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

by Mars Gravity

  After a long time, the scorching heat that filled the skies finally dissipated, the atmosphere began to get colder. Following the arrival of dusk, snow started to fall sporadically from high up in the sky. Gradually the dried up ground was being filled up with a layer of white.

  ——————————————

  The Primordial Profound Ark shot through the air, instantly crossing fifty thousand kilometers.

  Walking out of the Primordial Profound Ark, the surrounding scenery was not the Demon Imperial City that they had been expecting but instead, a wide and empty plain. The air was also mixed with an exceptionally active flame aura.

  “This place is…” Number One Under Heaven immediately turned and looked towards the north before instantly recognizing the place, “Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!”

  “Big Brother Under Heaven…” Yun Che weakly said, “Although I am still conscious, there is a chance that I might lose my life anytime. Only the Golden Crow Divine Spirit will be able to save me. That’s why I chose this place… Please help me bring my grandfather and the others to Demon Imperial City and let my father help them to settle down… Tell my parents and grandfather that… I’ll definitely come back… safely…”

  Yun Che’s words caused Number One Under Heaven’s heart to clench. If even Yun Che himself said that he “might lose his life anytime”, it was obvious how serious his injuries actually were. It was no wonder he would choose to stop directly at the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Valley. He inhaled strongly and nodded, “Brother Yun, don’t worry. I assure you that they will not have any strand of hair missing upon your return.”

  Yun Che smiled with gratitude before weakly lifting up his hand, “Grandfather… Little Aunt… Yue’er… I will definitely… be fine… Senior Masters… I have never forgotten the will of the later Asgard Mistress… One day… I will bring all of you… to rebuild… Frozen… Cloud… Asgard…”

  After he finished speaking, Yun Che’s concentration relaxed and his eyes blurred as he lost consciousness yet again.

  “Don’t delay any longer!” The Little Demon Empress’ eyebrows knitted together as she instructed, “Xiao Yun, Number One, bring everyone back to Demon Imperial City now. Xue’er, you carry Yun Che. Let’s go into Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley!”

  “Ahh… alright!”

  Every breath of time could determine the difference between Yun Che’s life and death. Feng Xue’er did not even have time to feel anxiety from coming to a new place as her right hand carefully hugged Yun Che while her left hand held onto the Little Demon Empress as she followed her lead and sped to the north.

  The destination Yun Che guided the Primordial Profound Ark to was already extremely close to the entrance of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley. Feng Xue’er ignored her injuries as she rushed along at full speed. Shortly after, they had already arrived in front of the Golden Crow Profound Array that sealed Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.

  The Little Demon Empress took out the Demon Emperor’s Seal and touched the artifact. Two drops of blood dripped from the tip of her fingers. One of them landed onto the Demon Emperor’s Seal while the other landed in the middle of the Golden Crow Profound Formation. Following that, the Demon Emperor’s Seal went and touched the center of the Golden Crow Profound Formation. The Demon Emperor’s Seal let out a strange nose and the Golden Crow Profound Formation started buzzing. The profound array that sealed Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley swiftly weakened before disappearing totally.

  The sole entrance into the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley appeared unrestricted right before their eyes.

  An inactive Golden Crow Bloodline was after all, still part of the Golden Crow Bloodline. Relying on the Demon Emperor’s Seal, it could still forcefully open up the seal on Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.

  “Let’s hurry!”

  A scorching wave of heat hit them right as they approached. The air was filled with a divine flame aura that was unlike the Phoenix flame’s. Due to the fact that the origin of the lightning had been consumed by Yun Che, the Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley only possessed flames now and there was no lightning at all.

  Feng Xue’er brought the both of them through the pillars of flames and sea of fires towards the location where the Golden Crow Divine Spirit resided. In front, lay their last and only hope. They dared not think… what they would do if even the Golden Crow Divine Spirit could not save Yun Che…

  Chapter 851: Destroyed

  “This is that small world that the Golden Crow Divine Spirit created?” Feng Xue’er asked. She had heard Yun Che speak of Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley before but its true appearance still far surpassed what she had imagined.

  “Mnnn,” the Little Demon Empress replied in affirmation, her brows faintly raised. This was because she could clearly sense that the fire aura in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley was much weaker than it had been the last time they had been here.

  After passing through countless flame seas, a mountain rampart finally appeared. In front of the mountain rampart, a profound formation that was burning with golden flames was slowly revolving in place.

  “There it is!”

  They landed in front of the fire profound formation, the Little Demon Empress gently shrugged off Feng Xue’er’s supporting arm before slowly kneeling to the ground:

  “The Twelfth Emperor of the Illusory Demon Imperial Family, the eleventh successor of the Golden Crow bloodline, Huan Caiyi, begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God.”

  Feng Xue’er also hurriedly knelt down as she held Yun Che in her arms. In front of the only hope they had of saving Yun Che, she would not hesitate in the slightest even if she was required to adopt the humble posture of a lowly ant.

  The Little Demon Empress’ voice was quickly swallowed up by the sound of the roaring flames that resounded in the Golden Crow Lighting Flame Valley. But even after waiting a long time, they received no response.

  Bewilderment and uneasiness welled in the Little Demon Empress’ heart. This was the independent world that the Golden Crow Spirit had created, so its spirit perception should cover every corner of this world. Anything that happened in this place would not be able to escape it’s spirit perception. It should have sensed their presence from the moment they had entered Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley.

  Especially since it had expressed such regard for Yun Che the last time around…

  So why had it not made an appearance and met them yet?

  “The Illusory Demon Imperial Family’s Huan Caiyi begs to see the Golden Crow Divine God.”

  The Little Demon Empress called out again but she still did not receive the Golden Crow Spirit’s response, even after a long time had passed.

  “Little Demon Empress sis, the Golden Crow Spirit… Is it not present in this place?” Feng Xue’er asked in a worried voice.

  Just as her voice fell, an ear-splitting and soul-shaking girlish voice abruptly rang out from all corners of the place, “Huan Caiyi, why did you suddenly come to this place and disturb this noble one’s slumber!?”

  This voice was even more intense and violent than lava and it also contained a simmering rage.

  “Ah!” Feng Xue’er cried out in alarm. The Little Demon Empress raised her head and looked upwards as she spoke in an extremely respectful and reverential tone, “For inadvertently disturbing the Golden Crow Divine God’s slumber, Huan Caiyi is willing to accept all punishment. But… Yun Che has sustained heavy injuries and he teeters on the edge of death. The only one in the world that can save him now is the Golden Crow Divine God, so I beg that you present your golden body and save his life. Huan Caiyi is willing to pay any price. Even if you want my life in exchange, I am willing to give it.”

  Feng Xue’er’s mouth dropped open and she stared dazedly at the Little Demon Empress. The Little Demon Empress had uttered the words “even if you want my life in exchange, I am willing to give it” in such a calm and matter-of-fact manner.

  She
may have appeared cold to the point where it seemed like she did not have any emotions but the Little Demon Empress’ feelings for Yun Che did not lose to anyone else in this world… Even as the noble and supreme monarch who ruled over the entire Illusory Demon Realm, the Little Demon Empress regarded Yun Che as more important to her than even her own life.

  “Him? Heavily injured and on the brink of death? Hahahahaha…”

  The Golden Crow Spirit did not materialise and the Little Demon Empress’ words only provoked a loud laugh of disdain from it, “Idiot! Yun Che possesses the bloodline of the Dragon God and has the protection of the power of the Rage God. So no matter how heavy his injuries are, even if he is lingering on his very last breath, as long as he isn’t dead, he will definitely recover. But the both of you want this noble one to save him? This is simply ridiculous!”

  “No, that isn’t the case this time around,” the Little Demon Empress pleaded in a loud voice. “It was not just any power that harmed him this time. He has already been tottering on the edge of life and death for an entire ten days. He has only woken up once during these past ten days and he might die at any time. In this world, it is truly only you that can save him now.”

  “…Ten days?” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was clearly laced with suspicion. Because Yun Che had the body of the Dragon God and the powers of the Rage God, so on this plane, there should not be any power that would cause him to lie at death’s door for ten days without any signs of recovery.

  Clang!

  At this moment, a pair of scarlet-golden eyes suddenly opened up in the dull-golden sky as scorching rays of light that seemed like fire descended from above. It seemed as if a blazing sun had risen in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley as the place grew even brighter and hotter.

  The Golden Crow Spirit finally appeared and the Little Demon Empress bowed deeply in it’s presence. Feng Xue’er also hurriedly knelt down but after that she gently placed Yun Che in front of her body as she plead, “Great and magnanimous Golden Crow Divine Spirit, I beg that you definitely save Big Brother Yun. I, Feng Xue’er, am willing to use everything that I have and everything that I am to repay this favor.”

  The light released by those scarlet-golden eyes first fell on Feng Xue’er’s body as it lingered on her for a very long time… Because her body was releasing a Phoenix aura that was far too dense, dense to the point where it was abnormal.

  But it did not ask her anything. Instead those golden eyes swept across the Little Demon Empress before stopping there for a short moment. After that, the Golden Crow Spirit asked in a severe voice, “You actually ignited your origin blood? Hmph, given the power that this noble one has bestowed upon you, to think that there is actually someone on this plane that can push you to this extent!?”

  “Even though Caiyi was forced to ignite her origin blood, my body was not harmed. I will recover within the month. I beg that the Golden Crow Divine God definitely save Yun Che,” the Little Demon Empress plead once again.

  Facing the Golden Crow Spirit, every single word she said was regarding saving Yun Che’s life.

  “Hmph, then let this noble one see just what kind of wound can render a person, who possesses both the body of the Dragon God and the powers of the Rage God, unconscious for ten days!”

  A beam of golden light fell from the sky before morphing into layers of weak flame which covered Yun Che’s body.

  In a single instant, all the flames that had just touched Yun Che’s body fiercely jumped before dispersing like flashing lightning. The golden eyes which hung in midair also released a strange light as the Golden Crow Spirit said, “This is…”

  The Golden Crow Spirit’s tone underwent a fierce change, “Why did he get harmed by this kind of power? Just what did all of you encounter?”

  “We don’t know either.” Feng Xue’er as she shook her head, “At that time, I was at Big Brother Yun’s side but I did not even see who harmed him. I could not even sense a single trace of any strange or abnormal energy auras around him. Big Brother Yun just suddenly… became like this.”

  “…” The Golden Crow Spirit suddenly grew silent and it did not speak for a very long time.

  The aura in Golden Crow Lightning Flame Valley also suddenly became stifling.

  The Golden Crow Spirit’s silence caused a thick sense of uneasiness to arise in the hearts of the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er. Feng Xue’er was finally unable to endure this stifling aura. She raised her delicate head and spoke in a pleading voice, “You are the great and magnanimous Golden Crow Divine Spirit, so you definitely have a method to save him. I beg that you bestow your great mercy upon us, no matter what…”

  “There is no need to speak any further.”

  The Golden Crow Spirit suddenly spoke, interrupting Feng Xue’er’s words. It continued in a cold voice, “Are any of you aware just what kind of power he was harmed by?”

  “…” Both the Little Demon Empress and Feng Xue’er shook their heads at the same time.

  “The person who harmed him used the power of the Heavenly Poison Star God!” The Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was like a raging fire, “However, on this plane, there shouldn’t be any person who has heard of the name ‘Heavenly Poison Star God’”.

  “Then… how can we save him exactly?” Who the Heavenly Poison Star God was and why that person wanted to kill Yun Che was not their main concern right now. The only thing that they wanted to know was how to rescue Yun Che.

  “Save him?” The Golden Crow Spirit said with a heavy snort, “You don’t even know what kind of existence the Heavenly Poison Star God is, so it’s natural that neither of you can even imagine how terrifying she is. This is an incomparably strong divine power and it is far more malicious than it is strong, reaching the very pinnacle of maliciousness!”

  “The power which has harmed Yun Che is enough to reduce any other living creature on this plane to dust. But Yun Che possesses the Dragon God’s marrow and his bones are as strong and resilient as star steel, so that is why he did not disintegrate completely.”

  “The Heavenly Poison Star God’s power also definitely contains a virulent poison. The only reason why Yun Che wasn’t poisoned instantly by this virulent poison was because he has the Sky Poison Pearl on his person.”

  “After the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power has harmed someone, the lingering energy left after the attack does not dissipate. Instead, it will burrow into the body like a maggot and even if the person does not die immediately, it will continue to rend the soul and devour that person’s life. Only a power on the same level as it can force it to dissipate. This is also the reason Yun Che has not yet recovered his strength or recovered from his wounds yet. But in the end, he still has the protection bestowed upon him by the body of the Dragon God and the power of the Rage God, so that is why he has forcefully endured until now without succumbing to death.”

  “The fact that he can forcefully survive under the influence of the Heavenly Poison Star God’s power is a miracle in and of itself. If the same power had been inflicted on either of you, both of you would have already died ten thousand times over! But even though he still lives, it is only the last gasps of a dying man! And if you truly want to save him… that is no more than a fool’s wishful thinking!”

  The four words “a fool’s wishful thinking” felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over their heads. Feng Xue’er’s tears immediately started to gush out. She tried her best to hold back her tears as she spoke, “Golden Crow Divine Spirit… is it true that even you… can’t think of anything?”

  “Yun Che’s innate talent is special and unique and not only is he the one who inherited this noble one’s bloodline, he is also the one that this noble one has placed all of my hopes in. If I can save him, this noble one will not spare any effort. But even if this noble one’s power was a hundred times what it is right now, it would still be far from that Heavenly Poison Star God who harmed him.”

  “It would be easy for this noble one to
rouse him temporarily but even if I expended all my strength and effort, it would be impossible for me to save him.”

  Even though the Golden Crow Spirit’s voice was still as fiery and explosive as fire it was now laced with a deep somberness and helplessness.

  Feng Xue’er immediately melted to the ground, hugging Yun Che as she sobbed and wept. Their last ray of hope had been mercilessly destroyed. If even the Golden Crow Spirit was unable to save Yun Che, then there truly existed no method in this world that could save him…

  “Speaking of which, there was originally someone that could save him but since the Heavenly Poison Star God appeared, then it is natural that this person would definitely not be able to continue to stay in this place,” the Golden Crow Spirit said, its voice and the gleam in its eyes had dulled by several degrees.

  The person it was referring to was naturally Jasmine. But right now, it could no longer sense the presence of Jasmine’s soul in Yun Che’s body. In the next instant, it deduced that seeking out the Heavenly Slaughter Star God was the only reason the Heavenly Poison Star God would even appear in this world. It was also for this reason that she would make a move to kill Yun Che.

  Feng Xue’er knew that the person the Golden Crow Spirit was speaking of was that dreadfully powerful girl in the red dress. But… she had already left and she would never ever be able to return. Even if Feng Xue’er wanted to go look for her, she would not be able to find her.

  “You should leave,” the Golden Crow Spirit said in a somber voice. “He is dead and that is indeed extremely regrettable. But such is fate. Given his tenaciousness, he should still be able to struggle on for around another ten days… In this life, he has already experienced good fortune that a normal person would not be able to even hope for in ten lives. Even though he was born with an unfortunate fate, it could be said that he has not lived his life in vain at all.”