novel against the - Chapter 2085

Chapter 2085: Divine Grace

Facing countless astonished gazes, Hua Qingying¹ spoke indifferently:

“I have no right to interfere in the affairs of your Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm. However, since Yun Che calls me ‘Aunt’, then whoever wishes to lay a hand on him should first consider the Absolute Immortal Sword² in my hand!”

Yun Che’s calling her “Aunt” had only left them bewildered and disbelieving. But Hua Qingying’s words were like soul-piercing sword beams, driving this unbelievable reality deep into their hearts.

Gasps erupted chaotically throughout the hall.

Who was Hua Qingying?

The strongest person beneath the True supreme-rulers of the Abyss. And if the six supreme-ruler Realms didn’t have True supreme-ruler inheritances, then she would be the true number one person among the six supreme-ruler Realms.

If the one who inherited the Heaven Smiting Divine Power³ wasn’t Hua Fucheng, but Hua Qingying, then the number one supreme-ruler Emperor of the six supreme-ruler Realms wouldn’t be Dian Luohou, but Hua Qingying!

Although she wasn’t a True supreme-ruler, she was the only person in the entire Abyss whose prestige was comparable to a True supreme-ruler despite not being one.

It was said that she devoted herself to cultivating the emotionless sword path, detached from all worldly desires… but in the end, she wasn’t truly emotionless, for she had a well-known weakness⁴.

Hua Caili.

Besides Hua Caili, nothing could move her, nothing could approach her. Even a supreme-ruler Emperor wouldn’t warrant a single glance.

And now, in front of everyone, she declared in a cold and resolute tone, informing everyone present—and the entire Abyss—that Yun Che was under her protection.

This scene, these words, almost completely shattered everyone’s perception of the Heaven Smiting Sword Immortal. Even if these words were spoken by the Heart supreme-ruler Emperor of the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm, it wouldn’t have shocked them to this extent.

Looking around, every face was etched with varying degrees of astonishment, a deep disbelief that lingered.

Even Meng Jianze, who had been writhing in agony like a maggot just moments ago, stopped screaming, as if his soul had been scattered by Hua Qingying’s words.

Meng Jianxi, who had maintained perfect composure despite the anger, frustration, and humiliation he felt, was now utterly dumbfounded. The shock and confusion in his eyes were completely unrestrained.

Given Hua Qingying’s status and prestige in the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm, her protection was basically equivalent to the protection of the entire Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm.

He never would have dreamed that this insignificant “Meng Jianyuan” would have such a terrifying backing!

That day, Yun Che had arrived at the Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm together with Hua Qingying, and Meng Kongcan had personally welcomed them. Meng Jianxi had already known this. But he naturally assumed that the Sword Immortal’s personal visit must have been due to some important matter that needed to be communicated directly to Meng Kongcan… No matter what, no one could have imagined that Hua Qingying had actually come specifically to escort Yun Che.

“How… How could this be…” Meng Zangji muttered, his initial fury largely replaced by shock and a sense of helplessness.

At this moment, Meng Jianxi… and countless Weaving Dream profound practitioners suddenly began to understand why Meng Kongcan was so eager to establish “Meng Jianyuan” as another Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Child.

“I’ve heard… that Meng Jianyuan was sent by the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm… So it’s not only true, but there’s such a connection!”

The protection of others might be mere lip service, but the protection of the Sword Immortal… that was something no one dared to touch.

“With the Heaven Smiting Sword Immortal’s temperament, she actually let Meng Jianyuan call her ‘Aunt’…”

“No wonder Meng Jianyuan was so domineering and arrogant when he first returned to the supreme-ruler Realm, showing no fear towards supreme-ruler Child Jianxi. It turns out it wasn’t arrogance and ignorance, but because he had such reliance!”

“No wonder… No wonder the supreme-ruler Emperor treats Meng Jianyuan so specially…”

“Nonsense! How can we fathom the supreme-ruler Emperor’s considerations?!”

While everyone’s hearts were in turmoil, they wouldn’t have guessed that the most shocked person was actually the Dreamless supreme-ruler Emperor.

His expression remained unchanged, as if he had known everything all along. But the turmoil in his eyes and heart was almost earth-shattering.

The gaze he secretly cast towards Yun Che… surprise, excitement, fervor…

And the most intense emotion was a kind of… almost reverent admiration!

Back then, he, Meng Kongcan, Dian Luohou, and Pan Yusheng had all tried their best, even competing with each other, but none of them had managed to hold Hua Qingying’s gaze for more than a moment.

And Yun Che, in just a few short months, had not only won over the current number one supreme-rulerdess, Hua Caili, but also had Hua Qingying personally come to support him, even allowing him to call her “Aunt”!

*This Venerable One may not be able to, but this Venerable One’s son…!*

For a moment, he almost burst into tears.

For a man, the more unattainable something was, the more frustrating it became, especially for men of higher status.

And this… wasn’t it a different kind of wish fulfillment?

Meng Xuanjue, who had retreated to the entrance of the hall, gritted her teeth, her clenched fists digging into her flesh. Her entire being was almost completely submerged in the shadows cast by the hall’s entrance.

Dian Jiu’s gaze shifted from Hua Qingying to Yun Che, his expression clearly showing a trance-like bewilderment.

“Hehehe,” Meng Kongcan chuckled lightly, dispelling the commotion and confusion. He said with a smile, “Our Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm and the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm have always had a close relationship. Yuan’er⁵ was found by the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm, and his safe return is a great favor bestowed upon us by them. Yuan’er’s connection with the Heaven Smiting Sword Immortal is a great fortune for the friendship between our two realms, benefiting us for generations to come.”

He turned to Hua Qingying and said indifferently with the demeanor of a supreme-ruler Emperor, “Jianze lost control of his emotions and almost made a grave mistake. I’m grateful to the Sword Immortal for punishing him.”

Hua Qingying didn’t respond.

Meng Kongcan, long accustomed to this, turned to Yun Che, “Yuan’er, whether or not to inflict the Dreamfall⁶ on An Zhiming is entirely up to you. No one else shall interfere!”

His tone sharpened on the last half of the sentence, startling many people into a shiver.

“…”

Before Yun Che could speak, a weak voice filled with pain rang out.

Meng Jianze propped himself up on one knee and looked up with difficulty: “These people… were indeed arranged by me. But all of this has nothing to do with the supreme-ruler Child!”

“With the supreme-ruler Child’s character and current status… how could he stoop to such methods?! It was all me. I couldn’t stand Meng Jianyuan trying to claim the title of supreme-ruler Child as soon as he returned… The supreme-ruler Child really knew nothing about it. I beg Father supreme-ruler for forgiveness… I beg the supreme-ruler Child for forgiveness…”

After forcing himself to finish speaking, he collapsed again, his body convulsing in pain.

Meng Xuanji spoke softly at this time, “supreme-ruler Emperor, Jianxi is our child. We should know his character best. Even if he truly wanted to target Meng Jianyuan, he wouldn’t use such despicable methods. Everything was clearly done by Meng Jianze alone. Please, supreme-ruler Emperor, discern the truth.”

“Hmph!” Meng Kongcan snorted coldly, seemingly slightly angered. “Whether it is or not, the Dreamfall will reveal the truth.”

Meng Jianxi’s face gradually paled, and Meng Xuanjue’s already bleeding hands clenched even tighter, but she dared not speak again.

Yun Che looked at Meng Jianxi with a faint smile. “supreme-ruler Child Jianxi, although my aunt’s sword beams don’t draw blood, they pierce the heart and soul, causing unbearable pain. Even so, he still insists on defending you. He has done so much for you, won’t you say a few words for him?”

Meng Jianxi’s lips moved, but he remained silent for a long time.

The development of the situation had deviated from his expectations and control at every step.

Yun Che smiled, and in Meng Jianxi’s eyes, his smile at this moment was more mocking and disdainful than ever before.

Yun Che turned around and said solemnly, “Senior supreme-ruler Emperor, these are just some childish tricks that are not worth mentioning. Who instigated it and who carried it out, I believe everyone present has their own answer.”

“An Zhiming was forced, and he faced Senior supreme-ruler Emperor alone with his humble body. His courage is commendable, and his heart for protecting his family is touching. To subject him to the Dreamfall and destroy his dignity just to verify such a trivial matter is not worth it.”

“Therefore,” Yun Che’s gaze swept past Meng Jianxi and directly at Meng Kongcan, “Let’s forget about the Dreamfall.”

“Mm.” Meng Kongcan nodded slightly, his eyes revealing undisguised satisfaction. “I said that this matter is entirely up to you. Since that’s the case, then there will be no Dreamfall.”

Meng Jianze’s whole body relaxed, and he collapsed on the ground, gasping for breath.

Meng Xuanji, Meng Jinghai, and the others had different expressions… Among those present, countless gazes towards Yun Che gradually carried admiration and wonder.

Facing the overwhelmingly powerful supreme-ruler Child faction alone, he was fearless and domineering. But when it came to the dignity of the Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm, he decisively stepped back, despite having the absolute upper hand.

His attitude, compared to Meng Jianxi at this moment… The Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Child, who had once seemed perfect in their eyes in every aspect, suddenly appeared somewhat crude and unbearable.

From the very beginning, Yun Che had never intended to actually inflict the Dreamfall. Meng Jianxi was, after all, the Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Child, and his image largely represented the face of the Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm. Some things were enough to be understood tacitly, but matters involving the dignity of the supreme-ruler Realm should never be brought to light.

However, Meng Jianxi didn’t feel any relief at all. His internal organs were tightly knotted together, causing him such discomfort that he almost vomited blood several times.

*Why… Why is it like this…*

*He’s clearly a pitiful wretch with no past, someone who should be easily manipulated and crushed…*

“An Zhiming,” Meng Kongcan said indifferently, “If you nine forget about today’s events, then you can all live in peace.”

An Zhiming abruptly looked up, tears welling up in his eyes. Although it was just a few short words, they came from the supreme-ruler Emperor himself. With these words from the Dreamless supreme-ruler Emperor, they would gain not just temporary safety, but long-term stability.

He slammed his head on the ground and cried, “Thank you for your grace, supreme-ruler Emperor! Thank you for your great kindness, supreme-ruler Child Yuan! Zhiming has completely forgotten about today’s events. If I dare to utter a single word about it outside, may I be struck down by heaven and earth!”

“Retreat.”

Without waiting for the nine to kowtow and express their gratitude, Meng Kongcan waved his hand, sending them all back to their original positions. He looked around, his supreme voice filling the air, “Does anyone have any objections to appointing Meng Jianyuan as a Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Child?”

After a brief silence, Meng Zangji still stepped forward.

However, his demeanor had become much more respectful: “We will obey the Venerable One’s orders. But the matter of the supreme-ruler Child is of great importance. After all, even if ten more supreme-ruler Children are appointed, only one will be qualified to inherit the Venerable One’s will and become the new supreme-ruler Emperor. Therefore, if there are multiple supreme-ruler Children, there should be a distinction between their superiority and inferiority.”

As Meng Jianxi’s maternal clan, their fate was directly tied to Meng Jianxi’s future. No matter what, he had to struggle and fight for it.

Meng Kongcan said indifferently, “How should we distinguish between their superiority and inferiority? Please speak frankly, Grand Hall Master.”

Meng Zangji said, “I suggest that Jianxi be the first supreme-ruler Child, and Jianyuan be the second supreme-ruler Child.”

“Hmm?” Yun Che interjected directly, “They should be equal. Once there’s a first and a second, the difference becomes significant. After all, the second in the eyes of the world is often just a foil to the first.”

“If it must be this way… Everyone knows that Meng Jianyuan is the first supreme-ruler Child of the Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm. Why should he be relegated to second place?”

Meng Zangji’s face darkened, and he snapped, “Meng Jianyuan, no matter how eloquent or unreasonable you are, the criteria for evaluating a supreme-ruler Child’s aptitude cannot be questioned or shaken… That is, Divine Grace⁷!”

When it came to Divine Grace, Meng Zangji’s expression regained its confidence. “Although Jianxi was born with six levels of Divine Grace, he later awakened another three levels, and now he has nine levels of Divine Grace, which is considered top-tier among the supreme-ruler Children and supreme-rulerdesses of the six realms.”

“And you, Meng Jianyuan, only have eight levels of Divine Grace! This one level difference in Divine Grace, at the level of supreme-ruler Children and supreme-rulerdesses, is no less than the difference between superior and inferior! How can you be compared and stand side by side?!”

Eight levels of Divine Grace Meng Kongcan: “?”

Regardless of Meng Zangji’s intentions, his words were completely accurate and irrefutable.

Eight levels of Divine Grace qualified one to bear the supreme origin of a True supreme-ruler and become a supreme-ruler Child or supreme-rulerdess; nine levels of Divine Grace could be called even more superior; and a perfect ten levels of Divine Grace might not appear even once in several eras across all six supreme-ruler Realms.

In the current era, only the Heaven Smiting supreme-rulerdess, Hua Caili, was hailed as a divinely bestowed miracle of the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm.

And if a supreme-ruler Realm had multiple individuals with sufficient Divine Grace in the same era, then the level of Divine Grace would be the sole criterion for determining the qualification for supreme inheritance.

As for the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm of the previous era, it was purely a special “accident.”

“Well said!” Yun Che nodded, seemingly agreeing with Meng Zangji’s words. “However, Grand Hall Master seems to have overlooked one thing.”

“Meng Jianxi was born with only six levels of Divine Grace and awakened another three levels a hundred years ago. Then, how can you be sure… that Meng Jianyuan, born with eight levels of Divine Grace, won’t awaken more Divine Grace later?”

Everyone was stunned. Meng Zangji snorted coldly, “Later awakenings of Divine Grace are rarer than once in ten thousand years. Do you think the miracle that happened to Jianxi can be easily replicated?!”

He paused, then smiled faintly, taking a step back to advance. “However, since you’ve made such a proposal, to demonstrate fairness and impartiality, our nine Dream Halls can re-evaluate your Divine Grace on the spot! If by any chance you truly have awakened more Divine Grace and reached nine levels like Jianxi, then no one under heaven would have any objections to you being a supreme-ruler Child alongside him.”

“If you still only have eight levels of Divine Grace…” He carefully glanced at Meng Kongcan. “You should have the self-awareness of a lower-ranked supreme-ruler Child!”

“Hmm…” Yun Che seemed to ponder for a moment, then narrowed his eyes slightly. “Then what if I accidentally awaken two more levels of Divine Grace and reach the so-called perfect Divine Grace, surpassing Meng Jianxi? What then?”

As soon as these words came out, Meng Zangji was clearly taken aback, as if he couldn’t believe that someone could say such absurd things. Then, he burst into laughter without any regard for decorum, “Hahahaha… Hahahahaha!”

His laughter triggered waves of laughter around him, as if they had all heard something comical.

Meng Kongcan’s brows twitched, his heart filled with doubt. Then, he abruptly turned his head, looking incredulously at the confident Yun Che, the intense throbbing in his heart almost overflowing from his eyes.

*Could it be…?*

Hua Qingying also tilted her eyes slightly at this moment.

“Very good, very ambitious, hahahaha!” Meng Zangji seemed to be praising him, but his laughter was filled with mockery. “Meng Jianyuan, if you truly possess perfect Divine Grace, then even ten Jianxis wouldn’t be qualified to compare with you. At that time, let alone respecting you as the first supreme-ruler Child… even if you’re unwilling, I would kneel and beg you to become the sole supreme-ruler Child of our Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm!”

Yun Che narrowed his eyes and smiled, “Very well, then let’s begin.”

## Translation Notes

1. Hua Qingying: One of the most powerful individuals in the novel’s setting, known as the Heaven Smiting Sword Immortal.
2. Absolute Immortal Sword: Hua Qingying’s signature weapon, a powerful and legendary sword.
3. Heaven Smiting Divine Power: A powerful inherited ability within the Heaven Smiting supreme-ruler Realm.
4. Weakness (逆鳞 – nilin): Literally “reverse scale,” referring to the sensitive scale on a dragon’s throat. Figuratively, it means a person’s weak spot or something they are extremely sensitive about.
5. Yuan’er (渊儿): A term of endearment used by Meng Kongcan and others when referring to Yun Che, using the first character of his alias, Meng Jianyuan.
6. Dreamfall (坠梦 – zhuimeng): A technique specific to the Weaving Dream supreme-ruler Realm, likely involving some form of mental manipulation or interrogation.
7. Divine Grace (神格 – shenge): A measure of innate potential and talent, especially relevant to those who might inherit supreme power. It’s a crucial concept in this world’s power system.