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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“Zhou Xuzi?” Chi Wuyao glanced to the side, noticing the weird light that flashed through Yun Che’s eyes in that instant. “He did indeed send this queen a sound transmission. He wanted to make a special deal with me. However, I do not quite understand what you mean by ‘a gift’.”

Chi Wuyao looked at Qianye Ying’er expectantly. She did not seem to be the least bit contemptuous or angry about this mysterious gift that Qianye Ying’er had said was as weighty as the Untamed Divine Marrow. Instead, she seemed to be eagerly waiting for Qianye Ying’er to give her a wonderful explanation.

Before Qianye Ying’er could even reply, a cold and stiff voice rang in their ears.

“How did you know that Zhou Xuzi would send her a sound transmission?”

The person who had asked this question was Yun Che.

It was not strange for Qianye Ying’er to realize some things that he would not. This was because her insight into the workings of the Eastern Divine Region far exceeded his own. However, he was very clearly miffed by the fact that Qianye Ying’er had never mentioned this to him before.

Qianye Ying’er said, “Yun Che, one of the biggest reasons for your downfall was that you thought you understood Zhou Xuzi.”

Yun Che’s gaze seemed to transform into cold swords, but he did not refute her words.

Chi Wuyao pursed her lips and she seemed to take joy in observing the interactions between Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er.

“You, and most of the people in the universe, know Zhou Xuzi as the person who inherited the will of Eternal Heaven. A man who lives by the creed of justice and righteousness, a man who stuck to his principles no matter what. All of these things aren’t wrong. However, human nature has always been the most complicated thing in the universe. Furthermore, it's not like his principles are unbreakable. If that were the case, Xia Qingyue would never have specially invited him to witness you planting the slave imprint on me.”

“It was also because of his so-called righteousness that he personally broke the promise that he made to you.”

“Moreover, there is one other thing that can make him betray his principles other than righteousness, and that is Zhou Qingchen!” Qianye Ying’er said languidly as a strange and demonic golden light flashed in her eyes. “You only know Zhou Qingchen as the only son borne by his first wife and the successor that he personally chose. However, you do not know just how important that useless piece of trash is to that old man.”

“If it’s something involving Zhou Qingchen, and he will only ever make this exception for Zhou Qingchen, not only will he be willing to break his principles, he is even willing to deviate from his path of ‘righteousness’ to a certain degree.”

“Hah. Righteousness huh,” Yun Che said with a cold laugh.

“Half a year ago, you transformed Zhou Qingchen into a devil and this action definitely cracked that old man and pushed him to the very brink. But after that, I suddenly recalled a very interesting thing.” She turned her gaze towards Chi Wuyao. “Qianye Fantian told me this back then. After they had exchanged blows ten thousand years ago, Chi Wuyao deliberately left behind a devil jade that was engraved with a sound transmission profound formation. And this piece of devil jade was sealed in the Eternal Heaven Realm.”

“The entire universe knows that the Eternal Heaven God Realm hates devils the most. In fact, the Eternal Heaven God Realm was at the forefront of the hunt for Yun Che. So for their young lord to be transformed into a devil is such a delightfully ironic twist of fate. If this had happened to any other realm, they would most likely have just gotten rid of the victim. However, Zhou Xuzi definitely won’t do such a thing. He’ll hide Zhou Qingchen and he’ll do everything he can to find a solution to his problem, and I do mean everything.”

“But when all of his efforts do not bear fruit, what do you think he’ll think of in the end?”

“If it’s possible to forcibly inject darkness profound energy into someone’s body, then there should be a way to rid the body of this energy as well,” Chi Wuyao said in an unhurried manner. “So, he sent a sound transmission to this queen and even offered something that this queen found extremely tempting.”

Yun Che, “...”

Chi Wuyao’s words had just definitively proven that everything had gone according to Qianye Ying’er’s expectations.

Zhou Xuzi’s greatest desire was to capture Yun Che, no matter whether it was because of the “Devil God Prophecy” or Zhou Qingchen. However, Yun Che was hiding in the Northern Divine Region, a world that he could not enter.

And the ones who controlled the Northern Divine Region were the three great king realms, the Yama Realm, the Burning Moon Realm, and the Soul Stealing Realm.

As a result, the piece of devil jade that Chi Wuyao left behind all those years ago became a way for the Eternal Heaven God Emperor to grasp at the last “life saving” straw left to him.

This gave Chi Wuyao an enormous bargaining chip. Given her personal strength and the authority she commanded in the Northern Divine Region, as long as she so desired, Yun Che would not be able to slip through her fingers even if he had ten thousand lives. At that time, the devilish malediction he had become and Zhou Qingchen’s devilized body would be solved in one fell swoop.

However, this was making a deal with a devil. Before the events of that day, Zhou Xuzi would never even have dreamed or believed that he was capable of such a choice or action.

And this matter could never ever be disclosed to the public either.

However, to his misfortune, the Eternal Heaven God Emperor would never even dream that Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er had already grown to this extent in such an infinitesimal amount of time. The Devil Queen of the Northern Region, the person he thought would be able to easily gain control over Yun Che’s fate, had now been enticed to visit him personally.

“Brahma Monarch Goddess, are you interested in hearing the price that Zhou Xuzi named?” Chi Wuyao giggled as she spoke in that soft and cottony voice, “Perhaps after hearing his offer, you will immediately tie up this man and return to the Eastern Divine Region.”

“It’s a pity,” Qianye Ying’er replied with a cold smile. “If you had been in my shoes and had stayed by this man’s side for a few years, you’d realize that even if Old Man Eternal Heaven moved his entire Eternal Heaven Realm here… it still wouldn’t be enough!”

“Oh?” Chi Wuyao’s gaze slowly wandered over Qianye Ying’er’s face. Her eyes twinkled with mischief and subtle mockery. “So you are saying that your so-called great gift is to lure the Eternal Heaven God Emperor here and then kill him? I would think that you, the Brahma Monarch Goddess, would not be this naive, correct?”

“Heh, you’re the one who’s being naive here. Unless you can lure him into the center of the Northern Divine Region, it’s a foolish dream to even think you can kill the Eternal Heaven Emperor with just your own power, Chi Wuyao.” Qianye Ying’er’s voice grew more relaxed. “Chi Wuyao, the great gift that we have given back to you is a ‘reason’.”

Reason, a word that could not be any more simple. However, when Qianye Ying’er said the word, the world suddenly fell into a hush.

Neither of the women spoke. In the blink of an eye, Chi Wuyao’s gray eyes suddenly twitched as a gloomy and bewitching light flashed through them… This was a strange light that even the Nine Witches had never borne witness to.

“Continue.” When she spoke again, the same devilish voice rang in the air once more. But this time, it had lost some of its bewitching indolence.

Qianye Ying’er replied in an unhurried manner, “You want to break the Northern Divine Region out of its cage so it is inevitable that you will face off against the three other divine regions who regard the devils and the northern divine region as blasphemous existences. Once you think the time is ripe, you will marshal up all of the devils to try and break this cage. When you unleash your onslaught on the other three divine regions, they will be thrown into panic and chaos for a short period of time. However, after that, due to their wrath and unity in the face of a common foe… the three divine regions will band together in an extremely short amount of time.”

“When the forces of the Northern Region face off against the combined might of the three divine regions, their incomparable strength and the dark shadow they have left in the hearts of the denizens of the Northern Region will undoubtedly arouse feelings of panic, cowardice, and fear among your forces. Thus, even if you, Chi Wuyao, swallow up the Burning Moon Realm and the Yama Realm, just how many devils in this vast Northern Divine Region will truly be willing to listen to your commands and fight against the combined forces of the three divine regions? One tenth? Half?”

Chi Wuyao, “...”

“But.” Qianye Ying’er paused for a moment, but after that, her voice grew darker and heavier with each word that followed. “What if it was the Eastern Divine Region who attacked the Northern Divine Region first?”

“The devils of the Northern Region have been trapped inside this cage by the other three divine regions for generations. You’ve never been allowed to leave. Not only are all of you trapped here, they don't even show you any mercy. They would kill all of you if they could. As a result, your people have been oppressed for countless years, and have been in pain for countless years. The discontent and resentment that all of you feel would transform into boundless fury and hysteria due to this provocation. And this will ultimately give rise to a desperate determination, the will to fight back even in the face of death.”

“At that time Chi Wuyao, you won’t even need to mobilize your forces through charisma or trickery. You’ll just need to declare that you’ll attack the Eastern Divine Region and that will ignite a devilish fire that far exceeds even your greatest hopes and dreams.”

“Furthermore, the Eastern Divine Region will not be facing an invasion from the Northern Divine Region. It will be facing a counterattack! You will still do battle with them all the same, however, one thing will be different. The feeling of camaraderie in the face of a common foe will be missing. Instead, most people in the Eastern Divine Region will feel angry and irritated that their leaders had chosen to poke the hornet’s nest that is the Northern Divine Region. The difference between the results wrought by these two scenarios is like the difference between heaven and earth.”

“I still haven’t talked about the most important point,” Qianye Ying’er continued. “If you choose to invade, you will cause the three other divine regions to swiftly band together. But if you were only responding in kind, then it will be viewed as the Eastern Divine Region’s ‘karma’. And why would the Western Divine Region or the Southern Divine Region sacrifice any strength to aid the Eastern Divine Region in solving a crisis of their own making? They would already be considered quite benevolent if they didn’t take advantage of the situation and exploit the Eastern Divine Region’s misfortune.

“Heh.” Qianye Ying’er gave a cold laugh. “The relationship between the three divine regions is far more tenuous and delicate than you, the Devil Queen of the Northern Region, can imagine or even understand.”

“If the devils from the lowly Northern Divine Region left their own devil region and barged into the Eastern Divine Region, the Western and Southern Divine Region wouldn’t even feel as if the Eastern Divine Region was under imminent threat. They’d think that the Eastern Divine Region would sustain some serious losses at worst. This would only cause them to indulge in some schadenfreude over the Eastern Divine Region’s misfortune.”

“By the time they’re able to respond,” Qianye Ying’er said as her lips curved up into a cold and dangerous smile, “you, Chi Wuyao, will already have become the king of the Eastern Divine Region.”

Pah!

Pah!

Pah!

Chi Wuyao gave a slow clap and they could vaguely see her lips curve up into a bewitchingly seductive arc underneath that black mist. “The Brahma Monarch Goddess has painted a picture that is truly incomparably spectacular. The plan itself sounds unreasonably perfect. However…”

“Why are you so confident that the Eastern Divine Region would suddenly launch an attack on our Northern Divine Region?”

“Our Northern Divine Region is already far weaker than the Eastern Divine Region. Furthermore, the moment we denizens of the Northern Divine Region leave our home, our power will fall drastically. Why are you so confident that we will be able to conquer the Eastern Divine Region before the Western and Southern Divine Regions can even respond?”

“He will.” Qianye Ying’er’s eyes grew focused but she had given her prediction in a voice that brooked no question. “You don’t understand just how highly Old Man Eternal Heaven regards that useless son of his. You also don’t understand… just how much this man beside me hates Old Man Eternal Heaven.”

Yun Che’s face remained expressionless.

“As for the latter issue…” Qianye Ying’er gave Yun Che a deep look. “Once you bring us to the Soul Stealing Realm, you will very quickly find out the answer.”

“Fine.” Chi Wuyao replied without pursuing the matter any further, with a surprising and completely unexpected frankness and directness. Her gaze fell on Yun Che and she said, “However, it’s not ‘us’. It’s just him.”

“Oh?” Qianye Ying’er’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Isn’t he the only person that I’ll need for this endeavor?” Chi Wuyao’s lips curved into a charming and beautiful smile. “As for you. You’re so beautiful that even this queen’s jealousy has been aroused, and you’re far too clever. As a woman, how can I tolerate your presence?”

“Then it looks like you’re going to be disappointed.” A sweet and charming smile had also appeared on Qianye Ying’er’s face. “You do indeed only need him alone. However, this man won’t be able to leave me.”

Yun Che, “...”

“Unless you can replace me as his incubator and toy.”

However, her tone immediately changed into a mocking one as she said, “However, it’s such a pity. I’m afraid that he won’t like your body. I mean, only the heavens know just how many men you’ve been defiled by.”

“Heeheeheeheeheehee!” Chi Wuyao was not infuriated in the slightest. Instead, her seductive laughter rang out in such a wild and wanton manner that her bewitching body started to shake. This caused Qianye Ying’er’s golden brows to knit together slightly.

“An incubator…” Chi Wuyao drawled out those two words. After that she spoke in a languid voice, “No wonder you were able to frighten that child Yao Die to such an extent, even though you’ve only been cultivating darkness profound energy for a mere three years. As it turns out, your body did not only get a boost from the Untamed World Pellet, it also possesses…”

“The blood of a Devil Emperor.”

When she said those six words, Yun Che and Qianye Ying’er’s heads jerked towards her simultaneously.

“You’ve met the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor!?” Yun Che said as he took half a step forward.

Chi Wuyao did not give them a direct answer. Instead, she replied in that soft and cottony voice, “When the two of you first fled from the Eastern Divine Region back then and stepped into our Northern Divine Realm, you behaved like two startled doves. The moment you heard this queen's name, your very first reaction was to run as far as you could. Yet you forgot to consider one thing. Why would this queen even deign to utter the word “cooperation” to the two of you? Two defeated dogs who had just fled to the Northern Divine Region?”

“Furthermore, given your strength at that time, Chanyi would have been able to forcibly restrain the both of you with a flick of her finger and bodily drag the both of you to this queen. However, she didn’t try to do this even once and she was even ambushed by you.”

“Did the two of you really think that Chanyi was a lenient and gentle person? If she was really the person you thought she was, how could she become one of my Witches?”

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