Against the Gods

After burying Yue Wuya and Yue Wugou, Xia Qingyue accepted the Imperial Moon Glazed Pearl from Yue Wuji and officially became the Moon God Emperor.

Xia Qingyue had almost no supporters, and practically everyone in the entire Moon God Realm rejected her. That was why her very first action as the Moon God Emperor stunned all of them.

When the Moon God Crown Prince, Yue Xuange abruptly took action against her, she had chosen neither endurance, false civility, nor heroic resistance. Her choice… was a purple light that smote the Moon God Crown Prince in one strike.

“The crime of defying your God Emperor is death!”

What reason did she have to execute the Moon God Crown Prince? That was it, and it applied to everyone!

It had only been nine days since Xia Qingyue inherited Yue Wuya’s Purple Pylon divine power.

However, the power she emanated already shook the Moon Gods to the core.

Xia Qingyue’s slash had cut away not just the head of the snake, but also Yue Wuji’s hesitation. The Moon God who was second in power only to the previous Moon God Emperor threw his full weight behind Xia Qingyue ever since.

The Moon God Crown Prince’s sudden death meant that the anti-Xia Qingyue faction had lost their core before they even officially rose in revolt.

After that, it was simply a matter of breaking them down one after another.

She consolidated her strength at every step, and she never failed to hit the nail in the end. The other Moon Gods came to respect or fear her greatly, but the key thing was that they all submitted to her eventually, and their submission equaled the Moon God Realm’s submission. It wasn’t like that there were no voices of resistance at all, but what did they matter when none of the powers that mattered supported them?

The civil strife of the Moon God Realm had ended in less than two years.

It was an unimaginably short period that no one thought was possible until she did it.

Chi Wuyao’s ability to master the human heart and control any situation had come from tens of thousands of years of accumulated experience.

However, Xia Qingyue hadn’t been a leader for even a single day prior to her ascension.

Although she had inherited the key memories of the previous Moon God Emperors when she accepted the Imperial Moon Glazed Pearl and so knew the Moon Gods and Moon God Divine Envoys like the back of her hand, the skill she displayed and the feats she had achieved were, to put it bluntly, impossible.

Not even Chi Wuyao could’ve done better without using her Nirvana Devil Emperor Soul.

The awakening of the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass… the truth she had perceived behind nothingness…

What in the world had happened to her? What did she see?

Three years passed in the Recollection of Nothingness. It was around the time Yun Che had returned to the God Realm.

As a result of Huo Poyun’s betrayal, he was exposed the moment he returned to the Snow Song Realm.

Xia Qingyue did two things the moment she heard the news. First, she lured the Eternal Heaven God Emperor to the Snow Song Realm. Then, she personally stopped Qianye Ying’er in her tracks.

Things at the Snow Song Realm had gone better than expected, but Zhou Xuzi would’ve saved Yun Che even if Mu Xuanyin hadn’t been strong enough to cut off Luo Guxie’s arm. Qianye Ying’er was by far the more dangerous element between the two, but Xia Qingyue had stopped her perfectly as well.

The consequences would’ve been unimaginable if either one of his nemeses had managed to get their hands on him… but she had treated it like it was nothing when she had spoken to him about it.

Some time later, they entered the Eternal Heaven God Realm and participated in the Eternal Heaven General Assembly to discuss measures and actions to be taken against the Crimson Calamity.

To Yun Che’s astonishment, Xia Qingyue was already wary of Long Bai then.

“Send down the order to investigate the family massacre that has been happening in the Dragon God Realm recently, especially the time and location of the first incident… if possible, tell the men to do everything they can to search for energy traces at every crime scene. The more detailed the report, the better!”

“Just send down the order to investigate this incident with whatever resources we have. Everything else can wait until we have a result!”

At the Eternal Heaven God Realm, after their brief conversation, he saw her watching his departing back and letting out a long sigh:

“Countless priceless treasures, the Dragon Monarch’s jealousy, and Qianye’s venom… the entire universe may turn on him after the Crimson Calamity is over.”

“What do I need to do to protect him?”

A breach appeared on the Wall of Primal Chaos, and the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor returned.

All of the god emperors and realm kings were bending their knees and trembling in fear. Xia Qingyue had dropped to her knees as well, but that wasn’t the only thing she did. She had hidden a Hidden Moon Floating Image Pearl just above her purple sash and concealed its presence perfectly with her Moon God divine aura.

No one had a clue that she was engraving the scene of the god emperors kneeling, and Yun Che speaking to the Devil Emperor with the pearl.

It was the scene in the first Illusory Glazed Imagery Jade.

After Yun Che returned to the Snow Song Realm, he reported that the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor wouldn’t be bringing a calamity upon the Primal Chaos. While the god emperors and realm kings were showering Yun Che with praise and calling him “God Child Messiah”, Xia Qingyue was recording with another Hidden Moon Floating Image Pearl. 

It was how the scene in the second Illusory Glazed Imagery Jade came to be.

Next, Xia Qingyue drove Qianye Fantian into a corner via a clever mixture of truth and lies and successfully turned Qianye Ying’er into Yun Che’s slave. On the same day, right after Yun Che had left the Moon God Realm, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had suddenly appeared before her.

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had forcefully scoured Xia Qingyue’s memories because she was curious about the woman who possessed both the Heart of Snow Glazed Glass and the Nine Profound Exquisite Body. Then, she said something that stunned Yun Che:

“Xia Qingyue, I have never seen such a sorrowful fate before in my entire life… even I, who have experienced the calamity of being banished outside the Primal Chaos, feel grief for you!”  

“The most sorrowful part is that when you finally sensed it, you actually decided to comply with it?” The light in Jie Yuan’s devilish eyes turned even gloomier, “Was it because you felt that you were simply unable to resist it, or…”

“Ah, do you really not understand or is it that you don’t wish to understand? But because of you, I know a secret that I should not have known… Haha, this thing called fate is truly remarkable, truly remarkable indeed.”

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had left the Primal Chaos, the Crimson Calamity was over, and Xia Qingyue had fallen into the Abyss of Nothingness. However, Yun Che had no idea what the mysterious words the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had said to Xia Qingyue meant.

Not even a little.

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor then used the World Piercer to teleport Xia Qingyue away from the Moon God Realm. The next thing she knew, they had appeared in a world of infinite gloom and darkness.

The Northern Divine Region.

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor watched the lightless cage in front of her and spoke in a sorrowful, angry, yet helpless voice:

“I had meant Mo E no harm when I attended that meeting, but he set up a trap and expelled me and my clan out of the Primal Chaos. Despite this, I could find nothing but praise for the man in all the historical records I’ve seen… heh, what a joke.”

“If it wasn’t for Yun Che… if I didn’t care if Ni Xuan’s name was tarnished because of me… Mo E and Xi Ke’s power, will and descendants; I would’ve gladly wiped out everything that was connected to the god race from this world forever!”

    ……

It was the scene in the fourth Illusory Glazed Imagery Jade. It had recorded the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor’s monologue.

It was the parts that were left out from the recording that shook Yun Che’s mind, however.

“Looks like it is time for me to leave, as reluctant as I am to do so.” The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor said seemingly to herself, “It is what both Ni Xuan and Yun Che desire… though, I do wish that there was another way.”

Back then, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had only promised that she wouldn’t bring harm to the world. She never actually said that she would leave the Primal Chaos. For the longest time, Yun Che thought that the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor had chosen to sacrifice herself after realizing the gradual destruction her mere presence caused across many realms, and for the sake of Hong’er and You’er.

He had no idea that the choice was made after meeting Xia Qingyue!

What on earth had she seen in Xia Qingyue?

“Leave?” Xia Qingyue questioned, “I don’t understand what you’re saying, Senior Devil Emperor. With your power, anywhere you go will automatically become your world.”

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor clarified, “I will be leaving the Primal Chaos permanently with my clansmen. This world no longer belongs to us, and even if it did, we would never be able to destroy it as long as ‘she’ is still around.” 

An odd smile appeared on the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor’s features. “To think that ‘she’ still exists in this world. What a…”

Unable to find a word to continue her sentence, the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor ended it with the shake of her head before moving on. “I should’ve known the moment Yun Che used both light profound energy and dark profound energy at the same time… but then again, I still wouldn’t have guessed that possibility even if I had another million heads.”

“After all, who would’ve thought that the most impossible possibility would be the truth?”

Xia Qingyue didn’t ask who the “she” the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor was speaking of was. She watched the devil emperor’s scarred face and asked, “Senior Devil Emperor’s benevolence will be remembered for eternity. However… if you don’t mind, I have one shameful request to make.”

“Oh?”

“When you speak to the world of your departure, I hope… you can tell them that your decision was spurred by Yun Che’s efforts.”

Yun Che: “!!”

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor watched her for a long time before breaking into a smile of mixed emotions. “I would’ve done so even if you hadn’t asked me. The rather well hidden Profound Imagery Stone you’re carrying on your person is for his sake, isn’t it?”

“It is very interesting that the interference that has been applied to you doesn’t involve your emotions. Very interesting indeed. It is a true shame that I don’t have nearly enough time left. I really would’ve liked to witness your ending with my own eyes.”

“Thank you for humoring me, Senior Devil Emperor.” Xia Qingyue bowed slightly in thanks before asking a very strange question, “Senior, is it possible for you to tell me what this… ‘interference’ on my person is?”

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor continued to shoot her a very strange look. “I won’t tell you out of pity for you. In fact, the later you learn about this, the better… though, it looks like you aren’t far away from perceiving the whole ‘truth’. If you are truly unfortunate, it may even dawn upon you in two or three years.”

Xia Qingyue: “...”

“You are already in a state where you should’ve realized something even if you haven’t yet perceived the whole truth. Or rather, you are intentionally shying away from it for fear that the truth will be cruel beyond your ability to accept.”

Xia Qingyue’s eyes trembled violently. A long time later, she asked in a quiet voice, “In the past, I never believed in fate. Today, I want to know… is it possible to defy this kind of fate?”

“Before that, you must ask yourself this: do you wish to defy it?” The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor countered.

“...” Xia Qingyue didn’t answer.

“I am unable to answer your question,” The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor continued. “As for your question to me, you may answer it after you’ve perceived the whole truth. I very much look forward to your choice.”

The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor looked up at the dim void above her. “The world exists because of balance. Where there is existence, there is extinction. Where there is life, there is darkness. Just the same, fate has its own counterpart.”

“??” Xia Qingyue looked puzzled.

It was at this moment the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor extended her hand toward Xia Qingyue. The World Piercer and a pitch-black slab slowly floated toward her.

“Senior?” Xia Qingyue exclaimed in astonishment. She didn’t stretch out her hands to receive the items.

“The World Piercer was Ni Xuan’s artifact. When we confirmed our love, he gave me the World Piercer, and I gave him the Sky Poison Pearl.” The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor’s voice turned soft. “It is how me and my clansmen were able to survive outside of the Primal Chaos for time immemorial. It is the reason I managed to keep my sanity for several million years.”

“If love is a fortune, then it is unchanging until one’s end. If love is a wound, then the soul will hurt for ten lifetimes. If love is a tribulation, then not even gods or buddhas may survive it… you have witnessed my choice, Xia Qingyue. Let my World Piercer be the witness to your final choice.”

“I was going to give Yun Che this World-Defying Heaven Manual, but after you, I’ve decided to change my mind. He can perceive the whole truth after you’ve made your ‘choice’.”

There was a red flash, and both the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor and Xia Qingyue vanished.

Yun Che could only stare at the infinite darkness in front of him feeling just as lost.