Against the Gods

Chapter 2116: Shadow of Ni Jie

The picture disappeared, the fragments scattered, and Yun Che’s soul sea returned to dead silence.

A never-before-experienced dead silence.

For a time, neither Yun Che nor Li Suo said a thing.

Finally, Li Suo broke the silence, “If Mo E revealed the truth regarding the Ancestral Sword and Myriad Tribulations sooner, would the course of fate have followed a different trajectory?”

Yun Che replied in a distracted voice, “Impossible.”

“But why?”

“There are many reasons...” Yun Che explained, “For starters, neither the four Creation Gods nor the four Devil Emperors were aware of the truth regarding the Ancestral Sword or Myriad Tribulations at the beginning. Considering that they exist to ‘correct’, it made sense that the Ancestral God would not reveal this to them.”

“Mo E only learned about it because the Ancestral Sword Spirit told him. It was both an expression of absolute trust and its final will. Considering how upright Mo E was, he was far more likely to take this secret to the grave than reveal it to anyone.”

“Besides, the fact is this truth is far too heavy. The moment someone learns about it, it is inevitable that they view the two absolute artifacts in a completely different light. Specifically, they would view it as a guillotine that hangs above their necks for as long as they live, and the higher the person, the more they will feel its inescapable pressure.”

“I’m sure Mo E himself would choose to stay forever ignorant if he was given a second chance. I’m even more certain that he never thought of telling Mo Su the whole truth even until the very moment he plunged him into the Abyss of Nothingness.”

“But... why?” Li Suo repeated the two words.

Yun Che’s soul sea contracted violently for a bit. It took a good while before Yun Che seemingly mastered his reactions, and he answered in a soft voice, “Mo E ultimately loved his son. He may have chosen to bury him with his own hands, but I am sure he would rather his son pass away believing in his own righteousness and without regrets than otherwise... in fact, he would rather his son hate him single-mindedly.”

He recalled the final line of the entry regarding the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E in the Ancient Records of the Dragon God.

[The head of the True Gods, the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor, went to his rest. His lifespan reached its end and the last divine words he uttered were “Mo Su”, his deceased son’s name.]

Back in the day, he and Qianye Ying’er were shocked when he read the entry, but even more scornful and disbelieving of Mo E’s reaction. As a father himself, Yun Che could not imagine any scenario where a parent could be convinced into believing that the murder of one’s child was in any form acceptable. Just the same he could not imagine the gall of a parent who had resolved to murder their own child to cry out their murdered child’s name during their final moments.

Yun Che murmured listlessly, “Since I obtained the Heretic God’s inheritance, the pieces of these ancient ‘truths’ have been coming together bit by bit like a puzzle.”

“In the beginning, I believed that the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor was a Creation God who was upright to the point of foolishness. There are countless message fragments and records that pointed toward him being the beginning of all tragedies. It was his arbitrary actions and coldbloodedness that ultimately destroyed the Era of Gods and Devils and nearly damned the current generation to the ‘crimson calamity.’”

“Just the same, I’ve always believed the Heretic God to be the savior of the Primal Chaos. He single handedly cleaned up the mess left behind at the end of the Era of Gods and Devils, pacified all of the calamities, and sealed the Moon Slaughter Devil Sovereign and the Evil Infant's Wheel of Myriad Tribulations. Not only that, he also left behind his inheritance and will and entrusted his successor, me, to stop the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, indirectly saving the current era.”

“The Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor’s hate and anger toward Mo E also increased my loathing for the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor.”

“But...” Sorrow tinged Yun Che’s voice. “When I saw the shadow of the Heretic God, I could not believe how despondent and horrible he looked. When I asked him if he hated Mo E, he answered that he had ‘no right to hate’. I was confused for so, so long...”

“No, no, no, all of the fault lies with me, not him. I am the one who wronged him.”

“I didn’t discard my title because I had lost all hope. It was simply because I no longer deserved the title. Just the same, I went into seclusion later on because I... was too ashamed to face anyone.”

“I am the reason the world is like this. It is all my fault.”

He finally had a clear answer as to the words he could not understand back then.

“The Heretic God did not hate Mo E. He hated himself. If he hadn’t become lovers with the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, if he hadn’t led Mo Su into breaking free of his shackles step by step, if he hadn’t encouraged him to fall in love with Pan Ming’s daughter and break the taboo of god and devil... nothing that happened afterward would have happened. That was what he believed. He believed that it was he who damned the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, damned their daughter, damned Mo Su, damned Mo E... and the true reason that the Era of the Gods and Devils came to an end.”

“The Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E hated himself as well. He swung the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword three times in history. The first strike was aimed at his own son, plunging Mo Su into the Abyss of Nothingness and severing his familial bond.”

“The second strike was aimed at the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor, exiling her from Primal Chaos and severing his friendship.”

“And his third strike seemed to be aimed at the Heretic God, but was really at himself. It was an act of suicide.”

Yun Che let out a long sigh. “Mo E abandoned his son and even himself to protect the foundation that preserved the balance of the Era of Gods and Devils. Ni Xuan never stopped worrying about the fate of the universe until he passed away... but why are their lives like this? Why have they all met such tragic endings?”

“What is right, and what is wrong... what is truth, and what is false...”

“Why are the lines growing increasingly blurred the more truths I learn...”

“If that’s the case, am I really correct in my beliefs... I thought I was doing the right thing, but am I... I thought I knew what was wrong, but do I really... I thought I knew the truth, but do I really... who can say it’s not just my one-sided delusion...”

“If even the Heretic God and the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor are like this... is my so-called unwavering determination... really pointing toward where I think I’m going...”

“Yun Che...?”

“Yun Che!”

“Yun Che!!”

A dazzling holy light abruptly flashed within Yun Che’s soul sea and finally suppressed the excessive turbulence within.

Shrouded by white holy light, Li Suo’s blurry silhouette appeared within Yun Che’s soul sea and emanated a warmth that could have nourished all souls in the universe.

Her gentle voice slowly yet firmly entered every strand of his soul, “You once said that there might not exist true good or evil, right or wrong in this world. However, what’s more important than these concepts is to know where one is standing and be unfailing firm about it.”

Yun Che: “...”

“At first, I could not understand your words. After all, the boundaries between right and wrong, good and evil, have always been perfectly clear to my recognition.”

“That is until I see you committing one villainous act after another and feel the pain in your soul.”

“If there is no goodness within you, then why would you be pained by the villainous acts you commit?”

“If you are good, then why do you ceaselessly step toward the abyss of evil?”

Her voice grew even slower and gentler like a soft breeze brushing against the clouds, or a morning dew condensing on leaves. “My cognition is still fragmented, and my thoughts are as slow as you claim them to be. Despite this, I was ultimately able to understand what you said back then through observing your every action and feeling your every emotion.”

“The things you stand for, the things you fight for, the things you will give everything to protect. In your eyes, those concepts are more important than good or evil, right or wrong, and even yourself. That is why you never hesitate or stop for even a moment despite treading a thorny path where every step cuts deep into your soul.”

When she first entered the Abyss, she couldn’t stop doubting, couldn’t stop sighing, couldn’t stop feeling puzzled and helpless again and again.

Later, she spent most of the time watching him in silence and giving the occasional warnings and consolations. Sometimes, she would even provide him with suggestions—even if he never never accepted any of them.

“If even I am slowly recognizing and accepting what you must do, why should you doubt the belief you have faithfully upheld your whole life?”

There was a long silence inside his soul sea. Finally, Yun Che replied in a rather strange voice, “I never knew you had a talent for consoling others.”

“...” Li Suo asked a bit uncertainly, “Does that... count as a compliment?”

Yun Che let out a natural chuckle. “Don’t worry. I’ve experienced all sorts of bullshit in my life. My willpower is not as weak as you think. I was just a little lost, that’s all.”

He wasn’t just “a little” lost, but Li Suo did not expose his lie.

“Speaking of which, did a Creation God symbolizing holiness and the pinnacle of goodness just acknowledge that standpoints exceed the concept of good and evil? Your worshipers are going to have a faith crisis or even faith collapse if they learn about this.” Yun Che said in a strange voice, “I’m curious. What is your standpoint, exactly?”

To his surprise, Li Suo answered immediately and without hesitation, “My standpoint is you, of course.”

“...” Yun Che was caught off guard by this.

“If the end of your path is a terrible fruit of sin, then I will bear it with you. I am, as you say, your ‘accomplice’ after all, a broken Creation God no less.”

“So do not lose yourself to hesitation and confusion. You are neither Ni Xuan nor Mo E. You are the one and only Yun Che. I look forward to and believe that you are walking toward a different fate from them.”

“Hmm...” Yun Che pretended to think. “Now you are acting a bit like a true Creation God... You were so divine just now I almost shed a tear.”

Li Suo: “...?”

It was at this moment a speck of white light shone from the depths of his soul sea.

It was the final memory fragment left behind by the Heretic God.

The soul aura given off by this soul fragment was completely different from before, however.

“This soul aura...” Li Suo looked deeply confused. “Belongs to... me?”

“Strange!” Yun Che was surprised as well. “Why would the Heretic God have your memory fragment? Unless you gave it to him?”

“...” Li Suo could not recall anything.

The soul aura given off by this memory fragment was extremely weak and broken. Maybe it was because time was a merciless eraser, or maybe it was because it was damaged by an outside force.

Regardless, the white light quickly spread and filled Yun Che’s consciousness with pure white light.

When the world slowly grew clear once more, Yun Che once again saw the Divine Palace of Life. However, the image was exceptionally blurry and broken everywhere.

Inside the image, a white, fairy-like silhouette was slowly walking toward the Coffin of Eternity. She was as blurry as mist just like before, but there was no mistake. She was the Creation Goddess of Life Li Suo.

She reached out and enveloped the slumbering girl in the Coffin of Eternity, murmuring, “Not mortal, not god, not devil. To think that such a special soul base and soul origin could exist.”

“Is this the outcome of a union between god and devil?”

It was at this moment the white light surrounding the girl suddenly disappeared.

There was a light distortion in space, and a semi-transparent silhouette actually took form above the girl.

Yun Che could not see her appearance clearly, but he could vaguely make out the image of a girl with long hair as dark as the night and skin as fair as snow.

It wasn’t Hong’er’s hair color or body shape though.

The sudden appearance of the girl caused Li Suo’s hand to freeze in the air. She did not move for a very long time.

To think that she, the Creation Goddess of Life, would be lost for words for so long.

The girl spoke up first, and her voice was as sweet as a fantasy. “Greetings, senior Li Suo. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am the daughter of my father, Ni Xuan, and my mother, Jie Yuan.”

It was only then Li Suo lowered her hand, but she was still staring at the girl fixedly. “To think... that such beauty could possibly exist in this universe...”

She, the Creation Goddess of Life, was the culmination of all that was beautiful in the ancient era, and yet she was making a remark that others usually made when they faced her.

The girl continued with a bit of urgency in her voice, “I secretly hid a wisp of my soul before my father removed the devilish portion of my soul. He was so confused that he did not notice. Even so, I can only exist for a few dozen breaths longer.”

“I beg you, the kindest and most beautiful senior Li Suo. Please do not replace my soul base and soul origin completely when you reinforce my soul later. Please leave behind a tiny gap.”

Li Suo stared at her. “Why?”

“Because my father ultimately did not eliminate my devilish soul in the end. He chose to hide it instead. Therefore, so long as there is still a gap in my soul base, and so long as my soul origin still exists, I may yet one day rejoin with my devilish half and become whole.”

A short pause later, Li Suo slowly shook her head. “No, I cannot do that.”

“I may not know what happened, but the fact Ni Xuan could bear to remove a portion of your soul in the first place is most likely because of a promise he made to Mo E. Ni Xuan isn't a man who breaks his promise, much less Mo E.”

“You’re so smart, senior Li Suo,” the girl praised with what looked like a smile on her face. She did not seem to be afraid even though Li Suo had basically sentenced her to permanent disappearance. “However, I’m just a little girl who doesn’t understand anything. I care nothing for the promises of adults. Besides, no number of promises is more important than father’s safety.”

“Father’s... safety?”

“Didn’t you notice, senior Li Suo? Father’s soul is broken.”

“...” Li Suo did not deny this.

“He is wracked with so much pain, regret, and guilt, that even his Creation God soul is cracked in countless places. All he wants to do now is sleep and avoid facing reality... if his soul continues to break like this, he will slumber for a very, very long time. He may not awaken for even a hundred years for every one million years he sleeps.”

“There... is nothing I can do to help him.” Li Suo’s voice was tinged with deep helplessness and apology. She could save anyone, but not even she could save a Creation God whose soul was broken.

“But I know a way to repair father’s soul.”

The girl’s silhouette suddenly became more transparent than before, and she spoke with added haste and urgency, “Besides, I personally heard from senior Mo E’s mouth that his promise to the Ancestral Sword Spirit that gods and devils will never merge will only last until the end of his life... In other words, all the promises, grievances, and stubbornness will be resolved once he passes away.”

“I won’t put you or my father in a difficult position. Even if one day I seek to become whole once more, I will wait until senior Mo E has passed away, so please, senior Li Suo. Otherwise... Father really will never awaken.”

“But...” Li Suo hesitated. “If I do not replace your soul base and soul origin completely, then both your new body and your mind will be forever stuck in childhood. Not only that, your chances of becoming whole again are, frankly, extremely small. Do you still want to do this despite knowing this?”

“Mm!” The girl answered without hesitation. “I cannot allow my father to keep suffering like this. If there is even a tiny bit of hope to save him, then I will. This is my natural duty as his daughter. Otherwise, mother would be very sad when she returns...”

She thinks her mother can still return?

Li Suo wisely did not correct her fantasy.

The girl’s silhouette grew even blurrier and indistinct. Now, she was no more than a faint sheet of mist.

“You must help me, senior Li Suo. In exchange, I’ll tell you a massive secret. When father was fighting against senior Mo E, I realized I could sense the... Heaven... Punishing...”

The girl’s silhouette and her voice disappeared then, leaving behind a dazed Li Suo.