Against the Gods (Web Novel)

The ground had shattered, the roof of the hall had caved in, and the rocks and sand that had been strewn about completely surrounded the area Yun Che was in, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

“Ah?” At this time, Ling Jie exclaimed in shock, because he suddenly discovered that his connection with his sword had suddenly vanished. At the same time, within the sandstorm, a silver longsword spun out, drawing a long arc in the air, and finally landed in front of Ling Jie. The instant it landed on the ground, an ear-piercing “ding” sound suddenly rang out. The originally intact longsword suddenly shattered like fragile glass, scattering fragments all over the ground.

Ling Jie’s entire person stood in stupor while looking at the fragments of the longsword beside his feet, and didn’t recover from his shock for quite a while.

The sandstorm in the hall finally began to die down. Yun Che, dragging the heavy sword, began walking over with slow steps. His complexion was particularly tranquil, and it was completely impossible to see any traces of his complete exertion of his strength just then.

“Little brother Ling Jie, your third strike… I have also blocked it. You… have… lost.” Yun Che stood in front of Ling Jie, and said slowly. Blocking the third strike had been extremely breathtaking, and also had some suspicions of cheating. Because he had used two strikes in succession, a Falling Moon Sinking Star and Sky Wolf Slash, to doggedly shake off Ling Jie’s single strike. But Ling Jie had been hooting about blocking his three strikes the entire time; he didn’t actually say how many strikes he could use to do so.

Ling Jie looked at Yun Che, then looked at the shattered sword on the ground, and said sounding somewhat baffled: “I actually lost… You even received my Sun Piercer… and destroyed my sword…”

“There are many in the Villa that can face this strike head-on, but their profound strengths are all way higher than me, and they are all older than me, so being able to receive it is not very extraordinary. You’re clearly in the True Profound Realm, yet you were actually able to receive it…” Speaking to here, a strange glint lit up in Ling Jie’s eyes, and he looked at Yun Che with fixed eyes: “You’re simply too powerful! You’re this strong at the True Profound Realm; if you reach the Spirit Profound Realm, I definitely won’t be fit to be your opponent. No wonder such a beautiful Princess Sis has taken a fancy to you, you seem to match Princess Sis well.”

Yun Che twisted his mouth, and said: “Saying all this is useless. You couldn’t have forgotten what you have to do since you lost, right? Being a real grown man, you have to take responsibility for your words! Otherwise, it’s not fit to call you a man.”

“Hmph!” Ling Jie stuck his nose up, and said without any affectation: “The words that I, Ling Jie, have spoken, I obviously won’t take them back. Isn’t it just recognizing you as my boss, what’s the big deal.”

After finishing, he sincerely took a step forward, and said with a mischievous smile: “Cough cough, I, Ling Jie, admit that I have lost the bet; from now on, I’ll be your little brother. Mn, Boss, how did you become so powerful at the True Profound Realm? As my boss, you must not be stingy to your little brother; in this aspect, you definitely must give little brother a few pointers! If I can be like you, I might be able to challenge my brother right now! I won’t have to beaten till I have a bloody nose and swollen face anymore.”

For Ling Jie to admit it so cleanly and nimbly, Yun Che was actually a little shocked. And judging from his appearance, he wasn’t acting artificially or reluctantly; his eyes actually had a curiously… Worshipful gaze!

Evidently, for someone at the True Profound Realm to have withstood his trump card and shatter his sword, he had truly been shocked mentally.

Yun Che said while chuckling: “Ah, this; we’ll have to see whether you’re qualified or not. If you’re qualified, and you please this boss, I may be able to tell you.”

Ling Jie’s eyes lit brightly in a flash, and exclaimed with emotion: “For real? Waaaaaaah, if you’re actually able to tell me, don’t mention me being your little brother, I’ll even pay respect to you as my teacher!”

Ling Yun walked over, smiled lightly at Yun Che, then said sincerely: “Brother Yun, when we first entered the imperial city, we heard rumors about you everywhere. At the time, we didn’t believe the rumors ourselves but now that I have personally witnessed it, I know that you have completely surpassed the rumors; I believe that Little Jie is cheerful and committed to his loss.”

After he finished speaking, Ling Yun looked at Yun Che meaningfully for a moment, then turned to Lan Xueruo and said: “Princess, us brothers came to the imperial city this time to deliver this invitation to the noble imperial family; may Princess please accept it.”

A light golden-colored invitation was taken out by Ling Yun and delivered to Lan Xueruo’s hands. Ling Yun proceeded, and said: “In half a year, we will welcome the noble imperial family’s visit to the Heavenly Sword Villa. If Princess can do me the honor of visiting personally, that would be too great. This time, Princess has this kind of shocking genius, Yun Che, by your side, so I believe that three years from now, the noble imperial family will definitely be able to shine with Yun Che… So with that, us two brothers’ mission has been accomplished; we’ll take our leave now.”

He gave a salute towards Lan Xueruo and Yun Che. Without waiting for Lan Xueruo’s response, Ling Yun dragged Ling Jie away: “Little Jie, we should leave.”

“Ah? Leave? But I still haven’t learned how boss became so powerful at the True Profound Realm… Ahhh!”

Ling Jie was unable to finish speaking before he was brought far away by Ling Yun with a strange profound movement skill. In the next second, Ling Jie’s voice transmitted far away from the Great Hall: “Boss, if you have spare time you must visit the Heavenly Sword Villa… I want those guys to know what a true True Profound Realm genius is, a True Profound ranker who’s capable of beating them... Ahhh, Big Bro, you don’t have to pull me…”

Ling Yun took out the invitation, and directly brought Ling Jie away after speaking; the speed in which the whole ordeal was completed was so fast Lan Xueruo was caught unprepared, and she hadn’t even been able to bid farewell. She looked towards the direction of the hall’s entrance and said in shock: “Ling Yun’s temperament is very calm and amiable, why would he suddenly leave in such a rush; could it be that some emergency has occurred?”

Just as she finished speaking, Yun Che, who was standing beside her, suddenly shook, then fell on his knees while supporting himself with the heavy sword. His face was pale, and he forcefully spat out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground in front of him red.

“Ah! Junior brother Yun!” Lan Xueruo’s complexion paled. She hurriedly helped Yun Che up, and said anxiously: “Junior brother Yun, how are you? Are you injured? Is the injury serious?”

Yun Che rested most of his weight on the heavy sword, shook his head, then smiled with a pale face: “Don’t worry, Senior Sister, I’m fine. This Ling Jie’s sword… is incredibly overbearing. Even though I forcefully blocked it just now, I still suffered some internal injuries. The reason Ling Yun left in such a rush… was because he noticed that I was forcefully suppressing my injuries; I guess it was to allow me to save face.”

Lan Xueruo hurriedly took out a middle-grade Heaven Returning Pellet. Watching Yun Che consume it, she was finally able to let loose a sigh of relief after seeing Yun Che’s expression gradually become warm: “I knew that since Junior Brother Yun dared to bet with Ling Jie, you would definitely have enough control, but I was almost worried to death just then. Even though that Ling Jie looks very young, those who hail from the Heavenly Sword Villa are all a bit abnormal. Their power definitely cannot be calculated with common sense. However, it’s good that you won, and actually had him become your little brother.”

The Great Way of the Buddha operated, allowing Yun Che’s injuries to heal at an astonishing rate. Listening to Lan Xueruo’s words, he shook his head and said: “This is only because I saw that Ling Jie’s temperament was pure and immature, so I just devised a plan at the time. Even though he agreed, there is no binding contract that can be brought up. I had only hoped that I might be able to convenience myself in the future somehow because of him; after all, he is the son of the Heavenly Sword Villa’s Villa Master.”

“Right, the invitation Ling Yun delivered… Could it be?”

Lan Xueruo took out the invitation: “Father’s prediction was correct; it’s an invitation letter for the next Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. Every invitation letter is delivered half a year prior, so as to allow the powers of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament time to prepare.”

“So you’re saying, there is still half a year of time from now to the next Blue Wind Ranking Tournament?” Yun Che exclaimed.

“Mn.” Lan Xueruo nodded: “Indeed, there is only half a year’s time remaining. However, Junior Brother Yun, you don’t have to worry, because you don’t actually have to participate in the coming Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, but the one after that.”

“The one after that? Why?” Yun Che’s eyebrows twitched. Then he thought of how Ling Yun had said right before he left, “I believe that in three years’ time, the noble imperial family will be able to shine with Yun Che”... Three years later? Could it be that what Ling Yun had pointed out, was also the next Blue Wind Ranking Tournament?

Lan Xueruo explained: “The Blue Wind Ranking Tournament is held once every three years; it is the competition that decides the ranking of the powers within the Blue Wind Empire. But those who enter the competition are not necessarily the most powerful members of the powers, because no matter which power it is, especially the enormous powers, they will definitely not reveal their own trump cards to others. So the competition between “the most powerful people” is simply not the reality, and is actually just a competition for those of the younger generation to determine their ranking. Because the strength of those of the younger generation is sufficient to display concrete and comprehensive information about the strength of the powers; the ranking is more or less fair.”

“Every Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, there are around five hundred powers that receive invitations, and every power can have at most three young disciples participate; their ranking is decided by the disciple with the highest ranking in the tournament. The age of the disciples that participate in the tournament, range from sixteen years to twenty years. Those who are younger than sixteen or older than twenty may not participate, and they test age through bones prior to the tournament so there is no way to cheat. So, in order to guarantee the maximum fighting power, the age of most disciples who participate is usually twenty, ninteen, or eighteen, and very few people under the age of seventeen participate. Junior Brother Yun has just turned seventeen and your starting point is low, so you’re simply not fit to participate in the coming Blue Wind Ranking Tournament. But come next tournament, Junior Brother Yun will be a full twenty years old, and with the accumulation of three years’ time, it would be the best opportunity to participate in the tournament.”

“So that’s how it is.” Yun Che slowly nodded, stood silent for a while, then suddenly asked: “Senior Sister, how high was the profound strength of the person who ranked first in the last Blue Wind Ranking Tournament?”

Lan Xueruo didn’t need to think about this, and directly said: “The one who ranked first in the last Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, was the Ling Yun that you just met.”

“It was him?” Yun Che mumbled.

“Junior Brother Yun, what do you think about this Ling Yun… how is he?” Lan Xueruo asked.

Yun Che thought for a bit, then said slowly: “Ling Jie’s talent is extremely shocking, and can even be regarded as freakish, but I still have the guts to clash with three of his strikes. However, the feeling Ling Yun gives me is deep and unmeasurable. Even his temperament is pure and without filth, making it so that people cannot bear ill will towards him. Overall, you can say that he’s… flawless.”

“Your evaluation is very similar to my father’s.” Lan Xueruo sighed emotionally, and said: “That year, when Father met Ling Yun for the first time he gave him a ‘flawless’ evaluation. If nothing unexpected happens, he will still participate in the coming Blue Wind Ranking Tournament.”

“Oh.” Yun answered. Subsequently, his eyebrows moved as he said in shock: “You said… He’ll participate in this one? So you’re saying, his current age isn’t even twenty yet? So for this tournament, he is only…”

“That’s right. When he claimed the first place title of the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, he was only seventeen years old,” Lan Xueruo said: “At the time, his profound strength was at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm.”

Seventeen year old at the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm... Yun Che drew a breath of cold air.

“Admittedly, a seventeen year old at the Spirit Profound Realm is extremely shocking, but Ling Yun’s actual strength far surpasses the ninth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. In the finals, his opponent was the number one disciple of the Frozen Cloud Asgard, Mu Lingxue. At the time, Mu Lingxue was a full twenty years old, and her profound strength was at the peak of the tenth level of the Spirit Profound Realm. She was only half a step away from the Earth Profound Realm and was the disciple with the highest profound strength at the time. But under Ling Yun’s hands… She was only able to withstand seven of Ling Yun’s strikes… And it was also in the state where Ling Yun hadn’t used his full strength.”

Yun Che: “...”

“Three years have passed, so Ling Yun’s profound strength must have reached even more shocking heights. For those under the age of twenty, he is the undisputed number one in the entire Blue Wind Empire; no one will deny this fact. In the Blue Wind Ranking Tournament, all sorts of sects have competed intensely for a good ranking, especially Frozen Cloud Asgard, Xiao Sect, and the Burning Heaven Clan; they have fought tooth and claw for the second place ranking, yet they have never even considered taking the first place ranking from Heavenly Sword Villa. Because the first place ranking of the Heavenly Sword Villa, is something that will never be moved; among all the disciples in all the sects, there is simply no young disciple who is fit to be Ling Yun’s opponent.”