Against the Gods

Boom booom booooom…

In the starting location of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, ash-gray dust filled the sky and space was torn apart as it was distorted to the point where it looked like surging ocean waves. Even the tiniest corner of this area was filled with a destructive power that any ordinary person could not fathom.

Jasmine and Caizhi combined their strength as they engaged Qianye Ying’er in fierce combat. The properties and attributes of their attacks were completely different. The core of the Heavenly Slaughter’s divine power revolved around compressing one’s power to the maximum before instantly killing the opponent in an instantaneous burst of power. However, the Heavenly Wolf’s divine power was peerlessly strong and it created gigantic swathes of destruction. Even though it was the first time that they had combined their powers, due to the fact that they were cooperating with the person who was most important to them and closest to their hearts, the two sisters were able to coordinate their attacks with matchless synergy.

But Qianye Ying’er’s power was simply far too dreadful. Even though Jasmine and Caizhi were using all of their power, it did not pressure her in any way. Besides the time when Jasmine had severed several strands of hair and a corner of her mask, they had not left any other marks on her body, even her golden robes were still completely immaculate.

“Heavenly Star Lamentation!!”

As the azure wolf howled, the Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword fell to the earth like a star falling from the heavens as a vast and boundless sword might caused the space around it to sink in.

As she entered the heart of the Heavenly Star Sword Domain, Qianye Ying’er’s golden hair was dancing in the air but her body did not move an inch. A golden halo that was not too large appeared out of thin air as it directly blocked that sword might which filled the skies, preventing it from pressing down any further.

Shaa!

Qianye Ying’er’s eyes flashed as a huge golden hand suddenly emerged from that golden halo and directly pierced through the Heavenly Star Sword Domain as it dove towards Caizhi’s chest.

“Caizhi!!”

Jasmine had originally intended to attack Qianye Ying’er, but upon seeing that, the expression in her eyes abruptly changed and her body gave a sudden whirl. Her red figure hurriedly swept forward as the God Slaying Blade was forcefully shifted from an attacking stance to a defensive one…

Bang!!

After a mere instant of resistance, the God Slaying Blade was fiercely blown to the side as that golden beam of light directly smashed against Jasmine’s chest. A spurt of blood shot out of Jasmine’s mouth like an arrow as she flew away, as if she was a withered leaf blown by a strong gust of wind.

“Big Sister!!”

Caizhi let out a startled cry as her complexion changed drastically. She did not rush over to check on Jasmine’s condition, but at this moment, the malicious energy that she had firmly suppressed in the depths of her heart instantaneously rushed straight to her head, as her blood crazily surged throughout her entire body… The image of an azure wolf bizarrely appeared behind her back and when it opened its eyes, it was the scarlet red eyes of a wolf.

“Qianye…” Her voice trembled like the arm which was holding the Heavenly Wolf Sacred Sword aloft. That voice, which had originally been as clean and pure as spring water, now seemed as if fresh blood from hell had been poured over it, as it became incomparably sinister and shrill, “I… will… kill… you!!”

“…?” Qianye Ying’er, who was just about to advance, came to a sudden stop, because the pressure that was coming from Caizhi had suddenly multiplied at this very moment.

It had well and truly multiplied!!

Qianye Ying’er, who had still been idly sauntering about all this while, suddenly felt a clear oppressive feeling wash over her.

The high and mighty Heavenly Wolf had suddenly morphed into a demon wolf of hatred and resentment, and those blood-colored wolf eyes resembled two scarlet blood moons which hung in the blue sky.

“Blood… Moon… Immortal… Slaying… Sword!!!”

BZZ…

In that instant, all the light and sound in that world completely and bizarrely vanished. Everything within the starting location of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, from the floating clouds to the ground, from the gigantic boulders to the tiniest grain of sand, all of them froze in that instant. In the next instant, all of these things were completely obliterated and the only thing left in the area was endless bits of detritus chaotically floating around in a broken world.

Immortal Slaying Sword Formation?

Astonishment flashed across Qianye Ying’er’s face, her golden figure swiftly retreated, and with a light flourish of her hand, she drew a long and slender golden soft sword from her waist… When it swayed, it seemed to undulate like a golden serpent, but when it flicked out straight, it shot out golden beams of light that were able to pierce through the heavens and earth.

The golden sword flickered and swayed, its trajectory light and easy, yet it was able to easily tear a hole in the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation that was raining down from above… However, in that same instant, Jasmine’s figure crazily flew towards Caizhi’s side. Blood trickled down from the corner of her lips and her red dress was broken and tattered, but she extended a hand and firmly latched onto Caizhi’s arm.

“Let’s go!”

BOOOOM!!!!

Following a huge explosion that swallowed the heavens and the earth, the sword might of the Immortal Slaying Sword Formation exploded outwards, turning the starting grounds of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning completely upside down. The space within this realm resembled ice that had been completely shattered as incomparably dreadful holes began to appear in it… In the distance, earth-shaking roars filled the sky and continued for a long while as countless wild beasts were startled by the disturbance.

Qianye Ying’er’s golden figure slowly walked out of the middle of that destructive power which wantonly rampaged across the sky. Even though the very sky and ground had been engulfed by this destruction, there still was not a single trace of dust or dirt on her body. However, her vision or spiritual perception could no longer detect the existence of Jasmine and Caizhi.

“Hmph, it seems like I have underestimated that wolf pup after all,” she muttered to herself. After that, she floated off the ground and began to fly towards the exit of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning at a leisurely pace.

She did not seem to have any intention to pursue Jasmine and Caizhi…. All those years ago, even though Jasmine had been afflicted by that devilish poison, she was still able to escape the pursuit of most of the Southern Divine Region. If the Heavenly Star God truly wanted to leave, then no one would be able to restrain her.

Even though the Heavenly Slaughter Star God possessed the weakest combat strength among the Twelve Star Gods, her ability to conceal herself, her spiritual perception, her explosive power, and her speed were unmatched in this world. A terrifying Star God who could completely and perfectly immerse herself in the darkness, before suddenly dealing you a fatal blow, and even if she missed, she could immediately flee far away in a single instant, not allowing you to chase or pursue her in any way… As powerful as Qianye Ying’er was, she still had no choice but to fear and respect that power.

This was also the reason why she had created such an elaborate scheme all those years ago, and had not even hesitated to go to the Southern Divine Region just to get rid of Jasmine.

Qianye Ying’er left the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, returning to the boundless and empty aether which existed outside the God Realm. Gu Zhu soundlessly approached before coming to a stop behind her. His pale white hair, which resembled sticks of withered grass, was still frosted with fragments of ice.

“Miss, the Heavenly Slaughter and Heavenly Wolf have already felt. Should we continue to chase after Yun Che and Xia Qingyue?” Gu Zhu asked in a placid tone.

“Where did they go to?” Qianye Ying’er asked.

“To the south.”

“Hmph,” Qianye Ying’er gave a cold snort, “there is no reason for them to head in that direction, it is merely a feint. They have definitely changed direction long ago, fleeing back to the Eastern Divine Region.”

“Then Miss…”

“There’s no need for us to chase them any longer.” Qianye Ying’er’s pupils constricted slightly, as a dark and sinister golden light flashed in her eyes, “I marked Yun Che with the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark, so there will be someone who will obediently bring me to him in order to plead with me.”

“…” The five words “Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark” actually caused Gu Zhu’s old eyes to shudder intensely for a second. It was only after several breaths that he finally said, “But what if he is determined to die, then what do we do?”

“If he dies, he dies.” Qianye Ying’er gave a cold and indifferent laugh, “The Heavenly Slaughter said something to me just now: The divine power of the Evil God is not something that can be stolen. And I actually rather believe those words as well. If Yun Che comes to beg me to release him from that mark, that would naturally be the best outcome. But if he wants to die, then what loss do I suffer anyways?”

Gu Zhu replied, “But once Yun Che and Xia Qingyue return to the Eastern Divine Region, the Eternal Heaven God Realm, Star God Realm, and the Moon God Realm will know very quickly that it was Miss who acted against Yun Che. This is especially concerning, given that the Eternal Heaven God Emperor has clearly expressed his desire to protect Yun Che. If he sees the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark on Yun Che’s body, I’m afraid that…”

“Heh, you think that I’m afraid of him?” Qianye Ying’er did not look the least bit worried. On the contrary, she gave a cold laugh instead, “If Yun Che was his son or his direct disciple then I’d get it. But even though he greatly admires the current Yun Che, that feeling is limited strictly to admiration. Other than that, Yun Che is someone who has nothing to do with him. So do you think that old geezer Eternal Heaven will fall out with me over a ‘genius’ that actually has nothing to do with him?”

“…” Gu Zhu lapsed into deep silence before he slowly nodded his head, “This old one has overthought the situation.”

Qianye Ying’er turned around as she swept an indifferent gaze over Gu Zhu’s body before abruptly saying, “Cold energy? There is no one who uses cold energy among the Star Gods, so who did you duel with?”

Gu Zhu replied, “She wasn’t a Star God. She used extremely heavy cold energy to forcibly seal away her features and her aura. When she fought against this old one, she only used pure ice profound energy and she did not use a single profound art.”

“Oh? So this means she used extreme measures to conceal her own identity?” Qianye Ying’er’s brow’s faintly knit together as her brain swiftly raced to find someone in the Eastern Divine Region who could not only face off against Gu Zhu but who also cultivated ice profound energy.

“That is indeed correct. However, this old one is guessing that she is the Western Divine Region’s Blue Dragon Emperor,” Gu Zhu said slowly.

“That’s not possible.” Qianye Ying’er categorically rejected that notion with a shake of her head. “The dragon race is naturally a proud and haughty race, they would definitely not to stoop to actions such as concealing their own identity. Given the kind of person the Blue Dragon Emperor is, it is even less possible that it could be her.”

“When Xia Qingyue and Yun Che fled from the Moon God Realm, it had not been pre-planned, and no one had any prior inkling that this was going to happen. Even our idea to give chase was a spur of the moment thing. So even if Yun Che truly does have a deep and mysterious relationship with the dragon race, it was also not possible for them to know about this in advance and to so coincidentally arrive in this place… No, the only way someone that could have chased us all the way here was if that person was from the Eastern Divine Region!”

“These are things that this old one is naturally aware of,” Gu Zhu said with a sigh, “but Miss, you have missed out on something. This person was a woman and she did not use any profound arts, and by merely relying on her own ice profound energy, she was able to forcefully delay this me until now. If she had used all of her strength, it is very possible that… she is above this me.”

“…” Qianye Ying’ers brows faintly twitched. Her gaze swept towards him before she asked, “Uncle Gu, within the Eastern Divine Region, exactly how many people are worthy enough for the words 'above you' to be used on them?”

Gu Zhu replied, "Besides those 'old ancestors' who have hidden themselves away from the world, the only people whom those words can be used on are the four god emperors and Miss herself."

“That is to say that another person on the level of a god emperor has appeared in our Eastern Divine Region… yet we were completely unaware of it?” Qianye Ying’er asked in a weird voice.

“…” Gu Zhu did not reply because that was something that was categorically impossible.

“The strongest user of water profound arts in the Eastern Divine Region is the Glazed Light Realm’s Shui Qianheng. There are very few people who cultivate the ice element and the strongest should have been in the Snow Song Realm that Yun Che came from. Even though the Snow Song Realm’s Realm King Xuanyin is a middle realm king, her cultivation is extremely high, and she was a level four Divine Master all those years ago. So right now, even if she broke open the heavens, she would only be a middle stage Divine Master at best…” Qianye Ying’er muttered to herself while deep in thought. Finally, her gaze grew cold and focused, “Could it really be the Blue Dragon Emperor?”

Once all other possibilities were exhausted, even if the only remaining possibility was a rather awkward fit, it was still undoubtedly the answer.

No matter whether it was Qianye Ying’er or Jasmine and Caizhi, none of them had realized that the direction that Xia Qingyue and Yun Che had fled towards was not the south or the east. It was actually the west.

With the Celestial Time Jade as a power source, the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace could maintain its maximum speed for a very long time.

As time flowed by with an agonizing slowness, the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace had finally arrived in the biggest and strongest divine region in the God Realm.

The Western Divine Region!

The God Realm had forty thousand star realms and the Western Divine Region was comprised of sixteen thousand of these star realms.

Among the seventeen king realms within the God Realm, the Western Divine Region had six of them.

The strongest race in the universe—the dragon race, was concentrated within the Western Divine Region. The Dragon God Realm, where the monarch of the dragon race ruled, and where the Dragon Gods themselves stayed, was the head of the six king realms of the Western Divine Region, and it was also the ultimate existence in the entire God Realm; an existence that all sixteen other king realms had to bend their heads to.

The six realm kings of the king realms of the Western Divine Region were known as the “One Monarch Five Emperors” who lorded over the Western Divine Region, and four of them belonged to the dragon race.

Once they had entered the Western Divine Region, the Vanishing Moon Celestial Palace’s speed did not slow down in the slightest. Under Xia Qingyue’s guidance, it sped at maximum speed toward the ultimate existence within the entire God Realm—the Dragon God Realm!

Xia Qingyue had never been to the Western Divine Region, much less the Dragon God Realm. So all of these things were explained to her by the memory fragments that she had received… She had never rejoiced in such a manner, over the fact that she had these memory fragments, on any other occasion before this current moment.

“We’re going to reach there soon, we’re going to reach there soon. So just hold on for a little bit longer,” Xia Qingyue looked forward as she softly muttered those words.

During this period of time, Yun Che had been in his own hell the entire time, and this was also something that tormented Xia Qingyue all the way as well.

Finally, following the change of the world in front of her, an aura which contained an formless dragon might rushed to meet them…

The Dragon God Realm!

The Dragon God Realm was incredibly vast, and not only was it the biggest king realm, it was also the biggest star realm in the entire God Realm. Its aura was exceptionally primitive and dense, and it was actually rather similar to that of the God Realm of Absolute Beginning. Furthermore, the main difference between it and the king realms in the Eastern Divine Region was that the Dragon God Realm was a completely open king realm. Besides the Dragon God Domain that lay at its heart and several forbidden grounds, one could freely come and go as they pleased.

Because of this, an innumerable amount of profound practitioners travelled to the Dragon God Realm every year.

Once they had arrived in the skies above the Dragon God Realm, Xia Qingyue did not have any spare time or attention to bask in this place’s aura, or admire the scenery. Her heartstrings not only did not loosen, but instead, they had silently grown even more taut…

This was because she was unable to be sure that “this person” could really save Yun Che… and even if she really could, whether she would save Yun Che was another question altogether…

Even seeing her was as difficult as trying to scale the heavens.

Because the place that she was in was the largest forbidden ground in the entire Dragon God Realm… It was a place that even the Dragon Monarch could not come and go as he wished—

Forbidden Land of Samsara!