Against the Gods

Chapter 2085 - Divine Essence

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Hua Qingying calmly met everyone’s gaze and declared, “I have no right to interfere with the matters of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God, but Yun Che did call me aunt. Therefore, anyone who wishes to attack him must first consider whether they can match my Immortal End Sword!”

If Yun Che’s appellation only stupefied them and filled them with disbelief…

Then Hua Qingying’s declaration might as well be swords that turned their souls into pincushions. It annihilated their disbelief and nailed the impossible truth into their heart and soul.

Gasp…

Countless confused gasps appeared throughout the venue.

Who was Hua Qingying?

She was the strongest profound practitioner in the Abyss beneath the True Gods. If not for the True God inheritances, then she would be the strongest profound practitioner in all six Kingdoms of God.

If Hua Fuchen wasn’t the one who inherited the Heaven Breaker divine power, then the strongest Divine Regent of the six wouldn’t be Dian Rahu. It would be Hua Qingying.

She wasn’t a True God, but she was the only person in the entire Abyss whose fame rivaled that of a True God despite being a “mere mortal.”

Legend has it that she was wholly devoted to the way of the Heartless Sword and so existed beyond the Seven Emotions and Six Desires. However, that didn’t mean she was truly heartless. She possessed a reverse scale that everyone knew of: Hua Caili.

Hua Caili was her one and only reverse scale. No thoughts could touch her, and nothing could get close to her. Not even a Divine Regent could earn more than an instant’s glance from her.

That… was what they thought. Now, in a cool, ruthless tone, the untouchable was declaring to everyone—and when word of this got out, the entire Abyss—that Yun Che… was under her protection.

This scene, those words; they completely annihilated the bias everyone held toward the Heaven Breaker Sword Fairy. It would have been less shocking if the Heart Painter Divine Regent of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God was the one who made the declaration.

The people exchanged glances with each other and found varying degrees of shock and utter disbelief that wasn’t going to melt anytime soon.

Even Meng Jianze, who until a moment ago was writhing and screaming like a worm, had stopped screaming from the sheer shock he received from Hua Qingying’s declaration.

Meng Jianxi, the Dreamweaver Divine Son who managed to maintain a perfect mask no matter how angry, frustrated and humiliated he felt until this point… had completely lost control of his composure as well. His eyes were filled with shock and realization that everything was spiraling completely out of control.

Considering Hua Qingying’s status and prestige in the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God, her protection was equal to the protection of the entire kingdom.

Not even in his wildest dreams did he imagine that the “pathetic” Meng Jianyuan would possess such a terrifying backer!

Sure, he knew that Yun Che and Hua Qingying had arrived at the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God at the same time, and Meng Kongchan himself had personally welcomed them in person. However, he thought that the Sword Fairy had come only because she had an important message that she must pass onto him in person.

There was no way he could have imagined that Hua Qingying had shown up purely because she wanted to escort Yun Che.

“How… how is this possible…” Meng Cangji murmured in a daze, the large majority of his anger violently replaced by shock and powerlessness.

At this moment, Meng Jianxi… and countless other Dreamweaver profound practitioners suddenly understood why Meng Kongchan had rushed to make “Meng Jianyuan” the next Dreamweaver Divine Son.

“I had heard that the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God was the one who sent Meng Jianyuan over, but… to think that they share such a connection…”

“If this was anyone else, I would’ve believed that it was just a perfunctory statement… But the Sword Fairy? She would seriously kill anyone who dared to harm him…”

“What’s even more unbelievable is the fact that the Heaven Breaker Sword Fairy allowed Meng Jianyuan to call her aunt… gasp…”

“No wonder Meng Jianyuan acted so domineeringly and flamboyantly since his return, not fearing Divine Son Jianxi in the slightest. It wasn’t arrogance or ignorance, it was confidence fueled by an impossible backer!”

“No wonder… No wonder the Divine Regent gave Meng Jianyuan such special treatment…”

“Duh! Like you and I could ever hope to see through the mind of a Divine Regent!”

……

A million thoughts were racing through each spectator’s mind right now, but not a single one of them knew that the one most shocked of them all… was the Dreamless Divine Regent himself.

His expression did not change as if he had known that this would happen from the beginning, but in reality, the turmoil brewing inside his heart and soul was such that it almost leaked out of his eyes.

He snuck a glance at Yun Che. It was a look full of astonishment, excitement, fervor, and most of all… respect!

Back then, he, Dian Rahu and Pan Yusheng tried everything they could to win the favor of Hua Qingying, going so far as to fight each other both overtly and covertly. However, not a single one of them could make Hua Qingying look at them for longer than a breath.

How long had Yun Che known Hua Qingying? It couldn’t be more than a few months, could it? Not only did he manage to win the heart of the greatest Divine Daughter of the Abyss, he even convinced Hua Qingying to rush over to back him up, and call her aunt!

This divine regent may have failed, but my son… boy is he a miracle worker!

For a brief moment, he nearly lost his composure and shed a tear.

Usually, the more a man failed to fulfill their desires, the more they became obsessed over them. This “illness” only got worse the more prestigious they were. 

This outcome… this might not be what he truly wanted, but it was still a wish come true in a different sense, was it not?

Meanwhile, Meng Xuanjue had retreated to the hall entrance. She was gritting her teeth and clenching her fists so hard that her fingernails had dug into her flesh. She was almost completely hidden in the shadow of the door as well.

“...” At one point, Dian Jiuzhi tore his gaze away from the space where Hua Qingying was standing and looked at Yun Che. He would not look away for a very, very long time, his expression looking dazed and confused.

“Hahaha.” Meng Kongchan chuckled and dispelled the venue-full of shock and dumbfoundedness in an instant. He then said smilingly, “The Dreamweaver Kingdom of God and the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God have always shared a good relationship with each other. The Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God was the one who found Yuan’er, and it was also they who granted me a huge favor and sent him back home safely. Not only that, Yuan’er and the Heaven Breaker Sword Fairy shared a good relationship with each other. I should not need to tell you all that this is a boon that will benefit our national relationship for thousands of autumns to come.”

He then looked at the space where Hua Qingying was and said in a regal voice, “Jianze lost his composure and nearly committed a grave sin. Thank you for punishing him on my behalf, Sword Fairy.”

Hua Qingying did not dignify him with a reply, but Meng Kongchan paid it no heed. He turned to Yun Che next and said, ‘Yuan’er, I hereby grant you the full power to decide whether An Zhiming is to be subjected to ‘Falling Dream’ or not. I will not hear any objections to this!”

He stressed his final sentence and caused countless people to shiver uncontrollably.

“Father…”

Before Yun Che could speak, a painful and weak voice interrupted. When they looked, they saw Meng Jianze propping himself up on one knee and lifting his head with immense difficulty, saying, “I am… the one who arranged these people, but it has nothing to do with His Highness!”

“His Highness is prestigious and benevolent beyond imagination… there is no way he would resort to such tactics! I am the one who could not stand Meng Jianyuan wanting to become the Divine Son as soon as he came back… His Highness really knew nothing about this… Please forgive me, Father… please forgive me, Your Highness…”

After he finished his plea, he collapsed on the floor and writhed in pain once more.

Meng Xuanjue also chose this moment to speak up, “Divine Regent, Jianxi is our son. You and I both know how he is. If he really was planning to attack Meng Jianyuan, he would not resort to such base tactics. It is clearly all Meng Jianze’s doing. Please open your eyes and see the truth.”

“Hmph!” Meng Kongchan grunted as if he was getting angry. “We will know once the results of ‘Falling Dream’ come out, no?”

Meng Jianxi’s face slowly turned white. Meng Xuanjue’s already bleeding hands clenched tighter. However, neither of them dared to say a word at this point.

Yun Che gave Meng Jianxi a smile that didn’t reach the eye. “Divine Son Jianxi, my aunt’s sword beam leaves no blood behind, but it pierces the heart and skewers the soul like no other. You can see just from your dog’s writhing alone that it is beyond painful. Despite this, he still forced himself to stay up long enough to make a heartfelt plea on your behalf. Is there nothing you want to say in defense of him?”

Meng Jianxi’s lips moved, but no words came out.

From the beginning, everything had exceeded his expectations and control every step of the way.

After waiting for a long time and receiving no response, Yun Che smiled. It was a smile far more scornful and contemptuous than everything Meng Jianxi had seen until this point.

Yun Che turned away and faced toward the Divine Regent. His voice turned solemn as he said, “Senior divine regent, it’s just a bunch of childish, pathetic tactics. I’m sure everyone already knows who’s really behind all this.”

“An Zhiming was forced to do this. Despite his humble origin, he dared to face senior Divine Regent to protect his family. His courage deserves praise, not humiliation. It wouldn’t be worth it to destroy his dignity just to confirm something we already know.”

“So,” Yun Che shot a quick look at Meng Jianxi before looking into Meng Kongchan’s eyes. “I say we do not subject him to ‘Falling Dream’ and forget about all this.”

“Very well.” Meng Kongchan nodded slightly, unconcealed pride shining from his eyes. “I told you that you have the full power to make this decision. If that is your wish, then so it shall be.”

Meng Jianze visibly relaxed and breathed heavily on the floor.

Meng Xuanji, Meng Jinghai and the rest of the Dream Lords were all wearing strange looks on their faces.

The audience were looking at Yun Che with growing appreciation and admiration as well.

Despite facing the Divine Son’s powerful clique alone, he did not show any fear whatsoever. Not only that, he had overwhelmingly crushed the schemes that they had pitted against him. However, when the dignity of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God came into question, he who was holding all the cards at this point did not hesitate to back off immediately.

Compared to him, Meng Jianxi… the Divine Son who had seemed so outstanding in every way; who was practically the model of a Divine Son before… suddenly seemed crass and pathetic.

From the beginning, Yun Che had never wanted to subject An Zhiming to “Falling Dream”. Meng Jianxi was the Dreamweaver Divine Son, and his image represented the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God’s image to a large degree. Some things could and should be exposed, but there was no need to go overboard especially when the dignity of a Kingdom of God was involved.

“...” Despite having been saved from what surely would’ve been the most embarrassing moment of his life, Meng Jianxi did not look relieved in the slightest. His internal organs were clenched so tightly it was a miracle they weren’t knotted, and he felt so uncomfortable there were multiple times he almost threw up blood.

Why… why did it turn out like this…

He was a pathetic worm without even a past… I should’ve been able to do whatever I wanted and crush him like nothing…

So why… did it turn out like this…?

“An Zhiming,” Meng Kongchan said indifferently, “All nine of you. Forget what happened today, and you will be safe.”

An Zhiming looked up immediately, eyes filling up with hot tears before he knew it. It was just a simple sentence, but since it came from the Dreamless Divine Regent’s own mouth, what they got wasn’t a reprieve, but true safety and peace.

He slammed his head against the floor and wept, “Thank you for your graciousness, Divine Regent! Thank you for your benevolence, Divine Son Yuan! Zhiming has already forgotten everything! If he dares to say even half a word of what happened today, may heaven and earth smite me where I stand!”

“You may leave.”

Meng Kongchan did not wait for the nine profound practitioners to kowtow and express their thanks again. With the push of a palm, he tossed them all back to their original locations. Then, he looked around and filled the venue with his divine voice, “So, is there anyone else who would like to object to Meng Jianyuan’s conferral?”

There was a short silence. In the end, Meng Cangji stepped forward again, though his posture and expression were much more respectful as a matter of course.

“Supreme one, we cannot but obey your command, but the matter of the Divine Son really is of critical importance. We can confer another ten Divine Sons, all of them qualified to receive your will, but in the end, only one person may become Divine Regent. That is why there should be an order of importance if we really are planning to confer another Divine Son.”

He was on the mother’s side of Meng Jianxi’s family, and his fate and Meng Jianxi’s future were irreversibly bound. Therefore, he must fight to secure Meng Jianxi’s position no matter what it cost him.

Meng Kongchan replied indifferently, “Explain what you mean by that, Chief Lord.”

Meng Cangji answered frankly, “This old one suggests that Jianxi is conferred the first Divine Son, and Jianyuan the second.”

“Hmm?” Yun Che interrupted immediately, “I thought the two Divine Sons would share equal status. If there is going to be a so-called order of importance, if there is going to be a number one and number two, then I cannot ignore this. After all, everyone knows that number two is just a foil to number one.”

“Everyone knows that Meng Jianyuan is the first Divine Son of the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God. For what reason should I be number two?”

Meng Cangji’s complexion darkened. “It doesn’t matter how silver-tongued you are, Meng Jianyuan, not even you can deny that there is one indisputable factor that determines a Divine Son’s qualification above all else—and that is divine essence!”

By the time Meng Cangji said the word ‘divine essence’, his expression had become calm and confident once more. “Jianxi was born with sixty percent divine essence, but he later awakened another thirty percent. This means that he is a Divine Son with ninety percent divine essence. His talent is top notch even compared to all the Divine Sons and Daughters of the other Kingdoms of God.”

“You only possess eighty percent divine essence! Ten percent doesn’t sound like much, but it is night and day when it relates to the matter of True God inheritance! Compared to Meng Jianxi, you are like an inferior grade artifact trying to stand toe-to-toe with a superior grade artifact! There is just no comparison!”

Meng Kongchan, who possessed only eighty percent divine essence: “...?”

Meng Cangji’s motives aside, his words were absolutely correct and irrefutable.

A profound practitioner with eighty percent divine essence was qualified to bear a True God’s divine origin and become the Divine Son or Daughter of a Kingdom of God. A profound practitioner with ninety percent divine essence was what they called a superior Divine Son or Daughter. Finally, a profound practitioner with one hundred percent divine essence might not appear even once in several eras across all six Kingdoms of God.

As of now, the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter Hua Caili was the only one who possessed perfect divine essence. It was why she was praised as the miracle of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of god.

If there existed multiple candidates who possessed enough divine essence to become a Divine Son or Daughter in a Kingdom of God in the same generation, then their divine essence became the one and only deciding factor of their qualification. 

The previous generation of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God was a special exception.

“Well said!” Yun Che nodded and actually agreed with Meng Cangji’s declaration. “However, you seem to have forgotten something, Chief Lord.”

“Meng Jianxi only possessed sixty percent divine essence until he suddenly awakened another thirty percent over a hundred years ago. In that case, how can you say that Meng Jianyuan, who already had eighty percent divine essence to begin with, wouldn’t awaken more divine essence as well?”

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then, Meng Cangji harrumphed. “The chances that a profound practitioner might awaken more divine essence in the future is less than once-in-ten-thousand years! Otherwise, it wouldn’t be called a miracle!”

He paused for a moment before breaking into a sly smile. “However, since you’re arguing that you might have awakened new divine essence, then for fairness sake, the Nine Dream Halls would allow you to reevaluate your divine essence again! If you really have awakened new divine essence and reached ninety percent just like Jianxi, then I’m sure that no one in the entire world would have a problem with you standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Jianxi as fellow Divine Sons!”

“But if your divine essence hasn’t changed, then…” He cast Meng Kongchan a careful look before continuing, “I don’t need to tell you what’s going to happen, do I?”

“Hmm…” Yun Che tilted his head to one side as if thinking about something before squinting his eyes. “And what if I accidentally awakened another twenty percent divine essence and became a so-called perfect Godbearer? What if I surpassed Meng Jianxi? What are you going to do then?”

Meng Cangji was visibly dumbfounded by this declaration. He looked as if he could not believe that someone would dare to make such a ludicrous statement. Then, he burst out laughing without a care for his image whatsoever, “Hahahaha… hahahahaha!”

He wasn’t the only one laughing. There were many from the audience who were laughing as well. They all could not believe what they were hearing.

There was one person who wasn’t laughing, however. Meng Kongchan’s eyebrows twitched in puzzlement for one moment before he abruptly turned to look at Yun Che, eyes growing wider and wider as he noted the absolute confidence on Yun Che’s face. This time, he really was on the verge of losing his composure and allowing his emotions to leak out of his eyes.

Could it be…

Could it be……

High up in the sky, Hua Qingying’s gaze was tilted just a little lower as well.

“Good, very ambitious! Hahahaha!” It sounded like Meng Cangji was praising Yun Che, but his ridiculing laughter made it clear that it was anything but. “If you really are a perfect Godbearer, then rest assured that not even ten Jianxis are a match for you, Meng Jianyuan. When the time comes, forget about becoming the number one Divine Son, this old one would literally beg on his knees for you to become our only Divine Son!”

Yun Che narrowed his eyes and smiled slyly. “Very well. Let’s begin then.”