Against the Gods

Chapter 2039: Crush

The Endless Fog was as quiet and oppressive as ever, and Hua Caili’s nerves were tighter than they had ever been since entering the Endless Fog.

She had exhausted most of her profound energy, and she was covered in injuries from head to toe. The gash on her forehead especially looked absolutely horrifying when contrasted with her snowy, jade-like skin.

Her pain was the last thing on her mind, however. She was currently keeping watch and spreading her spiritual perception as far as possible, unwilling to miss even the smallest detail.

From time to time, she would glance at Yun Che with a complicated and confused look on her face.

He saved me again…

She had grown up under countless people’s pampering her whole life. She was used to being protected to the teeth so to speak.

However, she had met Yun Che several times in half a year’s time.

The first time they met, she had helped him because she thought he was more interesting than most. She had memorized him without intending to.

The second time, he had appeared like a god from the legends during her most critical moment.

And during the third time, he had caught a sword with his bare hand just to prevent her from being hurt. As a result, her pure white robes were dyed with his blood, and the stain seemed to reach all the way to her heart.

His defense of her was as exciting as it was harrowing. It was nothing like the promise of absolute safety she had been enveloped with her whole life.

That was why she was watching her surroundings so nervously. It was as if giving it her all to protect Yun Che was the only way she could think of repaying him.

Above the gray sky, Hua Qingying couldn’t help but frown as she observed Hua Caili’s reactions.

Thankfully, her nervousness didn’t last long. Just a little less than fifteen minutes later, Yun Che opened his eyes and raised his left hand. The hole in his palm was completely sealed, though it still looked absolutely horrifying.

His action immediately caused Hua Caili to turn around. She took two steps toward him and asked concernedly, “Are you alright? You can rest for a little longer if you want to.”

Yun Che rose to his feet and smiled. “Don’t worry. My constitution is quite special. This bit of injury is nothing to me.”

Suddenly, he froze for a moment and asked, “Big sis, if you don’t mind… Can I move my hand closer to your forehead?”

Noticing the surprised look in Hua Caili’s eyes, he hurriedly added, “I don’t mean anything by it, and I definitely won’t touch you. I just need to move my hand within twenty centimeters of your forehead.”

His urgent explanation and anxious reply transformed Hua Caili’s surprise into amusement without her realizing. She asked curiously, “Why do you need to do that?”

Instead of explaining, Yun Che took two steps forward and raised a finger. “I promise it will be over very soon.”

“Huh?” Hua Caili subconsciously took a step backward, but before she could even begin to panic, pure white light stole away her vision and her mind.

She had always adored pure white objects such as her clothes, her Glazed Cloud Sword, and the Rainbow Cloud Branch. However, she had never seen such a pure white light in her life. It was so pure it seemed capable of exterminating even the tiniest bit of filth.

She was so entranced by it that she allowed it to approach her.

When the white light made contact with her body, she noticed the pain on her forehead—no, her whole body—becoming much fainter immediately. Similar to bathing in a cool, refreshing pond, all the filth and pressure brought by the Endless Fog were washed away in an instant.

Her lips widened bit by bit as shock overcame her. Before she knew it, she was staring directly into Yun Che’s eyes; eyes that resembled white night due to the light.

Back in the sky, Hua Qingying looked puzzled for a moment when a memory hit her. Her eyes trembled violently as she instinctively denied the notion, but as the white light grew brighter and brighter, her shock slowly but surely overwhelmed her preconceived notion…

Holiness was something that only existed in the records of the Abyss. If one must argue that it existed, then it would still be the “opposite” of what true holiness should be.

The white light Hua Qingying was seeing wasn’t the Abyssal-kind of holiness. In fact, it was a kind of holiness that shouldn’t exist in the Abyss at all, it was one that was absolutely holy and pure.

It was impossible for a living being to understand something that they had never made contact with, but the holiness felt so distinct that it almost felt like a supreme law of the universe; a power that would not allow even ignorance to mistake it for anything but what it was.

“Light… profound… energy…”

Hua Qingying whispered a sacred name that should only exist in the ancient records. She watched dazedly as the bloody gash on Hua Caili’s forehead disappeared at an unbelievable rate. Even the bloodstain was completely removed.

The white light disappeared. Yun Che withdrew his finger and smiled. When Hua Caili raised her hand and caressed her own forehead, all she could feel was silky smooth skin. There was no sign she had ever been injured in the first place.

“What… power is this?” She asked dazedly even as the answer dawned in her heart: light profound energy.

She was the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter after all. She knew things that most people would never know in their lives.

Although light profound energy had never manifested in the Abyss, its features were extremely distinct. It was white, pure, and sacred. It possessed the strongest and purest healing power in the world. It was a miracle that could even create life itself.

Yun Che looked away slightly and answered, “It is a special power that my master has bestowed me. It is… also a secret that I must keep.”

Hua Caili didn’t need to be told twice. If the existence of light profound energy was revealed, god only knew what kind of upheaval it would cause.

It was undoubtedly a secret that one must take to the grave unless they were strong enough to protect themselves from most machinations.

“Why did you show me such an important secret…?”

Yun Che shot her a warm smile. “My master taught me that one must repay a drop of kindness with a spring, not to mention you saved my life. Sharing my secret with you is the least I can do to repay this.”

He suddenly lowered his gaze and seemingly ruminated on his words for a long time. Finally, he forced through his embarrassment and said, “My… my reason wasn’t completely selfless, of course. Although half your face is covered, it is still the most beautiful, perfect… thing I have ever since in my life.”

“When I saw your injured forehead, I suddenly realized that the most regretful thing in the world isn’t the shattering of something most beautiful, but a stain on what should’ve been flawless. So… I couldn’t help but…”

“...” A kind of ticklishness rose in Hua Caili’s heart. She had never felt it before, and she had no idea how she should respond to this.

“Can you keep my secret, big sis?” Yun Che whispered. “My master warned me repeatedly not to reveal this power too quickly, but I just… couldn’t help myself in front of you.”

Right now, Hua Caili was one-third dazed and two-thirds panicking. She hurriedly nodded and said, “Don’t worry. You revealed your secret to heal me. Naturally, I will take your secret to the grave as well.”

“Also,” she emphasized, “you saved me more times than I saved you. I’m the one who should reciprocate the favor, not you.”

Yun Che smiled but didn’t say anything. After summoning the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword and the large abyssal crystal back to his hands, he nodded at Hua Caili and said, “I am glad to have met you in the Endless Fog, big sis. I shan’t disturb your trial any longer. Let us meet again someday.”

He left just like that.

“...” There were countless things the girl wanted to say to him, but she had no choice but to leave it for another time. She could only stare blankly at his back until he was completely gone.

Suddenly, Hua Qingying’s voice rang beside her ears,

“Caili, find a way to join him on his journey.”

Hua Caili’s eyes shook. This was the first time she heard her aunt’s voice since stepping into the Endless Fog. Hua Qingying hadn’t shown herself even after she met multiple crises and two fatal crises. It was such an absence that she had started wondering if her aunt had truly left her.

Now, she had finally revealed herself once more, but it wasn’t to impart her words of wisdom or to chide her about the things she did wrong. It was to… ask her to accompany a man on his journey?

“Aunt?” she asked inside her mind.

Hua Qingying continued in a sharp, frigid voice, “Not only did he grow from a peak Divine Sovereign to a third level Divine Master in half a year’s time, he somehow defeated a first level Half-God as a Divine Master. Something is very, very abnormal with his profound energy. This has never happened in the history of the Abyss.”

“Moreover, you saw with your own eyes how he manifested five elements when he was achieving a breakthrough. He should be dead, and yet the five elements are all existing in harmony inside his body. Finally, the white light he manifested earlier… there is no doubt that is light profound energy; a profound energy that should never exist in our world.”

Hua Caili asked, “Are you saying…”

“This boy is abnormal beyond imagination.” Hua Qingying continued, “He must have only entered the mortal coil recently, or his feats would have spread throughout the Abyss long ago. His background cannot be ordinary either. That is why I want you to accompany him for a time—but you don’t need to probe him intentionally. I will do the observation myself.”

Like a long wind rippling across a pond, Hua Caili’s astonishment didn’t fade for a very, very long time. She was astonished not because Yun Che had won high praise from her aunt, but because…

As far as she knew, her aunt was the most apathetic person she had ever known. There were only two things her aunt cared about, and they were her and the sword. But now, she was offering to observe a male junior she just met a while ago?

Seemingly noticing her overly eager behavior, Hua Qingying’s tone grew indifferent. “This boy is mysterious, but there is one thing you don’t need to worry about. I can tell you with certainty that he is not a malicious person.”

“In all the records regarding light profound energy, the reason light profound energy rarely appeared in the world is because its bearer must possess a flawless body, but also a perfectly good and pure nature and a soul that will accept no evil. Since he is the bearer of light profound energy, he has to be a man of pure goodness.”

“He barely knew you, but he saved you again and again. He even went so far as to take heavy injuries to protect others. His conduct matches the description in the records perfectly. If not for this, I would never allow you to journey with him.”

“Oh. Okay,” Hua Caili replied simply.

She hadn’t journeyed together with anyone since entering the Endless Fog. Her experiences with almost everyone she ran into couldn’t really be described as comfortable either. But not only was she fine with her aunt’s request, she was even… looking forward to it?

She didn’t chase after Yun Che immediately, however. Instead, she looked at the sky with eyes beautiful enough to cause every star in the world to turn dim and said seriously, “But before that, I need to tell you something. I promised him to keep his secret, so—”

“Do I look like a tattle tale?” Hua Qingying replied indifferently. Like she would ever do such a thing.

“Hehe.” Hua Caili stuck her tongue out at the spot where she thought her aunt might be before flying after Yun Che.

Meanwhile, Yun Che was moving unhurriedly toward the periphery of the Endless Fog.

“Why did you expose your light profound energy?” Li Suo asked. She had a lot of questions, but this was the one thing he did that she couldn’t figure out no matter what.

Yun Che explained slowly, “To reveal one’s secrets to others is to offer a unique kind of trust. If both sides promise to keep the secret, then it will draw them closer even if they are enemies. And the bigger the secret, the closer they will become… It would’ve worked even better if there wasn’t a voyeur, but there’s no helping that.”

“...” Li Suo still couldn’t quite understand his logic, but she had a feeling that she shouldn’t ask further. Instead, she warned, “Aren’t you worried that those two will expose your secret to the world. It would be a great problem for you at your current strength.”

“I am well aware of the consequences, but the rewards for revealing it are too enticing to ignore,” Yun Che said slowly. “But of course, I am certain that those two will not reveal my secret.”

In a sense, it was cruel how certain he was of their character.

The emotions Yun Che gave Li Suo before and after he entered the Abyss were practically night and day.

“What are you going to do next?” Li Suo asked. “You’re doing everything in your power to get closer to Hua Caili, and just now you were presented with the best opportunity to tag along with her. Why did you leave?”

“It’s one thing to approach her myself, and another to have her approach me.” Yun Che smiled, his even pace betraying both caution and a lack of hesitation. “I want her to approach me first.”

Li Suo exclaimed with surprise, “She is a Divine Daughter, not to mention that she isn’t alone. There is just no way she would—”

“Young Master Yun!” A girl’s cry rang from behind him. Despite the many layers of abyssal dust, it sounded as melodious and resounding as ever.

“...” Li Suo’s voice abruptly cut short.

Yun Che turned around and looked at Hua Caili with just the right amount of awe and astonishment.

The young woman’s cheeks were tinged with a hint of rosiness as she landed in front of Yun che. She didn’t know if it was because this was the first time she willingly approached a man who wasn’t her father, or because she technically had an “ulterior” motive for approaching him, or because… in any case she was feeling extremely nervous right now.

She was just about to say something when Yun Che asked with puzzlement, “How did you know that my surname is Yun?”

“...” Hua Caili forgot what she was about to say immediately. When she looked through her memories, she abruptly realized that he had never told her his name even once during their meetings.

The young woman’s sudden freezing caused Yun Che to frown a little. He asked half-seriously and half-suspiciously, “I was wondering how I kept running into you for the past half a year. First, it was the Qilin Abyss Realm, and now, it was the Endless Fog. Wait a second… Have you been secretly tailing and investigating me all this time?”

Li Suo: “...?”

“No, no!”

The young woman had been pampered her whole life. She had never been wronged like this until today. Like if someone had stung her emotions with a needle, she hurriedly shook her head and denied with all her might, “I didn’t! I would never…”

“In that case, how did you know my surname?” Yun Che asked again.

Noting how easy it was for her to lose her composure, Yun Che couldn’t help but question her true age and experience once more.

Strange… even if I presume that she was pampered like the princess of Primal Chaos since she was born, she shouldn’t be acting like this.

It’s like I’m dealing with a girl in her twenties or even her teens…

Meanwhile, Hua Caili was still explaining herself, “I found out that your name is Yun Che back in the Qilin Abyss Realm, and…”

“I see~~” Yun Che purposely dragged out his word and stared at her with even deeper suspicion. “You knew me as early as back then? And you say you weren’t following me?”

Hua Caili never imagined that her explanation would backfire completely. She panicked even more and shook her head harder, “I really wasn’t! I was… I was…” “Hahahaha!”

Yun Che abruptly burst out laughing. It was so abrupt and unexpected that Hua Caili was stupefied.

“I was joking. I knew you weren’t following me.” Yun Che explained, “Now that I think about it, the reason you found out my name was because you witnessed the Qilin Abyss Conference when you were staying at the Qilin Abyss Realm, weren’t you? You were probably looking forward to the Qilin God Realm’s opening—or rather, that was the only thing in that place that might have drawn your attention.”

The young woman had no time to be surprised by how accurate his deduction was. She hurriedly nodded her head and protested her innocence. “That’s right! I wanted to witness the legendary Qilin God with my own eyes, so I went to watch the Qilin Abyss Conference. That’s how I knew your name.”

She paused for an instant before adding, “And age.”

“I knew it,” Yun Che said. “However, outsiders weren’t allowed to enter the Qilin God Realm. I’m assuming you weren’t able to fulfill your wish?”

Having successfully defended her “innocence”, Hua Caili relaxed. “Yeah. That’s why I left before the Qilin Abyss Conference was over.”

She then complained inside her head, I can’t believe he tricked me. And aunt thinks he’s a “man of pure goodness”? I doubt it.

She didn’t notice that she had never put a label on anyone… until now.

Meanwhile, Yun Che was sighing in relief on the inside after confirming that Hua Caili had no idea what happened inside the Qilin God Realm.

“So, why were you calling out to me, big sis? Do you need me for something?” He asked.

“No, no.” Hua Caili took a step forward and hid a sigh of relief herself. She then blinked her starry eyes and curled her dainty lips into a smile. “The Endless Fog is far deadlier than I imagined. If it wasn’t for you, I might already be…”

“Both my injuries and my profound energy haven’t fully recovered yet, and I’m not confident that I can continue my exploration alone. So, can I ask you to join me on my journey for a time?”

She probably didn’t notice it, but her body language said it all.

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