Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Chapter 1969 - Beyond The Reach of Moons And Stars (1)

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

Chang Shuhe’s voice was soft, but the soundless, disturbed ripples in her eyes told a different story. “It is your eyes that told me everything, husband.”

“The Abyss… The Abyss of Nothingness!?” Rui Yi exclaimed in shock. “But… But…!”

To a denizen of the God Realm, the Abyss of Nothingness was the symbol of absolute nothingness and death. The higher the level, the deeper the truth was felt.

Yun Che said, “The Devil Queen stole some of Mo Beichen’s knowledge and memories. As we suspected, there is another world at the bottom of the Abyss of Nothingness, meaning that falling into the Abyss may not necessarily mean certain death. Most likely, I will be falling into the world known as the Abyss instead.”

Yun Che kept his explanation plain and succinct, but both women knew very well that extraordinary truths were often accompanied by extraordinary dangers.

Rui Yi said in a shaky voice, “But… even if you managed to reach the world beyond the Abyss of Nothingness, what can you possibly do there? One Mo Beichen is terrifying enough, an entire world that’s—”

She abruptly cut herself off and bowed her head. In her worry, she did not realize she had transgressed until it was too late.

Cang Shuhe shot her a look before turning back to Yun Che. “I am sure that my husband has already come up with a solid plan.”

It was at this moment Yun Che presented Cang Shuhe the stone tablet left behind by the Heretic God himself:

“... My Heretic God Art was derived from a taboo art. Therefore, it is a taboo power that does not belong among the heavenly laws, and it is incomparable to the profound arts of the mortal world. If you are able to collect all of the elemental cores, you will attain the realm known as ‘Divine Master’ by mortals. You are not yet in the realm of a god, but you will be able to unleash the power of one.”

“There are gods and devils no longer, and the old order of the universe has crumbled. However, the loss of divine aura has slowed, and the new order is trending toward stability. If a new god is to be born in this world, it will surely strain the new order and harm the mortals. If you are an evil person, then it will surely be a calamity unto all.”

“Therefore, I have sunk the Earth core into the abyss to eliminate the potential danger once and for all.”

............

“If you are able to collect all of the elemental cores… You are not yet in the realm of a god, but you will be able to unleash the power of one,” repeated Cang Shuhe as her eyes lit up with myriad emotions. “Are these the last words of the ancient Heretic God?”

“That is correct.” Yun Che put away the stone tablet before continuing, “In fact, the Heretic God Profound Veins I inherited isn’t complete. It is missing a core of its power, and that core has been thrown into the Abyss of Nothingness by the Heretic God before he passed away.”

“That is why I was unable to enter the Divine Master Realm no matter what I tried.”

“If I could fall through the Abyss of Nothingness and enter that world known as the Abyss safely, perhaps I may yet retrieve that missing core and restore my Heretic God Profound Veins to what they were before. Then…”

Yun Che lifted his hands a little while darkness gathered behind his pupils. “I, too, will become a God.”

“I am the successor of a Creation God and a Devil Emperor. So what if the Abyss is full of Gods? Be it in this world or the Abyss, no one shall ever surpass my growth or limits!”

Cang Shuhe watched him as she whispered, “Indeed. It does not matter which world you go to, my husband will always be the ruler of all.”

Yun Che shook his head and smiled in self-derision. “That is what I’d like to believe, but honestly, there are far, far too many uncertain factors about this. That is why I have come for your advice, Shuhe.”

A long, long silence later, Cang Shuhe whispered again, “When are you leaving, husband?”

“In ten days,” replied Yun Che without hesitation.

“!!” Yun Wuxin’s pupils shook violently as her lips parted and closed again and again. She had to bite down on them to stop herself from speaking out of turn.

“We only have five years until the passage between Primal Chaos and the Abyss is formed once more,” Yun Che told Cang Shuhe the terrible truth that he could never inform the public unless he wanted the world to fall into total chaos.

Forget planning out his moves, he didn’t even have the time to procrastinate on his decision. That was how dire the situation was.

Even so, Cang Shuhe remained perfectly calm and collected. Her face did not betray even the slightest hint of surprise, and her voice remained as soft as silk. “Do you remember what I said, husband?”

Yun Che: “?”

“Your greatest strength isn’t the unparalleled power that resides within you. It’s the eyes that kill the cat and drown the soul,” said Cang Shuhe while staring into the eyes. She looked just as obsessed and attracted as she did back then.

“...” In fact, Yun Che remembered that conversation very well. He didn’t know if Cang Shuhe was aware of this, but her own deep blue eyes had drawn him in just as badly; a beautiful blend of light and mist that was just as mysterious and depthless as her soul.

In the end, Cang Shuhe only gave Yun Che one piece of advice.

“You are peerless in this world, husband, but you will surely be weak and alone when you first arrive at the Abyss,” she said. “However, “I am certain that your journey will only be bitter, not difficult. Your strength is far more than just infinitely growing power.”

……

Cang Shuhe watched Yun Che’s back as he and Yun Wuxin took their leave. She did not look away for a very, very long time.

A while later, Rui Yi finally mustered the courage to speak, “I’m… I’m scared.”

Cang Shuhe smiled a little. “Why? You weren’t afraid when my end was near, and you planned to die with me; when you got angry at my husband’s treatment of me and criticized him to his face.”

“You know they’re not even remotely the same thing,” Rui Yi replied sorrowfully. “You’ve only just become healthy and begun your true life. Just why doesn't fate leave us all be?”

She followed Cang Shuhe’s gaze. “I wonder who will accompany Emperor Yun on his journey this time? At least I know the Devil Queen will follow. That knowledge alone makes me feel a lot easier.”

Cang Shuhe shook her head and declared with absolute certainty, “He will go alone.”

“...!” Rui Yi’s complexion immediately turned a shade of deathly white.

It was at this moment Cang Shuhe turned away and said, “Come, Rui Yi.”

“Where are we going?” Rui Yi asked subconsciously.

An elegant smile crossed Cang Shuhe’s lips. “We will prepare some good food and delightful toys for him.”

“What?” Her attendant wasn’t expecting that at all.

“We know almost nothing about the Abyss,” Cang Shuhe said, “but if there is one thing any world, plane or living creature shares, it will be emotions. The items we prepare won't just aid in his development—they'll earn him more friends and attract more girls as well.”

Rui Yi’s eyes widened like saucers. The flabbergasted attendant could not help but ask, “Miss, are you… really not worried or scared at all?”

“He has already made up his mind. What will worry or fear change?” Still smiling, Cang Shuhe added, “There is only one thing I’m truly worried about, and that is his descent into the Abyss of Nothingness.”

“If he manages to reach that world known as the Abyss safely, then I can honestly say that the battle is already half won.”

“I don’t understand,” Rui Yi replied in puzzlement. Mo Beichen was beyond terrifying, and yet he was just a Guardian Knight in the Abyss. She could not even begin to imagine how scary and formidable the other world would be.

“It’s because my husband is only in his thirties.” Cang Shuhe’s eyes grew distant once more. “Before Emperor Yun rose to power, who would believe that a young man in his thirties would become the first emperor ever to unite the entire God Realm, and do it in only a few years? What kind of high and mighty person would truly raise their guard against a ‘child’ so young?”

“Don’t worry. I am certain the Devil Queen will teach him how to exploit this advantage thoroughly.”

............

When the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm was fully behind them, Yun Wuxin finally could not restrain herself any longer and grabbed her father’s sleeve. She stuttered in a voice full of worry and fear, “F-father… are you really going to that place?”

Yun Che looked into his daughter’s eyes and said calmly, “I do not have a choice.”

“...” Yun Wuxin’s pupils shook harder and harder. She did not know what to say.

Yun Che gave her hand a squeeze. “Though, it’s not like I do not want to go there.”

Yun Che looked up at the dark space above their heads. “Wuxin, I am surrounded by you and all of my loved ones, supported by countless followers, and worshiped by even more subjects and pilgrims.”

“But to tell you the truth, I have always felt that I was alone.”

“As the bearer of a Devil Emperor and a Creation God’s inheritance, I could not help but look down on everything around me no matter how I try to fight the instinct. This is especially true after the one and only Emperor Yun. I alone stand at the peak where all else is as humble as dust.”

“That is your right, father. It is what you deserve,” Yun Wuxin replied.

Yun Che smiled. “That is what you think. That is what most others think. Not only that, you all seem to think that there is nothing others can do that I cannot do, and that no one can do what I cannot do.”

“For example, when this calamity struck us, even though I was nothing but a paper tiger before the threat, even I thought that there was no hope for this world.”

“I was wrong.” Yun Che looked down at the boundless space beneath his feet. “This world has never been mine alone to command. Just the same, its fate has never been mine alone to decide.”

“Without the sacrifice of Yan One, Yan Two, Yan Three, and the two Qianye seniors, I would have been killed by Mo Beichen already.”

“Without Meiyin’s spatial divine power, escape would have been naught but a luxurious thought.”

“Without Cang Shitian and Huo Poyun, the best I could hope for was a hopeless ending.”

“Even if this calamity had never happened, I, the so-called Emperor Yun, would never have been able to rule this world without the Devil Queen. I never had the ability. At best, the world I ruled would be one that is filled with strife and chaos.”

“That’s not true at all, father!” Yun Wuxin gripped her father's hand and shook her head strongly. “You are the reason it is even possible to avert this calamity at all, father! There are countless things in this world that only you can do, and there is no one who is more deserving to rule the world than you. That is why you mustn’t deny yourself like this!”

“Someone misunderstood my meaning, I see.” Yun Che rubbed his daughter’s head affectionately. “When have I ever denied myself? I, your father, am peerless in this world, and that is an immutable fact. I’m just saying that I… relearned certain things that I should have known.”

Yun Wuxin hurriedly defended her hair before Yun Che could completely destroy her hair style. She mumbled in protest, “C’mon, I’m not a child anymore.”

Yun Che continued, “The one who made me realize this the most is of course, Cang Shitian.”

“In the people’s eyes, he was an ill-mannered and crazy man at best, or the lowliest, least qualified God Emperor in the history of God Realm at worst. Before the calamity, he had repeatedly crossed over to greener pastures and submitted to greater power faster than anyone else. He earned countless vulgar nicknames throughout his life, but the one he was most commonly known for while he was in my service was ‘the spineless dog’.”

“He never tried to use the Deep Sea Realm to coerce the people into shutting their mouths. He never even tried to defend himself. It is because he never cared for their opinions one bit.”

“But when calamity struck, and the invaders threatened to overwhelm us all, it was these so-called righteous souls who surrendered first without a fight, and the one they derided as a ‘spineless dog’ who sacrificed his own life and the future of his realm to form the toughest spine of the resistance.”

“He humbled countless people who believed themselves to be virtuous. They will never again be able to say the name ‘Cang Shitian’ without feeling ashamed.”

He put his hands on his daughter’s delicate shoulders and said gently, “Cang Shitian is the emperor’s subject and a denizen of Primal Chaos. If he can live up to his responsibility and beyond, then how can I, the emperor of this world, do any less?”

“That is why, Wuxin, my daughter…” He said smilingly, “I have failed to be a good father since a long time ago, but I still have a chance to be a somewhat responsible emperor, right?”

“...” Yun Wuxin’s lips trembled. A while later, tears started streaming down her smooth, pale cheeks.