Against the Gods

As soon as the profound ark got close to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God’s barrier, a repelling field immediately enveloped it and slowed down its speed drastically.

“Welcome, guests from the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God.”

A voice came from afar. As the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God’s profound ark was marked with a special imprint and sword aura, it was easily recognizable.

A masculine figure swiftly flew over to meet them, his aura marking him as a middle-stage Divine Sovereign. In the God Realm, he could have been the realm king of a middle star realm. But here? He was only qualified to be a boundary disciple.

The Divine Sovereign called out in a loud voice, “Are you Yun Che?”

It was clear he had received instructions from the Dreamless Divine Regent.

He had just finished asking when his pupils constricted. It was because he saw a blue fairy descending together with the profound ark.

He immediately dispelled his aura and dropped to the ground. Half-kneeling, he greeted Hua Qingying respectfully. “Welcome to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, Heaven Breaker Sword Fairy. I did not know you were coming and so did not arrange for a better welcome. Please forgive this disciple for his thoughtlessness.”

Hua Qingying withdrew her gaze from the distant sky… it had been a long time since she last set foot in the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.

“As you wish!”

The boundary disciple accepted the order and created a sound transmission profound formation as quickly as he could. “Quick! Inform the divine regent that—”

……

Dreamweaver Divine Palace.

Every brick, every stone that made up this palace was refracting a different, unusual light like a mirror or body of water. When a person shifted their gaze from one point to another, they would feel as if fog was shrouding their vision[1]. Just walking inside the palace would cause the weak-minded to feel as if they were walking through an illusion. Best case scenario, they would experience confusion. Worst case scenario, their soul would be separated from their body.

The Dreamless Divine Regent, Meng Kongchan, was currently sitting on his throne, and a young man in silver robes was bowing his head respectfully in front of him. He had long hair that glimmered silver from time to time. Despite facing the Dreamless Divine Regent himself, his face was calm, and his lips were curled into a small smile. His eyes looked as clear as spring wind, but those who dared to stare into them would be unknowingly dragged into an abyssal dream.

He was the Dreamweaver Divine Son, Meng Jianxi.

“Your profound energy has grown considerably, and your soul energy isn’t bad either. Well done.” Meng Kongchan slowly nodded with slight approval in his eyes.

Meng Jianxi’s smile spread wider. “I am glad. Your praise is why I worked so hard to improve myself, Father.”

“You should be working hard for yourself, not me. Or more accurately, you should be working toward bettering the future of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.”

The Dreamless Divine Regent tapped the table rhythmically while watching his most outstanding son with dark, indifferent eyes. “As of late, more Lords of Dream Hall have joined your ‘ranks.’ Not only that, your ‘domain’ is almost at the point where you have a monopoly over everything. Frankly, I am surprised that you are still making this much progress despite all the distractions you’ve had to deal with.”

Meng Jianxi immediately bowed his head and pleaded fearfully, “Father, I definitely—”

“Relax,” Meng Kongchan interrupted him before he could begin. “You came this far despite being the Dreamweaver Divine Son for less than a century. This is proof of both your ambition and your capabilities. For a monarch, for you to become a qualified Dreamweaver Divine Regent, it is only natural that you wield both.”

“Remember this, however.” Meng Kongchan’s expression did not so much as twitch from the beginning until the end. “Too much is as bad as not enough.”

“I understand and will remember your teachings, Father,” replied Meng Jianxi while bowing his head deeply.

Despite his father’s words, Meng Jianxi still chose to explain himself. “Father, I will always be your son no matter what I do. I went from a mediocre man to the Dreamweaver Divine Son in a moment. Although centuries have passed since, I still feel like I'm in a dream sometimes. Which is why I am always worried I might be underperforming in some way, and why I always try to share your burden, Father.”

“Mm.” Meng Kongchan nodded. “Frankly, it is quite boring to be a divine regent. With the level of competency you’ve displayed so far, I would be glad to cede my throne to you as soon as possible.”

Meng Jianxi looked up with great fear, “Father, you mustn’t—”

“I told you to relax.”

Meng Kongchan cut off his son once more. “I am aware of what you’re doing in secret, but I never tried to stop you because I am glad for it. The reason I’m purposely bringing it up today is to remind you of one thing.”

“No matter what you’re plotting, you must never fall behind in your cultivation. The stronger you are, the better and faster you’ll be able to subsume the True God power of the divine origin when it is time for you to bear it. Take Shenwu Yanye of the Eternal Night Kingdom of God for example. When she was young, she fought tooth and nail to increase her cultivation even a little. That is why her divine power is at least equal to mine in terms of density despite her forcing herself to inherit a divine origin with just seventy percent divine essence.”

“Right now, you are placed last of all the Divine Children in terms of cultivation, and we’ll be meeting the Abyssal Monarch in just three years’ time. You will not embarrass the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, understand?”

“Understood. I will remember your teachings!”

“Has Jianzhou’s corpse been found yet?” Meng Kongchan suddenly switched to a different topic.

Meng Jianxi answered, “No, and neither have we found Meng Jingzhe’s corpse either.”

“Mm.” Meng Kongchan grunted. “You may send word to stop the search. Trying to search for a body in the Endless Fog is akin to searching for a needle in the sea, and the effort has been ongoing for almost half a year. Jianzhou certainly can’t complain that I haven’t put in the effort to find him. Do comfort your mother when you return to your abode.”

“I will,” Meng Jianxi replied before saying, “Although brother’s corpse is nowhere to be found, according to recent rumors, the search team believes that brother’s death may not just be an unfortunate accident. He might have died because he accidentally provoked… the ‘Fog Monarch.’”

“The Fog Monarch?” Meng Kongchan narrowed his eyes slightly. “You mean that rumor that popped up out of nowhere? On what basis are you making this deduction?”

Meng Jianxi answered, “Brother cherishes his own life dearly and is usually cautious when it comes to things that might threaten his life. Generally speaking, he would never set foot inside the Endless Fog. Although the trial left him with no choice but to enter the Endless Fog, I doubt he would venture too deep, and at the periphery, there is no chance he would encounter the Ancestral Qilin God… normally speaking.”

“A few months ago, the Ancestral Qilin God, for whatever reason, appeared at the periphery of the Endless Fog. It was also the day the rumors regarding the Fog Monarch began. There were countless profound practitioners who testified that the Ancestral Qilin God was most likely piloted by the person who called themselves the ‘Fog Monarch.’”

“Ludicrous!” Meng Kongchan scoffed. “Abyssal beasts are ghosts whose consciousness has long since disappeared from their husks. How could anyone possibly pilot them? Not even the supreme Abyssal Monarch could achieve such a feat. This so-called ‘Fog Monarch’ is most likely just a trick pulled by some audacious scoundrel. To think that the foolish masses would eat it up like elixirs. How laughable.”

“I agree.”

It was at this moment Meng Kongchan’s brow twitched, and he lifted a finger. A sound transmission profound formation appeared in front of him.

“Divine regent, the two guests from the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God have arrived.”

“Mm. Tell the boundary disciple to bring him to me directly,” Meng Kongchan ordered uncaringly when suddenly, he realized something. “Two? Who is the other guest?”

“The Heaven Breaker Sword Fairy.”

Meng Kongchan shot to his feet in an instant. He hurriedly messaged, “Tell the guests to wait for a moment. I shall meet them in person. In the meantime, make sure they enjoy the absolute best hospitality we can offer.”

“To think that senior Sword Fairy would… huh?”

Meng Jianxi didn’t even manage to finish his sentence before Meng Kongchan had disappeared from view and left a storm in his wake.

Meng Kongchan moved very, very quickly. Countless sonic booms erupted around him as he passed through and alarmed countless Dreamweaver profound practitioners.

Meng Kongchan spotted Hua Qingying the second he stepped out of the kingdom-wide barrier.

He hid all of his emotions within his soul. Then, he stepped out into the open with divine bearing underneath his boots, chuckling. “Hahahaha, it’s been thousands of years since the last time you visited the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, Qingying. What’s the occasion? Did you come just to escort the boy?”

He cast Yun Che a quick glance before returning his attention to Hua Qingying once more.

“That is correct,” Hua Qingying replied.

Meng Kongchan had meant it as a joke, which was why he was caught off guard by her clear and succinct reply.

Hua Qingying was already looking at Yun Che and saying, “This man is the Dreamless Divine Regent. He will make the necessary arrangements for you. However, that is all the help you may expect from him. He will not lend you any help in the future either.”

“Remember what I told you and what you told yourself. From now on, the only one you can rely on… is yourself.”

Having said that, she gave Meng Kongchan a nod and said, “I have delivered Yun Che to your kingdom. I leave the rest to you, Dreamless Divine Regent.”

“It’s no trouble at all! Qingying—ah! Qingying!”

Meng Kongchan took a step forward but could only watch as Hua Qingying returned to the profound ark and flew away at high speed. Forget showing any intentions of staying around, she had never even truly set foot within the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God.

Did she actually come all the way here just to escort the boy?

Yun Che stepped forward and gave Meng Kongchan a respectful bow. “This junior is Yun Che. I have come to visit you as per the Heart Painter Divine Regent’s order.”

The departure of the blue fairy also wiped out all of Meng Kongchan’s excitement. He nodded dejectedly and disinterestedly. “Come with me.”

Yun Che did not say anything else. He fell in behind Meng Kongchan.

As they flew, Yun Che could feel countless eyes on his person. Some of them were red hot and fiery, some were so cold it chilled the soul, some were as sharp as blades, and some were so light they resembled cotton.

He expected this. This was the Kingdom of God where soul energy was cultivated above all after all.

Meng Kongchan did not say a word throughout their flight. Yun Che did not break the silence either.

“As expected of the Divine Regent of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God. His soul is as deep and vast as the sea, capable of accommodating all creation when it was calm, and overturning even the heavens when it was not.”

Li Suo’s voice rang in his soul sea. “You came all the way here just to meet a man with the soul of a god… what in the world are you planning?”

Yun Che did not answer her directly. “You will find out very soon.”

Li Suo rejected his answer with clear worry in her voice, “... I want to know now.”

When Yun Che was facing the Heart Painter Divine Regent, he had been accompanied by Hua Caili and protected by Hua Qingying. As angry as the Heart Painter Divine Regent was, Li Suo was never actually worried for his safety.

Now, Yun Che was setting foot inside the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God and facing the Dreamweaver Divine Regent alone. He was well and truly isolated here.

She was sure Yun Che had not come here without due preparation and resolve. She was sure that he needed something from the Dreamless Divine Regent. However, for Yun Che to scheme against the Dreamless Divine Regent as he was now… one misstep, and he would not live to see another day.

Yun Che was silent for a moment, but in the end, he answered, “The Dreamless Divine Regent’s greatest strength is of course his soul. My plan is very simple. I simply wish to make contact with him in his greatest and most proficient domain.”

“!!” His answer undoubtedly shocked Li Suo.

“You…” She fell silent after blurting the one word. Then, she asked slowly, “How confident are you?”

Yun Che sucked in a small breath and declared dispassionately, almost ruthlessly, “This is the final barrier the Devil Queen has given me by sacrificing a portion of herself permanently… Failure is not an option!”

Dreamweaver Divine Palace.

All kinds of bizarre lights were refracting everywhere, causing an inexplicable gap and temporary confusion in Yun Che’s vision. Before he knew it, the Dreamless Divine Regent had vanished like fog.

Yun Che closed his eyes for two breaths. When he opened them again, his vision had cleared up completely. He also found Meng Kongchan sitting on his throne and looking down on him with perfect indifference.

“I suppose an excellent shell isn’t all you have after all.” The Dreamless Divine Regent paid him lip service. “To recover this quickly from the palace’s soul light despite only being a level three Divine Master… your soul energy must be far stronger than your profound energy.”

Yun Che took a few steps forward and performed a junior’s salute. “Junior Yun Che is but a humble man. I wasn’t expecting to receive such attention and effort from the Dreamless Divine Regent himself, so to tell you the truth, I am very scared right now.”

“No matter how humble you are, you are the man that Caili chose. That is enough qualification for you to stand tall before any man.”

It was impossible to say whether Meng Kongchan was insulting him or just stating facts. “Where do you plan to go now that you’re here?”

Yun Che replied, “This junior has dreamed of visiting the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God one day, but I really know almost nothing about it. So… I would like your advice.”

“Mm,” Meng Kongchan responded indifferently. “A Divine Master with no background. To say that you and Dian Jiuzhi are worlds apart would be an understatement. I too am beyond curious how you were able to win Caili’s love to the extent you did and even… convince… Qing… Ying… to… escort… you… here…”

His voice seemed to be growing slower, quieter, and more distant.

“One does not simply enter the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God… not without experiencing a long dream…”

The light twisted. His vision had grown blurry before he knew it. The Dreamless Divine Regent seemed to be standing high in the sky.

“Allow me to drop you into a dream myself… Qingying did escort you here after all… it is only right that I offer you the greatest hospitality my Dreamweaver Kingdom of God can offer…”

Yun Che’s eyes lost focus first, then color. It was as if a thick gray fog had crept over his eyes.

He struggled to open his eyes, but even his mouth had slammed shut before he could say another word. His surrounding profound energy became unbelievably thin as if he had entered hibernation.

Meng Kongchan had not made a move since the beginning. His posture and expression were the exact same.

All that changed was that his eyes were now glowing silver.

No one knew that his True God soul had soundlessly made its way into Yun Che’s soul sea… and encountered fairly fierce resistance.

It was the innate resistance all living souls possessed; the instinctive reaction against soul invasions. At Yun Che’s level, his soul defense was such that even Meng Kongchan was impressed by it.

Of course, it was about as strong as a cloth rag before his True God soul.

The light of his eyes focused, and his impossibly vast soul enveloped Yun Che’s like a roaring sea.

BOOM————

A deafening boom erupted in Yun Che’s mind.

Right as Meng Kongchan’s soul made contact with the bottom of Yun Che’s soul, it suddenly shivered unnaturally.

It was because… a pair of pitch black eyes abruptly opened.

They were… the darkest black he had ever seen in his life.

The pitch black eyes kept growing bigger and bigger and… by the time his soul was trembling uncontrollably, he realized he was as big as a speck of dust compared to the pair of eyes.

His mind was a raging sea… but suspended above the raging sea was the endless sky and stars; the dark, devilish abyss with no end.

ROOOOOAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR——————————

The black eyes exploded, and the devilish abyss descended. It consumed the sea in an instant and wiped out every watery ripple; every ray of light.

A furious, ancient cry of a devil resounded throughout Meng Kongchan’s soul world.

Meng Kongchan trembled from head to toe as the silver light in his eyes disintegrated in an instant. It was immediately replaced by pure, infinite darkness.

It was at this moment Yun Che opened his eyes… and a devilish silhouette was reflected within his eyes.

He opened his mouth and said in a raspy, devilish voice that almost didn’t sound like his own,

“I/I… am/am… Meng/Meng… Jian/Jian… Yuan/Yuan…”

1. Silent hill reference, I believe. ☜