Against the Gods

Chapter 2169 - Lone Cloud

“You’ve come, lass. I assume that the boy is Yun Che then.”

A calm, unruffled, elderly voice drifted over, and Yun Che followed it. He immediately saw a figure seated in serene meditation atop a tall platform of exotic woods and abyssal crystals. He was dressed in plain gray robes. He was tall and slender, and his hair and beard were streaked with silver. Although his features bore some traces of age, he could still be described as “handsome”.

His downward gaze was gentle, but there was no warmth in its depths whatsoever. His demeanor carried no deliberate air of authority, yet Yun Che felt a subtle, oppressive pressure seeping deep into his soul. More importantly, the intangible spiritual pressure was surprisingly familiar to him.

Yun Che’s gaze sharpened slightly... This man was none other than High Priest Wan Dao, one of the Four High Priests of the Pure Land and the one who oversaw all of its resources.

Considering the sheer amount of energy and treasures that were stored in the Wan Dao Divine Pavilion, he had no doubt that the guardian was extremely strict and cautious.

Yun Che bowed respectfully, his demeanor neither humble nor arrogant. “Junior Yun Che of Dreamweaver greets you, High Priest, Wan Dao.”

“Mm.”

High Priest Wan Dao gave him a slight nod and cracked a smile. However, just like his gentle gaze earlier, there wasn’t a hint of a smile in his eyes whatsoever. “As expected, both your looks and bearing are extraordinary. Still, for Caili to fall for you—you got a bargain, you little rascal.”

Yun Che: “?”

Yun Che did not like what the old man was saying, but he was a High Priest. So, he kept his reactions in check.

“Grandpa Wan Dao!”

Hua Caili looked up at the old man and asked smilingly, “What ancient scripture are you researching today?”

“Haha.”

High Priest Wan Dao carelessly answered with a leisurely smile on his face, “Not even the oldest book is older than your Grandpa Wan Dao. They’re all nothing but mundane tales with the occasional redeeming qualities such as where an exotic abyssal crystal can be unearthed, or where a beauty has blossomed. Tsk.”

Hua Caili pursed her lips and teased him, “Uncle Liu Xiao told me that the number of women you made contact with is approaching a million. I can’t believe that you still haven’t shaken off your weird thoughts even after you’ve become an old man.”

Yun Che: “......”

High Priest Wan Dao narrowed his eyes slightly. “I, Wan Dao, savor everything, so how could I possibly miss out on womenfolk? Alas, this abyssal world is too heavily contaminated, and women with a true air of spirituality are difficult to find. So what if I have savored a million? Compared to you and your aunt, they are nothing but a pile of barely edible mortal flesh. Worse, every gorgeous flesh that has ever appeared in the history of the Abyss originates from the Kingdoms of God. It is truly a shame.”

Yun Che’s eyebrows furrowed imperceptibly before returning to normal the next instant.

“There you go with your weird talks again,” Hua Caili mumbled under her breath.

High Priest Wan Dao’s gaze returned to his book, and he added in a casual voice, “I have received the Abyssal Monarch’s sound transmission. You may pick any one profound artifact that exists in this place.”

As soon as he finished, the world before Yun Che suddenly flipped upside down. When space stood still once more, the vastness from before had transformed into intimidating, soul-shaking sharpness and vicious intent.

It was like countless vicious beasts that had been slumbering since time immemorial had suddenly woken up at the same time. An endless amount of killing intent and vicious energies erupted from every corner of the world and transformed the entire space into a terrifying domain of murder and clashing wills. Wherever one looked, profound artifacts filled the vision to the horizon.

The weapons had not left their scabbards or unleashed their devastating power, but the surrounding air was audibly cut into countless pieces. Space itself was covered in dense cracks, and the seemingly endless amount of vicious energies had gathered into rivers that slowly flowed across the space of the divine pavilion.

It was only now that Yun Che seemed to realize something and exclaimed with both gratitude and surprise, “Did... Did you use the Abyssal Monarch’s favor to choose a new weapon for me?”

“Mm!”

Hua Caili broke into a smile, her eyes sparkling like scattered diamonds and reflecting Yun Che’s figure with each ray, “Losing your Cloud Glass Sword is like losing a connection to your late master. Although... although I dare not compare myself to your master, I still wish to—”

Yun Che suddenly reached out and tapped her on her soft, dainty lips, cutting her off. “You’re talking nonsense again. My master may have passed away, but he forever lives in my heart. As for you, you’re not only in my heart, but right by my side as well. There has never been a comparison between you two, and there never will.”

The light in Hua Caili’s eyes stilled a little. Then, she broke into a full smile that was brighter and more beautiful than even the purest skylight of the dome of the Pure Land.

High up at his platform, High Priest Wan Dao scoffed in a voice only he could hear, “Cheating wheedling.”

Hua Caili pulled Yun Che’s hand and carefully stepped forward. “Uncle Abyssal Monarch said that you may pick anything you want, even if it’s something Grandpa Wan Dao is reluctant to part with. However, the vicious energies in the artifact pavilion are extremely terrible and capable of corrupting the heart and soul, so you must shield yourself with profound energy before you step inside.”

As soon as she finished, her eyes flickered with sword beams. A delicate domain of sword energy immediately appeared around her.

Yun Che neither changed his expression nor made a move, however. Right before he would enter the artifact pavilion, High Priest Wan Dao’s enigmatic voice rang beside his ears, “Boy, you should shield yourself with profound energy. The vicious energies of this place are absolutely not something a junior like you can endure.”

“Thank you for the reminder, senior,” Yun Che replied politely, but he still did not release an ounce of profound energy. Instead, he strode right through the entrance and into the terrifying domain of vicious energies woven by countless artifacts.

Hua Caili subconsciously reached out to grab him, but she withdrew her hand about halfway through the motion. While it was true that the vicious energies of these powerful artifacts weren’t something an ordinary person could endure, her man was anything but ordinary.

From the very first step, the already choking amount of vicious energies instantly became as dense as lead. Walking inside the domain felt like carrying ten thousand mountains on his shoulders, making it hard to breathe for a time. At the same time, an endless amount of yin energy and vicious energy pierced through one’s profound energy like needles and seeped straight into the flesh, inflicting a chill that seemed to pervade the bones and ignite a fiery pain that burned the very marrow. As if that wasn’t enough, it felt like two energies on opposite ends of a spectrum were viciously fighting against each other inside his body.

Still, the physical oppression could not compare to the flaying of the soul. All five of his senses were warped instantly. His vision grew dark and blurry, his nose was filled with a sickly sweetness and the stench of decay that smelled like rust. It was as if he wasn’t inhaling air, but the deathly vapor of countless dead bones.

Not only that, the darkness resting at the bottom of his heart was being drawn out at a maddening rate. Insane thoughts about murder and destruction automatically and unconsciously surfaced in his mind. As if countless vicious souls possessed him, his reason was slowly being broken apart by the onslaught of violent thoughts.

The vicious energies were really the murderous aura and dark energies that the profound artifacts had accumulated across millions of years. The best way to shield oneself from it wasn’t cultivation, but experience... or more accurately, the amount of madness and blood the person was submerged in!

One step... two steps... ten steps... Yun Che slowly walked around the artifact pavilion while checking out one profound artifact after another. His complexion was unchanged, his breathing calm, and his stroll so relaxed you would think he was checking out art pieces rather than deadly artifacts.

“Hmm?” High Priest Wan Dao slowly turned his head. For the first time, his gaze focused on Yun Che.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere, Big Brother Yun?” Hua Caili stood by his side, her eyes shining with three parts concern and seven parts admiration.

However, Yun Che wore a light smile on his face and said calmly, “No matter how fierce and intense the aura of a profound artifact is, it is ultimately just an inanimate object with no master. A profound artifact only comes to life when wielded by its owner. If you give an inch, then it will take a mile. But if you treat it like the inanimate object it is and scorn it, then that is all it will be. With that in mind, why would I be afraid of an inanimate object?”

“Hmm...”

Hua Caili did not seem to fully understand Yun Che’s explanation, but the starlight of admiration rose from the depths of her eyes regardless. “As expected of Big Brother Yun! Now that you mention it... the vicious energies of this place really don’t look as scary as before.”

Suddenly, Yun Che stopped in his tracks and looked downward. His gaze quickly settled on a faint gray shadow in the far corner. It was a dull, ash-gray colored greatsword that looked simple and unadorned.

Any weapon that could enter this place had to be extraordinary. Take the artifact Mo Beichen had used to drive him into a corner, the “Eternal Boulder,” for example. It was highly likely to have come from this pavilion. Every single artifact in this place was unleashing its full presence and divine glow. It was to show off their power, reject an incompatible lifeform, or attract a desired master.

All of them, except the ash-gray greatsword. Not only was it emitting zero light or aura, but it had hidden itself in the most cramped, dark corner of the pavilion. As a result, its existence was nearly imperceptible amidst the boundless, overwhelming aura of the surrounding artifacts.

Its existence was clearly incompatible with the surrounding world. There was only lightlessness and endless loneliness.

Yun Che reached out and grabbed the ash-gray handle. A thick, dense layer of ancient dust immediately stained his palm. When he clenched his fingers and pulled... he discovered that the gray sword hadn’t so much as budged an inch.

“Huh?”

Hua Caili’s lips parted as she exclaimed in surprise, “Big Brother Yun, are you...”

Buzz—

Yun Che’s profound energy erupted as he unlocked the Heretic God Gates all the way to Hell Monarch instantly. There was a loud bang, and the heavy gray sword was slowly but surely dragged off the floor. When he propped up the greatsword in front of him, the metallic clang it elicited when it hit the floor erupted like a thunderclap and caused Hua Caili to cover up her ears timidly.

Yun Che clenched his fingers once more and slowly crossed the blade in front of his chest. Then, he looked at High Priest Wan Dao and asked loudly, “If I may ask, what is the name of this sword, senior Wan Dao?”

High Priest Wan Dao replied indifferently, “This sword was not forged in the Pure Land, nor was it obtained from the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods in ancient times. Its origins are unknown. Beyond its extraordinary weight, it neither collects divine aura nor births sword spirits. As a result, no one pays it any attention, and it never got a name for the same reason. Had it not been long forgotten, it would have been reduced to scrap for use in refining weapons long ago.”

Clearly, if Yun Che hadn’t picked up the sword today, High Priest Wan Dao himself would have forgotten that the spiritless, nameless sword existed in his pavilion.

Usually, his words would have convinced anyone to discard the greatsword without hesitation. However, Yun Che maintained his grip and turned his back on the artifact pavilion, declaring, “I have decided. This will be my new sword.”

“......” High Priest Wan Dao narrowed his eyes a little. It was impossible to say what he was thinking.

Hua Caili was surprised, but she believed in Yun Che’s choice and said happily, “Okay! Since it doesn’t have a name yet, you should give it one, Big Brother Yun.”

Staring at its ash-gray blade, Yun Che slowly said, “Lone... Cloud.”

“......” Li Suo looked like she wanted to say something.

BOOM!!

The ash-gray blade caught fire abruptly. The heat waves it generated instantly dispelled the surrounding killing intent and vicious energies, causing countless profound artifacts to vibrate in response.

“From today onward, you are my companion. You will no longer be a nameless, lonely sword who was forgotten by the world!”

The blazing sword hummed in his grip, and its long slumbering body unleashed heavy waves of power. It was as if the spiritless greatsword was doing its utmost to respond to his call.

“Lone... Cloud...”

Hua Caili repeated the name before tilting her head slightly. She asked seriously, “Of course, a sword you name should have the word ‘Cloud’ in it, but why did you name it Lone Cloud? I will never let you be alone, Big Brother Yun.”

Yun Che lowered his gaze slightly and met the girl’s pure, untainted eyes. “‘Lone’ does not necessarily mean lonely. It could also mean the one and only!!”

He then moved his face next to Hua Caili’s ear and whispered, “Even your Uncle Abyssal Monarch addresses himself as ‘this lone one’, doesn’t he?”

Hua Caili immediately nodded in agreement. “I get it now. Mm! Of course, my Big Brother Yun is the one and only in this heaven and earth.”

High Priest Wan Dao tugged his lips again and scoffed lightly, “This lass is feeding herself sweet lies. What a pity, what a pity.”

He then spoke up again, “You have not viewed even one ten-thousandth of the artifacts that exist in this pavilion. If you leave now, then you won’t get the chance to change your mind later. Are you sure about this, boy?”

“This junior has already made his choice. Naturally, there is no need to change anything.”

Yun Che’s reply did not contain even an ounce of hesitation. He put away Lone Cloud and stepped out of the artifact pavilion while holding hands with Hua Caili. Then, he bowed to the high priest from afar and said, “Since this junior has fulfilled his wish, I shan’t disturb the high priest any longer. Goodbye.”

If the high priest were anyone else, he would have tried to get closer to them. However, this High Priest Wan Dao made him feel uncomfortable despite his amiable appearance and eyes.

“Mm. You may go.”

High Priest Wan Dao replied carelessly, eyes still glued to his book. From start to finish, he never stepped down from his platform.

“We’re leaving, Grandpa Wan Dao! I’ll visit you the next time I come to the Pure Land! Oh, right, I haven’t thanked you for giving me the Glass Cloud Sword!”

High Priest Wan Dao did not look away from his book. He simply said, “I did not give you the Glass Cloud Sword. It is the Glass Cloud Sword that chose you. Since the day you left, it has been shaking nonstop and ringing day and night like a banshee. That is why I gave it to your aunt. It is your fortune and its fate to be able to find each other. Therefore, you do not need to thank me.”

After he finished, he flipped his palm downward and caused the space of the divine pavilion to flip around once more, hiding the artifact pavilion in an unknown space. The instant he turned his hand, Yun Che captured a flicker of something golden in the depths of his eyes and finally understood why his power felt so familiar... It was because it was the Brahma Monarch divine power practiced by Qianye Ying’er[1]!!

The reason he wasn’t able to put two and two together immediately was that High Priest Wan Dao’s cultivation was much, much higher.

Could High Priest Wan Dao be one of the divine sword attendants who once served the Heaven-Punishing Divine Emperor... the ancient Brahma Gods of the Brahma Monarch God Clan!?

Hua Caili was in an exceedingly good mood after leaving the Wan Dao Divine Pavilion. However, she noticed Yun Che frowning slightly as he chatted with him. She immediately asked, “You don’t seem happy, Big Brother Yun. Are you... thinking about your Cloud Glass Sword?”

Yun Che recovered his senses and shook his head. “If I remember correctly, you told me that High Priest Wan Dao is a genial grandpa who always wears a smile on his face.”

“Yeah?”

Hua Caili blinked. “Grandpa Wan Dao has always been like this. I’ve never seen him get angry even once, although... the abyssal knights seem to be very scared of him for some reason.”

Yun Che said after a pause, “In the future, you should avoid coming to the Wan Dao Divine Pavilion as much as possible.”

“Huh?”

Hua Caili was both surprised and puzzled. “But why?”

“I wonder...”

Yun Che pretended to be casual as he found an excuse, “I guess it’s purely because I don’t like this place?”

“Okay.”

Hua Caili nodded in agreement. “I won’t come here anymore. If Big Brother Yun doesn’t like this place, then I certainly won’t either.”

When Yun Che bade Hua Caili a temporary farewell and returned to his place, Meng Kongchan was already waiting for him.

Meng Kongchan did not ask him why High Priest Ling Xian had summoned him. He simply said smilingly, “Perfect timing. I have already taken my leave from the High Priest. It’s about time we depart the Pure Land and devote ourselves entirely to the preparation to travel to the Eternal Pure Land.”

“But before we leave, there is one big show we must watch.”

“A big show??”

Yun Che asked with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Meng Jianxi responded with a mysterious smile, “You will know when it’s time, Brother Yuan.”

It was at this moment that Yun Che suddenly furrowed his brow slightly and asked in an incredibly soft voice, “Senior, can you tell me if someone is spying on us right now?”

Meng Kongchan turned around and stared at Yun Che for a moment. Then, he said slowly, “No. Even if this isn’t the Pure Land, no one would be so impolite as to spy on a Divine Regent’s dwelling. Why are you asking this, Yuan’er?”

Yun Che’s furrowed brow relaxed slightly. “Ever since I entered the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering God, I’ve had this strange feeling that a divine perception is secretly spying on me time and again. Just now, it appeared again. But if you, senior, sensed nothing, then I was probably just mistaken.”

Meng Kongchan narrowed his eyes slightly and fell silent for a short moment. Finally, he said, “In this world, not even the Abyssal Monarch’s divine perception could approach me without triggering my soul aura. Perhaps you are experiencing this because your soul hasn’t fully recovered from the punishment of devouring rage.”

He did not state it outright, but he clearly implied that Yun Che was mistaken.

“Brother Xi,” Meng Jianxi said with apparent concern, “Soul damage is nothing to scoff at. You should spend some time resting after we return home. You mustn’t push yourself.”

“Mm. I understand.” Yun Che nodded, and the frown slowly vanished completely.

It feels like the thing watching me is weak... yet even the Divine Regent with the greatest soul power in this world sensed nothing...

I thought it might belong to an ancient soul fragment that the abyssal dust wasn’t able to eliminate entirely at first, but this is the Pure Land, not the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods!

In that case... it probably really is an illusion caused by the soul damage I received from the punishment of devouring rage.

As soon as he thought this, Yun Che closed his eyes and cleared his mind. Just a few breaths later, he had forcefully expelled all unnecessary thoughts.

1. So, everyone who cultivates this power is a lecher. Makes sense. ☜