Against the Gods

Li Suo whispered, “But after what you did today, a High Priest will surely show up in person.”

“Just a High Priest?” Yun Che let out an enigmatic chuckle. “I wouldn’t be surprised if the Abyssal Monarch Himself shows up. After all… he would soon watch the rapidly spreading projections and discover something that he previously thought was completely impossible!”

“So…” Li Suo asked, “Your goal is to sow dissension in the Pure Land?”

“No.” Yun Che’s complexion was ghastly white from weakness, but his words remained frighteningly cold. “I’m sowing dissension… across the entire Abyss.”

Yun Che looked up and whispered the advice Chi Wuyao gave him before he descended upon the Eastern Divine Region: “To destroy a realm, you must first sow dissension. To sow dissension, you must first break their faith.”

The Abyssal Monarch was unquestionably the highest faith of this world.

“After today, the Fog Monarch’s appearance will decrease drastically in the short term. I must carry out my cultivation in the Endless Fog with absolute caution as well.”

“So, let’s just watch what happens to the world next.”

The “abyssal core” wasn’t just planted in the soul of an abyssal knight. It was being spread to the hearts of every living being by the hands of their very own profound practitioners as well.

Not even Yun Che could predict what kind of vile flower this “abyssal core” would bear, but he certainly held high hopes for it.

……

Yuchi Nanxing awakened with great difficulty.

The acute pain ravaging his senses and his waking consciousness were all cruel reminders that all the things he suffered earlier wasn’t a nightmare.

“You’re finally awake, Nanxing.”

Bai Yu’s image slowly became clearer in his vision. He too cut quite the sorry figure and looked seriously injured, but his condition was nowhere as bad as Yuchi Nanxing’s. Not only had he awoken some time ago, he even had the energy to construct a healing profound formation.

Despite his awakening, Yuchi Nanxing was just staring blankly at the sky. He did not say a word even though a long time had passed.

Residing in his eyes was a kind of grayish defeat Bai Yu had never seen before in his knight commander’s eyes, and he understood all too well the shock Yuchi Nanxing had suffered today. The man had barely gotten a scratch ever since he became one of the Thirty Six Commanders, and yet today he had come so very close to death. However, his physical injuries didn’t even amount to one-hundred-thousandth of the shock the Fog Monarch had done to his faith.

“The Fog Monarch didn’t kill us for some reason,” Bai Yu decided to break the silence. “Maybe he didn’t dare.”

That was what he said, but he knew just how ridiculous it sounded.

Yuchi Nanxing finally turned his gaze and scanned the surroundings. He discovered that he was in a barren wasteland surrounded by profound practitioners wearing all sorts of expressions. However, most of them possessed extremely muddy auras. There were even frail women and children who should be resting inside a barrier, not out here in the open.

Their eyes were empty, and their expressions sorrowful. They were all staring blankly at the distant horizon.

“Where… is this?” He finally asked.

Bai Yu replied with a complicated expression, “The east side of the Profound Desert Realm. What was the Profound Desert Realm… has been devoured by the Endless Fog.”

The five words “devoured by the Endless Fog” silenced Yuchi Nanxing for a very, very long time. Finally, he let out a thoughtless murmur, “How… can this be…”

“Indeed! How can this be?”

Someone repeated his words, but it was trembling and infused with a sort of righteous anger that should never have been directed at an abyssal knight. When he looked, he saw Mo Xifeng walking toward him with heavy footsteps unbefitting a level one Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner. “Please arrange a Land of the Living for my lost people to stay as soon as possible, sir knight. Otherwise, the weaker ones will surely perish in abyssal dust before long.”

Mo Xifeng’s tone and expression were nowhere as respectful as they were before. It was obvious that he was trying his best to control his emotions. Bai Yu’s eyebrows furrowed deeply as he said in a cold voice, “Are you ordering me? The one who destroyed your Profound Desert Realm was the Fog Monarch!”

Mo Xifeng barked out a laugh that was tinged with a hint of hysteria. “Before today, the Profound Desert Realm was enjoying a major blessing from the Fog Monarch. The abyssal dust in our realm was so thin even the ordinary women and children could temporarily stay out in the open without an isolation barrier. Had this situation continued, the Profound Desert Realm would have become a major hub for countless profound practitioners looking to hone themselves in the Endless Fog. It would’ve become far more prosperous than what it originally was.”

“But you. Destroyed. Everything!” Mo Xifeng did not seem to give two fucks anymore. He jabbed a finger at Bai Yu and Yuchi Nanxing and roared with uncontrollable anger and hatred, “You were the ones who forced me to do this! You were the ones who drove the Fog Monarch to withdraw his blessing and enact divine judgment upon us instead!”

“The insolence!” The Pure Land’s pressure descended as Bai Yu’s temper flared.

“Father!” Mo Qianyou hurriedly ran up to his father and gripped his arm tightly. While doing so, he saluted Bai Yu hastily and said, “Please quell your anger, sir knight. My father gave everything to the Profound Desert Realm, and today his life’s work was consumed by the Endless Fog. That is why he could not control his grief and ramble. Please forgive him!”

Bang!

But Mo Xifeng sent his son flying with one swing of the hand.

“The Profound Desert Realm is gone. Our roots are gone. What else do I have to fear?” Mo Xifeng lifted a finger and pointed at Bai Yu once more. “Watch carefully and remember, Qianyou. These are the abyssal knights, and they are the sinners who destroyed the Profound Desert Realm and our countless generations of labor! Never forget the face of your sworn enemy!”

“Hah!” Bai Yu was so angry he had to bark out a laugh. “Is that so? What are you going to do about it then, Profound Desert Realm King?”

“Hahaha!” Mo Xifeng’s cold laugh grew even more sorrowful. “Indeed! What can I do about it? I’m just the lord of a small Land of the Living. What can I possibly do against the oh-so-noble abyssal knights?”

“Tell me, noble abyssal knights. Not only did you cost us a boon that would have benefited our people for hundreds of generations to come, you even cost us our homeland. So… are you going to uphold the glory and impartialness of the Pure Land, or are you going to just pat your bums and leave? Are you deceivers and liars just like the Abyssal Monarch?!”

The first half of Mo Xifeng’s outburst was still forgivable considering how emotional he was right now, but the second half was utterly unforgivable to any abyssal knight.

Bai Yu’s anger morphed into bloodthirst as he slowly raised his head and said in a voice as cold as the abyss, “You are courting death!”

Ding!

Cold light condensed into ice, and his pale sword appeared between his fingers. But for some reason… He did not point it at Mo Xifeng.

Even his bloodthirst had frozen without warning.

It was because he looked up and saw countless pairs of eyes staring at him. They were filled with fear, loss, indifference… and deep-seated hatred.

The familiar fervor, admiration, longing, and respect were no longer anywhere to be found.

His churning bloodthirst suddenly morphed into a kind of helplessness he had never felt before. He was even feeling faint in a way that was so different from combat.

“Bai Yu,” it was at this moment Yuchi Nanxing spoke up, “we’re leaving.”

The cold blade between Bai Yu’s fingers disappeared, and he soundlessly supported the grievously wounded Yuchi Nanxing. He took off into the sky.

He paused midway, however. A series of deep breaths later, he abruptly tossed a piece of clean jade in front of Mo Xifeng.

“This is my knight’s token. Head to the northeast and seek out a Land of the Living named White Chalk Realm. That is my homeland. With this token, the White Chalk Realm will take you in and arrange you accordingly. As for how many of you can live… that is up to your luck.”

“When I’m done in the Pure Land, I will personally… return to the White Chalk Realm and settle you in.”

He did not remain after that. He took off with Yuchi Nanxing.

He moved very quickly as if he did not wish to endure their gaze for even a second longer.

……

The World Piercer profound formation flashed red, and Yun Che returned to his cultivation space.

He removed the Ni Yuan Stone from his person, and his aura returned to normal several breaths later. He had returned to the Yun Che everyone was familiar with.

After taking a few deep breaths and masking his fatigue and weakness, he left his cultivation space and walked under a kiosk at the courtyard. Then, he ordered Zhanyi to bring him some tea and snacks, and Helu to tidy his appearance. He looked both comfortable and relaxed.

Not long later, a familiar presence rapidly approached the Divine Son Palace. Meng Zhiyuan soon walked up to him and reported, “Young master, Divine Son Xi requests a meeting with you.”

“Show him in.”

It wasn’t long before Meng Jianxi strode up to him with a serious expression. Yun Che instinctively straightened his back and grew serious as well. “What happened?”

“Something massive, though it’s not directly related to Dreamweaver,” Meng Jianxi answered directly. “Two hours ago, something strange took place at the Endless Fog.”

“Two hours ago?” Yun Che’s frown deepened. “The news spread from the Endless Fog all the way to here in just two hours? This is definitely serious. Tell me.”

Meng Jianxi asked, “Have you heard of the ‘Fog Monarch’, Brother Yuan?”

“Of course.” Yun Che looked puzzled. “Are you saying… that this matter has something to do with the ‘Fog Monarch’? According to the Xuanji Hall, the Fog Monarch is just a false existence concocted by those who seek to resist the Pure Land. Did they do something again?”

Meng Jianxi let out a long, deep sigh. “For the past year, the rumors regarding the Fog Monarch kept coming, and each one was only more exaggerated than the last. Before today, my opinion of the ‘Fog Monarch’ was exactly the same as you. I’ve always thought that only hopeless idiots would believe the ludicrous rumors regarding the Fog Monarch.”

“However, the world is sometimes far more complex than you and I can imagine.”

Meng Jianxi then handed him a Profound Imagery Stone. “Words cannot describe what is engraved inside this Profound Imagery Stone. You will understand what I mean once you’ve watched it.”

“You may stay,” Meng Jianxi called out to Liu Zhanyi and Shangguan Helu before they could take their leave. “Hundreds of thousands of people have witnessed this, and they all hail from different Lands of the Living. The spread of this news cannot be stopped, and it won’t be long before the entire world learns about it, so there is no need for you to give us privacy.”

The next moment, a projection appeared from the Profound Imagery Stone. It showed the abyssal knights going up against the Fog Monarch.

The Fog Monarch, the Ancestral Qilin God, the trampled abyssal knight, the churning fog of abyssal dust, the sea of abyssal beasts… everything the Fog Monarch wished to present to the world was present in this tiny stone. Although the image was captured from a rather great distance, every instant of the image, every abyssal sound uttered by the Fog Monarch, was enough to shake hearts and souls and flip one’s beliefs upside down.

The end of the projection showed the Fog Monarch declaring his punishment upon the Profound Desert Realm. Not long after that, the Endless Fog abruptly expanded and slowly engulfed the realm in its entirety.

Yun Che did not move even after the projection had come to an end. He was staring blankly ahead and looked like he had lost his soul.

Even though this wasn’t the first time he had watched the projection, Meng Jianxi was just as shaken as he was the first time. He did not speak and gave Yun Che time to process everything.

A few breaths later, Yun Che finally looked at Meng Jianxi and asked, “What do you think of this, Divine Son Xi?”

Meng Jianxi shook his head. “This matter relates to the Abyssal Monarch. I dare not comment on it.”

“Since you do not dare to take a stance, that means you do believe some of the Fog Monarch’s claims. You just do not dare to believe fully,” Yun Che said calmly.

Meng Jianxi let out a sigh and replied, “It is a fact that the Fog Monarch can control abyssal dust, and it is a fact that he can control abyssal beasts. If what he claimed is true as well… then the origin story of the Abyss would be the biggest lie in the entire world.”

If the beginning was a lie, then everything that came after was the spawn of lies.

Yun Che closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. A long time later, he said, “If even you have doubts, then the others can only fare worse.”

“Still, this is something for the Pure Land to worry about, not us. Let’s keep the discussion to a minimum both internally and externally,” Yun Che responded with the most logical answer a member of the Kingdom of God should make before asking, “By the way, what are the chances that this Fog Monarch is a fake? A doll puppeteered by another person?”

“Zero.” Meng Jianxi shook his head without hesitation.

“How can you be sure?”

“Who is the greatest person in this world?” Meng Jianxi countered.

“The Abyssal Monarch.” Yun Che responded with the only possible answer.

“That’s right,” Meng Jianxi replied calmly. ‘There is no one stronger in the world than the Abyssal Monarch, but even He could never control abyssal dust nor abyssal beasts. However, the Fog Monarch can. As he claimed himself, he is most likely a creation and mutation of abyssal dust; a spirit of destruction who far exceeds the level of an abyssal beast. He cannot be a human.”

Yun Che thought for a while longer before answering, “As I said, we should leave this to the Pure Land. Since you’re here, do you have any new information regarding the Divine Children?”

Seeing that Yun Che was unwilling to discuss the Fog Monarch, Meng Jianxi obeyed his will and answered, “Dian Jiuzhi, the Boundless Divine Son had suddenly entered secluded cultivation three days ago. It’s very possible that he’s trying to enter the eighth level of the Divine Extinction Realm before the Pure Land Meet.”

“Hua Caili, the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter is still cultivating inside the Seven Star Heaven Breaker Formation, and her progress is completely unknown.”

“There is no news regarding Shenwu Yi, the Eternal Night Divine Daughter. She probably hasn’t left the Eternal Night Kingdom of God this whole time.”

“Pan Buzhuo, the Owl Butterfly Divine Son recently attained great completion in his dark profound arts, and Pray Eternal Divine Regent is very happy about it. On top of that, someone accidentally encountered Pan Buwang, the former Owl Butterfly Divine Son in the Endless Fog. The Owl Butterfly Kingdom of God stopped dispatching people to find him after learning this. They seemed to have given up on him completely and did not care if he lived or died.”

“The twin Divine Children of the Star and Moon Kingdom of God were stuck at peak level three Divine Extinction Realm for a long time, and they intend to achieve a breakthrough before the Pure Land Meet. So, they are getting ready to venture into the Endless Fog and hone themselves. I wonder if their decision will be affected after what happened in the Endless Fog today.”

Yun Che’s heart raced, and he said, “It looks like every Kingdom of God is doing their utmost to ensure that their Godbearers will perform at their best before the Abyssal Monarch.”

“But of course they are.” Meng Jianxi tried to comfort Yun Che, “You don’t need to feel any pressure though, Brother Yuan. You are still quite young…”

“I feel no pressure, of course.” Yun Che smiled. “After all, you are the Dreamweaver Divine Son, not me. Even if I were to accompany you and the Divine Regent to see the Abyssal Monarch, I would simply be an ordinary follower.”

“…” Meng Jianxi shook his head and let out an awkward laugh. He could tell that Yun Che was making him, the official Dreamweaver Divine Son, deal with all the internal and external problems so that he could grow at his leisure without being troubled by anything.

After Meng Jianxi was gone, Yun Che stood at the kiosk and remained quiet for a very, very long time.

The Star and Moon twins…

It looks like I have my work cut out for me.