Against the Gods - Volume 08 - Cloud's End Mirage

by Mars Gravity

  During the Devil Sword Conference, most of the experts of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region had participated, the Three Sword Attendants and their second elder were all present. But the Great Elder Xuanyuan Guxing had not made an appearance.

  So it was obvious who this person was!

  Whoosh!!

  A light flashed past as three human figures suddenly appeared at Xuanyuan Wentian’s side. The person in the lead was dressed in a green robe, his face was ancient and his eyes twinkled like the stars in the sky. This was the Great Elder of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, Xuanyuan Guxing. The moment he appeared, he dipped his head towards Xuanyuan Wentian, “Lord Sword Master.”

  Xuanyuan Guxing was holding on to two people, one in each of his hands. On his left, he held onto an extremely short and gnarled figure that was only three feet tall. That person’s body was completely covered by a wrinkled black robe and his entire face was concealed. Only half a hand peeked out of those crumpled black robes, it was as thin and withered as a black branch and it radiated an aura which caused everyone to feel extremely uncomfortable.

  “The Toxin Immortal!” The profound practitioners of the Black Fiend Nation could not help but shouting, their voices expressing their shock and fear.

  But once they could see who Xuanyuan Guxing was holding in his right hand, both Yun Che and Xia Yuanba shot to their feet…

  “Xiao Yun!!”

  Chapter 802: Thought Purging Soul Stealing Parasite

  “It was Mighty Heavenly Sword Region after all! Those bastards!” Xia Yuanba’s anger soared through the roof as he prepared to charge forward.

  “Don’t move!” Yun Che restrained Xia Yuanba. His gaze had become extremely dark and his eyes burned with explosive rage, “Yuanba, listen to me. From now on, you need to draw a clear line between yourself and I! No matter what happens latter, you mustn’t concern yourself with me or Xiao Yun. It would be best if you kept quiet throughout.”

  “What?” Xia Yuanba’s eyes widened as he shook his head resolutely, “Brother-in-law, I have desperately trained myself for the past few years so I wouldn’t drag you down anymore. So that I would at least be able to move together with you if you met a crisis one day… So how can I abandon Brother-in-law in order to protect myself right now? If that is the case, I’d rather die here and now.”

  “No, I’m not doing this to protect you!” Yun Che’s expression was growing heavier and heavier, “Look carefully at the state that Xiao Yun is in right now!”

  Xiao Yun still stood in the spot where Xuanyuan Guxing had released him, he remained unmoving. He did not collapse and his eyes were still wide open, so it seemed as if he still retained both his powers and his consciousness. It was just that his eyes were completely dull and they were not focused at all. His entire face was dazed and blank, as if his soul had been stolen from his body.

  “He has been afflicted by a parasite poison!” Yun Che said in a voice filled with hatred, “Moreover, the one who administered the poison to him is definitely that black-clothed man at the side!”

  Xia Yuanba, “Parasite poison?”

  “On the very first day I arrived at Supreme Ocean Palace, I saw that black-clothed man when their Great Elder Chen Mofeng was escorting me to see the Sovereign of the Seas. According to Chen Mofeng, he is called the Toxin Immortal and he is known as the number one poison user in the entire Profound Sky Continent. The reason he is even at the Supreme Ocean Palace is because Mighty Heavenly Sword Region has extended an invitation to him!” Yun Che said through gritted teeth, “At that time, I was still rather curious as to why Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would invite such a person to attend the Devil Sword Conference but now it’s clear that they actually invited him… to deal with Xiao Yun and I!”

  “What is this parasite poison you’re referring to? Are you saying that they will use this poison to hold Xiao Yun hostage and force you to submit to their demands?” Xia Yuanba asked urgently.

  “No!” Yun Che shook his head, “If they simply intended to threaten me using poison, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would not even need to enlist the aid of this Toxin Immortal. If my guess is correct, Xiao Yun has been poisoned by a parasite poison that muddles the mind. The parasite poison will rob him of all of his willpower and autonomy and he will answer any questions that they pose to him!”

  “What!?” Xia Yuanba exclaimed in shock, this poison was thousands of times more dreadful than any deadly poison in Yun Che’s case. If people found out that Yun Che’s master had been mere trickery and sleight of hand, he would incur the wrath of Sun Moon Divine Hall at the very most. But if they found out that he was the Young Patriarch of the Illusory Demon Realm’s Yun Family, he would be targeted and pursued by the entire Profound Sky Continent!

  “Therefore, it stands to reason that Xuanyuan Wentian is already privy to all the information that Xiao Yun had beforehand! It is clear that his motive for bringing Xiao Yun here today is to use Xiao Yun’s own lips to completely expose me before all the heroes of the realm!” Yun Che sucked in a deep breath. The situation had taken a turn for the worst, heading in the direction of his anticipated worst case scenario.

  Right now, he was just praying that the matter regarding the Primordial Profound Ark had not been exposed as well. If that was the case, there was still a slim chance that he would be able to seize an opportunity to grab Xiao Yun by using Star God’s Broken Shadow and escape in the Primordial Profound Ark…

  It was just that Jasmine was still in the middle of reconstituting her body, so he still had to remain within ten kilometers of her. So even if he managed to succeed and extract Xiao Yun, he would still have to return to this place.

  “But why is Xuanyuan Wentian doing this? Brother-in-law doesn’t have any huge grievance with Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Could it be because of the matter with Xuanyuan Jue?” Xia Yuanba asked in a mystified voice.

  “Hmph, the trivial matter with Xuanyuan Jue is insignificant. It wouldn’t be worth the time and effort Xuanyuan Wentian has put into devising this elaborate trap for me.” Yun Che said with a cold smile, “His goal should be to obtain my…”

  Before Yun Che finished speaking, his brows suddenly twitched… Wait a minute! The only thing in my possession that Xuanyuan Wentian would go through such efforts to obtain is the Mirror of Samsara. But if his goal was the Mirror of Samsara, why did he not hide this from the other Sacred Grounds and target me or one of the people close to me covertly? And if he wanted to force me to reveal the Mirror of Samsara, why would he do it out in the open?

  The moment the other Sacred Grounds find out that I have the Mirror of Samsara, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region can basically forget about keeping it all to themselves!

  He still had his misgivings about how the situation was unfolding but he did not have the time to consider them any further. He spoke to Xia Yuanba in a grave tone, “Yuanba, the current situation is completely different from any of the previous ones. The moment my status in the Illusory Demon Realm is revealed, even the full might of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary would not be able to protect me, much less just you alone. This will only be used to drag you down with me! It is an action that has no value whatsoever! Furthermore, if you draw a clear line between the two of us, even if Xuanyuan Wentian wants to target you, as long as you remain steadfast in your denial, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary will definitely not allow any harm to come to you and you won’t be dragged into my mess…”

  “I won’t do it!!” Xia Yuanba growled through gritted teeth.

  “Then what if I fall into the hands of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary? Who will save me then!?” Yun Che said in rebuke.

  “Ah?” Xia Yuanba had been caught completely off-guard by Yun Che’s reply.

  “Don’t worry, this might not be dead end for me. I am still rather confident that I can use the Primordial Profound Ark to flee if worst comes to worst.” Yun Che said in a gentle voice, “But if I am not able to and I end up falling into Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands, then you and Xue’er will still be able
to come and save me! But if you and Xue’er are caught up in my mess, then all hope will be lost. Do you see that now?”

  “…” Xia Yuanba did not respond but he had gritted his teeth so hard that Yun Che could hear them grinding together.

  “Sword Master Xuanyuan, who is this person?” Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi asked as she glanced at Xiao Yun. He was so young, yet he was already an Overlord, so his innate talent was definitely uncommon. But this was also definitely not the reason that Xuanyuan Wentian had brought him to this place.

  It was also clear that he was in a state where his mind and body were being completely controlled.

  “This young man is barely more than twenty years of age, yet his profound strength is already in the initial stages of the Tyrant Profound Realm. Even if he was in my Sacred Ground, he would still be among our most valued resources. So by following this reasoning, if a person of his age and cultivation did not come from one of our Sacred Grounds, then his name should have been known throughout all the realm by now. However all of the experts of the profound way seated here today should find this face unfamiliar. Now, isn’t that strange?” Xuanyuan Wentian asked merrily.

  “To have the privilege of being personally invited by Sword Master Xuanyuan, this person definitely has an extraordinary status. Could we trouble you to share the details with us?” Heavenly Monarch Ye Meixie said in an intrigued fashion.

  More than a few of the disciples of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region glanced at Yun Che at that point, mysterious and cold smiles adorning their faces.

  Yun Che’s hands balled into fists. Actually, now was the best time for him to use the Primordial Profound Ark to escape but Xuanyuan Wentian had not made any moves to restrain him, so it was clear that he was not worried that Yun Che would flee… It seemed that he also had a very keen understanding of Yun Che’s character.

  Xuanyuan Wentian gave a tepid laugh as he replied, “This young man’s name is Xiao Yun and he was staying in a small city known as Floating Cloud City that is located in the eastern part of the Blue Wind Nation. Does the name Floating Cloud City happen to ring any bells right about now? Very few people have known about this small city in the past but it suddenly grew famous in recent years due to a certain someone. That’s right! This is the Floating Cloud City that Asgard Master Yun was born and grew up in.”

  “However, the connection between these two people isn’t so simple as mere Floating Cloud City. Many people should know this fact by now, but before Yun Che had turned sixteen, his surname was not Yun, it was Xiao! But after he found out that he had only been adopted by the Xiao Family and he was not related to them by blood, he changed his surname to Yun. Furthermore, this Xiao Yun did not have Xiao as family name before this either. Instead, his family name had been Yun… and his full name had been Yun Xiao! Tsk tsk, what a remarkable coincidence, isn’t it?”

  Huangji Wuyu swept his eyes over Xiao Yun before speaking in a calm and bland voice, “So just who is this person? It would be best if Sword Master Xuanyuan could answer us directly.”

  Xuanyuan Wentian was still smiling merrily as he replied to Huangji Wuyu, “Since it has come to this, I shan’t keep our audience in suspense any longer. This person is not someone from the Profound Sky Continent, he originates from the… Illusory Demon Realm!”

  “What!?” The moment those words had left Xuanyuan Wentian’s mouth, they sent the entire audience into an uproar and the expressions of all those who belonged to the Four Great Sacred Grounds changed immediately.

  All of the muscles on Xia Yuanba’s body began to swell as it felt like the profound energy in his body could go berserk at any moment. Yun Che used one hand to grip his arm forcefully as he admonished him, “Don’t be rash!”

  “A demon from the Illusory Demon Realm? How did he come to the Profound Sky Continent? Why were we caught completely unaware by this?” Huangji Wuyu asked with sunken brows.

  Xuanyuan Wentian gave a bland laugh as he replied, “Does Brother Huangji still remember that the patriarch of the Yun Family which stood at the head of the Twelve Guardian Families, Yun Qinghong and his wife had used a forbidden spatial artifact to stealthily infiltrate our Profound Sky Continent twenty six years ago? We were none the wiser when they did that. The main objective of their mission was to rescue the demon that had been confined by my Mighty Heavenly Sword Region for one hundred years, Yun Canghai. But it was fortunate that someone informed us of the movements of Yun Qinghong and his wife, so we were well-prepared for their arrival. We had laid ambushes for them in the territory of our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and in the territory where Yun Canghai was being held captive. But this couple was extremely crafty and sharp and they managed to escape before they had fallen too deeply into the trap. In the end, we were not able to capture them.”

  Yun Che did not utter a single word and his face was completely composed. But nearly every single cell of his body was filled with ice-cold fury… The person who had informed Mighty Heavenly Sword Region about his parent’s movements and plans had naturally been Duke Ming.

  “After that, my Mighty Heavenly Sword Region and Sun Moon Divine Hall pursued Yun Qinghong and his wife for a whole three years but in the end, they were still able to flee back to the Illusory Demon Realm. Furthermore, during these three years, Yun Qinghong’s wife found herself pregnant and towards the latter stages of our pursuit, they were fleeing with the child in tow… It is just that we had never ever expected that Yun Qinghong’s child would be left behind in the Profound Sky Continent even though he and his wife had managed to flee back to the Illusory Demon Realm.”

  After Xuanyuan Wentian had finished uttering those words, his gaze fell on Yun Che’s face, a harmless and innocent smile paying across his face.

  “Are you saying that this Xiao Yun is the son of Yun Qinghong and his wife?” Ye Meixie asked in a cold voice. Very few people had heard of the name Yun Qinghong in the Profound Sky Continent but his name still echoed like thunder among the Four Great Sacred Grounds. Because he was no ordinary ‘demon’.

  So it was natural that his son was no ordinary ‘demon’ as well.

  “No, no, no.” Xuanyuan Wentian said as he shook his head, “If it was as simple as that, then this show would be a rather dull one, wouldn’t it? And as for the truth behind the whole matter, who better to ask than the very person himself?”

  Xuanyuan Wentian turned around and faced Xiao Yun, “In order to uncover the whole truth, I specially sought out the Black Fiend Nation’s brilliant and famous Toxin Immortal. The Toxin Immortal is reputed to be the number one poison user in the entire Profound Realm and he is reputed to be exceptionally good at using parasite poisons.”

  “So you mean that a parasite poison is responsible for this child’s current condition?” Huangji Wuyu said as his brows twitched faintly. It was as if he had some dislike towards parasite poisons.

  “That is right. This parasite poison is one that specializes in hijacking one’s willpower and mind. Even though the method used was rather distasteful and shady, this matter concerns the Illusory Demon Realm, so it very likely also concerns the safety of our Profound Continent. As such, I had no choice but to use this method.” Xuanyuan Wentian glanced to the side, “Toxin Immortal, can you guarantee that the Soul Stealing Parasite you used is truly one hundred percent foolproof?”

  “Lord Sword Master, please do not worry.” The withered figure in the crumpled black clothes spoke in an extremely sinister and unpleasant voice, “Due to this old one’s Thought Purging Soul Stealing Parasite, his consciousness has been locked away and his mind has been laid bare to us. At this point of time, he will answer any question asked of him truthfully, he will not be able to hide or conceal anything from us. This old one has fiddled around with parasite poisons for a few hundred years. So if I am able to muck up even a simple parasite poison such as this one, how then would I be worthy of the name Toxin Immortal? Heeheeheehee…”

  “Very good.” Xuanyuan Wentian said as he slowly nodded his head,
“Then let me, the Sword Master, interrogate him personally. I trust that the words that proceed from his mouth will definitely give all of you who are gathered here today a big surprise.”

  Yun Che, “…”

  Xiao Yun stood there in a daze. Even though his eyes were open, they were as dull as the eyes of a dead fish. It was as if he was just a live body that was completely bereft of a soul.

  His current condition was exactly the same as it would be if a Profound Handle Soul Search had been used on him. All of his mental and spiritual defenses had been laid bare.

  But the key difference was the Profound Handle Soul Search would dissipate in time. When it came to parasite poisons, the victim would only be released if the poison master purged the parasite from his body, If not, he would remain in this state forever. It was truly a vile and malicious thing!

  Chapter 803: Fully Exposed

  “What is your name?” Xuanyuan Wentian asked as he began his personal interrogation.

  “Xiao… Yun.” Xiao Yun replied woodenly.

  “Was your family name Yun in the past?”

  “Yes…”

  “Then what is the name of your father?”

  “Xiao… Ying.”

  “No, no, no.” Xuanyuan Wentian said with a bland smile, “What I am asking is this. Who was the father who raised you for the past twenty odd years?”

  “Yun… Qinghong.” The controlled Xiao Yun answered robotically.

  “Ah…” The name Yun Qinghong caused a stir among the people from the Four Great Sacred Grounds.

  “Oh? So is it that Yun Qinghong? Is he the current Patriarch of the Yun Family, one of the Twelve Guardian Families of the Illusory Demon Realm?” Xuanyuan Wentian continued.