Against the Gods

When Dian Sansi’s initial astonishment faded, the flames of anger burning in his eyes actually extinguished a little. The corners of his mouth even curled into a somewhat twisted smile.

Ridiculous. How ridiculous! Yun Che, a fourth-level Divine Master, was actually planning to fight him at his full strength? He had never heard of such a ridiculous joke in his life! For a second, he even wondered if Yun Che had done what he had done not out of malice or the intention to taunt him, but because he was simply crazy.

The corners of his mouth tugged, and he did what Yun Che had done earlier. He spoke wordlessly with just his lips: Suicidal... idiot.

Unfortunately, he did not possess Yun Che’s level of shrewdness and craftiness. He thought he had concealed his movements sufficiently, but who did he think the people gathered in Eden’s Crown were? At least one-third of the crowd had noticed his odd lip movement and correctly deciphered his hidden message.

This was a duel taking place in an arena of the sacred Eden’s Crown, and the number two junior of the Boundless Kingdom of God had taunted his opponent seemingly without reason. Such a despicable action naturally earned the disdain of those who saw it.

It wasn’t just the people’s gazes that turned strange. Dian Rahu was furrowing his brow deeply as well.

“This little shit!”

Dian Rahu was not the type to suppress his reactions, so he cursed in disappointment and anger, “No matter how angry he is, he should not take it out on another person. Now I have to get him to apologize to Yun Che after this fight is over!”

“...” Dian Jiuzhi maintained his facade of calmness and nodded in agreement.

It was at this moment that Dian Sansi did something unbelievable. He rested his left hand behind his back and lifted his right hand in front of him. It was the same gesture of “humility” Dian Jiuzhi had displayed when fighting against Shenwu Yi. But unlike Dian Jiuzhi, his gesture was even more extreme. Only his little finger was raised. The rest of his fingers were curled up into a ball.

Although Dian Jiuzhi ultimately lost to Shenwu Yi, he had given Shenwu Yi ten breaths to attack freely because he thought he held all the advantage. It did not damage his gentlemanly reputation in any way. However, Dian Sansi was anything but a gentleman, so for him to pull off such a gesture only elicited deep frowns on everyone’s face.

As if his meaning couldn’t be clearer, the little finger he raised was practically screaming of naked disdain.

Dian Rahu’s forehead was covered in bulging veins at this point. “What is this brat thinking?! Did a donkey kick his head earlier? Such... clumsy ugliness!”

He was actually angry at this point. He could not wait to wring the guy out of the battlefield and give him a few big slaps to the face.

“Please calm down, Your Majesty,” A Boundless elder advised. “It is not in Sansi’s nature to act like this. The reason he’s acting out... is probably because Jiuzhi’s defeat is too harsh a blow for him. He’s still young. Understandably, he would sometimes lose himself to his emotions. We simply need to educate him better when he returns.”

In fact, his judgment was spot on. Dian Sansi thought he was fairly calm. In reality, he was half out of control. When a tsunami of negative emotions attacked someone’s reason, but they could only bottle it all up without being able to vent it in any way, any strange behavior they demonstrated during this time was entirely normal.

Staring at Yun Che, he said in a relatively indifferent voice, “Boundless does not bully the weak. I’ll give you ten breaths to attack as you wish. I will only defend during this time.”

Yun Che smiled. “This one is most grateful for your generosity, Brother Sansi. I will happily accept your offer.”

Yun Che leaped into the air and charged Dian Sansi as soon as he finished speaking. His profound energy surged violently as he threw a perfectly ordinary punch at Dian Sansi.

His profound energy marked him as a fourth-level Divine Master, and there was nothing special about it whatsoever. Everyone expecting some sort of “pleasant surprise” to occur was immediately let down by this display.

The power of a Divine Master was of no threat to Dian Sansi as a matter of course. Staring at the approaching Yun Che with undisguised scorn and disdain, he curled his little finger slightly before slowly, very slowly meeting Yun Che’s seemingly full-powered punch at the center. Such was his contempt that he was cycling less than ten percent of his profound energy.

Their eyes met the instant finger clashed against fist. It was at this moment that Dian Sansi caught a flicker of ridicule in Yun Che’s eyes.

Rumbling Heaven!

At that moment, Yun Che’s aura ballooned at an unexpected, unimaginable rate. The resulting shockwave was so violent that every speck of air on the battlefield was pushed out of the barrier in an instant, and invisible ripples filled the sky. Dian Sansi’s pupils dilated tenfold as he watched his little finger breaking at a terrifying angle. Unfortunately for him, this was just the beginning. Not stopping in the slightest, the fist, carrying great strength, moved past his broken finger and struck him directly in the solar plexus. At least half of Yun Che’s fist had sunk into his chest.

Boom!!

A profound energy explosion far greater than anyone had anticipated broke out, and a bloodcurdling scream escaped Dian Sansi’s throat before he knew it. Rolling backward like a tumbleweed, he flew across the air at least a hundred meters before he finally recovered his senses and unleashed his profound energy. Then, he landed heavily on his feet.

Dian Sansi clutched his violently shaking left hand. His broken little finger was hanging limply, and his face looked utterly dazed... and vicious. The venue was deathly silent for a good few seconds before exploding into an uproar.

Every single person here was an expert who possessed the right to look down on most of the Abyss, and yet they were currently wearing gaping mouths or bulging eyeballs on their faces. Such was their shock that every feature on their faces looked warped or out of place. The Boundless Divine Regent was wide-eyed, the Star and Moon Divine Regents were staring blankly into the battlefield, the Pray Eternal Divine Regent was leaning forward, and even the Dreamless Divine Regent’s eyeballs had twitched once.

“This... this... this...”

Meng Jianxi had plenty of time to mentally prepare. Even so, he was so shocked that he could do nothing but stammer.

Behind the Chief Priest, Divine Attendant Dong Huang could barely conceal his shock. He asked softly, “Master, is he... hiding his cultivation?”

The Chief Priest replied heavily, “No concealment art can hide from my eyes. He is a fourth-level Divine Master, but the power he displayed during that instant rivals that of a first-level Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner.”

To say that this was utterly beyond his understanding of the profound way would be an understatement. Divine Attendant Dong Huang opened his mouth but could not find the words.

The Chief Priest muttered seemingly to himself, “Is it something he can only use for an instant, or...”

The Chief Priest’s gaze settled heavily on Yun Che. It had never been so solid, even during the most exciting moments of the battle of the Divine Children.

While cries of shock and disbelief filled the air, Dian Sansi felt like utter shit, both in expression and body language.

“You...”

Dian Sansi blurted out as shock, anger, and humiliation mixed haphazardly inside him. Yun Che’s response was to close the distance once more. This time, Dian Sansi did not dare to underestimate Yun Che. The Boundless Manifestation Art cycled rapidly and was covered in a thick layer of silver radiance. He had also unleashed fifty percent of his profound energy.

Three breaths ago, he could never have imagined that he would need to use fifty percent of his power to withstand the attack of a fourth-level Divine Master.

Bang! There was a dull thud, and Yun Che’s fist struck Dian Sansi’s solar plexus once more. This time, though, his power was entirely blocked by the tyrannical power of Boundless. It had failed to push Dian Sansi back even a single step.

However, this stalemate only lasted an instant before Dian Sansi saw a deeper look of ridicule in Yun Che’s eyes once more.

Hell Monarch!

Boom!

Yun Che’s fist exploded across Dian Sansi’s chest as if a volcano had suddenly awakened from its slumber. It instantly crushed the silver light circulating Dian Sansi, causing his solar plexus to collapse even deeper than before. The sound of ribs breaking, especially, was as loud as an avalanche.

“Wh... what!?” At that moment, countless experts possessing mental fortitudes rivaling that of mountains blurt out unconsciously, and the jaws of some younger profound practitioners nearly hit the floor with an audible thud.

This time, Yun Che did not wait for Dian Sansi to recover. Like a phantom, he closed the distance a third time and prepared to launch an attack. Sailing through the air, Dian Sansi let out a furious, venting roar before his crumbling silver light reignited and surrounded his whole person in impetuous, infinite power.

This time, he cycled the Boundless Manifestation Art with all his might, and the sudden outburst of shockwave and spiritual pressure visibly slowed down Yun Che. At the same time, Dian Sansi leaped into the air, conjured a blade with his silver light, and thrust it straight at Yun Che’s solar plexus.

“Brother Yuan!”

Meng Jianyuan cried out subconsciously. Everyone in the Dreamweaver formation was crying out in shock as well. Just a short while ago, Dian Sansi had put on airs and declared that he would give Yun Che ten breaths to attack freely. But now, he was suddenly launching a counterattack... and with all his might as well!

Although the power Yun Che unleashed went absolutely beyond the boundaries of a Divine Master... the same thing could not be said for his body. How could he possibly survive a full-powered attack from a Half-God?

Shred! The light blade elicited spatial ripples in the air, but it only ripped Yun Che’s afterimage to shreds. Dian Sansi did not stop his assault, though. His silver light quickly transformed into a three-thousand-meter-long blade, cutting everything in front of him without reservation.

Horrified cries of shock became mixed with even horrifying noises of tearing space and material. The next moment, a three-thousand-meter-long silver scar appeared on the battlefield.

Yun Che executed Moon Splitting Cascade and seemingly teleported multiple times like a phantom. When he finally came to a stop, he was already on the opposite side of the battlefield. He was completely unharmed.

“Phew...”

It was only now that Meng Jianxi let out a long, long sigh of relief before uttering through gritted teeth, “Has Dian Sansi gone mad?!”

“Phew!”

Dian Rahu also let out a massive sigh of relief before roaring, “Bastard! Have you gone mad?!”

Dian Rahu’s roar hit Dian Sansi like a bucket of cold water and shook him out of his violent outburst. He froze when he realized what he had almost done. If he had actually killed Yun Che just now, then the consequences... The mere thought of the consequences was enough to chill him to his core.

However, Yun Che wasn’t going to let him recover his cool. The warm, friendly smile on his face transformed into a cold sneer that was one-third icy and two-thirds scornful as he remarked, “I was told that the profound practitioners of the Boundless Kingdom of God valued loyalty and oath above all else. You promised to give me ten breaths to attack as I please, and that you will only defend. It hasn’t even been three breaths, and not only did you break your word, you have tried to ambush me! Heh! Your moral integrity is truly an eye-opener, Brother Sansi!”

No one was surprised by Yun Che’s change of attitude, much less thought worse of him for insulting Dian Sansi to his face. After all, even ignoring all the weird behavior he had displayed earlier, the man had promised courtesy only to go against his word and launch an insane and vicious counterattack with all his might. Not even the most self-possessed man could keep his cool in this situation.

“This bastard!”

Dian Rahu’s head was positively covered in bulging veins, but he wasn’t angry with Yun Che. No, it was Dian Sansi he was furious with. He didn’t even dare to meet Meng Kongchan’s stare directly.

Dian Sansi turned his head sideways. He immediately noticed that the entire venue was showering him with scorn and disdain.

The sliver of composure he just regained was instantly engulfed by many times of humiliation. His breathing grew impossibly heavy, and his chest was heaving so violently it looked like it would explode.

This is all Yun Che’s fault... Yun Che’s the one who hides a face that is beyond ugly and vile... So why am I the one who’s enduring these gazes? Why have I become the villain whom everyone reviles?!

How could such a despicable person be the Dreamweaver Divine Son... How did he convince the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter to abandon even Brother Jiuzhi for him... how could he unleash such power at the Divine Master Realm...

Why is this happening... How is this fair...

Looking straight into his muddled eyes, Yun Che slowly raised his hand and said stiffly, “You can go all out, Brother Sansi. From the moment I stand on the battlefield, I am prepared to win or lose, live or die... There is no need to act so despicably and contemptibly, Brother Sansi.”

“Heh... hehe.”

Dian Sansi laughed, and his laughter felt unfamiliar even to himself. “Good... very good. You said I can go all out, right? You said you’re prepared to live or die, right? Remember... you asked for this!!”

The moment he finished speaking, his right hand swiped through the air and fired five silver light arrows at Yun Che. At the same time, his silver aura slowly gathered around his right arm, blooming into a deep-silver ball.

All five light arrows were traveling at different speeds. Yun Che blurred slightly and left behind five afterimages, dodging all of the light arrows. However, the instant the last afterimage vanished, he saw Dian Sansi charging toward him with enough pressure to plow through mountains like nothing.

“Boundless Manifestation... Great Rage Consumes the Star!”

The tyrannical power of Boundless gathered around Dian Sansi’s right arm and flew straight toward Yun Che’s solar plexus. Clearly, he was planning to return the two punches Yun Che had dished him earlier a hundredfold.

It looked like Dian Sansi’s aura was suppressing Yun Che to the point where he could barely move, so he did not try to dodge again. Instead, he swung his own right arm and met Dian Sansi’s fist with a palm strike exploding with golden flames.

Rumble!! What sounded like a thousand thunderclaps resounded throughout Eden’s Crown. The power of boundless and the golden flames exploded at the same time and engulfed both profound practitioners.

Everyone’s eyes were illuminated by silver and gold. They thought that their pupils had already dilated to their limit, but as it turned out, they had a bit more elasticity to spare. Such was their shock that their pupils nearly ripped themselves apart.

Dian Sansi had gone all out this time. He had not held back even a speck of power. However, Yun Che... a fourth-level Divine Master in both power and body, had withstood the attack without being pushed back a single step!! The shock of this scene was so overwhelming that no words in the world could adequately describe it. Shenwu Yi’s feat of overcoming two minor realms and defeating Dian Jiuzhi was enough to stun even the Divine Regents for a long, long time, but this? This was truly the collapse of everything they knew about the profound way.

Gulp! Sha Xing and Xian Yue swallowed loudly and violently at the same time. Dian Jiuzhi especially felt like he was dreaming.

Dian Jiuzhi had watched Yun Che fight before. He even tried to overestimate the young man to the utmost degree. Despite this, he was still so stunned that he was speechless.

“This... This can’t be real, right?” Pan Buzhuo mumbled soullessly.

Shenwu Yi’s moonlike pupils saw only the golden flames, not the silver light. The unnatural blur that shrouded her vision earlier had reappeared as well, and this time it took her a full breath before she finally recovered her senses.

The Chief Priest muttered, “The Golden Crow Flame...”

Amidst the sea of silver light and golden flame, Dian Sansi and Yun Che’s hands were connected as they stared into each other’s eyes. One of them looked malevolent and savage with veins bulging all across his forehead, while the other was smiling casually and confidently. His eyes looking stunningly bloodshot, Dian Sansi channeled his Boundless divine power like crazy until his arms were literally trembling from the strain. However, he was unable to force Yun Che back even one step.

It was at this moment that a bizarre silver flickered in Yun Che’s eyes. The experts at the scene easily sensed the sudden fluctuation of soul energy and instantly recognized it as “Pleasant Dreams of Youth”, the first level of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God’s core profound art, the “Dreamweaver Canon”.

It was perfectly understandable that the Dreamweaver Divine Son would employ the Dreamweaver Canon in combat. However, this was just a first-level soul technique. It was hard enough to make it work on a foe on the same cultivation level as the practitioner, much less one that was an entire great realm stronger than him.

Or maybe... Yun Che’s soul was just as unbelievable as his profound energy and body? Could it unleash the soul power of a Divine Extinction Realm as well?!

If Dian Sansi were normal, he would have noticed and defended himself against the Dreamweaver Canon instantly. But right now, Dian Sansi could hardly control his own actions, much less guard his soul. As a result, Yun Che’s “Pleasant Dreams of Youth” invaded Dian Sansi’s soul sea like a tiny flame dropping into a pot of boiling oil.

As if that wasn’t enough, Yun Che moved his lips slightly while the Golden Crow Flame was concealing him from public view: Keep being the spineless coward you are, idiot.

Dian Sansi’s pupils ripped themselves apart at the same time Yun Che’s fire abruptly swelled in strength.

God... Ash!

Rumble! The Golden Crow’s screech deafened the world, and its fire engulfed the sky itself. The next moment, golden flames completely engulfed the silver light, and a flaming figure was hurled from the inferno. He was screaming at the top of his lungs as well, “WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

His screams were such that the hearts of the younger, profound practitioners spasmed as if they could feel his pain. The burning figure was flying through the air at several kilometers per second and went out of bounds in almost no time at all. As soon as he flew out of the barrier, Dian Rahu raised his right hand, enveloped the figure in a gust of profound energy, and smashed him heavily against the ground. The golden flames surrounding the figure extinguished in an instant.

His gesture was very violent. It was clear how angry he was. However, when the golden flames faded, and the true extent of Dian Sansi’s injuries was revealed, whatever rebuke he was going to say became lodged in his throat.

Dian Sansi’s clothes had burned entirely to ash. His exposed skin was charred and blackened. Half of his hair was gone, and his face looked beyond sorry.

Although his injury wasn’t particularly severe, to say that his current state was ugly would be an understatement. Combined with what he did today, he would be lucky to preserve even a sliver of his previous reputation. Today’s incident would leave a permanent, irremovable stain on his record as well.

“Fa—cough! Cough cough...”

Dian Sansi coughed out black smoke as soon as he opened his mouth. It looked both ugly and hilarious. Clearly, even his throat was burned by fire.

His senses weren’t impaired, though. He could feel that the looks of scorn had turned into something a thousand times worse... pity.

It was at this moment that the Chief Priest’s announcement came, “Dian Sansi of Boundless is out of bounds. Meng Jianyuan of Dreamweaver wins.”

A cacophony of noises erupted. They were cries of shock, astonishment, admiration... all positive things, all things that had absolutely nothing to do with his horrendous state.

Dian Sansi’s world spun round and round as the polar opposites of their situation hit him. Finally, he heard the last string of his soul... snap.

He rose to his feet and converted all of his willpower and conviction into a heartbreaking roar, “Your Majesty! Father! Yun Che, he—”

“Sansi!!” Blanching, Dian Jiuzhi pounced over to Dian Sansi and clamped his hand around his mouth.

However, the young man who usually listened and obeyed Dian Jiuzhi without question unleashed an unthinkable amount of power and pushed his palm away. Then, he continued howling in that raspy, despairing, ghoul-like voice, “Yun Che is having an affair with Hua Caili of Heaven Breaker! I saw it with my own eyes! My own eyes[1]!!!”

1. Regardless of Mars’ will this is a good point to stop the story so... I hereby announce that ATG is complete. Cheers! ☜