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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The Brahma Kings wore complicated expressions on their faces when they heard Qianye Fantian’s comment.

Back then, Qianye Fantian had valued Qianye Ying’er like no other. He had afforded every bit of indulgence and tenderness he had. But equally so, he had ruthlessly abandoned her when push came to shove. It was his modus operandi. It was why Qianye Ying’er became the way she did in the first place, and why they could easily imagine her hating him to the bone.

For the past few years, they had gathered from bits and pieces of information that Qianye Ying’er had been working together with Yun Che. Not only was she forced to escape to the Northern Divine Region, she was forced to attach herself to the man she hated the most. Who knew exactly how much hatred and killing intent she harbored for him right now. 

Unlike Yun Che’s all-encompassing hatred, Qianye Ying’er’s was focused almost solely on Qianye Fantian. Killing Qianye Fantian had to be the biggest reason she returned to the Eastern Divine Region with Yun Che.

“My lord, you can’t,” The Third Brahma King said while shaking his head. The rest of the Brahma Kings were wearing the same expression, but… they couldn’t say anything.

After all, it had been Qianye Fantian’s own choice to abandon Qianye Ying’er.

“Hehe.” Qianye Fantian chuckled before saying softly, “The blood of the Brahma Monarch runs in her veins. That’ll never change for as long as she lives!”

Some distance away, Yun Che turned away indifferently and took to the sky.

————

When Yun Che returned to the Eternal Heaven Realm, the first person he saw was Chi Wuyao shooting him a charming, meaningful smile.

“It looks like everything is going smoothly.” Chi Wuyao smiled. “Not only did we force out the two Brahma Monarch Ancestors, the five dead Brahma Kings even managed to break two of the Southern Sea Realm’s arms. This is truly a pleasant surprise.”

“That being said, the Brahma Monarch Realm definitely deserves its title as the strongest king realm of the Eastern Divine Region. Without the Sky Poison Pearl, it would’ve taken considerable effort to conquer it in a short time.”

“Has no higher realm king shown up yet?” Yun Che scanned the area with his consciousness before asking.

“No. They’re probably all waiting for someone to step up first and hoping that the Brahma Monarch Realm will create a miracle,” Chi Wuyao replied before pursing her lips. “It doesn’t matter though. They’ll be changing their minds very soon, won’t they?”

Yun Che fell silent for a moment before asking a strange question suddenly, “Say… do you really think she’ll kill Qianye Fantian if he lets her?”

He was of course referring to Qianye Ying’er when he said “she”.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Qianye Ying’er’s icy voice suddenly came from behind him.

She walked up to him and stared at him closely. “My mother’s grievance and my own grievance… the very reason I clung to life, escaped to the Northern Divine Region, submitted to you, and became a devil person was to kill Qianye Fantian!”

“You knew all this, so why are you asking such a funny question?” Qianye Ying’er stopped beside him before her tone grew even lower. “You may annihilate the Brahma Monarch God Realm however you like, but that old dog Qianye Fantian must be alive to be killed by my own hands! That is what you promised me back then! You’re not going to break your promise now, are you?”

Yun Che shot her a glance and replied, “You will get your wish very soon.”

“Is that so?” Qianye Ying’er narrowed her eyes slightly as something dark darted behind her golden pupils. “Very good.”

“Don’t forget, Qianye Fantian must be killed by my own hands… I’ll kill anyone who takes that right away from me!”

Yun Che: “...”

It was at this moment Fen Daoqi appeared and bowed before Yun Che and Chi Wuyao. “Your Magnificence, Your Majesty, we’ve detected the Brahma Monarch God Realm’s primary warship. However, they’re traveling slowly for some reason. It’s almost as if they want us to notice them.”

“They’ll probably reach us in another hour.”

Qianye Ying’er abruptly looked at Fen Daoqi with renewed killing intent.

“There is no need to stop them.” Yun Che’s eyebrows sank as he smiled. “Open the barrier and let them in when they arrive.”

“Yes, Your Magnificence!” Fen Daoqi was surprised, but he left to carry out his order without any question.

An hour later, the Eternal Heaven Realm’s barrier slowly opened to admit the gigantic Brahma Heaven Warship. 

However, there was none of the imperialistic pressure one came to expect from the strongest profound warship of the Eastern Divine Region. Instead, there was only a thick aura of death.

Qianye Fantian took the lead and jumped down from the warship before anyone.

Behind him were the nine Brahma Kings, and after them the surviving sixty three Brahma Monarch Elders… it was all that was left of them.

In other words, the core strength of the entire Brahma Monarch God Realm except the two ancestors and Gu Zhu was here.

A core this deadly should strike fear and meekness in anyone who saw them, but even their leader, Qianye Fantian, didn’t look mighty in the slightest. His weakness and exhaustion were clear for everyone to see. 

The Moon Eaters and the Burning Moon Divine Envoys quickly surrounded them. Their auras alone were enough to stifle the Brahma Kings and the Brahma Monarch Elders’ breaths.

The fight against the Southern Sea forces was very short, but it also caused the Heavenly Wounding Thought Severing Poison to seep deep into their internal organs and profound veins. If it wasn’t bad enough before, the poison was now completely unstoppable.

It had only been a couple of hours since the Southern Sea forces left, and the core strength of the Brahma Monarch Realm traveled to the Eternal Heaven God Realm, but it would not be surprising if some of them were to drop dead this very moment. They couldn’t even make themselves look slightly less pitiable, much less mount any resistance at all.

“Long time no see, Brahma Monarch God Emperor.” Yun Che slowly walked over and stared at Qianye Fantian. “It looks like you aren’t doing too well though.”

This was the first time Qianye Fantian saw Yun Che at close range since four years ago. Today, the man’s cultivation, aura, gaze, and appearance were almost completely different from what he remembered. If he wasn’t seeing Yun Che with his own eyes, he would probably never believe that a person could change this drastically in such a short time.

“Yun Che,” Qianye Fantian straightened his back and said slowly, “I thought that you were a threat that must be eliminated since the day I saw you, and you have not disappointed me. I am truly impressed by the things you’ve achieved in just four short years.”

Suddenly, the god emperor wobbled on his feet. Greenish blood started bleeding slowly out of his orifices.

“Qian… ye… Fan… tian!”

Qianye Ying’er had lost control of her killing intent the moment she set eyes on her father. It was to the point where every strand of her hair was swinging wildly, and the Divine Oracle wrapped around her waist was ringing aggressively.

There was a piercing sonic boom as Qianye Ying’er charged toward Qianye Fantian and attempted to kill him where he stood.

Yun Che caught her wrist calmly and forcefully before saying, “He wasn’t planning to leave this place alive from the beginning. Wouldn’t it be a shame to kill him this easily after all those years of hatred and hard work?”

Qianye Ying’er’s wrist was shaking uncontrollably. It was a miracle her teeth hadn’t shattered under the pressure she was putting on them.

Yun Che would never forget the day Qianye Ying’er had dropped to her knees and stared at him with eyes full of darkness and hatred.

At the time, after losing her power and escaping to the Northern Divine Region, killing Qianye Fantian was the only reason she still clung to life.

“Qianye Fantian, you are wise to choose this place as your grave. I’ll give you that.” Yun Che released Qianye Ying’er’s wrist and said, “However, I wasn’t expecting you to be the kind of guy who would bury your Brahma Kings and your elders with you. Tsk tsk!”

A disdainful smile broke across his lips. “Do you have any last words to say before you go?”

Qianye Fantian replied, “History is written by the victors. I was the one who failed to eliminate you back then, so my defeat was just the natural outcome.”

He pressed a hand to his chest and said seriously, “The reason I came here today… is to make a deal with you.”

“A deal? Hahahaha!” Yun Che barked out a laugh before sneering, “please don’t tell me you’re dreaming that I would cure you of your affliction?”

“Hehehehe.” Qianye Fantian chuckled himself. “I would be thoroughly disappointed if you had allowed me to live.”

“Oh?” Yun Che’s expression turned curious.

Qianye Fantian slowly opened his palm to reveal a golden object. It was the lifeline of the Brahma Monarch Realm, the Brahma Soul Bell. 

It let out a tiny chime when it was revealed, but it was enough to clear the Brahma Kings and the Brahma Elders’ mind and drew their attention toward it… This bell was literally the symbol of their highest faith.

“Children of Brahma Monarch, heed my order!” Qianye Fantian’s amiable voice grew stern. “The bearer of the Brahma Monarch’s bloodline and the Brahma Soul Bell is the unquestionable monarch of the Brahma Monarch Realm!”

His body was shaking from the poison, but his words hit the heart like a hammer. “I, Qianye Fantian, the thirty first Brahma Heaven God Emperor of the Brahma Monarch Realm, hereby pass down my title and the Brahma Soul Bell to my successor, Qianye Ying’er… from hereon, Qianye Ying’er is the thirty second Brahma Heaven God Emperor of the Brahma Monarch Realm!”[1]

“My… my lord?”

The Brahma Kings and Brahma Elders stared at him in shock. They had a feeling that something like this would happen from the moment Qianye Fantian produced the Brahma Soul Bell.

Was this… the “last way” he spoke of before they came here?

“...oh?” Chi Wuyao looked thoughtful as she glanced back and forth between Qianye Fantian and Qianye Ying’er.

Yun Che didn’t comment on Qianye Fantian’s surprising action, but Qianye Ying’er started walking toward the latter… the Divine Oracle was still flashing a little aggressively.

“Ying… er…”

“My name is Yun Qianying.” Qianye Ying’er stopped in front of Qianye Fantian and stared at him coldly. “Have you already forgotten? The naive woman you called Qianye Ying’er was killed by your own two hands a long time ago.”

Qianye Fantian only smiled despite the utter lack of warmth in his eyes. He raised his hand shakily and said, “Take the Brahma Soul Bell… and you are the Brahma Heaven God Emperor!”

Qianye Ying’er snatched it from his hand without changing her expression at all. Just like that, the lifeline of the entire Brahma Monarch God Realm was now in her hands.

She narrowed her eyes as the light of the Brahma Soul Bell entered her eyes.

Once upon a time, the Brahma Soul Bell was the object of her greatest desire. One of her greatest goals was to become a Brahma Heaven God Emperor that was as great as Qianye Fantian, if not better.

But not only did she return the Brahma Soul Bell to Qianye Fantian the first time it was given to her… she had made the biggest sacrifice of her life to save his.

Today, all the Brahma Soul Bell did was awaken that terrible humiliation and hatred she felt on that day. There was none of the pride and satisfaction she should feel for being rewarded for her hard work.

Gripping the Brahma Soul Bell firmly in one hand, she stabbed Qianye Fantian with the Divine Oracle mercilessly and without any hesitation with the other hand.

“My lord!!”

Cries of sorrow broke out as Qianye Fantian collapsed to his knees and stared at the golden light that pierced his chest.

“Qianye Fantian,” Qianye Ying’er said with eyes as cold as the abyss. “If I felt even a shred of pity toward you just because you gave me the Brahma Soul Bell, I wouldn’t be able to face the ‘gift’ you gave me back then or my mother!”

Shred!

She swung her weapon violently to the side, and Qianye Fantian was tossed far away like a bleeding rag doll.

The Brahma Kings hurriedly circulated their profound energy and moved toward their God Emperor.

The bleeding Qianye Fantian only raised his head and laughed happily, “Well done… well done! This is how my daughter should behave; how the Brahma Heaven God Emperor should act! Hahaha… hahahaha…”

---

1. Author’s Note: Qianye Fantian’s original name is Qianye Wutian. (And the three Brahma Gods are Qianye Wusheng, Qianye Wubei and Qianye Wuai o(*￣︶￣*)o)

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