Against the Gods

"UWAAAAAAH!"

Long Bai let out a screech of pain, but he wasn't able to break free from Yun Che's grasp at all. The bloody light in his eyes grew even more frenzied as the image of a blood-stained claw appeared over his left arm and launched itself towards Yun Che's throat.

However, before that claw could even approach him, Yun Che had already kicked Long Bai in the stomach.

Pffftboooom!

Long Bai's scorched body instantly curled up like a shrimp as he was sent flying through the air. Upon landing, he pathetically bounced off the ground more than a dozen times, like a leather ball that had been kicked away.

The power he had obtained from burning his blood essence was still abundant, but Long Bai simply lay curled up on the ground. His blank eyes were as wide as saucers, as if his soul had left his body.

Why...

I've already burned my blood essence, so why can't I kill him...

Just… Why...

This is fake… It can't be real...

It's a nightmare… yes! All of this is a nightmare! A figment of my imagination!

I am the exalted Dragon Monarch, and he's only a devil spawn that's barely over thirty! The difference between us is like the difference between the sky and an ant!

Such an absurd and ridiculous thing could only happen in a nightmare!

"Long Bai, and all of your lackeys, listen up and listen good."

Yun Che slowly walked forward as he raised his head to look at them, his voice low and deep. "In this world, there has never been such a thing as the Dragon Queen. There has only ever been Shen Xi!"

Those words caused the eyes of all the Divine Masters of the Western Region to tremble in shock. It was also at this moment that Long Bai's head jerked up to stare at Yun Che, a terrifying bloody light shining from his eyes.

"More than three hundred thousand years ago, you, Long Bai, had your limbs crippled and eyes blinded. You were then abandoned in a wasteland and left to die! It was Shen Xi who saved your life!"

"Your rebirth and subsequent rise, your ascension from hell to heaven as you took the throne and became the strongest Dragon God in the history of the Dragon God Realm. All of these were given to you by Shen Xi!"

"Without Shen Xi, you would have died a long time ago! Not even the dust from your tattered carcass would have remained!"

"The so-called title of 'Dragon Queen' was merely an empty title that Shen Xi allowed so that she would not be disturbed by the rest of the world. This should have merely been a woeful repayment of your heavy debt towards her. However, you… forcefully swept her up in your fabricated fantasy!"

"Krrrk… krrrk krrrrk…" The sound of Long Bai's teeth grinding against each other rang in the air as his eyes turned as wild and ghastly as a ghost's.

"Long Bai, listen up." Yun Che was slowly walking toward Long Bai. He was staring down at him from above while he lay on the ground like a cripple, as if he was using the mere power of his gaze to press Long Bai against the ground. "Shen Xi has never been any bullshit Dragon Queen! She only has two identities. The first is her original identity as Shen Xi. The second is my woman!"

Bang!

Long Bai's fangs fractured as blood started trickling from his mouth.

Chi Wuyao's previous words and Long Bai's strange obsession and antagonism for Yun Che had already given the Divine Masters of the west some idea of what had happened.

Even though they had already guessed at the truth, their jaws still dropped to the ground when they heard Yun Che's words.

The title of "Dragon Queen" had existed for more than two hundred thousand years. It had existed for longer than the reigns of generations of god emperors and it was a name that everyone in the God Realm knew of!

The beautiful story of the smitten Dragon Monarch and his queen had been passed down from generation to generation. Even the most common lower realm king had vast harems and entire crowds of concubines. However, the Dragon Monarch only took the "Dragon Queen" as his wife throughout his reign as emperor.

Dragons were lascivious by nature, this was something that all living creatures knew. However, ever since he had given Shen Xi the title of "Dragon Queen", a period that had spanned more than two hundred thousand years, he had not once touched or even gone near another woman!

It turns out that everything had only been… a one-sided obsession on the part of the Dragon Monarch!?

And the world-renowned "Dragon Queen" Shen Xi had actually done what with Yun Che!?

It was rumored that Yun Che had stayed in the Forbidden Land of Samsara for a short year after the Profound God Convention had ended.

This…

This!!!???

Their heads started buzzing as the information overwhelmed them.

"You were originally just a toad who continued to bask in his own beautiful dreams. In fact, you were so pathetic that I took pity on you. But I never dreamed that you were actually a mad dog who would bite at his own benefactor!"

Bang!

As he shattered the last fang in his mouth, Long Bai let out an enraged howl that came from the bottom of his very soul.

"UWAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!"

Yun Che's words were undoubtedly the most cruel and venomous blade in the world to Long Bai, no matter the time or the moment. In fact, it was a million times more cruel than destroying the Dragon God Realm in front of him.

Space swelled to the point of bursting and the light dimmed as Long Bai once again reverted to his gigantic dragon form in extreme rage.

This time, his pale white body had already been scorched black and there were countless dark and bloody grooves carved into his flesh. His aura had also become extremely chaotic and frenzied. Long Bai let out a howl of rage as he rushed toward Yun Che like a completely deranged and insane dragon.

Riiip!

Riiiip!!

Rumble——

His claw wildly tore through the air, ripping apart everything in his path, as his cries pierced the ears and the hearts of everyone present.

The stench of dragon blood in the air was turning thicker and thicker, to the point where its smell had started to make people gag.

However, although the frenzied draconic power was ripping even space itself into shreds, it could not even touch the corner of Yun Che's robes. The chaotic dragon might that was spewing all over the place couldn't even hurt a single hair on his head.

AOOOO——BOOOM!!

A huge burst of energy sent the heavily-injured and deranged Long Bai stumbling heavily into the ground, causing his cries to shake the air and claws to rend the ground.

Yun Che's figure had appeared behind Long Bai's back. His long hair danced in the air as the figure of an Ice Phoenix appeared behind him. It gave a long and loud phoenix cry as its power violently poured down on Long Bai. One Frozen End Heaven Sealing Formation after the other appeared around Long Bai's tail, and in the blink of an eye, that gigantic tail was entirely encased in an icy-blue glow.

This icy-blue light turned into an azure divine light as the Ice Phoenix behind Yun Che morphed into the vicious-looking figure of the Heavenly Wolf. He used his own hand as a blade as the might of the Heavenly Wolf Sword Style was put on full and violent display.

Heavenly Wolf Slash!

Wild Fang!

Heavenly Star Lamentation!

Instantaneous Hell Calamity!

Azure Wolf Claw!

As the might of the first five styles of the Heavenly Wolf Sword smashed into Long Bai, thousands of cracks appeared over his frozen tail… Then, the gigantic tail suddenly shattered and dissolved into millions of icy fragments swirling in the wind.

Not a single drop of dragon blood was spilled when it happened.

A despairing dragon howl rent the air and shook the earth, but Yun Che's figure had already landed on Long Bai's back. His body glowed with the combination of darkness profound energy and those dreadful crimson flames as the reddish-black Devil Flames of Eternal Calamity wreathed his hands.

Chiiiii————

The Devil Flames of Eternal Calamity melted through that thick dragon hide like a hot knife through butter, opening a wound that began to eat into Long Bai's back. Amidst Long Bai's anguished roars and that dreadful sound of flesh and fat crackling, those devilish flames quickly ate through his back, causing the wound to grow deeper and deeper...

In the span of a few short breaths, a hole that was dozens of meters deep had been scorched into the Dragon Monarch's back.

As he leaped into the hole, Yun Che grabbed the spine in his hands. His eyes went dark and cold as all of the power in his body wildly surged into his arms...

"HAAAAAAH!!"

He gave a violent yell as he exerted all of his strength. An extremely terrifying explosive popping sound to reverberate through the air… This popping sound was soon followed by the sound of something being broken.

CRAAAAACK!!!!!

That dragon spine, something which stretched thousands of meters, had just been… snapped in half by Yun Che.

The anguished dragon cry that sprang from Long Bai's lips was so shrill and miserable that it caused the light in the sky to dim, and the stars themselves to shake.

If any living creature had their spines shattered, they were destined to be at least half a cripple and the Dragon Monarch was no exception to that rule.

Now that his tail had been shattered and his spine had been broken, the Dragon Monarch's aura swiftly dissipated. His body writhed and spasmed in agony and his wails were so anguished that it was pitiable.

His utterly broken and tattered dragon body began to swiftly shrink and he transformed back into his human form amidst a chaotic swirl of energy.

Long Bai was on his knees, his back slumped forward. Now that his spine was broken, he was unable to straighten his body or stand up. He could only desperately twitch and spasm like a blob of goo.

The Deep Sea Divine Region had fallen so silent that one could even have heard a pin drop. It was almost as if Yun Che had not broken Long Bai's spine, but the once-indestructible will and belief of the dragon god race.

Yun Che descended from the skies and landed in front of Long Bai. His gaze was as cold and impassive as ever as he said, "Now you know what sort of trash you are, right?"

"Compared to me, you weren't even worth as much as a worm in Shen Xi's eyes. To think that you actually continued on with that ridiculous dream for hundreds of thousands of years. How laughable, sad, and pitiable."

"... Erk… Krrrrk…" Long Bai's broken fangs pierced into his gums as he clenched his jaw violently, blood flowing from his mouth like a waterspout.

However, the pain his body was feeling right now wasn't even one-millionth of the pain that was sawing through his soul. In fact, he felt as if a million knives were ripping right through it at every instant.

"Oh right, there's something else that I don't mind telling you." Yun Che crouched down and his voice rang loudly in Long Bai's ears. "When I think about it, it was Shen Xi who made a move to seduce me in the first place. After all, the only person who is worthy of her in this universe is me."

"The day that it happened in the Forbidden Land of Samsara was a beautiful memory I will never forget. Her body was like the most luxurious and beautiful jade in the world and her voice was like the loveliest celestial song in the universe… Oh then again, what does any of this have to do with you? As the ungrateful, filthy, and despicable dragon you are, you don't even have the right to touch the corner of her robes!"

"Ah… Aaaah… AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"

His bloodshot eyes bulged out of his swelling face so dramatically that they looked like they were about to explode as Long Bai let out a strange howl that sounded like it came from a cross between a wild beast and demon. His broken body wobbled as he desperately tried to lunge forward and use his fragmented fangs to rip away at Yun Che's flesh.

He had collapsed. He had completely and utterly collapsed.

Even the last bit of dignity, the last bit of rationality he had was lost… Even the last reason he could use to try to comfort himself had been utterly destroyed.

Bang!

Yun Che's leg lashed out. A wave of energy erupted from it and smashed into Long Bai's face. It was almost as if he didn't want to get stained by any of Long Bai's filthy blood.

The raving Dragon Monarch was sent flying like a lump of blood stained charcoal. This kick had been so heavy that it had blasted him fifty kilometers away.

Now that it had come to this, the Dragon Gods may still have had some reservations but the Venerable Withered Dragons had no choice but to act.

As a gray figure blurred through the air, a vast and warm draconic energy gently caught Long Bai's body. Long Yi and Long Wu's hunched figures then appeared behind Long Bai as they planted their withered hands on his back.

Two incredibly dense and thick streams of draconic energy surged into Long Bai's body and forcibly melded his broken spine together. This would allow him to recover his mobility in a short period of time.

However, the incredibly dreadful burns left on his internal organs and the heavy loss of his blood essence caused them to frown deeply.

Long Yi raised his head to stare straight at Yun Che before he quietly whispered, "If this man was righteous, the world would achieve eternal peace. But if this man turns to the devil…"

"Then he must not be allowed to live!" Long Wu finished.

The hunched figures of Long Er, Long San, and Long Si had silently appeared as well. Their gazes and their auras were all firmly locked onto Yun Che's figure.

At this moment, they knew that killing this unimaginably dreadful monster was the reason for their emergence from their divine hibernation.

"Looks like it has finally come to this." Chi Wuyao's silken scarf had already started whirling around her arm.

Even though her nerves were tightly wound up, she did not immediately give the command to attack. Instead, she had quietly waited to see Yun Che's reaction.

As the draconic energy of the Venerable Withered Dragons poured into Long Bai and their spirit energies calmed his soul, his tattered body and soul started to repair themselves. He also finally managed to regain a bit of rationality and clarity.

However, it was completely unable to dispel the words that Yun Che had just said to him, words which were more cruel and venomous than a thousand levels of hell.

He suddenly raised his arm and let out a shockingly grating howl. "Kill him… Kill him… KILL HIM!!!"

What "I'll personally kill him", what "the dignity of the Dragon Monarch"... What dignity did he even have left!?

He wanted Yun Che to die… to die immediately! In the cruelest way possible!

His wild roar violently plucked at the heartstrings of all the Dragon Gods, Dragon Sovereigns, and Divine Masters of the Western Region.

Rumble!!

The violently erupting draconic energy caused thunder to roil the sky. Even the heavily-injured Azure Dragon God and White Rainbow Dragon God had joined the fray as the Dragon Gods gave vent to their rage, shock, and humiliation by releasing their draconic energy to its fullest extent.

Even the draconic energies of the five mighty Venerable Withered Dragons were heavily pressing down on Yun Che.

In the next instant, a murderous light shone in the eyes of Yan One, Yan Two, and Yan Three. The figure of the Ice Phoenix coalesced in Mu Xuanyin's cold eyes, while Qianye Bingzhu pressed down on his Brahma symbol… Even the heavily injured Northern Region Divine Masters had all gotten to their feet through will alone. They gritted their teeth and started stirring up the last bit of power that remained their flesh and bones.

As long as the Devil Master or Devil Queen gave the command, they would willingly rush headlong into an abyss of doom.

Because they had just personally witnessed the most dazzling light in the world… they could now die without any regrets.

Yun Che had defeated Long Bai alone, and it had been a complete and utter victory.

Although he could forcibly suppress the other side's power by a mind-boggling forty percent, Yun Che would not be able to take on the five mighty Venerable Withered Dragons by himself… What's more, there were still seven enraged Dragon Gods and enough Western Region Divine Masters to send a person into despair.

"Devil Master of the North," Long Yi said in a slow and languid voice. "Though I do not know where your Dragon God blood comes from, you are still intrinsically linked to our dragon god race."

"If you had stood for righteousness, the entire world would have been blessed. However, you have, most unfortunately, chosen the path of devildom, so you must be completely annihilated."

Long Yi did not notice that when he said those words, the expression of the Divine Masters behind him all turned uncomfortable. There were even some who deeply bowed their heads and refused to lift them up even after a long time had passed.

"Righteousness?" Yun Che sneered with a cold laugh. "Are any of you qualified to mention that word in front of me?"

"Kill… Quickly kill him! Kill him!!"

Long Bai's hoarse cries were growing more and more shrill and he resembled a mad ghost that had been chained to the bottom of hell for countless years.

He could no longer tolerate Yun Che's continued existence for even a second longer. Right now, the thing that would bring him the most joy in this world was to completely and utterly tear Yun Che to shreds.

"Since we have already decided that we can not coexist, then there is no need for needless words." Long San raised his hand. "There is also no need to hold anything back any longer. Let's attack."

The moment he finished speaking, the figures of the five Venerable Withered Dragons shot out at the same time and the draconic auras of the seven Dragon Gods followed swiftly behind them.

The five Withered Dragons and seven Dragon Gods were actually launching a joint attack on an opponent!

This was definitely the most unprecedented and strange sight in the history of the God Realm. Even the ancestor of the dragon god race would not have been able to believe what he was seeing if he were still alive in this world.

One could well imagine just how deep and dark a shadow Yun Che's battle with Long Bai had left in their hearts.

The world violently shook and the storms that were forming in the wake of their attacks had even stopped all the Divine Masters from breathing for a moment,

Chi Wuyao's brows knitted together tightly, she was just about to give an order when her devilish eyes suddenly trembled.

She was unable to see Yun Che's expression, but her powerful devil soul was only able to sense two emotions from the vibrations of Yun Che's soul. The first was murderous malice… and the second was actually a deeply-rooted contempt!

It was a contempt reserved for beings viewed as ants!

Yun Che proudly stood unmoving in the middle of the twelve storms that had been generated by unrivaled draconic power. He slowly raised a hand and a beam of dense purple light burst out and pierced the heavens themselves. He spoke in a grim voice that shook the souls of everyone present. "How dare a bunch of pathetic dragons like you act so brashly in front of me!?"

"Kneel… Before… Me!!"