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

by Mars Gravity

  Besides the Four Great Sacred Grounds, all the other powers from the Profound Sky Continent that were gathered here were all sitting ramrod straight, none of them moving a single muscle. Their expressions were nervous and tense, their breathing was moderate and shallow and even their whispering was done in the most cautious and discreet manners. All of these powers were naturally aware that the Four Great Sacred Grounds were the paramount existences within the Profound Sky Continent, but they had definitely never imagined that the true power of the Sacred Grounds was actually this terrible.

  Monarchs, the legends that existed in their hearts and minds, an existence that they might encounter once every thousand years. Hundreds of them had appeared in this place! It was an event that was so shocking that it was highly plausible that they would remain dazed for many days.

  The entire Sea God Arena was shrouded in a gigantic curtain of light. Even Yun Che’s eyes were unable to penetrate that veil of light and see what lay within. But anyone would be able to guess that the eponymous devil sword of this Devil Sword Conference lay behind this curtain of light.

  Time was flowing slowly but at this moment, the light in the sky suddenly dimmed by a fraction.

  This small decrease in brightness was something that a normal person would definitely not be able to detect. But all those who were seated here were the most powerful individuals in the Profound Sky Continent. Their spiritual perceptions were all extremely keen and many of them had raised their heads to the sky the moment the light had dimmed.

  “Brother-in-law, quickly look!” Xia Yuanba said as he raised his head to the sky.

  The blazing sun hung in the east but it slowly crept towards the center. However, an extremely short and slim black scar had appeared at the border of the eastern sky!

  “The fabled Thirteen Star Alignment… Is it really going to appear now?” Xia Yuanba muttered to himself. At the same time, the entire Sea God Arena began rumbling with noise.

  In the eastern part of the Sea God Arena, a beam of sword energy pierced the heavens. It was as if a blazing meteor had descended from the sky, the light it gave off was so piercing that everyone was blinded for a moment. Under that light, a green figure slowly appeared within the space that had been slashed open by that sword beam. He was all dressed in green and his sword might was boundless. Once he appeared, it was as if an emperor was arriving in all of his pomp and glory, causing the hearts and souls of all who were gathered to tremble with fear.

  Following the arrival of this person, every single member of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, from the lowest disciple to the mightiest sword attendant, rose from their seats and bowed in greeting:

  “The absolute sword of heaven’s might is peerless and unmatched in this world! We welcome the Sword Master!”

  The Sword Master of Mighty Heavenly Sword Region—Xuanyuan Wentian!

  “Hahahaha!”

  Wild laughter rang out from the western section of the Sea God Arena which was directly opposite Xuanyuan Wentian. Amidst this wild laughter, the empty air above that area suddenly shone with a glaring profound light, it was as if a burning sun was being born. On the other side, a luminous waning moon also appeared floating in the air. One sun and one moon instantly suppressed all the light in this area and even the real sun that hung in the eastern sky seemed dimmer under the light of this sun and moon.

  A tall and upright figure slowly walked out between the light that was emitted from this sun and moon. He was garbed in white and his eyes twinkled like cold stars as a mighty aura that rivalled Xuanyuan Wentian’s descended from above. This caused all of the profound practitioners who were sitting in the western section of the Sea God Arena to shiver fiercely as they could barely resist the urge to kneel on the floor and prostrate themselves in worship.

  “Of the blazing sun and punishing moon, the Heavenly Monarch equals the heavens! We greet the Heavenly Monarch!”

  This time, all of the profound practitioners of Sun Moon Divine Hall had gotten to their feet before they kneeled down in obeisance.

  “The Holy Master of Sun Moon Divine Hall, the one who possesses the title of ‘Heavenly Monarch’, Ye Meixie!?” Yun Che muttered to himself. Ye Meixie appeared to be a middle-aged man, he looked far younger than Yun Che had expected.

  In the southern part of the Sea God Arena, a faint yellow light descended from the skies right in front of where Absolute Monarch Sanctuary was seated. Within that yellow light, a frail and thin figure dressed in white clothes appeared.

  The moment that weak and frail figure appeared, all of the spiritual masters, elders and disciples of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary… Xia Yuanba included, all swiftly stood to their feet as they clasped their hands and shouted a greeting:

  “Absolute Monarch Saint Emperor, ruler of the myriad boundaries! We welcome the Saint Emperor!”

  More than one hundred Monarchs and four hundred Sovereigns shouted that greeting at the same time, the profound energy that shook the air was mighty indeed. Yun Che was extremely close by and he was still heavily injured, so he did not react in time to shield himself. He was so shaken by the profound energy that his chest felt heavy and his vision swam, his wounds nearly opening up again due to the impact.

  The frail and thin man slowly turned around as he gave an extremely calm and placid smile to the gathered members of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and made a gesture for them to return to their seats. The moment he turned around, Yun Che clearly saw his features as well and his heart was filled with shock and astonishment.

  Huangji Wuyu, the Saint Emperor of Absolute Monarch Sanctuary, the leader of the Four Sacred Grounds! The man who was publically acknowledged as the most powerful person in the Profound Sky Continent! As one of the supreme powers whose existence was legendary, everyone thought that he would definitely possess a matchless and majestic figure and that his aura would shake the heavens.

  But what appeared in Yun Che’s eyes was a frail and thin young man… who did not look to be more than sixteen years of age!

  But his gaze was that of an ancient man, his eyes looked like they had seen the rise and fall of a hundred ages.

  Xuanyuan Wentian’s aura was incomparably sharp, it was as if ten thousand swords had descended from the sky. Ye Meixie’s aura was boundless and majestic and it seemed as if it could collapse the sky. Huangji Wuyu, on the other hand, projected an aura that was not tyrannical in the slightest, there was no attacking intent in it… Actually, Yun Che could not even sense the presence of any profound energy from his body. It was as if he was mere commoner who did not even practice the profound way.

  Huangji Wuyu’s gaze touched Yun Che and it lingered there for a second. After that, he turned towards the Sea God Arena and quietly stared at the curtain of light that shrouded it.

  In the west, a gentle aura that surged with hidden power descended from the sky, enveloping the hearts and souls of everyone present. At that moment, the picture of a vast and boundless ocean appeared in everyone’s hearts. This ocean was raging and frothing as huge waves soared to the heavens.

  Before a figure had even appeared, the entire Supreme Ocean Palace had all risen to their feet in greeting:

  “The supreme Sovereign of the Seas, she who has no limits!”

  Supreme Ocean Palace—Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi had arrived! She was still garbed in those blue skirts that Yun Che had seen her wearing but her expression was dignified and her aura was incomparably noble and grand.

  In the east: Mighty Heavenly Sword Region—Sword Master Xuanyuan Wentian.

  In the west: Sun Moon Divine Hall—Heavenly Monarch Ye Meixie.

  In the south: Absolute Monarch Sanctuary—Saint Emperor Huangji Wuyu.

  In the north: Supreme Ocean Palace—Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi.

  The masters of the Profound Sky’s Four Great Sacred Grounds, the current four true rulers of the Profound Sky Continent were all gathered in this Sea God Arena!

  Chapter 799: Devil Sword Conference (3)

  T
he Sea God Arena had fallen completely silent. The Four Sacred Masters were gathered in one place. Their power and prestige enough to cover the earth and the sky, and it was enough to intimidate the entire continent.

  Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi raised her head to the sky as she looked at the sun, which was slowly being marked with a black scar, before speaking in a solemn voice, “The Thirteen Star Alignment is about to occur. All our preparations of the past few months have been for this moment alone. The heroes of the realm have also gathered at my Supreme Ocean Palace just for the sake of gazing upon this devil sword and attempting to uncover its secrets together. If the secret of the devil sword can truly be unveiled as per our wishes and desires, then it will definitely be a grand occasion for our Profound Sky Continent.”

  Sovereign of the Seas Qu Fengyi looked at Huangji Wuyu. “Even though this event is being held by Supreme Ocean Palace, the Devil Sword Conference is not something that belongs to us alone. It is an event for the entire profound world of the Profound Sky Continent. Brother Huangji, you have the most seniority between the four of us, and your voice also carries the most weight. Therefore, you are the person most suitable to preside over this Devil Sword Conference.”

  “Heheh.” Huangji Wuyu gave a tepid laugh. “The devil sword was obtained by Sword Master Xuanyuan, so it is natural that his knowledge of it would be the deepest. We should let Sword Master Xuanyuan host this event. He would naturally be even more suited to the task than I.”

  “Alright then!” Xuanyuan Wentian gave a great laugh as he wholeheartedly accepted that suggestion. “Since this is the case, I, Xuanyuan Wentian, will gladly comply.”

  As his voice faded, Xuanyuan Wentian raised his right palm and a pale white sword beam discharged from the center of his palm and shot toward the sky.

  In an instant, that sword beam had already grown more than three hundred meters long, transforming into a three hundred and thirty meter long profound sword in Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand. After that, he shouted as he slashed down at the Sea God Arena below him.

  Clang!!

  The gigantic curtain of light that shrouded the Sea God Arena was split open by a single slash from that profound sword. Light shattered as ice would shatter, becoming countless fragments that scattered all over the place. They disappeared into thin air in the blink of an eye, revealing the Sea God Arena that had been hidden from view.

  Everyone’s eyes turned toward the Sea God Arena. Following the disappearance of that curtain of light, the Sea God Arena was completely revealed.

  The Sea God Arena was several kilometers wide, and at this moment, everyone was astonished to find a gigantic circular profound formation imprinted on it. The profound light that this profound formation radiated was not intense. It glowed brilliantly at times, and grew dark at others. The rate at which the light alternated was exceptionally slow. The borders of the profound formation stretched to the edges of the Sea God Arena, practically covering every inch of it.

  The center of the profound formation was also the center of the Sea God Arena. A pitch black sword was there, gently floating in midair. The body of the sword was as black as ink. It was roughly six and a half feet long and one foot wide. It had a square hilt, and the half of the blade near the hilt had two irregular markings that ran down its length. If one looked closely, they would see that the markings were a crescent blood moon that had been cut in half!

  Aside from all of these things, the sword did not emit an aura, nor did any power or light radiate from it. Instead, everyone felt as if it were completely lifeless.

  “So that is… the legendary Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?” Xia Yuanba could not help but exclaim aloud before continuing in a soft voice, “It doesn’t seem very extraordinary to me.”

  Yun Che’s gaze was completely fixed on the sword. His eyes roamed across the body of the sword before finally coming to rest where the sigil of the blood colored broken moon was.

  The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had said that the true name of this sword was the “Moon Slaughter Devil Sword”!

  Furthermore, this blood colored broken moon sigil also fit the name of “Moon Slaughter”… there was no mistaking it!

  The public may know of this sword as the “Heavenly Sin Divine Sword,” but only Yun Che knew that this was a completely authentic ancient devil sword!

  He just did not know if the devil soul that had been stored in the blade still existed!

  The devil soul of the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s son!

  “What is that profound formation below it?” Yun Che asked in a low voice.

  “Its function should be to gather profound energy,” Xia Yuanba replied. “This profound formation was already being prepared half a year ago. During these last six months, Lord Saint Emperor spent most of his time at Supreme Ocean Palace specifically for the sake of setting up this profound formation. It should have been the same with the other Sacred Masters as well.”

  Yun Che, “…”

  Yun Che’s brows furrowed slightly, and he let out a long sigh. According to the memories that Jasmine had retrieved from Fen Juechen, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword had been sealed away by the Eternal Night Royal Family for generations. The entire clan had considered it a forbidden object, and no one was allowed to get close enough to touch it. Furthermore, they periodically would strengthen the seal.

  Breaking the seal on the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was the goal of this Devil Sword Conference.

  Furthermore, if it weren’t for the seal that had been made by the Eternal Night Royal Family, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region would not have been baffled for over a thousand years. In the end, they had no choice but to organize this Devil Sword Conference and borrow the power of all the mighty individuals in the land.

  Could it be that the Evil God’s seal still lingered on the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?

  No, that could not be the case! Even though the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s vitality and soul had been completely shattered, he was obviously still able to escape the Evil God’s seal. Furthermore, since the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign’s sword, it would naturally be on his person and be one with his body. If the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign could escape that seal, then there would be no reason for the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword to still be affected by said seal.

  Yun Che pondered this conundrum for a while before a thought suddenly sprang into his head. The Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign had said that the Moon Slaughter Devil Sword, which was also the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, had been personally tossed into the Profound Sky Continent by him because he wanted to use it to gather information about the outside world. However, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword independently severed the spiritual connection it had with the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign after he threw it out…

  Furthermore, once a sword completely submitted to its master, it would be impossible for the sword to take the initiative to sever the spiritual connection it had with its master!

  This means that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was still an independent existence at that time, and the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign was not its true master!

  Or could it be that the Evil God’s seal, which had lasted for a million years, had destroyed the spiritual contract that had been established between the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign and his sword?

  “This sword is, indeed, a devil sword, and it is also known as the ‘Heavenly Sin Divine Sword’!” Xuanyuan Wentian proclaimed in a clear, loud voice.

  “Furthermore, the name ‘Heavenly Sin Divine Sword’ came from the Eternal Night Royal Family that was destroyed a thousand years ago.”

  The faces of everyone present were filled with shock and astonishment. Especially among the Four Sacred Grounds, the name “Eternal Night Royal Family” had always been taboo. The main culprit behind the destruction of the Eternal Night Royal Family was Mighty Heavenly Sword Region, so no one would have ever thought that Xuanyuan Wentian would voluntarily bring up the Eternal Night Royal Fami
ly.

  “This matter occurred a thousand years ago, so it is natural that very few people know of the ‘Eternal Night Royal Family’. However, all of you who are gathered here today are also the overlords of the Profound Sky Continent, so I’m sure that you have heard of it before.”

  Those who knew of the Eternal Night Royal Family would roughly know the truth behind its destruction. Yet Xuanyuan Wentian’s voice still rang out as clear as a heavenly bell despite the scrutiny of the entire audience. His expression did not change. It was as if he were talking about a name that was not relevant to him at all. “The Eternal Night Royal Family was initially only a mediocre power, but they swiftly rose to the top after they obtaining this sword ten thousand years ago. In a short thousand years, they had were able to lord over the Profound Sky Continent and be considered equal to the Four Great Sacred Grounds. At that time, the whole world knew that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword must have been hiding some world-shaking secret.

  “The Eternal Night Royal Family’s profound art was known as the ‘Eternal Night Illusory God Record’, and when they circulated their profound energy, it was pitch black. It was a baleful, malevolent energy that was extremely similar to the powers possessed by devils and fiends of legend. In the end, however, a profound art is still a profound art. Whether or not a profound art is righteous or demonic is not dependent on the profound art, but the person using the profound art. This was why no one ever questioned whether or not the Eternal Night Royal Family had fallen to a demonic path and become degenerate. However, a thousand years ago, the Eternal Night Royal Family kept committing grievous sins that could not be forgiven or tolerated by heaven and earth. Since the Sacred Grounds were responsible for protecting the Profound Sky Continent through the generations, we had no choice but to join hands to destroy the Eternal Night Royal Family forever.”