Against the Gods

Chapter 2044: Shaken Heart of Sword

The dragons were the only beast race left in the Abyss. They relied on their powerful Dragon God bloodline to resist the corruption of abyssal dust to this day.

The dragons of the Abyss served the Ancestral Dragons as king, and Hua Qingying was familiar with the aura of their strongest. Naturally, Yun Che’s draconic aura and soul stunned her.

As Yun Che displayed one impossible anomaly after another, she had arrived at the point where she did not even dare to imagine the “master” who had bestowed everything on him. Just who on earth was this powerful, ancient soul?

It was at this moment she heard the words “ten years old” and “over a hundred years”. Her eyebrows twitched.

The age and time instantly reminded her of someone. It had been a matter that shook an entire Kingdom of God.

The thought merely flashed through her mind though. She did not think too deeply into it.

“You…”

Back on the ground, it took Hua Caili a while to finally recover from her surprise. She then said in an urgent voice, “Of course I wouldn’t blame you for this. This is your secret to keep, there is absolutely no need for you to share everything with me… in the future, make sure you let no one hear about this. Otherwise, it may invite unpredictable danger.”

Yun Che’s features relaxed visibly when he received concern instead of blame from Hua Caili. “Do not worry, Sister Qu. I was never planning on disobeying my master's advice. Be it my light profound energy or dragon soul, you are the only one whom I’ve shown them to.”

Not only was his trust exclusive and offered without any prerequisites, a betrayal from her could easily subject him to grave danger. Hua Caili might be horribly inexperienced, but even she understood how valuable this trust was.

Once again, her heart strings were plucked, and it remained quite unfamiliar to her. But unlike the previous times, a question spilled through her lips almost subconsciously, “Why… Why do you trust me so much?”

“...” Yun Che looked startled. There was even a brief flash of realization and confusion on his face. It would seem that even he didn’t know why he trusted her so.

In the end, he whispered, seemingly to himself, “Is this what my master meant when he said that sometimes, you just can’t help it?”

“...” Hua Caili’s lips parted slightly, eyes rippling with feelings she had no idea about.

As soon as the words escaped his mouth, Yun Che abruptly turned away as if realizing the inappropriateness of his comment. He then changed the subject awkwardly and forcefully, “Speaking of age, I still don’t know how old you—”

“D-Don’t ask!”

Hua Caili’s reaction was unexpectedly violent. She even turned her face away and pouted, “Y-Y-Your master must have taught you that asking a woman’s age is impolite, right? Just… call me Sister Qu.”

Her posture reeked of stubborness, and her ears were reddening for some reason.

“Very well.” Her outburst caught even Yun Che off guard, but he did not hesitate to nod his head and make a promise, “I swear I won’t ever ask again… three abyssal beasts are approaching from our right.”

“I’ll handle them!” It was the perfect excuse to break away from the embarrassment, so Hua Caili did not hesitate to turn around and unleashed her Glass Cloud Sword at her quarries. Its jadish light was glaring, but for whatever reason, it did not elicit any sound whatsoever.

Ding!

There was a ding so soft that it was almost imperceptible even to a profound practitioner’s fine senses, and the two abyssal beasts were cut in half before they got close. The sound of their broken bodies hitting the ground sounded incredibly loud compared to that.

The sword then did a U-turn, never touching the third abyssal beast even a little. When the jade white sword made it back to Hua Caili’s back though, the abyssal beast abruptly split into a dozen pieces without warning. Each cut was as clean and smooth as a mirror.

The abyssal beast never even got the chance to roar. It crumbled into abyssal dust as soon as it hit the ground.

It hadn’t been long since Hua Caili came to grasp the first sword of the Heaven Breaker Sword, but she was improving at an incredible rate. Already, her technique was growing more and more traceless.

In the Endless Fog, the slightest commotion might incite danger. Therefore, this was the best place for her to practice her new sword.

Hua Caili had been wanting to complete the rudimentaries of the sword before her journey ended. She was sure her success would give her father quite a pleasant surprise.

“Impressive.”

Beside her, Yun Che let out a sigh of wonderment as he withdrew his gaze from the dead abyssal beasts. He then stared at the Glazed Cloud Sword behind her and asked, “I’ve been curious from the beginning, but what kind of sword are you practicing, Sister Qu?”

“The sword power and intent your sword unleashes not only transcends space, but also tricks… no, more like warps the target’s perception?” Yun Che could hardly conceal his amazement. “I am a sword user myself, and I have heard many ways of the sword from my master. However, I have never seen one like yours.”

Hua Caili’s lips moved. She didn’t know what to say.

Again and again, Yun Che had given her his full trust. Again and again, her inability to do the same brought her deep shame.

Unfortunately, it was extremely likely her identity would be exposed if she said the name, “Heaven Breaker Sword”, so she just couldn’t no matter what.

“This… is a sword art exclusive to my clan. It is different from your usual ways of the sword.” In the end, Hua Caili had no choice but to provide a vague answer. “I’m just starting to grasp the technique though. I’m still a long, long way away from reaching father or aunt’s level.”

Yun Che stopped pressing and narrowed his eyes a little. He mused, “A sword that slays one’s enemies without a trace by transcending space and warping perception… I can’t help but desire such sword intent. I wonder if I can catch a glimpse of it with my sword?”

Hua Caili immediately shook her head, not wanting him to waste his energy. “This sword intent requires several other fully mastered sword intents to act as the base, and a special sword art to act as the guide. It is not something one can grasp via normal cultivation and studying.”

When she finished, she discovered that Yun Che had already closed his eyes. He did not react to her words at all.

The Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword was already in his hands, emitting a vermillion, divine glow.

Hua Caili raised her arm, but she ultimately did not stop him seeing how serious he looked.

The next moment, the blade of his sword shook a little, and he unleashed his sword intent.

Bang!

Her perception told her that the sword’s power and intent had traveled thirty meters and exploded thirty meters away. When she checked for results… she found that she was exactly right. Which meant he failed to replicate the characteristics of the Heaven Breaker Sword.

Hua Caili tried to stop him again, but once again, Yun Che had closed his eyes. He seemed determined to succeed no matter what.

She had no choice but to pout and wait.

To cultivate the Heaven Breaker Sword, one must first cultivate the Heaven Challenging Sword, the Heaven Subjugation Sword, and the Heaven Controlling Sword. Only by mastering all of them did one gain the right to study the Heaven Breaker Sword… but only the right. It took tremendous luck, talent and power of comprehension to actually make contact with the true Heaven Breaker Sword Intent.

One breath, two breaths… ten breaths.

Yun Che opened his eyes. Once again, the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword vibrated as sword intent flowed through it.

Bang—

In her perception, a flash of withdrawing sword intent enveloped the space ten meters before Yun Che… but the actual explosion had come from the sky more than ten meters away.

The power of the sword was so weak that it couldn’t even break a rock. However, Hua Caili’s eyes widened like saucers, and her mind turned completely blank for a time.

High up in the sky, Hua Qingying’s feet fell an entire half an inch. Such was her shock that she nearly leaked her aura.

“Phew—” Yun Che exhaled a little and said, “It is a little difficult… hmm? Sister Qu? What’s wrong?”

Right now, Hua Caili’s eyes resembled full moons that no longer tried to conceal the ultimate beauty and purity of this abyssal world… though, her expression seemed a little uncouth for one known as the Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter.

A good few breaths later, the flabbergasted Heaven Breaker Divine Daughter finally managed to crawl out of the rubble that was her common sense. Even so, her mouth opened and closed a good few times before she finally managed, “How… how… how did you… do it?”

At the same time, Hua Qingying groaned softly, “Impossible…”

Sure, the wisp of sword intent was incredibly weak and light. It could not be applied in true combat at all. However, there was also no doubt it was a wisp of true Heaven Breaker Sword Intent!

Hua Fuchen, the current Divine Regent of the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God, had had to spend four hundred years to grasp his first wisp of Heaven Breaker Sword Intent.

Hua Qingying, the “Sword Fairy” whose talent in the way of the sword far surpassed Hua Fucheng, had taken seventy seven years to grasp her first wisp of Heaven Breaker Sword Intent.

As for Hua Caili, the first person ever in the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God to possess a perfect divine essence and the highest sword talent ever in the history of the Abyss… had taken nine years to grasp her first wisp of Heaven Breaker Sword Intent. It was a feat that would be remembered as an impossible miracle for eternity.

But Yun Che…

He did not hail from the Heaven Breaker Kingdom of God. he did not have the Heaven Challenging Sword, the Heaven Subjugation Sword, and the Heaven Controlling Sword, much less the Heaven Breaker Sword Art…

And yet…

And yet…!

Hua Qingying had never doubted her senses this much in her entire life.

This was the first time she doubted her common sense—the one she was most familiar with, took the greatest pride in, and practically embodied it in both body and soul—so much that it was breaking like glass.

Back on the ground, Yun Che put on an appropriate look of surprise and asked, “This doesn’t seem too difficult, sister Qu. I… is something wrong?”

“It doesn’t… seem too difficult?”

Hua Caili shook her head hard and stammered almost incoherently, “But… but… you’re not… you haven’t even practiced… you didn’t even have the sword art! How in the Abyss did you—”

“Sword art?” Yun Che shook his head and declared with clear, pure eyes, “My master has never taught me a sword art. In fact, he never allowed me to cultivate any sword art.”

Li Suo: “?”

Hua Qingying: “?”

“Why’s… that?” Confused beyond imagination, Hua Caili asked subconsciously.

Yun Che answered, “My master told me that a sword art is dead, but sword intent is alive. If you try to pilot life with death, then your sword will be stiff and dead as well.”

“But how can you manifest your sword intent without a sword art? How can you practice the sword?” Hua Caili muttered.

Yun Che raised his arms, and the Heaven Smiting Devil Slayer Sword glowed a little brighter. “The sword intent should grow from the heart, the body, and the sword, of course! A sword art is simply unnecessary!”

“...” Hua Caili had never heard of such a theory before.

Hua Qingying, the “Sword Fairy”, had never heard of such a theory either.

Of course they hadn’t. After all, it was a bald-faced lie from Yun Che.

Deep within his soul sea, Li Suo let out a quiet sigh.

She finally understood why Yun Che had asked her to tell him about the Heaven Breaker Sword Art.

It was yet another despicable tactic to further his goals.

Judging from Hua Caili’s massive reaction, it was clear that he had succeeded.

It was clear that his answer only confused Hua Caili further, so Yun Che added, “My master’s way of the sword is pretty strange. It took me many years to finally grasp a hint of it.”

“After barely reaching the so-called ‘Realm of Compatibility’ my master spoke off, I gained the ability to perceive another’s sword intent, transcend the need for sword foundation and sword art, and execute it through my sword heart and sword body instead.”

“Otherwise, I could not have done what I did.”

Hua Caili could not understand what he was saying as a matter of course. In her opinion, it was high level knowledge far beyond her ability to grasp right now.

If Yun Che was anyone else, she would’ve treated it as nonsense and forgot it immediately. However, she had just witnessed Yun Che unleashing a wisp of Heaven Breaker Sword Intent with her own eyes, so how could she doubt him?

“It’s also why my fighting style is somewhat grandiose and unfettered. I never allow a sword art to bind my sword,” Yun Che continued, “Sister Qu’s sword intent is mysterious, inexplicable, and amazing, but it is clearly not suitable for me either. I believe it suits a dancing fairy like you more.”

He spoke easily and casually, seemingly uncaring that he was shattering Hua Caili’s sword heart with every word he spoke.

“Clear your heart!” Hua Qingying’s voice suddenly appeared in Hua Caili’s ears.

Like a cleansing spring, her command washed over Hua Caili’s eyes and soul sea and cleared them of their murkiness.

“He is an extraordinary man whose extraordinary way of the sword is applicable to him and only him. You must not doubt your own sword heart because of his uniqueness.”

Her advice quickly dispelled the unwanted thoughts that previously plagued Hua Caili’s mind. But it could not possibly dispel the amazement Yun Che had stacked in her heart again and again.

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