Against the Gods (Web Novel)

Chapter 2002 - Scarred

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

There were cracks all over Zhuai Liancheng’s body. There wasn’t a single area that wasn’t terribly injured. Ironically, the Heavenly Law Tribulation Lightning that was shackling his body and strength was also the only reason he was still alive. Otherwise, he would’ve died many hits ago.

The worst part was that the lightning kept him from falling unconscious. His eyes were unfocused, and his heart and soul might as well have died.

He couldn’t make any sound whatsoever. Even uttering the shameful word “surrender” was but a luxury to him. His only wish right now was to black out immediately so that the humiliation would stop, and he might wake up and discover that it was all just a nightmare.

“Zhai Liancheng,” Yun Che’s voice rang in his soul, and he found it a billion times worse than even the whisper of a devil, “Be very careful the next time you speak. You’re lucky I’m an even-tempered, forgiving man. Otherwise, your head would have cracked like a watermelon ages ago, and you would never have gotten the chance to become a legend.”

The Heavenly Law Tribulation Lightning covering Zhai Liancheng’s body finally faded, and immense pain instantly flooded his senses. It wasn’t even a millionth of the shame and hatred in his heart, however.

He could finally move his lips, but he only managed to open and close it like a fish. A while later, he blacked out entirely.

Yun Che kicked him toward the bloodied Zhai Kexie, and the sect master hurriedly caught him with both arms. Before he could inspect his injuries though, Yun Che interrupted casually, “You should announce the result now, Boulder Profound Sect Master.”

Zhai Kexie lifted his head and glared at Yun Che for a long time. He knew that his son—his proudest achievement of his life—was over.

What happened today would never be forgotten. The first thing that came to mind whenever anyone saw or mentioned him would be today’s event. Zhai Liancheng could find the fabled Eternal Pure Land and save the Abyss itself, and this eternal badge of shame would still haunt him to the end of time itself.

What a cruel and vicious punishment this was.

Zhai Kexie wasn’t stupid, however. His unadulterated fury was accompanied by equally pure fear. The fact that Yun Che went so far to punish his son meant that he truly held no regard for the Boulder Profound Sect whatsoever. In fact, he didn’t even fear an Abyssal Knight.

Another thing that frightened him was how powerful Yun Che was as a Divine Sovereign… who on earth was this man who called himself “Yun Che”? What kind of background could nurture such a terrifying man?

It was at this moment that Lie Qianhong of the Fiery Sand Sect stepped forward, “The Boulder Profound Sect Master is occupied right now. I shall make the announcement on his behalf.”

“The first battle of the Qilin Abyss Realm ends with the Thousand Blade Sect in last place, the Boulder Profound Sect… in second place, and the Helian Empire in first place!”

This result was all that was needed to carry the Heilan Empire firmly into the Qilin Abyss Realm, yet not a single Helian was cheering in joy. They were either stunned, dazed, or stuck in an impossible dream.

To say that everyone was looking at Yun Che in a new light would be an understatement. Their hearts were still racing even now.

As for Yun Che himself… his expression had not changed all that much since the beginning. It was as if his opponents weren’t the Boulder Profound Sect and Thousand Blade Sect’s strongest disciples, but random grasshoppers on the street.

Ximen Boyun hadn’t said anything. He literally had nothing to say.

Right now, most of his attention was placed on Yun Che. His eyes looked calm and collected… but if he was really as unperturbed as he seemed, then why was his gaze affixed to Yun Che?

Yun Che turned around coolly and patted Mo Cangying on the shoulder. “It would seem that the two of us are strong enough to take out the Boulder Profound Sect and the Thousand Blade Sect after all.”

“...” Mo Cangying stared at him blankly. His throat was wriggling, but he could not squeeze out a word no matter what he tried.

After he left the battlefield and returned to the Helian group, Helian Lingzhu immediately ran up to him and exclaimed with joyful tears, “Young Master Yun Che, I… you… I…”

“I have fulfilled my mission, Your Highness,” Yun Che replied smilingly, “It would seem that the Helian Empire has to prepare more candidates for this year’s Qilin God Realm.”

Helian Lingzhu nodded strongly. Right now, she was staring at Yun Che as if he was a god.

“Yun Che,” Ku Xian asked with undisguised admiration, “Who on earth… are you?”

Yun Che shook his head. “I’m just a man who temporarily lost his past.”

Ku Xian chuckled but took the hint.

It was at this moment that Yun Che shot Helian Linglang and his entourage a glance.

He wasn’t trying to be intimidating, but Helian Lingzhu staggered backward and nearly tripped on his feet. His pupils were contracting in terror as well.

“Speaking of which,” Yun Che eyed the group like he was examining a group of ants, “I wonder if you lot would be shameless enough to enter the Qilin God Realm. I look forward to that moment.”

If this was before the battle, Yun Che’s taunt would have spurred them into a flying rage. But now? Each person’s head was lower than the last. Not a single one of them dared to meet his gaze.

This man had literally used the young sect master of the Boulder Profound Sect as his beating stick. What could they possibly say against him?

On the other side, Ximen Qi was shaking like a leaf behind his entourage. His mending hands especially were shaking so hard it was a surprise his bones hadn’t come apart. His face was paler than even the day Yun Che had grievously wounded him and humiliated him.

“You see that?” Ximen Borong said solemnly, “You were lucky he only took one arm!”

Ximen Qi gulped audibly. Lucky? Yun Che that day was practically a saint.

“He’s this strong even though he’s just a Divine Sovereign, and not even an Abyssal Knight could intimidate him in the slightest. I can hardly imagine what kind of background he hails from,” Ximen Borong sucked in a deep breath. “In fact… I wouldn’t be surprised if he is the son of a Divine Regent!”

Ximen Qi’s eyes widened when he heard this, and Ximen Borong was hardly the only one who arrived at the same conclusion.

There was a quote Yun Che learned from Chi Wuyao’s life experience: What terrified people wasn’t an overwhelmingly powerful enemy, but one they knew nothing about.

There was no greater fear than the unknown. This quote was applicable in any field.

The three sects were the giants of the QIlin Abyss Realm, but they knew very well that they were but specks of dust compared to the true giants out there. Those people could literally turn tens of generations of blood, sweat and tears into dust with a single flick of the finger.

Yun Che was insanely strong, and yet they couldn’t find out anything about Yun Che whatsoever. This only made them fear him more.

Had they known that Yun Che was a complete nobody in the Abyss, they wouldn’t even have waited until the next hour to take revenge.

Yun Che had used up every last Southern Sea divine origins in the battle against Mo Beichen. He literally couldn’t use God Ash even if he wanted to. Even if he pushed himself to the limit, he was just barely a match for a Half-Step Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner. There was zero chance he could have gone up against any one of the three sects head on. But thanks to his wanton display of cruelty and intimidation tactics, he had cowed the three sects into complete submission. They wouldn’t dare to touch a hair on his person until they had found out exactly who he was.

The second battle of the Qilin Abyss Conference was between the Fiery Sand Sect and the Qilin Worship Alliance.

The disciples of the Fiery Sand Sect stepped into the battlefield first. They fielded six lower Divine Masters and four Divine Sovereigns. They had no outside reinforcements.

On the other hand, the Qilin Worship Alliance’s lineup looked a lot lousier. They fielded only two first level Divine Masters and seven Divine sovereigns.

Lie Qianhong, the sect master of the Fiery Sand Sect, wore an ugly expression though.

Everyone in the three sects knew that the Qilin Worship Alliance had gotten themselves a powerful ally. However, no one knew exactly who this reinforcement was.

They waited… until a grayish white silhouette slowly descended from the sky and stood behind the nine Qilin Worship Alliance disciples.

The person looked exceptionally broad and wore what looked like a thick grayish white robe. Their entire body was covered up from head to toe, literally. It was near impossible to tell their body shape, much less their identity.

The grayish white robe seemed to be made from the coarsest and most mundane cloth. Not only were there no patterns of power on the robe, it was literally a blank piece of cloth without a single line on it.

Even stranger was the fact that their head and neck were covered behind a veiled hat made from the exact same type of fabric. Both their skin and even their hair was completely covered up.

Clearly, this person did not wish to reveal their identity to anyone, at least not in the Qilin Abyss Realm.

In fact, their presence was so weak that few people noticed their existence prior to their appearance. But now that they had shown themselves, it was impossible to look away from them. Countless people were staring at the strange profound practitioner and gossiping up a storm.

This was the first time Zhai Kexie and Wan Lei noticed the person in gray robes, and surprisingly, their expressions had gone through an identical series of changes. First was a frown, then came puzzlement, and finally deep shock.

Even Ku Xian on the Helian’s side had lost his composure for a second.

Sensing his master’s slip of aura, Mo Cangying asked, “What’s wrong, master?”

Ku Xian exhaled lightly and said, “They are… an eighth level Divine Master.”

“... What!?” Mo Cangying blurted in shock and disbelief.

An eighth level Divine Master that was below six hundred years old…? Was that even possible?

In the Qilin Abyss Realm’s history, the greatest genius it ever saw under the six hundred years old mark was the seventeenth emperor of the Helian Empire, Helian Kunlun.

He had obtained a miraculous plant called the “Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid” and was able to become a sixth level Divine Master at the age of six hundred.

Later, he broke through the Divine Master Realm and became a Half-God.

The Helian Empire of that era was utterly unshakeable. It was a golden age for the Helian Dynasty.

The “Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid” didn’t just give him power beyond imagination, it had also greatly extended his lifespan. That was how he, a man who should’ve perished a long time ago, managed to survive to this day as their final guardian. Otherwise, it would’ve been impossible even with a Breath Sealing Art.

The three sects were well aware of Helian Kunlun’s presence. He was the one obstacle they feared regarding the Helian Empire.

Speaking of the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid, it was the dream treasure of every Qilin Abyss profound practitioner. Without exaggeration, every profound practitioner who entered the Qilin God Realm afterward would always scour the place in hopes of finding the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid.

Unfortunately, it looked like the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid only appeared one time, and no one had ever seen it again. The only thing it left behind was a record and a legend that would forever stir the desires of every Qilin Abyss profound practitioner.

Still, this gray-robed person was an eighth level Divine Master. They were far stronger than even Helian Kunlun, the man who founded a legend in the Qilin Abyss Realm thanks to the Qilin Bone Spirit Orchid.

Someone like them must have descended from a higher place. How on earth did the Qilin Worship Alliance manage to recruit them as an outside helper?

“...” Ku Xian was silent for a very long time.

What really surprised him… was how he did not notice the eighth level Divine Master at all until they revealed themselves.

Yun Che’s gaze had briefly paused on the gray-robed person as well. His eyebrows were scrunched up together a little.

If this person was so afraid of exposing their identity that they would wrap themselves into a bundle, then why did they come to the Qilin Abyss Realm and participate in the Qilin Abyss Conference, an extremely public battle?

Was it because they owed Ximen Boyun a favor? Was that why they were fighting for the Qilin Worship Alliance?

No, it couldn’t be. They looked like they wanted to be anywhere but here.

There could only be one explanation then.

This person wanted to enter the Qilin God Realm just like him.

He had his reasons to enter the Qilin God Realm, but what about this person? He couldn’t sense a sliver of earth-based power from them.

Wait…

Is she… a woman!?

Unhindered by abyssal dust, his gaze pierced through the grayish white fabric and saw…

A pair of black scars. They were etched across the woman’s face like a cross.

Is that the real reason she’s covering herself? To hide her scars?

Ximen Boyun didn’t look surprised by her entrance. Ximen Borong was smiling confidently as well.

Lie Qianhong’s expression turned ugly once he had recovered from his shock.

He knew that the Qilin Worship Alliance had a powerful helper, but he never imagined that it would be an eighth level Divine Master.

The Helian Empire had defied all expectations and annihilated the Boulder Profound Sect and the Thousand Blade Sect as well. At worst, they would rank second on the leaderboard.

Of the three sects, the Fiery Sand Sect was the weakest of them all.

If they lost to the Qilin Worship Alliance here…

Then the one who would lose the right to enter the Qilin God Realm wasn’t him, but his Fiery Sand Sect!

The young sect master of the Fiery Sand Sect, Lie Zhuoyang was burning with fighting spirit when suddenly, he felt suffocated for some reason. The atmosphere had turned very strange as well.

When he turned around, he saw his father wearing an ashen expression on his face.

Sensing Lie Zhuoyang’s inquiring gaze, Lie Qianhong let out a deep sigh and transmitted, “That helper… they’re an eighth level Divine Master.”

“What—” Lie Zhuoyang blurted in disbelief.

“Surrender,” Lie Qianhong said in a powerless tone, “That gray-robed person could crush all of you themselves. There is no chance you can turn this around.”

“It might be embarrassing to throw a match like that, but the important thing here is to preserve your strength for the next match. The Boulder Profound Sect and the Thousand Blade Sect are in tatters thanks to Yun Che, so… there is still a chance we might be able to turn things around.”

“...” Lie Zhuoyang gritted his teeth. His fighting spirit was completely extinguished by the four words, “eighth level Divine Master”.

He did not surrender immediately, however. Instead, he pointed at the gray-robed person and asked solemnly, “Why are you hiding yourself on the battlefield, friend? You may have a reason to hide your appearance, but at least introduce yourself so we would know how to address you.”

For a time, the gray-robed person did not say anything. Just when everyone thought they would ignore the young sect master, they—no, she responded, “I am Long Jiang, a Chi Dragon.”

Her voice was indifferent and raspy, but it was still feminine enough to tell that she was a woman.