expressions of even the people of the various great Guardian Families and Duke Palaces changed. As for the people that came from outside Demon Imperial City, all of their eyes had instantly rounded widely. Those expressions were as though they heard of the name of a heavenly divine pellet.

Duke Baoqing said with a bow, “In reply to the Little Demon Empress; three months ago, the Overlord Pellet this time had already been refined to completion. Its purity is of ninety percent, and will not cause the loss of life.”

“Very good,” the Little Demon Empress nodded. “The Overlord Pellet this time shall be bestowed to Yun Che of the Yun Family then. I believe no one has any objections to this decision.”

“Yes. The height of Yun Che’s talent is rarely seen in a thousand years, and as the son of Patriarch Yun, he will be the future Patriarch of the Yun Family. Though he has only just returned to the Yun Family, his stunning performance has even brought about admiration from this elder’s heart. In the future, he will definitely be a pillar of Illusory Demon Realm. Bestowing this Overlord Pellet to Yun Che cannot be more fitting,” Duke Baoqing respectfully replied. Evidently, his thoughts were completely alike those of the Little Demon Empress.

With Yun Che’s performance today, and Yun Qinghong personally admitting his identity, the bestowal of this Overlord Pellet could be said to be rightfully deserved. The hearts of everyone in the hall were incomparably envious, yet they knew that Yun Che was the person who definitely had the most qualification to receive it.

The Little Demon Empress’ words had caused the expressions of the people within the seven Great Families and the many Duke Palaces of the east wing to turn extremely ugly… The preciousness of the Overlord Pellet was known by the entire world. Its refinement process was extremely difficult, and the Duke Baoqing Palace had to spent fifty years on average to refine a single pellet. Not to mention, its effects were naturally incredible to an incomparable degree… Once a profound practitioner reached the peak of the Emperor Profound, as long as he took an Overlord Pellet, he could immediately break through the bottleneck of the Tyrant Profound Realm, and easily achieve the level of an Overlord!

This was also the reason it was called the “Overlord Pellet”.

When it came to Overlord themselves, as well as practitioners who possessed strength above the Tyrant Profound Realm, the effects of the Overlord Pellet would not be notable, simply bringing about a slight degree of improvement to their profound strength. However, to those who held strength below that of an Overlord, it was truly comparable to a “heavenly pellet”. Be it Profound Sky Continent or Illusory Demon Realm, the numbers of Emperor Profound experts were many, but ninety-nine percent of them could only reach as far as the peak of the Emperor Profound Realm and would not be able to break through to the Tyrant Profound Realm. However, if one had an Overlord Pellet, he could instantly traverse the clouds, and be reborn.

The plane of Demon Imperial City’s profound level was extremely high, and the numbers of experts were countless. This was especially true in the Guardian Families and the many Duke Palaces, in which Overlords were not the least bit rare. Despite this fact, that definitely did not signify that they could successfully make a breakthrough into the Tyrant Profound Realm after reaching the peak of the Emperor Profound. With the aid of many strong Monarchs, the bottlenecks of Sky Profound and Emperor Profound could be easily broken through. However, regarding the bottleneck of the Tyrant Profound Realm, Monarchs were powerless as well. Those with great talent could be stuck for several years; some might take more than ten, or several dozens… Some might not even make a breakthrough in their entire lifetime.

There would always be secret duels and rankings among the Guardian Families and various Duke Palaces. If they could obtain an Overlord Pellet, they would help the next generation that they carefully raised would be able to instantly break through into the Tyrant Profound Realm right after reaching the peak of Emperor Profound, allowing him or her to directly have a realm’s lead before others who had similar levels of talent… Concerning the reasons why the strength of Duke Hui Ran from the Duke Huai Palace was this terrifying, his extremely high level of talent was one of them, but the other, more important reason, was because he had taken an Overlord Pellet right after his profound level had reached the peak of Emperor Profound. He was the only one among the Guardian Families’ and Duke Palaces’ current generation of youths who had taken an Overlord Pellet… From then till now, he was unbeatable among the same generation.

Hence, even in the eyes of the Guardian Families and Duke Palaces, the Overlord Pellet was a priceless treasure.

In every session of the Demon Imperial Hall, there would be an Overlord Pellet… and only one Overlord Pellet would be bestowed. No matter which party received it, there would definitely be a figure in the next generation that could overwhelm most or even all from the same generation.

Yun Che’s strength was already astonishing to the world even with this profound strength merely being at the peak of the Sky Profound Realm. If he were to obtain an Overlord Pellet, he would not have any obstructions breaking through to the Tyrant Profound Realm in the future, and it would basically be impossible to imagine the degree of strength he would possess then.

Not a single person from the Yun Family neglected to express their joy, and Mu Feiyan instantly let out a loud, hearty laugh. Mu Yurou joyfully said, “Che’er, hurry and thank the Little Demon Empress for her grace.”

“Yes,” Yun Che nodded with a smile. Just as he was about to turn around, a thundering roar suddenly resounded. “Wait a minute! This Overlord Pellet cannot be bestowed upon Yun Che no matter what! He is not qualified to receive such a reward at all.”

Everyone’s eyes instantly shifted towards the source of the voice. The person who spoke had already stood up with a stern expression, and it was actually the Patriarch of the Jiufang Family… Jiufang Kui!

“Jiufang Kui, what is the meaning of this?!” Yun Duanshui, who had already prepared to joyfully watch Yun Che receive the Overlord Pellet reward, was instantly filled with anger. He did not care if he was Patriarch Jiufang or whoever, as he immediately roared loudly with a furious glare.

“Hmph!” Jiufang Kui coldly snorted. “I said… your Yun Family’s child isn’t qualified to receive such a reward.”

“Rubbish!” Yun Duanshui replied furiously. “If my Yun Family’s Young Patriarch isn’t qualified… Could it be that your Jiufang Family’s Young Patriarch is qualified?”

The way Yun Duanshui addressed Yun Che had instantly been elevated to “Young Patriarch”. In regards to the Jiufang Family’s Young Patriarch to whom he was referring, it was naturally Jiufang Yu. When Jiufang Yu’s seven apertures bled with a single punch from Yun Che, everyone present had personally witnessed it. These words from Yun Duanshui were undoubtedly sarcasm which did not carry the slightest trace of mercy.

As expected, Jiufang Kui’s expression slightly twitched. He immediately ignored Yun Duanshui, faced the Little Demon Empress, and said with his hands clasped, “Only one Overlord Pellet is produced every fifty years, and it allows one to become an Overlord with a single step. How could such a treasured item be bestowed to the Yun Family… Little Demon Empress, please withdraw the order!”

The Little Demon Empress coldly glared, “Reason?”

Before Jiufang Kui could reply, the Patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Xifeng, had already stood out, and loudly said, “My thoughts are completely in line with those of Patriarch Jiufang! The reason is all the more simple. The talent of this child, Yun Che, is indeed astonishing. His identity being Yun Qinghong’s son is a matter I do not have much suspicions about either. However, Yun Che still had only appeared in the Demon Imperial Capital three months ago. Where he came from, where he had been in the last twenty odd years, and why Yun Qinghong had to hide him for those twenty odd years, we basically know nothing! Ultimately, even if he possesses the bloodline of the Yun Family, he’s still a person whose background is completely unknown. How could we put aside the genius youths and highnesses who had been staying by Little Demon Empress’ side, simply because of the talent that he had revealed today?”

“And this is still a minor reason…” Xiao Xifeng said with a griefed look. “Little Demon Empress, could it be that you have completely forgotten about the Yun Family’s mortal sin?!”

“The Yun Family’s sin! It’s the Yun Family’s sin yet again!” Little Demon Empress’s crescent-like brows furrowed intensely. “In these hundred years, this empress has heard these words from your mouths countless times. Since that time, a hundred years have passed, yet you’re still not going to let it go?!”

“Little Demon Empress, it isn’t that we aren’t letting it go… The Yun Family’s sin is simply too severe… it’s basically unforgivable!” The Patriarch of the Bai Family, Bai Yi, leapt out as well, as he loudly said, “Because of our defeat this time, in the end, we were unable to banish the unforgivable Yun Family from the Guardian Families. This is due to our incapability, and there’s nothing we can say about it. Allowing the Yun Family to continue staying is already extremely unreasonable in the first place, and is also the Little Demon Empress’ heavenly grace towards the Yun Family. Rewarding the Overlord Pellet to such a heavily sinful family… This really can’t happen. Not only are we unable to accept it, but even the citizens of the world might not be able to accept it.”

“Patriarch Bai sure is mighty, to actually be able to represent all of the citizens in the world by himself!” Yun Waitian said with a cold smile. After his smile, his fury followed right after. “After enduring for so many years, today, all of your fox tails could no longer bear it and have completely revealed themselves! Ever since the start of the ceremony today, every single one of your words had been directed at our Yun Family, pushing our Yun Family to our deaths one step at a time! Now that our Young Patriarch has been graced by the Little Demon Empress, you people are not only clearly jealous at heart, but are actually so thick-skinned and shameless to make yourselves sound so righteous! Hmph… A hundred years ago, all of Illusory Demon Realm was filled with rumors of our Yun Family committing a heinous crime, having a lack of responsibility, and being unable to ensure the world’s peace. We had suspected that there must have been someone spreading them with ill intentions… Looking at it now, it must have been the actions of your seven great families… Do you dare to admit it?!”

“Why wouldn’t we dare?!” Chiyang Bailie stood out. With a straight and cold expression, he said. “That’s right! A hundred years ago, it was indeed us seven great families collaborating together to inform the world of the Yun Family’s crimes. Back then, because the Little Demon Empress had only just been instated, she was both indifferent and lenient, unable to bring herself to heavily blame the Yun Family. However, if such a heavy crime by the Yun Family goes unpunished, Illusory Demon citizens who are all loyal to the Demon Emperor will definitely feel indignant, and before long, chaos will ensue! Even the Little Demon Empress has been drawn into this vortex of public opinion. As Guardian Families, in order to preserve the Little Demon Empress’ mighty name and stabilize her imperial position, after bitterly attempting to persuade the Little Demon Empress to no avail, we had no choice but to adopt this plan.”

“The reason why we have done such a thing is all for the sake of the Little Demon Empress, and the peace and stability of all of Illusory Demon Realm! Even if we’re condemned by several people, we did it with a clear conscience, with no regrets! So why wouldn’t we dare to admit it?!” The Patriarch of the Nangong Family, Nangong Zhi, said with a stern look.

“What a well-said ‘clear conscience’, what a well-said ‘without regrets’, what a well-said ‘for the sake of Little Demon Empress and the Illusory Demon Realm!’” Yun Duanshui’s voice began to tremble from fury. “When saying such words, do none of you feel shame?!”

“Shame? Why do we have to feel shameful?” Helian Kuang stood up and said coldly. “The reason why we seven great Families, and many Duke Palaces, want to go against your Yun Family... do your hearts really not know? Ever since ten thousand years ago, our twelve families had always been of the same breath and branches. Even if we may have small injustices between us, we never had huge grudges. If not because of the grave severity of your Yun Family’s sin, why would we be willing to waste so many words, so much energy?!”

The Patriarch of the Lin Family, Lin Guiyan, roared right after, “Your Yun Family has lost the most important Demon Emperor’s Seal belonging to the Demon Emperor Clan, preventing the Little Demon Emperor from truly succeeding the Demon Emperor’s position. If not because of this, how would he have lost his reason amidst his grief and venture into the Profound Sky Continent alone? This led to him to his death, and has even severed the Demon Emperor’s bloodline right then and there! Currently, although the Little Demon Empress has succeeded the position, without the Demon Emperor’s Seal, her bloodline power is unable to truly awaken, and she even has to often suffer the rampage of the Golden Crow’s Flame Energy… And after the Little Demon Empress, there will no longer be another Demon Emperor! Everything, is because of your Yun Family!!”

“Since the beginning of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, it had been ten thousand years; however, it has been completely brought to an end by your Yun Family! Currently, for your Yun Family to still keep your name as a Guardian Family is already relying on the Little Demon Empress’ grace! How could you still have the face to lecture others about shame, and how could you still have the face to accept a reward such as the ‘Overlord Pellet’?!”

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