Against the Gods

“...What do you mean? Why won’t I be able to see her again?” Yun Che asked suspiciously as his head jerked up, “Could it be that you know something?”

“Hmph, that is because…” The Golden Crow Soul’s voice suddenly stopped, the slight tremble in its bright golden eyes clearly revealing its hesitation in that instant—because once it thought about Yun Che’s temperament and how he had always chosen to deal with things, it decided to conceal that information instead and continued in a bland voice, “As a Star God, she naturally has a unique duty that she has to follow. Within five years… No, it might even be less than five years actually, she will have to fulfill the destiny that she is burdened with and once that time comes, even if she wanted to see you, the destiny that she has to bear will not allow her to.”

“Duty… Destiny…” Yun Che muttered in a rather dispirited manner, “What kind of duty is this? Why would it cause her to lose her freedom?”

“This noble one is not privy to that information. But if you do not see her within the next five years, this noble one is absolutely positive that you will not be able to see her ever again. There are many things that are happening in the Realm of the Gods that you mortals will never be able to understand.” The Golden Crow Soul’s voice was still calm and bland but it was extremely clear that this so-called “duty” would not simply cause her to lose her freedom. But once it thought of Yun Che’s temperament, it realized that it could only tell Yun Che this much.

“...” Yun Che stood there with a dazed look on his face. Xia Qingyue’s and Xia Yuanba’s mother suddenly sprang to mind—he recalled the tale that Xia Hongyi had recounted to him that day, about a girl that Xia Hongyi had called “Dongxue.”

From Xia Hongyu’s tale, Yun Che knew that the day that Xia Qingyue and Xia Yuanba’s mother suddenly regained her memory, she did not linger even a day further. With a steely and incredible resolve, she abandoned her husband and two children and even left a message to her family telling them that they would never meet again.

After that event, they really did not see her ever again.

Why exactly was that the case? Just what kind of place was the Realm of the Gods? Why were the people who returned to that realm unable to meet the people that lived in this place ever again? Jasmine was such a powerful individual, so why did she allow so many other factors to restrict her freedom? And what exactly was binding her in the first place...

Just what kind of place was the world she was living in!?

“Is there any way to forcibly travel to the Realm of the Gods?” Yun Che asked with gritted teeth as his head suddenly jerked upwards.

“Forcibly travel there?” The Golden Crow Soul gave a dull snort, “It looks like this noble one’s words have indeed stirred up much emotion in your heart.”

“If you want me to acknowledge that I will never be able to see her again, I am unable to accept that… No matter what, I will never be able to accept that,” Yun Che’s heart faintly lurched as he said those words. “I want to know whether the world she is living in is good or not. I want to know why she has been deprived of her freedom… No, that’s not all. I definitely need too see her.”

“Your power may be completely unrivalled in this world but if you reached the Realm of the Gods, it would not even amount to a speck in the ocean. This is especially true when it comes to the Star God Realm that your master resides in. It exists in the very highest echelons of power even within the Realm of the Gods. So even if you are truly able to travel to the Realm of the Gods, you will not be able to reach the Star God Realm where she resides. And even if you are truly able to find her… Given your strength, what will you even be able to do for her?” The Golden Crow Soul asked in a cold and indifferent voice.

“Perhaps the strength that I possess is indeed only incomparably small and puny when I reach that world. But…” Yun Che said as he closed his eyes, “I want to see her and it’s not because of what you have just said. I’ve been wanting to see her ever since she left. Her departure was simply too sudden and even now, I’ve not been able to accept it all. Furthermore… I want to know exactly how her life is back at her homeworld. Even if she still wants me to leave when I manage to meet her and we are never fated to meet again, I can at least part from her forever with no regrets.”

“Hahahaha.” The Golden Crow Soul let out a loud laugh, “These are indeed the words you should have been saying. This noble one read your memories a while ago, so I understand her position in your heart far better than even you do. Even if this noble one does not attempt to agitate you, you will definitely not be able to control your urge to travel to the Realm of the Gods to find her. But it is such a pity that the Realm of the Gods exists in a dimension that is extremely far away from this world. Even if you exhausted all of the power that remained in the Primordial Profound Ark, you would still not be able to reach that place. There also aren’t any shortcuts or methods you can use to reach that place... At the very least, even if there are, this noble is unaware of them.”

“If you want to see her within the next five years, the only way it is going to happen is if you raise your profound strength to the Divine Profound Realm. At that time, you will naturally be able to advance towards the Realm of the Gods. It’s just that this is a world with an exceptionally muddled aura, where the principles and laws of nature are extremely low-grade and the elements are excessively thin, attempting to step into the Divine Profound Realm using conventional means is far harder than trying to traverse the heavens. But if it is you, perhaps you will be able to do it.”

“If there is only one method available to me…” Yun Che’s emotions and aura had gradually calmed down, “With the remaining time left to me, I will devote myself to cultivation, even if…” Yun Che’s voice suddenly grew softer, “Even if it is simply so that I can gaze at her from a distance just once.”

Right now, his profound strength was at the first level of the Sovereign Profound Realm but the Divine Profound Realm was a realm which required him to break through the tenth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm.

There was no way to know whether he could accomplish such a task within the short span of five years.

However, if he was truly unable to do it, with another two or three years, Feng Xue’er would definitely be able to do it. Perhaps, when the time came, he would ask her to bring him to the Realm of the Gods.

Jasmine… No matter what, I want to see you again. I can’t allow her parting to be so unsatisfactory and incomplete… and what I truly want to know is whether you are living a good life back in that homeworld of yours...

Time flowed by like a swift-moving river. Hardly anyone had noticed that a full month had passed since the day that Xuanyuan Wentian had been reduced to drifting ashes.

As the Four Sacred Grounds desperately toiled day and night without rest, the high-grade teleportation formation which linked the Profound Sky Continent and the Illusory Demon Realm was finally completed within Yun Che’s specified deadline.

The location of the formation within the Illusory Demon Realm was set within the Yun Family outer courtyards, which was also the place where the fairies of Frozen Cloud Asgard were staying for now.

The location of the formation within the Profound Sky Continent was set within the Blue Wind Nation’s Snow Region of Extreme Ice—Frozen Cloud Asgard’s originally location.

In order to appease and curry favor with Yun Che, the Four Sacred Grounds… especially Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, had poured in a large amount of Purple Veined Divine Crystal and Profound Space Divine Stones into making this teleportation formation. Not only could this teleportation formation instantly allow a person to jump between the two continents, it also had enough power to function for ten years. After its power was depleted in ten years, one could simply use various profound crystals to power it up again.

Compared to the dimensional teleportation formation they constructed together to invade the Illusory Demon Realm, this dimensional teleportation was more than ten times stronger—After all, at that time, the only fear each of the Four Sacred Grounds had was that they would end up contributing more divine crystals than the other three, allowing them to gain an advantage.

On the day that the teleportation formation was completed, the first people to use this gigantic teleportation formation were also the Four Sacred Grounds.

They followed the order that Yun Che had given them that day and everyone within the Four Sacred Grounds who was at least an elder had used the teleportation formation to arrive at Demon Imperial City.

For many of them, it was not the first time they had ‘visited’ Demon Imperial City. However the last time they came, they had arrived as rapacious fiends. But this time, all of them felt like they were teetering on the edge of a cliff, their necks felt uncomfortably tight and they behaved in an extremely cautious and circumspect manner.

Because this time they had come here to apologize and pay for their sins as per Yun Che’s orders. Furthermore, Yun Che had clearly said that if the Little Demon Empress wanted to kill them, no matter who she killed or how many she killed, no one would be allowed to object!

Once they had arrived in Demon Imperial City, they were received by the Little Demon Empress. The Little Demon Empress was incredibly calm and she radiated no killing intent. In fact she did not even speak. Instead, she silently and solemnly led them to the imperial tomb of the Demon Emperor’s clan.

“Kneel!”

Once they had arrived at the imperial tombs of the previous Demon Emperor and the Little Demon Emperor, the Little Demon Empress finally spoke her first words to the Four Sacred Grounds.

Without much hesitation, all of the members belonging to the Four Sacred Grounds fell to their knees. Since they had arrived at this place, they all knew what they had to do. They had invaded the Illusory Demon Realm all those years ago and even though they had been used by Duke Ming and Xuanyuan Wentian and were definitely not the main instigators of this event, they were all still villains who had created the chaos and calamity that had struck the Illusory Demon Realm.

So it would be right and proper even if they paid for their crimes with their lives, much less simply kneeling down and begging for forgiveness.

All of the strong individuals who existed in the upper echelons of the Four Sacred Grounds knelt in front of the Demon Emperor’s imperial tomb. This was a scene that the Little Demon Empress, who had been isolated and alone all those years ago, had never even dreamed of. Similarly, no one in Demon Imperial City had ever dreamed of such a thing either.

Duke Huai Palace had been destroyed and besides Duke Ming, every single member of that clan had been exterminated. Furthermore, Duke Ming, the sole survivor of the Little Demon Empress’ wrath, was undergoing purgatorial torture every single day and he was not able to die even if he wished it. Demon Imperial City was at peace and the Illusory Demon Realm had become tranquil; she had even taken back the absolute imperial authority that the emperor of the Illusory Demon Realm ought to have in the first place.

The other main culprit behind this calamity, Xuanyuan Wentian, had already been turned into ashes and the Four Sacred Grounds who had sacked and pillaged Demon Imperial City were all kneeling and bowing their heads in front of her clan’s imperial tombs… At this moment, she had already completely consoled the spirits of her royal father, her royal brother and all of the other people who had sacrificed their lives for Demon Imperial City.

Her eyes darted to the side as she snuck a look at the man who stood by her side… All of these things had happened because of him. If not for him, today’s events would never have happened and even the current her would not be around either.

At first, she had only planned to sneak a peek at him but once her eyes settled over his figure, her gaze lingered for a very long time… Her heart could sense with increasing clarity that from some point onward, his position in her heart had actually exceeded that of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family.

In the past, the dignity and the glory of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family was far more important to her than her own life. But at this moment, the desire to put down the heavy burden of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family and hand all of herself into his care intensely pounded in her heart.

All of them had sunk to their knees and kowtowed nine times. They were all, at the very least, grand and stately elders of the Four Sacred Grounds, so perhaps they had never dreamed that such a day would come where all of them would be grouped together like a flock of trembling little lambs awaiting judgement.

Yun Che waited for all of them to finish up what they were doing before shooting an inquisitive look at the Little Demon Empress. After that he turned around and said, “Yuanba, Mister Zi, take your people and depart from this place.”

Once they heard those words, the members of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Supreme Ocean Palace looked at each other in joy while the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region all froze in place. The Mighty Heavenly Sword Region’s Xuanyuan Bo asked in a voice filled with fear and trembling, “Asgard Master Yun, then… then what about us?”

“Hehe,” Yun Che gave a chuckle as he asked with an expression that seemed filled with concern, “Is your noble young sword master doing well right now?”

Xuanyuan Bo’s skin crawled as he spoke in a trembling voice, “The Young Sword Master, he… he is currently recuperating from his wounds back in Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. He is fine now, we thank… we thank Asgard Master Yun for his concern.”

“That is simply splendid,” Yun Che said as he smiled and nodded his head. After that, his head suddenly swivelled towards Sun Moon Divine Hall, “Ah, could I ask which one of you is Elder Ye Xuange?”

Ye Xuange, who had been called out by Yun Che, stepped forward with a dazed expression on his face. After that, he asked in a voice filled with nervousness and anxiety, “Ah, Asgard Master Yun summoned this old one… What instructions do you have for me?”

“You are Ye Xuange?” Yun Che said as he measured him with his eyes.

“Yes, yes.” Ye Xuange hurriedly nodded his head, he was completely bewildered and flustered by this sudden turn of events.

“Very good,” Yun Che said with a faint nod of his head as a small, dark and sinister smile appeared on his face. “It looks like your luck isn’t bad. At the very least, you’ll be able to live a bit longer than the rest of your compatriots.”

“...” Ye Xuange raised his head, his expression filled with shock and fear, “Asgard Master Yun, what… what do you mean by that?”

“What I mean is that the rest of you lot are already useless to me, so all of you can die right now!!”

At this moment, the profound energy around Yun Che’s body instantly spiked towards the extreme. A beam of blue light danced in the palm of his hand, covering all of the people belonging to Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region.

Crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack...

The temperature in the air suddenly plunged as the blue light unrestrainedly spread out as tens of dreadful Trees of Frozen End grew rapidly in the air as if they had come from the depths of hell itself as they completely sealed away and froze the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region as they stumbled over themselves in complete panic.

The peerlessly, dreadfully cold energy and extremely tyrannical Frozen End sealing power of the Trees of the Frozen End that came from Yun Che, who was in peak condition, had completely overpowered these elders of the two Sacred Grounds and even the Divine Envoys themselves were not able to escape from them. Their faces rapidly turned greenish-purple from the icy coldness as expressions of complete despair, fear and terror appeared on their faces.

“Yun… Yun Che! You…” Divine Envoy Heavens Equal, the strongest person in the current Sun Moon Divine Hall, let out a strangled cry filled with fury, shock and terror. But just as these words escaped his mouth, his lips were securely locked away by a beam of Frozen End energy.

The members of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Supreme Ocean Palace stood there gawking from the sidelines, not even daring to breathe. How could they not guess what was happening after witnessing this scene… With just a simple wave of his hand, Yun Che had completely sealed away more than one hundred Sacred Grounds elders and the five incomparably strong Sun Moon Divine Envoys in ice. Not a single one of them could escape from this ice and even though these bystanders had never once doubted Yun Che’s dreadfulness, they all still reeled in shock and fear after witnessing this scene.

This was a strength that was simply so powerful that they could scarcely fathom it.

“Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, as the dogs of Xuanyuan Wentian, who knows how many evil and wicked things you have done over the years! You caused calamity and strife to rage through the Illusory Demon Realm and nearly caused the extinction of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family! After that, you caused the death of my grandfather and caused the deaths of many members of my Yun Family. Even my parents nearly fell at your wicked hands, causing Xiao Yun and I to be separated from our families since birth… So tell me, what reason do I have to allow you to keep existing on this earth!?”

Also, Sun Moon Divine Hall, given what has transpired between us, did all of you truly believe that I would be so kind-hearted as to let all of you off!?”

“All of these debts of blood can only be paid back with your lives!”

Despair, shock and terror appeared on each and every face that had turned greenish-purple due to the cold. But none of them could utter a single sound and only a faint whimper could be heard every now and then.

“Caiyi, do you want to do the honors? Or shall I do it?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.

Just as his voice fell, the Little Demon Empress had already taken to the air. Golden flames which filled the sky brought along scorching despair as it hurtled towards the frozen bodies below.

BOOOOOOOOMMMMM————

The cold energy swiftly dissipated but the sealing power of the Frozen End energy did not weaken in the slightest. The members of Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region had been rescued from an icy-cold abyss only to be thrown into a fiery purgatory of despair. As they let out miserable cries that sounded like the wailing of ghosts, they were swiftly burned into scorched ashes by the Golden Crow flames.

WIthin the short span of tens of breaths, all of the members of Sun Moon Divine Hall and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region who had come to Demon Imperial City today, besides Ye Xuange whom Yun Che had singled out, had died without even leaving a single bone behind.