Against the Gods

Chapter 2102 - Abyssal Ghost Knight

“Shut... up! Shut... up!”

Yuchi Nanxing roared at the top of his lungs. His shout was so hoarse, so shrill that even he himself was surprised by it.

Try as he might to deny it, the inner voice murmuring deep within his soul told him that his faith... had wavered.

During that moment of utter confusion, he actually believed the Fog Monarch’s words for a brief time. Even an instant was too long and was, to him at least, an unforgivable sin.

Even his voice betrayed his true panic. Instead of the cold, solemn rebuke toward filth and sin, he instead sounded like a tortured soul screaming for his tormentor to stop.

Yuchi Nanxing bit his tongue, but even that pain was unable to suppress the shock in his heart and soul completely. Slowly, he raised his head and gave his all to clear the murkiness threatening to cloud his eyes completely. Seemingly wanting to show the Fog Monarch and everyone else his unyielding belief, he declared, “You dare slander the Abyssal Monarch and deceive the world so, Fog Monarch? You are severing... the last shreds of leniency the Pure Land has for you!”

“Slander? Deceive?”

Compared to the abyssal knight’s obviously emotional outburst, the Fog Monarch’s voice remained as cold, scornful, and untouchable as ever.

“According to my knowledge, the abyssal knights pride themselves on nobility and impartialness, so answer me and the world with your so-called noble soul and impartial character!”

“I can control abyssal dust, but the Abyssal Monarch cannot. Am I deceiving you?”

“...” Yuchi Nanxing’s throat trembled, but no sound came. Even the willpower he just gathered in his eyes had crumbled without a sound.

Everyone in the world knew that the Abyssal Monarch could not control abyssal dust. However, it was a fact that the Fog Monarch could.

He had just witnessed it with his own eyes after all.

“I can control abyssal beasts, and the Abyssal Monarch cannot. Am I slandering your Abyssal Monarch’s so-called good name?”

“...” Yuchi Nanxing still couldn’t answer him. The clarity he had just regained was shrouded by the gray fog of confusion just like that.

“The Abyssal Monarch who could not control abyssal dust or abyssal beast had supposedly created this Land of the Living, whereas the Fog Monarch who could was judged as a sinner by your so-called Pure Land... hehehehe, hahahaha!”

“Answer me and the world, abyssal knight. Who is slandering who? Who is deceiving who?”

Yuchi Nanxing slowly raised his broken arms, but it wasn’t to struggle to his feet. Instead, it was to clutch his head in pain and groan, “No... no... it’s all fake... stop talking... just stop talking...”

Unfortunately, the Fog Monarch’s voice continued to pierce his ears and soul. “This world, this Abyss, is mainly made up of abyssal dust. And yet, a man who cannot control abyssal dust, reject abyssal dust, and even fears abyssal dust dares to call himself a monarch? The creation monarch who supposedly created this world? What a joke!”

“You are the true deceiver! The slanderer! If creating the Land of the Living counts as creation, then I am the true creation monarch of this world!”

The world was deathly silent. There was no voice save for the Fog Monarch’s. Forget moving a muscle, the profound practitioners watching from afar couldn’t even feel the terrible pain eating away at their bodies.

It was because they were completely absorbed in a stunning “truth”.

They were doing one thing though. The Profound Imagery Stones in their hands were emitting a weak light and engraving something that would surely turn the world upside down.

“And you, the abyssal knights, are the hounds acting on behalf of the deceiver, here to judge the true creation monarch who gave you everything. And you dare call yourselves noble and fair?”

The Fog Monarch’s next words gave Yuchi Nanxing and Bai Yu, two great abyssal knights, a near fatal blow. “Before today, you could still call yourselves fools who have been deceived. But today, you have witnessed my power and heard the truth from my own mouth. Who is the savior and who is the deceiver, I’m sure you do not need a high functioning mind or a so-called noble soul to make the distinction. All you need... is common sense.”

“Shut up! Shut up!!” The abyssal knight’s roar resembled that of an animal at this point. Step by step, the Fog Monarch was annihilating the glory and faith he had upheld his whole life. He should be fighting it with all his might, and yet... Everything he heard and saw today was shaking his faith and willpower to its core.

How could he accept? How could he believe?

Yuchi Nanxing uttered through gritted teeth, “No matter how much you try to deceive us... do not think... you can ever unseat our absolute loyalty to the Pure Land and Abyssal Monarch...”

The Fog Monarch continued indifferently, “Your words betray you, abyssal knight. Despite now knowing the truth of this world, you still choose to become the dirty hound of a despicable owner.”

“These are the abyssal knights of the Pure Land. Your very existence turns the words nobility and fairness into the filthiest, most laughable words in this world! In my eyes, your names and your existence are equivalent to the most hypocritical, vulgar refuse of this world!”

It was the worst humiliation Yuchi Nanxing and Bai Yu had heard since becoming an abyssal knight.

And yet, it was nowhere as humiliating or scary as the “truth” they learned today.

“You lot do not deserve the gift I slumbered a million years to bestow!”

After the Fog Monarch judged the abyssal knights guilty, the qilin claw suspended high above Yuchi Nanxing descended once more.

Boom—

Previously, Yuchi Nanxing refused to black out even though he had been trampled dozens of times until not one part of his body was unblemished. But this time, he simply allowed himself to plummet into darkness... to fall unconscious.

It was undoubtedly a pitiful form of escape.

If he had a choice, he would never come here in person. Before he blacked out, his greatest desire was for someone to rip out all of the memories he gained today... even if it meant carving out part of his soul.

Bai Yu roared. His will as an abyssal knight would not allow him to back down or abandon a companion. He instinctively pounced toward Yuchi Nanxing.

As soon as he got close, the Abyssal Qilin God’s other claw descended from the sky. His pupils contracted, and darkness rapidly consumed his vision.

Before he fell unconscious, he felt as if ten thousand mountains spanning tens of thousands of kilometers had descended on top of his head. He could vaguely hear the frightened shouts of his squires...

Boom!

Bai Yu was crushed beneath the Abyssal Qilin God’s foot almost without resistance. Just like Yuchi Nanxing, he had fallen completely still.

ROOOOOAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRR————

The Abyssal Qilin God let out a roar, and the distant spectators were all flung away by a terrifying storm. It shrouded everyone’s vision and cut off their perception.

Inside the abyssal fog, Yun Che slowly walked up to the Abyssal Qilin God’s feet.

The Abyssal Qilin God shifted its forelimbs away, and two completely unconscious abyssal knights appeared before his eyes.

Yuchi Nanxing’s condition could only be described as horrific. His bones, his flesh, and his internal organs were almost ground into paste by the Abyssal Qilin God’s sheer power. Despite this, he was a Divine Limit Realm profound practitioner. This level of injury was certainly severe, but it wasn’t enough to take his life.

Should he allow Yuchi Nanxing to return to the Pure Land, considering all the resources the Pure Land possessed, it probably wouldn’t take too long for him to recover to full health.

Assuming that he wanted to decrease the Pure Land’s strength, now was the perfect time to destroy this knight commander.

Yun Che raised his hand and hovered it above Yuchi Nanxing’s forehead. His expression slowly turned cold and dark.

“This is not advisable.”

It was at this moment Li Suo’s voice appeared in his soul sea. “If he was just an ordinary abyssal knight and a late-stage Divine Extinction Realm profound practitioner, then there is a high chance that you would succeed. However... he is in the Divine Limit Realm.”

“Even in this state, his physical and soul instincts are beyond scary. Not only are your chances of success almost non-existent... you might receive a terrible backlash.”

“...” Yun Che’s hand did not move away.

Li Suo continued to try and change Yun Che’s mind, “You’ve already manipulated an impossible number of abyssal beasts and a staggering amount abyssal dust today. I know that you have already reached your limit. There is no need to take an unnecessary risk. Shift your goals. ‘Abyssifying’ the other abyssal knight is enough.”

Still, Yun Che’s palm did not go away. He replied softly within his soul, “I destroyed his body with the Abyssal Qilin God and his soul with the words of the Fog Monarch. In this state, he is not as scary as you imagine. It is not impossible for me to succeed!”

His finger finally landed on Yuchi Nanxing’s forehead, and his soul gushed into his enemy’s soul sea.

Right now, Yuchi Nanxing was in a deep coma. Despite this, his powerful soul still instinctively defended itself and repelled Yun Che’s soul energy completely. However, the moment Yuchi Nanxing’s soul reacted, a ball of silvery white light flashed from deep within Yun Che’s eyes.

It looked like a blooming white flower, pure as snow with silver glitters adorning the edges of the petals. It emitted a dreamlike radiance.

Yun Che’s lips moved slightly. “Fantasy Queen of the Night.”

The teeth Yuchi Nanxing had been clenching tightly even after he fell into a deep coma began relaxing bit by bit.

He dreamed that... no, it wasn’t a dream to Yuchi Nanxing.

He woke up and found that Bai Yu had safely brought him back to the Pure Land despite his immense injuries.

The supreme Abyssal Monarch had personally visited him and treated him using his unparalleled divine powers.

The Chief Priest then stepped into the room to inform the Abyssal Monarch that the Fog Monarch had been dealt with. His, no, its true form was just a special abyssal ghost with fragments of consciousness, and it excelled at hiding within darkness and bewitching others with false words.

He even tossed out the “Fog Monarch’s” corpse for all to see. As expected, it was a pitch black, ugly, and tiny abyssal ghost.

As expected, all the slanders the so-called Fog Monarch hurled against the Abyssal Monarch and the Pure Land were lies. As expected, his faith remained lofty above all else, and his glory remained as unblemished as the sun.

He closed his eyes in satisfaction and fell asleep within his sleep...

The white cactus flower in Yun Che’s eyes faded and turned into a pitch black dragon.

The rampaging dragon soul easily pierced through Yuchi Nanxing’s slumbering soul sea. It met almost no resistance whatsoever.

It worked!

Perking up, Yun Che immediately lifted his arm and summoned the surrounding abyssal dust to his hand. Then, a darker ball of abyssal dust swiftly condensed between his fingers.

One breath... two breaths... five breaths... thirty breaths...

Sweat poured down Yun Che’s head like a downpour. His expression was slowly becoming painful as well.

Finally, the rush of abyssal dust slowed, and a pure black beam appeared in his palm.

The black beam was about one-sixth of a meter long and darker than even the darkest black. It was created from an unbelievable amount of abyssal dust and condensed into a single line. Its density and concentration was beyond anything that anyone could have imagined.

Once done, Yun Che flipped his palm around and fired the single beam into Yuchi Nanxing’s forehead. It flew right into his unguarded soul sea.

Li Suo did not make so much as a peep despite the insane sequence of actions Yun Che just took. She did not want to disturb him even a little.

When the final ray of black light vanished into Yuchi Nanxing’s forehead, Yun Che took a step backward and finally collapsed on his butt.

“Hah... hah...”

He panted heavily for a moment, but when he finally regained enough strength to lift his head, his eyes were savage, and a mad, wanton laugh burst out of his mouth, “Hahahahaha... ahahahahahaha...”

He slowly raised his arm—it was shaking from sheer exhaustion—pointed toward the slumbering Yuchi Nanxing, and said in the deep voice of the Fog Monarch, “Welcome to the Endless Fog, my noble...”

“Abyssal... ghost... knight!”

No one answered him. He did not need an answer.

Next to Yun Che, a formless white silhouette slowly manifested into view. She then raised a hand shining with white light and enveloped his body in a holy power that originated from ancient times. “You pushed yourself too far.”

“No,” Yun Che replied smilingly, “I just believed in myself that much.”

Yun Che’s depleted energies swiftly recovered thanks to Li Suo’s holy powers. However, Yun Che didn’t relax for too long before he stood up once more.

He waved his arm, and thick swathes of abyssal dust rolled forward once more.

“You—” Li Suo tried to stop him.

“Don’t stop me. Since I have ‘shown’ myself, I must see the last step through.”

As Yun Che strode forward, abyssal dust quickly engulfed his whole body. He said, “I am the successor of the Heretic God, Emperor Yun of the God Realm, and the Fog Monarch of the Endless Sea... I am not as fragile as you think I am!”

“...” Li Suo did not say anything. She simply let out a quiet sigh.

Meanwhile, the Profound Desert City was in chaos.

Two great abyssal knights had been dragged into the Endless Fog, and everyone was sure that they had perished under the Ancestral Qilin God’s claws. The profound practitioners of the Profound Desert City were either panicking, wailing in pain and sorrow, or escaping with all their might. Even more of them were still lost in the words of the Fog Monarch, unable to recover.

It was at this moment many cries of shock suddenly erupted from the west. When the people looked, they saw a sea of gray, deadly fog rolling toward them.

“This... this is...” Mo Xifeng stared blankly at the sky. Today had been an absolute nightmare practically from the beginning until the end.

The encroaching fog of death slowly came to a stop, and the Fog Monarch’s eyels appeared in the sky once more. He declared in a cold voice that would accept no rebuttal, “Mo Xifeng, this monarch saved your son’s life, bestowed you a gift, and even granted the entire Profound Desert Realm my protection, but you betrayed my trust and even assisted the Pure Land’s ambush attempt with my gift!”

Mo Xifeng felt as if all of his strength had departed his body as he collapsed on his knees, wailing, “There is no one in this world who would dare to disobey the Pure Land’s order, Fog Monarch...”

Suddenly, he paused and did not try to defend himself further. Instead, he bowed his head powerlessly and said, “Forget it. Whatever my reasons may be, it is true that I have bitten the hand that saved me. Whatever your punishment may be, I... will accept it without any grievances.”

The Fog Monarch’s next words chilled everyone to their core. “This monarch dislikes wanton killing, but that does not mean He will allow the living to push Him around as they please!”

“This monarch will grant you ten breaths. Leave the Profound Desert Realm during this time.”

“Ten breaths later, there shan’t be a Profound Desert Realm in this world any longer!”

“...!?” Mo Xifeng lifted his head in shock and terror.

It was at this moment two silhouettes were flung out of the thick fog of abyssal dust. They were none other than the battered and unconscious Yuchi Nanxing and Bai Yu.

“Commander! Sir knight!” The seven panicking squires immediately rushed over to catch their comrades.

It was at this moment Mo Xifeng finally realized what was about to happen and shot to his feet. He turned around and roared, “Retreat! Retreat to the east! QUICK!!!”

One breath...

Two breaths...

.......

Five breaths...

......

Ten breaths!

Abyssal dust rolled across the entire Profound Desert Realm, and the tiny patch of Land of the Living was no more. Now, it was a land of death filled with abyssal dust.

The shocking news would quickly spread throughout the Abyss. They would all learn that the Endless Fog had suddenly expanded an entire two hundred and fifty kilometers and engulfed a realm once called the Profound Desert Realm. The resting ground of the profound practitioners was now just another part of the Endless Fog.

......

This time, Yun Che really was utterly exhausted.

He made no attempts to recuperate his strength, however. Instead, he fell between the Abyssal Qilin God’s scales and allowed it to carry him to the inner regions of the Endless Fog post haste.

Li Suo reappeared and used light divine power to heal his overtaxed body. “What’s the hurry?”

Yun Che took a few mouthfuls of air before he finally responded, “The Fog Monarch’s appearance today is unlike any other. When the contents of those Profound Imagery Stones are spread, the entire Abyss including the Pure Land and the Kingdoms of God will face turmoil unlike any other.”

“That is why I need to return to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God as soon as possible. I must sever even the slightest possibility that someone might connect me to the Fog Monarch.”

Li Suo replied, “I don’t think that is possible. On one hand, you have the enigmatic Fog Monarch who roams the Endless Fog. On the other hand, you have the Dreamweaver Divine Son who has returned to the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God and resided there for some time. There is just no way anyone has any reason to connect the two of you together. Your actions seem completely unnecessary.”

“You are right, but it’s better to be safe than sorry,” Yun Che answered between pants. “Besides, I’m doing this because of Hua Qingying. Don’t forget that she was present during the first appearance of the ‘Fog Monarch’ and the Acestral Qilin God.”

“If I am ‘obviously’ in the Dreamweaver Kingdom of God during the Fog Monarch’s stunning appearance, she can be a million times more paranoid than she is, and she would never connect me and the Fog Monarch.”

What else could Li Suo say? He was alone and without help in this world. His goal was to battle against the entire Abyss. He did not even have the leeway to fail. That was why he was impossibly and excessively cautious.

“Are you sure the ‘abyssal core’ you installed in the abyssal knight will remain undetected?” She asked another question.

“I’m sure,.” Yun Che answered with absolute certainty. “Abyssal dust has always been an element that transcends the planes; an existence that was impossible to perceive with one’s divine perception. What the people really thought they detected was the impediment and annihilation abyssal dust wrought to one’s life aura and soul aura.”

“Therefore, so long as the ‘abyssal core’ in his soul doesn’t go out of control, the chances that anyone, even the abyssal knight himself, would detect it are next to nil.”

Li Suo’s voice softened. “Still, you have pushed yourself too much. Why didn’t you wait a couple years longer? Your mastery of abyssal dust and the abyssal beasts would have matured and grown by leaps and bounds then. You wouldn’t need to tax yourself like this.”

Yun Che slowly shook his head. “It’s been a year since I’ve built up the Fog Monarch. This is about the period the Pure Land is beginning to suspect something, but no further.”

“In my estimation, the Pure Land was supposed to dispatch abyssal knights already. The appearance of this knight commander, while only a little, is outside of my estimate.”

“If I wait a couple more years, if I allow that suspicion and wariness to build up into true attention... then the one I would face would probably not be a knight commander, but a High Priest.”

“In that case, there is absolutely nothing I could do to fix the situation.”