Against the Gods

“Light… profound energy?” Yun Che softly muttered that name.

“Have you heard of darkness profound energy?” Shen Xi asked.

“Mn,” Yun Che nodded his head. He had not only heard of it, he also possessed an extremely strong darkness profound energy that was stored away in the depths of his body.

This was also the one secret that he could least afford to have exposed. During the Conferred God Battle, that man called “Wei Hen” did not even leave behind a skeleton, and even his name had been wiped away just as if a curtain had covered it before their very eyes. At that time, the extreme loathing and animosity that had been shown by all of the profound practitioners had been particularly striking and chilling.

“Light profound energy is something that completely contradicts darkness profound energy. It is a kind of unique profound energy that is extremely holy and pure, a profound energy that has been adorned with the title ‘sacred’,” Shen Xi said gently. “It is not like the other forms of profound energy. Its existence is absolutely not for the purpose of destruction or slaughter. Rather, it was meant to create and to save, meant to cleanse the hearts and souls of all the living creatures in the universe. It was created for the purpose of purifying all kinds of impurity and sin.”

“The reason why I am able to suppress and get rid of the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark also originates from light profound energy’s ability to cleanse and purify.”

Yun Che, “...”

“Therefore, light profound energy has an extremely weak destructive and attack power, and it is not even equivalent to pure profound energy in that regards. Yet, it is the only thing that darkness profound energy fears as it is the greatest bane of darkness profound energy. At the same time, darkness profound energy counters it just as well as it counters darkness profound energy. So while darkness profound energy is terrified of it, it is also terrified of the corrosion wrought by darkness profound energy.”

Shen Xi’s gaze moved away from the cluster of white light floating above Yun Che’s hand, “My vital yin would indeed gift you with light profound energy. It’s just that I had never expected that it would actually be compatible with your body and allow you to manipulate and control it… It looks like you are far more extraordinary than I had initially thought or guessed.”

Her tone was very calm and it seemed like it was always this mild and gentle. But Yun Che did not know that her heart was currently being rocked by exceptionally intense waves.

Could it have something to do with the Royal Wood Spirit Orb within his body… No, even if his body did contain a Wood Spirit Orb, it also should not be like this.

“Is this power… very hard to control?” Yun Che faintly drew back his palm and the white light floating above it grew weaker by several degrees. He had never thought that profound energy, which was completely equivalent to “destructive power” in the eyes of all profound practitioners, could actually be so gentle and tranquil.

When he had obtained Mu Xuanyin’s vital yin at that time, because it had been far too fierce and violent, even the him who possessed the Evil God’s Water Seed had nearly suffered internal injuries due to the fierce impact. Thus, he had to be extremely careful and cautious when refining it. However, even though this light energy that had come from Shen Xi was far more mysterious and dense compared to Mu Xuanyin’s vital yin, when he had come into contact with it just now, the energy that erupted outwards was indescribably mild and gentle. It felt like a vast and boundless ocean current, that was also exceptionally warm and gentle, had washed over his entire body… Furthermore, during the entire process of it flowing through his body and returning to the world of his profound veins, it had not needed to focus or guide his profound energy in any way whatsoever.

When one first started cultivating a new kind of profound energy, it was the process of completely controlling and becoming fully well-versed in using it that was very hard. Far harder, in fact, than the process of comprehending and understanding it. Furthermore, the time required to complete this process would also be appropriately long.

Yet, to Yun Che, causing this light profound energy to appear and controlling it… could not be any more natural or easy for him. He had not experienced any bottlenecks or difficulty at all while using it, it had practically come as naturally to him as controlling his own breathing.

The reason why he could completely and freely control fire, water, lightning, and darkness profound energy was due to the existence of the Evil God’s seeds. However, this light profound energy was something he had just obtained and he had not even obtained it through his own comprehension or cultivation, yet he could control it in such a free and unconstrained manner...

As the most sacred and pure energy, was this also one of the unique traits of light profound energy?

“No.” As she answered Yun Che’s doubts, Shen Xi gave a light shake of her head, “Light profound energy is not hard to control. On the contrary, it is the energy that is the easiest to control. It was just that I had originally thought that, besides me, there would no longer be a possibility for light profound energy to appear in this world. I had expected even less that it would appear inside your body.”

“Why is that?” Yun Che asked, “Are there many extremely stringent requirements to meet before one can cultivate light profound energy?”

Xia Qingyue had said her divine power was unique in the entire universe… But this record of being unique in the entire universe was something that Yun Che had now broken. Furthermore, it had happened completely naturally and one could even say that it had been pushed onto him rather than him actively trying to obtain it.

Wait a minute, could it be because of my Evil God Profound Veins? It seemed like it was the most likely reason and basically the only possible reason.

“Have you ever heard of the Four Great Creation Gods of the Primordial Era?” She suddenly asked.

“Yes, this junior has indeed heard of them.” Yun Che nodded his head. “They were the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor Mo E, the Creation Goddess of Life Li Suo, the Creation God of Order Xi Ke, and the Creation God of the Elements… who would later be known as the Evil God.”

Shen Xi lightly nodded her head before continuing, “The origin of light profound energy was the Creation Goddess of Life Li Suo.”

“Among the Four Great Creation Gods, Li Suo’s combat ability was the weakest, but she was the most loved and revered amongst them. She possessed the most honorable and respected sacred body and sacred heart in the universe, and she had created countless star realms, races and living creatures throughout her entire life. Furthermore, her divine power of Creation was the purest, strongest and most original form of light profound energy.”

“Moreover, the very first race that she created… Do you know which was it?”

Yun Che, “...”

Shen Xi’s lips parted and spoke a name that Yun Che could not be more familiar with, “The wood spirits.”

“...” Yun Che was fiercely jolted by those words.

“The wood spirit race was naturally born with the power of nature, but that is actually a form of life profound energy. Furthermore, this life profound energy is also derived from light profound energy. They inherited the unique power that Lord Li Suo had gifted them, and they were also possessed of the purest hearts and beliefs.”

“As the first race that Lord Li Suo created, and a race that had been bestowed with a unique gift as well, the wood spirit race was the most revered and admired of the living creatures of the lower realms. But who would have thought that in a world without gods, everything that they possessed would paradoxically end up bringing them endless calamity. As such, the present wood spirit race has nearly completely withered away, and if their present circumstances continue, it is possible that they will die out entirely before too long.”

Her words contained a deep melancholy. Yun Che quietly listened to them but at the same time his heart shook, he also noticed one small little detail.

When she had mentioned Li Suo, she had unconsciously called her… “Lord Li Suo”?

She was the last user of light profound energy in the universe and the wood spirit race had been created by the original light profound energy. Because of that, it could be said that she and the wood spirit race shared a special bond and history. It was no wonder that Shen Xi, who had never involved herself with the mortal realm, would save He Ling and even deliberately brought her to this forbidden ground which originally only had her as the sole resident.

The Creation God Li Suo was the first Creation God to fall after the Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor had passed away.

The Heaven Punishing Divine Emperor had exhausted his lifespan through the overuse of the Heaven Punishing Ancestral Sword. Li Suo, however, was the first Creation God to fall at the hands of the devil race and her Primordial Seal of Life and Death had been taken as well… The reason she was the first to perish at the hands of the devil race was because the devil race were extremely terrified and apprehensive towards her light profound energy.

“During the Era of Gods, besides the Creation Goddess Li Suo and the host of light gods beneath her, there was also a special race of gods, a god race that was subordinate to her that also possessed light profound energy. That race of gods were called the ‘Sword Spirit God Clan’.”

The name “Sword Spirit God Clan” caused the corner of Yun Che’s eyes to fiercely twitch.

“Have you heard of that name before?” Shen Xi seemed to be softly looking at him as she asked that question.

“...I’ve heard of it,” Yun Che nodded his head. Not only had he heard of it, he had even heard of it before he had arrived the God Realm. At that time, Jasmine had told him that it was very likely that Hong’er had come from that special race of gods known as the “Sword Spirit God Clan”.

Shen Xi did not pursue this matter any further. Instead she continued, “The Sword Spirit God Clan were a special race of gods that could transform into sword and the swords that they transformed into were called the ‘Devil Slayer Swords’. The reason why they were known as the ‘Devil Slayer Swords’ was also because they possessed light profound energy, so the swords they morphed into would naturally possess an extremely strong sacred energy, striking fear into the hearts of all the devils.”

“The unique ‘Devil Slayer Sword’ that you control, even though it is not purely a devil slayer sword, also possesses sacred energy, so it counters and inhibits darkness profound energy to an extreme degree. If you have ever met any opponents who used darkness profound energy before, this point should have been made crystal clear to you.”

“...” Yun Che did not know how he should reply. Instead he brusquely switched the subject, “Then why would it be nearly impossible for light profound energy to re-emerge?”

Shen Xi didn’t him any further regarding the “Devil Slayer Swords” nor did she bring up “Hong’er”. Instead, she followed the flow of his conversation and continued, “In order to cultivate light profound energy, one must possess a ‘sacred body’ and a ‘sacred heart’... It has long ago become impossible for these things to appear in this world which grows dirtier and more flooded with desire by the day. Moreover, it is even less likely… for you to have them.”

Sacred body… Sacred heart?

A sacred and stainless body or a sacred and pure heart?

These were indeed two things that you could not beat out of him even if you used one hundred sticks.

Yet somehow, light profound energy had appeared inside his body in an extremely natural way!

“Even though you can’t be considered evil yet, and you also possess a righteous and compassionate heart, your body has been stained by an unfathomable amount of blood and filth. Moreover, your heart and soul are filled with intense desires and a deep darkness. It should have been absolutely impossible for light profound energy to appear within you…” She looked at Yun Che and behind that white glow were two eyes which had contained shock and puzzlement ever since she had found out about this fact, “I am also unable to understand why this has happened.”

Yun Che furrowed his brows before suddenly asking, “Did the Evil God also possess light profound energy in the past?”

“No, he did not, and it was also impossible for him to have possessed it,” Shen Xi shook his head without the slightest bit of hesitation.

“Then could it be because of He Lin’s Wood Spirit Orb?” Yun Che mumbled in a soft voice.

Shen Xi still shook her head, “The power of nature that the wood spirits possess originated from light profound energy, so even the royal wood spirit race would not be able to reach a level that is higher than light profound energy itself.”

“...” Yun Che was stunned. Since it was something Shen Xi did not understand, it was moreso impossible for him to understand.

“Perhaps, this is the will of heaven as well,” Shen Xi suddenly gave a very soft and wispy sigh. When she faced Yun Che after that, the look in her eyes seemed to have quietly undergone some sort of change as well, “Yun Che, are you willing to take me as your teacher?”

“Ah?” These words that he had never expected, and had come without any warning, caused Yun Che to be immediately flabbergasted.

Shen Xi looked into the distance as she gloomily said, “When I had brought Ling’er back here all those years ago, it was also due to my own selfish desires. I did not want light profound energy to vanish from this universe after I’m gone. One important reason that motivated me to bring He Ling back was because the one race that is most likely to be able to cultivate light profound energy is a royal wood spirit.”

“But… just as I had expected, even if it was He Ling, she was still unable to manifest light profound energy within her body.”

Shen Xi’s words allowed Yun Che to understand her intentions, “You want me to inherit your light divine powers?”

“No,” Shen Xi shook her head, “Even though I do not know why, you already do possess light profound energy. So I want to take you as my pupil so I can teach you… and allow you to inherit the one and only Radiant Divine Art in this universe.”

Radiant Divine Art?

Just as Yun Che was about to ask a question, he suddenly sensed Shen Xi’s aura move. At this time, her gaze also turned and looked at somewhere far away, “An honored guest has arrived, let us continue this conversation shortly after this… Remember, do not expose your light profound energy in front of anyone for now.”

An honored guest!?

Yun Che involuntarily turned around and looked towards where Shen Xi was looking. What kind of personage could actually be termed as an honored guest in the Forbidden Land of Samsara?

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Eastern Divine Region, Brahma Monarch God Realm.

“What’s this?” Qianye Ying’er’s eyes snapped open, breaking her silence, and her crescent brows tightly knitted together. At her level, there were very few things in the world that could cause her to be so disturbed.

“What is Miss troubled by?” Gu Zhu’s ancient and hoarse voice rang out at her side.

Qianye Ying’er coldly said, “The Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark I inflicted on Yun Che, the spiritual reaction I am getting from it has actually grown several times weaker.”

Gu Zhu, “...”

“There is no one who should be able to endure the torment inflicted by the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark for two months, and it is even less likely for someone to suppress it… So just what exactly is going on!?” Qianye Ying’er’s face grew more and more cold. No one understood better than her on just how dreadful or tyrannical the Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark was.

“No,” Gu Zhu said in a mild voice, “in this universe, there is indeed one person who could perhaps suppress Miss’ Brahma Soul Death-Wishing Mark and it might even be possible for her to get rid of it altogether.”

“That person is staying in the Dragon God Realm.”

Gu Zhu’s words caused Qianye Ying’er’s eyebrows to tense up fiercely as a name and a figure that forever seemed to be bathed in celestial mist simultaneously appeared in her mind.

“You are talking about... the Dragon Queen!?”

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