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

by Mars Gravity

  “Heh heh heh.” Zi Ji laughed before speaking in an extremely soft voice, “There’s no harm in telling this to the Divine Phoenix Sect Master I suppose. This old one had recently discovered through pure coincidence that this senior perhaps has a fondness for fairy dresses that are a deep shade of red. So this old one has recently mobilized all of his guild’s power to scour the lands for the highest quality fairy dresses, in hopes of exchanging them for that senior’s smile.”

  Zi Ji was someone whose status in Supreme Ocean Palace was nearly equal to the Sovereign of the Seas but it was clear that his actions and words were an undisguised attempts to court Jasmine’s favor— and there was also no need to disguise his intent in the first place. Furthermore, because none of them knew Jasmine’s name, they could only address as her as “that senior”.

  “Ah so that was the case. I thank Mister Zi for his generosity and willingness to share,” Feng Hengkong said as he made a note to remember it.

  “Please enter the palace and be seated, your seats have already been prepared.” Feng Hengkong personally guided Qu Fengyi and her retinue into the main lobby. All at once, the crowd fell completely silent as some profound practitioners, who had never dreamed that they would be able to see the Sovereign of the Seas in their lives, gaped and gawked at her. They did not dare to make a noise and they did not even dare to breathe.

  “Sun Moon Divine Hall’s Hall Master Ye Meixie, with Young Master Ye Xinghan, Divine Envoy Heavens Equal, Divine Envoy Blazing Sun, Divine Envoy Moon Punisher, Divine Envoy Star Banisher and Divine Envoy Earth Turner… Twenty esteemed guests of Sun Moon Divine Hall have arrived!”

  Not long after Supreme Ocean Palace had arrived, yet another loud shout had attracted everyone’s attention. The members of Sun Moon Divine Hall had arrived as well and the composition of their party had been the same as Supreme Ocean Palace. The Heavenly Monarch Ye Meixie had personally come and he had also brought along the Five Divine Envoys and the highest-ranked elders with him.

  At that time, Jasmine had left behind four nightmarish wounds on Ye Meixie’s body that had tortured him for a full six days. The pain had been so bad that he was constantly wishing for either salvation or death. Even though he had escaped that nightmare more than ten days ago, one could see that he had grown noticeably thinner. His face also still had a waxy, yellow complexion and it was clear that he had not fully shaken off his trauma.

  To be able to torture a Sacred Master into this state within a few short days, one could well imagine just how dreadful that torture must have been.

  In order to protect his dignity as a Sacred Master, Ye Meixie should not have made an appearance in his current state. But today, he did not dare be absent from this event and he also had to maintain his smile as he greeted people. He did not dare to show the slightest bit of neglect or discontent.

  After Yun Che and Jasmine had split up, he flew directly towards Phoenix City. When he was nearing Phoenix City, he suddenly sensed an abnormal aura and he immediately stopped in place. His eyes locked onto a black figure that was making his way slowly towards the city below him.

  Furthermore, that black figure jerked his head towards the sky the instant Yun Che looked at him. His gaze instantly swept across Yun Che’s face and his legs also come to a stop. The baleful aura that was abruptly rising from his body resembled that of an awakened wild beast.

  “Fen Juechen? What are you doing here?” Yun Che asked as he descended from the sky to stand in front of Fen Juechen. At this moment his heart was filled with shock because Fen Juechen’s aura was completely different from what it had been when they had met more than ten days ago… One could even say that his aura had undergone a earth-shaking change. Standing in front of him, Yun Che could feel a chilling, bone-piercing gloominess radiate from his body… Even though he had exuded such a cold and gloomy aura before, his aura was more than ten times stronger and more intense now!

  His eyes had also nearly turned completely black and Yun Che could not even see any whites in his eyes.

  “I’ve come to kill someone,” Fen Juechen replied in a chilly voice. His gaze and his words contained no rage and no emotion. A large jet-black sword was strapped to his back—that was shockingly the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword that Jasmine had tossed to him.

  “Kill who?”

  “I’m here to kill Xuanyuan Wentian!” Every word that came from Fen Juechen’s mouth seemed to echo out from some deep abyss.

  “Your devil blood has awakened?” Yun Che suddenly asked. Because other than that, Yun Che could think of no other logical explanation to explain the sudden and illogical growth in Fen Juechen’s aura… Jasmine had initially said that the devil blood within the bodies of the clansmen of the Eternal Night Royal Family could be awakened using the devil soul within the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. It had been the same for Ye Mufeng all those years ago as well. Furthermore, This had been the reason that Fen Juechen had wanted to snatch the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword in the first place.

  Jasmine had indeed mentioned that the devil soul within the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword had still not been completely extinguished. There was an extremely weak part of it that was still in existence but it was so insignificant that she had not even bothered to destroy it. Instead she threw it towards Fen Juechen and announced these words in public, “Borrowing the power of this sword, you may one day possess the ability to kill Xuanyuan Wentian…”

  It looked like Fen Juechen had already used the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword to achieve his desires.

  “Get lost!” Fen Juechen said coldly.

  “Today is the engagement date for Feng Xue’er and I, so Xuanyuan Wentian will indeed be here. If you want to kill him, please wait for the grand banquet to end. Don’t ruin the mood for Xue’er and I,” Yun Che said calmly, “Furthermore, even though your strength has risen greatly, I do not think you can kill Xuanyuan Wentian yet. You are being far too anxious and hasty.”

  “Before I change my mind to kill you first, get out of my sight!” Fen Juechen gave a low roar of fury.

  “Hmph, suit yourself,” Yun Che said as he flew into the air, not wasting any further words arguing with him. But after that, he turned around in midair and said, “I want to kill Xuanyuan Wentian even more than you do. But if you don’t want all of your painstaking effort to go to waste, then you better grit your teeth and bear it! Bear it until your victory is absolutely certain!”

  “I don’t need you to lecture me, get lost!!” Fen Juechen’s fist exploded towards the sky as dark and gloomy black energy immediately caused the light to dim.

  Yun Che turned around and did not bother with him any longer as he flew towards Phoenix City. It was already very near to the time of the engagement banquet.

  chinachu Notice

  :

  I know I stated that I was going to China with mommychu to visit grannychu and was hoping to return sometime June or so, but mommychu struck again, pushing our flight to June 1st. My trip to China is also now extended from June to the middle of July. Due to this trip, the planned double daily month releases for MEN will now be even more delayed. They WILL still come out after my trip though! Any regular chapters for every one of our series will still be coming out when I’m there (MEN 7, ATG 7, SR *TBD by Patreon*). I will try my best to get them out according to schedule, but if any chapters are missed due to chinachu problems, all of them will be made up when I get home.

  I know some people do not read the chapter posts in their haste to read the chapter so I’ll be leaving this message at the bottom of each chapter as a reminder!

  Chapter 823: Moonflower of Hell (1)

  When Yun Che was descending into Phoenix City, Feng Zukui, Feng Tianwei, and Feng Hengkong, the three generations of Divine Phoenix Emperors were standing together and discussing some matters. Sensing Yun Che’s aura, they turned around at the same time and revealed the same expression—a faint smile.

  “Che’er, you arrived at just the right time. The banquet is going to begin shortly,” Feng Heng
kong said with delight. “Supreme Ocean Palace and Sun Moon Divine Hall have already arrived, and all of their Sacred Masters personally came. There was also a sound transmission saying that Absolute Monarch Sanctuary and Mighty Heavenly Sword Region have also arrived in Divine Phoenix City and will soon reach Phoenix City. The giving of such face is larger than the heavens in the Profound Sky Continent.”

  “Ah!” Feng Zukui let out a soft sigh before a faint smile appeared on his face again. “Let all the grudges of the past disappear with the blowing wind. The future of our Divine Phoenix Sect lies with Xue’er, and her feelings for you run deep. I hope that you will treat her well in the future.”

  “I might not be able to make any promises regarding other matters, but I will never fail Xue’er,” Yun Che replied seriously. “Phoenix Sect Master, where is Xue’er now?”

  “Hoho, why are you still calling him Phoenix Sect Master. It’s time to change the greeting to Royal Father.” Feng Tianwei laughed.

  “Nevermind, a greeting is not important,” Feng Hengkong hurriedly said, a slight sense of awkwardness flashed through his eyes. In Blue Wind Imperial City half a year ago, Yun Che had already coldly told Feng Hengkong that, even after he got with Xue’er, he would never address him using the title of “Royal Father.” This was because he could never forget who caused the death of Cang Yue’s father!

  “Xue’er is in the Phoenix Call Pavilion. Qixuan, bring Asgard Master Yun to the Phoenix Call Pavillion,” Feng Hengkong ordered.

  “Yes, Sect Master.” The female phoenix disciple named Qixuan walked forward and respectfully led the way for Yun Che.

  “Mighty Heavenly Sword Region Sword Master Xuanyan Wentian and Young Sword Master Xuanyuan Wendao have arrived!”

  The rate at which the arriving guests were announced seemed to have sped up. After Supreme Ocean Palace and Sun Moon Divine Hall, Mighty Heavenly Sword Region had also arrived, but it seemed as though only the Sword Master and his son came.

  “It’s Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. Royal Father, Grandfather, I shall go and receive them.” Feng Hengkong left swiftly. He could naturally let the elders receive other guests, but he definitely had to personally receive members of the Sacred Grounds.

  In Phoenix City, the most important location was definitely the Phoenix Divine Hall at the center. However, the current location was the true “Sacred Ground” of Phoenix City since it was where Feng Xue’er stayed after leaving the Phoenix God. All of the Phoenix Sect disciples including the princes were only allowed to observe from a long distance. They had no opportunity to get close… and entering was even more forbidden.

  Feng Xue’er sat in front of a mirror, her powdered snow like face showing signs of nervousness. When Yun Che entered the Phoenix Call Pavilion and walked over, she saw him in the mirror and turned around with glee. “Big Brother Yun!”

  The crimson palace gown that Xue’er wore was adorned in phoenix patterns. A belt that was the color of pure jade was lightly wrapped around her thin waist, which looked like it couldn’t handle a hug. Her long hair, which was the color of night, hung loose and comfortable as a multitude of hairpins held a light purple flower in place. Her skin softly glowed like warm jade. Without any cosmetics, her tender lips were red. With them, they became even more delicate and beautiful.

  Feng Xue’er’s beauty was flawless at all times, and she looked like a fairy even without makeup.

  Her extraordinary beauty that exceeded the heavens had now lost some of its tender innocence and become more enchanting. Although the changes to her beauty were minor, they were enough to charm souls from bodies. This was especially the case for her eyes. They seemed to glow like star light, but also seemed to sparkle like the ocean at the same time. She could captivate thousands of generations with a simple smile.

  Back when Yun Che was falling down Absolute Phoenix Cliff, before his consciousness had been lost, the dreamlike glance that he stole of this pair of beautiful eyes had already been firmly imprinted into his mind. For the rest of his life, this memory would never fade.

  Yun Che’s heart currently resembled a pond of water that rippled because of a gentle breeze. Yun Che walked forward a few steps and pulled Feng Xue’er into his embrace. His fingers impulsively caressed her snow white neck. The phoenix robe that she wore was smooth and glowed, but it could never compare to the exposed jade skin of Feng Xue’er. Even in the dimly lit Phoenix Call Pavilion, her neck still shone like jade.

  “Xue’er, after the engagement… I’ll bring you to visit my parents, okay?” Yun Che asked softly.

  “Mn…” Feng Xue’er gently replied. Although they had only been apart for little more than a dozen days, her longing for him had grown exponentially with each one that passed.

  Mighty Heavenly Sword Region arrived outside of the main hall, but it was indeed only Xuanyuan Wentian and Xuanyuan Wendao, the father-son pair.

  In nineteen days, the injury on Xuanyuan Wentian’s right arm had already healed. He who was usually arrogant and always looked down on everyone was acting exceptionally humble. When Feng Hengkong greeted him, he greeted him in return almost immediately. This was even more obvious for Xuanyuan Wendao. Not only did he lack his usual arrogance, he constantly surveyed the area and looked as if he were filled with fear.

  After a few simple greetings, Xuanyuan Wentian personally handed over gifts before lowering his voice and saying, “Phoenix Sect Master, where is your son-in-law, Asgard Master Yun?”

  Feng Hengkong’s eyes flickered as he said, “Che’er is currently at the Phoenix Call Pavilion with my daughter and should come to the hall soon. What are Sword Master Xuanyuan’s orders?”

  “I would not dare to give orders,” Xuanyuan Wentian said hastily and glanced at Xuanyuan Wendao before continuing. “However, I do have a request. My son Wendao has some important matters to privately discuss with Asgard Master Yun. I don’t know if…”

  Feng Hengkong hesitated. “This…”

  “Ah.” Xuanyuan Wentian sighed. “To tell you the truth, what happened during the Devil Sword Conference… Phoenix Sect Master you witnessed it for yourself. Both the lives of me and my son lie in the hands of your son-in-law. Today is a rare chance for us to resolve the conflict. If Phoenix Sect Master does not help, I’m afraid that the thousand years of history of my Mighty Heavenly Sword Region will be destroyed by my own hands, and I, Xuanyuan Wentian, will end up as the sinner of the sword region… I hope that Phoenix Sect Master can grant our request. My son and I would be most grateful.”

  Once he finished speaking, Xuanyuan Wentian bowed deeply to Feng Hengkong.

  If it were the past, Xuanyuan definitely wouldn’t be so humble in front of Feng Hengkong, and him paying respects seemed so absurd that it belonged to a dream. However, it was currently happening right in front of him.

  The distinguished Sword Region Sword Master, one of the four Sacred Masters of the Sacred Grounds, was talking to Feng Hengkong politely and even bowing to him… Feng Hengkong was shocked and even felt light headed. He wondered whether he was dreaming or not. A sense of pride exploded within him as he hastily went forward to help Xuanyuan Wentian up and said, “Sword Master Xuanyuan’s respect is something Hengkong does not dare to accept… however, since that’s the case, please follow me Young Sword Master.”

  “I thank Phoenix Sect Master for granting my request.”

  Xuanyuan Wentian said gratefully and stood there while watching Xuanyuan Wendao follow Feng Hengkong… A thick layer of haze gradually obscured his expression and gaze.

  Although he harbored boundless hatred and discontent, Xuanyuan Wentian was well aware of the fact that his words from earlier were no exaggeration… The lives of father and son, as well as the fate of Heavenly Mighty Sword Region, all lay in Yun Che’s hands.

  The only option they had left was to survive… even if it meant losing all of their pride!

  Only when one was alive did one have an opportunity!

  He turned around and looked at Feng Ximing who was off
to one side. When their eyes met, Feng Ximing appeared as though he had been shocked by lightning. He looked downward, trembling.

  Feng Hengkong led Xuanyuan Wendao along, and just as they approached Phoenix Call Pavilion, they saw Yun Che walking alongside Feng Xue’er. It seemed like the couple was walking toward the main hall. Feng Hengkong quickly walked up to them and said, “Che’er, Young Sword Master Xuanyuan would like to have a private word with you. Would you..?”

  “Oh?” Yun Che glanced at Xuanyuan Wendao. He knew exactly why Xuanyuan Wendao was looking for him, and he smiled faintly. “If that’s the case, I shall hear what he has to say. Xue’er, wait here for me. It won’t take long.”

  Yun Che walked with great strides and a faint smile. Some distance away, he already started to shout. “Oh, it’s Young Sword Master Xuanyuan. I wonder why you’re looking for me?”

  The area surrounding the Phoenix Call Pavillion could be considered the quietest place in Phoenix City. Xuanyuan Wendao glanced at the surroundings. Not seeing any other Phoenix disciples present, he secretly felt relieved. Forcing a smile that could almost be seen as flattering, he replied, “Asgard Master Yun, Wendao came here for two reasons. First, I would like to congratulate you for tying the knot with the Princess Snow. Second… I’m here to ask for forgiveness.”

  “Forgiveness?” Yun Che’s eyes narrowed into thin lines.

  Xuanyuan Wendao gritted his teeth and replied, “Father and Wendao continuously offended Asgard Master Yun at the Ocean Palace and nearly put you in harm’s way. This was just… senseless and foolish. Father and Wendao are extremely ashamed of this, and we hope that Asgard Master Yun will be magnanimous and not take offense from fools like us… Father and Wendao will forever remember such kindness. From now on, regardless of what request Asgard Master Yun might have in the future, our Mighty Heavenly Sword Region will be at your disposal