Against the Gods

Yun Che hadn't spoken a word since, "Announce it, Tianli."

However, his imperious might had sunk into everyone's soul like the falling sky, choked them out like a million mountains, and extinguished the last embers of their resistance completely.

When the curtain of light cascaded from Emperor Yun City, one blue and one yellow figure—Shui Yingyue and Lu Zhou—flew toward it and engraved the names "Glazed Light Realm" and "Shrouding Sky Realm" faster than anyone else.

After the other upper star realm kings had woken up from their trance, they also exploded toward the light screen and engraved their realm names on the curtain of light as well. No one wanted to be mistaken as hesitating, especially since Emperor Yun was watching them from above right now.

This was but a simple declaration of loyalty, and yet the upper star realm kings practically fought each other just to get their realm names on the light screen on a conspicuous spot even a second sooner.

Not only that, every second of the scene was projected live across the entire God Realm.

At this point, anyone who claimed that they didn't understand the full weight of the title "Emperor Yun" after witnessing the complete submission of the king realms and the competition between the upper star realm kings could only be lying through their teeth.

There were three upper star realm kings who, unlike everyone else around them, hesitated to put their realm name on the screen of light, however.

"Sect Master Huo, you do it." Yan Wancang let out a heavy sigh. "You are the only one who can."

However, Huo Rulie shook his head and said, "I don't have the right to represent my realm king."

"But it is your, no, our responsibility to protect the Flame God Realm no matter the cost," Yan Juehai said with a complicated expression on his face. "Forget overstepping our authority, we can surrender even our lives if it means safeguarding our realm."

"Plus, you were the realm king's master. He respects you the most out of all of us, and if nothing else… your right to transgress is greater than ours."

Huo Rulie hesitated for a moment. Then, he charged toward the light screen and engraved "Flame God Realm" on it.

He knew Huo Poyun would see this for sure.

"Hmm? Are you Sect Master Huo of the Flame God Realm?"

Huo Rulie was just about to leave when a taunting voice entered his ears. "I haven't heard anything about your ascension to become the Flame God Realm King, Sect Master Huo! Have you forgotten to notify me? How… discourteous of you."

Huo Rulie didn't even need to turn to know that the speaker was the old enemy of the Flame God Realm, the Descendant Fire Realm King. He replied coldly, "Our realm king is sick, so I am replacing him. That is all there is to it."

The Descendant Fire Realm King sneered. "Sick? Emperor Yun is the first great emperor of the entire God Realm! Forget sick, he should crawl his way over even if he is on his last breath!"

"But instead of doing so, he sends a small sect master to represent him?" The Descendant Fire Realm King's voice abruptly turned severe. "This is a clear act of contempt against His Magnificence! What do you have to say, Flame God Realm!?"

Up until now, no one had dared to say anything due to the heavy pressure that was Emperor Yun's presence. That was why the commotion had drawn every pair of eyes.

Huo Rulie feared nothing his whole life, but at this moment, he felt like his soul was about to snap from the tension, and his normally molten hot blood was cooling into ice.

He could feel the gaze of the realm kings, the god emperors, and Emperor Yun himself solidifying on this location.

One of the best ways to establish one's power was to make an example out of someone. He couldn't help but wonder if the Descendant Fire Realm would be rewarded for their contribution, and the Flame God Realm be scapegoated for their act of contempt and be destroyed.

After all, it was a fact that the Flame God Realm King hadn't attended the grand coronation ceremony. He hadn't bent the knee when the eastern realm kings had submitted to the Devil Master, and he had almost been executed by Yun Che in the Snow Song Realm.

"The Flame God Realm has no such intentions!" Yan Wancang stepped forward in a hurry and stood together with Huo Rulie. However, he was nowhere strong enough to withstand the spiritual pressure from all the higher realm kings in front of him, and the god emperors above him. His heart abruptly clenched, and all the protestations he was going to make were stifled in his throat.

Just when everyone's attention was drawn to this brief interlude, a white light suddenly exploded from behind the crowd and straight toward the light screen.

The sudden eruption of profound energy was unusually powerful, cutting through layers of space like they were nothing more but water. All the higher realm kings next to it were pushed away as well.

"Despicable devil person… you, an emperor!? You will be punished by the heavens!!"

A horrifying screech accompanied the sound of shattering space. It was a woman's voice, and yet the sheer brokenness and hatred behind it caused everyone's hair to stand on their end.

Everyone's attention was pulled away from the trio and toward the owner of the voice instantly. What they saw was a famous face that no realm king would ever dare to forget.

She was Luo Guxie!

There was a massive difference between the Luo Guxie they remembered and the one they were currently seeing, however. For starters, she looked like she had aged an impossible amount of time. Her hair was half white, she had black rings around her eyes, and her countenance was horribly distorted.

If it wasn't for her unique aura, no one would be able to match her current appearance to "Fairy Guxie".

Somehow, not a single one of them had noticed her existence until now. She must have used some sort of bizarre method to cover up her aura.

Maybe it was because the god emperors were too high up in the sky, but they hadn't seemed to notice her until she revealed herself either.

Although her countenance was distorted, her strength hadn't diminished in the slightest. As the former strongest profound practitioner beneath the eastern region king realms, her strike had the power to split mountains and sunder the sky itself.

Of course, Yun Che was surrounded by god emperors. He didn't have to lift a finger, and ten Luo Guxies still wouldn't be able to harm a hair on his person.

The light screen though was a completely different story. There was no chance it would survive a full-powered hit from Luo Guxie.

The light screen was a list of all the realms that had sworn their loyalty to Emperor Yun. If it was destroyed before the eyes of every man and woman in the entire Primal Chaos, it would undoubtedly deal a severe blow to his image.

However, it had happened all too suddenly, and was right when everyone was distracted by something else. There was nothing the higher realm kings could do to stop her.

It was at this moment the eyes of the three Yama Ancestors shone with a black light.

Luo Guxie had been waiting for a perfect opportunity like this. Likewise, they had been ready to go from the start.

The moment she acted, all three Yama Ancestors immediately summoned their powers and each unleashed a wisp of black energy from above.

No one doubted Luo Guxie's strength, but she might as well be a child before the three Yama Ancestors.

In fact, if the Devil Queen hadn't ordered them to prevent even a single drop of her filthy blood from staining the ceremony, they would never have lowered themselves to attack her together.

The power of the three Yama Ancestors devoured all of Luo Guxie's space-splitting blast like it was nothing. It looked as easy as scattering a puff of smoke.

The suppression of power came just as quick as its emergence. It happened so quickly that even the Divine Masters couldn't react to what was going on.

Luo Guxie's ugly expression froze when her power disappeared before it could destroy the light screen.

At the same time, three wisps of energy so dark that her breath caught in her throat slipped into her body, suppressed her profound energy, sealed her profound veins and immobilized her down to every cell. Forget moving or using her profound energy, she couldn't even feel the cold in her little finger anymore.

At Emperor Yun City, Mu Xuanyin raised her finger and made a tapping motion. The image of an ice phoenix flashed above Luo Guxie, and...

Ding!

A deep blue light spread across Luo Guxie's body with incredible speed until she was turned into a frozen statue. Then, she scattered into a cloud of diamond dust before many shrinking pupils.

There wasn't even a single trace of blood.

Mu Xuanyin then looked behind her and spoke in a chilling voice, "Take out the corpse dust. It will not taint this land."

Whoosh!!

Several black storms immediately appeared out of nowhere, seized the diamond dust before it had a chance to scatter, and took it to a far distant place where no one's senses could reach.

As promised, not even a single speck of Luo Guxie was left behind.

Dead silence enveloped the space beneath Emperor Yun City.

Luo Guxie, a peak level nine Divine Master, was the former strongest profound practitioner beneath the eastern region king realms and the better of all higher realm kings. Practically no one had not heard her name.

Her ruthless and terrifying attempt at revenge had certainly lived up to her reputation as well.

However...

Such a person had been crushed so quickly and easily that they could've mistaken her for a grasshopper by the roadside.

Moreover, the murder had happened right before the eyes of the higher realm kings present for the ceremony, and all the profound practitioners watching the projection right now. It struck a sense of terror in their hearts like nothing they had ever felt before.

Luo Guxie was already much stronger than all of them, and yet the subordinates of the Devil Master—no, Emperor Yun were even stronger than that. It was a kind of strength that surpassed even their wildest imagination.

If the powerful Luo Guxie could be annihilated in an instant, what could the rest of them possibly hope to do? Emperor Yun had just proven without lifting a finger that the resistance and wishful thinking of countless profound practitioners were fuel for the funniest, stupidest jokes in the entire universe.

The Shrouding Sky Realm King, Lu Zhou abruptly dropped to his knees, filled his throat with profound energy, and roared on top of his lungs, "His Magnificence's divine might is omnipotent and all-encompassing, and that crazy woman, Luo Guxie was but an ant before him! There is no greater sin beneath this heaven than to defy Emperor Yun, and all those who attempt it shall be met with the severest death!"

"All who have partaken in Emperor Yun's protection will strive to eliminate these evils after they've returned to our realms! These lowly ants will not disturb Emperor Yun's mood!"

Lu Zhou's full-throated shout successfully broke the higher realm kings from their stupor and caused them to drop to their knees. Even as they screamed out their oaths of loyalty though, they couldn't dispel the fear in their souls for a very long time.

Luo Guxie had obviously plotted her revenge for a long time now, but not only had she failed to land a single speck of dust on Yun Che, Chi Wuyao had used her to cement Yun Che's authority in the most direct and intimidating manner.

Meanwhile, Huo Rulie, Yan Juehai, and Yan Wancang all let out deep sighs of relief.

After that short but heart-throbbing interlude, no one was paying attention to the Flame God Realm anymore.

Their relief only lasted for a few breaths before overwhelming anxiety pressed down on their hearts.

In the eyes of countless people, the upper star realms were insurmountable existences, but to Yun Che, they were humble places at best.

As the Flame God Realm King, Huo Poyun must understand the consequences of his obstinance… maybe even stupidity.

But he...

Contrary to the people beneath the Emperor Yun City who were panicking, those standing above it looked completely unperturbed.

After shooting Yun Che a careful glance, and meeting the Devil Queen's eyes for a brief pause, Qi Tianli rose to his feet again and continued his announcement:

"... Chi Wuyao shall be crowned the Great Empress. She is bestowed the power to command all four divine regions, utilize their resources, and control the lives of any being as she sees fit! Those who defy the Empress shall be dealt with as if they had defied the Emperor himself!"

Since ancient times, no consort of any plane had ever shared equal power with their ruler. It didn't matter what they were called—queen, empress, queen mother or harem manager—they weren't allowed to interfere with the matters of ruling, and that was that.

However, Emperor Yun's empress had been bestowed almost equal power to him!

"... Witch Jie Xin, Witch Jie Ling, Witch Ye Li, Witch Yao Die, Witch Qing Ying, Witch Lan Ting, Witch Hua Jing, Witch Yu Wu, and Witch Chanyi shall be made the imperial concubines of Emperor Yun and the exclusive servants of Empress Chi. They shall assist the Emperor and the Empress with their needs."

"Heavenly Wolf Star God, Xingwu is bestowed the title 'Consort Star'. She will reside in Rainbow Star Palace…"

"Brahma Heaven God Emperor, Yun Qianying is bestowed the title 'Consort Shadow'. She will reside in Silk Shadow Palace…"

"Meiyin Divine Maiden, Shui Meiyin is bestowed the title 'Consort Sound'. She will reside in Color Sound Palace…"

"Blue Dragon Emperor, Qing Que is bestowed the title 'Consort Blue'. She will reside in Blue Dragon Palace…"

"Deep Sea God Emperor, Cang Shuhe is bestowed the title 'Consort Grace'. She will reside in Shuhe Palace…"

Witches, Star Gods, Lady Goddesses, and even the God Emperors… every name was a star a Divine Master dared not even dream of in a lifetime. Yet, they were all going to become the consorts of the great emperor.

"Snow Song Realm King, Mu Xuanyin is bestowed the title 'Consort Ice'. She will reside in Ice Phoenix Palace…"

More than half of the higher realm kings looked up in shock the second they heard this. Luckily for them, they had the presence of mind—or rather lack thereof—to keep their mouths shut.

In the Snow Song Realm, the already silent crowd froze all of a sudden.

Then, their eyes widened like saucers, and their jaws hit the floor with resounding thunks.