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

by Mars Gravity

  “That’s right. He is indeed hardy and tenacious,” Yun Che said as he nodded his head cheerfully. “The quantity of devil energy that had invaded his body was more than I expected. During the entire time that I spent cleansing the devilish energy away, my greatest fear was that he would be unable to endure until the devil energy had been completely cleansed. But he was extremely outstanding… The procedure took six hours for me to complete, that was more than twice the length than I had initially anticipated. But he managed to endure the entire thing with incredible tenacity.”

  These wholehearted words of praise had come from Yun Che himself. Xiao Yun was so emotional that hot tears scalded his eyes. A profound sense of pride appeared on Number Seven Under Heaven’s tear-stained face. She hugged her child tightly, unwilling to relax her grip for even a single breath.

  “Hahahaha…” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven’s booming laugh filled the air, “At first I had been scared completely witless by Xuanyuan Wentian and just thinking of him would fill me with dread. But… even a newborn babe was able to defeat his power, so this old man has no reason to fear him either! The next time he dares to come, even if this old man has to sacrifice his own life, I will not let him return from whence he came!”

  “Hahaha, that was well said Brother Under Heaven!” Yun Qinghong said as he joined in his laughter, “Yongan has set an outstanding example for us all. What is there to fear from that Xuanyuan Wentian!? Brother Under Heaven, you should stay behind today. Both our families should drink their fill today. As for the preparations for battle, we’ll discuss those things tomorrow!”

  “Alright!” Greatest Ambition Under Heaven replied in a merry voice.

  Xiao Yongan’s miraculous revival after he had been struck by calamity had swept clean the heavy oppressiveness that had shrouded the Yun Family. This oppressiveness had now been changed into a vibrant joy which filled the air as it veritably bubbled over. Even the heavy shadow left behind by Xuanyuan Wentian had practically vanished into thin air.

  As the leader of the Twelve Guardian Families, the change in atmosphere that occurred in the Yun Family subtly helped to dispel much of the haze that had enshrouded Demon Imperial City.

  However, after the initial enthusiasm had worn off and they had all calmed down, they would still have to face the enormous fear wrought by Xuanyuan Wentian… and the complete annihilation that threatened to rain down on them at any moment.

  ————————————————

  After more than ten days had passed, Yun Che had completely recovered from his wounds and the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er had largely recovered from their own as well. The work they had to do for Demon Imperial City in the wake of Xuanyuan Wentian’s attack was basically done. Under the guidance of the Twelve Guardian Families, Demon Imperial City was prepared to deploy against the disaster that could strike at any time… The terrifying shadow left behind by Xuanyuan Wentian on that day kept them all on their toes and the entire city was in a state of high alert and constant vigilance.

  Powerful individuals from the other parts of the Illusory Demon Realm had either responded to the summons or had come to Demon Imperial City of their own accord as all of them prepared to defend against Xuanyuan Wentian together. After all, if Demon Imperial City were to be destroyed, the entire Illusory Demon Realm would implode on itself and fracture apart.

  The funerals of Yun He, Yun Jiang and Yun Xi, the three Grand Elders of the Yun Family who had sacrificed their lives during the battle against Xuanyuan Wentian, had been concluded. As a result, the Yun Family disciples’ daily training had increased in both intensity and length. After the joy that had been brought about by the birth of Xiao Yongan had receded, the Yun Family and the entire Demon Imperial City had been engulfed by a nervous and tense atmosphere which grew heavier with each passing day.

  This was because Demon Imperial City was currently facing the greatest and most dreadful crisis in its history. Even the chaos caused by Duke Huai paled in comparison to this imminent threat. If they were not able to resist the coming darkness, then there would no longer be a Demon Imperial City in this world… and that sentiment was not the least bit exaggerated.

  Yun Qinghong left the house every day as he met with the other patriarchs and dukes to discuss the various strategies and tactics they could use against Xuanyuan Wentian. Yun Che did not even need to ask him about the result of those meetings; just one look at the expression on Yun Qinghong’s face told him that they had been unable to find a strategy that would be truly effective in countering Xuanyuan Wentian. After all, Xuanyuan Wentian’s power was simply far too dreadful and in front of this excessively overbearing strength, all strategies, profound tools and numbers were were rendered completely futile and meaningless.

  Furthermore, as the person who had directly clashed against Xuanyuan Wentian, he had an even clearer understanding of just how terrifying and dreadful Xuanyuan Wentian actually was.

  Yun Che sat on top of the highest roof in the entire Yun Family household. His eyes were calm and tranquil as he silently gazed off into the distance. He had maintained this posture for most of the late morning. At this moment, rainbow robes fluttered at his side as the Little Demon Empress quietly arrived at his side. Her face was an icy mask as she spoke, “When do you intend to return to Demon Imperial Palace?”

  Yun Che turned his face to the side, a cheeky smile appearing on his face as he spoke, “Ah, Caiyi, could it be that if I’m out of your sight for more than two hours, you’ll miss me so much that you will lose all your appetite and become unable to sleep well?”

  “Hmph!” The Little Demon Empress gave a cold snort, “Don’t forget, right now you’re a member of my Demon Imperial Family. Since you are back, it’s only natural that you reside in Demon Imperial Palace.”

  “I know.” Yun Che said with a helpless expression on his face, “But my mother is unwilling to see me go.”

  “You’re just afraid that Xue’er or that empress wife of yours will get jealous, right!?” After saying those words, the Little Demon Empress subconsciously averted her gaze, refusing to meet his eyes with hers.

  “Uhh…” Yun Che said as he grabbed the Little Demon Empress’ hand and gently pulled her over, sending her soft, delicate and exquisite body spinning into his embrace, “I don’t know if Yue’er and Xue’er are the type to get jealous but my wife Caiyi is definitely jealous right now.”

  “You…” Panic flashed through the Little Demon Empress’s eyes before she stubbornly turned her face aside, yet she did not expend too much energy trying to struggle free from Yun Che’s embrace.

  “Okay, I understand. From tomorrow onwards, I will be at the Yun Family residence during the day but at night, I will return to Demon Imperial Palace to accompany my dear wife Caiyi.”

  Yun Che’s soft and gentle words caused the Little Demon Empress’ delicate body to melt into his embrace as she spoke in tiny voice, “You don’t need… to force yourself…”

  The Little Demon Empress’ voice suddenly trembled because she realized that Yun Che’s palm had abruptly moved to her chest as he gave it a light squeeze.

  “…” The Little Demon Empress unconsciously struggled against him but she immediately melted back into his chest, allowing him to run amok. It was just that her breathing had become hurried as a coquettish red blush stained her cheeks.

  With a deft move of his arm, Yun Che’s palm skillfully plunged into the depths of the Little Demon Empress’ rainbow robes. He unrestrainedly enjoyed feeling the shape and softness of the snowy bosom which filled his palm. He let out a contented sigh in his heart. Frozen Cloud Asgard’s Heavenly Jade Dew was indeed super effective, to think that it would actually fill his entire palm now!

  The Little Demon Empress’ gentle meekness only encouraged Yun Che to push his luck even further. He nimbly and gracefully undid the belt of her rainbow robes from behind and with a slight tug of his fingers, he pulled down her robe, leaving her bare to the waist, immediately e
xposing her delicate, lustrous and white bosom and snowy shoulders to the air completely.

  If this was Demon Imperial Palace, she would allow Yun Che’s desires to run rampant but they were in the Yun Family household! As a slight chill ran through the snowy flesh of her jade body, she immediately pushed Yun Che aside as if she had been struck by lightning. She hurriedly adjusted her clothing and at this moment, the majesty she normally radiated as the Little Demon Empress had vanished into thin air.

  “You… It seems like you’ve already sat there for a good long while. What are you thinking about?” The Little Demon Empress said as she bit down on her lower lip. She was scared that her actions had harmed Yun Che’s self-esteem.

  “…I was thinking of the problem that everyone has been dwelling on. Thinking about exactly what we should if Xuanyuan Wentian comes again.

  Yun Che spat out a shallow breath as he spoke in a rather melancholic voice, “During these past three months, my profound strength has soared dramatically thanks to Xue’er. The degree to which my strength has increased was far greater than any previous time. I felt as if my entire body has been remoulded and reborn, reaching a level that I have never even dreamed about. In fact, I even have the feeling that I have reached the stage where no one could match me.

  “However… even though my strength has clearly grown by leaps and bounds, we still could not beat Xuanyuan Wentian even when I joined hands with you and Xue’er.”

  Yun Che’s words caused the Little Demon Empress’ faintly blushing face to grow solemn and grave. She abruptly said, “Yun Che, you must promise me one thing.”

  Yun Che gave a bland laugh, “Are you thinking of saying something along these lines? If Xuanyuan Wentian returns to the Illusory Demon Realm, you want me to use the Primordial Profound Ark to take everyone and run away, leaving you behind to face him alone?”

  “…That’s right!” The Little Demon Empress said with a heavy nod of her head, “On that day, Xuanyuan Wentian had already exhausted a large amount of his power so that he could forcefully break apart the Great City Barrier Formation. But even in that situation, we were still not his match even when the three of us combined our strength. Even though he looked very heavily wounded we had yet to touch his foundation.”

  “Furthermore, he had clearly said this before he had left. In another three months, his devil blood will completely awaken. At that time, his power will reach the so-called ‘perfect’ state. At that time, it did not seem like he was making idle threats either. If all of this is really true, then the Xuanyuan Wentian who will appear before us once more will be even more dreadful than the Xuanyuan Wentian we previously faced.”

  “Over the past few days, I have also been trying to think of a method to deal with Xuanyuan Wentian but I could not come up with anything. If we were to stay behind and attempt to forcefully resist him… we would merely be vainly throwing our lives away! There is no shame in running away! In fact, that is the wisest and most sensible decision! Xuanyuan Wentian’s power is far too abnormal, there will definitely be a bottleneck to that power and tremendous negative side effects to it… So if you and Xue’er manage to escape for now, there will definitely be a day when the both of you can defeat him!”

  “Since that is the most sensible choice, then you definitely have to come along as well!” Yun Che said with furrowed brows.

  “I can’t leave!” The Little Demon Empress said as she gave a resolute shake of her head, “Don’t forget who I am. I am the empress of the Illusory Demon Realm, the inheritor of the ten thousand year will of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline. If I run away, not only will I be abandoning Demon Imperial City and the Illusory Demon Realm, I will also be besmirching the dignity of the Demon Emperor’s bloodline, betraying the glory and the ten thousand year will left behind my ancestors!”

  “Everyone should abandon this place as early as possible instead of pointlessly waiting for death. But for me, there will be no escape, what awaits is a glorious death in battle.”

  “Fine,” Yun Che said with a faint smile as he nodded his head. “Since that’s the case, then I definitely need to stay behind with you.”

  “Foolish!” The Little Demon Empress rebuked him with a cold look, “If you die, then who will protect and take care of your family members and women. Who will defeat Xuanyuan Wentian and rescue the Illusory Demon Realm from disaster!?”

  “…” The Little Demon Empress softened her tone before continuing in a soft voice, “Don’t forget, I am already someone who is destined for death. Even if there was no Xuanyuan Wentian, I have less than two years left to live.”

  She turned around before continuing to speak in that soft voice, “Yun Che, the fact that I was able to become your wife near the end of my life already leaves me with boundless satisfaction and contentment. Instead of quietly waiting for death to take me, I would rather carry on the will of all the Demon Emperors who have come before me and die a glorious death in battle. To me, that would be an even better conclusion to my ending.”

  “As long as you are willing to promise me this one thing… Before the day comes, I will be willing to do whatever it is you wish me to do.”

  After she finished speaking, the Little Demon Empress took to the air and flew far away. After her figure had completely vanished from Yun Che’s vision, a soft voice mumbled in his ear, “When you return to Demon Imperial Palace, I allow you to bring your empress wife and Xue’er along with you.”

  Yun Che, “…”

  ————————————————

  Author’s Note:

  *Faints*… I just realized that I left out a chapter yesterday by mistake!! The Azure Cloud chapter is about to begin, Yun Che is about to undergo an extreme evolution!! But it’s just that the way he’ll evolve is a bit…

  Chapter 870: Star God Blood

  “Haah…” Yun Che collapsed on top of the roof as he stared at the sky and softly muttered, “I’ve already lost my Little Fairy… How can I be expected to simply watch if I’m to lose you as well?”

  “But, just what can I do…”

  “An’er, we are going to visit your great grandfather. Be good, okay.”

  Number Seven Under Heaven’s voice, which was as gentle as the wind, rang out from somewhere not far below him. She was hugging a baby that was swaddled in cloth and there was a gentle smile on her face. Her steps were light and relaxed as she teased her son every now and then, the ever-present Xiao Yun walking beside her.

  The arrival of Yongan caused the relationship between the already tightly-bonded couple to become even more happy and warm. Even the shadow cast by the impending calamity which would destroy the entire city did nothing to dampen their happiness.

  “Brother Yun, who do you think An’er will resemble more when he grows up?”

  “Of course he’ll look more like you. If he looks more like you, he’ll definitely be even more handsome.”

  “Heehee… An’er, did you hear that, you need to look at your mother more every single day. If you do that, you’ll grow to become a handsome man in the future. Also, when you grow up, you need to be dutifully filial towards your great grandfather and your Uncle Yun Che. If not for Uncle Yun Che, your mother and father would not ever be able to see you again.”

  “Speaking of Big Brother, I haven’t seen him around these past few days. I also don’t know where he is right now…” Xiao Yun said as he gave a light sigh, “I just have this feeling that he hasn’t been his usual self lately.”

  Yun Che, “…”

  “I also felt the same way,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a dim voice. “In the past, whenever I saw Big Brother Yun, I always felt that he radiated a very powerful aura, an aura which gave people an incredible sense of security. But ever since he returned from Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley, every time I see him, I always feel that he… is being weighed down by many heavy worries.”

  “I can roughly guess the reason behind that,” Xiao Yun said worriedly. “Big Brother Yun used
all of his strength to save our son but his own child… should be five years right now but he has never even seen his child before and he doesn’t even know whether that child is dead or alive…”

  “This has always been the thing that caused his heart to ache the most. So in this current situation where he has saved our child but is unable to find his own, even if it’s Big Brother, he is definitely being tormented by pain and self-recrimination that he is unable to let go of. I’m awkward, not good with words, and I also don’t know how to comfort and encourage him… I can only hope that Big Brother can walk out from under this dark cloud that is hanging over his head sooner rather later.”

  “If it’s Big Brother Yun we’re talking about, then it definitely won’t be a problem,” Number Seven Under Heaven said in a voice that was brimming with confidence.

  As he silently watched the couple walk into the distance, Yun Che silently sighed under his breath: So it turns out that I have already caused many people to worry about me. It looks like I really need to properly adjust my emotions and mental state.

  He also did not know how Yuanba was doing right now. Xuanyuan Wentian only viewed a few people as potential threats and Xia Yuanba was one of them. Given Xuanyuan Wentian’s clearly distorted temperament, the Xia Yuanba who was still in the Profound Sky Continent would definitely be struck by his devilish claws… Right now, Yun Che could only hope that he could somehow escape that calamity.

  Yun Che closed his eyes as his consciousness sank into the world of the Sky Poison Pearl.

  The dark green world was a sea of calm, so the sounds that Hong’er made in her sleep were exceptionally clear.

  “Hong’er, it’s time to wake up!” Yun Che said as he arrived at the foot of the bed and smacked Hong’er’s small bottom. This jade bed was originally where Jasmine rested but ever since Hong’er arrived, it had been completely taken over by her.