Against the Gods

When he had first laid his eyes upon He Ling two months ago, her beautiful emerald eyes were something that Yun Che would find hard to forget for the rest of his life. But after that, her heart had fallen into an abyss of despair, causing those beautiful eyes to become incomparably dull and gloomy, and it seemed as if it would eternally stay that way… But at this moment, her eyes seemed to shine even brighter and more soul-stirringly than they had when he had first seen them.

“Master, if I become the ‘Sky Poison Poison Spirit’, will I really be able to do like you said… and personally take my revenge?”

He Ling’s voice was very soft, and every word faintly quivered as they left her lips.

Even though she possessed the best and purest wood spirit bloodline, she could exhaust all of her life and resources and that still would not be anywhere near enough to challenge an existence on the level of the Brahma Monarch God Realm… not even a little bit. If she truly wanted to take revenge, the only choice that she had was to rely on other people.

So when the dark seed of “revenge” had been planted in her heart, in reality, it was the same as sending herself into a bottomless abyss.

Personally taking revenge, this was a hope that was basically impossible to fulfill for her… If it could truly become a reality, then she was willing to throw away everything for the chance.

Shen Xi had not been the least bit surprised by He Ling’s reaction. She sighed softly in her heart before she gently said, “The Sky Poison Pearl’s poison is something the could even poison to death the gods and devils from the Era of Gods. However, given the current environment within today’s Primal Chaos, even when it awakens its poison power, that poison power will be a pale shadow of what it was and it probably won’t be enough to murder gods anymore. But… even if one has reached the very limits of the Divine Master Realm, that person would still merely be a false god, a common spirit that is still below that of a true god. So if the Sky Poison Pearl recovers enough of its poison power, we don’t even need to discuss whether it can kill a select few people within the Brahma Monarch God Realm…”

“Even poisoning the entire Brahma Monarch God Realm to death would be well within the realm of possibility.”

Even Yun Che experienced great shock when he heard Shen Xi’s words.

Over all these years, he had possessed a Sky Poison Pearl that practically did not have any poison power. Because it had been such a long time, he had grown rather accustomed to ignoring the fact that its true strength lay in its poison power. After all, it was the Sky Poison Pearl!

However, it was in the same boat as the Eternal Heaven God Realm’s Eternal Heaven Pearl. Even if the current Sky Poison Pearl regained all of its poison power, it would not be comparable to what it held in the past. But an extremely skinny camel was still bigger than a horse, and if the Sky Poison Pearl, which once buried the entire Era of Gods and Devils, managed to awaken its poison power once again and exposed its sharp fangs, then it would still be one of the most dreadful existences in this universe.

Being able to poison to death the entire Brahma Monarch God Realm was absolutely not just empty talk!

It was just that...

Shen Xi’s words caused the light in He Ling’s eyes to flourish even brighter. She turned towards Yun Che, a deep excitement and desire in her eyes, “Yun Che… let me… become the Sky Poison Poison Spirit… Please… Please let me become the Sky Poison Poison Spirit…”

He Ling’s gaze caused Yun Che’s chest to feel incomparably stifled and heavy.

“He Ling, listen to me earnestly.” Yun Che stared into her eyes, his expression solemn, “The present you is a wood spirit, and you’re even the last descendent of the Wood Spirit Royal Family at that, so you also bear the weight of being the last and most important hope of the wood spirit race. If you become the Sky Poison Poison Spirit, you will lose your current ‘existence’ and you will only be able to attach yourself to the Sky Poison Pearl… and me to continue existing. You will have no self, no freedom, and this will continue on forever. It will also be nearly impossible to ever reverse this decision. So you… Are you truly willing to do so?”

Yun Che had originally believed that his words would at least stir up He Ling’s heart. However, after he had finished speaking, he did not detect a single bit of turmoil or doubt in He Ling’s eyes. On the contrary, he sensed that a pleading that bored holes in his heart had been added there, “The Wood Spirit Royal Family has already been cut off, there is no future for us. Furthermore, us wood spirits only possess the weakest and most impotent powers, but the universe is filled with boundless sin and greed, so what hope do we still have left…”

Yun Che, “...”

“The Wood Spirit Royal Family has reached its end and I am the only survivor…” He Ling shook her head, her words distressed and desolate, “I couldn’t even protect He Lin, so just the fact that I’m still alive is already an unforgivable sin… Pleaae, at least let me live on in peace… let me take revenge… I am willing to take you as my master… Anything is fine… Even if I will still not be able to take my revenge in the future, I will still definitely not regret this… So I beg you to agree to this…”

Her words and her current appearance caused Yun Che to gradually start to truly understand what Shen Xi meant when she said the word “save”.

Living, was already an unforgivable sin...

The hatred in her heart was not only directed at the Brahma Monarch God Realm, it was also directed at herself, and the latter had undoubtedly caused her even more despair. Those eyes which had turned dull and gray after she had found out everything, and the dark green tears she shed were things that Yun Che would never forget for the rest of his life.

Yun Che sighed gloomily in his heart before spitting out a fierce rant: This goddamned destiny, to think it would actually push such a kind and pure girl to this extent...

“Yun Che,” Shen Xi said, “your current strength is still feeble, yet you are facing the most dreadful enemies in the universe. If you do not want to repeat the disastrous events that led to the ‘Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark’, then you need to be able to find something that can help you resist an existence like Qianye in the shortest amount of time. Moreover, the Sky Poison Pearl is the best and only choice that the heavens themselves have bestowed upon you.”

“He Ling is the only existence in this world that can become the Sky Poison Poison Spirit. If you miss out on her, then the poison power of the Sky Poison Pearl will never be truly awakened. Furthermore, she also greatly desires the power to take revenge. The fact that the two of you not only met but also share such compatible destinies nearly seems to be some sort of heaven-destined fate. Why must you persist in hesitating and rejecting it?”

“...” Yun Che remained silent for a long time as his expression fluctuated.

Now that he was confined to this place, Qianye was prowling outside, glaring at him like a tiger eyeing its prey. In this kind of situation, being able to awaken the Sky Poison Pearl’s poison power was something that should have made him go wild with joy.

Yet why… did it just have to be He Ling?

Even if she was more than willing, even if he was well aware that this was actually a form of “salvation” for He Ling, he still found it extremely hard to accept in his heart of hearts. Because she was He Lin’s big sister… the person whom He Lin had entrusted to him with the very last tears he would shed, with the last bits of his life...

So how could he...

Shen Xi knew why Yun Che found it hard to accept this situation, so she gave him some advice, “Becoming the Sky Poison Poison Spirit will indeed cause Ling’er to lose control of her own destiny and her fate from today onwards would no longer be something that she can decide freely. Instead, it will be in the hands of the person she is relying on… and that person is you. That is also to say that, if she does become the Sky Poison Poison Spirit, whether her future shines brilliantly or is dull and gloomy will be entirely up to you.”

Yun Che’s eyes shook intensely.

“As for her existence, she will not be deprived of it. On the contrary, when it comes to levels of existence, the Sky Poison Poison Spirit is far higher than that of a wood spirit.”

Shen Xi’s words had undoubtedly made a heavy impact against the two points that Yun Che found hardest to accept. He shook his head before finally saying, “He Ling, I understand everything. But… before the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark on my body has been removed, I have no choice but to remain in this place. So, after I have completely escaped the clutches of this curse and am about to depart, if you are still willing to do so, then I will agree to it.”

These words seemed as if they were giving He Ling time to consider, but in actuality, it was for the sake of giving him enough time to accept this arrangement.

“Alright,” He Ling said as she looked at him and nodded with smiling eyes, “As long as you don’t reject me, I am willing to listen to and follow you in all things.”

“Sigh,” Yun Che shook his head, “You really don’t have to do this.”

“Master, thank you. He Ling will never forget the great favor that you have shown me,” He Ling bowed to Shen Xi as tears slid down her face. Three years ago, Shen Xi had saved her life and now with the matter regarding the “Sky Poison Poison Spirit”, Shen Xi had once again given her a new lease on life… But after becoming the Sky Poison Poison Spirit, she would forever follow Yun Che and would no longer be able to attend to her by her side.

Shen Xi gave a melancholy sigh. Underneath the white light that curled up around her, no one could see the current look she had in her eyes. After that, she softly said, “Ling’er, I understand better than anybody what your thoughts and desires are. Because… you and I share the same destiny.”

“...?” He Ling’s eyes grew misty and she was unable to understand the meaning behind those words.

“You and He Ling… share the same destiny?” Yun Che asked, his expression similarly baffled, “Senior Shen Xi, what do you mean by that?”

Shen Xi gave a faint shake of her head, but she did not address the doubts of either of the two people. Instead she changed the subject as she said, “Yun Che, the matter of the Sky Poison Poison Spirit does not only concern the Ling’er’s future, it will also decide your own. In fact, your situation is far worse than Ling’er’s situation. As a result, you need that ‘Sky Poison Poison Spirit’ far more than Ling’er does. Yet when it came to this matter, Ling’er was far more firm than you were. Right now, what you need to do is not to hesitate but to reflect on yourself.”

Yun Che said, “I am not an indecisive and irresolute person who is too compassionate or a person who can’t do what needs to be done. It’s just that… He Ling, she’s not the same.”

“It has nothing to do with that.” Shen Xi’s voice was as soft as cotton, yet it hid a degree of spiritual pressure, “It is clear that your heart very much desires the revival of the Sky Poison Pearl’s power, yet you reject the notion of He Ling becoming the Sky Poison Poison Spirit so vehemently. In the end, is it more for He Ling’s sake or is it more for the sake of your own peace of mind?”

These words jolted Yun Che fiercely and he was unable to reply for a long time.

“I will ask you an even more important question once more...”

She took a single step forward and stood right in front of Yun Che. Following a light movement of her jade fingers, the white glow surrounding her body gradually started to fade.

Immediately, her celestial figure, which was even more fantastical than a dream itself, once more appeared in front of Yun Che’s eyes... Immediately, Yun Che’s eyes turned blank, and besides Shen Xi, there was nothing else in his vision, it was as if the only thing in the world that possessed any color or luster was her.

It was clearly not the first time he had seen this, he had clearly spent an entire dream-like day and night making love to her. Yet he was still instantly robbed of all his senses… her beauty seemed to transcend the limits of what the human mind could bear, she was beautiful to the point where it was nearly terrifying, so beautiful that it was well and truly enough to topple nations and bring disaster to the world.

Every single scene from yesterday came crazily flooding into Yun Che’s head, throwing his thoughts into great chaos and causing all of the blood in his body to surge uncontrollably. Within a few short breaths, the thought of roughly pushing her down and pounding her violently once more surfaced in his head on no less than ten occasions… Even if he was still very aware that He Ling was still beside them.

Both of He Ling’s hands covered her mouth as she stood completely dazed and enraptured before Shen Xi’s celestial countenance.

“Yun Che,” she softly cooed, that sweet and gentle voice seeming to come from some distant celestial realm, “yesterday, you pushed me down on the bed and sullied my body, robbing me of my chastity and my vital yin… In that case, have you ever thought of owning me and making me forever yours alone?”

The dazed He Ling’s beautiful eyes widened, and following that, her pretty face immediately lost all of its color as if she did not dare to believe her own ears at all… as if she did not dare to believe any word she had just heard.

“...” Yun Che’s throat made a loud gulping sound.

Perhaps there was not a more simple question than this in the entire universe. The greatest pursuits that a man could think of were to reach the pinnacle of strength, to attain the pinnacle of power, and to obtain the pinnacle of beauty. And Shen Xi was undoubtedly the pinnacle of beauty… Furthermore, she was far greater than just that alone. Other than her appearance, her exalted status, that celestial figure that seemed to always hover in the peaks of the clouds above, that sacred and holy aura which caused people to humble themselves and not feel afraid of profaning her, and that air of mystery that felt as if it could never be pierced...

If one could win such a woman for himself, forget about a lifetime or even a day, if one had such a woman for even a few instants, it would cause nearly all men to go completely crazy.

Everything that had happened yesterday seemed like a dream and Yun Che still felt as if he had not woken up completely. He understood even less why Shen Xi was so willing to let him defile her. But no matter what, he would not dare to hope to obtain her… and he expected even less for her to say the words that she had just said.

“Don’t be so quick in answering that question,” Shen Xi’s gaze grew more deep and distant, “Just now, it seemed as if you were asking Ling’er what my relationship with the Dragon Monarch was and Ling’er seemed to have told you that the Dragon Monarch has always adored me… In that case, if I truly am the person whom the Dragon Monarch adores, tell me… would you still dare?”