Against the Gods

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

Huo Poyun was one of the greatest geniuses of the Eastern Divine Region. As the Flame God Realm's first ever upper realm king, he was a living folk tale whom the middle star realms would remember for ages to come.

He would be a lot more famous if he was arrogant, flamboyant, or even a slightly more out-going person than he was.

The most popular stories about Huo Poyun weren't about his genius or achievements, but his extremely complicated history with Emperor Yun. It was why he had lived under the man's shadow to this day.

It was impossible to climb higher than Divine Master Realm in Primal Chaos. It was why no one knew that Huo Poyun's potential was greater than they could possibly imagine.

In a world without any limitations, he wouldn't just surpass the upper realm kings… he would surpass the God Emperors themselves!

Huo Poyun looked like he was completely caught off guard. Naturally, the three Flame God sect masters behind him were even more dumbfounded.

The young man quickly saluted Mo Beichen before exclaiming, "Poyun is beyond fearful and thankful for your words of acknowledgement, Venerable One. If… if the Venerable One would teach me your wisdom and set foot in a greater world, Poyun swears to remember this favor for eternity and repay it with ten thousand deaths!"

"Hmph!" Mo Beichen said coldly, "Save that empty talk for someone else. I acknowledge you because you are worthy. That is all there is to it! If one day you are fortunate enough to serve beneath His Majesty, your eternal allegiance will suffice as remuneration!"

"Yes, Venerable One!" Huo Poyun answered loudly. It was a simple answer, but everyone could sense the ferocious excitement and desire in his voice.

"Good."

Seemingly satisfied with Huo Poyun's answer and excitement, the Abyssal Knight slowly turned around and looked the Flame God Realm King in the eye.

This was the first time he directly looked anyone in the eye today.

"Your cultivation is not up to standard, but your remarkable divine inheritance and potential are worthy of an exception."

Mo Beichen said in a slow yet solemn tone that caused everyone to hold their breaths. "Poyun, I will accept you as a page today. When the day the Abyss takes over this world comes, I will personally introduce you to the Pope. What do you say?"

He did not care that Huo Poyun's origin was "humble". He did not ask about his past or even find out if he was a good or a bad person.

He was special—so special, in fact, that he acted now because he did not want other Abyssal Knights to steal him from under his nose in the future—and that was all Mo Beichen needed to make an exception.

Gulp!

Countless people's throats and hearts twitched violently.

At first, it looked like Huo Poyun couldn't believe his ears. Then, he dropped to his knees, touched his head against the ground and declared loudly, "Thank you so much for fulfilling Poyun's wish, Venerable One! To be able to learn under an incredible soul like you is an honor Poyun dare not even dream to have in a lifetime! From now on, Poyun swears to serve at the Venerable One's side with all his heart! The Venerable One's will is Poyun's command, and—"

"Silence." Mo Beichen interrupted him coldly. "When I teach you how to become a true Abyssal Knight in the future, my first instruction to you will be to cut down on your volume of useless words!"

Finally, the man turned away and said, "Now, come stand by my side. You may not have undergone a ceremony yet, but you are my page now. These commoners no longer deserve to stand on the same ground as you."

"Yes, Venerable One!"

As instructed, Huo Poyun kept his response short and succinct while rising to his feet. Anxious yet beside himself, he took to the air until he was about one-third of a meter away from Mo Beichen. He also made sure that he stood a tad lower than the Abyssal Knight.

Everyone looked up at the sky where Huo Poyun stood.

A moment ago, the Flame God Realm King was still a "youngster" they could instruct as they pleased. Now, he had become an untouchable existence they could only look up to.

The unpredictability of fate was on full display today.

The Abyss' sudden arrival was without a doubt a calamity to everyone in this world. However, there were always exceptions, and for Huo Poyun it turned out to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity instead.

On the ground, the Flame God sect masters finally couldn't maintain their calm any longer. Not only that, everyone was looking at them in a different light.

"It looks like congratulations are in order, Flame God Realm."

Most of the upper realm kings present at the scene were the kind of people who wouldn't deign to meet a Divine Sovereign in the eye. However, these arrogant bastards were now congratulating the three Flame God sect masters like they were their closest family.

"I've always known that the Flame God Realm King would break through the heavens one day, but much of the credit lies on you, sect masters."

"There are countless extraordinary geniuses in the world, but the only one who won the Venerable One's recognition was Realm King Poyun. This is a glorious moment not just for the Flame God Realm, but also the entire God Realm…"

"When the day the Abyss takes over the world comes, the Flame God Realm will most likely become the new head of the Eastern Divine Region. Please have my heartfelt congratulations, sect masters."

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……

The upper realm kings of the Eastern Divine Region were almost fighting one another to be the first to give the three sect masters their congratulations. They were all wearing their best smiles on their faces, and they only wished they had enough time to shower every word of praise they ever knew over the sect masters' heads.

On the other hand, Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie were barely able to give the upper realm kings a perfunctory response. They looked dazed and distracted enough to be stuck in an unwakeable dream.

The sect masters' reactions surprised no one. Anyone would've become slack-jawed with shock were they in their position.

The Divine Masters were right about the reaction, but completely wrong about the reason. Prior to coming to the God Realm of Absolute Beginning, Huo Poyun had declared in the harshest voice in his life,

"I, Huo Poyun, did not bow my head even an inch when Yun Che was standing right in front of me, and this foreign hyena thinks he can get me to my knees? Never!"

He had uttered every word through gnashing teeth and with pupils that burned with the heat of the Nine Suns Heaven's Fury.

A while later, the sect masters finally looked up at their realm king and felt his excitement and passion. The terrible fear that had gripped their souls since Huo Poyun had made that statement quickly subsided as well.

What should've been a world-ending calamity has turned into a life-changing opportunity for you, Poyun.

You won't surrender to irrational impulses anymore, right Poyun?

"Hahahaha, congratulations on acquiring a new page, Venerable One!"

Suddenly, a loud, boisterous laugh resonated in the air like a gong. There was only one man in this universe who could laugh this carelessly before Mo Beichen and under these circumstances, and his name was of course…

Cang Shitian!

Once upon a time, he was Emperor Yun's most loyal dog.

Today, he was the number one minion under Mo Beichen's feet.

The moment things had fallen sideways, the man had shamelessly turned every status and privilege Emperor Yun and the Devil Queen had afforded him during the past few years into bargaining chips and bought his way into Mo Beichen's retinue. And he had succeeded.

Every Sea God and Sea Envoy of the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm turned toward the same direction in excitement and joy. No matter what happened to the Deep Sea Realm in the future, they could always trust in Cang Shitian to steer them true.

For the first time, a bit of emotion entered Cang Shuhe's pupils.

After Cang Shitian had arrived on the scene, he bowed respectfully to Mo Beichen and said, "Your humble subordinate, Cang Shitian greets you, Venerable One. I apologize deeply for my tardiness, but it was to prepare a small gift for you, Venerable One."

Cang Shitian had not come alone.

Following behind him weren't his usual Enforcers, but a navy blue-colored barrier circulating with pure water energy.

It was none other than the Deep Sea Barrier!

Locked within the veil of bluish light was an unconscious girl.

Clothes white as snow and hair dark as night, the girl was a stunning beauty destined to break hearts no matter where she went. However, the way her exquisite features were scrunched up in a frown strongly suggested that she had gone through a painful struggle before losing consciousness.

There wasn't a single person who lost their composure when they saw the girl. Many of them couldn't hold back a gasp.

It was because the girl was Emperor Yun's only daughter, the one and only imperial princess of the entire cosmos, Yun Wuxin!

"Wuxin…" Cang Shuhe whispered as she felt Rui Yi's grip tightening around her arm. She glanced sideways and saw her attendant shaking her head profusely and silently begging her not to succumb to recklessness.

Her husband's daughter had fallen into Mo Beichen's hands. Death was the only fate that awaited her.

Worse, the one who brought this tragic fate upon her… was none other than her dearest brother.

"..." Cang Shuhe closed her eyes. She did not succumb to impulse, but her lower lip was rapidly losing color from how hard she bit it.

To the north, a pair of devilish spears appeared in Yan Wu's pupils. She took a step forward, but—

"You can't save her, and now is not the time."

Fen Daoqi's voice resounded cold and deep in her ears. "It's not like we intend to leave this place alive, so why not ensure that our deaths will be meaningful?"

"We will leave behind a mark that will never be forgotten even in a world that is completely consumed by the Abyss. We will serve as an eternal reminder that Emperor Yun's reign, however short it may be, is not one that is only made up of cowardly dogs who balk at the first sign of despair! That he had an entire people who would dye the sky red for him!"

For a long time, Yan Wu stayed where she was like her foot was completely rooted to the ground. In the end though, she heeded Fen Daoqi's advice and slowly returned to her position.

Everyone knew that the Deep Sea Barrier was the Southern Divine Region's strongest barrier, but it was even more impressive than usual today. Not only was it created by Cang Shitian himself, it was clear from the overwhelming energy emanating from the shell that he had used all his power to conjure it. It was honestly a bit over-the-top considering that its only prisoner was Yun Wuxin, but at least it guaranteed that she could never escape by her own power.

Mo Beichen side-eyed the unconscious girl for an instant before asking, "You call this a 'small gift'?"

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"Venerable One," Cang Shitian started obsequiously, "Her cultivation level may be poor, but she is Yun Che's only daughter."

"..." Mo Beichen's expression remained unchanged.

Chang Shitian leaned forward a little before continuing, "His people had taken great pains to hide her, so it took me quite a bit of effort to finally locate and capture her."

"Yun Che loves her more than his own life. If he knew that she had fallen into your hands, this one is certain that he would surrender to you without a second thought. You wouldn't even need to lift a finger to capture him then."

"Brother…" Cang Shuhe whispered as deep helplessness washed over her whole body.

Qi Tianli's eyebrows twitched dramatically. It was because he knew Cang Shitian had fucked up so hard it wasn't even funny.

RUMBLE!

Mo Beichen hadn't moved a muscle, but a terrific shockwave pierced through the air and landed squarely on Cang Shitian's face.

A loud bang split the sky as Cang Shitian's cheekbones caved in at the same time. The former Deep Sea God Emperor was sent spinning across the air before he hit the ground with yet another bang. His momentum didn't stop until he had dug a gorge that was several kilometers long across the ground.

It looked like the man could not believe what just happened. It took him several breaths before he finally climbed back to his feet.

Blood poured profusely out of his nostrils and lips. His complexion was reddish black like dead blood. Right here and now, he was the perfect example of ugliness and wretchedness.

After he climbed to his feet, he seemed to remember his place and dropped to his knees in a hurry, "T-this one begs your forgiveness a-and your instructions, Venerable One. I-I don't understand why you are angry. Please enlighten your foolish subordinate."

Everyone else was silent as death as well.

Silver armor gleaming coldly under the grayish sky, Mo Beichen uttered indifferently yet chillingly, "You want to know why I'm punishing you? It's because I only need a finger to take down Yun Che. I hardly need to resort to such despicable tactics."

"By committing such an act using my name, you have placed an irremovable stain upon the Abyssal Knights and my reputation! Do you understand your sin now, fool?"

"That is not my intent, and I would never dare!"

Cang Shitian wailed while trembling like a leaf, too afraid to even remove the spreading bruise and blackish red blood on his face. He hit his head against the ground as quickly as humanly possible before speaking in the sincerest voice he could muster, "I have kidnapped Yun Che's daughter of my own accord. My sin is my own to bear, and I am definitely not trying to challenge your heavenly authority, Venerable One."

"It's just… This one has no doubt you only need a finger to destroy him, but why waste even a finger on an ant-under-heaven like him, Venerable One?"

"Moreover, Yun Che is protected by the Heavenly Profound Treasure, the World Piercer. It is why he is able to make his escape again and again. This one does not believe that Yun Che deserves even a sliver of the time and effort you have spent to hunt him down, which is why I have dared to resort to such a cowardly method."

He looked up. There was fear on his face, but no regret. "Everyone knows that Cang Shitian is, and will always be, a scumbag. There is nothing more he's better at than despicable tactics, and it is a fact that certain obstacles in this world are much easier to overcome with underhanded methods."

"Of course the Venerable One is above such methods, but I'm not! This one can do anything to share some of the burdens on your shoulders, however insignificant they may be."

"Plus, thanks to my existing reputation, any infamy I accrued will fall on my shoulders only. It will not taint your reputation or integrity by even a little."

The corner of Cang Shitian's lips bent upward slightly. "On a related note, this one has spread the news of Yun Wuxin's capture to every corner of the God Realm. This one is certain that Yun Che has heard of this no matter where he's hiding."

A hint of something dark and fierce flashed across his eyes at this moment. "He… will definitely show up!"

"What this means is that the one who led him here is my dirty hands, but the one who captures him… will be your mighty self!"

"..." Mo Beichen's aura did not change, nor did he try to punish Cang Shitian any further.

Qi Tianli joined in. "Venerable One, Cang Shitian is necessary, be it in terms of understanding the God Realm, controlling it, or carrying out certain things. In fact, that is why Yun Che and the Devil Queen value him so highly. Please, do not hesitate to entrust him with anything you deem beneath your notice."

"If you wish for the Abyssal Monarch to arrive into a perfectly subjugated cosmos, I must insist that you make use of Cang Shitian to his fullest capacity. It will make the journey much smoother if nothing else."

"Hmph!" Mo Beichen finally responded in a low tone, "You best make sure that your filth stays where it is!"

It was both a warning and tacit consent. Cang Shitian hurriedly bowed his head and swore, "Do not worry, Venerable One. This one will never go overboard even if I am a million times more courageous than I really am. If there comes a day where I break this rule, I promise you won't need to punish me again. I will atone with ten thousand deaths myself."

"Stand down."

Mo Beichen finally looked away from Cang Shitian after the arrogant instruction. He also did not look at Yun Wuxin anymore.

Cang Shitian hurriedly rose to his feet and took a few tentative steps to the back. After he was sure he had permission to leave, he vanished and reappeared in front of the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm's formation immediately.

The Sea Gods and Divine Envoys stirred restlessly the second he got close.

Cang Shuhe looked into the eyes of the man in front of her. He was the man she knew and respected the most in her whole life, but after everything he did today, she did not know how to face him anymore.

"Brother…" She called out while feeling a myriad of indescribable emotions inside of her.

Cang Shitian's face was still covered in blood and bruises, but the servility he showed his overlord a moment ago had been fully replaced by imperial dignity.

He slowly stretched out his hand and ordered in a cold and commanding tone that would stand no rebuke. "Give me the Deep Sea Divine Pearl, Shuhe."