Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Chapter 1982 - Storm and Glass Cloud

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

The profound auras grew stronger and stronger as Helian Lingzhu and Mo Cangying continued forward.

There was a huge cultivation ground ahead of them, one that was about four hundred kilometers wide in diameter. It was also where most of the elements were gathered. Even the sky was covered in a layer of deep, withered yellow.

The duo had just gotten close when a silhouette exuding a powerful aura rushed over to meet them. His ancient voice reached them long before he came close,

“Ku Xian greets the First Princess.”

When the old man entered Yun Che’s spiritual perception, he noted that his aura was as thick as a million mountains, and his cultivation level was peak Divine Master Realm. He should be a match for most God Emperors in Primal Chaos, but his appearance told a different story.

When one had entered the Divine Master Realm, their lifespan grew by leaps and bounds, and they did not age like a mortal even when they had reached the end of their lifespan.

Jun Wuming, the Sword Sovereign was one such example. Even during his final moments, his eyes were as bright as stars, and his skin was as smooth as marble. The one feature that truly betrayed his age was his white hair and beard.

The peak Divine Master before him was very different, however. He was thin and haggard, and his eyes were murky. His skin was as rough as sandpaper and covered in strange, grayish spots as well.

He looked like he had been burned atop the fires of purgatory for several days and nights. If it wasn’t for his cultivation, no one would mistake him for a God Emperor. The only people he thought shared similar characteristics were Yan One, Yan Two and Yan Three. The three Yama Ancestors had suffered in the Bone Sea of Eternal Darkness for eight hundred thousand years.

To think that the abyssal dust could wear away even a peak Divine Master to this extent. If he wasn’t sure before, he knew now that the average lifespan of the denizens of the Abyss must be lower than those from the Primal Chaos.

The old man tried to bow to Helian Lingzhu, but the young woman hurriedly dodged out of the way. “You mustn’t, master! Lingzhu may have returned to her duties, but you are, and will always be, my master. I can never receive a bow from you!”

The old man shook his head and began in a warm voice, “You’re a member of the imperial court, First Princess. I—”

“Master,” Helian Lingzhu interrupted firmly before giving the old man a disciple’s salute. “Please don’t do this to me.

Just treat me like you used to and call me ‘Lingzhu’.”

“Hahaha!” Mo Cangying laughed. “You know Lingzhu best, master, and we’re not in court right now. Just do as she says.”

It was clear that the old man named Ku Xian held the Helian Dynasty in very high regard. He wasn’t willing to skip the necessary etiquette even if Helian Lingzhu was his direct disciple. After a long moment of hesitation, he finally acquiesced with a smile, “Very well. Lingzhu, your father told me that you traveled alone to the Endless Fog in search of that breakthrough inspiration… I am glad to see that you’re safe and sound.”

Helian Lingzhu looked a little regretful. “I’m grateful for your concern. I survived thanks to Ninth Senior Brother’s aid, but it came at a great cost to him.”

“It’s just a small injury,” Mo Cangying said and raised his blood-drenched left arm casually. His face didn’t so much as twitch even though he was pulling at his injuries.

Ku Xian waved his hand and entrapped the wound stretching from his arm to his rib in a faint layer of yellow energy. Just a short while later, the gray energy leaking from it was all gone. He then turned to Lingzhu and advised, “You are the First Princess, Lingzhu. Your safety supersedes everything. You must never take such a risk again, okay?”

Helian Lingzhu was regretful, but not remorseful. She declared firmly, “It is precisely because I’m the First Princess that I have to do this.”

She turned away and looked at the infinite sand and dust far, far away. “I’ve been stalled at the Divine Sovereign Realm for too long already. If I cannot achieve a breakthrough, if our dynasty continues as it is… it is only a matter of time before our name is lost to the eternal sands and forever forgotten. What is a bit of risk, no, what is a deadly risk compared to that?”

The Helian Dynasty used to be the dominant power of the Qilin Abyss Realm. Now, they were barely better than a laughstock.

“...” Mo Cangying opened his mouth but could not say anything.

Ku Xian hid a sigh but did not refute her point either. He turned to Yun Che and asked, “Who is this man?”

Mo Cangying answered, “He’s a man we rescued at the four hundred and fiftieth kilometer mark of the outskirts of the Endless Fog. Junior Sister Lingzhu could not see him perish in the sands and decided to bring him back with us.”

He side-eyed Yun Che and continued, “He was hurt very badly, but he’s tougher, or should I say, luckier than expected. He somehow survived until we came back.”

Ku Xian frowned. He was just about to chide Helian Lingzhu for recklessly saving a stranger—one who clearly came from Outside no less—when Helian Lingzhu interrupted, “This disciple hasn’t forgotten your teachings, master. I swear I haven’t saved him out of kindness alone.”

“I noticed that he seemed extraordinary even when he was on his last legs. His life aura was in a critical state, but I could tell that he was pretty young and almost at the same level as me. I know it’s a slim chance, but if he happens to be a member of a Kingdom of God, then perhaps he is just what we need to change our situation.”

The more Helian Lingzhu spoke, the smaller her voice became. She herself knew just how weak her reasoning was.

Ku Xian hid another sigh. It was clear that the dark future of the Helian Dynasty was getting to Helian Lingzhu. She was practically grasping at straws at this point.

It wasn’t like he couldn’t understand her feelings though. The reason she wanted this unknown stranger to be the opportunity that would reverse the Helian’s fate so, so badly… was because the imperial court had buried one such opportunity by their own hands just several hundred years ago.

The man… named Mo Beichen.

Instead of responding to her pale answer, Ku Xian swept his aura across Yun Che once and said, “He can stay, but his wounds are deep. It is up to him whether he can live to see another day.”

The concentration of abyssal dust continuously weakened as they passed through barrier after barrier. Eventually, Yun Che was left behind in a quiet side pavilion.

Yun Che did not “awaken” immediately. Instead, he withdrew his aura as much as possible while observing everything around him.

The chance encounter at the outskirts of Endless Fog had made this place his starting point.

The world on the other side of Primal Chaos really did exist. He was living in it right now.

Although this was just his first day in this world, his objective—no, his mission had already hit his soul for the millionth time.

No one here was a friend.

He mustn’t give in to fear, hesitation, and most importantly, pity!

There was no perfect ending. Only one world would emerge intact when all was said and done!

He was one man against an entire world. That was why he must use anything and everything at his disposal.

To that end, he would resort to the vilest, cruelest, dirtiest and most brutal methods he could think of.

Most importantly, he must fulfill the one promise Chi Wuyao practically begged him to keep.

He would toss away his heart for the sake of everything he loved!

……

The sand kept blowing, and the sky was practically invisible. Not even hell’s purgatory could get worse than this.

The silhouette of a young woman slowly stepped through the sandstorm. Her clothes were as clean as snow, her skin was as smooth as jade, and her eyes were as bright as stars. Her face was covered by a white veil, but the half peeking out from under the veil because of the wind was enough to throw the sandstorm into disarray.

One look was enough for anyone to tell that she did not belong in this disaster zone.

A thin sword was floating quietly behind her. Its soft glow was as white as clouds and radiant as glass. Despite this, it was bright enough to pierce through the endless layers of sand and shone into the soul itself.

Its name was the Glass Cloud Sword.

The young woman looked left and right as she walked through the sand. She was unable to find its limits even after extending her spiritual perception to the max.

“Where is this place, auntie?” Her voice was as smooth as water and as melodious as the heaven’s hymn. Even the rampaging sand around her had softened as if it couldn’t bear to muffle her voice. “Am I… lost?”

No one answered her.

The girl blinked once before taking on a cutesy tone, “Come out, aunt. I know you’re here.”

For a time, there was no response. The wind and sand continued to howl relentlessly against the world.

Then, a quiet sigh pierced the noise, and everything ceased to be in an instant. The wind stopped blowing, and the sand stopped shifting. Everything and anything within thousands of kilometers of the young woman stopped as if the heavens themselves had commanded it to be.

It went without saying that it was an unbelievable sight that would terrify anyone.

A divine silhouette slowly appeared amidst the frozen world. She was wearing a blue robe that matched the iciness of her eyes perfectly. She resembled a frozen beauty in a painting or a fantastical bride that one could never obtain. She was, of course, Hua Qingying.

Her eyes, her sword intent and her aura all exuded an aura of absolute rejection. It was impossible to muster the will to get close to her, much less offend her with one’s gaze. The young woman had no such problems though. Like a dancing butterfly, she pounced toward the woman and cried happily, “Aunt!”

Unfortunately, an invisible forcefield pushed her away before she could get close.

“Caili,” she said in a frozen voice that was nigh emotionless, “You do remember that this is your personal trial, don’t you? You should perceive your surroundings with your body and soul, and tear down any dangers you might encounter with your own strength.”

“You should never rely on me be it physically or mentally!”

The fact that Caili exposed her presence and forced her to show up had more or less ruined the point of this trial.

Her voice could chill the hottest soul, and yet Caili didn’t look frightened in the slightest. She just nodded like a woodpecker and said, “I know, I know. I promise I won’t ask for your help no matter what kind of danger I’m in.”

“I’m just curious about this place, and I know there’s nothing in this world that you aren’t aware of. Besides exploring the world myself, the best and fastest way to broaden my horizons is to ask you directly, isn’t it?”

The reason Hua Qingying had ignored Hua Fuchen’s objection and taken Hua Caili into the outside world was to expose her to the true face of the Abyss and the true nature of mankind. It was also the best way for her to find that inspiration to achieve her breakthrough. If she could overcome a dangerous or even fatal situation via her own strength, then her chances of entering the next cultivation realm would skyrocket.

However, Caili must rely on herself and no one else. If she could not shake off that mentality that someone would protect her when things got dangerous, then the trial would be pointless at best or feed that terrible mentality at worst. She would never learn that emotion known as despair and find the courage within herself to break through her limits.

That said, there was no way Hua Qingying or Hua Fuchen could truly let Hua Caili into the secular world unprotected. Just the same, Hua Caili did not believe that her father and aunt would leave her alone for a second. Hua Caili had tried to keep to the rule, she really did, but her curiosity was just too much today.

Sighing on the inside, Hua Qingying gazed to the distance and explained, “This is the Qilin Abyss Realm. It is the place where the world’s sand and stone are the most active, and at the center of it is the Qilin God Realm. I’ve told you about the Qilin God Realm before.”

“Qilin Abyss Realm… Qilin God Realm…” Hua Caili repeated when a memory came to her. “Right! The Qilin God Realm is the place where the sandstorm lasts forever, and it’s also the dwelling place of the last qilin!”

“That’s correct.”

The young woman’s eyes flickered with deep curiosity. “I need to see it for myself.”

However, Hua Qingying poured cold water on her plan immediately. “Unfortunately, not anyone can enter the Qilin God Realm. The Abyssal Monarch himself has placed a restriction over it.”

“Eh?” Hua Caili’s lips parted in surprise. Who would’ve thought that a random realm—one that wasn’t even protected by Divine Grace—would involve the supreme Abyssal Monarch?

Hua Qingying explained, “The Abyssal Monarch probably shares a good relationship with the last Qilin. That is why he named the place the Qilin God Realm and set up a restriction that opens only once every one hundred years. Not only that, only Qilin Abyss Realm natives are allowed to enter.”

“The Qilin God Realm is the final refuge of the Qilin and a boon upon the Qilin Abyss Realm.”

The restriction could be as fragile as paper, and who would dare to break the Abyssal Monarch’s own work and enter the place without permission?

Disappointment colored Caili’s eyes. “So, I won’t be able to enter the Qilin God Realm even if I went there… I was hoping to see what a real Qilin looks like.”

There was a moment of silence before Hua Qingying said, “That’s not necessarily true.”

She spread out her spiritual perception beyond the frozen sand. “Assuming that the Qilin Abyss Realm hadn’t gone through too big an upheaval, it should still be controlled by one empire and three sects.”

“When it is time for the Qilin God Realm to open, an outsider may enter if they obtain the empire and the three sects’ permission. However, I must remind you that the Qilin God Realm is useless to you. Although the Qilin God Realm is the world with the highest concentration of sand and stone, and it is a sanctuary for everyone who cultivates the power of earth, it won’t help you with your trial one bit.”

Hua Caili thought for a bit and nodded. “Fine. But you must tell me what senior Qilin looks like when we get out of here, please~”

Hua Qingying was a woman of few emotions and desires. Her memory of the last Qilin was a blurry silhouette as well. However, she could never turn down the young woman’s request.

Instead of giving Caili an affirmative answer, she asked, “Have you adapted to the abyssal dust already?”

“Mm!” Hua Caili nodded without hesitation. “It’s less scary than I thought.”

“That’s because you were born in a Kingdom of God where no abyssal dust exists. It is also because you’ve never entered the Endless Fog before.”

This wasn’t the first time Hua Caili had left the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God, but her destination was usually the Pure Land or the other Kingdoms of Gods. She was always escorted by her father as well.

This was the first time she entered the world of abyssal dust. That was why she couldn’t understand the true terror of the abyssal dust, and why it took her only a moment to adjust to it.

“You will decide where you go next yourself, but the Endless Fog is one place you must visit. It is because that is the true body of the world.”

“I know already,” the young woman huffed before cutting the frozen sheet of sand in front of her apart with the Glass Cloud Sword. “I’m going then, aunt—”

Whooooooooooooosh!

The sandstorm abruptly resumed like a devil jolted from its slumber, and the howls of the wind consumed all sound once more.

Hua Qingying was already gone.

The young woman stuck her tongue out cutely and cut away more layers of sand. She then flew toward the unknown at a prodigious speed. Like a songbird who was released from her cage, she was overflowing with joy, excitement, and curiosity right now. She carried no fear or no hesitation. She did not possess the pressure a Divine Daughter should have nor the determination to bear the fate of an entire kingdom.

It was because she was protected and spoiled too much by her protectors. Her father, the Divine Regent, cherished her like his own life, and her highly admired aunt was willing to spend the rest of her life protecting her as well.

High, high above the sandstorms, a cool, clear gaze tracked Caili closely like a hawk. A while later, she looked up at the grayish yellow sky.

In recent years, the sky had been slowly but surely changing color. Very few people noticed the change, and even fewer knew why it was happening.

“The cycle of each Black Tide of time is getting shorter and shorter. The collapse of spacetime may be right around the corner.”

She whispered the fate the world was facing.

“God Bearers rarely show up even once in ten thousand years, and yet they are sprouting like sand in this era.”

“Dian Jiuzhi of the Boundless Kingdom of God is unrivaled among his peers.”

“The miracle twins of the Star and Moon Kingdom of God are succeeded by another pair of miracle twins.”

The Dreamweaver Divine Son has fully awakened his divine essence in just a century.”

“And even Owl Butterfly, the Kingdom of God with the least number of God Bearers in history, has replaced their existing God Bearer with a superior choice, something that has never happened in that kingdom before.”

“Speaking of which, the former Divine Daughter of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God, Shen Wuqing had been killed outright. It shows just how extraordinary the new Divine Daughter, Shen Wuyi is.”

“And you, Caili… you are the first ever God Bearer in the history of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God to possess a perfect divine essence.”

“My heart aches, but you must grow.”

“For so many stars to shine in the eternally gray sky that is our world all at once… is this an omen of a miracle like nothing our world has ever seen… or doom?”