Against the Gods

Cang Shitian’s strike was malicious, ruthless, and completely unreserved. There was nothing he wanted more than to scatter Nan Wansheng like dust and bury him in the land of the dead forever.

His condition was already terrible, and the attack naturally made it worse. It was a betrayal at the worst possible moment. However, his pain and fury only lasted for an instant, and in the end not even a trace of surprise could be seen in his eyes.

“He… hehe…” Nan Wansheng let out a low chuckle as he extended his hand toward Cang Shitian. It looked like he wanted to grab the god emperor’s throat, but his temporary loss of control prevented him from doing so.

“As usual, you did not exceed expectations, Shitian…” his aura was crumbling, but his voice still carried the soul crushing weight of a true emperor. “The God Emperor of Deep Sea willingly becomes the dog of the devil? Heh… you will carry this shame… for eternity!”

Cang Shitian wasn’t angered in the slightest though. For the first time in his entire life, he smiled a smile that was pitying, derisive, and scornful toward Nan Wansheng. This was something he had imagined countless times in his head, but never saw the opportunity for it to become real until today. Sure, he hardly foresaw all this, but it only made the twisted joy massaging his bones all the more pleasurable.

“Better a dog than dead, don’t you agree?” He said smilingly, “Besides, when this ‘calamity’... excuse me, I mean ‘great war’ is over, the future ruler of God Realm, the definition of good or bad, right or wrong, and even human and devil could be completely different from before. Therefore, whether my choice is a stroke of eternal shame or eternal glory… remains to be seen!”

“Unfortunately for you though, you no longer even have the right to witness this all anymore, hehehe, hahahaha!”

Bang!!

Cang Shitian turned his wrist, and a vast energy tore through Nan Wansheng’s body, twisting his flesh, bones, and even veins until they broke like twigs.

“Hiss… ahhhh!”

Eyes bloodshot, Nan Wansheng let out a distorted howl that sounded even more desperate than a cornered animal. At this moment, his hatred for Cang Shitian surpassed even his hatred for Yun Che.

“Cang Shitian, I will… drag you to hell even if I’m ground to dust!”

Grief and hatred reaching their peak, Nan Wansheng dispeled all of his protection, twisted his body in a way that was sure to distort it, and fired a beam of golden light at Cang Shitian. He put even Yan Three’s terrifying claw out of his mind.

The light looked beautiful yet despairing. It was as if Nan Wansheng had empowered the attack with every drop of blood he had left in his body.

A dying Southern Sea God Emperor, was still the Southern Sea God Emperor!

Cang Shitian’s soul shivered when the golden light appeared. He didn’t think that Nan Wansheng would use his last all-out attack on him, much less possess so much strength even in his current state. Not only did his energy die in his palm, he had to lean backward and move at least a couple of kilometers away from Nan Wansheng to avoid the blast.

In the end, Cang Shitian was unharmed, but that was hardly something to be proud of considering how wounded Nan Wansheng was.

“Heh…”

Just as Nan Wansheng’s lips curled into a disdainful sneer, he felt a soul-chilling cold attacking him from behind. Forget defending, he lacked even the strength to turn around and face it.

BOOM

Yan Three struck Nan Wansheng squarely, and black fog erupted from the god emperor’s back.

His vision turned black, and his body turned so cold he couldn’t even feel the pain.

To think that the Southern Sea Realm would end during my reign...

To think that it would end in such a miserable and powerless way...

I… do not accept this...

Half-dead, Nan Wansheng crashed toward the ground like a meteor. He wasn’t dead yet, but all his strength and willpower had disappeared. He had obviously yielded to his fate.

“My king!” Sorrowful shouts resounded across the entire Southern Sea Capital. The trajectory of the Southern Sea God Emperor’s fall was yet another crack in their last hopes and dreams.

In the distance, the Xuanyuan God Emperor and Purple Micro God Emperor’s auras grew increasingly disturbed. It was a pale reflection of the chaos running rampant inside their hearts.

By attacking Nan Wansheng, Cang Shitian made it clear that he was throwing in his lot with Yun Che. If his offer was accepted, then both he and his realm would be spared from their destructive fate.

The end of the Southern Sea Realm could no longer be changed. Even they couldn’t possibly overturn a tide like this.

The Devil Master’s cruelty was bone-chilling and unforgettable, and they had already missed their chance to surrender first. If they didn’t act soon, then it would truly be too late.

The Xuanyuan God Emperor gritted his teeth and opened his palm. A storm of sword energy surrounded his body instantly.

However, the Purple Micro God Emperor grabbed his shoulder firmly and stopped him before he could do anything else. Then shook his head at him and said in a low tone, “Xuanyuan, we may swallow this shame and submit temporarily for the sake of our king realms… but we must never throw away our bottom line! Don’t you get it? There is no turning back once you commit yourself to this act! Even when the dragon gods slaughtered the northern devils to the last, and everything returned to how it was as they were before, it would remain a stain in your honor for eternity!”

His eyebrows were furrowed, and his hands were tightly clenched. In the end, the Xuanyuan God Emperor dispeled his sword auras and restrained himself.

Suddenly, an explosion ripped the ground apart, and a blood-drenched Nan Guizhong took to the sky. He caught Nan Wansheng firmly with his wrinkly hands and injected a burst of energy into the latter’s body and soul, restarting his blood flow and heartbeat.

“Wansheng,” Nan Guizhong said slowly, “You lost the right to die the moment you became the Southern Sea God Emperor… this is the first thing I taught you the day I passed the throne to you. Have you forgotten all about it already?”

Nan Wansheng opened his blood-drenched eyes and groaned painfully, “Fa… ther…”

Suddenly, his pupils widened in shock before his voice was gone… it was because a dot of golden light had suddenly extinguished from Nan Guizhong’s heart. It was like a literal flash in the pan.

“Ah… aahh…” Indescribable pain twisted Nan Wansheng’s expression and voice.

“It’s the Sea God Crushed Jade,” Qianye Wugu muttered.

“Ai. He did not have to do this.” Qianye Wugu let out a sigh. With Nan Guizhong’s strength, it wasn’t impossible for him to make an escape if he really tried.

Not far away, Gu Zhu faced toward Qianye Ying’er and repeated the same line. “It’s the Sea God Crushed Jade.”

Qianye Ying’er frowned a little, but she quickly broke into a disdainful chuckle and said, “So what? A dying flash is a dying flash no matter how bright it is.”

In the distance, the two Sea Gods struggling under Yan Two and Yan Wu’s pressure turned sorrowful once more.

Sea God Crushed Jade was a suicidal technique unique to the bloodline of the Sea Gods. It was used only when it became certain that death was the only outcome.

The technique was hardly a secret among the king realms, but considering how powerful the Southern Sea Realm was, no one thought that it would ever see use until now.

The Southern Sea Crushed Jade technique destroyed Nan Guizhong’s life vein, profound veins, and Sea Soul at the same time. However, his weakened power swelled so explosively that he exceeded the peak he was at back in his prime.

The air stilled, and the world trembled. Born from the pit of despair, the power of a former Southern Sea God Emperor was undoubtedly powerful.

However… standing in his way were Qianye Wugu, Qianye Bingzhu, Caizhi, and the Dragon Emperor of Absolute Beginning.

Not even his final light could outshine his four enemies.

“If this is fate, then so be it. Goodbye, my old friend. Our time is long behind us.” Qianye Bingzhu let out a sigh before attacking the Nan father and son. There was no mercy behind his power despite his merciful words.

Everyone thought that Nan Guizhong would try to cause as much death and destruction as possible to the northern devils. That was what most people who used a suicidal technique would do.

Instead, he avoided Qianye Bingzhu’s attack and flew Nan Wansheng straight toward the ruined capital city beneath them.

“... ?” Qianye Bingzhu frowned in confusion.

“Hmm?” Qianye Ying’er looked confused as well until a thought suddenly flashed across her mind. She blurted out, “The Phantom Sea Four-Star Formation! Stop him!”

The Phantom Sea Four-Star Formation was an escape formation used to teleport its passengers far, far away to safety. It had the word “phantom” in its name because the teleportation was completely invisible and untraceable!

The stronger a star realm, the better the escape routes they prepared in case of need.

The Phantom Sea Four-Star Formation was a spatial profound formation no outsiders had ever seen before. However, there were records stating that it could teleport its passengers instantly and without leaving any traces behind just like a Void Illusion Stone.

Unlike a Void Illusion Stone, the location it teleported its passenger to was fixed. It was essentially one spatial passageway connecting two formations together. Of course, no one knew where the other formation was located. It wasn’t like the Southern Sea Realm had any inclination to advertise their escape route.

One thing was certain though. If the Phantom Sea Four-Star Formation truly was as untraceable as the records stated, then they couldn’t allow Nan Guizhong and Nan Wansheng to reach it no matter what. It would be like searching for a needle in the bottom of a sea if they managed to escape.

Rumble!!

Like thunder, Qianye Bingzhu and Qianye Wugu merged their Brahma Monarch powers seamlessly and struck down onto Nan Wansheng and Nan Guizhong.

However, Caizhi and even the Dragon Emperor of Absolute Beginning she commanded acted a beat slower than their counterparts.

A dark light flashed across her starry eyes as she stared at the descending Nan Guizhong and Nan Wansheng.

Sensing the heavy pressure, Nan Guizhong summoned a blinding golden energy and flung it behind him without looking back.

BOOM!!

Space within five thousand kilometers of the point of impact shattered, and pitch black scars covered the entire sky. Qianye Bingzhu and Qianye Wugu shuddered from head to toe as a terrifying explosion knocked them back against their will. Cang Shitian was trying to approach Nan Guizhong and Nan Wansheng, but he too was sent flying by the explosion.

Pu!

A jet of blood spilled out of Nan Guizhong’s mouth, but he didn’t allow his aura or his speed to decrease in the slightest… This was the first and the last time he achieved a feat as grand as forcing back two Brahma Ancestors in one strike.

The speed Nan Guizhong attained via burning his life was simply too swift. By the time the two Brahma Ancestors recovered themselves, Nan Guizhong had already activated the profound formation that had slumbered for countless years beneath the ruined capital. A ray of pure spatial light illuminated its surroundings.

It was the Phantom Sea Four-Star Formation!

Nan Guizhong pushed Nan Wansheng into the formation. White light engulfed the god emperor in no time.

“Don’t forget, Wansheng. You don’t have the right to die. You must live even if you must skulk in the darkness and lie low like a defeated dog for a very long time to come!”

The Southern Sea’s artifact of divine inheritance was with Nan Wansheng. This meant that, as long as Nan Wansheng survived this calamity, the Southern Sea God Realm might be destroyed, but the Southern Sea Realm would return one day!

Nan Wansheng, his voice and his aura disappeared before he could finish.

Just like the records stated, the teleportation was instantaneous and completely untraceable.

When the white light dissipated, Nan Guizhong destroyed the now powerless Phantom Sea Four-Star Formation without hesitation.

“...” In the distance, A dark aura and deep frown suddenly crossed Yun Che’s features. It caused Yan One to shiver a little.

Although Nan Wansheng was on the brink of death, he ultimately managed to make an escape. This meant that he would become a threat in the future.

Plus, of all the people in the entire Southern Sea Realm, Nan Wansheng was undoubtedly the one he wished to kill the most!

Of all the people...

“Heh… hehe.” Nan Guizhong let out a low, raspy chuckle as he set himself on the ground.

His power hadn’t burned out yet, but instead of spending his remaining time fighting his foes, he closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

Sometimes, a destructive calamity was necessary to make a person grow.

He was an old, decrepit man, and he had failed to save the Southern Sea God Realm from the clutches of Yun Che... but at least he managed to save its last seed and hope!

Far, far away, at a hot, barren planet where not a single plant could be seen.

It was a planet with a dirty aura, infinitely thin elements, and zero living beings. It was located in the God Realm, but no self-respecting divine way profound practitioner would ever deign to visit this planet.

At a broken mountain range to the north of this forgotten planet, a ray of white light and a blood-drenched figure suddenly emerged into existence.

Nan Wansheng lay on the ground with eyes similar to that of a blood wolf’s. Every bit of blood, every cell in his body was brimming with infinite hatred.

He slowly rose to his feet. Battered and exhausted he might be, but he was still the Southern Sea God Emperor. The final burst of energy Nan Guizhong gave him also restored his vitality somewhat.

“Yun… Che!” Nan Wansheng uttered through blood and crushed teeth. “I… will…!”

His voice abruptly came to a stop. The world suddenly became impossibly silent and cold.

He couldn’t move. He couldn’t feel anything except the cold.

Then, a blue light as transparent as a dream penetrated his chest and delivered another blast of terrifying cold into his body, his organs, his blood, and even his soul.

There had been no sign to notice, no aura to detect. Nan Wansheng didn’t even know how the blue light had penetrated him.

A blurry figure slowly appeared before his fuzzy, frozen eyes. It was a dreamily beautiful woman with hair as blue as ice surrounded by a cold aura.

Ding...

It was the last sound he ever heard in his life. The cold energy that had seeped into his body exposed their true power, and his so-called indestructible body disintegrated into icy dust just like that.

The only thing that was left intact was the head. It fell.

During his final moments, Nan Wansheng experienced a terminal lucidity and somehow saw the woman’s face with perfect clarity.

It’s that woman… who died outside Blue Pole Star...

But… how...

Thump.

His head hit the ground with a dull thump. It sounded just like how a mortal’s head would sound if it hit the ground.

Shrouded in cold and silence, Mu Xuanyin slowly walked toward the frozen head. Not one shred of emotion could be seen in her eyes.

In the end, revenge was a dish best served by one’s own hands.