Against the Gods

The Sea God Arena had fallen completely silent. The Four Sacred Masters were gathered in one place. Their power and prestige enough to cover the earth and the sky, and it was enough to intimidate the entire continent.

Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi raised her head to the sky as she looked at the sun, which was slowly being marked with a black scar, before speaking in a solemn voice, “The Thirteen Star Alignment is about to occur. All our preparations of the past few months have been for this moment alone. The heroes of the realm have also gathered at my Supreme Ocean Palace just for the sake of gazing upon this devil sword and attempting to uncover its secrets together. If the secret of the devil sword can truly be unveiled as per our wishes and desires, then it will definitely be a grand occasion for our Profound Sky Continent.”

Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi looked at Huangji Wuyu. “Even though this event is being held by Supreme Ocean Palace, the Devil Sword Conference is not something that belongs to us alone. It is an event for the entire profound world of the Profound Sky Continent. Brother Huangji, you have the most seniority between the four of us, and your voice also carries the most weight. Therefore, you are the person most suitable to preside over this Devil Sword Conference.”

“Heheh.” Huangji Wuyu gave a tepid laugh. “The devil sword was obtained by Sword Master Xuanyuan, so it is natural that his knowledge of it would be the deepest. We should let Sword Master Xuanyuan host this event. He would naturally be even more suited to the task than I.”

“Alright then!” Xuanyuan Wentian gave a great laugh as he wholeheartedly accepted that suggestion. “Since this is the case, I, Xuanyuan Wentian, will gladly comply.”

As his voice faded, Xuanyuan Wentian raised his right palm and a pale white sword beam discharged from the center of his palm and shot toward the sky.

In an instant, that sword beam had already grown more than three hundred meters long, transforming into a three hundred and thirty meter long profound sword in Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand. After that, he shouted as he slashed down at the Sea God Arena below him.

Clang!!

The gigantic curtain of light that shrouded the Sea God Arena was split open by a single slash from that profound sword. Light shattered as ice would shatter, becoming countless fragments that scattered all over the place. They disappeared into thin air in the blink of an eye, revealing the Sea God Arena that had been hidden from view.

Everyone’s eyes turned toward the Sea God Arena. Following the disappearance of that curtain of light, the Sea God Arena was completely revealed.

The Sea God Arena was several kilometers wide, and at this moment, everyone was astonished to find a gigantic circular profound formation imprinted on it. The profound light that this profound formation radiated was not intense. It glowed brilliantly at times, and grew dark at others. The rate at which the light alternated was exceptionally slow. The borders of the profound formation stretched to the edges of the Sea God Arena, practically covering every inch of it.

The center of the profound formation was also the center of the Sea God Arena. A pitch black sword was there, gently floating in midair. The body of the sword was as black as ink. It was roughly six and a half feet long and one foot wide. It had a square hilt, and the half of the blade near the hilt had two irregular markings that ran down its length. If one looked closely, they would see that the markings were a crescent blood moon that had been cut in half!

Aside from all of these things, the sword did not emit an aura, nor did any power or light radiate from it. Instead, everyone felt as if it were completely lifeless.

“So that is… the legendary Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?” Xia Yuanba could not help but exclaim aloud before continuing in a soft voice, “It doesn’t seem very extraordinary to me.”

Yun Che’s gaze was completely fixed on the sword. His eyes roamed across the body of the sword before finally coming to rest where the sigil of the blood colored broken moon was.

The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had said that the true name of this sword was the “Moon Slaughter Devil Sword”!

Furthermore, this blood colored broken moon sigil also fit the name of “Moon Slaughter”... there was no mistaking it!

The public may know of this sword as the “Heavenly Sin Divine Sword,” but only Yun Che knew that this was a completely authentic ancient devil sword!

He just did not know if the devil soul that had been stored in the blade still existed!

The devil soul of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s son!

“What is that profound formation below it?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.

“Its function should be to gather profound energy,” Xia Yuanba replied. “This profound formation was already being prepared half a year ago. During these last six months, Lord Saint Emperor spent most of his time at Supreme Ocean Palace specifically for the sake of setting up this profound formation. It should have been the same with the other Sacred Masters as well.”

Yun Che, “...”

Yun Che’s brows furrowed slightly, and he let out a long sigh. According to the memories that Jasmine had retrieved from Fen Juechen, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword had been sealed away by the Eternal Night Royal Family for generations. The entire clan had considered it a forbidden object, and no one was allowed to get close enough to touch it. Furthermore, they periodically would strengthen the seal.

Breaking the seal on the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was the goal of this Devil Sword Conference.

Furthermore, if it weren’t for the seal that had been made by the Eternal Night Royal Family, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would not have been baffled for over a thousand years. In the end, they had no choice but to organize this Devil Sword Conference and borrow the power of all the mighty individuals in the land.

Could it be that the Evil God’s seal still lingered on the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?

No, that could not be the case! Even though the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s vitality and soul had been completely shattered, he was obviously still able to escape the Evil God’s seal. Furthermore, since the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s sword, it would naturally be on his person and be one with his body. If the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign could escape that seal, then there would be no reason for the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword to still be affected by said seal.

Yun Che pondered this conundrum for a while before a thought suddenly sprang into his head. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had said that the Moon Slaughter Devil Sword, which was also the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, had been personally tossed into the Profound Sky Continent by him because he wanted to use it to gather information about the outside world. However, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword independently severed the spiritual connection it had with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign after he threw it out…

Furthermore, once a sword completely submitted to its master, it would be impossible for the sword to take the initiative to sever the spiritual connection it had with its master!

This means that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was still an independent existence at that time, and the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was not its true master!

Or could it be that the Evil God’s seal, which had lasted for a million years, had destroyed the spiritual contract that had been established between the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign and his sword?

“This sword is, indeed, a devil sword, and it is also known as the ‘Heavenly Sin Divine Sword’!” Xuanyuan Wentian proclaimed in a clear, loud voice.

“Furthermore, the name ‘Heavenly Sin Divine Sword’ came from the Eternal Night Royal Family that was destroyed a thousand years ago.”

The faces of everyone present were filled with shock and astonishment. Especially among the Four Sacred Grounds, the name “Eternal Night Royal Family” had always been taboo. The main culprit behind the destruction of the Eternal Night Royal Family was Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, so no one would have ever thought that Xuanyuan Wentian would voluntarily bring up the Eternal Night Royal Family.

“This matter occurred a thousand years ago, so it is natural that very few people know of the ‘Eternal Night Royal Family’. However, all of you who are gathered here today are also the overlords of the Profound Sky Continent, so I’m sure that you have heard of it before.”

Those who knew of the Eternal Night Royal Family would roughly know the truth behind its destruction. Yet Xuanyuan Wentian’s voice still rang out as clear as a heavenly bell despite the scrutiny of the entire audience. His expression did not change. It was as if he were talking about a name that was not relevant to him at all. “The Eternal Night Royal Family was initially only a mediocre power, but they swiftly rose to the top after they obtaining this sword ten thousand years ago. In a short thousand years, they had were able to lord over the Profound Sky Continent and be considered equal to the Four Great Sacred Grounds. At that time, the whole world knew that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword must have been hiding some world-shaking secret.

“The Eternal Night Royal Family’s profound art was known as the ‘Eternal Night Illusory God Record’, and when they circulated their profound energy, it was pitch black. It was a baleful, malevolent energy that was extremely similar to the powers possessed by devils and fiends of legend. In the end, however, a profound art is still a profound art. Whether or not a profound art is righteous or demonic is not dependent on the profound art, but the person using the profound art. This was why no one ever questioned whether or not the Eternal Night Royal Family had fallen to a demonic path and become degenerate. However, a thousand years ago, the Eternal Night Royal Family kept committing grievous sins that could not be forgiven or tolerated by heaven and earth. Since the Sacred Grounds were responsible for protecting the Profound Sky Continent through the generations, we had no choice but to join hands to destroy the Eternal Night Royal Family forever.”

Who was the true evil, who was the one who had fallen to a demonic path, and who had committed crimes that were unforgivable to heaven and earth? These were facts that the other three Sacred Grounds knew well. There were even many people outside of the Sacred Grounds who were also aware of the truth. Yet Xuanyuan Wentian was able to skillfully continue without skipping a beat without a shred of guilt showing on his face. On the contrary, his face was filled with a fervent righteousness.

Yun Che stared at Xuanyuan Wentian’s face, but he did not find it comical or despicable. Instead, he felt a cold chill seize his heart.

This was an extremely terrifying man… one more terrifying than any person he had ever met.

“At that time, the Eternal Night King was known as Ye Mufeng. Even though he possessed considerable profound strength, he was still weaker than any one of the Four Sacred Masters. However, when he brought out the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword in the end, his strength actually erupted and no one could face him. In the end, it took the combined power of the Four Sacred Masters and nineteen of the strongest elders from the Sacred Grounds to narrowly defeat him. Even then, we had to pay a terrible price. All Four Sacred Masters were heavily wounded, while ten of the nineteen elders were dead with the remaining injured as well.

The words uttered by Xuanyuan Wentian caused shock and alarm to appear on the faces of a majority of the audience. All of the people present were familiar with the name “Eternal Night Royal Family”, and all of them knew that this clan had been destroyed by the combined might of the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Yet no one but the Four Great Sacred Grounds knew the details concerning the demise of the Eternal Night King.

They had also never dreamed that the Eternal Night King had become that strong all those years ago. To think that the Four Sacred Masters who lorded over the realm and nineteen of the most powerful elders from the Sacred Grounds had just barely defeated him!

The Four Sacred Masters had reached the very peak of the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm. It could be said that, within the Sovereign Profound Realm, none were their equal!

To think that the Eternal Night King of a thousand years ago was that terrifying. Could it be that… he had reached the legendary Divine Profound Realm?

Yun Che’s brows furrowed as he coldly absorbed Xuanyuan Wentian’s words. At this moment, he felt a cold, bone-piercing, and yet strangely familiar killing intent wash over him. Although the other party was trying its best to conceal it, Yun Che was extremely sensitive to killing intent, so it was not able to escape his spiritual perception.

Yun Che’s gaze swept across the Sea God Arena as he attempted to locate the origin of that killing intent as quickly as possible. His eyes eventually settled on a familiar figure.

It was Fen Juechen!!

Fen Juechen was dressed in a set of black clothes, quietly sitting in an inconspicuous corner at the very edge of the venue. His expression was cold and gloomy, and his gaze alone would cause one’s heart to throb.

“Fen Juechen… so he came after all!” Yun Che muttered to himself. Before this, all of his attention had been focused on the Four Great Sacred Grounds and how to deal with the approaching crisis. This, coupled with the fact that Fen Juechen had clearly suppressed his own presence, made Yun Che completely fail to notice him until now.

Fen Juechen’s goal in coming to this place was obviously the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. The only problem was, Yun Che could not figure out what actions he would take to get it. Even though Fen Juechen now possessed great power, in comparison to four major powers who had flourished for ten thousand years, his personal strength was merely a drop of water in the ocean.

On the other hand, Yun Che was even more curious about one thing. Why would Mighty Heavenly Sword Region specifically invite Fen Juechen to participate in this Devil Sword Conference? Was it merely because his strength had fit the criteria that allowed him to participate?

Feng Juechen’s senses were also extremely sharp. When Yun Che looked in his direction, his gaze shot back at him almost immediately. A pair of eyes that looked like they belonged on a vicious wolf stared at Yun Che as a bone-piercing hatred swifty took shape within them.

Yun Che’s brows twitched as he stared at Fen Juechen’s eyes, shock blooming in his heart.

He could feel the hatred that Fen Juechen held toward him… It was exactly the same as every other occasion they had clashed and had not diminished in the slightest. This time, however there was only hatred... yet no killing intent!?

What was going on? Yun Che’s heart was filled with doubt and suspicion… Fen Juechen’s desire to kill him had always been extremely strong. His desire to kill Yun Che was one of the reasons for his current pain-filled existence. Furthermore, he had never concealed his killing intent in front of him…

But this time there was only hatred and no killing intent!?

What’s going on… Or is there some mistake with my perception?

While Yun Che was shocked and confused, Feng Juechen withdrew his icy cold gaze. His gaze grew hard as he fixed his eyes upon the pitch black sword that floated in the middle of the Sea God Arena. He did not look at Xuanyuan Wentian, nor did he look at any of the other Sacred Masters… because he was afraid that he would not be able to prevent his extreme hatred and killing intent from leaking out.

Xuanyuan Wentian continued to speak. “After he took out the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, the Eternal Night King’s strength was extraordinary and completely surpassed the boundaries of the Sovereign Profound Realm. Furthermore, even though his physical body had been destroyed in the struggle, and he had been defeated in combat, his soul refused to die. According to the legends, being able to exist as a soul after one’s body has perished is an ability that is gained when one enters the Divine Profound Realm. It is definitely not something one can achieve with the power of a Monarch.

“So it stands to reason that the strength displayed by Eternal Night King Ye Mufeng after taking out the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was definitely a strength that surpassed the boundaries of the Sovereign Profound Realm and stepped into the legendary Divine Profound Realm!”

The Sea God Arena immediately started to buzz with noise as the face of every person present was filled with astonishment and expectation—Battling the Four Sacred Masters and nineteen other elders from the Four Sacred Grounds alone, and being able to endure as a soul after his body perished... these things clearly proved that the Eternal Night King’s strength had definitely transcended the Sovereign Profound Realm!

Furthermore, all of this information had been conveyed to them by the Sword Master of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region Xuanyuan Wentian while the three other Sacred Masters looked on. How could it possibly be false!

It seemed as though the “secrets of the Divine Profound” were not just empty words and false promises!

“The rise of the Eternal Night Royal Family occurred because they obtained the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. The enormous change in Ye Mufeng also happened after he took out the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. Therefore, it was clear that all of these secrets were contained within the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword.

“After we had punished Ye Mufeng one thousand years ago, we greedily lusted after the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, hoping to decipher the secret behind Ye Mufeng’s sudden increase in strength. However, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was lost in that vicious battle and went missing for the past thousand years. Fortunately, my Mighty Heavenly Sword Region managed to inadvertently stumble upon it in a remote wasteland one year ago…”

“This Xuanyuan Wentian is clearly full of bullshit, yet he acts so calm and composed as if his conscience were clear! His skin is unbelievably thick!” Xia Yuanba growled through gritted teeth. “My master had told me they had long suspected that the missing Heavenly Sin Divine Sword had fallen into the hands of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region a thousand years ago. All those years ago, Xuanyuan Wentian used despicably evil methods to destroy the Eternal Night Royal Family and obtain the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword!”

“Let’s continue listening to his speech. He planned carefully and methodically for today’s performance,” Yun Che said in a low voice. A profound shrewdness, terrifying cunning… despicably evil methods... a profound strength and an organization that stood at the very summit of power... Yun Che was beginning to feel an increasingly heavy pressure emanate from Xuanyuan Wentian.

The sky slowly grew darker. Yun Che raised his head and saw that the black scar in the sky nearly covered a tenth of the scorching sun.

This Chapter's Teaser