Against the Gods

Li Suo did not answer him. She seemed to be mulling over his words.

Yun Che continued, “Take the previous Eastern Divine Region for example. Of the four King Realms, the Star God Realm and Moon God Realm were enemies, and the Eternal Heaven God Realm and Brahma Monarch God Realm acted as counterbalances against each other. The Moon God Realm loathed the Brahma Monarch God Realm to the bone, but they had no choice but to scheme in secret. As for the Star God Realm, they were tricked by the Brahma Monarch God Realm but lacked the power to mount a counter attack…”

“My point is, the Eastern Divine Region alone contained countless secret wars, grudges, and schemes.”

“On the other hand, the Abyss is exceptionally peaceful. Three of the six divine regents—Heaven Breaker, Boundless and Dreamweaver—are best friends, and two of them were even planning a political marriage. The Eternal Night Kingdom of God practices isolationism and is unwilling to make contact with any kingdom at all. The Star and Moon Kingdom of God rarely interact with those beyond their borders, and the Owl Butterfly Kingdom of God—despite being the weakest of them all—is, at least on the surface, protected by the Abyssal Monarch Himself.”

“To date, I have never heard of a ‘war of True Gods’ between the Kingdoms of God.”

“What this means is that despite the horrific tragedies and circumstances the people of the Abyss have been forced to toil under, the six Kingdoms of God are unbelievably peaceful and stable. At the very least, they were far better than the likes of the God Realm.”

“Considering this environment and layout, and considering that no Kingdom of God needs to worry about their own safety, their biggest pursuit has been, and will always be, inheritances. That’s why there is a considerable lack of fighting and scheming between the kingdoms.”

It was also why the Abyss could never “breed” the likes of Xing Juekong or Qianye Fantian, both ruthless monsters whose depth of heart was measured by ten thousand abysses.

Xing Juekong was a bastard who would trick and sacrifice his two blood daughters for an infinitesimally small chance of attaining the power of a True God. Qianye Fantian was a political monster who destroyed countless realms during his rule and was secretly studying the Primordial Seal of Life and Death to attain immortality. He was also a man who viewed all of creation as pawns.

Li Suo thought for a moment before replying. “It’s as you say. Based on the information we currently have, there may be small grievances between the Kingdoms of God, but never a blood debt that could only be resolved by blood, nor terrible conflicts that were widely known to the people of the Abyss. But… this doesn’t make sense. The worse the environment, the greater the competition should become. Those in the Land of the Living have resorted to all sorts of cruel methods just to survive, but the Kingdoms of God, the ones who should experience the greatest amount of competition, are shockingly peaceful…”

Yun Che said, “The answer is obvious, isn’t it?”

A short silence later, Li Suo answered slowly, “The Abyssal Monarch.”

“That’s right.” An odd light swelled behind Yun Che’s eyes. “Back in the day, the God Realm boasted three Divine Regions—east, west and south—and fourteen King Realms. Although the Dragon God Realm reigned above all of them, even they did not possess the kind of ruling power that completely superseded all other King Realms. Besides that, the Dragon God Realm did not want to rule. Although the Dragon Monarch was unquestionably higher in power and status than the God Emperors, he more or less treated them as equals.”

“The Pure Land, on the other hand, possesses absolute ruling power over the six Kingdoms of God. In fact, their True God inheritances were bestowed by the Abyssal Monarch in the first place.”

“Whenever the six Kingdoms of God speak of the Abyssal Monarch, it’s always with a kind of fear and respect that is carved into their marrow. With that in mind, who would dare to harbor ill thoughts, act impulsively, or plot against other Kingdoms of God?”

Of course, this state of things was only possible because the Abyssal Monarch was beyond powerful. From Yun Che’s perspective, it was a level of strength that could only be described as terrifying.

Li Suo’s tone softened. “If things are as peaceful, stable, and calm as you claim, then the Kingdoms of God are also a lot more vulnerable to foreign schemes and plots than normal. This should lessen the burden on your shoulders, right?”

Once again, Yun Che gave Li Suo an unexpected answer. “Oh no, not at all. On the contrary, it has made my burden so much worse.”

“Back then, when the Devil Queen and I mustered the forces of the Northern Divine Region to launch a strong assault against the Eastern Divine Region, the Devil Queen asserted that, thanks to her machinations, neither the Western Divine Region nor the Southern Divine Region would lift a hand to save the Eastern Divine Region. In fact, things went exactly as she predicted.”

“On top of that, all sorts of grudges, grievances and hidden thunders[1] between the King Realms. They may share a common enemy, but they can all be turned against one another given the right machinations.”

Yun Che’s tone grew serious. “Unfortunately, that is not the case for the six Kingdoms of God. They are, in a sense, a true united front, meaning that harming one Kingdom of God is to harm all of them. This is before factoring in that unfathomable Pure Land.”

“There exist next to no major grievances between the Kingdoms of God that I can exploit and use to my advantage, meaning that I have to manufacture one myself.”

He unconsciously lifted a hand and rubbed his forehead. “But how can I possibly do that? What would the Devil Queen do if she was here? Dammit…”

It was at this moment Hua Qingying’s voice entered his ears. “A man should bear a will that transcends the clouds in his person. It is only five years of separation; a flash in your long life. There is no need to be so worried, is there?”

Yun Che stopped massaging his brow and replied respectfully, “You are right, aunt—er, I mean senior Sword Fairy. I guess I’m just feeling Caili’s loss. When we were together, it felt as if my life was whole and perfect. But now that we are separate, I just can’t help but feel like a portion of my heart and soul is missing.”

“Do not worry, senior. I will dispel this sorrow as soon as possible. For Caili and my future, I will give my all during my time at the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.”

“Mm.” Hua Qingying nodded slightly before asking a sudden question, “Where did you learn the ‘Star God’s Broken Shadow’?”

Yun Che replied honestly, “My master.”

Hua Qingying wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Considering all the extraordinary things she had seen from the boy, the fact that his “master” knew the “Star God’s Broken Shadow” was practically normal. “The ‘Star God’s Broken Shadow’ is supposed to be an exclusive movement skill known to the Star and Moon Kingdom of God only. Therefore, try not to use it before your feathers are filled. Otherwise, you might attract unnecessary trouble.”

“I understand,” Yun Che replied obediently. “I appreciate your advice, au—senior Sword Fairy.”

He smoothly moved onto the next subject, “When my master taught me the ‘Star God’s Broken Shadow’, he told me that it is a profound movement skill belonging to the ancient Star God. Does this mean that the Star and Moon Kingdom of God’s power is related to the ancient Star God?”

“That is correct,” Hua Qingying replied. “The Star and Moon Kingdom of God boasts two divine regents and two divine inheritances. Their divine origins also come from the ancient Star God and ancient Moon God.”

Yun Che’s interest was greatly piqued. He asked another question, “My master also told me that there were many Star Gods and Moon Gods in ancient times. The Star Gods were named based on stars, and the Moon Gods based on the colors of the moon. So, which Star God and Moon God powers did the Heavenly Star Divine Regent and the Sky Moon Divine Regent inherit?”

Hua Qingying cast him a long look. “You really are quite ignorant regarding the matters of the Kingdoms of God.”

“In ancient times, when the Abyssal Monarch forged the artifacts of inheritance for the Star and Moon Kingdom of God, he chose to inject the divine origin of the greatest Star God, the Heavenly Wolf Star God, and the greatest Moon God, the Purple Pylon Moon God.”

Yun Che: “…!”

“Therefore, even if the descendants of a Star Sovereign happen to bear a different Star God bloodline, their bloodline and origin power would automatically convert to the Heavenly Wolf Star God’s power after they become a Divine Regent. The core of their power is named the ‘Heavenly Wolf Hell God’s Tome’.”

“It is the same for the Moon God inheritance. All divine regents of the moon were Purple Pylon Moon Gods.”

At this point, Yun Che was absolutely certain that the Star God and Moon God of the Star and Moon Kingdom of God were exactly the same as the ones he knew.

The Heavenly Wolf Star God’s inheritance existed in both the God Realm and the Abyss. In fact, the Abyss possessed its True God divine origin.

Looking at the timeline alone, it was clear that the inheritance in the Abyss was, in terms of seniority at least, far greater than the one left behind in the God Realm.

“Speaking of which, this generation’s Star God God Bearer and Moon God God Bearer happen to possess the Heavenly Wolf bloodline and the Purple Pylon bloodline. In fact, this is the first time in the history of the Star and Moon Kingdom of God where both bloodlines have appeared at the same time. I am sure the next Star and Moon Divine Regents will be greater than any other in the history of the Abyss.”

Yun Che asked another question, “Caili once told me that the Abyssal Monarch created seven artifacts of divine inheritances in total. Why didn’t he create seven Kingdoms of God? Why did he give the Star and Moon Kingdom of God two divine origins?”

Hua Qingying answered in that never-changing indifferent tone of hers, “Because there are only six artifacts of divine origin, not seven. The Star God divine origin and Moon God divine origin share the same vessel.”

Yun Che looked confused.

Hua Qingying continued, “It is rumored that the Star God Race and the Moon God Race are really the same race. In the ancient times, they even served the same Creation God. However, there exists a river of grudge between the two races, and they have never stopped butting heads with each other until one day, many Star Gods and Moon Gods fell into the Abyss.”

“Faced with a common threat, the Star Gods and Moon Gods set their eternal feud aside and joined hands. Such was their union that they made massive contributions to the Abyssal Monarch during the early years of the Abyss.”

“Perhaps this is why the Abyssal Monarch decided to keep one Star God divine origin and one Moon God divine origin and pour them into the same artifact of divine inheritance. It is to join the two split races back into one. The fact that the two divine origins could share the same artifact of divine inheritance does prove that they are originally one race.”

“This decision has its flaws though. It makes it much, much harder for the Star and Moon Kingdom of God to continue their inheritances. For starters, they need two God Bearers who can inherit a sufficient amount of divine essence instead of just one. Two, the God Bearers’s aura and cultivation should be as close to each other as possible. Otherwise, it is possible that the imbalance would cause an accident or even a tragedy when the inheritance happens.”

“I see.” Yun Che wore a look of astonishment. “To think that the inheritances of the Kingdoms of God would be so unusual. Then again, I should’ve known that True God inheritances would be anything but ordinary.”

Star and Moon twins…

Balance…

Yun Che bowed his head slightly so that Hua Qingying would not notice the flash of darkness in his eyes.

Hearing no more questions from Yun Che, Hua Qingying fell silent once more. She was currently standing on the bow of the profound ark and gazing into the gray, dark world in front of her, black hair and blue robes flapping. She looked like something straight out of a masterpiece of an ancient painting.

Despite the size of the profound ark, it was an item of the Abyss. It possessed far more energy than any vessel in the God Realm, and its speed far exceeded the fastest profound ark in the God Realm, the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace as well.

Several hours passed. The Dreamweaver Kingdom of God was near.

“We’ll be arriving in another seven or eight minutes.”

Yun Che had been resting during this time. When he heard Hua Qingying’s voice, he immediately got up to his feet and declared, “This junior is ready. Thank you again for escorting me all the way to my destination, senior Sword Fairy. This junior does not deserve such attention and protection from you.”

Hua Qingying did not turn back to look at him. She simply said indifferently, “There is a place called the ‘Sinking Dream Valley’ in the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God. Caili had warned you repeatedly not to get close to it, but now that we are near your destination, I shall warn you one last time on Caili’s behalf… no matter what happens, no matter what you hear, never take a step into the Sinking Dream Valley. Understand?”

“Yes. This junior will remember this.” Yun Che promised solemnly before asking, “Caili told me that Sinking Moon Valley is a place that creates dreams, and many people venture into that place of their own accord… is it really that scary?”

Hua Qingying replied, “The dreams aren’t scary. What’s scary is human nature.”

Yun Che looked confused.

Hua Qingying explained patiently, “Assuming that a human lives until the end of their natural lifespan, they will experience hundreds, even thousands of joyous moments in their life. However, the painful and miserable moments are many, many times greater. Unfortunately, there exists only infinite joy and no suffering inside these dreams.”

She finally turned around and looked at Yun Che out of the corner of her eye. “It sounds like an idealistic place, doesn’t it?”

Yun Che opened his mouth but could not answer.

“A dream can be a manifestation of one’s desires. It can conjure what is impossible in reality; fulfill one’s desires to their heart’s content.”

“Inside a dream, a humble mortal can become a conqueror of all worlds. Foes they could never defeat would grovel beneath their feet. Treasures they dare not dream for eternity would be right within their grasp. Even loved ones who have passed away for countless years may be ‘reborn’ inside a dream.”

Hua Qingying paused for a second before continuing in a much colder voice, “So, tell me: how would a person react after he has enjoyed all the things an idyllic dream has to offer, and awakened back to cruel reality?”

It did not take much thinking. Yun Che answered quickly, “Reality hasn’t changed, but they would find it millions of times more difficult to accept it than before. They would want to return to their dream immediately… no matter the price.”

“That’s right.” Satisfied with his rationality, Hua Qingying gave him an approving nod. “The consequences are exactly as you describe. The victim would do everything in their power to return to their dream again and again. At the same time, they wouldn’t invest even an ounce of effort to better themselves in the real world. Ever. After all, they knew they would never be able to attain what they had in their ideal dream even if they invested a million times the effort in the real world.”

“In other words, the victim is crippled.”

Yun Che gasped deeply with feigned shock and horror. He then saluted her deeply and said, “I understand now. Thank you, au—er, I mean senior Sword Fairy for your advice. Now that I know the consequences, I will not set even half a step into Sinking Dream Valley.”

Yun Che’s promise was enough to satisfy Hua Qingying. She fell into silence once more.

Yun Che took a small step forward. His footsteps were lightly and clearly mired in hesitation.

A while later, Yun Che finally spoke up again in a timid voice almost as if he had to muster all his courage to do so, “May I… May I call you… aunt like Caili?”

As if thunderstruck by his own audacious request, Yun Che hurriedly added, “Please don’t be angry, senior. This junior isn’t trying to curry favor with you or anything. It’s just that… I haven’t had any seniors or family since my master has been gone, and I haven’t heard such words of advice for just as long…”

Hua Qingying replied indifferently, “Everything I said and did for you is for Caili’s sake.”

“This junior understands.” Yun Che hurriedly nodded and took a small step backward. “This junior was… impolite and presumptuous. Please forget that this junior had said anything, senior Sword Fairy.”

“It’s just an appellation. Call me whatever you want.” Hua Qingying looked forward without any expression.

Yun Che abruptly looked up. His aura was such that, even with her back facing toward him, Hua Qingying could almost feel his dimming eyes brightening with excitement in an instant.

“Thank you… aunt.” He smiled, voice quivering a little like a branch in the wind.

It was at this moment a gigantic barrier slowly rose from the horizon.

It was an odd silver white color that stood in contrast to the Abyss’ dim background.

The profound ark descended and flew straight toward the barrier.

Yun Che had also walked to the bow of the profound ark. He watched as the giant barrier came closer and closer.

Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.

Get ready to receive the dream I shall weave for you all!

1. The equivalent of proverbial landmines. ☜