Against the Gods - Volume 09 - Realm of the Gods

by Mars Gravity

  The best place to cultivate was unquestionably the Snow Region of Extreme Ice. It was vast and quiet there and the ancient cold could freeze all distractions.

  Before that, Yun Che took Feng Xue’er to a place that he promised he would take her many years ago.

  “The continuous mountain range ahead from us is the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range.”

  Yun Che and Feng Xue’er traveled with the wind. Within their sight a region with dark mountain range approached quickly. Even though it was named “mountain range,” the hills weren’t too tall and it was only a hundred or so kilometers from its north to south.

  “Even though Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range is very small, because of the phoenix’s aura at the center, a great amount of profound beasts gather here. This is also where the name Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range came from,” Yun Che explained to Feng Xue’er.

  Back then when Cang Yue and him were being chased by Xiao Zaihe of Xiao Sect’s Branch Sect, they were forced to fall down the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. At the time, Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range was an extremely dangerous place to them but now, even if all of the profound beasts there attacked them all at once, it was impossible for that to threaten them in the slightest.

  “Even though there are a great number of profound beasts in Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, their levels are usually very low. The highest is Earth Profound Beast… There could also possibly be a few Sky Profound Beasts. But with the level of profound energy in Blue Wind Nation, this is an extremely dangerous place. Adding to the fact that the profound beasts here usually appeared in groups, there are almost no profound practitioners in all of Blue Wind Nation who would dare to venture within.

  “Big Brother Yun, the curse that you mentioned before, is it really that scary?” Feng Xue’er asked.

  Yun Che nodded his head slightly, “The Phoenix Soul here is different from the Ancestral Phoenix God of your Divine Phoenix Sect, it has a very upright and outspoken character. Many years ago, an ancestor of the Phoenix Clan accidently burned and destroyed a village with phoenix flames. Under the anger of the Phoenix Soul, an extremely cruel curse was buried in their Phoenix Bloodline… and this kind of curse would be passed down to their offspring, making generations of the Phoenix Clan be unable to break through the Elementary Profound Realm. For survival, they could only forever hide in a place like this where no one else could get near… They are finally free of it in this generation, though I don’t know what has happened to them now.”

  “Why did one person’s mistake have to be atoned for by generations of the whole clan? Those poor people,” Feng Xue’er said softly. “When I see them, I will pass Royal Father’s sincerity to them. If they are willing to combine with Divine Phoenix Sect, we will definitely welcome them. If they are not willing, we will also provide as much help as possible.”

  “Let’s meet them first. I don’t know if they will remember me. After all, it’s been so many years,” Yun Che said nostalgically. This place was the first huge turning point in his life and it was also the place where he received his first drop of divine blood.

  “Big Brother Yun was their life savior and you removed thee cursed bloodline that they’ve carried for all those years, how could they have forgotten Big Brother Yun?” Feng Xue’er smiled and said.

  Soon enough, they finally arrived above the Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range. Referring back to the location in his memory, Yun Che brought Feng Xue’er and kept flying until they’d reached the center of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range… the place where Cang Yue and him fell down back then.

  But when they just begun to get close to the region close to the center, they sensed an unusual aura from afar. Yun Che immediately slowed down and Feng Xue’er exclaimed, “What a strong phoenix aura!”

  “…Let’s take a look down there.’

  The two of them landed from the sky. From their location to the central region of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, which was also where the Phoenix Clan was hidden, was only a short fifteen kilometers. However, right ahead of them existed an enormous, shapeless barrier.

  And a strong phoenix aura was being released from this invisible barrier.

  This barrier covered the central region of Ten Thousand Beast Mountain Range, shrouding an entire thirty kilometers of area inside of it. Yun Che touched the barrier in front of him with his hand. As he expected, his palm was able to pass through it very easily. This barrier didn’t obstruct him in any way.

  That instant when his palm touched it, he was absolutely sure that this was a one-way isolation barrier. Only those who possessed the Phoenix bloodline could go through it as they willed. Those without the Phoenix bloodline could only exit and not enter.

  “Big Brother Yun, has there always been a barrier here?” Feng Xue’er asked.

  “No,” Yun Che shook his head, “Only those with the Phoenix bloodline can enter this barrier. If it existed before, then your big sister Cang Yue and I wouldn’t have been able to go through it. To be able to form such an enormous isolation barrier, this must be the doing of the Phoenix Soul here. Thinking back, after it removed the cursed bloodline, it felt that the punishment that lasted generations was too cruel. It built this barrier so that they don’t have to worry about suffering a disaster like the one back then and they can grow peacefully under the protection of this barrier until they are strong enough to be able to leave here freely.”

  Yun Che pulled back his arm, turned around and said, “Xue’er, let’s leave.”

  “Mn.” Feng Xue’er did not hesitate as she nodded in agreement, “Even though I feel some regret, they suffered so many years before finally getting the peace and the protection of the Phoenix God. It’s really not suitable for us to disturb them.

  Yun Che smiled, “Now that their bloodline is no longer cursed, they must have been training with all their strength. A few years later when they are strong enough, this barrier will disappear. We will come back here when that happens.”

  “Okay.”

  The existence of this phoenix barrier made the two of them give up on visiting the Phoenix Clan within. They floated high up into the sky and were about to leave… Until right at this moment when a small, tender silhouette of a young girl ran out from within the barrier. Behind her, was a slightly thin boy who followed her in a rush.

  This pair of youths looked only about fifteen or sixteen. The girl had bright eyes, white teeth, and was dressed in red. The immature girl’s tender face had already revealed a stunning beauty. Her slender brows curled as she smiled. She was like a red butterfly that had been released from a barrier and issued a sweet, ethereal laughter from time to time.

  The boy behind her was similar in age, even their looks were alike. Different from the girl’s jumping joy, his face was filled with panic and he was out of breath from chasing behind, “Xian’er, no! You can’t leave the barrier, it’s too dangerous! Come back now… Father and Mother would scold us.”

  “Hehe, it’s alright. It’s not as dangerous outside as described by father and mother. Last time when I snuck out, that weird-looking big monster wasn’t even that strong,” The girl laughed and said without caring.

  “No, no! Xian’er! Stop, it really is dangerous!”

  Even though the boy chased with all his strength, the girl ran really fast. He wasn’t able to catch up at all and they were soon a few kilometers away from the barrier.

  Yun Che and Xue’er, who were about the fly away, stopped. Seeing the youths who suddenly appeared within their sight, he hesitated briefly and then called out softly, “Zu’er, Xian’er!”

  “Big Brother Yun still recognizes them?” Feng Xue’er smiled and asked.

  “They are the twin children of Clan Leader Feng Baichuan. Back then when I first saw them, they were only eight years old. In the blink of an eye, they have already grown this much,” Yun Che said rather emotionally as his eyes followed their movements. In eight years of time, of the two brave and innocent children back then, one
was now slim and graceful while the other was already six feet tall. It was only after seeing their transformation, that Yun Che clearly felt the passage of time for the very first time.

  “In a short span of eight years, their profound strength grew from the Elementary Profound Realm into the Earth Profound Realm. They truly have astonishing innate talent. Half of that is because of their Phoenix bloodline while the other half… should be because they had been working hard all this time,” Yun Che stated with joy. Feng Xian’er’s profound strength was at the second level of the Earth Profound Realm and Feng Zu’er was unbelievably at the fourth level of the Earth Profound Realm. Their cultivation levels completely surpassed Ling Yun—number one of Blue Wind’s profound cultivating realm’s young generation back then—when he was at that age.

  At this rate, they should be able to break through to the Sky Profound Realm before the age of twenty.

  Chapter 931: The First Step towards the God Realm

  Feng Xian’er finally stopped as she arrived somewhere at the end of a valley. She opened her arms, closed her eyes and began to enjoy the gentle mountain breeze with fascination. “The air out here is so comfortable. I would sleep out here nicely for a long, long time if it wasn’t for the consequence of Father and Mother’s punishment.”

  Even though Feng Zu’er’s profound strength was two small stages higher than Feng Xian’er, his speed was evidently slower. He chased behind Feng Xian’er and said while panting, “Xian’er, we’re already… already this far out, it’s really too dangerous. What if… what if a large group of profound beasts charge towards us?”

  “I’m not afraid. I’ve snuck out many times and I’ve never run into a profound beast that I couldn’t beat. Even if I can’t beat it, my speed is now even faster than Big Brother’s, they cannot catch me.”

  Feng Xian’er smiled sweetly, while her beautiful eyes flickered like the starry night. “I really want to see the outside world, really want to see Big Brother Savior again. I wonder how he is now. Could he be married to Big Sister Xueruo already and have many children?”

  Feng Zu’er pulled on Feng Xian’er’s sleeves as he looked around alertly. He said anxiously, “Father and Mother said that we must reach the Sky Profound Realm before going out to the outside world. Even if you want to play outside, we should go back to somewhere near the barrier. That way, if there’s danger, we can retreat back into the barrier immediately.”

  “Big Brother is so cowardly,” Feng Xian’er curled her lips and said unwillingly, “If Big Brother Savior found out about it, he would definitely laugh at you.”

  “This is not a matter of being cowardly or not.” Feng Zu’er became more and more anxious because they were at least a few kilometers away from the barrier. If they were really in danger, they wouldn’t be able to make it back.

  “Is the Big Brother Savior that they’re mentioning Big Brother Yun?” Feng Xue’er smiled. “Looks like not only did they not forget about Big Brother Yun, they’ve kept you in their mind all this time.”

  “They carried the weight and the punishment of their cursed bloodline since birth and endured it even though it wasn’t theirs to suffer. They lived their lives carefully and they’ve never left this place, naturally they wouldn’t be contaminated by the world’s ugliness. Their hearts are kind and pure. When they go out into the world, they will definitely become a strong, upright sect in Blue Wind Nation.

  A smile appeared on Yun Che’s face. He was filled with great expectations for their future and he felt even more convinced that this was not the time to visit them, “Xue’er, let’s go.”

  “Wait!” Yun Che suddenly turned around and mumbled, “Oh no.”

  From the valley ahead, they suddenly heard an irritated beast roar. It sounded extremely close by and was accompanied by fast, approaching footsteps.

  “This sound…” Feng Zu’er’s expression changed. “Oh no! Xian’er, run!”

  On the contrary, not only did Feng Xian’er not reveal fear when hearing the roar of the beast. She seemed a bit excited, “Big Brother, don’t be so surprised. It is very normal to run into a profound beast here. Alright, let’s show the profound beast Xian’er’s strength!”

  “But, what if that profound beast’s really strong… ahhhh!!”

  Admist Feng Zu’er’s scream, a giant wolf appeared within their sight. This wolf was three meters tall even when all its limbs were on the ground. It had blue-gray hair, blood-stained eyes, and its whole body released a berserk fiendish aura and a pressure that made their bodies tense up.

  This sudden suppression finally caused Feng Xian’er’s face to grow pale. Even though she didn’t have a lot of battle experience, she at least knew that being able to cause a suppression like this meant that the profound beast must be something that she couldn’t handle. In panic, she couldn’t finish the attack posture that she had begun posturing for and was stunned in place, not able to move at all.

  “Xian’er, Dodge!!”

  Feng Zu’er yelled as he charged forward. He knocked Feng Xian’er away and crossed his hand. His body ignited with scarlet phoenix flames. A tongue of flame struck towards the giant blue-gray wolf that was charging towards them.

  “Take my Meteor Flames!”

  Feng Zu’er had the Phoenix bloodline so the flames he had were naturally phoenix flames. But the power of flames that he released simply couldn’t compare to the phoenix flames channeled with the 《World Ode of the Phoenix》.

  When the giant blue-gray wolf saw the flames, its eyes became even more irascible. It scratched its claws forward and a windstorm swept a ball of sand and dirt towards Feng Zu’er.

  Bang!

  Feng Zu’er’s flames were quickly dispersed by the windstorm, yet the windstorm still hadn’t lost all of its power. It swept forward and threw Feng Zu’er out harshly. His back was slammed against a mountain rock and he groaned in pain.

  “Big Brother!” cried the frightened Feng Xian’er as she rushed forward without regards for her own life. Feng Zu’er’s whole body was in unbearable pain. He yelled in shock, “Don’t come over here!!”

  At around the same time he yelled, the giant blue-gray wolf suddenly changed its target and charged towards Feng Xian’er who was closer.

  “Xian’er!!” Feng Zu’er was shocked. He disregarded the pain in his body and rushed towards the giant blue-gray wolf with his fastest speed. A thick streak of phoenix flames swung at the beast’s rear.

  This streak of phoenix flames was swung out under fear and panic so its strength was even weaker than before. However, when the phoenix flames hit the giant blue-gray wolf, the beast screamed as its body suddenly became stiff and rolled onto the ground. After a few twitches, it stopped moving.

  Feng Zu’er’s footsteps stopped. He looked at his hands and stood stunned for a moment before pain struck through his whole body. His legs went limp and he fell on the ground, trying to catch his breath.

  “Big Brother!” Feng Xian’er rushed over while still shuddering. There were drops of tears on her face and she asked in a weeping tone, “Are you alright? Did you get hurt… uuu, it’s all my fault. It’s all because I was so stubborn, uuu…”

  “I’m fine, don’t worry… hsss.” Even though he said he was alright, he grimaced in pain. The clothing on his chest had been torn, revealing a dozen cuts from the windstorm. There was a lot of blood but fortunately the cuts weren’t deep enough to reach his bones.

  “You… you’re still saying that you’re fine but you lost so much blood, uuu…” Feng Xian’er’s eyes were filled with tears as she started crying again out of guilt.

  “I really am okay. This small wound, it doesn’t hurt at all.” Feng Zu’er gritted his teeth and tried really hard to stand up and pretend like it was nothing, “But Xian’er, in the future… you can’t leave the barrier like that again.”

  “Mn!” Feng Xian’er nodded immediately and said with her eyes full of tears, “I… I won’t dare to do it anymore. I was too stubborn… does it reall
y not hurt?”

  “Hmph! I am going to become a man like Big Brother Savior, this wound is nothing,” Feng Zu’er lifted his chest hard and said, “Alright, let’s quickly get back.”

  “Mn!” This time, Feng Xian’er followed Feng Zu’er, who had been wounded for her, with extreme obedience.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t tell Father and Mother about today. The wound on my body… we’ll just say that I accidentally crashed into a rock while training.”

  “Thank you Big Brother.” Feng Xian’er sniffed and revealed worship in her eyes. “But, I didn’t expect Big Brother to be this strong already. A profound beast that big, you defeated it so quickly.”

  “Uh…” Feng Zu’er looked at his own palms and scratched his head, feeling quite torn. “I didn’t expect it either. The profound beast’s strength was at least above fifth level of the Earth Profound Realm. Maybe… my flames coincidentally hit his weak spot just now… that should be it.”

  “They are such close siblings,” Feng Xue’er pulled back her small hands.

  “Looks like we didn’t come here for nothing today. The consequences could have been unimaginable.” Yun Che smiled and shook his head. Watching the siblings who quickly went back in the barrier, he reached out his hands. From his left hand, two soul fragments fell down and easily invaded Feng Zu’er and Feng Xian’er’s souls. His right hand soundlessly pushed a jade box containing thirty Overlord Pellets into the edge of the barrier before them.

  “Let’s go.” After taking one last look at Feng Zu’er and Feng Xian’er, Yun Che held Feng Xue’er’s hand and flew far away, instantly disappearing from the horizon.

  Feng Zu’er and Feng Xian’er’s footsteps stopped. Both of their eyes became misty and then became conscious again at the same time. The two of them looked at each other and they both had a dull look on their faces.

  “Xian’er, there… there seems to be some things added into my mind,” Feng Zu’er said blankly with his face filled with shock and doubt.