Against the Gods

“Why?” Yun Che asked. “Could it be that Senior currently no longer has any interest in the Ancestral Divine Art?”

Jie Yuan gave a cold snort before she spoke in an apathetic manner, “Back then, it was because of this World-Defying Heavenly Manual that I got ambushed by that old dog Mo E. It was also because of my curiosity and greed towards the World-Defying Heavenly Manual that I went against Ni Xuan’s warnings for the first time, and now I don’t even have the chance… to be reprimanded by him anymore.”

Yun Che, “...”

“One part of the World-Defying Heavenly Manual in your possession comes from that old dog Mo E. If I look at it, it will defile my eyes and if I touch it, it will stain my hands! So just keep it for yourself! And don’t even let me see it!”

“...Okay,” Yun Che said with complicated feelings.

He had originally thought that the Ancestral Divine Art in his possession would be the thing that would move Jie Yuan the most. But he had never imagined that not only did she not show any desire for it, her words had even shown a deep loathing towards it.

But with that being said, as the only Devil Emperor that existed in this world, there was no power in this world that could threaten her in the slightest. So why would she want something like the Ancestral Divine Art? Furthermore, the Ancestral Divine Art was the biggest cause of the tragedy that befell her and her kinsmen, so if he thought about it carefully… it was not too surprising for her to have such a reaction.

However, as a result of this, the only “bargaining chip” that he could bring to the table had now become completely and utterly useless.

“I don’t mind telling you this,” Jie Yuan suddenly said, “I did indeed throw away my piece of the World-Defying Heaven Manual, but I did not throw it outside of the Primal Chaos. After all, I was born because of the Ancestral God, so how could I throw the greatest gift the Ancestral God gave us outside the Primal Chaos?”

“If you have any interest in this World-Defying Heaven Manual,” the corner of Jie Yuan’s mouth twitched upwards as she said those words, it was as if she was giving him a cold or mocking smile, but Yun Che could not describe the expression that she wore at the moment, “there’s no harm in trying to search for it. However, after all these years outside the Primal Chaos, I’ve come to understand one thing.”

“This World-Defying Heaven Manual is the origin of the profound way. The reason the Ancestral God left it behind was because she did not want it to disappear, but it is also possible that she had left behind as a test for the future generations. So even if one could bring all the pieces together and completely comprehend it, there is basically nobody in this world that can cultivate it!”

“Why does Senior think so?” Yun Che unwittingly asked.

“That is because the law contained within the World-Defying Heaven Manual is a very special existence that is known as ‘nothingness’. ‘All things and creatures in this universe were birthed from nothingness and ultimately return to nothingness’. That was the only verse that I could comprehend from my piece of the World-Defying Heaven Manual, but no matter how much I tried, the principles of nothingness contained within that verse was something I could not touch.”

Yun Che, “...”

“Besides the Ancestral God who was truly born from ‘nothingness’, it is impossible for any living creature to truly come into contact with the law of ‘nothingness’, and this includes both the Devil Emperors and the Creation Gods! As such, so what if we gather all the pieces of the World-Defying Heavenly Manual… Heh, how ridiculous we were back then!”

“...” Yun Che remained quiet for a good long while before he finally asked, “This junior understands. There is also something else this junior wants to discuss with Senior and I hope that Senior can accomodate me.”

“Is this about the ‘Evil Infant’?” Jie Yuan asked in an indifferent voice.

Yun Che jerked his head upwards, his eyes wide and his mouth open.

“Hmph, haven’t you been with her the last few days?”

“~！@#￥%...” Nearly all the hairs on Yun Che’s body stood on end. This Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor… Was she a voyeur!?

Even though the corners of his eyebrows were wildly twitching, Jie Yuan’s words put Yun Che’s apprehensive heart at ease. “Since Senior knows about the existence of the ‘Evil Infant’ and its current condition, that also means that Senior has no intention of sealing away the Evil Infant, correct?”

“Seal away? Whatever for?” Jie Yuan asked. “And what exactly does the Evil Infant have to do with me now?”

These words left Yun Che stunned and for a time, he found it rather hard to understand.

Without even discussing the other gods and devils first, the Heretic God himself had ultimately died because of the “Myriad Tribulations” poison that had come from the Evil Infant.

“The Evil Infant has recognized a master, that is truly an interesting thing indeed. However, allllll of this has nothing to do with me.” Jie Yuan’s words contained a deep and special meaning that only she understood at this moment. “There’s no need for you to bring this to my attention again.”

“Other than that, you are not to bring up the matter of my clansmen again. Any reasons, bargaining chips or any other tricks that you think are useful or amusing, don’t mention them to me again. I do not wish to hear a single word of it.”

Yun Che’s lips quivered slightly and it looked like he wanted to say something. But after that, he heard her speak in a deep and gloomy voice, “Come and find me in this place a month from now, I will give you my answer then.”

“...Yes.” Yun Che was unable to refuse. Moreover, from Jie Yuan’s words, he vaguely sensed that she seemed to have come to a decision.

“Oooh…” Within the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers, You’er slowly opened her four-colored eyes and stared blurrily in our direction.

Jie Yuan glanced to the side, her gaze immediately becoming as gentle as a light breeze. She spoke in a low voice, “Call Hong’er out. After that, go and accompany You’er and talk to her for a bit.”

…………

“Okay…”

He spent an entire day below Cloud’s End Cliff, to the point that Hong’er had become so tired that she dove into Yun Che’s body to lie down and sleep. It was only then that Yun Che was permitted to leave.

Yun Che gently carried Hong’er and transferred her to the space within the Sky Poison Pearl. His actions were exceptionally gentle and his eyes carried a bit of the affection and tenderness that was usually reserved for his daughter.

As she looked at him, Jie Yuan’s gaze changed slightly and she suddenly said, “I used to be just like you.”

“Oh?” Yun Che raised his head, a puzzled expression on his face.

“As a Devil Emperor, I have destroyed an innumerable amount of living creatures. I did not feel anything even when I destroyed entire planets or races. However, after having a daughter and becoming a mother, I unknowingly became kind and compassionate. I even began to reject the act of killing altogether… Because I did not wish to use hands which were stained with fresh blood to hug my daughter.”

Yun Che was stunned by those words.

“After having a daughter and becoming a mother, I felt that the world had become so much more beautiful than it had been before. After I had become kind, all the living creatures I observed seemed to have become kind and benevolent. My previous desire to kill, wariness, and resoluteness had all unknowingly and quietly faded away…”

Jie Yuan gave a soft sigh before continuing, “This was also one of the reasons why I was so easily tricked and ambushed by Mo E… Even to this very day, I’m still not sure as to whether it is a strength or a flaw of my nature.”

“Moreover, during the years I spent outside the Primal Chaos, I gradually started to realize that given my level and position, it was precisely because I had such a beautiful family that I needed to become even more ruthless and vicious. To use one’s bloodstained hands to hug your family or to let them bleed… If you had to, what would you choose?”

Yun Che, “...”

“Given the aura of the present Primal Chaos, you definitely must have spilled a lot of blood and experienced a lot of life-and-death situations to reach such a realm within a span of thirty years. The current you has the passive desire to pursue power, but you don’t have the matching bloodlust or malice. Rather, you are filled with benevolent thoughts of ‘saving the world’... This may perhaps be a very good thing for someone else. But you are different and you should also realize that you are different.”

“You, the person who inherited Ni Xuan’s power, are destined to be the ruler of this world. But a ruler must not only be respected, he must also be feared. You need to deliberately curb the softening of your heart and soul.”

“And personally speaking, I would never want to see you, the person who has inherited his power… become the kind person that he was back then.”

Yun Che pondered those words for a moment before he nodded his head and said, “Mnn, this junior has carved Senior’s words into his mind.”

“Oh, that’s right.” Jie Yuan’s eyes slanted upwards as she suddenly said, “The female slave that you have just taken isn’t bad.”

“Huh?” Yun Che did not know why Jie Yuan would suddenly mention Qianye.

“Just based on her looks alone, she is even comparable to the so-called ‘Number One Sacred Fairy of the god race’, Li Suo, back in her heyday! Hmph.”

Jie Yuan, who was always incomparably cold and indifferent, had clearly gnashed her teeth slightly when she mentioned the words “the so-called Number One Sacred Fairy of the god race, Li Suo”.

After he took one look at Jie Yuan’s expression, Yun Che asked in a rather anxious voice, “Senior… seems to have some sort of grudge against Creation Goddess of Life Li Suo?”

Jie Yuan turned her face away before giving a heavy snort. She said in a cold voice, "Back then, when Ni Xuan had still been young and foolish, he chased Li Suo for a whole million years! Yet he kept getting cruelly rejected by Li Suo time and time again... After that, he finally grew disheartened and left to go to the realm where the devil race resided, and it was only then that he met me!"

“Hmph! What Number One Sacred Fairy of the god race? She was simply a stupid and clueless woman who could not see what was in front of her! In what way was Ni Xuan not worthy of her!?”

“Senior… you’re right of course.” Yun Che lowered his head deeply, his face twitching slightly. As expected, no matter what level a woman was at, this was one point that remained completely the same!

“It’s a pity that Hong’er just had to receive her favor,” Jie Yuan softly muttered to herself as she turned around. “You may leave… Remember what I said. Come to this place to find me after a month has passed. During this time, you are not to disturb me!”

…………

Yun Che left and the world of darkness beneath Cloud End’s Cliff once more became silent.

Ever since Jie Yuan had arrived in this place, the roars of those giant beasts which used to resound incessantly in this place had completely ceased. Under Jie Yuan’s faintly discernible darkness aura, those giant darkness beasts lived in a constant state of fear and trembling.

Upon seeing that You’er had once again drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Jie Yuan stood amidst the sea of Netherworld Udumbara Flowers. That pair of eyes, eyes which could terrify all of creation, overflowed with a deep sense of haziness and distress at this present moment.

“Ni Xuan...” She softly muttered to herself, “Why is it that I still can’t get used to a world without you, even though so many years have already gone by...”

"I was so strongly attached to life, so anxious to return... but the one thing I desired the most was not revenge, it was to see you and our daughter again..."

“All of our clansmen, friends, enemies, and adversaries are no longer around, and the Primal Chaos has become incomparably foreign to me. But our daughter is still safe and sound, even though she went from being our ‘Xuan Jie’ to being Hong’er and You’er. But at the very least, even though her existence had been ‘severed’, she has not lost anything.”

“Hong’er is always so happy and carefree and as long as someone accompanies You’er, she will be very content. Moreover, I have finally found a way to make her whole again while also making sure that she will have someone by her side forever.”

“Destiny destroyed everything but our daughter. So should I hate and resent destiny, or be grateful to it instead…”

She closed her eyes as she muttered to herself as if she was in a dream, “Ni Xuan, I know what you want me to do. But forgive me, because I’m going to go against your wishes once again. Because this time, I’ve found an… even better choice.”

She raised her head up and a faint smile, a smile that no living creature would be able to believe if they saw it, lit up that face which was full of scars. “Ni Xuan, wait for me… Once I have found the most suitable home for You’er, the home that she desires the most, I can finally… see you again…”

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