Against the Gods (Web Novel)

“WAHHHH!!”

From the northern shore of the Inferno Prison, a roar filled with extreme dismay resounded. The space itself was trembling, the parched earth underneath their feet was filled to the brim with cracks, while the Inferno Prison in front was surging even more violently. If not for the obstruction of the various Flame God’s elders, everyone would’ve already been engulfed inside.

The might of that flame mirage was obvious from one’s imagination.

Clearly, it had been accumulating its power for a long time beneath the flame prison.

“MASTER!!!” Yun Che roared explosively, his eyes were opened wide and bloodshot. What he was most afraid of, actually happened so quickly… More so, it was much more wretched that the worst scenario he had imagined.

Not only was that a full power strike, charged up by the other ancient horned dragon, it was also during a situation where Mu Xuanyin was congealing all her power to slay the first ancient horned dragon, nearly without any defensive profound energy around her!

As though they were suddenly falling from heaven to hell, everyone’s heart almost burst apart from the shock. Yan Wancang retreated several steps, appalled, while Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie’s hair stood on end, their eyes wide to the point of breaking apart.

“A… Ahhh...”

“H...How can there be such a thing!?”

In that instant as though a stream of light flashing through, all three of the sect masters clearly saw that what heavily struck Mu Xuanyin, was clearly a dragon’s tail!!

The tail of a horned dragon!!

After the curtain of fire fell, within the Vermillion Bird’s Will Projection, to the side of the horned dragon who just escaped the ice seal atop the incessantly churning Inferno Prison...

An identical, yet unwounded ancient horned dragon had appeared!

While Mu Xuanyin’s figure had already disappeared, buried within the vast flame prison.

Before everyone had calmed down from the shock, the second horned dragon had already pounced forward amidst its roar.

BOOOM——

The wave of fire rushed to the skies, as the thousand miles of fire sea was violently thrown up… While an eye-grabbing white figure appeared within the shattered flames that filled the entire sky.

Seeing this white figure made Yun Che utter a shout in joy and surprise, “Master!”

But just as his voice left him, his joy immediately became terror.

She had never been injured even though she exhausted an enormous amount of power in her vicious battle against the ancient horned dragon which lasted over eight hours. However, at this moment, her snow-white clothing was soaked with blood everywhere, her hair of ice was scattered and messy, the tracks of blood by the corner of her mouth and eyes was crimson and glaring, and her snow-like skin had become dreadfully pale.

Her back, however, was entirely dyed in red.

The Snow Princess Sword was still being held in her hand but atop the tip of the sword, drops of blood slowly dripped.

The chilling aura that almost shrouded the entire flame prison before, was so weak and in chaos at this moment in time.

In the exact moment she was blasted away from the flame sea, the two horned dragon’s dragon flames had already swathed down from above, not giving her even a chance for a breather.

Mu Xuanyin retreated back rapidly, however, her flight path was unexpectedly unstable, as though she was a floating leaf atop enormous waves. The Snow Princess Sword swept out horizontally, freezing up ice all over the skies… but it was instantly engulfed by the flames and vanished...

Pfft!!

A huge puff of blood sprayed out in the skies and Mu Xuanyin once again fell into the endless sea of flames like a white sparrow that was shot down.

Yun Che’s mouth remained wide agape, yet he couldn’t even utter a sound. As his entire body felt cold, only intense hatred and helplessness was left.

His strength was merely at the beginning of the divine way, while the Mu Xuanyin and the horned dragon fighting her, lay at its pinnacle. It was two entirely different dimensions in terms of power. As the second horned dragon finally made its appearance, Mu Xuanyin didn’t even have the chance to react before being forced into a desperate strait, yet he couldn’t do anything at all… Let alone rushing to save her, he couldn’t even get a little bit closer.

Even if he really could get near… with his power, what use was there even if there existed tens or even a hundred thousand of him?

Even if he clearly knew the existence of another ancient horned dragon, he could not inform Mu Xuanyin… Amidst his worries, he hadn’t hesitated to vow and beg, yet no one believed him.

The only thing he could do, was to stand there and watch… watch with his eyes wide open.

Because, he was merely a petty and insignificant speck of dust… Even if he were to gamble his entire existence, he wouldn’t be able to stop the enormous wave that was about to swallow Mu Xuanyin. What was even more saddening, was that there was no way he would even have a chance to do so.

BOOM!! BOOM!!

Being continuously blasted down into the flame prison, Mu Xuanyin’s aura was becoming weaker and weaker. The traces of blood on her body quickly spread; under the attack of two ancient horned dragons, she could not even manage to seal her wounds.

Just as Yun Che said earlier, once the two horned dragons were forced to appear together, it would be a strike with absolute intent to kill, not leaving any chance for Mu Xuanyin to escape.

Greatly damaged profound energy, seriously injured and being closed in from all sides… This was the dragons’ only chance! If she escaped today, they’ll never have the chance to kill Mu Xuanyin again—Hu Rulie wasn’t exaggerating at all. Mu Xuanyin might not be a match for two ancient horned dragon, but if she were only fleeing, let alone two, even three horned dragons wouldn’t be able to keep her from doing so.

The two ancient horned dragon’s attacks were like enormous storms and waves, without the slightest bit of stagnation. Forget about retaliating, Mu Xuanyin’s defense was actually getting gradually weaker. Every single time she escaped with difficulty after being blasted down into the God Burying Inferno Prison, her aura would grow a little weaker.

In addition to being unable to mind her wounds, having to channel all her power at the same time caused the conditions of her injuries to rapidly deteriorate… She was like a duckweed struggling within a storm, possibly shattering at any moment.

Yun Che looked on blankly and could only do so… What was flowing within his soul was the sorrow and helplessness of the weak, as well as hatred for his own powerlessness.

Why did I come to the God Realm… He painfully muttered in his heart. How nice was it in the lower realms; there was no one I couldn’t save, nothing that I couldn’t do, and I wouldn’t ever need to endure such helplessness and suffering.

Why did you have to be so good to me? If you were as strict and heartless to me like how you always are on the surface… I wouldn’t be so...

“There… There actually really are two horned dragons… How can it be… How can such thing happen!?” Yan Juehan’s pupils contracted. He was still frightened and was unable to believe the reality even now.

“It’s over… it’s all over…” Yan Wancang muttered, losing his wits.

Mu Xuanyin was done for… and their dream of raising a Divine Master, was also done for...

“We were actually… really fooled for so many years…” Huo Rulie’s body also wobbled, as the arm pressing onto Yun Che’s shoulders entirely lost its strength.

Yun Che looked to the side, as he spoke coldly, “You lot definitely won’t go to save my master, isn’t that right!?”

At these sneering words, Yan Wancang, who knew he was in the wrong, could only sigh deeply, as he closed his eyes, “It’s not that we don’t want to, it’s that with our strength, even if…”

“No need to explain, I knew you wouldn’t!” Yun Che was laughing, ever so coldly laughing. “You refused even just a tiny warning, a warning that wouldn’t have any negative effects at all, that could have saved my master’s life, how could you be willing to risk your life to save my master now? Even if she had fallen to such a hopeless situation because of you!!”

“...” Yan Wancang’s breathing stagnated. His lips moved but in the end didn’t say anything, as his gaze that was fixed at the Vermillion Bird projection turned dazed.

The various Vermillion Bird Sect elders all had angry looks but this time, none of them rebuked him.

“Haah!” Huo Rulie heavily sighed, “The only one who can save her now, is herself. Perhaps, she can find a chance to escape… That’s the only way.”

But seeing Mu Xuanyin’s current condition, as well as the suppression by the two horned dragons as though they’d gone mad, he clearly knew in his heart how insignificant such chances were.

Back then, the flames of the horned dragon were so easily sealed and destroyed by Mu Xuanyin but now the tables had turned… several times more intensely. The moment her ice froze, it would be instantly shattered. Mu Xuanyin was retreating with every breath, the blood leaking from the corner of her mouth had long dyed her entire neck red… And at this moment, Yun Che saw a hint of abnormal flush from her face.

That was...

Poison!!

Horned dragon poison!!

“Sssss!!” Blood leaked from between the fingers of Yun Che’s clenched hands… The poison from a horned dragon’s breath was not normally dreadful to Mu Xuanyin but that was during normal conditions. Now, it was fatal.

Just as like Mu Bingyun a thousand years ago. With her power, after being poisoned with the horned dragon’s poison, she could have very quickly neutralized it with profound strength but she had no chance to do so at all after being poisoned. Moreover, she had to fiercely battle with Huo Rulie. The more severely profound energy was channeled, the more acute the poison’s effects. Afterwards, she was even more heavily injured by Huo Rulie and had to use all she had to escape… After falling into the Profound Sky Continent, there was a time where all her profound strength was lost. Only then, did the acute poison invade her soul and become hopeless.

The current condition of Mu Xuanyin, was just like Mu Bingyun back then! After being hit by the horned dragon’s poison, not only was she unable to neutralize it, the acute poison would spread and worsen at an extremely rapid pace during all-out combat. Furthermore, the non-stop worsening horned dragon poison would cause the conditions of her body and profound strength to continuously fall even more, greatly expediting the approaching fate of death.

BOOM!!

Mu Xuanyin was once again blasted into the Inferno Prison… But this time, she flew out in just an instant, as she sprayed out a large amount of blood mist onto the Snow Princess Sword in her hand.

Yun Che’s Ice Phoenix bloodline suddenly throbbed intensely at this moment. He quickly raised his head… Within the Vermillion Bird projection, an extremely thick and intense wave of Ice Phoenix aura, shrouded down.

The expression in Yun Che’s eyes instantly transformed, revealing deep fright...

Ice Phoenix’s origin blood!?

But then, his terror magnified itself by countless times...

No! This is… blood essence!

Not only the Ice Phoenix origin blood but also blood essence!!

Could Master be… be...

Ding!

The world suddenly became incomparably quiet.

The churning of the sea of fire stopped, the entire Inferno Prison seemed to have gone entirely quiet, as though it was suddenly sealed.

The blue light that was weak to the point of almost extinguishing on Mu Xuanyin’s body suddenly turned berserk… becoming more than a few dozen times thicker than at any point in time before!!

Even the two ancient horned dragons that were ready to kill Mu Xuanyin with all their might suddenly slowed their movements. The red colored scales reflected back a colder and colder light. Then, they uttered an odd roar as they both retreated at the same time. The flames burning on their bodies were extinguishing at a very rapid pace.

The blue light was spreading. The surrounding flame prison as well as the Vermillion Bird projection had all entirely turned blue.

Mu Xuanyin’s beautiful eyes were unfocused, the blood that dyed her entire body portraying a cold, yet vivid bleak beauty. The Snow Princess Sword in her hands slowly raised up, as a tiny profound formation slowly rotated and glimmered on the tip of the sword.

The moment the profound formation took form, the two ancient horned dragon became motionless like the surrounding ice prison, as though space was sealed and time had stopped.

“This… This is...”

Through the Vermillion Bird projection, everyone felt a chill and fear that went straight into their souls.

“Could it be… the forbidden Ice Phoenix formation from the legends?” Huo Rulie muttered.

“Forbidden Ice Phoenix formation? What’s that?” Yun Che spoke in a urgent tone while clenching his teeth.

Huo Rulie stared at the Vermillion Bird projection and said blankly, “Many dominant sects have a forbidden skill that would only be used in dire straits. Our Vermillion Bird Sect has one and so does the Divine Ice Phoenix Sect… Yours is called Broken Moon Oblivion.”

Yun Che, “...”

“Though I’ve never seen it, I’ve seen records. The forbidden profound formation needs Ice Phoenix’s origin blood as well as large amounts of blood essence to activate and its might is enough to destroy worlds… However, not only does it take up an enormous amount of power, it will also cause one’s profound cultivation to fall back a large extent, as well as greatly reducing lifespan and… natural aptitude. If one’s cultivation is not enough and they forcibly activate it, dying straight away from the rebound is quite possible.”

“What!?” Yun Che’s eyes widened, as two of the teeth in his mouth shattered from him biting down. Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth, but he felt no pain at all.

“Looks like, your master knows that there’s no hope of escape and under certain death, she…” Huo Rulie’s body tensed up and didn’t continue.

Mu Xuanyin’s expression was extremely beautiful and peaceful… That was a peacefulness that Yun Che had never seen before. Within the miracle-like azure-blue world, her arm slowly pushed out...

Ding!

Time really seemed to be frozen. There was not the slightest bit of sound left. Within the Vermillion Bird projection, as well as everyone’s eyes, there was only that stream of light transformed from the Snow Princess Sword.

That stream of light flew very slowly, seemingly not moving at all. After an unknown amount of time passed, the sword’s tip finally touched something and the profound formation on the tip of the sword also erupted at that instant, releasing extremely blinding blue colored rays of light.

Where the sword’s tip hit, was shockingly a horned dragon’s dragon fault!

The uninjured ancient horned dragon that appeared later!

Within the rotating ice-blue profound formation, the Snow Princess Sword did not stop and continued on, soundlessly piercing through.

Within the heaven and earth, it slashed open a dream-like blue colored trace of light.

So much so that people didn’t even notice that it had actually pierced through a body of an ancient horned dragon.

Clang!

Clang!

The two ancient horned dragons were still immobile but two streaks of blue rays shot out from the two sides where Snow Princess Sword pierced the dragon fault. Then, it was the third streak of light, the fourth and the fifth...

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang...

The tenth!

The twelfth!

Amidst the blue colored rays of light, the ancient horned dragon kept its entirely unmoving posture and quickly turned ice-blue in color.

The moment all the light rays dispersed completely, a very long crack suddenly split open on the ancient horned dragon’s body before quickly spreading all the way to the claws and tail. Then, its enormous dragon body loudly collapsed as it rapidly burst and cracked.

It turned into shattered ice pieces as far as one’s eyes could see and scattered onto the frozen flame prison below.