Against the Gods

Chapter 1971 - Beyond The Reach of Moons and Stars (3)

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

Feng Xue’er had only just entered the Divine Way, but the richness and purity of her divine phoenix aura wasn’t weaker than Huo Poyun’s in the slightest. All three Flame God sect masters felt like their world view had just been turned upside down.

“Xue’er,” Yun Che looked at his wife with gentle, loving eyes, “You still can change your mind, you know. You really don’t have to…”

Feng Xue’er shook her head even as she smiled. “This is not a sacrifice for your sake, big brother Yun. I truly want this from the bottom of my heart and soul.”

“The phoenix has blessed me unconditionally since the day I was born, but I had never been able to return the favor. But now, I can. I have no doubt that this is where I belong, and I am sure the Phoenix Spirit will be beyond glad if it could see this from the afterlife.”

She beamed. “That I could also remove some regret from big brother Yun’s heart only makes me happier.”

She took a step forward and said, “This junior, Feng Xue’er was born in the lower realms. I was lucky to be blessed by the Phoenix Spirit when I was young, and now I now wish to become a member of the Flame God Realm and burn my flames for you. Please fulfill my wish, Flame God seniors.”

Feng Xue’er possessed a soft, gentle voice that could sway minds with ease, but it was her words that made the Flame God sect masters wonder if they were in a dream.

They knew exactly what this meant, and yet they could not muster the courage to believe it was actually happening.

Feng Xue’er’s aura made it clear that she was practically the Phoenix version of Huo Poyun.

If she were to join the Flame God Realm, it meant that the flame of hope that had extinguished with the passing of Huo Poyun would be relit in full!

Not only that, she was one of Emperor Yun’s beloved. Her mere presence would bring unimaginable benefits to the Flame God Realm; far more than what Huo Poyun could have done in his position.

“Is… is this real?” Yan Juehai whispered while staring at Feng Xue’er. It wasn’t a real question. He was just wondering out loud.

They had just lost a divine son of the Golden Crow, and the heavens immediately compensated their loss with a divine daughter of the Phoenix.

His Phoenix lineage!

Heaven knows he was dripping with envy since the day Huo Rulie had discovered Huo Poyun!

Feng Xue’er bowed slightly before replying, “This junior learned from big brother Yun that senior Yan had been sect master of the Phoenix Sect for several thousand years. There is no one who has better understanding and mastery of the World Ode of the Phoenix than you. This junior would be deeply grateful if you would teach her your ways.”

Yan Juehai’s composure shattered like glass. He stuttered as his pupils shook, and he stumbled half a step to the back, “Oh no no no! This one is unworthy! Unworthy! You are the untouchable consort of Emperor Yun and the chosen one of the Phoenix Spirit itself. How could I possibly deserve to be your master?”

“Anyone can teach anyone as long as they are proficient, sect master Yan. The old, the young; the noble, the humble,” Yun Che said. “There is no one more qualified than you to become Xue’er’s master.”

He then turned away and added in a casual voice, “Also, don’t forget that Xue’er and my children will naturally become a member of the Flame God Realm if you are her master.”

His words were short, but what he promised was an eternal gift.

It was clear that Huo Poyun’s death shook him far more than he pretended to be.

Bang!!

Yan Wancang, Yan Juehai and Huo Rulie dropped to their knees at the same time. The sound reverberated throughout the hall.

“The Flame God Realm… thanks you for your great generosity, Your Majesty!”

Their voices were shaking, and tears were literally streaming down their cheeks. In that instant, the heavy, seemingly irremovable darkness in their heart was replaced by a shining sun.

“You don’t have to thank me,” replied Yun Che without turning around because his heaving chest would have betrayed his emotions. He said slowly, “It is what the Flame God Realm deserves after what you have done for the world.”

……

“Do you hate me, sect master Huo?”

Outside the hall, Yun Che asked Huo Rulie suddenly.

“I don’t understand your question, Your Majesty?” Huo Rulie spoke with his head bowed. “The Flame God Realm could perish right now, and we still wouldn’t be able to repay a sliver of what you’ve done for us…”

“You know what I mean,” Yun Che interrupted him while staring directly into Huo Rulie’s eyes.

While meeting Yun Che’s eyes head on, the sect master shook his head firmly. “That was what Poyun had decided. I won’t say I wasn’t torn apart when he used the Nine Heavens Cry of Dead Crow and Shattered Jade, but…” He broke into a smile. “I’m even prouder of him.”

“Although he has only been the Flame God Realm King for a couple of years, he managed to engrave the memory of the Golden Crow into everyone’s mind. History will forever remember his name and his sacrifice. How can I not be proud of him as his master and half a father?”

Tears gathered in his eyes even as he smiled wider.

Yun Che nodded and got ready to leave. This time though, it was Huo Rulie who called out to him.

“Your Majesty.”

Yun Che stopped in his tracks and looked back.

“Do we… truly have a future?”

He asked the question that weighed the most in everyone’s hearts.

Without hesitation, Yun Che replied in a tone that would brook no dissent. “Of course. The Abyss will not get what they wish, and Poyun will not have died a worthless death.”

“Good!”

Huo Rulie nodded strongly. “With this, we are no longer plagued by worries and distractions. We, too, promise to devote all our efforts to assist the divine daughter of the Phoenix! We will see her reach her full potential even if it costs us a thousand deaths!”

............

After leaving the Flame God Realm, Yun Che quickly arrived at the neighboring Snow Song Realm.action

Mu Xuanyin was still recuperating from her injuries, but she had heard of Yun Che’s plan to venture into the Abyss. Chi Wuyao rarely hid anything from her.

She did not try to stop him or persuade him to change his mind. She didn’t even express any worry at all. She simply hugged him for several hours straight as if she was nothing more but a normal woman in recovery.

Yun Che did not leave immediately after he stepped out of the Ice Phoenix Sacred Hall. Instead, he stood in the snow and basked in the winter cold for a very long time.

As far as he was aware, soothing wind, pure rain, or tranquil snow did not exist in the Abyss.

After he left, it would be untold years before he could finally bathe in snow once more.

And who knows, it might even be his final memory of radiant white…

It was at this moment a slender woman appeared from the distance. The curtain of snow did nothing to conceal her beauty, and her countenance was easily more gorgeous than ice. Every step she took was picturesque in a way that only a fairy could manage.

She was Mu Feixue.

Her footsteps paused the moment she caught sight of Yun Che. For a while, she simply watched his profile in silence.

Then, she gave him a small bow before turning around. Forget calling out to him, she did not even make a sound as she stepped away. However…

“Feixue.”

Yun Che suddenly called out her name.

“...” Mu Feixue froze as her foot sank slightly into the snow.

“I’m going to a far, far place.”

He said while staring at her back. “That is why I cannot give you any promise right now.”

“Even so… will you wait for me to come back?”

The wind continued to blow, but sound had suddenly vanished from the world. It was as if the world itself had become frozen along Mu Feixue’s back.

“If I can come home safely, I would be fortunate to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.”

Yun Che continued slowly and gently as he watched her back, “But if I do not return, then you should—”

“I will wait.” Her voice pierced through the flying snow like ice lilies. “No matter how long it will take… even when the young grows old, and the eternal snow has melted into water… I will be waiting.”

She did not ask him where he was going or what he was planning to do.

She did not ask if he truly liked her, or if he was just offering her some sympathy.

To her, his words and his gaze right now, were enough to last her for a lifetime.

............

At the reborn Moon God Realm.

The realm was still in the middle of reconstruction, but its usual liveliness was a lot more reserved than before.

Unfortunately, the shadows of the Abyss had seeped through every corner of the God Realm.

Yun Che was watching the realm from a distance until a woman suddenly noticed his presence.

“Your Majesty?” She exclaimed as her mouth fell open. She could not believe her own eyes.

Yun Che looked at her and favored her with a smile. “Long time no see, Jin Yue.”

Jin Yue unconsciously squeezed the belt around her waist and avoided his gaze completely. She asked in a small, timid voice, “Have… you recovered from your injury, Your Majesty?”

It was clear that the girl had not fully recovered from the trauma Yun Che had inflicted on her back then, specifically the part where he had shredded her clothes and planted the demonic imprint in her while cackling with malice.

“Yes, I have recovered.” Yun Che watched her for a moment before exhaling. “I was only going to watch the realm for a bit, but since I’ve run into you…”

He disappeared without warning. The next thing Jin Yue knew, he was already standing in front of her and extending a hand toward her.

“Ah!” Jin Yue let out a cry of surprise as she subconsciously pulled away from Yun Che. Then, she noticed that he was holding the last inheritance of Xia Qingyue, the bronze mirror.

Her pupils shook violently. It was the item she cherished as her life until it was mercilessly taken away by Yun Che.

“Take it.” Yun Che’s palm moved even closer.

For a long time, Jin Yue could only stare at the bronze mirror without being able to move a muscle. She slowly reached out toward it, but could not believe that Yun Che was actually returning it to her. She thought he was playing a trick on her. “Are you… really going to return it to me?”

“Mn. It is yours to begin with. It is what she left behind for you,” Yun Che said. “When this world had abandoned and scorned her, when even herself had tried to wipe out her own existence, you were the only one who guarded her final proof of existence with your life.”

“If it wasn’t for you, well…”

He paused for a second before saying sincerely, “In this world, you are the only one who is most qualified to have it."

“...” Jin Yue finally took the bronze mirror from Yun Che. As soon as it was within her grasp, she immediately held it tight against her chest.

Yun Che felt like a part of his heart had suddenly gone missing, but he did not regret his decision. He shot her one last smile before turning around and getting ready to leave.

“You…” Jin Yue’s voice suddenly rang behind him. “Are you leaving to do something dangerous?”

“Could it be… the Abyss?”

A woman’s intuition was truly a scary thing.

Instead of denying her words, Yun Che praised her, “Quiet and gentle, loyal and unyielding, intelligent and meticulous! No wonder Qingyue loved you so much.”

It was practically an admission. Jin Yue met his eyes for an instant before bowing her head once more. “You would not have returned it to me otherwise.”

Her chin dipped even lower as she whispered, “That place must be unimaginably dangerous. Are you… sure you have to go?”

“I am. If I go, then there is still hope to turn things around. If not, then all that awaits us is destruction.”

He replied in a calm and collected voice before turning to take his leave a second time, but when he saw how she clutched the bronze mirror with trembling fingers like it was the most important item in her life, his heart ached with an unimaginable amount of love and affection toward her. In the end, he said, “Plus… there is a chance she might be there.”

There was a temporary lull in the conversation. Then, Jin Yue looked up with eyes that looked like a million exploding stars.

Her lips parted shakily, and she looked like she was trying to ask, “Who is she?” However, she just could not get the words out no matter what.

She wanted to hear Yun Che say her name with his own mouth. It was the only way to prove that she wasn’t imagining all this.

“The Abyss of Nothingness had mutated long ago, and falling into it no longer guarantees certain death. Instead, most people fall into the world known as the Abyss.”

“What that means… is that there is a chance Qingyue has not been devoured by the Abyss of Nothingness. She could be living in that world known as the Abyss right now.”

“I must go if only to check if she’s truly there.”

“...” Jin Yue swayed as if she might collapse at any moment. There were so many tears pouring out of her eyes that she couldn’t even see Emperor Yun anymore.

“Keep it safe. Perhaps the two of you may meet again someday. When that happens, you may return it to her with your own hands.”

“...”

“Okay.”

An unknown amount of time later, she finally mumbled like she was sleep-talking, ”Master… must still be alive… please… bring her home… no matter what…”

When she looked around again, Yun Che was already gone.

There was only the bronze mirror left offering her the warmest touch in the entire world.