Against the Gods

NEW NOVEL: First and foremost, I'm delighted to announce that our long-time veteran translator littleshanks has finally launched his new novel, Rise!  Rise is a novel about the esports scene in Shanghai, the competitive gaming capital of China. It follows the story of Lin Feng, a boy who has just moved to the city for his last year of high school. He's a passionate gamer and dreams of being the best professional League of Legends player in the world. The twist? He almost achieved his dream, but failed at the...

Read More...

The East Ruins Realm, the eastern region.

“So this is the Eastern Frost Nation? It is unexpectedly calm and quiet.”

A young lady came to a halt in front of the Eastern Frost Royal City. She was dressed all in green and she was as tall as most men, but her figure was exceptionally willowy and graceful. It had attracted the gazes of an untold number of people over the course of her journey to this place. Her face was also extraordinarily beautiful and delicate. Her bearing was even more extraordinary than her appearance, it was cold and haughty, but not intimidating or menacing.

A black-robed old man followed behind her. The old man’s features were nothing special, they were the sort most people would forget after a single glance. At first glance, his eyes seemed turbid and muddy, but if one were to look closely, they would definitely see a heart-piercingly cold light flash through those eyes every now and then.

“The Eastern Frost Nation is one of the thirty-six nations of the eastern realm, and its reputation has recently soared because Yun Che had chosen to stay there, its power now far exceeds the other thirty-five countries. There are rumors that Yun Che and the Eastern Frost Nation share some sort of special relationship, but there are also other rumors which state that he has chosen to stay in this place because he lusted after the beauty of the Eastern Frost’s nineteenth princess,” the old man said in a slow and unhurried voice. 

“Hmph.” The green-clothed woman let out a cold and disdainful snort. “Yet another lust-addled fool.”

“Well no matter what the case may be, his strength is unquestionable.” The old man continued, “He was able to defeat the Sun Death Sword Master and the Dark Roc’s old ancestor, who had long been in seclusion, in front of countless profound practitioners. This matter can’t be fake. After putting together all the rumors, his strength should already be at the tenth level of the Divine King Realm or higher, he might even be… half a step into the Divine Sovereign Realm already.”

“I sincerely hope so, he better not have made me come here for nothing,” the woman said.

“Other than that, I heard that his personality is extremely violent and cruel. He had no previous grudge against the Nine Great Sects but he didn’t hesitate to kill nearly everyone that he fought. Not even a single bone of the Sun Death Sword Master remains, and the Dark Roc’s old ancestor had his wings torn off and his body shattered as Yun Che bathed the Cold Cloud Mountain in a storm of blood. Furthermore, he has made no indication of wanting to greet the Great Realm King even though he dominated the eastern realms more than a month ago, so he definitely isn’t someone easy to get along with. Xueyan, you need to be much more prudent this time around.”

“Grandfather Jiu, don’t worry. I came here this time to bestow our favor upon him. I did not come here to punish him on behalf of Royal Father. As long as his head is screwed on straight, he should realize just how much face Royal Father is showing him, how much of an opportunity he is being given.”

“Other than that, with Grandfather Jiu around, even if he is a lunatic, what do I have to be afraid of… Let’s go.”

The two people entered the royal city and directly entered the inner palace in the middle of the city. They were stopped by the profound practitioners who guarded the palace. “This is the Eastern Frost’s inner palace, you are not to go in as you please.”

The woman did not try to force her way in. Instead she simply stopped walking and said in a cool voice, “Inform your monarch to come welcome me personally!”

Those few short words seemed to have disregarded their monarch entirely. However, the profound practitioners who were guarding the palace did not laugh or get angry. Because those cool and calm phoenix eyes concealed a might that caused their hearts to palpitate. The frontmost profound practitioner’s expression went through a series of changes before he spoke in a cautious voice, “Dare I ask for the name of the honored lady?”

“Dong Xueyan!”

Those three short words stunned everyone present. After that, the expressions on their faces abruptly changed and grew countless times more shocked in that single instant. It was as if they had heard the heavens speaking to them.

“So… So it was actua… actually… Yes… this humble one… will go and report to the monarch now…”

The originally imposing palace guard, whose attitude was not servile or overbearing, instantly went pale. His sweat flowed freely and his voice had become strained. He hurriedly retreated and lifted up a sound transmission jade with his trembling hand...

Dong Xueyan turned around and said in a cool voice, “Let me see just who this Yun Che, who trampled on the eastern realms with nary a whisper, actually is. I sorely hope that I am not disappointed.”

“Yun Che, hmmmm…” The old man gave a deep sigh and it was as if he had thought of something.

“Oh?” Dong Xueyan glanced to the side. “Could it be that Grandfather Jiu has thought of something?”

“No.” The old man shook his head. “It’s just that the surname Yun is extremely rare and I could not help but think of that family which carries the weight of an eternal sin on their back.”

Dong Xueyan naturally knew what the old man spoke of. She casually replied, “Oh the Yun Family eh… In the past, I have heard Royal Father speak of them. Their final ‘deadline’ is arriving soon and it looks like this clan that had once flourished for countless generations will soon be consigned to the dust of history.”

“If the Yun bloodline is truly extinguished, then the power of the ‘devil handle’ will no longer exist in this world and that is quite a pity,” the old man said with a very soft sigh.

“Heh, they took the primordial treasure and fled, betraying the Northern Divine Region. Even inciting the rage of the three god emperors. So their fate is entirely something they brought upon themselves. They can’t blame anyone else for it.”

As they spoke, an aura was speeding over… Astonishingly enough, it was the Eastern Frost Monarch himself. Upon hearing the name “Dong Xueyan”, this ruler of a nation was so shocked that he had nearly jumped to his feet and he very nearly tripped over himself in his rush to greet her.

“This humble king Dongfang Zhuo… welcomes Princess Yan!”

Even though he was still very far away, the Eastern Frost Monarch had already assumed a lower posture and respectfully called out a greeting. He had never seen Dong Xueyan before, but in the East Ruins Realm, there was no one who dared to impersonate “Princess Yan”. Even if he used his butt, he would instantly be able to think of why Dong Xueyan had personally come all the way to the Eastern Frost Nation… It had to be because of Yun Che.

Because he, as a simple ruler of a country, did not have the qualifications for her to do so.

At the same time, the Eastern Frost’s inner palace.

After another intimate exchange, Qianye Ying’er rose up from Yun Che’s body. In the first instant, that blue robe had already wrapped itself around her body and she had subconsciously assumed a defensive posture… Because even after they had finished their “session”, Yun Che had suddenly decided to vent his bestial lust on her body some more. The look in his eyes was exceptionally frightening and it was as if he was venting all of the rage he had against the Brahma Monarch God Realm and Eastern Divine Region on her.

Yun Che also opened his eyes. This time, they looked rather calm. “Qianye, as a tool, you’ve given me one pleasant surprise after the other. Not only do you taste wonderful, you’re also so very useful. It has only been a short half a month, we’ve only done it around a hundred times, but you’ve actually been able to merge with the devilish blood to this extent.”

“Heh, it’s the same for you.” Yun Che’s words seemed to be praising her, but they were also humiliating her at the same time. Qianye Ying’er also gave a cold chuckle as she said, “But it’s simply a pity that your concentration and self-control are still so lacking. Essentially, you’re really no different from an animal that’s constantly in heat.”

They were using each other as tools, but how could they truly cover up the rancor they used to have for each other?

Yun Che laughed. “Well said, I’ll definitely live up to your evaluation then.”

Qianye Ying’er, “...”

“It looks like you will have reached the first step of your merger with the devilish blood in another half a month. At that time, you will be able to start cultivating a devil art…” A black light flashed in Yun Che’s eyes. “A devil art that belongs to no one but you!”

Qianye Ying’er raised her right arm and several streams of black mist rose up from the flawless, snowy and jade-like palm… This was the power of darkness that came from the blood of a Devil Emperor. The black mist, which looked thin and wispy, was so gloomy and dark that it struck fear and alarm in the hearts of others. “From now onward, I will forever be a devil… and surprisingly enough, this feeling actually isn’t so bad.

“It’s just that this lowly Divine Sovereign power that I possess is so weak that it disgusts me.”

Most Divine Sovereigns were realm kings, a title that many profound practitioners did not even dare dream of, but she had said that the Divine Sovereign Realm was “so weak that it disgusted her”.

The Eastern Frost Nation, the eastern realms… and even the East Ruins Realm. None of them were aware, none of them could imagine, that someone who had once reached the heights of a god emperor was actually staying in this place.

“Focus on merging with the devilish blood,” Yun Che coldly replied. “The lower your cultivation, the greater the devilish blood will transform your body and your profound veins. This is also the reason I am forcibly suppressing my level. You should also do the same! Once you have reached the beginning stage of merging with the devilish blood… recovering the power of a Divine Master will be as easy as flipping a hand.”

“...!?” Qianye Ying’er’s head jerked upwards. “What did you say?”

“When your profound veins were half-destroyed by Qianye Fantian, it was when you were at the fifth level of the Divine Master Realm.” Even as he faced Qianye Ying’er’s intense and agitated expression, Yun Che’s expression was cold and calm. “Do you think that the extent of my light profound energy’s restoration of your profound veins was only limited to stopping the dissipation of your profound strength? Heh… you’re greatly underestimating the ‘Divine Miracle of Life’.”

“So you’re saying that you have a way to restore my cultivation to what it was before I was crippled?” Qianye Ying’er body leaned forward… She was caught between excitement and incredulity.

If she wanted to recultivate from the third level of the Divine Sovereign Realm to the middle stages of the Divine Master Ream, she would need at least a few hundred years, even given her world-shocking innate talent and comprehension of the profound way. Furthermore, in the Northern Divine Region, she naturally could not obtain anything resembling the resources she had used in the Brahma Monarch God Realm, so it would naturally take even longer.

“Within three years!” Yun Che said, as if he was merely describing a small matter that could not be any simpler.

Back then, his already-dead profound veins had directly recovered from a completely dead state back to its peak due to the power of the Divine Miracle of Life.

So what would it do for Qianye Ying’er, who was only half-crippled.

Even though using the Divine Miracle of Life on himself could not be compared to using the Divine Miracle of Life on another, three years was already Yun Che’s most conservative estimate. Given his profound strength, which would explosively rise in the near future, and Qianye Ying’er’s body, which would definitely become a devil’s body because she had merged with the Devil Emperor origin blood, it was very likely that it would be much shorter than three years.

“...” Qianye Ying’er sank into a deep silence. Yun Che always said things that completely went against all logic and common sense, but he had made it a reality every single time. As she faced the current Yun Che, she could no longer even suspect his words. She swiftly suppressed the sudden swell of emotion within her heart and suddenly gave a cold laugh. “Even though you said that you were going to use me as a tool of revenge and the stronger a tool got, the more useful it was, aren’t you afraid that my fast recovery will result in me turning the tables on you instead?”

“Heh.” Yun Che gave a disdainful laugh as his eyes turned towards Qianye Ying’er. “Are you really so sure that... the speed of my growth will be any slower than the speed of your recovery!?”

“...?” Yun Che’s words and his cold and gloomy gaze caused Qianye Ying’er’s golden brows to twitch.

What he was saying was that… the speed of his growth would be no slower than the speed of her recovery?

In other words, he was saying that he had a method to raise his power to the middle stage of the Divine Master Realm in a short three years!?

This was simply far too absurd and ridiculous. Even though Yun Che was the one who was saying it, she still could not believe those words.

“I know that you don’t believe me. Even I myself find it hard to believe,” Yun Che said unhurriedly. His words were very slow and his voice even sounded a little wispy.

He waved a hand and a black light flashed, causing a large amount of black-colored profound crystals to suddenly appear around them. All of these were the devil crystals he had extorted from the nine sects a month ago.

As he stood within the pile of devil crystals, Yun Che opened his arms wide and gently closed his eyes… She did not see him make any movement or release any profound energy, but an incredible and inconceivable scene unfolded in front of Qianye Ying’er’s eyes.

Countless streams of spiritual energy were released from those devil crystals. They merged into a single spiritual energy current before swiftly surging toward and into Yun Che’s body without any impediment whatsoever… He did not seem to have done anything, and the entire thing was like drops of rain naturally falling into the vast ocean.

“You…” Qianye Ying’er stood up, unable to keep her cool any longer. The expression on her face showed the most shock she had displayed in her entire life.

Other than using profound crystals to refine artifacts or create formations, their most common use was to assist in one’s cultivation. A profound practitioner did so by releasing the spiritual energy within the crystals to refine the profound energy in one’s body or help one break through a bottleneck. This was the most basic and common of knowledge regarding the profound way. From the lower realms to the God Realm, even though the level of the profound crystals one used were vastly different, their method of usage was largely the same.

But this sort of refining was an incomparably slow and arduous process and the chances of refining it were exceedingly low as well. Most of the time even if a person exhausted a bunch of profound crystals that were worth as much as cities, their profound cultivation would not improve in the slightest… In fact, this was an exceedingly common thing.

Qianye Ying’er had enjoyed the most abundant and high quality resources in the Brahma Monarch God Realm. The number of high-grade profound crystals she had used up in her life was beyond counting. Thus, she felt that her ability to refine a profound crystal’s spiritual energy was better than anyone else’s.

However, what she had just witnessed… the scene that had just unfolded right in front of her eyes, was clearly not the refining of a profound crystal’s spiritual energy. Instead, it was clearly...

Absorption!!?

Yun Che opened his eyes and allowed his arms to fall. The streams of spiritual energy also instantly disappeared. As he looked at the utterly shocked Qianye Ying’er, he said in a slow and unhurried manner, “Refining? That’s only a method that you mortals would use.”

Qianye Ying’er had been struck completely dumb.

“Before the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor left, she said something rather strange to me. She said that I was a ‘monster’.” A mysterious look flashed across Yun Che’s face. “An exalted and supreme Devil Emperor actually called me a ‘monster’. How absurd and ridiculous is that… At least that was what I thought back then.”

“However, the moment I did not have any attachments to the world, the moment I set aside all my worries and hesitation, with only a thirst for power remaining… Especially when I actually truly came into contact with ‘that power’...” Yun Che exhaled softly. “Yes, it was then that I realized that I really was… a monster all along.”

“That… power?” Qianye Ying’er asked in a rather dazed voice.

Previous Chapter Next Chapter