Against the Gods (Web Novel)

“Uuug…”

A groan of pain rang out in the air, sending a shudder through Luo Guxie’s body as she hurriedly moved forward.

Amidst the rising profound light and medicinal energy, Luo Changsheng slowly opened his eyes as he struggled to open his dry lips.

“Changsheng!” Luo Guxie anxiously shouted, “You’re awake… Do not push yourself. Take a good rest, and the next time you wake up, your wounds will be completely healed.”

But Luo Changsheng did not obediently go back to sleep. His eyes were clouded but a deep pain pulsed within them. His still weak aura was completely thrown into disarray as he whispered, “I… lost… lost… lost…”

To most other people, defeat was a common thing. But he was Luo Changsheng, someone who possessed the most noble of statuses, a person who was son to the strongest father and student to the strongest teacher. He was the Young Master Changsheng who had never tasted defeat, the Young Master Changsheng who could not lose and most importantly, the Young Master Changsheng who had no right to lose.

The blow that this defeat had dealt him was something that no one else could understand.

Luo Guxie hurriedly said, “No, Changsheng, you did not lose, you only…”

“You did indeed lose, and you lost in a way that was not the least bit unjustified. You thoroughly deserved that loss.” A deep and heavy voice squashed Luo Guxie’s comforting words. Luo Shangchen stepped forward, his brows sunken and his eyes cold, “But, the duel between you and Yun Che has not yet reached its conclusion. Three days from now, you will have a second duel with him. In other words, you have a chance to avenge your loss!”

Luo Changsheng’s gloomy eyes flickered to life.

“Your innate talent is extraordinary, and you were born in the Holy Eaves Realm as well. From the moment of your birth, your starting point was set at a height that any other person would not be able to reach. Your aunt is the unrivalled number one personage in the Eastern Divine Region, yet she painstakingly poured all of her energy into you from the moment you were born. Because of that, you were always able to exceed everyone who was in your generation. So it is only natural that you had never tasted defeat before and it isn’t something that one should even be proud of.”

Luo Shangchen furrowed his brows as his expression grew solemn, “On the contrary, it is the defeat that you have suffered today that will truly test whether you have the qualifications to become the “Eastern Region’s number one” in the future! Someone who cannot extricate himself from the clutches of defeat and completely breaks down by a single loss is a coward! No matter how outstanding his innate talent is and no matter how exalted his starting position was, he will not amount to anything. However, the truly strong will never fear defeat, instead their defeats will become their strength and the more they lose, the stronger they will grow, to the point where they even desperately seek a loss.”

“If you understand what I’m saying, then quit your snivelling and compose yourself in a way that does not disappoint…”

“Enough!” Luo Guxie sharply cut off his words. She gently carried Luo Changsheng while she used profound energy to soothe his utterly disordered aura, “Changsheng is still a child, he does not need to understand these words which sound so grand and glamourous but in reality represent principles which are completely and utterly worthless.”

“...” Luo Shangchen’s lips twitched at those words but in the end, he gave a silent sigh as he turned around and spoke no further.

“Changsheng,” Luo Guxie called out to him in a gentle voice and in this life, her voice would only ever turn so gentle and soft when she was talking to Luo Changsheng. “When you were born, your royal father named you ‘Changling”, in hopes that you would soar to the clouds and lord over creation. It was this master who forcibly changed your name to ‘Changsheng’ after I accepted you as my disciple.”

“This master was used to being alone all her life, and I had always been free of any worldly attachments or sentiments until you came along…” Luo Guxie’s chest rose and fell as she spoke, “This master has never expected you to accomplish many great deeds or cover yourself in glory, I have only ever wanted you to be safe and sound, only wanted you to live to a ripe old age. But I know all too well that if one desires to live a long life and to never be under the heel of anyone else, the only way to achieve these things is to rise above everyone else and let everyone respect you, fear you, and even revere you. It was for this reason that I have always been hard on you since you were a child and it was for this reason that I never allowed you to be lesser than anyone else.”

“The reason why this master always ordered you to never openly display your full power, even going to the extent of binding you with restrictions and forcibly suppressing your breakthroughs, was because I was afraid that your light would shine too brightly, consequently inciting the fear and jealousy of all men. But who would have thought that because of this, you would end up in this state, allowing that despicable little bastard Yun Che to wound you to such an extent… All of this was this master’s fault. If not, he would not even have been able to harm a hair on your head.”

“...” Luo Shangchen stopped himself from speaking yet again. His expression was complicated, as he sighed yet again. He had originally thought that he had a sufficient understanding of Luo Guxie’s character, but ever since she had returned to the Holy Eaves Realm and forcibly taken in Luo Changsheng as her disciple…. It was as if she had become a completely different person in her treatment of Luo Changsheng.

“Master…” Luo Changsheng rasped, his hoarse voice struggling to form words, “I… can’t accept this…”

“I beg you... Master… please lift the restriction you have set on me...”

“Fine.” Luo Guxie unhesitatingly gave a light nod of her head, “You do not need to listen to your royal father’s words, you do not need to forcibly suppress the resentment and discontent in your heart. Recover from your injuries before you go forth and personally… repay him in kind for what happened today!”

“Guxie,” Luo Shangchen could not restrain himself anymore as he spoke up, “In the end, this is just a contest between the young generation, both relied on their own strength and ability. Furthermore, they have not had any enmity or hatred between them before this incident. In any case, this defeat definitely did not harm Changsheng in any way, so why must you go to such…”

“That’s enough out of you!” Luo Guxie said in a cold voice, “Changsheng is my very life. To say nothing of this lowly mongrel who came out of nowhere, if anyone dares to injure him to such an extent, no matter who it is, no matter what reason they may have had, even if it is the scion of a king realm... I will never ever forgive that person!”

“You…” Luo Shangchen’s expression grew taut but upon seeing the dark and clouded expression on Gu Luoxie’s face, he merely gave a sigh heavy with helplessness as he flung out the sleeve of his robe, “Forget it. Changsheng, focus first on recovering your health.”

Luo Guxie’s character truly fit her name, her temperament was extremely eccentric. Furthermore, once she had decided upon something, nothing could stop her.

————————————

Compared to the Holy Eaves Realm, the Snow Song Realm was in a far greater uproar.

The curtain of night had fallen and all the disciples were waiting outside the courtyard. Mu Huanzhi and the rest of the elders and palace masters gathered around Yun Che, their mood gloomy and dismal.

Yun Che’s body was covered in blood and his aura was as thin as gossamer. Mu Bingyun’s snowy hand applied a constant gentle pressure on his heart area, emitting a bright icy light. Despite the burning worry which gnawed at the hearts of the rest of the elders and palace masters, no one besides Mu Bingyun dared to move to help him.

The surrounding area was filled with all kinds of healing elixirs and panaceas, a considerable amount having come from the Flame God Realm, but they did not dare use any of it. The current Yun Che could not even withstand the slightest impact from profound energy, much less the impact that would result from any medicinal force.

“Bingyun, I still think it’s better for us to bring Yun Che back to the sect, the Sect Master would definitely be able to come up with a solution. The current state he is in is simply far too precarious,” Mu Huanzhi said in a worried voice.

Yun Che, whose name had shaken the entire Eastern Divine Region, had naturally also brought to the Snow Song Realm untold glory, glory that surpassed anything the Snow Song Realm had ever experienced.

When they had first arrived in the Eternal Heaven God Realm, they had to shrink their necks at all times. Filled with a profound sense of inferiority, they did not even dare breathe too loudly when they had come face to face with those of the upper star realms.

But now, the gazes directed at them by all the other star realms were something they would not forget for the rest of their lives. Even the upper star realms, whom they could normally only gaze up at in reverence, now looked at them with expressions filled with shock, admiration, and jealousy. This was something that had never even dreamed of.

A disciple of the Snow Song Realm had risen up beyond all the young prodigies of the Eastern Divine Region this Conferred God Battle. He had surpassed a veritable crowd of unparalleled geniuses, defeating Lu Lengchuan, Jun Xilie and Shui Yingyue in the process… And now, he had done it once again by defeating the head of the Four God Children of the Eastern Region, Luo Changsheng, the one who was said to be invincible.

If he were to now suffer from unrecoverable injuries or be crippled in any way, it would be a gargantuan loss for the Snow Song Realm.

Mu Bingyun’s eyes remained frenzied but after a long period of silence, she finally lifted her hand from Yun Che’s chest. Her voice barely maintained its calm as she spoke, “Great Elder, I will have to trouble you to accompany me as we bring Yun Che back to the Snow Song Realm.”

“Why only you and the Great Elder?” Mu Tanzhi exclaimed after recovering from his shock, “Could it be that you’re still preparing to come back again?”

“It’s not us that needs to return, it’s Yun Che,” Mu Bingyun said. “Don’t forget that he has to duel with Luo Changsheng again three days from now.”

“What!?” the gathered elders and palace masters exclaimed in shock as Mu Huanzhi said, “Bingyun, Yun Che’s injuries are so extreme that even if we use all of the Time Wheel Pearls in our possession, it still isn’t a sure thing that he will make a complete recovery. So how in the world will he be able to fight Luo Changsheng a second time!?”

“This is Yun Che’s desire. Even if he hasn’t fully recovered by the time of the duel, we will still need to bring him back here,” Mu Bingyun said without a shred of hesitation. “Great Elder, Yun Che currently cannot be jolted or shaken in any way, so we need to protect him well.”

“Leave it to me,” Mu Huanzhi said with a nod of his head.

At that moment, an Ice Phoenix disciple hurriedly arrived at the scene before announcing in a low voice, “Gathered elders and palace masters, the ninety-ninth young master of the Glazed Light Realm has come to visit.”

“The ninety-ninth young master of the Glazed Light Realm?” Mu Huanzhi furrowed his eyebrows before continuing, “Didn’t we say that no matter who came, that we were not to be disturbed? Currently, the matter with Yun Che is of utmost importance, so even if it is someone from the Glazed Light Realm…”

“Wait!” Mu Bingyun’s eyes flashed as she exclaimed, “Immediately escort him inside.”

In a flash, a youthful man wearing an aquamarine robe strode inside. However, this distinguished ninety-ninth young master of the Glazed Light Realm was in a crouched, furtive posture, his neck bent conspiratorially and his eyes flashing. His movements could barely be felt and his entire appearance seemed to scream the word “sneaky”.

“Ninety-ninth young master, You…”

“Shhhhh!” Just as Mu Bingyun started talking, Mu Yinghen panickedly waved his hand and made the “shushing” sound, stunning everyone in the vicinity.

Mu Yinghen turned around before using his spiritual perception to carefully sweep the area that he had come from for a good long while. After that, he finally turned around and abruptly tossed a blue-colored jade bottle the size of a thumb towards Mu Bingyun before saying in the softest of voices, “I.... I’m emphasizing this to all of you right now, I was never here tonight, and the lot of you never saw me either! Do you hear me!? Do you hear me!?”

Mu Bingyun examined the jade bottle in her hand before speaking with furrowed brows, “Ninety-ninth young master, what exactly do you…”

“What ninety-ninth young master!” Mu Yinghen shook his head in panic, before sneakily casting a furtive glance behind him, “You don’t know me, and I don’t know you… To sum it up, definitely never ever say that I was here. I don’t know anything. If not… if not, my royal father will definitely beat me to death.”

As he spoke, Mu Yinghen had already begun to make his careful retreat. As he neared the entrance, he could not help but exhort them again, “You must definitely remember, none of you saw me, nobody saw me. If not, I’ll never let the lot of you live it down!”

After he finished, he vanished like a puff of smoke into the night.

The gathered members of the Snow Song Realm looked at one another.

“What in the...?” Mu Huanzhi said with a baffled expression on his face. “Bingyun, just what did he toss to you just now?”

Before Mu Huanzhi had even finished speaking, Mu Bingyun had already taken up the delicate jade bottle and wiped away the profound formation seal on its surface. After that, she carefully opened the jade bottle.

Suddenly, an aura that was even purer than the purest snow began to slowly dissipate into the air. As this aura faintly brushed by them, the eyes of all the gathered elders and palace masters of the Snow Song Realm brightened immediately. It felt as if a cool spring breeze had washed all of their exhaustion and worries away, they felt so comfortable that it was as if they were floating on clouds. Even the fretful anxiety brought about by Yun Che’s heavy injuries had been soothed without them noticing.

“What… What kind of elixir is this? To think that it has such an exotic aura!” Mu Huanzhi gasped in surprise. As the great elder of the Snow Song Realm, he had come into contact with a countless number of spirit herbs and sacred medicines. Furthermore, the great majority of these herbs and medicines were steeped in the pure and clean ice and snow aura of the Snow Song Realm, yet he had never felt such a mystical spiritual aura before.

Mu Bingyun was rooted in place, as the hand which gripped the jade bottle subconsciously tightened around it. It was only after a good long while that she spoke in a voice so soft that it sounded like she was mumbling in her sleep, “It’s a drop… of the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning.”

Divine Water of Absolute Beginning…

Those five words caused the air to go completely still. Following that, all of the elders and palace masters’ bodies violently shook. As if they had all been jabbed by a needle, they exclaimed in unison, “Wha…. Whaatt!?”

“Div… Divine Water of Absolute Beginning?” Mu Huanzhi stammered. His pupils were completely dilated, his expression so shocked that it was as if a sacred relic had just dropped from the heavens and landed in his lap.

“I can’t be mistaken,” Mu Bingyun whispered. “All those years ago, when the Sect Master entered the God Realm of Absolute Beginning for the last time, she managed to obtain a drop as well. This aura is something that I can’t be wrong about. Furthermore, there is nothing in this universe that can emit such a pure and clean spiritual aura besides the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning.”

“Yun Che can be saved!” After her shock wore off, it was immediately replaced with intense joy. Mu Bingyun’s snowy figure blurred as she urgently rushed to Yun Che’s side.

“Wai… Wait!” Mu Huanzhi suddenly spoke up to stop Mu Bingyun. His eyes quivered with emotion as he was unable to maintain his composure, “Why would the Glazed Light Realm give us a drop of the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning? This favor.. Is something that our Snow Song Realm cannot afford to repay.”

What kind of existence was the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning? It was a true divine item that even Divine Masters had to risk their lives to obtain. Even for a realm as strong as the Glazed Light Realm, being able to obtain a single drop of the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning every few thousand years… no, even if it was in the tens of thousands, obtaining just a single drop would be considered a blessing from the heavens. In fact, if one were to say that a single drop of Divine Water of Absolute Beginning could buy half the Snow Song Realm, it would not be the least bit exaggerated.

This kind of divine item… How could it be just given away?

And just how could the Snow Song Realm possibly accept the drop of Divine Water of Absolute Beginning that the Glazed Light Realm had bestowed upon them?

“This debt of gratitude is not something our Snow Song Realm needs to repay,” Mu Bingyun said. “It is a debt Yun Che himself owes, so we’ll let him slowly pay it back by himself after all of this is over.”

Mu Huanzhi was absolutely flabbergasted by Mu Bingyun’s words but after that, a sudden realization flashed into his mind, “You’re saying that… Princess Meiyin!? She, she, she…”

By this time, Mu Bingyun had already become too preoccupied to respond. She knelt besides Yun Che, her jade finger gently drawing a line in the air as she began to coax the droplet of Divine Water of Absolute Beginning out of the jade bottle. However, Mu Tanzhi chose to speak up at this moment, “Why don’t we wait first… Considering the grade of divine item the Divine Water of Absolute Beginning belongs to, if we were to use it to temper Yun Che’s body in the future, it would definitely bestow boundless advantages to him. To use it to treat injuries, doesn’t it seem like a bit of a waste?”

“Right now, we have no time for such considerations anymore. We need to help him fully recover from his injuries in the shortest time possible.”

As Mu Bingyun’s voice fell, a droplet of colorless water fell soundlessly from the jade bottle. As she guided it with her jade finger, it fell directly into Yun Che’s chest.