Against the Gods

Chapter 189 - An Endless Hunt

Cang Yue smiled lightly, and said: “I thank Young Master Fen for your kindness. All is well with Cang Yue, Young Master Fen need not worry. I’m not sure why Young Master Fen is visiting this time?”

Although she had just heard Cang Shuo say that the sole purpose for Fen Juecheng’s visit this time was to meet her, Cang Yue seemed as if she hadn’t heard at all.

Fen Juecheng also smiled faintly, and said in a gentle and straightforward manner: “I’ve heard that Your Highness has been continuously training in multiple profound palace branches. Juecheng was worried about you, and also deeply respects that. Although I wished to see Your Highness a few more times even in my dreams, I thought it would frighten Your Highness so I’ve always been suppressing it in my heart. Now that I’ve finally seen Your Highness, Juecheng is unceasingly happy. In these two years, Your Highness has become even more beautiful and elegant that the legendary goddesses turned mortal can not even compare. In Juecheng’s point of view, Your Highness’ beauty is Blue Wind Imperial Family, no, the entire Blue Wind Empire’s heaven blessed treasure.”

As he spoke, Fen Juecheng’s adoration and infatuation was revealed completely, not masking it in the slightest. Yet Princess Cang Yue seemed as if she didn’t notice this at all, and still returned a weak smile: “Young Master Fen is mistaken, Cang Yue is not worthy.”

“I thank Young Master Fen for his compliments in place of my imperial sister. I also deeply believe that what you said about my imperial sister being our Imperial Family’s treasure is true.” Cang Shuo said with a beaming smile. His eyes lit up as they turned and hinted at the attendant behind him. The attendant immediately understood and stepped forward right after. Then, he pretended to whisper in his ear.

“Oh?” Cang Shuo’s eyes revealed some shock, then said apologetically to Fen Juecheng: “Young Master Fen, this prince suddenly remembered something that must be taken care of immediately, so you’ll have to excuse me... Imperial sister, Young Master Fen hasn’t visited the Imperial Palace for quite a while, why don’t you accompany Young Master Fen on a walk through the palace.”

“Please forgive Cang Yue’s refusal.” Right after Cang Shuo had just finished speaking, Cang Yue immediately declined. “It is not because Cang Yue is not willing, but Imperial Father has ordered me to go meet him in his chambers at this time to discuss an important matter. Cang Yue does not dare to go against Imperial Father’s orders, and wishes that imperial brother and Young Master Fen does not take offense. Cang Yue will take her leave first.”

After she finished speaking, Cang Yue nodded slightly and unhesitatingly walked out of the Moon Embracing Palace.

Cang Shuo greatly furrowed his eyebrows yet Juecheng only smiled calmly. As soon as Cang Yue left his side, he suddenly turned around. “Your Highness, when Juecheng came to the Imperial Palace, he unintentionally heard that Your Highness seems to have been searching for a strange flower called the ‘Burning Soul Flower’ with all her might. I wonder if Your Highness has found this flower yet? If it has not been found yet, Juecheng just happens to know where to find a Burning Soul Flower.”

Not only did Fen Juecheng’s arrival cause Cang Yue to become disturbed, it also made her completely uneasy and want to leave as soon as possible. But Juecheng’s words stiffened her entire body as her departing footsteps rigidly stopped in place. She turned around and said in the calmest voice possible. “Is Young Master Fen serious? Cang Yue is indeed looking for the Burning Soul Flower. If Young Master Fen knows where to find it and is generous enough to tell me, Cang Yue would be sure to be forever thankful.”

Fen Juecheng smiled: “Juecheng naturally will not refuse Princess Cang Yue’s request. Juecheng knows that this Burning Soul Flower just happens to be in our Burning Heaven Clan’s training grounds —— within the Fierce Sunsky Region.”

Cang Yue’s heart surged as she suppressed her excitement: “Then that’s just wonderful. May I ask if your honorable clan can give our Imperial Family this Burning Soul Flower? No matter the price or conditions, your honorable clan can speak at will.”

Fen Juecheng narrowed his eyes as they greedily closed in on Cang Yue’s peerless beauty, extremely noble complexion, and figure. He answered lightly: “Juecheng does not have a say in this matter. In the Fierce Sunsky Region, only one Burning Soul Flower matures once in a millennia. The entire clan all regards it as their most valuable treasure. It is absolutely impossible for it to be given to another, but...”

Fen Juecheng paused, and then smiled even more casually: “If the person who wants the Burning Soul Flower is my clan’s inner member who urgently needs this Burning Soul Flower, with the addition of me, the future Clan Master’s personal plea, I believe that my father and elders would not be that stubborn and inflexible; they would most certainly be accommodating."

While Fen Juecheng’s words sounded gentle and reserved, they actually contained a trace of open coercement. To let an outsider become an inner clan member would either mean that they have to become a disciple or possibly marry into the Burning Heaven Clan.

Cang Yue’s erect chest slightly rose and fell. However, she slowly shook her head afterwards: "Since the Burning Soul Flower is that precious to your honorable clan, then Cang Yue shall not make such an unreasonable request. I thank Young Master Fen for his information, farewell."

Can Yue’s straightforward and firm reaction was outside of Fen Juecheng’s expectations. His expression stiffened, and he watched Cang Yue’s departing figure as his brows also slowly sunk.

"My sister’s temperament is still as tough as ever." Cang Shuo said as he faced Fen Juecheng. His words and action actually carried a hint of respect.

“It’s tougher than before. When she previously declined, at least she was being tactful, but now, she’s so unyielding that it seems as if she’s telling me to stop having any delusions." Fen Juecheng appeared to mock himself as he laughed resentfully.

"Young Master Fen does not need to be so pessimistic," promptly consoled Cang Shuo, "With Young Master Fen’s strength, appearance, and identity, how could any of Blue Wind Empire’s young talents compare to you? Cang Yue is still young right now, so she does not notice some things. I believe that it won’t be long before she takes the initiative to throw herself at Young Master Fen without you even needing to woo her." After speaking to here, Cang Shuo hesitated, but then continued: "I might know a bit behind the reason why Cang Yue has suddenly become this resolute."

"Oh?" Fen Juecheng shifted his gaze.

Cang Shuo continued: "From the information that I’ve obtained, not only has Cang Yue been searching everywhere for the Burning Soul Flower these days, she is also searching for a person as well; a person she had personally came back with from New Moon Profound Palace. It has been reported that she and the person were extremely close those couple of months before she brought him here... But rest assured Young Master Fen, this person has already disappeared five months ago; he seems to have overestimated himself, entered the Wasteland of Death, and never came back out. After his disappearance, I’ve heard from the palace maids by Cang Yue’s side that she countlessly wept and could not eat in peace..."

"What is that person’s name!"

"Yun Che... he’s still young, and is only seventeen this year. However, his innate talent was out of the ordinary so both Cang Lin and I attempted to pull him into our factions."

"Hmph!" Fen Juecheng’s eyebrows firmly tightened as an astonishingly heavy baleful aura surged in body. "There actually is another person who intends to dip his finger in the woman that this young master fancies... It’s best if he’s dead, otherwise, I’ll drive him into utter misery that even if he begs for life, he won’t live, and even if he begs for death, he can’t die!"

Fen Juechen’s body suddenly released the baleful aura and caused Cang Shuo to shake all over. The eyes of the bodyguards on Cang Shuo’s side were even more round as they shivered in fear. Because the profound aura that came from Fen Juecheng’s body... was clearly already at the Earth Profound Realm!

————————————

Realm of the Dragon God Trial, an endless plain.

Five months have passed since Yun Che entered this place.

Up ahead, was the sound of a little creek. The creek’s water was so clear that one could see its bottom. Inside the creek’s clear water, were schools all different kinds of little fish that cheerfully moved about.

Yun Che laid Chu Yuechan on the grass next to the creek delicately, then crouched at the edge of the creek. Watching the fish swimming in the middle of the creek, he said while beaming: “Little Fairy, we can drink fish soup again... Hmm, what flavor should the fish soup be today?”

Just as his voice landed, Yun Che’s left hand penetrated the surface of the water like lightning, catching a large fish nearly a foot long. And at this time, a river boulder to his right suddenly tumbled, and a huge crab, its body half the size of Yun Che’s body, shot over. The pitch-black huge crab’s pincers opened, and it snapped fiercely at Yun Che’s neck... The barbs on this crab’s pincers glistened coldly, even steel would be snapped instantly, let alone a person’s neck.

Yun Che threw the fish in his hands onto the grass. Without even raising his hand, his right hand extended like lightning, and grabbed onto the edge of the crab’s pincers. He forcibly clutched onto the Murderous Kingcrab and suddenly flung it into a river boulder.

Yun Che’s arm strength was not just terrifying. With a loud "bang" the river boulder smashed into pieces and the Murderous Kingcrab was smashed into unconsciousness. This sound was like alerting a hornet’s nest. Tens of Murderous Kingcrabs simultaneously scuttled out. Their humongous pincers were opened guillotine style as they sliced out along with a glittering cold radiance. Lightning quick, Yun Che took out Dragon Fault. He shifted his body once and three indistinguishable illusory silhouettes appear in three different positions. The four thousand kilogram Dragon Fault was as light as a large feather. In a few breaths of time, a dozen or so strikes were made, and each strike heavily attacked each Murderous Kingcrab’s back.

The Murderous Kingcrab was a dangerous profound beast at the second level of the Spirit Profound Realm that possessed two terrifying pincers, and its shell was even more incomparably hard. Even for ordinary Spirit Profound practitioners, it was hard for them to injure it. However, under one of Yun Che’s heavy smashes, after the bursting of thirteen consecutive sounds, the backs of thirteen Murderous Kingcrabs were completely split open as a berserk profound strength immediately charged straight through and powerfully snapped their life veins in a flash.

With a flick of his wrist, Dragon Fault returned onto Yun Che’s back. In order to completely adapt to Dragon Fault’s weight, after cultivating Star God’s Broken Shadow to the second stage, he constantly carried Dragon Fault on his back.

“Eighty-three thousand nine hundred and forty-seven.” After exterminating the thirteen Murderous Kingcrabs, the numbers in Yun Che’s mind also refreshed. After seeing the ground covered dead crabs whose legs lifted into the air, Yun Che pinched his chin and muttered: “I wonder if I could make these huge crabs into soup...”

Yun Che finally gave up this tempting thought and returned to Chu Yuechan’s side with the fish in hand. Then, he set up a pot rack and put in the creek’s water along with the fish before boiling it with fire... If the divine beast, the Phoenix, knew that Yun Che had used phoenix fire to mostly cook food after obtaining its blood, it was not known if it would be angry enough to torch Yun Che into burnt slag.

Once the fire was raised, trouble followed shortly after. The grassland beneath his foot abnormally shifted. Not waiting for the underground thing to surface, Yun Che suddenly thrusted his hands into the ground and forcibly clutched at the Spirit Profound Armor Plated Earthworm that was about to attack. After two or three strikes that had beaten it into tight knots, it was then thrown away into the distance... It was sad that this Armor Plated Earthworm was only a low level Spirit Profound Beast. Although its body was as hard as fine steel, in Yun Che’s hands, it was no different than an ordinary hemp rope. Even though Yun Che’s profound strength was inferior, his arm strength was something that not even a high level Spirit Profound practitioner could match.

The Armor Plated Earthworm that had been coiled into tight knots chaotically twitched about on the grass. But after losing too much blood for a long while, it was no longer capable of movement.

“Eighty-three thousand nine hundred and forty-eight.” Yun Che said aloud in a low voice. Right after he finished counting out loud, his arm suddenly swung up and Phoenix Flame shot outwards at the two Fierce Storm Hawks overhead that were about to dive down, making them fall after an explosion.

After these five months of comprehensive mastery, he no longer needed the heavy sword to unleash Phoenix Break, and could also activate it with a wave of his arm, because even his arm, could be treated as a heavy sword.

With the scorching heat of the phoenix flame, it didn’t even take sixty breaths of time for the fish soup to be ready.

After ladling the fish soup, Yun Che carefully blew at it to keep it cool and arrived at Little Fairy’s side. Supporting her upper body, he lifted the little bowl against her lips: “Here, it’s not hot anymore.”

Chu Yuechan opened her beautiful eyes and parted her soft lips. Using what little strength she had, she lightly sipped and drank the fish soup. Right as she swallowed her first mouthful of soup, an unearthly cry came from up above. Six extremely long tailed dark green monstrously large birds dove down from six different directions at Yun Che.

Without raising his head, Yun Che swung his left hand upwards and clutched Dragon Fault between his fingers. After locking onto the positions of the six Verdure Great Birds, Yun Che continuously swung Dragon Fault six times in two breaths of time. On the third breath, he had already withdrawn Dragon Fault and placed it back on his back.

Scree Scree Scree Scree...

Amongst the chaotic Phoenix cries, six Phoenix Breaks soared into the sky, accurately blasting onto the Verdure Great Birds that were in the midst of their attack, and exploded on them one by one. During this entire process, not a single drop of the fish soup in the little bowl spilled out. Chu Yuechan was also not startled, and her snowy lips never left the little bowl. When all six of the Great Birds dropped down, half of the fish soup in the little bowl had already been devoured.

Since they had encountered this type of situation everyday for the past five months, she had long become accustomed to it, and was even more certain that Yun Che could perfectly hold them off.

In this five month period, they were subject to all kinds of profound beast attacks at nearly every moment. The period in-between varied, but it never stopped. The “never be able to sleep soundly or eat in peace” that the Primordial Azure Dragon had said was not the least bit exaggerated or made up in order to scare them.

The difficulty level of this stage of the trial was more than ten times harder than the first. What was scary, was not that the level of profound beasts were too high, nor was it the shockingly quantity of the profound beasts. It was rather the unceasingly barrage of assaults! They came from the ground, underground, in the water, from the skies, and any profound beast could attack at anytime. If one relaxed his mind for even a second, it was possible for him to lose his life. In this sort of situation, it was perhaps likely to persevere through two days. Even three or four days could be endured, but when the period of time continued to lengthen, even if one’s body could handle the pressure, the collapse of one’s mind was also possible... If another person with profound strength that was stronger than Yun Che’s by one-fold was swapped in, it was still nearly impossible for them to continue on.

Yet just for Yun Che, this trial’s difficulty level wasn’t that much higher than the first stage’s.

Because in his past life, he precisely spent his time being hunted down. Being hunted down by this endless plain’s profound beasts was undoubtedly terrifying, but in his past life, he had actually been subjected to being hunted down by the most supreme of sects, clans, and strongest experts! Moreover, that persisted for an entire seven years. Within those seven years, his alertness, perception, reaction speed, and counter attack abilities were also refined to an extremely frightening level.

After reincarnating, there was no chance for those abilities to surface. But being hunted by this endless plain’s endless amount of profound beasts, his abilities were aroused once more.