Chapter 1951 - To The Death
Partially Edited Chapter - Rubble
Cang Shuhe was no ordinary person. It only took her a moment to smooth out the wrinkles of her mind and regain control of her emotions once more. She responded in a calm and peaceful voice, “Brother, the master control of the Deep Sea Divine Pearl has always been in your hands. If you want it, you can just take it yourself, can’t you?”
Although Cang Shuhe was the Deep Sea G.o.d Emperor and the current holder of the Deep Sea Divine Pearl, the “holding” part was more literal than most people would think.
In Cang Shuhe’s opinion, she did not have the right to become the master of the Deep Sea Divine Pearl because her Deep Sea divine power was something Yun Che had forced upon her using the laws of nothingness.
Although Cang s.h.i.+tian wasn’t the Deep Sea G.o.d Emperor anymore, he was the man with the greatest Deep Sea divine power in his veins, the Ten Directions Deep Sea Realm’s greatest protector, and her most trusted brother.
Add to the fact that she was pretty much a half-puppet when she initially ascended to the throne, it made sense that entrusting the master control of the divine artifact to Cang s.h.i.+tian would be a better choice than keeping it to herself.
From the start, Cang s.h.i.+tian had always been the man holding the Deep Sea Realm’s lifeline in his hands even though he had supposedly retired from his position and pa.s.sed on everything to his successor, Cang Shuhe.
Cang s.h.i.+tian smiled, the bloodstains and bluish black bruises on his face giving him a most frightening countenance. “You are my dearest sister. I can never subject you to my power unless I have… no other choice.”
Cang Shuhe: “...”
He casually curled his fingers before continuing, “Shuhe, you’ve always been a kind and gentle sister. I’m sure you won’t put me in a tight spot.”
“You should know the Deep Sea Realm’s situation right now very well. I am highly valued by the Venerable One right now, meaning that the best way to protect the Deep Sea Realm is to put everything back into my hands. You must understand this, right?”
At the back, the Sea G.o.ds looked like they wanted to say something. In the end though, they chose to do nothing at all.
“Miss,” it was at this moment Rui Yi whispered, “Just give it to him. It’s not like turning him down… is going to help matters one bit.”
One breath… Two breaths… three breaths…
Four whole breaths of silence later, a ray of pure blue and rippling water landed on Cang Shuhe’s beautiful palm.
She made a pus.h.i.+ng motion, and the Deep Sea Divine Pearl gently floated into Cang s.h.i.+tian’s outstretched hand.
The divine artifact immediately shone a deeper, richer blue the second he caught it in his grasp.
Cang s.h.i.+tian lifted the Deep Sea Divine Pearl to eye level. The smooth, glowing surface of the pearl reflected his b.l.o.o.d.y face.
His face split into a wide smile, causing the reflection in the Deep Sea Divine Pearl to look uglier and more loathsome.
This is who I am…
This is Cang s.h.i.+tian!
The pearl’s light vanished as Cang s.h.i.+tian put it away. Without saying another word to Cang Shuhe or glancing at his former subjects even once, he turned around and prepared to leave.
“Brother,” Cang Shuhe suddenly called out to him.
“Hmm?” Cang s.h.i.+tian paused in his tracks but didn’t look back.
Cang Shuhe’s gaze bore into her brother’s back for a while before she closed her eyes. She then whispered, “There are many ways of survival in this world, and I do not believe there is such a thing as a wrong way to survive.”
“That is why you must always take care of yourself and keep yourself safe, no matter what happens in the future.”
Her voice was soft and gentle like a small ripple across still water. It traveled straight into the soul.
It was impossible to pin down the emotions behind those words, but… there was no anger, blame, or disappointment at the very least.
“...” Cang s.h.i.+tian’s neck twitched as if he wanted to look back at her.
In the end though, he merely responded with a seemingly careless “mm” before rising into the air and standing next to Qi Tianli once more.
The Deep Sea Barrier that kept Yun Wuxin locked up had also flown to his back.
Clearly, he didn’t feel comfortable leaving such an important hostage in anyone else’s hands.
It was at this moment Qi Tianli looked up.
“It is time.”
His voice was as heavy as the morning gong. It caused countless nervous hearts to clench abruptly.
The ceremony that would decide the fate of countless star realms and lives was kicked off just like that.
The atmosphere was already oppressive to begin with, but now it was positively suffocating. Every inch of s.p.a.ce in the G.o.d Realm of Absolute Beginning felt like it had been locked down by soul-piercing cold.
Qi Tianli took two steps to the front and exhaled soundlessly. He then began in a solemn voice, “You’re already aware of this, but a new ruler is soon to descend upon our world. His sacred t.i.tle is the Abyssal Monarch, and he hails from the powerful land known as the Abyss.”
“It is our fate to be subsumed by them, but that is not a bad thing. It simply means that a higher plane and greater ruler will guide us toward a completely different destiny.”
“The Venerable One is a pioneer who hails from the Abyss and receives orders from the Abyssal Monarch himself. As an Abyssal Knight, he wields a transcendent amount of power and a n.o.ble soul. The Abyssal Monarch himself is a merciful and compa.s.sionate ruler who is not unlike the G.o.ds of the Nine Heavens. The Abyss has enjoyed ten thousand lifetimes of peace under his rule, and I have no doubt that he will lead us to a bright future we could never dream of as well.”
Qi Tianli’s deep, tired eyes swept across the ex-sovereigns of the G.o.d Realm as his voice grew heavier,
“To submit to the dominion of the Abyss, or to cling to your existing determination. That is the choice you will be making today.”
“I do not believe it will be an overly difficult choice though. When met with a tidal wave that could crush everything, the only way to survive is to swim with it. Only then will you learn if you are headed toward a deadly whirlpool… or a whole new world down the line.”
“I should not need to tell you that attempting to defy the wave is going to result in immediate, crus.h.i.+ng death.”
In his way, Qi Tianli was doing his best to persuade the ma.s.ses from struggling futilely against the unstoppable. However, Mo Beichen let out a cold hmph that silenced Qi Tianli immediately.
“Enough. I will not listen to more pointless talking.” The voice of judgment thundered through everyone’s souls. “Those who submit to the Abyss will live, and those foolish enough to resist will die!”
Mo Beichen abruptly lowered his gaze and stomped on everyone’s heart and soul with his terrifying aura. “I’m granting you all the chance to surrender to the Abyss and serve, and if you’re too stupid to accept it, then feel free to resist all you want! Personally, I’m curious to know exactly how many fools exist in this lowly world!”
Qi Tianli waited until Mo Beichen was finished before bowing respectfully. “We are beyond words at the Venerable One’s benevolence. In that case, let us kick off the ceremony immediately starting with the Western Divine Region.”
He immediately descended in front of the Qilin Realm’s formation. His plan was to become the first to declare his realm’s surrender to the Abyss and eternal loyalty to the Abyssal Monarch. Once the ceremony was over, he would continue the efforts to unite the G.o.d Realm’s will while preparing for the Abyssal Monarch’s welcoming ceremony. However…
“No.” A single word stopped Qi Tianli dead in his tracks as Mo Beichen slowly s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the north. “We will start with the Northern Divine Region first. I’m sure it’ll be a lot more interesting this way.”
“...” Dead silence hung in the air for a time. Even Qi Tianli had frozen in indecision.
The Northern Divine Region was the smallest group of them all, but their presence was easily the chilliest.
On the rare occasion they met someone’s eyes, the glitter behind their pupils could only be described as spine-chilling.
This was despite the fact they were pressured by the Half-G.o.d’s aura.
It was clear what they were planning from the very beginning. Every single Northern Divine Region faction that had shown up today—the three king realms included—were br.i.m.m.i.n.g with barely restrained mania. They had come here not to surrender to the Abyss, but to die.
The other three divine regions could not understand their decision, and they never would. They had not been in the Northern Divine Region. They had not been trapped in darkness for seeming eternity, had not fought alongside the Devil Master as he returned them to the light. That was why they could never understand the Northern Divine Region’s loyalty toward Yun Che.
“Yes,” Qi Tianli finally broke the silence, “as you command, Venerable One.”
The old Qilin turned around to look the northern region profound pract.i.tioners in the eye and began in the most amicable voice he could muster, “Emperor Yun and the Devil Queen both fled after they were defeated by the Venerable One. They’re still alive, but I doubt they’ll ever see the light of day again. What this means is that a new option has opened up to you. This option concerns not just your own lives, but also the future of the Northern Divine Region. So please…”
“‘New option’?”
A frigid voice rudely interrupted Qi Tianli. Yan Wu looked up as her pitch black air slowly floated amidst gloomy darkness. “The Northern Divine Region has only one master, and he is the Devil Master, Yun Che! Our will and thought will last forever!”
“The Abyss? Mo Beichen? You think the likes of you deserve our loyalty!?”
Her words were overflowing with coldness, ruthlessness, and no fear.
The profound pract.i.tioners of the other three divine regions let out soundless sighs in that moment.
Those who surrender will live, and those who resist will die.
This meant that Yan Wu had just sentenced herself to death with that declaration.
In this world, there was nothing more foolish than pointless suicide.
If there was even the slightest hope that they could turn this around, they would’ve been moved by their decision to fight to the death. However…
Mo Beichen was a beast of endless night. There wasn’t even a speck of a star to be found in the sky. To resist was to commit suicide, and there just wasn’t any wisdom to be found in that decision whatsoever.
The devils of the Yama Realm moved into position before Yan Wu was even done speaking. Now that all pretenses had been dropped, there was no need to suppress the battle spirit anymore.
They knew that this would be the last time the pride of the Yama Devils would s.h.i.+ne in this world.
Mo Beichen did not move a muscle, and his expression remained the same as ever. The only thing that changed was his eyes tinting slightly with pity and mockery.
It was like he was watching a bunch of pitiful larvae screaming their pathetic pride about.
It was exactly what Qi Tianli had expected to happen, but his chest still felt so constricted that he could barely breathe. As if afraid to meet Yan Wu’s eyes, Qi Tianli s.h.i.+fted his gaze to the Soul Stealing Realm and Burning Moon Realm before asking with a sigh, “Soul Stealing and Burning Moon… what about you two?”
“Heh.” Fen Daoqi barked out a laugh before speaking with a voice that sounded as calm as a soft wind, “I do not need to tell you what the Northern Divine Region has suffered for the past million years or so.”
“It is the Devil Master who broke us out of our cage and gave us back our freedom. It is the Devil Master who turned us from caged animals who could do nothing more but lie in black mud into men who stood proudly beneath the heavens!”
“Our freedom may have lasted only for a scant few years,” dark energy coursed through Fen Daoqi’s veins as his eyes glowed like demonic moons, “but it is enough for us to repay the favor with ten thousand deaths!”
“Ten thousand deaths for the Devil Master!” The Moon Eaters roared behind him.
Back then, it was they who accompanied Yun Che when the young man had launched a ma.s.sacre against the Eternal Heaven Realm. It was where the Northern Divine Region had begun their trampling of the Eastern Divine Region and later on, the entire G.o.d Realm, and it was a supreme honor they would remember with their body, heart and soul for eternity.
No one was allowed to tarnish their pride! No one!
Chiang!
Jie Xin and Jie Ling unsheathed their swords and pointed toward the sky. The Nine Witches’ auras and wills became one in that moment.
“The Soul Stealing Realm would rather fight to the last man than kneel to another!”
Mo Beichen’s eyes s.h.i.+fted, but he wasn’t looking at the Northern Divine Region. His gaze became locked at a seemingly random spot to the east as a faint, mysterious smile pa.s.sed through his lips.
“Ai.” The Qilin Emperor let out a deep sigh. “As you say, it took a million years for the Northern Divine Region to be reborn. Are you really… okay with losing it all like this?”
“You made your choice, and we made ours,” Fen Daoqi replied coldly, “It’s clear you do not share our ways, so let’s not waste anymore breath on pointless talk, shall we?”
“If the Abyss wishes to lord over our Northern Divine Region, then they must step over our devilish blood first!”
Qi Tianli slowly closed his eyes. “In that case, this old one has nothing else to say.”
After he reopened his eyes, he s.h.i.+fted his gaze farther back and asked, “Realm kings of the Northern Divine Region, what about—”
“Cut the bullc.r.a.p already you spineless old Qilin!”
A Divine Master cut him off with a rude curse before continuing, “The three king realms’ will is our will. Our devilish blood may run dry, but we will never betray the Devil Master!”
Qi Tianli didn’t get angry despite the rude rebuke. He sighed again and tried to say something, but he was interrupted again by a devilish voice that seemed to come from the depths of his soul, “You will not abandon the Devil Master, but the Devil Master has already abandoned you.”
Her voice pierced the soul long before she made an appearance. There was only one person in the entire world who possessed such a voice.
Chi Wuyao!
The Devil Queen appeared before everyone’s eyes in the next moment.
“Devil… Queen!?”
Her appearance caused every northern region profound pract.i.tioner to blanch in horror.
She should be escaping with Yun Che right now. Why had she shown up in this place?
And what was that she said just now?
Chi Wuyao looked down on the Divine Masters, and most of them avoided looking her in the eye. Although Mo Beichen was right there, the Devil Queen had ruled the four divine regions for a number of years.
She also wasn’t alone. Mu Xuanyin, Qianye Ying’er and Caizhi were all present.
“G.o.d Emperor!” The Brahma Kings of the Brahma Monarch Realm exclaimed in horror when they saw Qianye Ying’er. However, the woman merely ignored their cries and glared at Mo Beichen like she could skewer him with her gaze alone.
“Hehehehe.” Mo Beichen let out an amused chuckle before asking curiously, “I a.s.sume you’ve come to a decision since you’ve chosen to show yourself to me. Have you learned the folly of your actions, or… have you decided to show off your stupidity even more?”
Anxiety and restlessness spread across the G.o.d Realm of Absolute Beginning like wildfire. The Devil Queen, Mu Xuanyin, Qianye Ying’er, Caizhi… it would not be an exaggeration to say that they were the most important people in Yun Che’s life. What on earth were they doing here when Yun Che himself was absent?
Chi Wuyao turned toward Mo Beichen. She was going to say something when Yan Wu interrupted her with a trembling voice, “What did you say just now… Devil Queen?”
Chi Wuyao looked back at her and attempted to repeat herself in the coldest, most indifferent tone she could muster, “The Devil Master has already abandoned you.”
“But what… does that mean?” Yan Wu subconsciously shook her head and asked stupidly.
“It"s exactly what it sounds like,” Chi Wuyao replied. “The sky is falling, and his choice is to hide where the sky cannot reach him for now. This world no longer has anything to do with him, and that includes all of you.”
“In other words, the Devil Master is no longer with you, so the belief you’re clinging to is completely pointless.”
She looked back at Mo Beichen after she was finished. Devilish light danced along the hems of her black skirt as she spoke in an equally devilish voice, “Those who surrender will live, and those who resist will die. That was your promise to this world.”
“These northern region profound pract.i.tioners may have been very callous with their words, but they have not yet been able to put their disobedience into action. If they change their minds now and surrender to the Abyss, I’m sure you will accept them with open arms, right?”
“After all…” A charming half-smile crossed her lips to match her seductive voice. “You are a self-proclaimed n.o.ble knight of the Abyss and the only pioneer left to carry out your lord and master’s will. I am sure you won’t break your own promise and sully your n.o.ble t.i.tle, right?”
Mo Beichen half-raised his hand and withdrew his fingers bit by bit. “Are you trying to tell me what to do?”
“Devil Queen!”
Yan Wu’s voice cut through the air once more, but the tremor and disbelief had been replaced by ruthless determination once more. “I know what you’re trying to do…”
In fact, everyone did the instant the Devil Queen had given her response.
She was trying to save the Northern Divine Region and stop them from committing suicide.
But…
“Not this time!” Yan Wu declared while staring the Devil Queen dead in the eye. This was the first time she had looked at the Devil Queen with such firm eyes. “We will not obey your orders this time!”
“We all understand your pain, Devil Queen.” Fen Daoqi also spoke up in an amicable voice. “Burning Moon has always carried out the Devil Master and Devil Queen’s orders like the mandate of heaven, but just this once… we stand together with the Yama Devils in our defiance.”
“... Ai.” Chi Wuyao sighed. She did not seem overly surprised by their response. “If we live, we may yet have a future to look forward to. It has to be better than dying a pointless death.”
“But it won’t be pointless. Even if we are ground to dust, even if we are unable to harm a hair on the enemy, it won’t be a pointless death.”
Fen Daoqi’s smile was fearless and free of regret even though death was so close he could practically touch it. “The G.o.d Realm was struck by a foreign threat just three years after it came under the Devil Master’s rule.”
“The people he charged, trusted, forgave, ruled…” Fen Daoqi’s gaze slowly swept across Qi Tianli, Cang s.h.i.+tian, and the G.o.d Emperors and Divine masters who were unconsciously avoiding his eyes. “They have all betrayed him and left for greener pastures one after another.”
“If even we bend our knees and bow our heads to the enemy, then the future will surely remember Emperor Yun’s reign as a ‘pitiful’ and ‘pathetic’ one.”
Hot, unshakeable determination melted into Fen Daoqi’s words as he uttered, “If the Devil Master’s era is destined to come to an end, then we shall drench the final curtains with our blood at the very least!”
“...” His voice wasn’t loud, but each and every word pounded against the soul like a hammer. There wasn’t a single profound pract.i.tioner present who wasn’t touched by this.
They weren’t choosing to die in vain. They were sacrificing their lives and power to defend Emperor Yun"s—the Devil Master’s final dignity.
It was not a belief they could understand, nor a loyalty they might ever receive for eternity.
Chiang!
Yan Wu pointed her Yama spear toward the sky, the savage image of a Yama Devil already floating behind her. “My late father perished in the Deep Sea to secure the rebirth of the Northern Divine Region, and my ancestors returned to eternal dust to protect the Devil Master. How could I ever face them beneath the nine springs if I, daughter of the Yama Devil, abandon the Devil Master at his most desperate!?”
There was a powerful blast of devilish light, and the next thing they knew, every Yama Devil had manifested their images. Their combined power immediately dyed a great portion of this eternally gray land in black.
Every single one of them wore fearless determination on their faces.
Countless people exchanged chaotic glances with each other. The Divine Masters of the three divine regions had never been so shocked and conflicted until now.
“Aiya.” Qianye Ying’er let out a quiet sigh. “I wish he could have seen this with his own eyes.”
The devilish aura behind Chi Wuyao’s back continued to sway slowly, but her lips had already curled into a smile that could faint worlds.
“Never have I been prouder to be born in the once darkest Northern Divine Region than this moment.”
A ribbon appeared out of nowhere and wrapped around her silky arm. Back against the wall, she finally unleashed her devilish powers in full.
“Children of darkness, let us fight side by side one last time."
“We fight this battle not for the Northern Divine Region, not for our clans, but solely for the Devil Master!”