novel against the - Chapter 2107

Chapter 2107: Imbalance

The trial of the Star Moon Twin supreme-rulers had barely begun before it crumbled.

With Heavenly Stem Star Monarch present, Yun Che dared not approach too closely. He emerged from the shadows, a chilling smirk slowly spreading across his face.

“What was the purpose of that?” Li Suo asked.

Yun Che dispersed the Profound Abyss Dust from his body, returning to the aura and state of an ordinary profound practitioner. “I was merely creating an opportunity… for one of them to come to the Sea of Fog alone.”

“Alone?” Li Suo refuted based on her understanding of the Abyssal supreme-ruler Children. “As the future of the supreme-ruler Realm, their safety surpasses all else. When outside, a supreme-ruler Child would never be alone, let alone venture into the Fog Sea.”

“He will,” Yun Che stated with absolute certainty. “Given the time it takes for them to return to the Star Moon supreme-ruler Realm from here, the Abyssal Erosion I planted will be enough to deeply invade their profound veins. By then, even the two great Star Moon supreme-ruler Sovereigns won’t be able to completely purge it without damaging their profound veins.”

“You mean…” A flicker of understanding crossed Li Suo’s eyes. “You’re forcing him to come to the Fog Sea, to seek out the Fog Emperor, who is said to be able to perfectly remove the Abyssal Erosion?”

“Precisely.”

However, Yun Che’s response failed to convince Li Suo. After a moment of contemplation, she murmured, “The Fog Emperor remains shrouded in mystery and legend in the eyes of the world. The only certainty is his opposition to the Pure Land… After all, your disdain and insults towards the Pure Land and the Abyssal Monarch that day should be known throughout the world by now.”¹

“And the Six supreme-ruler Realms exist because of the Abyssal Monarch, their inheritance sustained by the supreme power he bestowed. Although the Star supreme-ruler Child’s Abyssal Erosion requires damaging his profound veins to be completely eradicated, with the combined power of two True supreme-rulers, even permanent damage wouldn’t be too severe.”

“Therefore, I don’t believe that a supreme-ruler Child of a supreme-ruler Realm would make a choice that defies the Pure Land for this reason… Not to mention, seeking the Fog Emperor is but a fool’s errand.”

Yun Che smiled faintly and said, “If it were the supreme-ruler Child of any other supreme-ruler Realm, your words would hold true. But the Star Moon supreme-ruler Realm is different…”

Li Suo: “….?”

“Let me ask you a question,” Yun Che said suddenly. “A multiple-choice question.”

“Which scenario would a person find more unacceptable: First, someone who surpasses them suddenly reaches a height they can’t attain; second, someone who has always been on par with them gradually surpasses them; third, someone who was originally inferior to them gradually surpasses them?”

“The third,” Li Suo answered immediately after Yun Che finished speaking.

“A very human answer,” Yun Che remarked. “But for Sha Xing and Xian Yue, the answer is the second.”

“Why?”

Yun Che looked ahead, a flicker of complexity flashing through his eyes. “If you had asked me this question years ago, my answer would have been the same as yours. Until… When I first entered the supreme-ruler Realm, I had a friend for a short time.”

“His name was Huo Poyun.”²

Li Suo knew of Huo Poyun. Back then, through Yun Che’s eyes, she had personally witnessed his tragic and resolute self-destruction… However, she couldn’t comprehend the words he had uttered at that time.

“Huo Poyun wept bitterly at the news of my death, resented my return, saved my life when the world turned against me, and wished to die by my hand when I was possessed by the Heretic supreme-ruler… In the end, he shattered his Jade Heart in my moment of despair.”³

Yun Che didn’t elaborate on the complex changes in Huo Poyun’s emotions, because even if he did, Li Suo wouldn’t understand. “All his actions were beyond my expectations, and all his bizarre behavior stemmed from a single word: ‘imbalance.’”

“As for Sha Xing and Xian Yue, from the coordination of their powers just now, you can see how terrifying their synergy has become. And if such a bond were to become imbalanced, the ‘heart demon’ it would create would be far more potent than Huo Poyun’s.”⁴

Li Suo remained silent for a long time, seemingly reevaluating her understanding of human nature through Yun Che’s words.

“I, too, eagerly await the blossoming of this evil flower. Star supreme-ruler Child, bearer of the Heavenly Wolf’s supreme power, you who possess the dignity and pride of a supreme-ruler Child, do not disappoint me.”⁵

…

When he emerged from the abyssal fog once more, a fierce battle was raging before him.

Pan Buwang was enveloped in black energy, but the blood that stained his entire body was even more intense than the dark demonic aura. The ferocious light in his eyes was even more sinister and soul-piercing than the abyssal gaze of an Abyssal beast.

A dark storm suddenly erupted, devouring the abyssal power of two Divine Extinction Abyssal beasts layer by layer, followed by their bodies… With a low roar, Pan Buwang swept his pitch-black spear, leaving a black streak in the air that pierced through the two beasts in an instant. The black streak then exploded into layers of dark storms, dragging the severed bodies of the abyssal beasts into the abyss of death.

He slowly lowered his spear to the ground and knelt on one knee, bowing his head. “Disciple Buwang greets Master.”

Drip… Drip… Drip…

The sound of blood dripping to the ground was exceptionally clear in the silent Fog Sea.

But there was no expression on his face, nor did he glance at the bloodstains on himself. Despite his exhaustion, his kneeling posture remained straight and unyielding.

“Very good,” the Fog Emperor commended curtly. “It seems you’ve mastered the fourth level of the Heretical Transformation. The obsession with revenge is truly the most wondrous power in this world.”

“Today, this emperor shall bestow upon you the fifth level of the Heretical Transformation.”

Pan Buwang raised his eyes, the fatigue in them instantly replaced by an excited and eager demonic light. He kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude and then suddenly asked, “Master, may this disciple have the honor… of glimpsing your true appearance?”

“True appearance? Hahahaha!” The Fog Emperor let out a cold laugh. “This emperor is the imperial spirit born from the abyssal power of the Fog Sea. I do not possess what you humans call a ‘true appearance.’ Or perhaps, every grain of abyssal dust in this Fog Sea is my true appearance.”

“No,” Pan Buwang said, staring at the distorted, mismatched eyes within the abyssal fog. “This disciple knows that Master is actually human.”

The Fog Emperor: “…”

Pan Buwang remained kneeling and said frankly, “The demonic art I cultivate is already the strongest dark profound art in the world. Yet Master, just by watching me demonstrate it once and reciting a portion of the profound formula, was able to transform it into an even more powerful demonic art within a few short days.”

“Moreover, the transformed demonic art is even more compatible with my body and profound veins. At the same time, to maximize its power, each level of the transformed demonic art, when executed, perfectly utilizes all fifty-four profound entrances in my profound veins.”⁶

“When Master transformed the demonic art, you must have first harmonized and altered it with your own profound veins… And the fifty-four profound entrances are unique to the human race. The power circulation of beast races, spirit races, and humans are completely different. If Master weren’t human, possessing fifty-four profound entrances, how could you have transformed each level of the demonic art to be so perfectly compatible with them?”

“….” Yun Che secretly sucked in a breath.

Damn, you can even figure it out this way?

For a few moments, he had the urge to silence Pan Buwang permanently.

“Heh heh heh!” The Fog Emperor chuckled coldly. He didn’t deny it, but his already hoarse voice turned several degrees colder. “Pan Buwang, you are indeed more intelligent than I thought. But since you are so clever, you should know when to play dumb.”

In a daze… he recalled his master saying the same words to him once.

“This disciple naturally understands.”

Facing the sudden chill, Pan Buwang showed no fear. Instead, he raised his head to meet the Fog Emperor’s gaze directly. “Without Master’s salvation, even if this disciple were still alive, I would be no different from the living dead.”

“My mother taught me that as a man, one must never betray love or forget kindness… Master, you have saved and remade me. Your kindness is no less than that of my parents in this life. How could this disciple possibly feign sincerity before you?”

When facing the Abyssal beasts, his eyes were filled with ferocity; when facing the darkness, his eyes were like a bottomless abyss. But only when facing the Fog Emperor were his eyes clear… almost pristinely clear, as a human’s should be.

He was indeed a man of deep affection; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone to such lengths for his mother and lover.

He said sincerely, “This disciple yearns to know what kind of person my Master, who has shown me such kindness and guidance, truly is… This is my greatest desire, second only to revenge.”

He didn’t explicitly promise to keep his true identity under the abyssal fog a secret. But every word, every fluctuation in his expression and gaze, told the Fog Emperor that even if he were to die ten thousand deaths, he would never betray his master in the slightest.

A cold wind swept past, carrying with it the pungent stench of blood.

The Fog Emperor responded, “You will know. And by then, you may have already achieved your revenge.”

“This emperor will allow your words today. But never speak of this again! Do not forget what you must do!”

Pan Buwang lowered his head and responded resolutely, without a hint of defiance, “Yes.”

He slowly rose to his feet, his spear returning to his hand, radiating a black light. He bore countless wounds and bloodstains, but he didn’t ask for a moment’s rest. Instead, he looked at the Fog Emperor with burning eyes. “Please instruct me, Master!”

…

Time flowed and churned under the boundless black tide. It brought change, spurred growth, healed wounds, cleansed souls… and tormented the Star supreme-ruler Child.

Sha Xing once again clutched his chest tightly. Six months had passed, but the excruciating pain from the Abyssal Erosion remained as sharp as ever whenever he circulated his profound energy.

What was even more terrifying than the pain was the stagnation of his profound energy circulation and the almost complete halt in his profound strength’s progress.

And today, exciting news spread throughout the entire Star Moon supreme-ruler Realm.

The Moon supreme-ruler Child, Xian Yue, had successfully broken through to the fourth level of the Divine Extinction Realm this morning.

Every breakthrough of the Star Moon Twin supreme-rulers was a major event that would shake the Star Moon supreme-ruler Realm for a time. But this time was very different from the past… because it wasn’t a simultaneous breakthrough by the eternally synchronized Twin supreme-rulers. It was only the Moon supreme-ruler Child who had broken through.

When the news reached him, Sha Xing wore a smile on his face, but his fingers dripped with blood.

He went to the Star supreme-ruler Hall where the Star supreme-ruler Sovereign resided, but he encountered Heavenly Stem Star Monarch, who had just emerged.

With a single glance, Heavenly Stem Star Monarch saw through Sha Xing’s thoughts. He sighed and said, “If you were asking the supreme-ruler Sovereign to sever the Abyssal Erosion for you, I wouldn’t stop you. But if you still harbor any illusions… it’s best not to disturb the supreme-ruler Sovereign. It’s been half a year, you should face reality.”

“Reality…” Sha Xing gritted his teeth. “The supreme-ruler Sovereign is so powerful, there must be a way, there must be…”

Heavenly Stem Star Monarch gave him a sideways glance and said, “For your sake, the supreme-ruler Sovereign has already sent several transmissions to the Spiritual Immortal Divine Officer and even personally visited the Pure Land once. You already know the result. The supreme-ruler Sovereign’s might is boundless, but when it comes to this kind of Abyssal Erosion that has invaded your profound veins… there’s no solution.”

He reached out and patted Sha Xing’s shoulder. “To seal the invading Abyssal Erosion and prevent it from worsening, the supreme-ruler Sovereign has already expended countless efforts and profound crystals over the past six months. Continuing like this won’t bring about the turning point you desire, it will only lead to more pointless consumption… You should know that many Star Monarchs and Star Officials are already dissatisfied with you because of this.”

Sha Xing’s lips trembled slightly. He immediately lowered his head, not wanting anyone to see his emotional turmoil.

Heavenly Stem Star Monarch continued to advise, “Cutting off one’s tail to survive isn’t cowardice, but a necessary act of helplessness. Moreover, the supreme-ruler Sovereign has said that with the combined power of the two Sovereigns, the permanent damage to your profound veins from forcefully stripping away the Abyssal Erosion can be controlled within ten percent.”

Ten percent… Heh. He muttered under his breath, followed by a self-deprecating and pained chuckle.

Ten percent permanent damage to his profound veins meant that his cultivation, progress, profound energy circulation, and the limits he could reach in the future… would all be diminished. And it would be an eternal loss.

As one of the Star Moon Twin supreme-rulers, who were supposed to be perfectly balanced and harmonious, he would forever… become Xian Yue’s burden.

Instead of heading towards the Star supreme-ruler Hall, Sha Xing turned around and said in a low voice, “I understand. I will carefully consider this matter and will not continue to trouble the supreme-ruler Sovereign and the Star Monarchs.”

“Mm.” Heavenly Stem Star Monarch nodded, not saying anything more. As the one who had secretly protected them during their trial, he also felt deeply guilty.