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

by Mars Gravity

  “Of course it’s possible!” Jasmine replied assertively, “Although thirty percent of the inherited blood was lost due to the forbidden reincarnation technique, there’s still about seventy percent that was retained. Also, Fen Juechen already knows the method to release the confined devil blood inside him.”

  “And that is… the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword!”

  “…It’s no wonder why he is participating in the Devil Sword Conference and wants possession of the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword.” Yun Che murmured, “It’s for the sake of releasing the confined devil blood. Since the key to releasing the devil blood lies in the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword, then, would he have the ability to control the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?”

  “He won’t be able to!” Jasmine shook her head, “During that time, Ye Mufeng surpassed Fen Juechen, whether it was his profound strength or the density of his devil blood. Even after the devil blood was released, he was still unable to control the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. Come to think of it…” Jasmine considered Yun Che, “Aren’t you curious why the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword is able to release the Eternal Night Royal Family’s devil blood?”

  “I’m guessing… the Eternal Night Royal Family’s devil blood originated from the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword?” Yun Che asked cautiously.

  “Hmph, you’ve guessed it!” Unknowingly, Jasmine had strolled over to the sound obstruction barrier made for Hong’er. Watching the blissfully sleeping Hong’er, a gleam of tenderness flashed across Jasmine’s icy gaze, “According to Ye Mufeng’s memories, ten thousand years ago, the ancestors who established the Eternal Night Royal Family unexpectedly found the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword in a deserted place, south of the continent. When the Eternal Night Ancestor picked the sword up, he couldn’t sense the mighty aura of a sword, but a strange aura of darkness. Just when he was about to abandon the sword, he inadvertently brushed against a drop of black liquid on the hilt… within that moment of contact, the drop of black liquid instantly absorbed into his body.”

  “Devil… blood!?” Yun Che exclaimed.

  “Though the power of the bloodline contained within was weak, it was still on a different and much higher level, and once the devil blood entered his body the nature of his profound strength changed rapidly. Even his soul was affected, which caused his temperament to change greatly as well. However, it was fortunate that the Eternal Night Ancestor possessed great profound strength. Although his temperament became violent and explosive, it didn’t tamper with his character so much as to land him in a state where he became a bloodthirsty creature. Essentially, he fully retained his logic and reasoning, clearly aware that these changes originated from the devil blood.”

  “And so, after he established the Eternal Night Royal Family, he decreed that all his newborn, direct descendants had to seal at least ninety percent of the devil bloodline, seizing the opportunity while the inherited bloodline was weak! Unless they faced a catastrophe, they were absolutely forbidden from releasing the seal. For a whole ten thousand years everyone obeyed. The Heavenly Sin Divine Sword became the entire clan’s sacred yet forbidden item, and they protected and looked over it for generations. For every generation, with the exception of the Eternal Night King, no one was allowed to come close or lay a finger on it, much less allow it to fall into another’s hands. The appellation Heavenly Sin Divine Sword was given by the Eternal Night Ancestor, meaning: those who carelessly lay a finger on it will have sinned and invoked heaven’s divine wrath!”

  “Then, what about the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night? Where did it come from?” Yun Che asked.

  “Similarly from the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword!” Jasmine knitted her eyebrows slightly, “The Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night was obtained from the sword by the same Eternal Night Ancestor. Just by removing the word ‘devil,’ the name was then changed to the Eternal Night Illusory God Record. It wasn’t mentioned within the inherited memories of the Eternal Night Royal Family how it was retrieved, clearly denying the knowledge to any descendants. Relying on this diluted devil blood and the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night, the Eternal Night Royal Family achieved the greatest strength, at the highest level on the Profound Sky Continent, within a short period of time.”

  “The devil blood… the Illusory Devil Tome of Eternal Night… both originated from the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword! But where did that sword come from? Why would it have the blood and art of the devil clan which were eliminated a million years ago?” Yun Che asked solemnly. This, he feared, could be the crux of the whole issue.

  Jasmine’s tiny face was equally solemn, “This is also the point I’m most concerned about. Before the Eternal Night Ancestor obtained it, the Profound Sky Continent had absolutely not an iota of record on the Heavenly Sin Divine Sword. It was as if the sword appeared from thin air. The Eternal Night Royal Family does not know of its origins, nor does anyone else. However, we should be getting our answers soon…”

  “Two months later, head to Supreme Ocean Palace and attend the Devil Sword Conference while you’re investigating the Moon Slaughter Devil Nest! I’d like to see exactly what secret that Heavenly Sin Divine Sword has! I can only hope that whatever is inside hasn’t dissipated during these ten thousand years!”

  Jasmine’s voice had dipped; for the devil blood and art to have reappeared after a million years, even if it occurred in the Realm of the Gods, it would still be an earth shattering event. However, her expression was still calm, because on the Profound Sky Continent, even if she were to exhibit a small portion of her power, there was nothing that was not within her control.

  “I’ve got it.” Yun Che nodded and inhaled a little, on one hand digesting the information that Jasmine loaded him with today, and on the other, sinking further into his rumination.

  “What are you thinking about? Did it suddenly occur to you that what you’ve witnessed in your past two lives have been completely insignificant?” Jasmine slightly tilted her exquisite, doll-like face up, speaking in a patronizing tone and attitude.

  “I’m thinking about… Fen Juechen’s situation.” Yun Che lifted his head, staring into the white expanse of the Sky Poison Pearl, “He is indeed as you described him to be, beyond pitiful and lamentable. His most pitiful aspect would be… he thought he had nothing, no relatives, only vengeance, yet fate arranged for him to stumble upon his former father’s soul. However, this father of his gave him not familial warmth to rely on as he lived his life, but turned him into a vessel for vengeance… you could even call him a tool.”

  The remnants of Ye Mufeng’s soul recognized that Fen Juechen was Ye Huang. He should therefore be clear that this transference of his own memories and devil origin to Fen Juechen will cause the latter to gain immense power, but at the same time, to inherit and bear an unfathomable agony. Even his lifespan would be suddenly cut to just a few years, essentially turning him into a marionette whose sole purpose was revenge…

  During that time, they ignored the consequences, disobeyed their ancestor’s instructions and activated the forbidden reincarnation technique on Ye Huang. This was in order to allow him to live on, continuing the bloodline of the Eternal Night Royal Family. But a thousand years later, Ye Mufeng’s remnant soul personally destroyed all of this, completely destroying all the effort put into preserving their son’s life…

  This was absolutely not something a father would do.

  “Should the current Fen Juechen be successful in his quest for vengeance, I fear he may no longer have any further attachments to the mortal world.” Yun Che murmured, rather emotionally. Just as the words left his mouth, the silhouette of Xiao Lingxi wavered across his vision…

  Perhaps, there was still…

  Jasmine was naturally clear on Yun Che’s hint, and she sneered, “The thousand year devil blood released by Ye Mufeng caused his soul to subsequently change its nature, and his temperament naturally followed suit to change greatly. This remnant soul bore a thousand years of suffering; at that time, his willpower, his vengeance, both
were exponentially greater than his son’s! This is the devil! The devil that warps a human’s nature!”

  “The devil… is indeed a fearsome thing! Fen Juechen, that guy…” Yun Che sighed in frustration, “I still really wish he could live a couple of years longer. Little Aunt’s heart is softer than cotton—she will surely be deluged in sorrow for a long time.”

  “Also, his heart holds the most hatred for Mighty Heavenly Sword Region. It seems like he and I both have a common enemy… and there’s also that Sun Moon Divine Hall.”

  Chapter 755: Heavenly Sword Villa’s Distinguished Guests

  After staying in Floating Cloud City for three days, Yun Che had fully recuperated from his injury and replenished his profound strength. On the fourth morning, Yun Che and Feng Xue’er bade farewell to Xiao Lingxi and the others, riding the Primordial Profound Ark toward Blue Wind Imperial City. They planned on stopping at Blue Wind Imperial City for two days before making their way to Frozen Cloud Asgard.

  Number One Under Heaven had chosen to stay in Floating Cloud City to focus on the safety of Number Seven Under Heaven, worried that a mishap might befall her.

  The Primordial Profound Ark traveled through space and arrived at Blue Wind Imperial City instantaneously.

  A duration of three months was not enough for the Blue Wind Imperial Family to completely restore peace from the chaos of war, but it made a world of a difference regarding atmosphere. After discovering that Yun Che had a “mysterious master” behind him which even Sun Moon Divine Hall was afraid of, Feng Hengkong’s gestures were not simply to compensate them, but also to express goodwill. Within the span of two months, not only had he proactively sent additional Divine Phoenix soldiers to assist Blue Wind Empire, he also delivered forty thousand kilograms of purple crystals to them in three shipments.

  Compared to the fifty kilograms of Purple Veined Divine Crystal they had “stolen” from the Blue Wind Empire, this eighty thousand catty of purple crystals was but a paltry sum. However, it was still a considerable sum of wealth and resources. At the same time, it served as a sign of their “goodwill” toward the Blue Wind Empire in the eyes of others. Additionally, a rumor that the Divine Phoenix Nation left behind their snow princess in the Blue Wind Empire caused the rest of the five nations of the Profound Sky to become ill at ease. Every nation sent envoys and even monarchs to frequently visits with presents. Their attitude became humble, as if they were facing the Divine Phoenix Nation.

  When Yun Che and Feng Xue’er arrived at Blue Wind Imperial City, Cang Yue was reading through the status of reconstruction and resettlement of the various areas within Blue Wind. With Yun Che back, everything else would naturally take a backseat.

  “Husband, you returned at just the right time. I something important to tell you.”

  Although she said it was “something important,” Cang Yue’s beautiful eyes held a hint of amusement. “The somewhat secret plan where the Divine Phoenix Nation wanted to let younger sister Xue’er marry you has somehow spread like wildfire. Even the rest of the five nations are aware of it. Yesterday, the Navy Tide sent their envoy to propose a marriage between their princess Hanyu and yourself, thereby securing an alliance of marriage like that of Qin and Jin with our Blue Wind Empire.”

  Qin? Jin? What?*

  “Ah?” Feng Xue’er cried softly and stared at Yun Che with her beautiful glistening eyes.

  “Mn? Yue’er, judging by your appearance… don’t tell me that you agree?” Yun Che touches his nose.

  Cang Yue said with a smile, “Princess Hanyu is not an ordinary princess. She is the youngest daughter of the Navy Tide monarch. She is less than twenty years old this year but is already well known. There was a rumor circulating that, not only was she extremely beautiful but she is also the most intelligent daughter of the Navy Tide monarch. She is the most beloved daughter of Navy Tide’s monarch by far and was named the Frost Navy Princess of Jade. They have taken the initiative this time to make the proposal on the marriage, so it shows their sincerity.

  “They brought a portrait of Princess Hanyu. I took a glance and felt that you might like her, so I did not decline.”

  Cang Yue… and everyone else were well aware that part of the reason why the five nations of Profound Sky changed their attitude toward Blue Wind was because of the Divine Phoenix Empire, while the main reason was Yun Che… a man who had caused even the Divine Phoenix Nation to have no choice but to give in.

  Although he was merely the prince consort of Blue Wind during the reign of Cang Wanhe, he had henceforth undoubtedly become the ruling “monarch” in the eyes of other nations.

  As she spoke, Cang Yue placed an exquisite portrait scroll in front of Yun Che, her eyes brimming with joy and contentment… She did not reject Navy Tide and had even kept the portrait. This was not meant to tease Yun Che. She thought he might genuinely like her. As long as he showed the tiniest bit of fondness, she would accept the arrangement. As for the ties between the two nations… they were secondary.

  Oh, it’s good to be powerful. Even beautiful princesses are knocking at the door… Yun Che thought to himself. He took the scroll but did not unroll it. Instead, he asked with a serious expression, “Yue’er, is this Princess Hanyu as pretty as Xue’er?”

  Cang Yue was startled for a moment, but then shook her head with a smile. “Xue’er is like the embodiment of a heavenly fairy, her beauty can put the sun and moon to shame. Princess Hanyu is undoubtedly a ravishing beauty, but she is nowhere near comparable to Little Sister Xue’er.”

  “Oh!” Yun Che nodded and then put the scroll down. “In that case, forget it. I would not be interested in a girl I have not even met before, much less marry her… unless she were as pretty as Xue’er.”

  “Hee…” Feng Xue’er laughed. “Big Brother Yun, you are flattering me again.”

  Cang Yue retrieved the scroll and said with a smile, “The envoy of Navy Tide is still in the city. If my husband does not like it, then I really will reject them you know?”

  “Mm, reject them firmly and with any kind of reason.” Yun Che said with a helpless expression. A man married to any woman from a family with even the slightest bit of power would face countless objections to taking a concubine. With her status as Blue Wind Nation’s monarch, Cang Yue was instead pampering him to the heavens…

  Yun Che suddenly noticed that, among the jade scrolls placed next to Cang Yue’s hand, there was a green male eagle imprinted on the topmost jade scroll. This imprint… was obviously the unique “Heavenly Eagle Imprint” that belonged to the Xiao Sect!

  “Have the people from Xiao Sect been here recently?” Yun Che asked in a casual manner. It was not surprising for them to have visited.

  “Mn.” Cang Yue nodded gently. “Since two months ago, Xiao Sect has been constantly seeking an audience. Each time, it was the Xiao Sect Master, Xiao Juetian, who came personally. Since I still feel some resentment toward them, I have never agreed to meet with them. A few days ago, they attempted to send these jade scrolls, pledging their loyalty to our royal family and placing their services at our disposal.”

  During the three years of invasion by Divine Phoenix, the Xiao Sect did not put up any resistance. The fact that they stooped to grovelling could be written off and ignored, but they also provided resources to support the Divine Phoenix Army as “tribute.” This greatly bolstered the Divine Phoenix Army’s ability to conquer Blue Wind. With a complete reversal in circumstances, they would naturally be terrified and restless, desperately rushing to grand gestures of apology and expressing their loyalty.

  “Xiao Sect.” Yun Che sneered,ut his smile immediately vanished as he thought of something. “What about Heavenly Sword Villa, did they show up during this period?”

  At the mention of “Heavenly Sword Villa,” Cang Yue’s radiant smile slightly subsided. She shook her head gently. “No. Back then, when my royal father was killed and Blue Wind was in a perilous situation, Heavenly Sword Villa’s indifference angered me. They also said that they�
�re breaking off all ties and swear that we would be enemies henceforth. Now that the Blue Wind Empire has managed to endure this adversity and rebuild, Heavenly Sword Villa… is acting as if nothing happened before, as if they do not exist.”

  Cang Yue’s expression and tone were calm, as if she were apparently taking things quite lightly. Yet, from her disappearing smile, it was clear that she was unable to get over this matter.

  She had personally written to them nine times. She was an empress, yet she had to resort to pleading for their help… To avoid any retaliation, Heavenly Sword Villa betrayed her and rejected her pleas. She could have accepted the first few rejections, but her nine pleas yielded nine counts of apathy. Without even a shadow of a reply, it was as if the Blue Wind Imperial Family did not exist.

  That was a kind of resentment and humiliation that would never be forgotten.

  Three months ago, when the Divine Phoenix Army retreated and gave various forms of apologies and compensation to Blue Wind, striving to express their goodwill, Heavenly Sword Villa did not visit the imperial family a single time…

  “Hmph, that’s right. They don’t have the face to show up.” Yun Che laughed coldly, his laughter carrying an underlying gloominess that Cang Yue and Feng Xue’er did not understand. “It’s fine if they don’t come, I have wanted to pay them a visit anyway… Let’s make it today, then!”

  Blue Wind Nation, Heavenly Sword Villa.

  The atmosphere of Heavenly Sword Villa was especially solemn and rigid because the villa had received distinguished guests, with terrifyingly high statuses.

  The arrival of these two people caused the auras of the swords surrounding Heavenly Sword Villa to undergo tremendous changes.

  “For two elders to personally make a trip to our villa… I, Yuefeng, am extremely perplexed. If I had known of the two elders’ arrival earlier, Yuefeng would have summoned the whole villa to welcome you from a hundred miles away.”