Against The Gods - S01 E1971

Story 8 months ago

Against The Gods - S01 E1971

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 1971

Beyond The Reach of Moons And Stars (2)

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

When she was eleven, and he found her for the first time, he had held her tight and promised to spend the rest of his life making up for his absence in her early life. He swore that she would never lose him again.

He had failed.

Before returning to the God Realm, he had promised her that he would return to her side as soon as everything was over. He swore he would protect her for the rest of his life and never leave her side again.

He had never returned.

After he became Emperor Yun, with a heart full of regret, in a voice that would brook no dissent even from himself, he promised that he would never leave her or allow anyone to hurt her anymore.

But…

Again and again, he had hurt the people he did not want to hurt the most.

A while later, she withheld her sobs and looked straight at him. She declared, “You don’t get to decide if you’re a good father or not. I do.”

Yun Che: “...”

“I can discount all of your earlier promises.” Her gaze pierced through her tears and warmed Yun Che’s eyes. “But this time… this time… you must come back safe and whole.”

“No matter how hard it might be… no matter how long it takes… you must come back.”

She was already doing her utmost to suppress her tears, and still they continued to slide down her cheeks like pearls. She could not and would not imagine what might happen to her father after he fell into that terrifying Abyss.

“If you can do that,” she said in a shivering, pleading voice, “then you are… the best father in the entire world.”

“...” Yun Che’s breathing grew rapid and out of order. He slowly clenched his trembling fingers.

Yun Wuxin leaned forward and held Yun Che as tightly as she could, “If you are willing to become a responsible emperor for the world, then surely you are willing to become the best father in the world for me… right?”

Yun Che wrapped his arms around his daughter and held her tight. He closed his eyes and whispered in the softest voice he could muster, “Of course I will. After all, I have ties in this world I can never sever.”

“Mm!”

Yun Wuxin put a finger on the tri-colored Glazed Sound Stones he always wore around his neck. “If you ever feel like putting your life at risk, then listen to the clinks of Glazed Sound Stones and recall everything you said to me today.”

“I will.” Yun Che nodded strongly.

............

After they left the Southern Divine Region, Yun Che took Yun Wuxin back to Blue Pole Star. They landed in the Illusory Demon Realm.

“Wuxin, can you go ahead and inform your mother and masters about my decision first?”

The normally untouchable Emperor Yun was visibly sweating with worry right now. “Especially your auntie Caiyi. She’s easily the most stubborn out of all of them. It’s best if you’re the one who tells her about this instead of me.”

This departure would be different from all other departures in the past. It was because his life would be in grave danger from the moment he fell into the Abyss of Nothingness.

“I know.” Yun Wuxin assured him with a cute smile on her face. “You’re the best when it comes to coaxing women. Do your best!”

Yun Che could only return a wry, helpless chuckle.

After Yun Wuxin was gone, Yun Che looked up and stared at the cloudless blue sky for a bit. He wondered if he would ever see true peace in his life.

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“You’re back, Che’er,” A deep and warm voice rang behind his back.

Yun Che turned around and saw Yun Qinghong smiling at him. “Father.”

His father nodded in response before replying, “I heard what happened in the God Realm. I’m also aware the actual situation was a thousand times more dangerous than what they told me.”

“It was,” Yun Che replied, “but we’ve gotten over it, so all is well.”

“No it’s not.” Yun Che stared at him. “I can see the gloominess in your eyes… that particular incident may be over, but it was just the beginning, not the end, right?”

His insight proved that no one knows the son as well as the father.

He might be Emperor Yun now, but Yun Qinghong would always see through him.

Yun Qinghong walked up to him with a peaceful expression on his face, “So, what is it you would like to talk about? No need to mince words with me, even if it is something I may not understand. I am your father.”

Yun Che was silent for a long time before he finally asked, “Father, how did you manage to keep yourself composed during the hardest times of your and mother’s life?”

“Composed?” Yun Qinghong shook his head smilingly. “Perhaps I was. But you are aware that composure does not always spring from confidence, right? Sometimes, it may be born from absolute despair.”

Yun Che: “...”

“Back then, your mother and I were gravely poisoned, our energy and lifeforce were at their end, the Duke was in power, the Yun Family was busy fighting itself, and the Little Demon Empress herself was in peril. No matter where I looked, all I saw was utter hopelessness.”

“That is why I was ‘composed’. Why would I fear anything when the situation literally could not get any worse than it already was?”

“That is also why your arrival was a true miracle. One that was born beyond all the calculations and struggle.”

He reached out and patted Yun Che hard on the shoulder. “You though, you still have hope, one that may win the day yet if you give it your all. Am I right?”

“Yeah,” Yun Che looked up slightly. “There is still hope.”

“Then that is enough,” Yun Qinghong said with a smile. “Since you have confirmed your next move, all that is left is to give it your all and see it through. It is true that the final outcome is uncertain, but then again, that is something no one can truly foresee, can they? So avert your eyes from the future, and do your best in the present.”

“You may also treat it as a journey to surpass your own recognition and horizon.”

“Also, your greatest identity right now is the emperor of this world. What you’re going to do—what you must do—is to save this world from peril.”

“Now that you’ve made your decision, the first thing you should discard is excessive anxiety and caution.”

Yun Qinghong met his son’s eyes and placed a broad hand on his shoulder. “Trust in the people around you. We are all a lot tougher than you think. My cultivation may not be up to snuff, but my shoulders are still tough enough to support the fate of the Yun Family for another ten thousand years. “

“...” The tightness in Yun Che’s chest faded away like fog. “I understand, father.”

Yun Qinghong nodded, and the father and son smiled at each other.

It was at this moment the air suddenly shook with a series of sonic booms. The surrounding temperature started rising rapidly as well.

Yun Qinghong raised an eyebrow before dashing away in an instant. The only words he left behind were, “This fight is your own to fight though, so I’ll leave you to it. Good luck! Hahahaha.”

RUMBLE!

The Little Demon Empress landed in a gust of hot wind and energy and shook the entire Yun residence…

............

Eastern Divine Region, Flame God Realm.

Huo Poyun’s tombstone had been set in front of the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison.

It was here he had obtained the Golden Crow Soul’s blessing. He also mentioned that he would like the Ancient God Burying Inferno Prison to be his resting place.

Without Huo Poyun, the Flame God Realm’s eternal heat seemed to be a lot quieter than before.

The Flame God Royal Hall—a structure that had been built for Huo Poyun—was also deathly silent.

Right now, Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie were all present in the main hall of the Flame God Royal Hall. However, the atmosphere was heavy, sorrowful, desolate, lonely and cold.

“With Poyun’s passing, the Flame God Realm no longer has a king,” said Huo Rulie while staring at the roof of the main hall, gaze distant and unfocused. He was recalling the day Huo Poyun had been crowned the realm king in this very hall. “After the doors of this place are closed, I wonder how long will it take before it sees the light of day again.”

Yan Wancang and Yan Juehai did not say anything.

They knew very well that Huo Poyun’s inheritance was gone once and for all. He did not have any descendant who might carry his Golden Crow bloodline either.

As if that wasn’t bad enough, the chances that the Flame God Realm might produce another Divine Master were… low, at best.

In other words, this hall might never see the light of day again.

Even if the Flame God Realm, by some miracle, managed to produce another Divine Master, they would never reach the heights Huo Poyun had attained.

The Flame God Realm’s golden age had been as short-lived as a night blooming cactus.

No one across all four divine regions dared to look down on the declined Flame God Realm though, not even a thousand generations later. It was because they knew that the Flame God Realm King had died to ignite the divine flames that saved the entire world.

It was at this moment the sound of soft, even footsteps came from the hall entrance. Incredibly, not one of the three sect masters noticed a thing until the footsteps were loud enough to be obvious. They all turned around in surprise before blanching at what they saw.

The three sect masters dropped to their knees at the same time. “Well met, Your Majesty. We did not know you were coming and failed to fulfill the responsibilities of a host. We are terribly sorry for our mistake.”

The newcomer was Yun Che, of course.

He wasn’t alone though. He was accompanied by a woman in red they had never seen before.

Her form was that of a fairy, and her countenance a dream. They looked away the instant they caught a glimpse of her features.

They were certain that a woman this beautiful and in such close proximity to Emperor Yun could only be… extraordinary.

“Rise. There is no need to stand on ceremony.”

Yun Che didn’t move, but an invisible forcefield lifted the three sect masters to their feet. His gaze traveled to the back as he observed the massive hall that once belonged to Huo Poyun.

This was the first time he set foot at this place.

“What business do you have with us, Your Majesty?” Yan Wancang asked first. Normally, the man could barely get a word out to Yun Che, but now he was as calm as he was solemn.

It was because his heart had withered with the passing of Huo Poyun. It was as Yun Qinghong said. Hopelessness naturally leads to fearlessness.

Beside him, Yan Juehai kept stealing looks at the red-clad woman out of the corner of his eye. It was because the gorgeous dress she wore—one that looked like it was weaved from crimson sun rays—had the divine mark of the phoenix on it.

Yun Che withdrew his gaze and said, “This hall is brimming with the aura of fire. I can tell that you have poured your life’s blood on it. It would be a shame if it is closed forever.”

“Ai.” Huo Rulie shook his head with a sigh. “The royal hall is a representation of the Flame God Realm King. If there is no king, then there is no hall.”

Yun Che’s guess was spot on. The three sect masters had spared no effort in building the Flame God Royal Hall, and now that Huo Poyun was gone they did not believe there was a soul in the entire God Realm who deserved it anymore.

“There is no need to be so pessimistic, sect masters,” Yun Che said. “The Flame God Realm may have lost brother Poyun, but that doesn’t mean it has lost its future.”

“But… the Vermillion Bird, the Phoenix, and the Golden Crow’s Souls are long perished, and Poyun’s Golden Crow inheritance is also lost since he hadn’t left behind a descendant… What hope is left for the Flame God Realm?” Huo Rulie replied with deep pain in his voice.

Yun Che’s eyes flashed with flames as he turned Feng Xue’er. The barrier around her disappeared an instant later.

The pure, refined aura of the phoenix spread into the surroundings. All three Flame God sect masters spun toward her at the same time.

Feng Xue’er did not say anything, but her gorgeous eyes burst into flames, crimson rays started shooting out of her body. They combined to form the divine image of the Phoenix, one that looked solid enough to be real. The majestic and regal cry of the Phoenix resounded throughout the hall a second later.

Cries of disbelief and shock escaped the sect masters’ throats at the exact same time. Their fully dilated pupils were completely shrouded by the crimson flames.

“Sect masters,” Yun Che began while looking at the stunned men, “Compare her Phoenix aura and Poyun’s Golden Crow aura… what do you think?”

“...” Yan Juehai’s mouth was open wide enough to fit a ball. When he heard Yun Che’s question, he slowly turned toward Yun Che like his neck had rusted. It took him several breaths before he finally found his voice. “Who… who… who is she?”

“Her name is Feng Xue’er.” Yun Che grasped her hand before continuing, “She is one of my wives.”

Gulp!

All three sect masters swallowed in unison. Thankfully, they weren’t so stunned that they had forgotten even basic etiquette. They hurriedly dropped to their knees and said, “Well met, Your Highness.”

“Please, seniors,” Feng Xue’er replied gently, “This is too much for me.”

Yun Che spoke slowly so that the stunned men could follow his words, “She is the same as brother Poyun. She is the full bearer of the Phoenix Soul’s inheritance.”

Yan Juehai’s mouth opened and closed repeatedly, but no words came out of his mouth. That was how emotional he was feeling right now.

“Her Phoenix bloodline and Phoenix Divine Soul were all on par with brother Poyun’s. The reason you’ve never heard of her is because she’s been living in the lower realms, and she can only grow so much considering the environment.”

If Huo Poyun hadn’t passed away, Yun Che might never have involved Feng Xue’er in the secular world that was the God Realm.

Beyond The Reach of Moons and Stars (3)

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

Feng Xue’er had only just entered the Divine Way, but the richness and purity of her divine phoenix aura wasn’t weaker than Huo Poyun’s in the slightest. All three Flame God sect masters felt like their world view had just been turned upside down.

“Xue’er,” Yun Che looked at his wife with gentle, loving eyes, “You still can change your mind, you know. You really don’t have to…”

Feng Xue’er shook her head even as she smiled. “This is not a sacrifice for your sake, big brother Yun. I truly want this from the bottom of my heart and soul.”

“The phoenix has blessed me unconditionally since the day I was born, but I had never been able to return the favor. But now, I can. I have no doubt that this is where I belong, and I am sure the Phoenix Spirit will be beyond glad if it could see this from the afterlife.”

She beamed. “That I could also remove some regret from big brother Yun’s heart only makes me happier.”

She took a step forward and said, “This junior, Feng Xue’er was born in the lower realms. I was lucky to be blessed by the Phoenix Spirit when I was young, and now I now wish to become a member of the Flame God Realm and burn my flames for you. Please fulfill my wish, Flame God seniors.”

Feng Xue’er possessed a soft, gentle voice that could sway minds with ease, but it was her words that made the Flame God sect masters wonder if they were in a dream.

They knew exactly what this meant, and yet they could not muster the courage to believe it was actually happening.

Feng Xue’er’s aura made it clear that she was practically the Phoenix version of Huo Poyun.

If she were to join the Flame God Realm, it meant that the flame of hope that had extinguished with the passing of Huo Poyun would be relit in full!

Not only that, she was one of Emperor Yun’s beloved. Her mere presence would bring unimaginable benefits to the Flame God Realm; far more than what Huo Poyun could have done in his position.

“Is… is this real?” Yan Juehai whispered while staring at Feng Xue’er. It wasn’t a real question. He was just wondering out loud.

They had just lost a divine son of the Golden Crow, and the heavens immediately compensated their loss with a divine daughter of the Phoenix.

His Phoenix lineage!

Heaven knows he was dripping with envy since the day Huo Rulie had discovered Huo Poyun!

Feng Xue’er bowed slightly before replying, “This junior learned from big brother Yun that senior Yan had been sect master of the Phoenix Sect for several thousand years. There is no one who has better understanding and mastery of the World Ode of the Phoenix than you. This junior would be deeply grateful if you would teach her your ways.”

Yan Juehai’s composure shattered like glass. He stuttered as his pupils shook, and he stumbled half a step to the back, “Oh no no no! This one is unworthy! Unworthy! You are the untouchable consort of Emperor Yun and the chosen one of the Phoenix Spirit itself. How could I possibly deserve to be your master?”

“Anyone can teach anyone as long as they are proficient, sect master Yan. The old, the young; the noble, the humble,” Yun Che said. “There is no one more qualified than you to become Xue’er’s master.”

He then turned away and added in a casual voice, “Also, don’t forget that Xue’er and my children will naturally become a member of the Flame God Realm if you are her master.”

His words were short, but what he promised was an eternal gift.

It was clear that Huo Poyun’s death shook him far more than he pretended to be.

Bang!!

Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie dropped to their knees at the same time. The sound reverberated throughout the hall.

“The Flame God Realm… thanks you for your great generosity, Your Majesty!”

Their voices were shaking, and tears were literally streaming down their cheeks. In that instant, the heavy, seemingly irremovable darkness in their heart was replaced by a shining sun.

“You don’t have to thank me,” replied Yun Che without turning around because his heaving chest would have betrayed his emotions. He said slowly, “It is what the Flame God Realm deserves after what you have done for the world.”

……

“Do you hate me, sect master Huo?”

Outside the hall, Yun Che asked Huo Rulie suddenly.

“I don’t understand your question, Your Majesty?” Huo Rulie spoke with his head bowed. “The Flame God Realm could perish right now, and we still wouldn’t be able to repay a sliver of what you’ve done for us…”

“You know what I mean,” Yun Che interrupted him while staring directly into Huo Rulie’s eyes.

While meeting Yun Che’s eyes head on, the sect master shook his head firmly. “That was what Poyun had decided. I won’t say I wasn’t torn apart when he used the Nine Heavens Cry of Dead Crow and Shattered Jade, but…” He broke into a smile. “I’m even prouder of him.”

“Although he has only been the Flame God Realm King for a couple of years, he managed to engrave the memory of the Golden Crow into everyone’s mind. History will forever remember his name and his sacrifice. How can I not be proud of him as his master and half a father?”

Tears gathered in his eyes even as he smiled wider.

Yun Che nodded and got ready to leave. This time though, it was Huo Rulie who called out to him.

“Your Majesty.”

Yun Che stopped in his tracks and looked back.

“Do we… truly have a future?”

He asked the question that weighed the most in everyone’s hearts.

Without hesitation, Yun Che replied in a tone that would brook no dissent. “Of course. The Abyss will not get what they wish, and Poyun will not have died a worthless death.”

“Good!”

Huo Rulie nodded strongly. “With this, we are no longer plagued by worries and distractions. We, too, promise to devote all our efforts to assist the divine daughter of the Phoenix! We will see her reach her full potential even if it costs us a thousand deaths!”

............

After leaving the Flame God Realm, Yun Che quickly arrived at the neighboring Snow Song Realm.

Mu Xuanyin was still recuperating from her injuries, but she had heard of Yun Che’s plan to venture into the Abyss. Chi Wuyao rarely hid anything from her.

She did not try to stop him or persuade him to change his mind. She didn’t even express any worry at all. She simply hugged him for several hours straight as if she was nothing more but a normal woman in recovery.

Yun Che did not leave immediately after he stepped out of the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall. Instead, he stood in the snow and basked in the winter cold for a very long time.

As far as he was aware, soothing wind, pure rain, or tranquil snow did not exist in the Abyss.

After he left, it would be untold years before he could finally bathe in snow once more.

And who knows, it might even be his final memory of radiant white…

It was at this moment a slender woman appeared from the distance. The curtain of snow did nothing to conceal her beauty, and her countenance was easily more gorgeous than ice. Every step she took was picturesque in a way that only a fairy could manage.

She was Mu Feixue.

Her footsteps paused the moment she caught sight of Yun Che. For a while, she simply watched his profile in silence.

Then, she gave him a small bow before turning around. Forget calling out to him, she did not even make a sound as she stepped away. However…

“Feixue.”

Yun Che suddenly called out her name.

“...” Mu Feixue froze as her foot sank slightly into the snow.

“I’m going to a far, far place.”

He said while staring at her back. “That is why I cannot give you any promise right now.”

“Even so… will you wait for me to come back?”

The wind continued to blow, but sound had suddenly vanished from the world. It was as if the world itself had become frozen along Mu Feixue’s back.

“If I can come home safely, I would be fortunate to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.”

Yun Che continued slowly and gently as he watched her back, “But if I do not return, then you should—”

“I will wait.” Her voice pierced through the flying snow like ice lilies. “No matter how long it will take… even when the young grows old, and the eternal snow has melted into water… I will be waiting.”

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She did not ask him where he was going or what he was planning to do.

She did not ask if he truly liked her, or if he was just offering her some sympathy.

To her, his words and his gaze right now, were enough to last her for a lifetime.

............

At the reborn Moon God Realm.

The realm was still in the middle of reconstruction, but its usual liveliness was a lot more reserved than before.

Unfortunately, the shadows of the Abyss had seeped through every corner of the God Realm.

Yun Che was watching the realm from a distance until a woman suddenly noticed his presence.

“Your Majesty?” She exclaimed as her mouth fell open. She could not believe her own eyes.

Yun Che looked at her and favored her with a smile. “Long time no see, Jin Yue.”

Jin Yue unconsciously squeezed the belt around her waist and avoided his gaze completely. She asked in a small, timid voice, “Have… you recovered from your injury, Your Majesty?”

It was clear that the girl had not fully recovered from the trauma Yun Che had inflicted on her back then, specifically the part where he had shredded her clothes and planted the demonic imprint in her while cackling with malice.

“Yes, I have recovered.” Yun Che watched her for a moment before exhaling. “I was only going to watch the realm for a bit, but since I’ve run into you…”

He disappeared without warning. The next thing Jin Yue knew, he was already standing in front of her and extending a hand toward her.

“Ah!” Jin Yue let out a cry of surprise as she subconsciously pulled away from Yun Che. Then, she noticed that he was holding the last inheritance of Xia Qingyue, the bronze mirror.

Her pupils shook violently. It was the item she cherished as her life until it was mercilessly taken away by Yun Che.

“Take it.” Yun Che’s palm moved even closer.

For a long time, Jin Yue could only stare at the bronze mirror without being able to move a muscle. She slowly reached out toward it, but could not believe that Yun Che was actually returning it to her. She thought he was playing a trick on her. “Are you… really going to return it to me?”

“Mn. It is yours to begin with. It is what she left behind for you,” Yun Che said. “When this world had abandoned and scorned her, when even herself had tried to wipe out her own existence, you were the only one who guarded her final proof of existence with your life.”

“If it wasn’t for you, well…”

He paused for a second before saying sincerely, “In this world, you are the only one who is most qualified to have it."

“...” Jin Yue finally took the bronze mirror from Yun Che. As soon as it was within her grasp, she immediately held it tight against her chest.

Yun Che felt like a part of his heart had suddenly gone missing, but he did not regret his decision. He shot her one last smile before turning around and getting ready to leave.

“You…” Jin Yue’s voice suddenly rang behind him. “Are you leaving to do something dangerous?”

“Could it be… the Abyss?”

A woman’s intuition was truly a scary thing.

Instead of denying her words, Yun Che praised her, “Quiet and gentle, loyal and unyielding, intelligent and meticulous! No wonder Qingyue loved you so much.”

It was practically an admission. Jin Yue met his eyes for an instant before bowing her head once more. “You would not have returned it to me otherwise.”

Her chin dipped even lower as she whispered, “That place must be unimaginably dangerous. Are you… sure you have to go?”

“I am. If I go, then there is still hope to turn things around. If not, then all that awaits us is destruction.”

He replied in a calm and collected voice before turning to take his leave a second time, but when he saw how she clutched the bronze mirror with trembling fingers like it was the most important item in her life, his heart ached with an unimaginable amount of love and affection toward her. In the end, he said, “Plus… there is a chance she might be there.”

There was a temporary lull in the conversation. Then, Jin Yue looked up with eyes that looked like a million exploding stars.

Her lips parted shakily, and she looked like she was trying to ask, “Who is she?” However, she just could not get the words out no matter what.

She wanted to hear Yun Che say her name with his own mouth. It was the only way to prove that she wasn’t imagining all this.

“The Abyss of Nothingness had mutated long ago, and falling into it no longer guarantees certain death. Instead, most people fall into the world known as the Abyss.”

“What that means… is that there is a chance Qingyue has not been devoured by the Abyss of Nothingness. She could be living in that world known as the Abyss right now.”

“I must go if only to check if she’s truly there.”

“...” Jin Yue swayed as if she might collapse at any moment. There were so many tears pouring out of her eyes that she couldn’t even see Emperor Yun anymore.

“Keep it safe. Perhaps the two of you may meet again someday. When that happens, you may return it to her with your own hands.”

“...”

“Okay.”

An unknown amount of time later, she finally mumbled like she was sleep-talking, ”Master… must still be alive… please… bring her home… no matter what…”

When she looked around again, Yun Che was already gone.

There was only the bronze mirror left offering her the warmest touch in the entire world.

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