Against the Gods - Volume 07 - Heaven Smiting Shakes the World

by Mars Gravity

  Feng Zukui threw his head back in laughter and everyone could hear the immense elation and joy contained in that great laugh. From the moment Feng Hengkong could walk and talk, he had only seen Feng Zukui laugh four times and every single time he had laughed, it was because of Feng Xue’er. This time, his laughter was far more joyous and jubilant than it had been on any of the previous occasions. He took a step forward and bowed as he said, “Grandfather, it has to be said that Xue’er’s transformation is truly thanks to that Yun Che. Three years ago, Yun Che had imparted the fifth and sixth stages of the ‘World Ode of the Phoenix’ to Xue’er on the Primordial Profound Ark. This event allowed Xue’er to attain a true mastery of her Phoenix flames and also caused her strength to soar.”

  “Even though Yun Che brought a great calamity down on our heads a few months ago, he has always been sincere towards Xue’er. And Xue’er even owes him her current powers and her very life…” Feng Hengkong shut his eyes before saying, “Therefore, during these few months, the burning desire to avenge my sons… is something that I am more than willing to forego. I have no desire to pursue vengeance on behalf of the other two grand elders either.”

  Feng Tianwei’s gaze swept across the surrounding area and he said with furrowed brows, “Xue’er, you said that you came here with Yun Che. Why are you here by yourself right now?”

  These words caused Xue’er’s delicate body to faintly tremble as two tears instantly fell from her beautiful eyes. Even though Yun Che was the person that she trusted the most in this world, and even though she knew about the existence of the Primordial Profound Ark… she could not quell the intense fear and worry that gnawed at her soul.

  Feng Hengkong and the two other elders were immediately struck dumb. Feng Ximing, on the other hand, practically jumped up in anger, the hair on his head standing on end and his features warping as a bestial snarl tore from his throat, “Did… did he bully you! Did he… he… where the hell is he right now!? Bastard! Beast! I will kill him… I will rip him to shreds!!”

  Feng Hengkong glared at Feng Ximing fiercely before he asked Xue’er in a low voice, “Xue’er, what exactly happened here?”

  Xue’er bit her trembling lips and it was only after a long while that she could finally speak in a grief-stricken voice, “Big Brother Yun, he… he is trapped inside the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest.”

  “What!?” Feng Tianwei’s and Feng Hengkong’s faces immediately lost all color. Feng Ximing was taken aback as well but his face immediately twisted into an expression of undisguisable jubilation.

  The existence of the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest was known to only one other sect besides the Four Great Sacred Grounds… and that sect was the Divine Phoenix Sect.

  “There is no need to be so worried.” Feng Zukui’s expression remained calm as he spoke, “I just heard the discussion between Supreme Ocean Palace’s Mister Zi and great elder Chen Mo Feng. Yun Che seems to have chosen to stay behind, so he definitely has confidence that he can escape. Furthermore his master is the legendary ‘Old Man Duotian’ who has the ability to transcend the heavens. So being sealed within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest may not end in his death.”

  “Yes, yes, yes!” Feng Xue’er’s tears stabbed into Feng Hengkong’s heart like needles, so he hurriedly nodded his head in agreement as he said, “Your great grandfather is completely right! If anyone else was trapped in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, it would indeed spell their doom! But Yun Che is different! Even the Primordial Profound Ark couldn’t contain him all those years back. You should follow your royal father back to the Ocean Palace first and maybe by the time you wake up tomorrow, he will already be out of this place.”

  Feng Xue’er raised a jade hand as she wiped away the tears from her snowy face. She softly said, “I know… I believe more than anyone else that Big Brother Yun will definitely… definitely come out of there in one piece. So, I will wait here for Big Brother Yun. Great Grandfather, Grandfather, Royal Father, Crown Prince Brother, Xue’er is alright. All of you should return to the Ocean Palace first. Xue’er will immediately come and see you all once Big Brother Yun returns.”

  “Ssss…” Feng Xue’er’s words and the resolute expression on his face caused Feng Ximing’s smooth face to once again warp in anger as he clenched both his fist tightly and viciously murmured under his breath: Yun Cheeeee! Go down to the eighteen layers of hell within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest! Die! Die! DIEEEEEEE!!!!

  “Xue’er…”

  “You don’t need to advise her any further.” Xia Yuanba walked over as he said with a serious expression on his face, “No matter what you say, she will definitely not leave this place right now. Return to the Ocean Palace first, I will wait here with her. And once she has regained some of her composure, I will advise her to return as well.”

  “This man is Xia Yuanba, Absolute Monarch Sanctuary’s disciple who possesses the legendary Tyrannical Emperor’s Divine Veins! He is Yun Che’s brother-in-law.” Feng Hengkong sent a sound transmission to both Feng Tianwei and Feng Zukui.

  The look in both Feng Tianwei’s and Feng Zukui’s eyes changed drastically once they heard those words.

  Feng Hengkong knitted his brows before he let out a soft sigh, “Since that is the case… Xue’er, we will be waiting at the Flame Heart Palace that is located in the northwest part of the Ocean Palace. If anything happens, you must definitely send a sound transmission to inform us… No matter how anxious and worried you are, your royal father will be even more worried and anxious than you. No matter what, don’t be too headstrong and put too many burdens on yourself.”

  Feng Xue’er’s eyes grew misty as she said, “Royal Father…”

  “Royal Father, this place is still Supreme Ocean Palace, so how can we leave Xue’er here all by herself? I request that Royal Father allow this son to stay behind to accompany…”

  “Shut your mouth!”

  Before Feng Ximing could even finish what he was saying, he was sternly cut off by Feng Hengkong. He did not spare Feng Ximing another glance as he turned towards Feng Tianwei and Feng Zukui, “Royal Father, Grandfather, let us leave this place for now. If we remain, it will be harder for Xue’er to calm down.

  The four people of the Divine Phoenix Sect departed and Zi Ji left along with them. Only Xia Yuanba and Feng Xue’er were left in the now quiet ocean region. They mutely stared at the blue-colored barrier, neither of them speaking a single sword for a long time.

  “Brother-in-law, you will definitely be alright!” Xia Yuanba tightly clenched a fist as he murmured these words over and over again in his head.

  “Big Brother Yun, Xue’er will wait here for your safe return.” Feng Xue’er placed both hands on her chest and she closed her beautiful eyes, her snowy lips softly whispering, “If Big Brother Yun does not return in a day, then Xue’er will wait a day. If you don’t return in a year, then Xue’er will wait a year… If… if Big Brother Yun never returns, then Xue’er will remain in this place forever… so that I can accompany Big Brother Yun here forever…”

  Chapter 776: Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign (2)

  The sealed Moon Slaughter Devil Nest was blanketed in inky darkness.

  For the first time in his life, Yun Che experienced what true darkness was. The world he was trapped in seemed like a bottomless abyss; there was not a single trace of light or life. In this world of absolute darkness, he could not see anything else, he did not even know where he was and what direction he was facing. His mind was under a lot of pressure and he started to feel a little dizzy.

  “Yun Che… Do you know what you’ve just done!” Jasmine yelled through gritted teeth as her voice echoed in Yun Che’s mind.

  “Of course I know.” Yun Che replied as he took a deep breath, trying his best to compose himself. Within the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, even drawing breath was several times more difficult than it was normally.

  “I had already told you very clearly, there isn’t any way that I can materialize to go harvest the Netherworld Udumbara
Flower in this place. And I was even more clear about the fact that there was no way that you could do it with your current ability. You won’t even be able to go anywhere near it, you…”

  “I know.” Yun Che said with a somber expression on his face, “I will definitely not question what you have told me. But we have already looked for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower for a whole seven years! And during these seven years, whether it was in the Profound Sky Continent or the Illusory Demon Realm, we have not been able to find even a clue regarding it. Now there is one that is growing in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest and it is extremely likely that it is the only Netherworld Udumbara Flower in this world! Furthermore, it is right on the brink of fully blooming… so how can you expect me to just give up on it like that!”

  “When I saw this Netherworld Udumbara Flower, I had an powerful feeling that if we left like this, we might never see a second Netherworld Udumbara Flower in our lives ever again. Which also means that you will never be able to obtain a new body.” Yun Che said solemnly, “Furthermore… furthermore, truth be told, I’m not too afraid of that Netherworld Udumbara Flower. Just now, even though it was able to enthrall me briefly once I entered within a hundred meters of it, the moment I concentrated I was able to break out of its spell. My condition was far less serious than Xue’er and the others. This should be related to the fact that I possess the Dragon God Soul… and if my Dragon God Soul is fully unleashed, it should be very possible for me to resist its ability to steal one’s soul. At the very least, let me try it out.”

  “Foolishness!” Jasmine said sharply, “Do you know how big a difference there is between a Netherworld Udumbara Flower that has fully bloomed and one that has not? Once a Netherworld Udumbara Flower reaches full bloom, its ability to steal your soul will grow at least ten times stronger!

  “…” Yun Che stammered out in a stunned voice, “Te… ten times!?”

  “For the past seven years, since I mentioned the Netherworld Udumbara Flower until now, I have always asked you to locate one but I have never ever once asked you to actually go obtain one. It is not something that a person from this plane, such as you, can even come into contact with!” Jasmine’s voice was filled with fury and Yun Che could well imagine that she was so shocked, upset and frustrated that she could barely contain the desire to smack him so hard that he flew tens of kilometers.

  “Are you thinking that if you aren’t able to succeed, you will be able to escape using the Primordial Profound Ark? If you are, then you are truly naive! Having to endure more than ten thousand years of darkness energy which is of such a high quality slowly eating away at it, the laws of space in this place have long since been distorted! You will barely even be able to use the Primordial Profound Ark to move around in this Moon Slaughter Devil Nest, much less use it to leave this place!”

  Yun Che, “…”

  “Also, I clearly just warned you that there was a living creature hiding in this place! It’s strength is at least at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm! Furthermore, to be able to survive in such a dark environment, it is very likely going to be an extremely evil creature! Perhaps you will die under the claws of this foul beast before you can even approach the Netherworld Udumbara Flower! And even if you wanted to flee at that moment, you wouldn’t be able to!”

  “You’ve basically made your own grave! And this is a grave that even I can’t dig you out of!” Jasmine yelled in fury.

  “Heh heh.” At this moment, Yun Che suddenly let out a small laugh.

  “…To think that you are actually able to laugh right now.” Jasmine said in an exasperated voice.

  Yun Che faintly smiled as he said, “I just suddenly thought of the many times you’ve scolded me because I always risked my life for women. Every single time, I gave you the same reply. If it was for you, I would also be willing to throw my life away. But you’ve never once believed me. However, now that we’ve reached this point, are you starting to believe those words?”

  “You…” Jasmine’s voice ground to a halt immediately.

  “Jasmine, you’ve given far too much already. On the other hand, I have never really been able to do anything for you. Even cleansing that devilish poison from your body was only possible due to the existence of the Sky Poison Pearl. I have never ever needed to give up anything or pay any price. Right now, this Netherworld Udumbara Flower may be the only hope of you getting a new body. So even if the risk was ten times greater and the chance of success was ten times lower, I would still choose to stay behind.”

  Jasmine, “…”

  “Moreover, I was not being completely reckless when I chose to stay behind. I had already carefully weighed the pros and cons in my mind. Our situation is far less dire than you made it out to be. Even though the Dragon God Soul in my body has already become a part of my own soul, because my spirit power is too weak, even I am not able to tell just how strong it actually is. Therefore, it is impossible for you to know either, Jasmine. If my will is resolute enough and I am able to draw out even more of the Dragon God Soul’s soul power, approaching the Netherworld Udumbara Flower is not an impossibility!”

  “And even if that living creature that is hidden in the darkness is an evil beast, if it is at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, it isn’t impossible for me to beat it either. Two months ago, Fen Juechen had around the same level of strength. In the end, not only did I manage to beat him, it was a complete victory!” Yun Che said in a voice that was brimming with confidence as his eyes widened in the darkness.

  “…” Jasmine remained silent for a while before viciously spitting out a response, “IDIOT! The reason why you were able to beat Fen Juechen was entirely because of Hong’er! You really thought that the present you could be a sixth stage Monarch!?”

  “Because of… Hong’er?” Yun Che asked in a stunned voice.

  “Forget it.” Jasmine said as she gave a faint sigh, “Now that things have reached this point, it would be useless even if I scolded you another ten thousand times. If that foul beast can survive in such an environment, then it means that it must be a creature of the darkness element, so it should also be vulnerable to Hong’er just like Fen Juechen was. If that is the case, then you might have the ability to face it in open combat… but it isn’t a sure thing! Right now, the first thing you need to do is to get accustomed to this environment so you can remain in your peak state indefinitely!”

  Jasmine’s tone remained stern but she had subconsciously softened it already. Though she still felt that Yun Che choosing to remain in the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest to wait for the Netherworld Udumbara Flower to bloom fully was the stupidest and most reckless thing he could do, that it was akin to digging his own grave, it had all been because of her this time around… completely because of her.

  Moreover, this was a man that she had spent the most time with in her life, the man whom she understood the most. From start to finish, he had always been this kind of person…

  “When you’re in this place, do you feel a weight on your chest, do you start feeling dizzy and does it get harder for you to breathe?” Jasmine asked with surety in her voice.

  Yun Che nodded his head, “Yes. Furthermore, these sensations are far more intense now than when I had first entered this place. Darkness energy is able to devour one’s life force and soul, so the sensations that I am feeling right now should be considered quite normal.”

  “Hmph! The only reason why you are able to maintain your present state is because your life force far exceeds that of a normal person. If it was a normal Emperor Profound Realm practitioner, he would have lost all the strength in his body and he would be teetering on the state of unconsciousness after one hundred breaths. But even with your life force, you still won’t be able to hold out in this place for too long. In two hours, you will…” Jasmine’s voice suddenly stopped and when she spoke again, her voice had become neutral and emotionless, “It looks like I don’t need to remind you about this after all. If you dared to stay behin
d, then you’ve definitely thought of this as well.”

  “That’s only natural.” Yun Che said as he stuck out his chest, “The origin of energy in this world is the energy of heaven and earth and darkness energy is naturally also no exception. The Great Way of the Buddha could even absorb and transform the energy from the spatial storm within the Primordial Profound Ark into vitality for my body, much less the fire element found in the Sea of Death. So it stands to reason that the darkness energy in this place can be absorbed as well! The richer and denser an element is in one place, the stronger the ability of the Great Way of the Buddha to absorb and transform said element into vitality for my body. So it can definitely cancel out or maybe even exceed the rate at which my life force is being eroded by the darkness energy in this place.”

  Yun Che’s brows twitched as he suddenly asked a question, “The level of the darkness energy in this place truly surpasses your level as well? You said that you would not be able to stop it from devouring your spirit body but why do I not find it quite so terrible? In fact, I think that it is far weaker than the spatial storm I had to face in the Primordial Profound Ark! When I had to endure the spatial storms within the Primordial Profound Ark, if I just relaxed for a few breaths, I would be deader than dead. But in this place, even if I do not activate the Great Way of the Buddha, I can still hold out for a long period of time.”

  “Hmph, didn’t I say this just now. The level of the darkness energy is extremely high but its intensity is extremely weak. The darkness energy here is akin to the profound energy being released by a Sovereign whose profound strength is exhausted, whose life has withered away and who is on the brink of death. So even though the profound energy being released is still at the level of the Sovereign Profound Realm, it is so weak that it would not even be able to kill a True Profound Realm practitioner.” Jasmine said as her voice grew serious once more, “But what worries me the most is that this darkness energy is still clearly in an active state, it has not lain dormant.”