Against the Gods (Web Novel)
chapter-1963-30041322

Chapter 1963 - Lost (1)

Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble

Chi Wuyao looked more relieved than she was shocked by Yun Che’s reaction. “I thought something wasn’t quite right. You did not look like you had much power left, and even if you did you would’ve used it on yourself first.”

Yun Che understood what she was trying to say. It would take an incredible amount of light profound energy to pull the Blue Dragon Emperor away from the jaws of death, not to mention that she had woken up sooner than him.

“However, you are the only one in this world who can use light profound energy besides Shen Xi, right?” Chi Wuyao asked. “I’ve checked with the Blue Dragon Emperor, and she confirmed that the light profound energy was definitely not a product of her own power. The Blue Dragons have never had any protective profound artifact with light profound energy either.”

“With that in mind… where did the light profound energy come from?”

Chi Wuyao’s brow furrowed as she became absorbed in thought.

She was right. The only two people in the world who could use light profound energy was Shen Xi and him.

They had already established that it could not be him, and Shen Xi was…

Even if Shen Xi somehow survived, there was no way she could’ve saved the Blue Dragon Emperor without being detected.

Speaking of which, his own abnormally fast recovery could only be a result of light profound energy. But… how?

What’s going on here? Who else can use light profound energy besides me?

Yun Che subconsciously rubbed his forehead. He might have recovered much quicker than usual, but his body and soul were still sorely weakened. His attempts to think only caused stabbing pains in his soul sea and greater confusion.

Chi Wuyao hurriedly covered his hand with her own and said, “It is strange, but it is ultimately a good thing, so there’s no need to think too much on it. Just focus on recovering for now.”

“The answer will come to you once you’re completely healed.”

Yun Che exhaled deeply and closed his eyes. It wasn’t until much later that he finally stabilized his aura and thoughts.

A while later, he opened his eyes and asked suddenly, “Why did the Blue Dragon Emperor sacrifice herself to save me? Is it… to protect Qi Tianli?”

“Of course not,” Chi Wuyao answered without hesitation. “The Blue Dragon Emperor acted decisively and almost instinctively. There is no way it was a conscious effort to protect Qi Tianli.”

“If you want to know the real reason…” Chi Wuyao shot him a long look, the ghost of a smile flitting across her features. “A woman’s heart is sometimes a secret even to themselves. How could I possibly know what she’s thinking?”

“If I must venture a guess, then I suppose it’s just another case of Emperor Yun being way too attractive as usual… or maybe, the Blue Dragon Emperor is just the type of woman who falls for people who snub her.”

He could not tell if Chi Wuyao was joking or not, and all this time his head was growing heavier and heavier. So, he closed his eyes and decided not to think at all.

Sensing his weakness, Chi Wuyao’s voice turned gentle. “Regardless, it does not change the fact that the Blue Dragon Emperor sacrificed herself to save your life. We all owe her one.”

“Qi Tianli has done many things for the Blue Dragon Emperor, and the Blue Dragon Emperor herself has always viewed him as both her master and her father. She has begged us to allow him to live, so I believe we should reciprocate the favor. He’s just a low life anyway. Some might say that executing him for betraying you would be giving him far more credit than he deserves..”

“Finally…” A spine-chilling smile appeared on Chi Wuyao’s face. “I would have let him live even if the Blue Dragon Emperor had not begged on his behalf. I’m sure you get what I’m saying.”

“With that in mind, would you like me to deal with him on your behalf? It doesn’t look like you can decide on his punishment anyway.”

Yun Che nodded without hesitation. “Sure. I leave it to you.”

When it came to managing the bigger picture, handling the finer details, finding the best solution to a problem and weighing the pros and cons, Chi Wuyao was his superior in every way.

The Devil Queen rose to her feet and said, “One last thing. We should keep your awakening a secret for now. The God Realm is currently rife with worry and unease, and countless people would surely flock to you for guidance if they heard that you woke up. Right now, you need to rest and recuperation more than anything else. As for the Abyss…”

Black light flashed behind her eyes. “I was able to capture part of Mo Beichen’s knowledge and memories when his soul dissipated. I’ll tell you everything when you are feeling better.”

……

After Chi Wuyao had left, Yun Che closed his eyes again and steadied his breathing. However, he still wasn’t able to calm himself completely for some reason.

The light profound energy that had rescued the Blue Dragon Emperor from certain death…

It would be great if it really was Shen Xi.

But… could she really rescue the Blue Dragon Emperor with a single wisp of light profound energy? He knew she was way better than him at light profound energy, but it just didn’t seem all that likely.

Maybe it wasn’t light profound energy at all?

There are some things that can achieve the same effect. The life energy of a Wood Spirit Orb is one of them…

Wood Spirit…

He Ling…

Suddenly, Yun Che tensed up and opened his eyes.

From the moment he had awakened, he had felt as if a huge part of himself was missing. However, he wasn’t able to identify what it was immediately because he had just awoken from the worst battle of his life, and his mind was heavy and muddled.

Now that he thought about it, the first thing he heard every time he awoke from a coma like this was He Ling’s voice. She would always cry out his name with immeasurable joy and relief.

She was connected to him in life and soul. She was always the first person to know if he was awake.

This time though, He Ling had not spoken to him even once since he had awakened.

In fact… he couldn’t even feel her soul connection!

All desire to sleep vanished from his mind instantly. Yun Che abruptly sat up and cried her name, “He Ling?”

“He Ling!”

However, his urgent cries were met with complete silence.

It was at this moment a memory slipped through the chaotic cracks of his mind:

“Can you wake up, master? I would like to speak with you for a bit… just a bit. Is that okay?”

The familiar voice sounded like it came from the foggiest place of his soul, but it struck him like a lightning bolt.

“... I’m going to meet dad, mom, and Lin’er now. I’ll tell them everything about you, okay?”

……

His heart was already filled with anxiety, but now it felt like they were about to explode out of his heart. He clutched his head tightly with both hands.

N-no, it can’t be…

He closed his eyes and focused his mind as quickly as he could. Then, he submerged his consciousness into the Sky Poison Pearl…

He opened his mouth the second he appeared in the dark green space, but the words never made it out of his mouth. He just stood there as if someone had turned him into stone.

The inner space of the Sky Poison Pearl was as familiar as ever, but… it was the kind of familiarity that tore his soul in half.

It looked exactly the same as when he first entered the Sky Poison Pearl…

When He Ling… wasn’t yet the Sky Poison Spirit.

The space itself hadn’t changed at all, but the color… it was the green of death and lifelessness. The life He Ling had brought to it was all gone.

Worst of all… he could not sense He Ling even after he had appeared in the Sky Poison Pearl’s inner space.

Not even a little.

“I need you to give me an honest answer, He Ling. If I can skewer Mo Beichen with the Heaven Smiting Devil Emperor Sword, how confident are you in killing him with the Sky Poison?”

He Ling looked up and declared without hesitation, “One hundred percent!”

One hundred percent…

Yun Che could not stop shaking.

The pain wracking his soul was easily a million times worse than the one wracking his body.

Mo Beichen was beyond terrifying, and yet she had been impossibly certain that the Sky Poison would kill him.

She had known this would happen from the beginning. She knew that the only way to push the Sky Poison Pearl beyond its limits and create a poison powerful enough to kill even a Half-God in just a couple of breaths… was to sacrifice herself, the Sky Poison Spirit!

He should have known… he should have known!

............

Outside Emperor Yun City.

Qi Tianli was kneeling on the ground with his head pressed up against his chest. His hands were bound by a black rope.

He had maintained this posture for four days and nights already.

It was at this moment he heard a series of light footsteps approaching him from a distance. He twitched, but dared not look up and face the newcomer. In fact, he lowered his head even more until it was almost touching the icy floor.

It was because the aura belonged to the Devil Queen.

Chi Wuyao stopped a few steps away from Qi Tianli. She looked down on the bound, utterly disheartened Qilin for a moment before saying in a cool voice, “Emperor Yun has awakened. It looks like you and the Qilins will get to live after all.”

Qi Tianli started shaking uncontrollably. He had barely moved a muscle for four days straight, but now, it was as if he had forgotten how to keep himself still. It was a very long time before he finally responded in a shivering voice that was raspy from lack of use, “Sinner Qi Tianli thanks Emperor Yun and Devil Queen for their mercy.”

The Qilin shed tears with every word he spoke. It sounded like he might choke on his own agitation and sorrow.

“First, you’re thanking the wrong person.” Chi Wuyao’s eyes narrowed bit by bit. “Second, you gave your thanks too soon. There’s a good chance you will regret it when I’m done with you.”

“...” Qi Tianli merely bowed his head lower and stayed perfectly silent.

Regardless of what might happen to him, the Devil Queen had declared that his people would live. That alone was worth any torture Emperor Yun might put him through for his betrayal.

“You already know this, but the one who saved you and your people’s lives… is the Blue Dragon Emperor.”

Yun Che loathed Qi Tianli greatly, but Chi Wuyao’s feelings were much milder than his. In fact, at least fifty percent of her feelings toward the Qilin were made up of pity and sympathy. She pitied him for becoming the first person to be approached by Mo Beichen. It was a kind of bad luck that would take ages to forget, if ever.

“You’ve always thought poorly of Cang Shitian, and yet he of all people has proven he would rather destroy the future of the Deep Sea himself than surrender to the Abyss. Do you regret it?”

“The Blue Dragon Emperor protected Emperor Yun with her life. It is a merit that could’ve propelled her and her people to the top of the world if she so desired. And yet, her only wish was for you to live. Do you regret it?”

“...” Qi Tianli could not say anything. His aged body shook even harder as if he was plunged into the coldest level of the nine hells.

As a master of words, Chi Wuyao knew exactly how to wound Qi Tianli’s heart. The Qilin did not fear death, humiliation, or criticism, but that didn’t mean that his heart was impenetrable. In his life, there was nothing that wounded him more than regret.

“The Blue Dragon Emperor saved Emperor Yun’s life, so of course he would grant her any wish, much less one as simple as this. However…” She narrowed her eyes a little. “There is one thing he said that I agree wholeheartedly. If betrayal is not punished properly, then loyalty is nothing more than a joke.”

Qi Tianli murmured, “Sinner Qi Tianli is willing to accept any punishment. If… if the Devil Queen is afraid that this old one’s blood will dirty your hands, I can even cripple myself.”

“Cripple yourself?” Chi Wuyao snorted disdainfully. “Emperor Yun’s campaign against the three divine regions was short, but the God Realm still lost countless profound practitioners as a result. We are now facing a threat unlike anything we’ve ever seen, and you think we can afford to cripple our own forces? How many God Emperors are even left in this world?”

“...” Qi Tianli was startled, but he caught onto Chi Wuyao’s meaning almost immediately.

“So no. You will live, and your strength will be untouched. However…”

Chi Wuyao slowly pointed her palm at Qi Tianli’s head. “Your birthright will not belong to you anymore. From now on, they will belong… to me.”

Qi Tianli finally looked up from the ground. His eyes were already murky, but now they seemed almost lightless. “Are you… going to implant… a slave imprint in me, Devil Queen?”

Qi Tianli might not fear death, but permanent and absolute enslavement was a completely different story. His soul could not help but twitch in fear despite himself.

Chi Wuyao sighed. “You are quite the unimaginative one, aren’t you? Slave imprint is a tool goes against the natural order of the world. What would people say if they learned that I’ve enslaved a God Emperor, however deserving? That said, your instinct isn’t wrong. Have you forgotten what my expertise is? Why would I need a slave imprint to control a person’s heart and soul?”

Qi Tianli raised his head some more, but his gaze accidentally made contact with Chi Wuyao’s. The darkness behind her devilish eyes was so terrible that he trembled involuntarily before lowering his head in a hurry.