Against the Gods

Chapter 2054: Moment of Harvest

One thread of light, ten thousand sword beams. The Divine Extinction Realm horned dragon lost its life in an instant.

Its draconic body crumbled into even-shaped cubes on the ground.

Hua Qingying descended from above, but she didn’t even look at the abyssal horned dragon. She appeared in front of Hua Caili in an instant.

Feeling her exceedingly weak but definitely secure vitality, Hua Qingying felt the shadow of despair lifting like a physical veil. She felt like she was reborn.

Yun Che’s injuries were quite severe as well, but Hua Caili would always be Hua Qingying’s first priority. She summoned a bead of profound light—the gentlest she could muster with her power—and reached out to tap Hua Caili on the solar plexus, but flinched and removed her finger as soon as physical contact was made.

It was because she felt an unnatural heat from her fingertip.

Before she could even feel astonishment, she saw Hua Caili’s face and exposed skin swiftly turning pink in color.

Her crescent eyebrows furrowing, Hua Qingying lowered her finger again and cycled a wisp of gentle profound energy throughout Hua Caili’s body. She quickly concluded that there wasn’t an inch of her body that wasn’t boiling with heat.

Even her half-open eyes looked unnaturally out of focus. She looked so distracted she didn’t even recognize Hua Qingying. This should not be possible even considering her frail state.

“It’s… that horned dragon’s blood… save her…”

It was at this moment a weak but urgent voice called out to Hua Qingying. When she turned around, she noticed that Yun Che’s complexion was unusual as well. If anything, he looked even redder than Hua Caili was. Even from this distance, she could sense how hot his aura had become.

Horned dragon?

She looked at the horned dragon she just sliced and diced into a pile of cubes. Despite its state, she could tell that it was definitely a horned dragon.

“Draconic blood is a potent aphrodisiac, and a horned dragon’s blood is the most potent of them all.”

It was at this moment an exceedingly trivial memory that did not deserve to be a memory at all flashed across her mind.

A dragon’s blood was exceedingly yang. While it wasn’t poisonous, it was more terrifying than a poison because it could masquerade as an extremely potent aphrodisiac.

That said, not even the most potent dragon blood could threaten an existence like them. In fact, a Divine Master or even a Divine Sovereign could easily expel the blood of a Divine Extinction Realm horned dragon. But that was under normal circumstances. Hua Caili was hurt so bad that forget expelling, she couldn’t even muster the will to resist one bit. On top of that, the horned dragon’s blood had showered her from head to toe, so it had seeped into every corner of her body instantly.

“I see.”

Hua Qingying muttered to herself and relaxed. Summoning a wisp of profound light once more, she gently pressed a finger against Hua Caili’s solar plexus.

One breath… two breaths…

The gentle profound light was still wrapping around Hua Qingying’s fingertip. The woman herself had suddenly turned as still as stone. A second later, her finger actually trembled slightly.

Hua Caili was too weak. That was why the horned dragon’s blood had spread to every corner of her body and seeped into her blood, veins and even soul sea without any resistance whatsoever.

On top of that, Hua Caili wasn’t just enduring a grievous injury. Despite her stable state, she was hovering on the edge of life and death.

In this state, if a foreign force were to purge the horned dragon’s blood in her body by force…

… It would be her life that was purged out of her body before the horned dragon’s blood!

How… can this be…?

If she had even a sliver of resistance left… this could not have happened…

If her wounds were just a tad lighter… just a tad…

Hua Qingying clenched her teeth a little and finally pushed her profound light into Hua Caili’s body. However, she immediately withdrew it the next moment.

If she healed her first, but the aphrodisiac were to come into full effect, then…

If she dispelled the aphrodisiac first before healing her, then…

“Senior…” It was at this moment she heard Yun Che’s voice once more. Every word he spoke was infused with urgency because of her apparent hesitation, “Save her… What are you waiting for… she's completely defenseless right now… if you don’t save her… her condition will…”

“Quiet!” Hua Qingying slowly but surely lost her cool.

There was no one in this world who wanted to save Hua Caili more than herself.

Why was this happening? An impossible miracle had saved Hua Caili earlier, and logically speaking, it should’ve been all over. So why…

It was then she recalled something and turned to Yun Che. “Can your light profound energy—”

Her words died in her throat as soon as she saw Yun Che.

She had been paying attention to Hua Caili all this time, so it wasn’t until now that she noticed just how horrific Yun Che’s injuries were.

If he did not possess the bloodline of the Dragon God, he would have perished ages ago.

On top of that, the amount of blood he was exposed to far exceeded Hua Caili’s. Considering his injury and weakness, he was just as defenseless as Hua Caili was, meaning that his condition was even worse.

To ask him to circulate light profound energy in this state would be to ask him to kill himself. After all, he would have healed himself already if it was possible.

Hua Qingying lifted Hua Caili into her arms, but when she stood up and looked around, she was horrified to discover that she did not know where to go.

It was as if the dark, desolate world around her was spinning non-stop. She could not take even a single step.

Hua Caili’s breaths were slowly but surely heating up, but it could not dispel the iciness in her heart at all.

Is there no other way?

Is copulation of yin and yang truly the only way to save her?

But she’s Caili… she’s brother and Wanxin’s daughter… she’s the Divine Daughter of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God… she’s…

It can’t happen…

It cannot happen…

But…

Is there any other way…?

Any other way to save her…?

Fueled by painful helplessness, her dizziness seemed to be growing by the second. It was to the point where her vision was blurry, and her heart and soul felt like they were being assaulted by sky-blotting waves, chaotic and out of control.

“Young… master… Yun…”

The young woman murmured, and it shattered Hua Qingying’s already crumbling defense in an instant.

There was a blur, and she was standing in front of the blood-soaked man with Hua Caili in her arms. She uttered hoarsely through gritted teeth, “Save… her!”

The two words came easier than she expected. It was probably because every drop of blood he shed was for the sake of Hua Caili.

Yun Che froze. He quickly understood what Hua Qingying was suggesting and struggled to retreat, his voice weak yet determined, “No… she’s a Divine Daughter and someone’s fiance… I cannot do this!”

“You are as strong as a god, senior! I’m sure you can save her yourself!”

His words were meant to be a compliment, but Hua Qingying only felt deep shame and irony from it.

To think that his first reaction toward the unparalleled beauty and Divine Daughter that was Hua Caili was rejection… it alleviated some of the pain and struggle she was facing for making this decision.

Her chest heaved heavily as she uttered with veiled sorrow, “Will you watch her suffer an eternal wound to her soul and a fate worse than death then?!”

“...” Yun Che froze, eyes losing color and betraying a furious struggle from time to time.

Hua Qingying did not wait for a response. She placed Hua Caili beside his knees and turned away resolutely. “You possess the bloodline of the Dragon God. Your injuries are severe, but… I’m sure you still have some strength left.”

Despite her best attempts at self-control, Hua Qingying could clearly feel the tremor in her own voice, “If you don’t save her, then I will kill you this instant!”

Again, she did not wait for a response. She soared into the sky and laid down a two-way isolating barrier around Yun Che and Hua Caili.

The second the barrier took form, Hua Qingying abruptly turned back and pointed a shivering finger at the barrier as if she was regretting her decision. In the end though, she withdrew her finger and shot into the sky, not looking back.

Shred!!

Suddenly, a hail of vicious sword beams descended on the horned dragon’s corpse, disintegrating what was already a pile of cubes into the smallest specks of dust.

Just in case Hua Qingying decided to investigate the abyssal horned dragon’s blood, Yun Che had injected the large majority of his horned dragon’s blood into its body.

However, it turned out to be excessive caution.

It made sense that the former Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter and now Sword Fairy would not be interested in the makings of a mere horned dragon.

If not for her outstanding soul energy, she wouldn’t even remember the line, “Draconic blood is a potent aphrodisiac, and a horned dragon’s blood is the most potent of them all.”

……

Li Suo closed her senses at the appropriate time.

He had succeeded.

It had been less than a year since he descended into the Abyss. Despite this, he, a level three Divine Master, had driven the Sword Fairy of the Abyss, the number one profound practitioner beneath a God, into a dead end twice.

This was especially true for the second attempt. The timing of the abyssal horned dragon’s appearance, Hua Caili’s wounds, and his own wounds were all perfect… otherwise, he could not have driven the Divine Limit Realm Hua Qingying to make such a decision.

To calculate things to this extent… he must be really tired, wasn’t he?

……

Boundless Kingdom of God.

Dian Jiuzhi was wearing a plain one-color robe, but it was fine. His bearing as the greatest Divine Son of the six Kingdoms of God was such that even the finest silk would look ordinary before him.

There was no abyssal dust here, only a clear spring that looked as pure as crystal. Dian Jiuzhi was basking in the sound of running water and examining his palm quietly.

This was his favorite spot. He often stood here for a very, very long time.

Lying quietly on his palm was a Rainbow Cloud Branch that was carefully shielded by profound light. The small but delicate branch was blooming with extraordinarily large Rainbow Cloud Flowers.

It was the same place, the same action, the same Rainbow Cloud Branch, and the same memory and thoughts.

……

Bang!

His head was stomped into filthy mud. He was in the midst of climbing up when the same foot stomped his head into the mud again and pinned it in place. A familiar sense of pain and humiliation filled him, followed by grating taunts and ridicule.

“How dare you show your face here, you ugly bastard. You’re not here to take a peek at Lady Caili, are you?”

“Spit! Bighead Dian, haven’t you checked yourself in the mirror that is your piss? Lady Caili is beyond noble. If you frightened her with your ugly head, nobody cares if you’re beaten to half-death, but you’ll bring shame to the rest of us! We can’t have that, can we?”

He gave up struggling. He could only wait helplessly and meekly for his tormentor to remove his foot.

He knew very well that struggling would only earn him greater torment and humiliation.

Plus, they were right. He had come to sneak a peek at the legendary Lady Caili.

Legend had it that she was the only Godbearer in the history of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God to inherit a perfect divine essence. Legend also had it that she was already more gorgeous than the Sword Fairy Hua Qingying even at a young age, much less now.

Such was her beauty that even the Abyssal Monarch Himself had praised her to be the miracle of the Abyss as the priceless treasure of Heaven Breaker—or so the rumors claimed.

He heard that the Heart Painter Divine Regent was bringing her home from the Pure Land, and that he decided to pay the Boundless Divine Regent a visit on the way. Filled with childish curiosity and yearning, he sneakily made his way over to take a peek… only to be discovered by his tormentors and receive a familiar-yet-oh-so-painful beating.

They were brothers who shared the same blood. They were all sons of the Boundless Divine Regent.

Brothers… and yet they toyed with him and humiliated him without any mercy whatsoever.

It was all because he grew up with an unusual appearance. Despite sporting an average stature, his head was almost as large as his shoulders. It was also square-shaped as if the heavens had decided to compress his head and leave it that way for some unknown reason. Even his facial features looked compressed and out of place.

He did not have a name. He was only ever known as “Bighead Dian” or “ugly bastard” in his family.

Everyone was ashamed by his appearance. Everyone. He had grown up being bullied for as far as he could remember. His Father never spared him a second look if he could help it, and even his own mother loathed him and alienated him. He naturally learned to be self-abased and meek. He learned not to lift his head for anything.

Despite his unfortunate circumstances, a tiny ember of defiance drove him to cultivate as hard as he was able. However, he quickly discovered that looks weren't his only weakness. His talent sat at the bottom of his kin as well. The discovery extinguished his final hope in earning dignity.

Why did he wish to take a peek at the legendary Lady Caili? Because he desired from the bottom of his heart to witness the good of this world, any good at all.

He closed his eyes and let them call him names and step on him as they wished. He had long since grown numb to this.

“What are you doing? Why are you bullying him?”

He opened his eyes, his awareness a blur not because of his injuries, but her voice.

He had never heard such a melodious voice in his life. It was like a quiet spring in an empty valley, a celestial voice that was so soft one almost thought it didn’t exist. It was something that should only exist in the books.

“Rain… Lady Caili…”

Panicked, terrified, disbelieving cries broke out here and there. The princes who were bullying him abruptly lost their voices as if someone was choking them, and their earlier vigor was nowhere to be found. Some tried to say something, but all that came out of their mouths were incoherent stammers.

Whoever was stepping on his head removed his foot hurriedly. He quickly stood to the side, afraid to move even a muscle.

They might all be sons and daughters of Divine Regents here, but the difference between a prince and a Divine Son; a princess and a Divine Daughter was night and day.

He slowly climbed to his feet, confused and dazed. When he looked up, his world abruptly tilted as if he was about to fall unconscious.

It was a fourteen or fifteen-year-old girl wearing a white dress. It was clear she hadn’t grown into a woman yet, but the moment his eyes met hers, it was as if the entire world had lost its color and radiance. His common sense of what was beautiful was also shattered into a million pieces.

He had imagined countless times how beautiful the legendary Lady Caili was to earn such praise from the Abyssal Monarch Himself. It was only now that he realized that even His praise was not sufficient to describe the real thing; that it was almost insulting to ascribe words such as “miracle” and “priceless treasure” to her being.

A long, long time later, he finally realized that he was staring and bowed his head, afraid to look at her for even a millisecond longer. A deep sense of inferiority was drowning him like the mud he was stomped into.

“Looking at your clothes and aura, you are clearly kin. This place is close to the Boundless Divine Hall. If the Boundless Divine Regent knows that you are bullying a kinsman, he will surely punish you for your actions.”

She probably meant her rebuke as that, a rebuke, but it possessed exactly zero sense of authority. All he could feel from her sweet words were warmth and comfort that he did not deserve.

The princes were afraid, however. The leader of the group hurriedly spoke up, “This guy… this guy is Bighead Dian. He’s the most notorious guy of our clan, and Father even dislikes him the most. Today he snuck over probably for a perverse reason, and we… We punished him a little because we were afraid that he would terrify you with his ugly appearance, Lady Caili. Please, quell your anger and do not tell Father about this.”

“Bighead Dian?” The girl exclaimed with mild surprise and looked at him. “Is that… really your name?”

He felt her gaze, but he did not dare to meet her eyes. He simply buried his chin deeper into his head and nodded slightly.

Even he had long since forgotten his own name.

He had long since gotten used to humiliation, but the thought that his ugliness was fully exposed before this fantasy-like girl… his heart and soul shook so hard they could shatter at any moment. His restless fingers had long since plunged deep into his clothes.

Despite his answer, it was clear the girl did not really believe him. She turned around and mustered the angriest voice she could muster, “If you know that you are erred, then walk away! Now!”

“Ah… yes, yes. We shall take our leave immediately.”

No one dared to challenge the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter as a matter of course. They immediately backed away and quickly left with their heads bowed.

On the other hand, he continued to stand where he was, lost and uncertain.

The girl did not leave immediately, however. Instead, she turned around to face him.

“Erm… this is for you, Big Brother Bighead.”

He lifted his head dumbly and saw a ball of white light floating to him.

It was a Rainbow Cloud Branch that only grew in the Pure Land. Despite its tiny branch, its blooming flowers were extraordinarily large.

He subconsciously reached out, but fear prevented him from grabbing it. He just froze like that, numb and dazed.

“This is a Rainbow Cloud Branch I picked up from the Pure Land. I spotted this immediately when Grandma Ling Xian allowed me to pick one plant because it holds the biggest flowers.”

The girl gave him a bright smile. “You are the same, Big Brother Bighead. You are special because you are special. Looking down on yourself because of your uniqueness is a no-no, get it?”

“They bully you because of your appearance because they are immoral. It is not your fault, and you definitely should not give up on yourself because of them. Who knows, maybe one day you will bloom like no other just like this Rainbow Cloud Branch.”

The girl took her leave after that.

Her first and only reaction toward his ugly appearance was astonishment. From the start until the end, he couldn’t spot a hint of disgust or pity from her.

He stood there blankly for a very, very long time. Finally, he shakily reached out and held the tiny Rainbow Cloud Branch with the utmost care.

The girl did not know that her natural kindness was the turning point of his whole life.

It was because of her that light had returned to his world. It was thanks to her that he had a goal and the will to succeed no matter what.

He began cultivating with all his might. No matter how many taunts and or how much ridicule he received, he ignored it all like water off a duck’s back. He strove to grow stronger if only so that he could one day gain the right to catch a glimpse of her from afar.

Then, one fateful day, thunder boomed inside his head, and he awakened his divine essence…

……

The memory he had replayed countless times in his head replayed again. He would never forget every moment, every instant of that day until he died.

Dian Jiuzhi clasped his hands together and carefully picked up the Rainbow Cloud Branch.

Inside his heart, he swore an oath he had sworn countless times before:

Caili, my existence, my life, my title, all of it… is for the sake of protecting you.

For as long as I live, I will never allow anyone to harm a hair on your person… should such a day ever come, may eternal tribulation and regret claim me!

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