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

by Mars Gravity

  “However, the most important point is…” Huangji Wuyu’s voice grew deeper as a heavy dark haze formed in the space between his brows, “Have neither of you realized that the current appearance of Fen Juechen and the darkness profound energy he is using… is extremely similar to Ye Mufeng back then!?”

  “What!?” Qu Fengyi and Ye Meixie gasped in surprise at the same time. After an instant, they both exclaimed together, “That is… the Eternal Night Royal Family’s Eternal Night Illusory God Record!!?”

  “…” Huangji Wuyu’s gaze fell on the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword that was grasped in Fen Juechen’s hand before he continued slowly, “It is highly likely that Fen Juechen’s exceedingly bizarre power has something to do with the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword that he is holding in his hand… No! It’s definitely related!”

  “That Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was indeed hiding some enormous secret but after we broke the seal that day, none of us could detect anything and we treated it was a dead sword. After that, that red-clothed demoness tossed it to Fen Juechen… and right now, Fen Juechen’s power has greatly increased and he is even using the profound art of the Eternal Night Royal Family. His current state is extremely similar to the Ye Mufeng who wielded the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword all those years ago… There can be no mistaking this!”

  “To be able to cause a person who was at the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm to rise to our level in the span of a few short weeks… Could it be that it really contains the secret of the Divine Profound!?” Ye Meixie exclaimed as the pupils of his eyes widened.

  Ding!!

  The bracelet on Qu Fengyi’s right arm flashed with a faint blue light. Qu Fengyi’s eyebrows twitched as she said in a low voice, “We have discovered Feng Xue’er’s current location and it was three hundred and fifty kilometers to the north. Do we continue giving chase or…”

  Qu Fengyi used her eyes to convey her intention as she stared at Xuanyuan Wentian and Fen Juechen. Only the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword could explain the bizarre changes that Fen Juechen had undergone. Since that was the case…

  “Let’s leave! Let’s chase after Feng Xue’er!” Huangji Wuyu decisively said after he hesitated for a short moment.

  “My thoughts are aligned with Brother Huangji,” Ye Meixie said with a dry chuckle. “Xuanyuan Wentian harbored wicked designs and tried to keep the Mirror of Samsara all for himself. Hmph, it is practically the will of heaven that Fen Juechen appeared in this place to delay him. If there aren’t any unforeseen incidents, it is very likely that the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword will fall into Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands once again. At that time, if the three of us combine forces, we will be able to wrest it from his arms.”

  “Alright!” Qu Fengyi said as she slowly nodded her head, “The eyes and ears of the Black Moon Merchant Guild have been fully mobilized, this is the biggest inescapable net in the entire Profound Sky Continent. As long as Feng Xue’er and Yun Che are on the Profound Sky Continent, they can forget about ever hiding from us! Before the sky turns dark today, she and Yun Che will definitely fall into our hands!”

  “After we obtain the Mirror of Samsara, we will share the secrets among three of us. As for Xuanyuan Wentian…” Huangji Wuyu gave a dry chuckle, “Without even mentioning his sly and crafty ways, the current Mighty Heavenly Sword Region no longer has its Three Sword Attendants and its northern region has been completely destroyed. As such, it no longer has the qualification to stand on equal footing with us. We will fully pay him back for the many times he has plotted against us over the years on the day that we wrest the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword away from him… Let us go!”

  The three people did not tarry any further. Nor did they deeply think about the matter of Fen Juechen as they shot off in hot pursuit of Feng Xue’er.

  Riip!!

  A white arc flashed across the sky as it cut apart the curtain of darkness that covered the sky and obscured the sun. Under the light of that rainbow, Xuanyuan Wentian’s pupils flashed with a strange light… Astonishingly, his gaze shot in the direction that Huangji Wuyu and the others had left in.

  “This power is so great that it is scarcely believable. For you to grow to such an extent in the short period of nineteen days, then… if this sword master uses it, wouldn’t I become completely unrivaled under heaven in the span of a single night!”

  Xuanyuan Wentian muttered to himself. But after that, he let out a sinister snarl, “This power has truly caused me delight but it’s such a pity that your control of it leaves so much to be desired… I suppose it is time for this sword master to harvest the fruits of one thousand years worth of labor!!”

  Chapter 836: The Devil Soul within the Sword

  Xuanyuan Wentian kept his sword-wielding hand to the back, while the other was stretched towards Fen Juechen. In a leisurely manner, he said, “Honored Devil Lord, I have already completely witnessed the surprise you brought me. It’s about time for this game to come to an end.”

  Fen Juechen, “???”

  Xuanyuan Wentian’s strange movements and his strange words did not receive any form of response. The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was grasped in Fen Juechen’s hands, surging with a thick dark glow.

  Xuanyuan Wentian slowly clenched the hand he stretched out and his brows began to sink. As though he was talking to himself, his voice suddenly turned a little cold. “Honored Devil Lord, what’s the meaning of this? Could it be that you have forgotten who had spent a thousand years of blood and sweat to remove all of the seals the Eternal Night Royal Family placed on you!? And who was it who spared no hesitation to startle the entire continent, in order to prepare a Devil Sword Conference to remove the final seal placed on you by the Evil God!? Now that you have obtained your wish… Could it be that you’re going to be ungrateful and throw this sword master aside, to serve under this brat!?”

  “What are you talking about!?” Fen Juechen said while gnashing his teeth.

  “Hmph!” Still not receiving any response, Xuanyuan Wentian once again brought forward the sword behind his back. “It seems a small accident has occurred. In that case, some changes must be made to the way this game is played. Fen Juechen, your strength has indeed risen greatly but if you think you can kill this sword master the way you are now… it is but an idiotic dream!”

  Shing!!

  The thin sword in Xuanyuan Wentian’s hands released a light, quivering buzz. A white flash of light followed right after, as the tip of the sword had already pierced straight towards Fen Juechen’s face. This time, Xuanyuan Wentian took the initiative to launch an attack and though this sword strike looked normal, it contained all of his strength with no reserves to spare.

  The blade of the sword was straight but the nature energy in the surrounding five kilometers was completely stirred, as it began to bubble like boiling water.

  Fen Juechen let out a furious roar as he smashed out a sword strike. Every attack he made with his sword would submerge the sky and earth into darkness and the surrounding world would also be filled with endless gloom and vengeful intent.

  Crack!!

  Space shattered. Countless spatial fragments flew out like scattered metal needles, piercing holes into everything they made contact with. The two figures slowed at the same time and then exploded forth at the same time. Blazing sword beams and dark ghastly lights clashed intensely in the sky, bringing about explosive roars comparable to a chain of thunder.

  Fen Juechen’s face was as devious as a devil god’s. With the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword which was surging with black aura, his every swing carried his unstoppable full strength. His every strike was concentrated with his extreme resentment and hatred and his every blow was filled with the extreme desire of smashing Xuanyuan Wentian directly into smithereens. Black profound energy was the negative form of profound energy in the first place and as Fen Juechen’s killing and hateful intents thickened, the destructive power of the black profound energy would rise even further.

  He seemed to be unable to see the sword beams c
oming from Xuanyuan Wentian at all as he desperately swung his sword time and time again like a madman… During the battle with Yun Che above the eastern seas several months ago, he was attacking the same way.

  Killing intent that could envelop the entire sky and earth, along with a dark aura, were suppressing Xuanyuan Wentian. The black aura emitting from the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was intensifying constantly and whenever it was swung, the ghastly space-tearing sound was as though countless of ghosts were weeping in grief.

  Xuanyuan Wentian was retreating a step at a time and he looked like he was in a state of being completely suppressed. The profound energy aura emitting from his body was also far from being comparable to the dark aura emitting from Fen Juechen’s body. However, his face was as calm as still water.

  “Guaaaah!!”

  Fen Juechen let out another hungry wolf-like howl. Carrying a devil god-like aura, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword obliterated all the sword beams and smashed straight towards Xuanyuan Wentian’s head.

  This time however, Xuanyuan Wentian did not avoid it like before. Slightly raising his eyes, an extremely thick and powerful sword intent surfaced. In an instant, the thin sword in his hands suddenly spat out a sword beam a hundred meters in length, as eye-piercing as the chilling stars in a dark night. Then, it flew head-on towards the black horizontal slash that was descending from the skies.

  Crack! Boom——

  After the thunderous roar was a loud noise that sounded as though the sky was collapsing. Two powers that were at the peak level of the Sovereign Profound Realm directly clashed and the might of the profound energy blast instantly obliterated the world within several kilometers into complete emptiness. The dazzling white sword beam and the black aura shattered in the air and Xuanyuan Wentian and Fen Juechen were sent flying several meters away at the same time.

  Pfft…

  Fen Juechen had stopped his body, swayed and then puked out a large mouthful of fresh blood. Though a large amount of Xuanyuan Wentian’s sword blast was dispersed away by his power, there was still about ten percent of the sword blast which pierced through his profound energy defenses and penetrated into his body, causing injuries both inside and outside his body.

  On the other hand, though Xuanyuan Wentian was blasted a similar distance away as Fen Juechen. The color on his face was still normal and did not look as though he had suffered any injuries. Merely the sleeves of his clothes seemed to have been half swallowed by the dark devil aura.

  Fen Juechen’s power rose explosively in a short timeframe and it looked as though it was already to the extent of matching Xuanyuan Wentian. However, from this clash, the short end of the stick had been completely exposed.

  When the profound energy in one’s body rose explosively due to certain reasons, then what one had to do in the next period of time was to establish and stabilize his new powers with all his might. This could be said to be common sense in the way of the profound. Taking all of the Frozen Cloud Asgard disciples as examples, after their profound strength were raised by Yun Che with the Tyrant Pellets, he personally gave the order to have all of the disciples stabilize their cultivation for at least the upcoming one month and they were not allowed to cultivate any profound arts during that time.

  Yun Che’s strength had also experienced several improvements in explosive manners. However, he possessed the Dragon God physique and the power of the Rage God as his foundation and after several explosive rises in strength, he had never experienced a situation where his body was unable to adapt to his new strength.

  However, Fen Juechen was different. His desire to exact vengeance was too powerful and the rise in his strength was overly vigorous as well. The most direct consequence was that he would be unable to stably wield this newly found strength and the amount of time his body could endure this level of strength would be rather short. His power would also be far from being refined to match the intensity at his supposed plane of profound strength. Thus, though he could match Xuanyuan Wentian in terms of power, when it came to defensive abilities, he was still way far off.

  Therefore, when the two people endured the same level of profound energy blast, Xuanyuan Wentian was basically unharmed while Fen Juechen was gravely injured. Compared to injuries, the more severe consequence was that in his injured state, he was losing even more control of the power within his body. No matter if it was the internal breathing in his body or the black aura surging out of his body, there were evidently traces of chaos.

  Xuanyuan Wentian was not the least bit surprised by Fen Juechen’s sudden change in condition. His sword pointed forward and as it swayed, spatial fragments whirled like flying daggers, swirling up hundreds of spatial tornadoes of different sizes.

  Fen Juechen gasped heavily for air. Due to his chaotic internal breathing, when facing this strike from Xuanyuan Wentian, he was unable to gather sufficient power at a moment’s notice. With a loud explosive “boom”, the black glow was blown away and Fen Juechen was sent flying off into the distance. Several dozen scatters of blood erupted from his body as the blood and energy in his body churned even more so than before. The chaotic dark devil energy escaped from his control like an enraged wild beast and it went rampant within his body. Stopping his figure, he desperately tried to settle his internal breathing, however, he was unable to suppress it even after a long while.

  “Heh heh,” Xuanyuan Wentian chuckled. With a light tone, he said. “One thousand eight hundred years ago, this sword master made a breakthrough, stepping into the realm of Monarchs at the age of one hundred and seventy three. Two hundred eighty years later, I reached the sixth level of the Sovereign Profound Realm… which was also the realm of strength you possessed when we last met. The time it took for this sword master to reach my current realm of strength from the sixth level of Sovereign Profound Realm, was exactly a thousand five hundred years. While you, have merely used nineteen days.”

  “Such a terrifying exploit.”

  “Unfortunately, though the intensity of your strength is not any lower than mine, you lack a thousand years worth of accumulated experience!”

  Before Xuanyuan Wentian’s voice fell, his figure had suddenly turned illusory and a power which completely choked Fen Juechen came enveloping down from the skies.

  Fen Juechen’s eye sockets were close to tearing as he let out an aggressive roar. The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword swept up in a gigantic dark wave, smashing straight towards the sky… However, he had only swung his sword halfway through when he heard a loud ring next to his ear. He instantly lost touch of his two arms and his entire body was sent flying away like duckweed. The black aura on his body scattered and the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword left his hands as well.

  Xuanyuan Wentian was number one in the way of the sword in the Profound Sky Continent but that did not mean that his capabilities were focused on only the way of the sword. As one of the four people who reached the limits of the Sovereign Profound Realm in the Profound Sky Continent, profound energy released by any of his profound arts could split seas and move mountains.

  Xuanyuan Wentian, who blasted Fen Juechen away did not give chase. Instead, he calmly reached out his hand, sucking the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword that was flying towards the high skies into his hand.

  He grabbed onto the sword and looked at the hilt, his eyes had already narrowed into extremely thin slits. “Honored Devil Lord, you should have some words for me now, right?”

  The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was shrouded by a black mist and under Xuanyuan Wentian’s interrogative voice, it slightly trembled… And at this moment, a large repelling force emitted out from the blade of the sword. Because of insufficient preparations, the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword escaped Xuanyuan Wentian’s hand. A pitch-black streak of light cut across the sky and it then returned to its owner’s hands.

  Fen Juechen’s entire body was dyed with blood as he grasped onto the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword with both his hands. His pair of eyes let out a fiend-like ferociousness. The edges of his utterly tattered bl
ack robe rose and his black hair flew up high as they fluttered disorderly within the surging black aura.

  His speed of recovering the ability to move surprised Xuanyuan Wentian but what startled him even more was the rising density in the black aura emitted from his body and the dark atmosphere had even grown a little stronger than before. He had clearly already suffered heavy injuries and though his aura was in great disarray, he was like a devil god who had suddenly awoken in the netherworld as he once again approached Xuanyuan Wentian, filled with terrifying darkness and killing intent!

  Xuanyuan Wentian’s pupils slightly shrank… This was, the power of a devil god which belonged to the highest of realms!?

  An uncomfortable feeling sprouted in Xuanyuan Wentian’s heart. Not daring to hesitate any further, he quickly pointed the sword in his hand towards Fen Juechen. Profound energy gushed out of the tip of the sword, instantly piercing towards Fen Juechen.

  This strike, instantly drilled a tunnel in space itself, crossing space in the truest sense.

  Pfft!!!

  This strike, proved why he was titled number one in the way of the sword in Profound Sky Continent!

  Fen Juechen, who was like an awakened devil god, did not make the slightest response in front of this strike and was struck right at his chest… However, this strike did not penetrate his heart but instead, it released countless sword beams that pierced into Fen Juechen’s innards.

  The black aura that surged once again earlier quickly sank and then scattered away. Fen Juechen’s eyes were wide open and blood was gushing out of his seven orifices. His body slowly slumped backwards, like a lifeless statue, he fell straight down from the skies and smashed onto the devastated ground below. There was no longer any movement.