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...

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“It looks like the two of you are here to pick a fight,” Tian Muyi said slowly and quietly. No hint of anger could be detected in his voice. “This Tian is very curious what gave you the courage to cause trouble in our Imperial Heaven Realm.”

“Pick a fight?” Despite the sudden pressure from the people of the Imperial Heaven Realm, Qianye Ying’er didn’t change her tone or posture in the slightest. “We came to watch the assembly, but out of nowhere your stupid son suddenly insulted us and smeared our reputation with shit. And you say we’re the ones who’re trying to pick a fight?”

“Does that mean the people of the Imperial Heaven Realm can bully us without reason, but cannot tolerate any verbal retaliation at all? How very lordly and mighty of you. It’s no wonder you’re the number one star realm of the Northern Divine Region!”

Tian Guhu raised his arms and said calmly, “Bully without reason? I don’t know the two of you at all. What I said was exactly what I saw, and the reason I pointed it out was because your actions are something I cannot tolerate no matter what. Despite that, my royal father still tolerated your presence because he’s a broad-minded person, so how can you say we bullied you without reason?”

“But you, everything you said was a veiled insult of some kind. I wouldn’t have minded if you only insulted me, but…” His expression and his tone changed suddenly as power exited his clothes and formed a terrifying aura. “How dare you insult our sect’s great elder too!? I, Tian Guhu, will not allow you to leave the Imperial Heaven Realm safely even if my father and my great elder can forgive your transgressions!”

“Oh?” Qianye Ying’er shot him a glance before asking meaningfully, “You think you… can do harm to us?”

Qianye Ying’er’s words caused everyone to stare at her in astonishment. Some of them nearly burst out in laughter.

Who in the entire Northern Divine Region didn’t know that Tian Guhu was a living miracle who could easily crush opponents two levels above him, and eke out a draw against opponents who were three levels above him?

Qianye Ying’er was also a level seven Divine Sovereign, so her counter provocation was just... 

Not even ignorance could describe the sheer stupidity of her words anymore.

“Sir Lonely Swan,” the Heavenly Net Realm King said while standing up, “today should be a good day for you Heavenly Sovereigns. These idiots don’t deserve to spoil it, much less earn a personal lesson from yourself.”

“Qiong Wu, Yuan Dian… kick them out!”

The two old men beside the Heavenly Net Realm King slowly rose to their feet. One of them was a level ten Divine Sovereign, and the other a level nine Divine Sovereign. Their heavy, peerless auras instantly locked onto Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er.

Everyone knew that they were going to do worse than just “kick out” the uninvited “guests”.

They were at the Imperial Heaven Tower, and the Heavenly Sovereign Assembly was about to start soon. This was the absolute worst place to start a fight. Therefore, the two top level Divine Sovereigns’ plan was to kick them out of Imperial Heaven Tower first before killing them.

Even if they somehow survived this attack, their life in the Northern Divine Region would never be the same again.

“Heh, what foolish people,” said another higher realm king with a sneer.

“Sir Lonely Swan is right, these two are a shame on us Divine Sovereigns.”

“Heavenly Net Realm King, don’t forget to investigate their background,” another higher realm king said. “This king wants to know where these idiots were born. It must be quite the place.”

By now, everyone was staring at Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er with scorn. Whatever pity they might have felt earlier was completely gone. Cultivating to level seven Divine Sovereign was no easy feat for anyone, and at their level there were countless places for them to flaunt their power as they wished. But they just had to cause trouble at the Imperial Heaven Tower.

If this didn’t count as digging one’s own grave, then nothing did.

Tian Muhe slowly took a seat again. Neither he nor Tian Muyi said anything, but they both shot the Heavenly Net Realm King a meaningful look. The latter understood what they wanted and nodded slowly.

Suddenly, the dark clouds covering the blue sky disappeared without warning. At the same time, three intimidating auras poured down from above and dispelled the changed atmosphere in the Imperial Heaven Tower and the energy that was about envelop Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er in an instant.

Tian Muyi and Tian Muhe’s seats were barely warmed before they jumped to their feet again. Huo Tianxing and Great Viper Sage also stood up while looking at the sky.

Three different auras appeared from three different directions at the same time, but it was an old man’s voice that reached everyone’s ears first, “Yan Sangeng of Yama Realm is here to visit.”

The speaker sounded old, but his appearance was that of a middle-aged man. He wore a gray robe that looked entirely too big for him. His face was stiff and grayish, and his eyes were listless. He looked like a living corpse.

Yan Sangeng was the strongest profound practitioner of the thirty-six Yama Ghosts of the Yama Realm. His status rivaled that of the terrifying ten Yama Devils.

There was even a saying that came from Yan Sangeng’s name. “If the Yama Ghost King wants you dead by twelve, who dares keep you alive until five”. He was so infamous that he struck fear in anyone who knew him.

No one expected the leader of the Yama Ghosts, Yan Sangeng himself to act as the supervisor of today’s Heavenly Sovereign Assembly. His name alone enveloped the entire Imperial Heaven Tower in a menacing aura.

Tian Muyi immediately greeted loudly, “Muyi welcomes the Yama Ghost King.”

“Hahahaha, how have you been, Imperial Heaven Realm King? It’s been some millennia since we last met.”

An incredibly unrestrained laugh came from another direction before a young-looking man descended slowly to the ground. He made no attempt to hide the mark of the Burning Moon on his body, and his eyes were slanted upwards in arrogance even though he was facing a whole group of upper star realm experts and realm kings.

“Hahahaha,” Tian Muyi also laughed loudly. “You have entered the Divine Master Realm in just a couple millennia, Your Highness? This one is truly impressed.”

“My minor achievement is nothing compared to Sir Lonely Swan,” said the prince of the Burning Moon Realm with a smile before shooting Tian Guhu a sharp glance. 

He was none other the Burning Moon God Emperor’s own son, and a prince of the Burning Moon Realm.

“You must be joking, Your Highness,” Tian Muyi said with a chuckle. “You are the moon that will dazzle the world in the future. My son will be lucky to obtain even a tiny bit of your divinity, much less be compared to you.”

The third person finally entered everyone’s gazes right after Tian Muyi was done speaking.

She was a woman dressed in yellow, with sleeves that looked like they were constantly floating and long hair as black as ink. She also wore an incredibly beautiful butterfly mask to cover her face and eyes just like Qianye Ying’er.

She didn’t seem to be carrying a presence at all, but the moment she landed on the ground, Yan Sangeng and the Burning Moon Prince’s auras were annihilated instantly.

“A... Witch!?”

Her aura was so powerful it was almost dreamlike. It felt shapeless, but there was no denying the sudden, rapid heartbeats in their chests. Her appearance caused everyone’s expression to change, and some higher realm kings were even groaning in fear and disbelief.

Tian Muyi turned around to face her and put on a serious expression. Then, he bowed deeply before saying, “Tian Muyi of Imperial Heaven welcomes Lady Yao Die. Your arrival alone has blessed this Heavenly Sovereign Assembly beyond imagination.”

Almost everyone’s hearts trembled the moment they heard her name.

It was because it was the name of the fourth Witch of the Soul Stealing Realm, one of the nine Witches who served the Devil Queen!

The young Divine Sovereigns of the Northern Region Heavenly Sovereign Ranking would undoubtedly become the future rulers of the Northern Divine Region. That was why the king realms highly valued the Heavenly Sovereign Assembly, which they showed through the level of supervisors they sent. For example, the Yama Realm sent the Yama Ghost King to act as supervisor, and the Burning Moon Realm a prince, the prince who was most likely to become Crown Prince no less.

However, no one expected the Soul Stealing Realm to send a Witch over.

Yao Die didn’t react to Tian Muyi’s greeting at all.

Very few people had ever witnessed a Witch’s true face with their own eyes. It was because they were the “shadows” of the Devil Queen. As “shadows”, it was only natural that they seldom showed themselves in public.

No one was really surprised by her lack of reaction, not to mention that her mask kept anyone from seeing her countenance or gaze. That was why no one noticed that she was staring at Yun Che right from the start.

Everyone stood up to welcome the three king realm supervisors loudly.

Fen Jieran, the Prince of Burning Moon Realm, leisurely entered his seat before saying, “It is sad that no worthy talent has made an appearance among the juniors for the past hundred years or so, although your reputation is the exact opposite of that, Sir Lonely Swan. That is why I personally asked my royal father to send me over, so please don’t disappoint me… Hmm?”

Suddenly, his gaze landed on Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er. He asked, “What’s up with these two?”

“No need for concern, Your Highness,” Tian Muyi said. “They’re just two arrogant and suicidal fools. They were even picking a fight with us right here in the Imperial Heaven Tower just now.”

He then turned around and ordered harshly, “What are you waiting for? Do not spoil our honored guests’ mood.”

“Yes, my lord!”

“Wait.”

A woman’s voice rang out right after the Heavenly net Realm elders acknowledged the order. The word sounded as soft as the wind, and yet there was something magical and irresistible about it. At the same time, a shiver coursed through everyone’s body and soul.

The two elders who were about to attack Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er froze like statues. The person who stopped them was none other than the fourth Witch of the Soul Stealing Realm, Yao Die.

Tian Muyi froze for a second before asking, “My lady, what is your order?”

But Yao Die ignored him and asked Yun Che directly, “What is your name?”

Yun Che stared at the woman who stood at the topmost peak of the Northern Divine Region without any fear at all. He replied in an indifferent tone, “Ling Yun.”

“Ling Yun?” She nodded slightly. “Are the two of you here to watch the assembly?”

Yun Che’s lips curled into an incredibly disturbing smile. “What do you think?”

His reply detonated in everyone’s hearts like a bomb. Expression changing, Tian Muyi quickly said, “How dare you speak to the Lady like that! This is beyond the realm of bravery… They must truly be insane.”

“Kick them out of here already!”

“That is unnecessary.” Yao Die easily canceled the auras pressing toward Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er again. She shot Qianye Ying’er a glance before turning back toward Yun Che. “Would you like to sit with me?”

In that moment, everyone—even Yan Sangeng and Fen Jieran—thought that they had heard wrong... some even suspected that they were experiencing an auditory hallucination.

“Acceptable.” Yun Che was the only one who didn’t freeze up. His reply was also simple and rude.

“Come.” Yao Die turned around and took a seat at the supervisor’s stand. Her hand gesture left no room for any interpretation except the obvious.

For all his status, cultivation, and experience, Tian Muyi was speechless for several breaths before he finally returned to himself. He exclaimed in shock and disbelief, “My lady, what are you…”

Tian Muyi suddenly stopped himself even though Yao Die didn’t move or even look at him. His voice died inside his throat just like that.

“Do I need the Imperial Heaven Realm King’s permission to offer an invitation?” Yao Die said quietly.

Tian Muyi lowered his head immediately. His forehead was covered in a sheen of cold sweat before he realized it. “Of… of course not. Please excuse my rudeness.”

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We've caught Mars again.  We will only be maintaining 4 advanced chaps while we are caught up to Mars.  Release rate will be "after Mars writes a chapter".  Hopefully Mars will go on one of his writing binges again soon and we can return to normal, but until that time we will do our best for you all.