novel against the - Chapter 2103

Chapter 2103: Chaos in the Hearts

Li Suo¹ whispered, “But after today, Divine Officers will surely come here.”

“More than just Divine Officers,” Yun Che chuckled with an unreadable expression. “It wouldn’t be surprising if the Abyss Emperor² himself came. After all… he will soon see things beyond his comprehension through the wildly spreading projections!”

“So…” Li Suo said, “What you want is to disrupt the heart of the Pure Land³?”

“No,” Yun Che’s face, though pale from weakness, still held a chilling coldness that made one’s heart tremble. “What I want to disrupt is the hearts of everyone in this entire Abyssal world.”

Yun Che raised his eyes, softly reciting the words Chi Wuyao had spoken to him before the devils descended upon the Eastern Divine Region⁴: “To destroy a region, first disrupt its heart. To disrupt its heart, first shatter its beliefs.”

And the Abyss Emperor was undoubtedly the highest belief of this world.

“After today, the ‘Mist Emperor’⁵ won’t easily appear again in the short term, and I must be extremely cautious in my cultivation in the Mist Sea.”

“Next, I’ll just quietly observe the changes in the world.”

The Abyss Seed⁶ had not only been planted in the souls of the Abyssal Knights, but was also spreading to the hearts of all Abyssal beings through the hands of Abyssal profound practitioners.

What kind of evil flower this Abyss Seed would bloom in the abyss today, Yun Che couldn’t predict, but he was greatly anticipating it.

Yu Chi Nanxing⁷ awoke with difficulty.

The intense pain throughout his body and his gradually returning consciousness cruelly reminded him that everything he had just experienced was not a nightmare.

“Nanxing, you’re finally awake.”

Bai Yu’s figure appeared in his gradually clearing vision. He also seemed to be heavily injured and disheveled, but far less so than Yu Chi Nanxing. He had awakened earlier and even had the strength to set up a healing profound formation for him.

However, the awakened Yu Chi Nanxing stared blankly upwards for a long time without speaking.

In his eyes was a desolation that Bai Yu had never seen before. He knew all too well the blow today’s events had dealt to Yu Chi Nanxing… After becoming one of the thirty-six Commanders of the Abyssal Knights, he had barely suffered even minor injuries, let alone such a heavy one. And what was a million times more terrifying than the injury was the devastating impact of the Mist Emperor’s words on his beliefs.

“The Mist Emperor didn’t kill us,” Bai Yu said. “Perhaps… he dared not.”

But he himself knew how flimsy that excuse was.

Yu Chi Nanxing shifted his gaze and found that they were in a desolate area, surrounded by a large number of profound practitioners with varying expressions. However, the auras of these profound practitioners were extremely chaotic, and there were even many weak women and children who should have been protected within a barrier and not exposed to the abyssal dust⁸.

They all had vacant eyes and desolate expressions, staring blankly at the unknown distance.

“Where… is this?” he finally spoke.

Bai Yu’s expression was complex. “East of the Profound Desolate Realm⁹. The original Profound Desolate Realm has been swallowed by the Mist Sea.”

The five short words, “swallowed by the Mist Sea,” left Yu Chi Nanxing speechless for a long, long time. Finally, he muttered blankly, “How… could this be…”

“Yes, how could this be!”

The same four words, but spoken with a tremor and an indignation that should never be directed at an Abyssal Knight. Mo Xifeng¹⁰ approached. He, who possessed the first level of Divine Extinction Realm¹¹ cultivation, now walked with heavy, unsteady steps. “Knight-adult, please arrange another habitable place for us displaced people who have lost our homeland.”

“Otherwise, after a while, these people with weak cultivation will surely perish in the abyssal dust.”

Mo Xifeng’s voice and demeanor were no longer as respectful as before, and he was clearly suppressing his emotions. Bai Yu frowned, his voice cold. “Are you ordering me? It was the Mist Emperor of the Mist Sea who destroyed the Profound Desolate Realm!”

Mo Xifeng gave a bitter laugh. “Before today, the Mist Emperor only bestowed great blessings upon my Profound Desolate Realm. Under the Mist Emperor’s grace, even without an isolating barrier, the abyssal dust was so thin that even women and children could withstand it for a short time. In this way, it wouldn’t be long before the Profound Desolate Realm would become a place where countless practitioners would flock to, and its prosperity would surely surpass the past.”

“And it was… you who destroyed all of this!” Mo Xifeng seemed to have completely abandoned all restraint, pointing directly at Bai Yu and Yu Chi Nanxing, his face filled with uncontrolled hatred and anger. “It was you who forced the Mist Emperor to withdraw his grace and bring down supreme punishment!”

“Insolent!!” Bai Yu roared, his Pure Land majesty erupting with his anger.

“Father!” Mo Qianyou¹² rushed over and desperately grabbed Mo Xifeng’s arm, then bowed fearfully to Bai Yu. “Knight-adult, please calm down. My father has dedicated his entire life to the Profound Desolate Realm. Now that the Profound Desolate Realm has been swallowed by the Mist Sea, my father is heartbroken and speaking out of line. Please forgive him, Knight-adult!”

Bang!!

Mo Xifeng abruptly flung his hand, sending Mo Qianyou flying.

“The Profound Desolate Realm is gone, our roots are gone, what are we still afraid of the Abyssal Knights for!!” Mo Xifeng raised his hand and pointed at Bai Yu again. “Qianyou, look carefully, remember well, they are Abyssal Knights, and even more so, they are the enemies and sinners who destroyed the Profound Desolate Realm, destroyed our ancestral foundation!!”

“Heh!” Bai Yu laughed in fury. “So, Realm King of the Profound Desolate Realm, what do you intend to do?”

“Hehehe!” Mo Xifeng responded with an even more desolate chuckle. “What do I intend to do? Facing the noble Abyssal Knights, what can I, a small Realm King, do?”

“Then, as noble Abyssal Knights, you have caused an entire realm to lose the grace that could have benefited it for generations, and you have caused everyone to be displaced. What… should you do to uphold the justice and glory that symbolize the Pure Land?”

“Or is everything you uphold, just like the words ‘Abyss Emperor,’ nothing but a lie to deceive the world!”

The first half of the sentence was still a complaint made in extreme anger, which could be forgiven. But the latter sentence undoubtedly touched the bottom line of any Abyssal Knight’s tolerance.

Killing intent surged within Bai Yu’s anger. He slowly raised his head, his voice as cold as the abyss. “You… are… courting… death!”

Clang!

Frost condensed, and his pale sword appeared in his hand… but it remained pointed for a long time without being directed at Mo Xifeng.

Even the killing intent that had just surged within him abruptly froze.

As he raised his head, he met pair after pair of eyes. The gazes directed at him held fear, confusion, indifference… and a deep-seated resentment.

But the familiar fervor, worship, yearning, and reverence were gone.

The surging killing intent suddenly transformed into an unprecedented sense of powerlessness, and even his vision became blurry.

“Bai Yu,” Yu Chi Nanxing said weakly, “Let’s go.”

The frost and the blade vanished from Bai Yu’s hand. He took the heavily injured Yu Chi Nanxing and flew away silently.

Suddenly, he stopped again. After a violent heave of his chest, he flung his hand back, and a piece of pure white jade flew down and landed in front of Mo Xifeng.

“This is my Knight Token. Head northeast and find a realm called Bai’e Realm¹³. That is my homeland. With this token, Bai’e Realm will naturally take you in and settle you… How many of you survive depends on your own fate.”

“After I’m done with the Pure Land matters, I will… return to Bai’e Realm to arrange things for you.”

After saying that, he didn’t linger any longer and left with Yu Chi Nanxing.

His speed was very fast, as if he no longer wanted to bear their gazes.

A red light flashed from the Qiankun profound formation in the cultivation space, and Yun Che quickly walked out.

He removed the Inverse Abyss Stone¹⁴ from his body, and in just a few breaths, his outwardly released aura returned to normal, returning to the Yun Che perceived by others.

Taking a few deep breaths to conceal his weakness and fatigue, he walked out of the cultivation space, then strolled leisurely into the pavilion in the courtyard, having Zhan Yi and He Lu serve him tea and snacks and tidy his hair, looking quite comfortable and at ease.

Not long after, a familiar aura quickly approached the Divine Son’s Temple. Meng Zhiyan¹⁵ soon came to report, “Young Master, Divine Son Xi requests an audience.”

“Let him in.”

Meng Jianxi¹⁶ entered with hurried steps and a solemn expression. His appearance made Yun Che immediately straighten up and sit upright. “What major event has occurred?”

“Indeed, it is a major event, but it is not directly related to our Dreaming Profound Palace¹⁷.” Meng Jianxi said directly, “An hour ago, a strange event occurred in the Mist Sea.”

“An hour ago?” Yun Che frowned, his expression becoming several times more serious. “It has already spread from the Mist Sea to here in just one hour? It seems that this matter is truly extraordinary. Tell me in detail.”

Meng Jianxi said, “Does Brother Yuan know about the ‘Mist Emperor’?”

“Of course.” Yun Che’s face showed confusion. “You’re saying this… Could this matter actually be related to the ‘Mist Emperor’? But according to the information from the Profound Sky Palace¹⁸, this so-called Mist Emperor is a farce created by some people who defied the Pure Land in the Mist Sea. Could it be that they’ve made another big move?”

Meng Jianxi let out a long sigh. “Over the past year, various rumors about the Mist Emperor have emerged one after another, and they have become increasingly exaggerated. Before today, Brother Yuan and I had the same view of the words ‘Mist Emperor.’ I always thought that only incredibly stupid people would truly believe those absurd rumors about the Mist Emperor.”

“However, the complexity of the world sometimes far exceeds our imagination.”

Meng Jianxi took out a Profound Imagery Stone¹⁹. “The details are difficult for me to describe. Brother Yuan will understand after watching this.”

“No need to leave.” Meng Jianxi said to Liu Zhanyi and Shangguan Helu, who were about to excuse themselves. “There were hundreds of thousands of witnesses to this matter, and they are all profound practitioners from different realms. The spread of this news is unstoppable, and it will be known throughout the world soon.”

The Profound Imagery Stone projected an image, which was clearly the scene of the Abyssal Knights facing the Mist Emperor.

The Mist Emperor, the Primordial Qilin supreme-ruler²⁰, the trampled Abyssal Knights, the rolling abyssal mist, the abyssal beasts filling the sky… All the elements the Mist Emperor wanted to present were complete. Although the distance was quite far, every moment of the image, every sound of the Mist Emperor’s abyssal chant, was enough to shake one’s soul and overturn one’s understanding.

At the end of the projection, after the Mist Emperor’s voice of punishment, the Mist Sea suddenly expanded like supreme judgment, and the Profound Desolate Realm was gradually submerged by the Mist Sea.

The projection vanished, and Yun Che still stared blankly ahead, as if he had lost his soul.

Watching it again, Meng Jianxi’s heart was still in turmoil. He didn’t speak, allowing Yun Che to quietly digest everything he had seen.

After a few breaths, Yun Che turned his gaze. “Divine Son Xi, what do you think of this matter?”

Meng Jianxi shook his head. “It involves the Abyss Emperor, I dare not speak carelessly.”

“Dare not speak carelessly, meaning you don’t dare to fully believe it, but you don’t completely disbelieve it either.” Yun Che’s voice was very calm.

Meng Jianxi sighed softly and said something meaningful, “It is true that the Mist Emperor can control the abyssal dust, and it is true that he can control the abyssal beasts. If everything he said is true… then the beginning of this Abyssal world will become a huge lie.”

If the beginning was a lie, then everything that followed would undoubtedly be shrouded in lies.

Yun Che closed his eyes and pondered. After a long while, he said, “Even you think so, let alone the rest of the world.”

“However, this is a matter for the Pure Land to worry about. Whether it’s to outsiders or close acquaintances, it’s best to avoid talking about it.” Yun Che gave the most rational response as a member of the supreme nation, then continued, “Speaking of which, could this Mist Emperor… be an impersonation?”

“Absolutely impossible.” Meng Jianxi shook his head without hesitation.

“Why are you so certain?”

“Who is the ultimate being in this world?” Meng Jianxi countered.

“The Abyss Emperor.” Yun Che gave the only answer.

“That’s right.” Meng Jianxi said calmly, “No one in this world is more powerful than the Yuan Emperor. Even the powerful Abyss Emperor cannot control the abyssal dust and abyssal beasts, but the Mist Emperor can. He should be, as he said, a spirit of destruction condensed and mutated from the abyssal dust, far surpassing abyssal beasts, and absolutely not a human.”

Yun Che pondered for a long time, then said, “Leave this matter to the Pure Land. Have there been any changes with the Divine Sons and Divine Daughters of the various nations recently?”

Seeing that Yun Che didn’t want to talk about the Abyss Emperor, Meng Jianxi responded accordingly, “Divine Son Jiu Zhi of the Senluo Divine Palace²¹ announced his closed-door cultivation three days ago. He is most likely trying to break through to the eighth level of the Divine Extinction Realm before the Pure Land audience.”

“Divine Daughter Hua Caili of the Folding Heaven Divine Palace²² is wholeheartedly focused on the Seven Stars Folding Heaven Formation, and her progress in breaking the formation is unknown… Divine Daughter Shen Wuyi of the Eternal Night Divine Palace²³ has no news, and she probably hasn’t stepped out of the Eternal Night Divine Palace.”

“Divine Son Pan Buzhuo of the Owl Butterfly Divine Nation²⁴ has recently mastered his darkness profound art, and the Praying Constant Divine Venerable is greatly pleased. Also, someone encountered former Divine Son Pan Buwang in the Mist Sea. After the Owl Butterfly Divine Nation learned of this, they stopped sending people to search for him, seemingly having completely abandoned him, leaving him to his fate, whether dead or alive.”

“The twin Divine Sons of the Star Moon Divine Nation²⁵ have been at the peak of the third level of the Divine Extinction Realm for a long time. In order to break through before the Pure Land audience, they are preparing to enter the depths of the Mist Sea for breakthrough training. I wonder if today’s events in the Mist Sea will affect their decision.”

Yun Che’s heart stirred, and he casually said, “It seems that all the great supreme nations attach great importance to the performance of their supreme-ruler Inheritors before the Abyss Emperor.”

“That’s a matter of course.” Meng Jianxi consoled him. “However, Brother Yuan doesn’t need to feel any pressure. You are young…”

“Of course, I’m not under any pressure.” Yun Che smiled. “After all, you are the true Divine Son of our Dreaming Profound Palace. Even if I accompany you and the Divine Venerable to see the Abyss Emperor, I’m just an ordinary attendant.”

“…” Meng Jianxi shook his head helplessly and smiled wryly. How could he not see that Yun Che was letting him face the world as the Divine Son of Dreaming Profound Palace, while he himself grew peacefully and carefree, undisturbed by anything.

After Meng Jianxi left, Yun Che stood in the pavilion, silent for a long, long time.

The Star Moon twins…

It seems there’s something to do again.