Against the Gods (Web Novel)
chapter-1352

Outside of the Star God Realm, the peerlessly terrifying cosmic storm that had enough power to destroy everything finally stilled.

The Star God Realm was a place surrounded by stars since ancient times, and it looked like it had the protection of the heaven itself. But today, it had been reduced to a rubble-strewn, dark, and ashen wasteland that no one would’ve believed was a king realm of the Eastern Divine Region had they seen it from a distance.

The core of the Star God Realm—Star God City—had also been completely destroyed. Not a single intact object to be found in miles: the Star God Palace, the Heavenly Star Lake, the Star Reaching Pavilion, the protective profound formations… everything and anything that had made up Star God Realm’s million-year worth of wealth, symbol, and foundation, had been utterly destroyed.

The destruction was so thorough that it was almost as if they had been erased from the surface of the world.

The Star God Emperor stood blankly at the center of the wasteland. Just yesterday, Star God City had been sparkling like an immortal realm or holy land that was surrounded by stars. Even if the Star God Realm was destined to perish one day, it should’ve perished in a natural disaster that encompassed the entire world, or a terrible war between king realms that lasted for millennia or even tens of millennia. But no, the Star God Realm had been turned into a wasteland in just a single day! An entire king realm gone, just like that!

What a joke… what a joke!

Although the Star God Emperor was the first god emperor to have exhausted all of his strength, he was actually the one who suffered the fewest injuries. He looked around him in a daze with muddy eyes and a stupid look that didn’t fit his identity, seemingly wishing that everything had just been a ridiculous nightmare.

The Moon God Emperor was gravely wounded, and Yue Wuji was rushing him back to the Moon God Realm for treatment as quickly as possible. The Eternal Heaven God Emperor and Brahma Heaven God Emperor had also suffered serious injuries, and the devilish energy that had been inflicted upon them was tormenting them even now.

But none of them had left for treatment yet. They just couldn’t rest easy unless they witnessed the death of the Evil Infant with their own eyes.

“Cough… Cough cough…” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor looked to be in great pain, and his complexion was a shockingly bluish black color. Every time he coughed loudly, a spittle of reddish black blood would exit his throat.

He was barely able to get up to his feet with support, but he hardly took two steps forward before he felt like he would collapse on his feet again. Left with no choice, he had to sit on the ground once more.

On the other side, the Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s wounds were even worse than the Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s. Jasmine had punched right through his chest, but he was actually faring better than the Eternal Heaven God Emperor due to his immense divine power. The two god emperors exchanged a glance with each other before their expressions turned bitter… They had never seen the other party be wounded as terribly as they were.

If the Moon Gods, the Guardians, the Brahma God, and the Brahma Kings hadn’t made it in time, the two strongest god emperors of the Eastern Divine Region might’ve perished already.

“How are your wounds?” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor asked.

“...My wounds are fine,” the Brahma Heaven God Emperor answered. “But this devilish energy that attacks the heart... I don’t think I’ll be resting easy for the next couple of years.”

His comment caused the Brahma King next to him to turn cold with shock… The devilish energy that had seeped into Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s body was powerful enough to torture him for several years? What frightening power.

“Hehe…” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor smiled bitterly, “I happen to know of a way that can ease this suffering quickly.”

“The Dragon Queen, you mean?” the Brahma Heaven God Emperor shook his head. “The Dragon Queen’s favor is immeasurably precious; we can’t possibly waste it on such a trivial matter. Let us leave it for the time when our lives are truly threatened.”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor bowed his head slightly in deep understanding.

“The Moon God Emperor though…” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor looked to the west. “I doubt he’ll hold out until he sees the Dragon Queen.”

The two god emperors fell silent; the Guardians and Brahma Kings protecting them wore distorted expressions while feeling stifled in the heart.

The weight that sat in their hearts, the realization that there was still something out there that could easily destroy them even though they were the greatest existences in the world, was heavy.

“Don’t worry.” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor said, “The Evil Infant’s injuries are no lighter than ours. She will not escape.”

He had just finished saying this when a group of powerful auras approached them quickly from the distance. They reached the god emperors in just the blink of an eye.

They were the Moon Gods, Guardians, Brahma God, and Brahma Kings who had gone away earlier to hunt down Jasmine… However, the Evil Infant’s corpse was nowhere to be seen.

“Where is the Evil Infant?” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor struggled to his feet.

His Guardians then knelt on the ground and reported regretfully, “She was too fast, and for some reason her aura suddenly vanished into nothing…”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor shivered once before he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood. His already wan complexion turned even whiter than before.

He had just recalled that the Evil Infant was also the Heavenly Slaughter Star God!

She was the fastest and stealthiest Star God in the entire Eastern Divine Region!

All four god emperors were heavily injured, and the Moon God Emperor was even nearing his death. Although they had successfully driven the Evil Infant into a corner thanks to the sacrifice of many Star Gods, Moon Gods, Guardians, and Brahma Kings...

She had ultimately escaped!

If she were given time to recover her strength, then the entire Eastern Divine Region… no, the entire God Realm would be in great danger!

“My lord!” The Guardians were stunned by the Eternal Heaven God Emperor’s reaction. They said frightfully, “Please calm down, my lord. It is all our fault.”

The Brahma Heaven God Emperor sighed heavily before he closed his eyes, saying, “The Evil Infant has returned to the world, and her power is terrifying beyond imagination. This is no longer just our problem alone. We must inform the Western Divine Region and the Southern Divine Region immediately about her return, and make an announcement to the world so we may find her. We must kill her immediately after we find her… We cannot give her any opportunity to take a breather or recover.”

Suddenly, he glared angrily at the Star God Emperor and growled, “Xing Juekong! What the hell is going on!!”

The Star God Emperor looked so ashen-faced that it was as if he couldn’t even muster his sorrow, “I didn’t know, I never knew that… she had the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations in her.”

“You didn’t know?” the Brahma Heaven God Emperor clearly didn’t believe him. He pushed further with a brutal look on his face, “Then tell me, why have the Star God Realm activated the Absolute Star Soul Barrier in the first place!?”

“I said I didn’t know.” Star God Emperor’s voice turned chilly. “Don’t tell me you’re accusing me of turning the Star God Realm to this state on purpose!?”

It was the truth. He really didn’t know that the Evil Infant Wheel of Myriad Tribulations that had destroyed the era of devils and gods and gone missing afterwards was inside Jasmine all this time. However… he wouldn’t forget the moment the Evil Infant came back to life even in death. By now, he had vaguely realized that the Evil Infant had only awakened because Yun Che had died a horrible death before Jasmine and caused her to snap. Originally, it was supposed to be in a complete slumber.

In the end, the real reason this disaster had happened was because of the Star God Realm ceremony… more specifically, his ambition was the cause of everything!

There was absolutely no way he was telling the truth to anyone, or he would be accused by every living being for his sins instantly and suffer the fury of the Brahma Heaven God Realm, the Eternal Heaven God Realm, and the Moon God Realm.

Right now, the Star God Realm—assuming that it was still worthy of its name in its current state—was without a doubt in absolute shambles. Everything had been destroyed, and countless lives had been lost in the process. Only six Star Gods and seventeen elders were still living, and every one of them had been injured during the battle. The Heavenly Soul Star God had even lost both his legs. It would be easy to remake them, but to restore them back to the level of a “divine body” was a completely different story.

The Star God Realm was still twenty or so Divine Masters strong, but it was no longer worthy of being considered a king realm… how could it be, when the “realm” itself was completely gone?

The Brahma Heaven God Emperor’s face looked as dark as ever. He was just about to interrogate the Star God Emperor further when the devilish energy inside his body suddenly went on a rampage and caused him to sway. He dropped weakly to the floor and looked like he was in great pain.

“God Emperor, your treatment mustn’t be delayed any further, or you might suffer irreparable damage.” A Brahma God said solemnly, “We will do everything in our power to search for the Evil Infant… we will be relying on the Eternal Heaven God Realm to inform the world of its emergence with the Voice of Eternal Heaven.”

The Brahma Heaven God Emperor forced down the devilish energy that was racking his body before pointing a finger at the Star God Emperor. “The Evil Infant’s return had better have nothing to do with you, or else… I will tear you apart myself!”

“We go!” The Brahma Heaven God Emperor growled once before leaving. He really shouldn’t delay his treatment any longer.

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor had also turned towards the Star God Emperor before asking a sudden question, “Where is Yun Che?”

“...” The Star God Emperor answered listlessly, “The Evil Infant’s power is sufficient to wipe out all of our Star Guards, so how… could he possibly survive the attack?”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor fell silent for a long time before he let out a long sigh. It was true that the Evil Infant had nearly destroyed the entire Star God Realm, and even the slightest brush with the shockwave would turn the likes of Yun Che to dust.

Although the Eternal Heaven God Emperor was prepared for this answer, his heart still ached in pain and lamentation at the loss of Yun Che.

“Why did he come? Why was he able to enter the Absolute Star Soul Barrier?” the Eternal Heaven God Emperor asked.

“...” The Star God Emperor didn’t say anything this time.

“Sigh, never mind. What’s past is past. Nothing will change even if I get an answer. But what a shame it is to lose a legendary genius who may just be able to rewrite the very myth of the Eastern Divine Region.”

The Eternal Heaven God Emperor stopped to look at his surroundings. Then, he sighed, “Star God Emperor, I doubt there are many creatures left on the surface of the Star God Realm, and this devilish energy may take a very, very long time to clear. Should you have nowhere else to go, would you like to recuperate in the Eternal Heaven God Realm?”

“I thank you for your kindness, Eternal Heaven God Emperor.” But the Star God Emperor shook his head despite the blankness in his eyes, “The epoch long heart’s blood and glory of my ancestors has turned into a wasteland during my reign, but I cannot abandon it for as long as I am still the Star God Emperor. This is my place of death, and so this is where I will remain. I won’t be able to face my ancestors otherwise.”

All six Star Gods bowed their heads sadly and said not a word.

“Never mind then.” The Eternal Heaven God Emperor nodded. “However, I’m sure you understand the idiom ‘where there's life, there's hope’. If you happen to change your mind one day, you may come to Eternal Heaven whenever you wish.”

“We go.” That was the greatest kindness the Eternal Heaven God Emperor could possibly show to the Star God Emperor.

Everyone—the Moon God Realm, the Eternal Heaven God Realm, and the Brahma Heaven God Realm—had left.

The world grew quieter and colder. Worse, the black devilish energy had painted a layer of despair to this desolate wasteland.

“All of you are not… to tell anyone about the ceremony, Yun Che and Jasmine,” the Star God Emperor said.

The Star Gods and the elders all nodded in response. They weren’t stupid, and they had all figured out that their “ceremony” of destruction might very well be the trigger that had sparked the awakening of the Evil Infant. Considering that the Evil Infant was still very much alive, if someone were to learn of the truth… the consequences would be unimaginable.

“My king, what… should we do in the future?” The great elder of the Star Gods asked listlessly.

The Star God Emperor stretched his arm wide and summoned a strange, round disk where twelve different kinds of profound lights were dancing above it. The light represented each of the twelve Star Gods, and among them the light of Heavenly Poison, Heavenly Origin, and Heavenly Strength were especially bright. They glowed like burning flames.

The Star God Emperor looked up at the gray sky and added, “So long as the stars do not fade, the origin power of Star Gods shall never wither. Our origin power remains intact, so the Star God Realm… will rise again one day!”

The nightmares of the day ran chaotically in his mind as his eyes slowly turned gray. Finally, he lost control over his rebellious blood flow as everything surged up into his head at once.

Pfft...

The blood that jetted out of his mouth was at least ten meters long. He then collapsed to the ground and fainted completely.

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