Against the Gods

On the ninth month of their journey, they finally arrived in the Eastern Divine Region.

They were traveling to the Brahma Monarch God Realm when suddenly, Yun Che changed directions midway.

“There’s a place I wish to visit first,” he had said with indecipherable eyes.

They arrived at a dim space where the stars seemed unusually far away. It was almost as if they were trying to avoid this area.

“This is where the star realm called the Moon God Realm used to be.”

Yun Che explained to Yun Wuxin calmly, “It was one of the four king realms of the Eastern Divine Region. It was also the first king realm ever to be annihilated thoroughly and eternally.”

“You still may have been able to find some remnants last year, but now… everything is completely gone.”

The Eternal Heaven Realm, the Southern Sea Realm and the Dragon God Realm had all suffered varying degrees of destruction in the wake of Yun Che’s rise. However, they weren’t utterly annihilated. They might never regain their former glory, but at least history would remember them as king realms once upon a time.

The Moon God Realm though… every trace of it had been wiped from existence. You wouldn’t even know that there was a realm here if you had no idea what had happened. In a sense, it might as well not have existed in the first place.

Yun Wuxin knew that her father was the one who had destroyed it. That he went to such lengths showed just how deep his hatred had run.

“Father, you were never willing to even speak of the Moon God Emperor before to anyone, so why are you visiting this place now?” Yun Wuxin asked.

Yun Che replied, “Your Auntie Wuyao was very right about one thing. The more I avoid it, the worse it’s going to get. I am now the Great Emperor of the God Realm. I must always strive to be better and stronger, nor can I allow myself to be bogged down by the past anymore.”

He closed his eyes and softened his tone, “If I wish to overcome that fear and pain, then I must first try to accept them with a calm heart. I hope that one day I’ll be able to face… that name and not be affected by it anymore.”

He was already trying his best to overcome it, but he still wasn’t able to say her name in the end.

“Yuanba will come here one day,” he continued. “To be honest, I still have no idea how I’m going to face him during our next meeting.”

Xia Yuanba had settled everything that needed to be settled in the Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and taken off to the God Realm alone around the same time he and Yun Wuxin had begun their journey. He was full of passion and yearning at the time.

By now, he should know the whole truth about the destruction of the Moon God Realm and the death of the Moon God Emperor.

“There’s nothing to worry about, father,” Yun Wuxin declared with full confidence. “Uncle Xia is an amazing person, and his bond with you is as deep as the sea. I’m sure he can’t hate you after he learned the whole truth… at the very least, it won’t end too terribly.”

“Yeah.” Yun Che opened his eyes and smiled.

………...

Eastern Divine Region, Brahma Monarch God Realm.

Of the four original king realms of the Eastern Divine Region, the Brahma Monarch Realm was the only surviving king realm with its power and realm intact.

They had sustained great damage due to the Sky Poison Pearl’s poisoning and the attack of the Southern Sea Realm, but all that was in the past now. The foreign threats were finally gone, and they could now focus all their energy on recuperating their strength.

The current Brahma Heaven God Emperor, the Brahma Monarch Goddess, was no longer the ambitious woman she used to be. In fact, her work motivation was entirely dependent on how well she and a certain great emperor were doing. In that sense, it was imperative that the Brahma Monarch Realm ensured that their relationship went swimmingly… or else.

When Yun Che and Yun Wuxin finally arrived in the Brahma Monarch God Realm, no one had appeared to receive them.

It was like this even after they arrived at the Brahma Monarch Capital. If they didn’t know better, they would have believed that the Brahma Monarch Realm was completely unaware of their arrival.

“Hmm. It looks like Auntie Qianying has no idea that we’re coming.” Yun Wuxin tried desperately to suppress her smile as she continued in an innocent tone, “It looks like you were wrong, father. Auntie Qianying wasn’t paying attention to your progress after all.”

“Hah,” Yun Che snorted through his nose, “she is a sucker for punishment as usual.”

“Let’s go!”

After he had confirmed Qianye Ying’er’s location, Yun Che grabbed Yun Wuxin and left behind a sonic boom so loud that the people on the Brahma Monarch Capital were crying out in surprise. A few breaths later, they landed in front of Qianye Ying’er’s bedroom.

The bedroom’s barrier parted itself, and Qianye Ying’er walked out right as their feet hit the ground. Her golden hair was bundled loosely today, and she was wearing a light gold half-dress that exposed her smooth ankles, snow-like arms, and sweet-smelling shoulders. Her gaze was as indifferent as her expression was blank, but her countenance was still so beautiful that no painting in the world could ever hope to capture it. Where she trod, light itself dimmed as if ashamed to be in her presence.

Yun Wuxin had met Qianye Ying’er plenty of times already, and even she couldn’t help but be momentarily lost in her visage.

No one even noticed the anxious-looking Yue Ying tottering behind her.

“Oh? What an overwhelming surprise. I had thought that Your Majesty was too busy with work, politics, sex, and more sex to visit my little Brahma Monarch Realm. You would almost think that I had committed a terrible mistake to warrant a visit from Your Majesty himself. Should I be worried?”

Qianye Ying’er said in an indifferent and almost languid voice. Forget greeting Emperor Yun in a way that was befitting of his consort, she looked like she had just gotten out of bed and couldn’t wait to get back to sleep.

Yun Che: “...”

Yun Wuxin had to bite her lower lip hard to push an involuntary giggle back down her throat. She sneaked a glance at her father before saying, “Long time no see, Auntie Qianying. I know it doesn’t look like it, but my father really misses you too. The first (2 N D) thing he did upon arriving in the Eastern Divine Region was to come over to meet you.”

“Miss?” Qianye Ying’er lowered her pretty eyes and continued lazily, “I am but the humblest and most ordinary woman of His Majesty many lovers. I do not know how to whisper sweet nothings into His Majesty’s ears, nor do I know how to write, draw, play or sing. I most definitely have not learned how to draw the soul out of a man’s body.”

“Well, it has been many years since the first time His Majesty has toyed with his consort. He must be all bored with me now. I shall be grateful if His Majesty doesn’t throw me into the cold palace as a way to curry favor with his new toy, much less dream of winning his attention once more.”

“...” Yun Wuxin was completely dumbstruck. Qianye Ying’er’s grievance was practically tangible enough to give Yun Che a solid slap in the face.

“Yue Ying,” Yun Che suddenly spoke up, “please escort the princess around the capital.”

Caught off guard but not fully out of sorts, Yue Ying hurriedly answered, “Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Eh? But… but I want to stay with you a bit longer,” Yun Wuxin objected immediately. How could she be absent when the “show” had just begun?

“Denied,” Yun Che replied without hesitation.

Knowing that there was no way she could change her father’s mind, Yun Wuxin could only shoot him a grudge filled stare before very reluctantly leaving the hall with Yue Ying.

The second Yun Wuxin and Yue Ying were gone, Qianye Ying’er’s eyebrows immediately furrowed into a stormy expression. She grabbed Yun Che’s arm and dragged him into her bedroom before he could say a word.

BANG!

Both the bedroom door and the barrier slammed shut at the same time.

“Was Cang Shuhe fun!?”

Qianye Ying’er uttered fiercely while half-pressing Yun Che against the wall.

Yun Che’s gaze sharpened. He rotated out of her grip and pushed her to the wall instead. “Does your impudence know no bounds, woman?!”

Qianye Ying’er struggled mightily, but she wasn’t able to break out of his grip. Undeterred, she detonated her profound energy to slam him away before pressing him to the wall once more, “So what? What are you going to do about it!?”

RUMBLE

Yun Wuxin and Yue Ying hadn’t even left the hallway for a minute when a loud bang resounded from the bedroom. There was so much force behind the blow that the ground beneath their feet was literally shaking.

Yue Ying looked back in shock and blurted, “Wh… what just happened!?”

Yun Wuxin replied calmly, “Don’t you worry, they’re always like this when they’re alone. If anything, you should worry when they aren’t loud.”

Yue Ying: “...”

Although Qianye Ying’er was now a level ten Divine Master, she was ultimately no match for Emperor Yun especially because her core cultivation, dark profound energy was completely suppressed by him. Naturally, Emperor Yun won the “great war” and had Qianye Ying’er nailed firmly to the couch. 

Despite her “defeat”, Qianye Ying’er’s eyes remained as vicious as ever, “What did Cang Shuhe do to steal your soul for 36 days and 18 hours straight? Speak!”

“It’s useless,” Yun Che said evenly. “You won’t be able to copy her even if you try.”

Why was she so hostile toward Cang Shuhe anyway?

Was it because she felt threatened by her just like she had felt threatened by Chi Wuyao?

“Hmph!” Qianye Ying’er narrowed her eyes dangerously. “Looks like Your Majesty is hungering for something simpler after all the luxury food he’s tasted! But aren’t you worried that you might catch some of that slutty fox’s musk?”

“Tch!” Yun Che snorted. “Is there any woman in the world you don’t think is slutty?”

“Am I wrong?” Qianye Ying’er pursed her lips sexily while caressing his ribs with her legs slowly. “The so-called untouchable maiden Shen Xi, the seemingly unfeeling Mu Xuanyin, and now the innocent-as-a-babe Cang Shuhe. They all look holier-than-thou on the surface, but they’re really—” 

“I got it already… hmm?”

Yun Che’s gaze turned odd all of a sudden. It was because he smelled something from Qianye Ying’er’s nearing breath.

“The Pearl Jade Heart Forming Soup?” Yun Che blurted.

For the first time, Qianye Ying’er’s golden pupils trembled with shock. A bit of panic even crept onto her features.

She turned both her gaze and her lips away from him. “Pearl Jade… what soup? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“No wonder. I was wondering why you sought out Ling’er in person that time. It wasn’t like you at all.” Yun Che’s gaze turned playful, and he intentionally dragged out some of his words, “It’s toooooo bad this stuff doesn’t work on me though. If it did, Ling’er would’ve become a mother a looooong time ago."

“You dog!” Qianye Ying’er blushed harder than she ever had before in her life. When that embarrassment turned into defensive anger, she pinched Yun Che’s waist and gave it a hard twist. “Shut up if you can’t say anything nice!”

Then, she bit Yun Che hard on the lips...

One month passed, and Emperor Yun was still residing in the Brahma Monarch God Realm.

Two months passed, and Emperor Yun still wasn’t able to take a single step out of the realm.

In the third month...

“Oh well, it’s been seventy three days. In terms of day count, I’ve completely obliterated that Deep Sea woman. I shan’t delay Your Majesty and the princess’ journey any longer.”

If Qianye Ying’er was overflowing with grievances on their first meeting, then she was as satisfied as a cat after a full meal now.

“She should know now that her foxy ways are no match for me!”

Yun Che rolled his eyes at her. “Not everyone is like you, you know. The thought of competing against you never crossed her mind.”

He then stretched out his hand to her and said, “Now give me that item left behind by the Heretic God already. And it better be the real thing, or else…”

This was the real reason he hadn’t managed to leave Qianye Ying’er’s side.

“Or else, what?” Qianye Ying’er suddenly looked at him with seductive eyes. Not only was she not afraid, her golden eyes were practically shining with expectation.

“... give it already!” Yun Che repeated exasperatedly.

The woman was really becoming more and more impudent and exasperating every day.

Very satisfied with Yun Che’s expression, Qianye Ying’er finally stopped delaying and stretched out her hand. There was a flash of profound light, and a block-shaped slab about 1 meter wide and made of some strange material appeared on her hand.

The slab was perfectly flat and patternless. It didn’t give off any aura either… However, Yun Che’s heart skipped a beat the moment he set his eyes on it.

“Where did you get this?” Yun Che asked seriously while staring at the slab.

Qianye Ying’er answered, “Over twenty years ago, I tempted the Heavenly Slaughter Star God to the Southern Sea God Realm with the Forgotten Lands of the Heretic God as the lure, and I tempted the Southern Sea to gang up on her… what did you think I was doing during this time?”

Yun Che thought for a moment before answering, “You slipped into the Forgotten Lands of the Heretic God while their attention was placed on each other?”

“Of course.” Qianye Ying’er’s eyebrows relaxed slightly. “Unfortunately, the Heavenly Slaughter Star God actually found the Heretic God’s inheritance before me, so all I got from the place was this slab.”

“At the time, over half of the ruins had been destroyed by the battle between the Southern Sea and the Heavenly Slaughter Star God, but this slab was completely unharmed despite sitting at the center of the destruction. I’ve also never seen its material before. So, I took it back and tried to research it to no avail. After that, I left it in Qianye Fantian’s hands.”

“Qianye Fantian couldn’t find any use for it either, so it was eventually set aside and became forgotten over time.”

It was just a patternless slab after all.

“I only found and recalled this while I was searching through Qianye Fantian’s belongings a couple months ago.”

She then pushed the light gray-colored slab to Yun Che and said, “You are the Heretic God’s successor, so it might be useful to you? Even if that isn’t the case, it’s still something from the Forgotten Lands of the Heretic God, a memento of the ancient times. Who knows, it might be the Heretic God’s buttwarmer!” 

That’s right!

The so-called “Heretic God’s item” she had used to delay Yun Che for over two months was just a patternless, useless slab she had carelessly nabbed from the Forgotten Lands of the Heretic God back then!

She thought Yun Che would erupt in anger after knowing that she had tricked him after all, but she quickly noticed that he was still staring at the slab with a look of deep seriousness and concentration on his face.