novel against the - Chapter 2016

Chapter 2016: Ruthless Return

The four major forces, Helian, Pan Xuan, Wan Ren, and Bai Lin, each held their ground, clearly demarcating their territories.

As Yun Che’s supreme sense extended, 985 individuals were accounted for, without any omissions.

The deafening thunder finally ceased, and it was only then that the crowd reacted, realizing that the sound was actually the result of the storm generated by their movements tearing through space.

What followed was an absolute and suffocating silence. The pressure weighing upon them was too overwhelming, causing their heads to ache, and their spines to feel as if they were about to snap.

“Close your eyes,” Yun Che softly spoke.

Yun Xi remained unfazed. But suddenly…

Rumble!
The sound of the storm tearing through the air resounded once more, this time directly beside their ears.

The practitioners of Pan Xuan Sect were still in a daze, and before they could regain their composure, their surroundings had transformed dramatically, leaving them only with the perception of a golden sea of flames that consumed everything.

One strike from the Nine Suns’ Fury could obliterate them all, but it would undoubtedly result in a significant depletion of the source power of the Divine Qilin. Therefore, he chose to teleport four times.

With the bodies of all Pan Xuan practitioners as the catalyst, he ignited the ashes of Yellow Springs.

In the next instant, he had teleported to the sky above the Wan Ren Sect, and the anguished cries from Pan Xuan Sect did not even have time to reach his ears.

A single sword cleaved the earth, scattering bones in all directions; another sword turned the sea of sand into a grave, merciless and all-encompassing.

Wan Ren Sect… couldn’t react in time, couldn’t make any decisions, and didn’t even understand why.

Even the one terrified scream that managed to escape only lasted for an extremely brief moment.

Everything happened in the blink of an eye, without any warning or words.

Bai Lin Alliance was fortunate; fear appeared on their faces, but that was it. At least their fear was only that much.

A red lotus bloomed above them, and after a moment of exquisite beauty, came the eternal incineration.”

Over three hundred Bai Lin Alliance hall masters, sect masters, and disciples were all enveloped within the fiery lotus, with none escaping.

Until they turned into scattered red and gray ashes mixed together.

The sons of Bai Lin, the Abyss Knights, everything within Yun Che’s line of sight became nothing more than dust, indistinguishable from the smoke and ashes floating after the incineration of the Phoenix Flame.

Three teleports, three moments, finally awakened the practitioners of Helian like they were from a dream.

They emitted terrifying howls that seemed to reach the heavens, then scrambled desperately in all directions, fleeing as far away from Yun Che as possible, leaving only Helian Lingzhu standing there in the front, her eyes lifeless as if lost in a bottomless dream.

Yun Che’s body remained motionless as the Sword of Calamity was raised, the Crimson Thunder invoked, and in an instant, the void ruptured, and hundreds of heavenly tribulation thunderbolts crashed down.

Crack!

In the turbulent sky of the realm, hundreds of red thunderous marks pierced through, lasting for a long time.

After the thunderous commotion, the world suddenly fell silent, and all the cries, screams, and running sounds ceased.

Under each of those thunderous marks lay a figure that had either fallen from the sky or collapsed rigidly on the ground.

They hadn’t suffered annihilation by incineration, retaining their intact bodies, but every fiber, every organ, and every part of their bodies was destroyed by the heavenly tribulation thunder.

The sounds of the wind, the flow of sand, and the crackling of fire… nothing else remained.

No, there was still one living presence below.

Helian Lingzhu.

Why…

She looked at Yun Che, her face devoid of all color, her eyes void of all light, like a soulless doll.

There was no answer. The Sword of Calamity and Demons disappeared from Yun Che’s hand, and he slowly raised his palm, pointing it towards Helian Lingzhu.

In the end, a moment of reluctance prevented him from annihilating Helian Lingzhu alongside the rest.

But that moment of reluctance caused intense pain in his soul.

Every word of Chu Yueguang’s admonition was piercing his heart and soul.

“So, in the Abyssal World, whether it’s the bond of friendship, the master-disciple relationship, love between a man and a woman, or even a deep-seated hatred, in the end, none of it matters.”

“All human emotions become tools for your use, never allowing even a trace of true feeling.”

“In the Abyss, your identity, your mission, mercy is a sin, not being ruthless enough is a sin, even the slightest hint of not being ruthless is a grave sin!”

“Any hesitation or room for mercy may turn into a butcher’s knife hanging over the heads of the living beings in this world, waiting for your return, your closest family, your subordinates, and all life in this world, all may never see another day!”

“When you hesitate, remember my words: every trace of pity you have for the creatures of the Abyss can become a butcher’s knife poised over the heads of the living beings in this world!!”

“Don’t be afraid,” he spoke calmly. “It won’t hurt.”

Ding!

With a light sound, Helian Lingzhu’s body was instantly frozen, and in a very faint shattering noise, it turned into scattered frigid ice particles.

At this point, among the thousand people who entered the Divine Qilin Realm, except for Yun Che and Long Jiang, all had been killed and silenced.

Besides them, no one knew what had occurred.

And their deaths were attributed to the collapse of the Divine Qilin Realm.

The supreme-ruler’s Embers state was released, leaving only thirty percent of the Divine Qilin source power attached to the Evil supreme-ruler’s Seed.

A heavy burden and a tremendous backlash hit Yun Che. His bones and body trembled involuntarily, and uncontrolled blood flowed from his shattered body and veins.

Yun Che remained completely silent and motionless, tightly sealing his breath, quietly stemming the flow of blood. In the Abyssal World, he had to be ruthless. Once he was forced to reveal his fangs, he had to leave no room for mercy or future troubles. However, shedding the façade of the Cloud Emperor and dissolving his true nature still carried a burden and a sense of guilt that was rather difficult to bear.

Is my guilt any less now?

Recalling the time he first arrived in the Northern Divine Region, filled with nothing but hatred… this was just the beginning. He would get used to it, he had to get used to it.

His breathing gradually calmed, and he looked down at the woman in his arms…

Her gaze was as lifeless as a stagnant pool.

There was no hint of reluctance, discomfort, or even the slightest trace of shock or confusion. It was as though the beings Yun Che had just annihilated were truly nothing more than a clump of weeds.

During the meeting of the Divine Qilin, everyone could perceive Yun Che’s closeness to Helian Lingzhu, and as it progressed, it became evident that this Helian gathering would be led by Helian Lingzhu, primarily because of him.

Helian Jue’s attitude afterward was such that he wanted to hand Helian Lingzhu over to Yun Che in front of everyone.

He didn’t immediately kill Helian Lingzhu because the greatest obstacle was not himself but Yun Xi.

However…

As he recalled the moment he turned Helian Lingzhu into ice dust, there was absolutely no emotional fluctuation on her part.

After the initial surprise, his heart palpitated.

What had she experienced over these years?

The spatial tremors intensified, and cracks in the space rapidly spread directly in front of Yun Che’s eyes.

The Divine Phoenix had said that the realm would inevitably collapse within three hours of its demise. However, it was impossible to determine the exact moment within those three hours. Hesitating for a few breaths between tending to Yun Xi’s injuries and leaving as soon as possible, he ultimately chose the latter.

“We’re getting out… Just pretend to be unconscious.”

…

As expected, there was no response.

He shifted Yun Xi onto his back, released the seals on her body, allowing the blood to freely flow from her wounds, and then transformed into a streak of light, rushing toward the exit.

A burning wind roared in his ears, the sea of sand behind him descended, and streaks of blood trickled from the man’s body in front of her, touching her fingertips and evoking a sensation that was both unfamiliar and oddly warm.

For a fleeting moment, a hint of bewilderment flashed in her eyes.

“Mother, in the ‘knowledge’ you taught me, it mentions that every living being not only has a mother but also a father. And that mothers and fathers will always be together. But why is Mother alone? Does that mean I don’t have a father?”

“What… What does Father look like? Will he be as gentle and good-looking as Mother?”

“You need to use your own eyes and your heart to see.”

“If Father doesn’t love Mother, will he… love me?”

“Of course, he will. He would be willing to go against everything, even if it means opposing the entire world. Because you’re not only Mother’s daughter but also his daughter.”

Suddenly, there was a different warmth at her fingertips… She was surprised to see that beside the drop of blood on her fingertip, a tear had fallen, though she didn’t know when. The blood drop and the tear touched each other as if drawn together and slowly merged until they became the same blood drop on her fingertip, sharing the same warmth, inseparable.

The exit of the Divine Phoenix Realm came into view, and Yun Che’s speed didn’t waver as he descended straight through it.

Bang!

Space shifted, and the world before him changed suddenly. Yun Che seemed to be in no hurry, falling onto the ground after leaving the Divine Qilin Realm, sliding with Yun Xi for a long while before finally coming to a stop in a disheveled state.

Ximen Boyun, who had been extremely anxious, suddenly turned his head and saw Yun Che and Long Jiang. Just as he was about to speak, Yun Che had already shouted in surprise:

“Ximen Boyun! The Divine Qilin Realm is collapsing everywhere! You need to…”

In his extreme panic, he used the name “Ximen Boyun.”

Ximen Boyun didn’t care how he addressed him; he urgently asked, “What about the others? How did you escape? Is the exit damaged, Bai Lin…”

Yun Che gasped for breath and said, “There are spatial disturbances everywhere, and everyone was swept into spatial turbulence. Some were directly torn apart, and those who weren’t torn apart were scattered to who knows where!”

Yun Che’s words, along with the wounds on his body, sent chills down Ximen Boyun’s spine. Long Jiang was covered in blood, and her wounds were indistinguishable. But Yun Che was covered in lacerations, which was evident that he had been torn apart by twisted spatial forces.

“Long Jiang and I happened to be swept near the exit. We barely escaped with our lives!”

Ximen Boyun felt an icy coldness throughout his body, unable to speak for a long time. Spatial turbulence! This was a catastrophe that could potentially lead to the loss of many lives in the Divine Qilin Sect.

The situation was far worse than he had anticipated, in fact, it was as dire as it could get. After all, it was a space created by the Abyssal Emperor, and its spatial dimensions were exceptionally high. Once it ruptured, it would cause spatial turbulence and storms that were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

Yun Che was panting heavily with fear and residual trepidation in his face with every word he spoke. He suddenly remembered something and shouted:

“Ximen Boyun, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and tear open the secret space of the realm! The princess and the others are still inside!”

Ximen Boyun spoke in a deep voice, “If I could tear open the Divine Qilin Realm, do you think I would need you to remind me?”

“But you are an Abyss Knight!”

“This is a secret realm created by the Abyssal Emperor!” Ximen Boyun roared in anger, and his black hair was already standing on end from extreme frustration.

Yun Che was furious, “If it weren’t for the words ‘Abyss Emperor,’ why would Long Jiang and I condescend to participate in such a ridiculous Divine Qilin conference? As a result… we almost lost our lives inside!”

Ximen Boyun glared at him with a furious expression, “Yun Che, I don’t care about your background, but if you dare to utter words that insult the Abyss Emperor…”

“You should think about how to save the members of the Qilin worshipping Alliance!” Yun Che rudely interrupted him, then did his best to seal the wounds on his body, saying, “Long Jiang and I saw it with our own eyes. Even someone as powerful as the Master of the Wanren Sect was torn into several pieces by the spatial turbulence!”

“If you want the people of the QiLin Worshipping Alliance to survive, it’s either that they are lucky enough to be carried to the vicinity of the exit by the spatial turbulence like us… but when they come out, they will probably be half dead! Your people are on the brink of death. Instead of thinking about how to tear open this secret realm, you’re still worried about upholding the dignity of the Abyss Emperor!”

Yun Che’s words made Ximen Boyun’s temper explode, and his gaze instantly returned to the entrance of the Divine Qilin Realm, which was violently in turmoil. His hands and feet trembled violently in his anxious state.

Yun Che picked up Yun Xi, saying hatefully, “This little Abyssal world almost cost me my life… I will never come near this place again in my lifetime!”

“Let’s go!”

Bang!

In his anxiety, Ximen Boyun struck the formation at the entrance with a palm. As expected, he was thrown back by a tremendous force once again, and his entire right arm went numb for a long time. The numbness was followed by an intense, stabbing pain.

As for Yun Che and Long Jiang, who had left in anger, he had no time to pay them any attention.

As for the final outcome, you can imagine it.

After nearly an hour of impotent rage, the entrance formation of the Divine Phoenix Realm twisted and shattered like a howling lightning bolt, disappearing without a trace. Not a single person escaped alive.

A horrifying and unparalleled spatial storm erupted at the center of the Divine Qilin Realm, accompanied by the furious roars of a certain Abyss Knight.