Against the Gods-Chapter 2168 - Wan Dao Divine Pavilion

“Does the Eternal Night Kingdom of God typically treat its guests with such icy hospitality, Lightless Divine Regent?”

Meng Kongchan and Hua Fuchen had arrived at the Eternal Night Kingdom of God’s courtyard at the same time. It was a stunning line-up to say the least, and yet their way was blocked by a frigid, oppressive barrier. Neither of them was surprised in the slightest at the chilly reception, though. They did not attempt to shatter the barrier; they merely stood there with intrigued expressions.

“Get lost!”

A violent, soul-stabbing scream so sharp it nearly pierced the ears erupted from inside the barrier. “Your filthy, lowly aura of men has already polluted my eyes and ears! Get lost now!!”

“Heh!”

Meng Kongchan let out a cold chuckle before addressing the Lightless Divine Regent by her name, “Are you really not going to give me a proper explanation, Shenwu Yanye?”

“Explanation?? Hahahaha!”

Her laughter sounded as shrill as an owl’s screech. It caused goosebumps to crawl all over one’s skin. “Dreamweaver and Heaven Breaker colluded to ambush my Eternal Night Divine Daughter in the Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods, grievously injuring her and nearly killing her! The only reason I haven’t attacked you yet is that we’re in the Pure Land right now, and you dare to come to me for an explanation?”

“As expected, not even becoming a Divine Regent can wipe away the natural filthiness and inferiority that is ingrained in your flesh and blood!”

Meng Kongchan showed not an ounce of anger. In fact, he even let out a light chuckle, “Hahahaha. Spin it all you want, but you and I know exactly what really went down.”

Hua Fuchen was also wearing a smile as he said, “What did I tell you, Brother Meng? Despite being the divine regent of a Kingdom of God, she does not hesitate to invert black and white in her favor. Truly, she is the ‘Lightless’ Divine Regent.”

He intentionally emphasized the word “Lightless.” His tone was mild, but every word was laden with dripping disdain.

“The blind could still observe the world with their heart, but those who are blind in heart will lie not just to others, but also to themselves. How tragic. How hopeless.”

The next moment, the surrounding temperature nosedived to the point where all daughters of Eternal Night and abyssal knights in the vicinity felt chilled to the bone. This reaction was, of course, not unexpected. Out of all the divine regents, Shenwu Yanye was easily the most trigger-happy of them all. After all, she often went crazy even without provocation.

The wrath of the Lightless Divine Regent could shake the entire Eternal Night Kingdom of God to its core, but of course, it wouldn’t scare the two divine regents.

Hua Fuchen’s brows sank slightly, and his voice grew a little colder. “Shenwu Yanye, you love saying ‘what face do you have’, don’t you? Well, Brother Meng and I are baring our faces under the skylight of the Pure Land right now. Every man, woman, and animal in the whole world may look up to us and observe even the tiniest pore on our faces!!”

“But you... heh!”

Hua Fuchen let out a faint, scornful chuckle, and Meng Kongchan followed up his words, “You call yourself the Lightless Divine Regent, and yet you hide yourself in a palanquin and your face behind thick, black curtains even when you are meeting the Abyssal Monarch in the Pure Land. What’s wrong? Is it because you’re aware that you’re so ugly that even gods cannot stand your appearance, much less humans? So shameful that even ghosts will weep, and all sentient beings will shun you? Is that why you have no choice but to hide yourself behind multiple curtains like a rat!?”

“You... court... death!!”

Rumble—

A terribly cold wind blew, and the world plunged into darkness in an instant. It was as if the surrounding space had suddenly plummeted into an icy hell. Such disparaging words could not have angered any other divine regent and only earned their scorn, but it was a stab straight at the Lightless Divine Regent’s weak point! After all, the more you hid something, the more it showed that you cared about it!

The cold wind turned into a howl, and killing intent filled the heavens. Such was her rage that even the two divine regents’ robes were fluttering wildly.

“Please calm down, supreme one!!”

It was at this moment that Shenwu Mingque’s voice rang urgently, “This is the Pure Land! Fighting is forbidden! If you take action... you would fall right into their trap!”

The icy domain and the killing intent abruptly came to a halt. However, Hua Fuchen chose this moment to add fuel to the fire. “You really do worry too much, Lightless Divine Regent. Everyone who sets foot in the Pure Land is of noble upbringing and outstanding refinement. Even if your hideousness horrifies them to their core, they would never betray a hint of it in behavior or conduct.”

“Meng... Kong... Chan! Hua... Fu... Chen!”

By now, Shenwu Yanye’s voice was trembling so much that one could barely make out her words. When her words entered the ears, even the abyssal knights from over five kilometers away felt like their hearts and souls were threatening to crumble where they stood.

“Remember what you said today! One day... this regent will make you pay.... Make you regret every word you spoke today!!”

No one, not even her closest attendant, had ever seen Shenwu Yanye this angry. Naturally, the women were all shaking like leaves and looking as white as sheets. In fact, some looked like they might faint on the spot while shaking like a flickering candle in the wind. It showed just how brutal and terrifying Shenwu Yanye was in the Eternal Night Kingdom of God.

“Supreme one... please calm down... please calm down!” Shenwu Mingque cried hoarsely again and again.

It was at this moment that she stepped out of the barrier and stood in front of Meng Kongchan and Hua Fuchen. A hasty salute later, she said, “Divine regents, the ‘explanation’ you desire neither has any proof nor any basis to stand on. What is certain is that our Eternal Night Divine Daughter is wounded by the Heaven Breaker Sword Intent.”

“This is the Pure Land, not—”

“You are right. There is neither proof nor basis.”

Meng Kongchan cut her off casually, but the silver gaze settling on her caused her spirit to collapse, and her body to quiver in terror. “Otherwise, I would not just be flapping my mouth right now.”

Enduring the Dreamless Divine Regent’s gaze up close made Shenwu Mingque feel as if every thread in her soul were laid bare like never before. One thought and one instant was all he needed to disintegrate her like a strand of withered grass.

The Forbidden Zone of Slumbering Gods did not fall under anyone’s supervision, which was why Yun Che’s claim that the Eternal Night Divine Daughter had tried to kill him was just that, a claim. There was nothing but his and Hua Caili’s words to support it.

“Patience, Lightless Divine Regent.”

Meng Kongchan shifted his gaze away from Shenwu Mingque and narrowed his eyes halfway, the corners of his eyes brimming with faint silver. “I have not, in fact, come to lay charges against the Eternal Night Kingdom of God. Instead, I have come to return something.”

Whoosh! There was a light flutter, and a silver folding fan appeared in Meng Kongchan’s grasp. There were ink splashes on the fan surface, each stroke bold and unrestrained. It was also carrying a faint aura that even the passage of time had failed to fully erase. At the tip of the fan’s rib was an inscribed signature of remarkable flair, and... it belonged to none other than Shenwu Yanye!

Although Shenwu Yanye was blind, her remaining four senses were exceedingly sharp. Therefore, she had captured that impossible-to-forget presence instantly... In fact, it was a presence that still secretly tormented her in the eternal night to this day.

“It’s... It’s that man’s thing!” Her fury and killing intent suddenly collapsed into a chaotic mess of emotions. It was reflected in reality when the oppressive chill that held an entire space in its grip suddenly dissolved into chaotic, uncontrollable currents.

“Where did you obtain such a filthy object?! I should have wiped out every speck of that animal’s existence from the world!”

Looking at the words inscribed on the folding fan, Shenwu Mingque’s eyes suddenly went blank and dazed like she had lost her soul[1].

Meng Kongchan said indifferently, “Ten thousand years ago, the day before I inherited the throne, Shenwu Xueyan purposely came to ‘bid me goodbye’. He lamented that ‘Brother Meng’ was no more, and only the Dreamless Divine Regent was left. This fan was forged using Soul Soothing Divine Jade and gifted to me back then.”

“At the time, I suddenly felt inspired and asked him to leave a quote on the fan. When he asked me what I wished to have written, I replied telling him to inscribe whatever he most cherished in his heart at the moment... and so he did.”

“Night Patrol Officer,” Meng Kongchan looked at Shenwu Mingque once more, “why don’t you recite the words on the fan for your Lightless Divine Regent?”

Shenwu Mingque’s mouth opened and closed, but not a single word came out.

It was at this moment that Shenwu Yanye’s hateful voice erupted beside her ears, “Recite it!!!”

Shenwu Mingque shuddered all over and nearly threw up blood. Her throat convulsed fiercely before she finally managed to utter the words written on the fan, albeit just barely:

“The wind caresses the jade shadow... The radiant moon illuminates the heart's deepest longing.”

The chaotic chill, pressure, and killing intent abruptly froze. The entire world suddenly plunged into an eerie silence as well. Wind (Xi Feng)... radiant moon (Hua Yue)... Xihua... Shenwu Xihua!

Deafening howls suddenly started echoing in everyone’s ears. It was the stirrings of space, born of the chaotic aura of a True God.

“Haha... haha... hahahaha!”

Maddened laughter suddenly erupted from Shenwu Yanye’s throat, each utterance hoarse, and every word bleak. “Shenwu Xueyan! Thousands... thousands of years have passed, and still fragments of your hypocrisy and filth have remained in this world long enough to pollute my ears... You truly deserve to be cut a million times over! Die without a grave!”

This was the first time Hua Fuchen had ever seen this folding fan, or the words on it. His brows furrowed slightly, and his feelings were a little complicated. The wind caresses the jade shadow, the radiant moon illuminates the heart's deepest longing... Every word was love, and every stroke a thought. The name “Xihua” especially seemed to fill the heart.

Shenwu Xueyan, Shenwu Xihua... was the truth really as the rumors claimed? Was the betrayer and the betrayed really as clear-cut as it seemed?

“Deserve to die... deserve to die! Die!! DIE!!!”

Each screech was like the despairing howl of a she-wolf or the roars of a heartless ghost. It was spine-chilling to say the least.

Meng Kongchan tossed the folding fan on the floor and said, “From now on, there exists only grievances between Dreamweaver and Eternal Night. Naturally, this item should return to its owner.”

He cast a cold look at the pitch-black palanquin, its frame shaking violently behind the barrier, before turning and leaving with Hua Fuchen. Shenwu Yanye’s hoarse screams could be heard even after they had gone far, far away from the courtyard.

“How did it go?”

Hua Fuchen asked.

“Hmph!”

Meng Kongchan let out a derisive snort. “It’s way easier than I imagined it would be. She is, in essence, a madwoman after all. The chinks in her soul are so huge that... for an instant or two, I honestly thought it was beneath me to exploit them.”

“However...”

His gaze turned ice-cold, and his soul radiated an intimidating pressure. “Anyone who dares to harm my Yuan’er must pay a lifelong price!”

Hua Fuchen said suddenly, “Back then, after Shenwu Xueyan’s tragic fall, I remember you letting out a long, mournful sigh and avoiding talking about him since. Was the truth different from the rumors after all?”

However, Meng Kongchan shook his head and said, “Gratitude and grudges, right and wrong; they are messy enough to untangle even when you’re directly involved in it, much less others. All I can say is... based on what I know and saw, Shenwu Xueyan definitely reciprocates Shenwu Xihua’s feelings. In fact...”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “However, he was a Divine Son, and the concept of masculine pride was too ingrained in his bones. As a result, he cannot behave honestly when facing Shenwu Xihua, a woman who surpasses him in every way. Not only that, he had repeatedly made foolish moves for his so-called pride of Divine Son, so one cannot say that he did not deserve the bitter karma he got.”

Hua Fuchen nodded and stopped asking questions after that.

“We’re here, Big Brother Yun!”

They passed by Pure Land Divine Guard after Pure Land Divine Guard until finally, they arrived at a large, even grand hall. It was the Wan Dao Divine Pavilion!

A tall, large man was standing at the entrance. He had long, dark green[2] hair, and his face was stern, like it was carved out of ice. His eyes looked steely cold, and he carried a scabbard that was 1.7 meters[3] long. The blade was hidden, but it still gave off a sharp, frigid feeling that naturally repelled all things.

“Uncle Chang Ying!” Hua Caili’s shout confirmed his identity to Yun Che. He was one of the Four Divine Attendants, the Divine Attendant of High Priest Wan Dao, Chang Ying!

A cold, even listless gaze swept across Yun Che and Hua Caili. Then, Divine Attendant Chang Ying nodded slightly and said, “Master has instructed me on this. Enter.”

Hua Caili held Yun Che’s hand and led him into the hall. At the same time, she said in a small voice, “There is nothing Uncle Chang Ying hates more than talking, but he doesn’t intimidate others either. Just ignore him.”

Yun Che was the man who received a summons from the Abyssal Monarch and the intercession of High Priest Liu Xiao and High Priest Ling Xian. To call him famous in the Pure Land would be an understatement. However, forget casting him a sidelong glance, Chang Ying had not even parked his aura on him when he and Hua Caili walked past him. This meant that he was cold on the outside, and exceedingly rule-abiding on the inside...

Yun Che memorized his appearance and presence as he rated him in his head.

“Grandpa Wan Dao, we’re here!”

Yun Che’s foot crossed the threshold at the same time Hua Caili called out to High Priest Wan Dao. The next moment, the world changed, and heaven and earth flipped upside down. At the same time, a rich, ancient presence, seemingly from the primordial era, engulfed him like a tidal wave.

The presence was so thick and fierce that Yun Che’s senses went blank for several instances straight. The exceedingly ancient aura felt solemn, vast, and grave. It felt like a billion stars were rotating within the depths of the hall, as if they originated from the long-dead Era of Gods.

The Wan Dao Divine Pavilion contained three million years' worth of history, wealth, and treasures of the Pure Land. As a result, Yun Che’s expectations were overturned from the very first instant he arrived at this place. Any one Kingdom of God could not possibly rival the weight and density of the energies here. As if the boundless expanse of the entire history of the Abyss rested on its shoulders, every breath whispered of the Pure Land’s unrivaled heritage.

Author’s Note: In the distant past, the final flame of the Vermillion Bird’s Consoling Spirit Song is actually called the “Thousand Feather Nether Annihilation Song”. However, it was such a long time ago—not to mention that the Vermillion Bird Flame was not scheduled to appear during the early chapters—that I totally forgot about it! -_-||

Since there is no choice, I hereby activate the Nirvana Devil Time Wheel Pearl and use the hand of sin and darkness known as retroactive adjustment to change the “Thousand Feather Nether Annihilation Song” to the “Song of Ashes and Mercy”. So, just pretend that nothing has happened, okay? ε=(´ο｀*)))

Many thanks for the reminder!

1. Oh geez, oh dear. What a mess. ☜

2. Oh god, it’s the dreaded 青 again... Let me know if it turns out to be blue or even black later. ☜

3. 7 Chinese feet. ☜