Against the Gods

This went completely against Hua Qingying’s understanding of abyssal beasts, but she did not have the time—not even an instant—to be astonished. It was because horror had already completely filled her heart and soul.

The Immortal End Sword escaped her hand in an instant. It flew straight toward the power that threatened to engulf Hua Caili whole.

Hua Qingying was the world-renowned Sword Fairy. She was a master of the way of the sword and movement skills.

Her sword could slay someone instantly and without a trace. No one beyond thirty meters would even notice.

It wasn’t just because her sword intent had reached perfection. Her control of profound energy had also reached the pinnacle.

To put it in simpler terms, it was the focus of profound energy around her sword to achieve extreme compression and mastery over profound energy. Even the tiniest wisp of profound energy could take a life as her sword willed it.

She sat on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to Yun Che’s sword style.

From the moment Hua Qingying grasped the Heaven Breaker Sword Intent, she had never suffered defeat at the hands of someone in her cultivation level. Even if her opponent possessed the exact same cultivation level, weight and density of profound energy as her, she would always outlast her opponent.

To give an example, if her opponent was nearing the end of their stamina, she would have used thirty percent of her energy at most.

She was the pinnacle of agility and profoundness. That was how she came to be known as the Sword Fairy.

For that reason, she had always looked down on the way of heavy swords. Heavy swords were violent, brutal, capable of taking on thousands and defending just as many. However, they also consumed an obscene amount of energy and were generally boorish and immoderate. Against powerful enemies who could go toe-to-toe or even overwhelm them, they would most likely run out of strength before the battle was even decided.

Take the Abyssal Qilin God for example. In just one claw strike, the monster had created a hundred-kilometer disastrous zone, a thousand-kilometer collapse, and a ten-thousand-kilometer earthquake. But in her eyes, it was just a stupid and easily manipulatable beast. Even in the Endless Fog, she was confident she would never lose to the Abyssal Qilin God, and that the option to escape would always be available to her.

But now, for the first time in her life… she felt keenly and truly the shortcomings of her strength.

Oppression…

Her Immortal End Sword was racing after the Abyssal Qilin God’s giant power at the speed of light.

Had the Abyssal Qilin God targeted her with this giant power, instead of Hua Caili just being caught by the shockwaves, it would definitely be a fatal blow. But the Abyssal Qilin God had targeted Hua Caili, and there was less than thirty five kilometers of distance between them.

This was a situation where Hua Caili would perish ninety-nine percent of the time!

The sound of the Immortal End Sword ripping through the air was almost shrill as it split into a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand sword beams that hacked away and annihilated the Abyssal Qilin God’s power.

Unfortunately, she had only an instant to react. There was just no way the Immortal End Sword could fully annihilate the power flying toward Hua Caili in time.

Thirty percent, fifty percent, sixty percent, seventy percent…

Try as she might, thirty percent of the giant power still struck the space where Hua Caili was.

Hua Caili could feel the shadow of death breathing down her neck. Despite her internal injuries and reopening wounds, Hua Caili forced herself to turn around and construct a fan-shaped sword formation with the Glazed Cloud Sword.

Rumble—

The ground of the Endless Fog was exceedingly tough compared to other places, and still it depressed a hundred meters deep in an instant.

The Glazed Cloud Sword looked much dimmer than usual as the resulting impact threw it far, far away.

As for its master, she was swept away like a dead leaf in a hurricane. She flew far, far, far away before she finally hit the cold, dead ground with a sickening thud.

Glaring scarlet swiftly spread across her pure white clothes, painting a bleak picture.

“Caili!!!”

Her vision was blurry and alternating between pure white and decaying gray at times. She could also vaguely hear her aunt screaming out her name. It was overflowing with a kind of panic and terror she had never heard before.

She couldn’t feel pain. She could barely feel her own body.

Her aunt once told her that an injury where she could feel pain was usually insignificant no matter how bad it looked. On the other hand, she must never ignore a terrible injury where she couldn’t feel any pain because it meant that both her body and soul were on the brink of death.

Her blood-coated fingers dug into the ground, but she did not have the strength to push herself upward.

Her vision was growing blurrier and blurrier, and the first emotion in her mind was… despair. Despair from being able to feel her life rapidly slipping through her fingers.

Father… aunt…

Young… master… Yun…

The calamity wasn’t over yet. Enraged, the howling Abyssal Qilin God attacked again. Its two claws churning with Abyss-warped qilin energy, it hammered the ground below with all its might.

It wasn’t targeting Hua Caili this time.Instead, it was a wide-area attack that engulfed everything within several hundred kilometers.

Anyone who wasn’t a Half-God would be lucky to survive this attack. At the very least, they would suffer severe injuries.

The attack encompassed anything and everything. Whatever sliver of optimism Hua Qingying dared to hold was utterly annihilated by this new attack.

There was zero chance Hua Caili would be able to survive this attack in her condition.

The reason the Abyssal Qilin God’s gigantic body could summon an ocean of power in an instant was because it was once the Qilin God who protected all. Once upon a time, its divine power was used to protect millions and ensure that not a hair was harmed on their persons.

Today, that very power was being used for the sake of destruction.

Once upon a time, it could instantly create a divine domain that protected everything. Now, the same domain ensured that nothing and no one could escape its wrath.

“…” Hua Qingying froze with deep helplessness and despair. She felt as if she had crossed tens of thousands of years back in time… and returned to that moment where Qu Wanxin had fifty four Soul Ending Nails slammed into her body.

Back then, there was nothing she could do to save her best friend. She could only regret and atone for the rest of her life.

Today, the daughter of her best friend, Hua Caili, was facing death, and still she could not do anything.

It was just thirty five kilometers of distance… but it was a chasm of despair she could never cross.

Even if she could stop time, rush to Hua Caili’s side, and save her from this deadly attack, there would be no one left to distract the Abyssal Qilin God. It would simply chase after her, vent its rage on her, and kill Hua Caili in the process.

There was no way out. All outcomes led to Hua Caili’s death.

The Immortal End Sword that was flying back to her hand suddenly plummeted toward the ground.

It was a reflection of her current feelings.

If she had grabbed Caili and escaped with all her might at the beginning, if she hadn’t tried to separate from Caili and try to lure the Abyssal Qilin God elsewhere, it would still have been extremely dangerous, but their situation wouldn’t be nearly as hopeless as it was now.

Qu Wanxin died because of me, and today, her daughter is going to die in my hands as well…

Rationally speaking, she had made the most logical and correct decision. She had clashed against the Abyssal Qilin God several times, and she knew that it was shockingly fast despite its massive size. Had she chosen to grab Hua Caili and escape with all her might, it still would have taken her a hundred breaths at least to shake off the Abyssal Qilin God.

A hundred breaths was a very, very long time. Even if she did everything in her power to protect Hua Caili, the terrifying divine pressure and spatial shockwaves coming from the Abyssal Qilin God would be enough to worsen her injuries until she died.

Therefore, the option wasn’t an option to begin with. Sending Hua Caili away and staying behind to distract the Abyssal Qilin God was the one and only choice she had.

She never imagined that the Abyssal Qilin God would attack the escaping Hua Caili, however. It made no sense. It was clearly attracted to her aura and power, so why…?

Hua Qingying was still gripped in grayish despair when an astounding draconic roar cut through the air.

ROAR—

Hua Qingying’s sword soul shuddered, and her grayish eyes instantly regained their clarity.

The Abyssal Qilin God’s raised limbs and surging power came to an abrupt pause.

It was a brief pause, but it was enough time for a silhouette to dash out of the unstable space, rush toward Hua Caili, and lift her blood-drenched body firmly but carefully in his arms.

Huq Qingying stared. The abyssal dust was blocking her vision, but she still recognized the silhouette that picked up Hua Caili instantly.

Yun Che!?

She was so distracted that she had not sensed his approach until he appeared.

Why did he approach this calamitous zone that no one in their right or wrong mind would want to stay?

The warmth and comfort that held her felt as familiar as a dream. Her eyes shook violently as her vision grew sharper, and she saw a face that she thought she had lost forever.

“…” Her lips parted, but she couldn’t say a word. Her tears blurred her vision once more.

The spell broke, and the Abyssal Qilin God’s claws continued their downward trajectory. But there was good news. The sudden disruption in momentum had canceled half of its giant strength as well.

Rumble—

The power of a Divine Limit Realm qilin sent Hua Qingying flying through the air, but she did not seem to notice it one bit. Her eyes were fully affixed at the two dots at the distance. She watched as a yellow barrier enveloped Hua Caili in an instant.

It was the Rock Barrier, the profound energy that represented the pinnacle of defense. However, it was compressed to protect Hua Caili and only Hua Caili. The young man hadn’t saved anything for himself.

The ground kicked up thousands and thousands of meters into the air, seemingly connecting with the grayish sky above. Like a pair of small boats that were struck by a tidal wave, the duo were tossed into the far, far distance.

At that moment, Hua Qingying clearly saw countless cracks spreading throughout the barrier that was protecting Hua Caili. However, it did not break until she landed on the ground.

Yun Che had not covered himself in the barrier. He had taken the half-powered strike of the Abyssal Qilin God with his bare body.

The young man climbed to his feet, his black robe seemingly darker than usual. Hua Qingying knew that it wasn’t an illusion. His clothes looked darker simply because they were completely drenched in blood.

Yun Che’s cultivation marked him as a level three Divine Master, but both his power and his body were comparable to an early-stage Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner. At that distance, he absolutely could have blocked the shockwave of the Abyssal Qilin God partially, if not completely if he focused all of his power to defend himself.

Oddly, Yun Che had chosen to protect Hua Caili with all his might instead. The outcome was obvious. Even with the body of a Half God and the Dragon God, his physical condition must be absolutely horrible. At the very least, he must be struggling with multiple crushed bones and ruptured internal organs right now.

Despite this, he climbed to his feet as soon as he was able and ran toward Hua Caili, leaving a trail of bright red beneath his feet.

At the same time, a weak but resolute voice entered Hua Qingying’s ears:

“Please… delay that vile beast… senior… I swear… I will protect her with my life…”

Yun Che raised Hua Caili into his arms once more and conjured a new barrier. This time, it covered both him and the young woman. It was clear as day that he was grievously injured, but he somehow discovered a speed that should not be possible given his current state and exploded toward the distance.

Ring!!!

The falling Immortal End Sword rose into the air once more, and profound energy swirled around Hua Qingying. She rarely leaked profound energy in the norm, but this time, the vortex of profound energy she summoned was so potent that it was kicking up her hair and her clothes.

The sword pointed in a certain direction, and a sword screen descended from above. It quickly multiplied into a thousand sword screens.

She rarely used sword screens to duel against enemies, but right now, she wasn’t aiming to suppress. She was simply doing everything in her power to slow down the Abyssal Qilin God’s body and energy.

Drip…

Drip…

Warm liquid splattered on the young woman’s face. When she opened her eyes, she saw Yun Che’s blood-soaked face. She could not tell if it was a dream or reality.

“Young… master… Yun…” She whispered. It was so soft it could have been a dream murmur.

The ground was shaking violently, and the wind howling in her ears sounded like the screeches of the vilest demons. When he looked down to meet her eyes though, he gave her his usual warm, confident smile and said, “Don’t worry. Everything will be okay very soon…”

It was at this moment she felt a terrible pressure coming from behind Yun Che. Even after the shockwaves were significantly reduced by Hua Qingying’s sword screens, they remained absolutely terrifying and impossible to ignore.

Hua Caili felt the grip around her body tightening suddenly, and despite her blurry vision, she could clearly see the protective barrier surrounding them contracting rapidly into a sheen of thick, yellow light—a yellow light that protected her and her alone.

“D… on’t…”

Rumble!

Space twisted, and Hua Caili’s consciousness once again faded into pure white. There was an incessant buzzing in her ears as well. Despite this, she quickly regained her clarity of mind and looked.

The shockwave had sent Yun Che rolling unceremoniously across the ground, but he caught himself before he could go too far and ran back toward her. His back was so badly mangled that the bones were showing, and she clearly saw when he got up to his feet that his left arm was bending backward at a gruesome angle.

To say his injuries were severe would be an understatement.

After all, he had once again devoted all of his strength to protecting her.

Crack!

He snapped his broken arm back into position, but he did not let out even a grunt. He staggered back to her side in almost no time.

He used the left arm he had just fixed—it had to be screaming with pain right now—to hold her against his chest. Then, he lifted her into the air, squeezed out strength that came from heavens-know-where, and broke into a run once more.

Tears blurred her vision in an instant. Her body couldn’t feel pain, and yet her heart was aching so badly it was as if there was a stake in it.

“Put me down… you’re going to… die…”

She squeezed out whatever strength she had and pleaded for him to run, each word drawing a tear from her eyes.

Drip… drip…

The blood was pouring down on her face several times faster than before, but he was still giving her the warmest, most comforting smile he could muster and said, “We won’t… no one is dying here today…”

Kaboom—

Yun Che staggered and fell to his knees, skidding across the ground and throwing up a mouthful of blood in the process. However, he quickly took to the air and resumed their escape.

“Put me down…” She used all of her remaining energy and willpower to say, “Leave me… you promised… you said we won’t meet again…”

Yun Che’s blood-drenched hair was hanging beside the young woman’s face and making contact with her cheeks from time to time. While looking ahead, he replied, “I promised I wouldn’t become your burden… and I absolutely will not let you get hurt…”

Kaboom!!

The shockwave threw him into the air and caused him to vomit blood like crazy. Still holding on to Hua Caili, they rolled dozens of times across the ground before he finally managed to steady himself.

“Are… Are you hurt?!” He asked worriedly and urgently. He didn’t want even an extra scratch to appear on her person.

“…” Hua Caili did not say anything. Her eyes were transfixed on Yun Che’s chest where a long, black rock had penetrated his back and burst out of his chest.

She felt as if her heart and soul had plummeted into the bottomless sea. Absolute cold and absolute warmth were mingling haphazardly inside her.

Her lips were quivering at the same beat as her heart. For a long time, she could not make even the slightest sound.

She thought she had already shed all the tears she could shed that snowy day. But now, the warm tears that flooded down her blood-covered cheeks seemed like it would never end.

The compounding injuries were slowly but surely slowing down Yun Che, but he gritted his teeth and toughed it out without pause. At the same time, the Abyssal Qilin God was slowly but surely being drawn away by Hua Qingying, and her sword screens were doing all they could to reduce its energies.

The distance between them was increasing by the instant, so of course the shockwaves were growing weaker and weaker as well.

Unfortunately, Yun Che was also rapidly approaching his limits. Every time he took a hit with his bare body, he was gambling against increasingly hopeless odds that he would survive to draw another breath.

Boom—

Rumble!!

Boom—

Again and again, wave after wave.

Space was shaking, and the breath of death approached and left again and again. However, none of this seemed to matter to Hua Caili anymore. She just stared at Yun Che blankly and observed every change in his expression, every line of his countenance, every bead of blood, every streak of red…

She indulged greedily in his warmth.

Suddenly, she wasn’t afraid anymore.

If their fate was to perish like the ephemeral shooting stars…

… then so be it.

……

Li Suo had not said a single word since the “performance” began. She did not dare to distract Yun Che even a little.

The most difficult step of his performance today was easily obfuscating Hua Qingying’s senses and allowing the Abyssal Qilin God to get close to Hua Caili.

To this end, he gathered an unbelievable amount of concentrated abyssal dust and hid the Abyssal Qilin God within it.

Right now, Yun Che still hadn’t gotten to the level where he could control the abyssal dust as his heart desired. For example, it had taken him over a day just to gather the necessary amount of abyssal dust to conduct his performance.

The good news was, his plan was successful. Everything was going exactly as planned so far.

There was one thing Li Suo did not understand, however.

Why had he slipped his profound handle into the abyssal dust? And why had he created the title “Fog Monarch”?

It was completely meaningless.

All he needed was to get the Abyssal Qilin God close enough to Hua Caili. There was absolutely no need to make up such an entity, much less have it speak. From her perspective, it was completely unnecessary and even detrimental to his well being because it increased his chances of being exposed.

Or perhaps… This was a setup for his other schemes?