Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

This very strange voice spoke without the slightest scruple, and was clearly besmirching the dignity of the Sage Monarch planetary system.

The speaker implied that he would pursue them into the kingdom in the Hell of Mahānata, if necessary, which was an outright threat. That kingdom was Yang Qi’s last line of defense, and if anyone encroached on it, blood would flow and heaven and earth would crumble.

Yang Qi rose to his feet and opened his Lord's Eye, sending out a pulsing beam of dazzling light.

The first supreme rector who the light touched let out a surprised yelp. All of a sudden, he felt like he was completely transparent, as if he were made of glass or crystal. His five viscera, blood vessels, and everything else inside of him was clearly visible. The true energy in his meridians could be seen pulsing to his sea of energy, and the minor world that existed inside him was also clearly visible, including all of the treasures and powers it contained. All of his secrets were completely laid bare.

In fact, anyone who studied the true energy seeds within him, and the paths of power, would be able to learn his techniques and weaknesses.

“How could this be happening!?” he murmured. Just as he was thinking of fighting back, he looked around and realized that all of the other supreme rectors were experiencing the same thing. No secrets could be kept in this moment. It was like they were all standing naked in front of Yang Qi. This move of his was something they couldn’t stand up to at all, and in fact, they could all sense that, if Yang Qi wanted to, he could ignite their true energy and turn them into human torches.

The supreme rectors as a group were so shocked that they nearly collapsed into unconsciousness.

Never before had anything like this happened to any of them.

There were some almighty individuals who drew on certain energy arts to try to repel the incursion. But all such attempts failed. After all, the Lord’s Eye was not just some magical technique. It could peer into chiliocosms of worlds, perceive the rotations of the universe, and witness all of the living beings therein. It could even see through aspects of time, and touched on matters pertaining to hyperdimensions.

In the briefest of moments, the Lord's Eye swept through the entire enormous plane, then through every inch of space, flowing like mercury into every nook and cranny.

However, that was when the strange and sinister voice continued, “You can’t find me, Yang Qi. Just forget about it. You’re not capable of dealing with the methods I employ. Those paltry energy arts of yours will never locate me. Don’t think that just because you wiped out the cannon fodder that was a fiendslave battalion that suddenly you’re some amazingly domineering figure. There are more immortal worlds than there are eternal grains of sand in the universe, and compared to them all, you’re less than an ant. And that’s not to mention those worlds that exist above the immortal worlds, the true realm of the gods.”

Considering how much he was being taunted, Yang Qi didn’t bother with any explanations or responses. “Show your face!”

He flicked his finger and a tiny spark of flame flew out, which pierced into a certain aspect of space, shattering it. Instantly, everything seemed to slow down, but then a moment later, speed up. It pulsed in a strange, nearly sickening fashion that left everyone present feeling dizzy.

“Wheel of Fate: Void Trajectory.” He extended his hand and splayed his fingers, each of which erupted with a shaft of god light that stabbed deeply into the void.

RIIIIP!

It was impossible to say who was in that hyperdimension pocket, but Yang Qi was ripping them out into the open, forcibly teleporting them into the space-time he occupied.

“Detonate!”

Space-time exploded and a figure became visible, tall with broad shoulders, clad in brocade robes. He was young, with sword-like eyebrows and eyes that glittered like stars. He held a folding fan in his hand, crafted from gold and jade, which emanated an air of deathless godliness. Unexpectedly, it was a god item!

He seemed to have fused with it, allowing him to float effortlessly within the void, completely outside of the detection of anyone else in the normal world.

“W-what… what type of flame was that? It actually burned into a different space-time hyperdimension! It shattered the godliness of my Fan of Mists and knocked me out into the open!”

The young man couldn’t have looked more shocked, and clearly had no idea how Yang Qi had located him.

Upon hearing the young man’s words, one of the supreme rectors blurted, “Fan of Mists!? A god item!? Is this guy from that fabled holy land called the Misty Kingdom? That’s a planetary system that borders on being an immortal world! There are literally too many planetary systems in the mortal world to count. But there are a few who have existed since the most ancient of times and don’t adhere to any of the immortal worlds. And one of them is the Misty Kingdom.”

“That’s right. But there are hundreds of thousands of planetary systems between us and the Misty Kingdom. It would take years upon years to fly from there to here. What is this guy doing in the Sage Monarch planetary system? Did the news really travel that quickly?”

“The supreme leader of the Misty Kingdom has an incredible cultivation base, and is actually an immortal who never ascended to the immortal worlds. In fact, he doesn’t even need to: he found some ancient ruins that had a godrelic which enabled him to form an immortal body. He’s an ambitious schemer, and is so powerful that he's virtually invincible. He created his own immense planetary system with that godrelic he found, which allows him to defy the heavens above. Supposedly, he plans to convert his planetary system into an immortal world, with him as the ultimate ruler. I’ve heard stories about the Misty Kingdom ever since I was young, but it’s so far from here that I’ve never even seen someone from there. But here’s one of them now!”

Already, discussion was raging, and it seemed that just about everyone was impressed by this newcomer.

Although the young man was shocked, he quickly recovered. “That’s right, I'm Prince Mist from the Misty Kingdom, and I've long since stepped onto the boundless level of an immortal. I'm here to see exactly what you’re capable of, Yang Qi. If you have what it takes, I’d like to invite you to the Misty Kingdom to meet with my father and discuss matters pertaining to establishing nations! You offended an immortal world, and as such you will eventually suffer a dismal end. But my father has already established a planetary system that can rival the immortal worlds. If you want to do the same, we could be of much help. What do you think? Interested in working with us?”

Before Yang Qi could respond, Eldest Brother growled, “So, you’re Prince Mist from the Misty Kingdom! No wonder you know so much about me. Years ago, I was traveling through the Grand River planetary system when I ran into some Misty Kingdom troops, specifically one of your grand prince’s royal guards. As it turned out, they were willing to slaughter everyone in that planetary system just to get an immortal item. They were burning and pillaging everything in their path until I slaughtered them. Of course, I ended up being chased far and wide by you people afterward.”

The royal prince snorted, then coolly went on to say, “Looting and pillaging is a common thing in the mortal world. What gives you the right to stick your nose where it doesn't belong? You deserved to be executed for murdering people from the Misty Kingdom! That being said, you're pardoned of your crimes. Now, let’s return to the matter at hand. Yang Qi, do you agree to work with us? If not, it’s going to be hard to escape the punishment that's coming to you.”

“Junior Brother!” Eldest Brother said. “The Misty Kingdom is an enormous planetary system, and their supreme leader is capable of many things. He does indeed have a godrelic, and he intends to make his planetary system into an immortal world. However, I think it’s all wishful thinking. His kingdom is full of cruel, merciless people who never keep their word. You definitely can’t risk working with them.”

Prince Mist snarled, “Do you really want to get yourself killed, Mage Cloudwalker?”

RUMBLE!

Even as the words left his mouth, Yang Qi took a step forward, and spoke in a voice that filled the entire planetary system.

“You’re the person looking to get killed. You came to my territory uninvited and tried to be deliberately mystifying, even going so far as to threaten me. Then, after I unmasked you, you didn’t apologize. Instead, you went on to threaten my Eldest Brother. If you think I'm just going to let all that slide, you're sadly mistaken. If I don’t kill you right here and now, how could I ever convince all these people to join me and accept my system of laws? How could I convince them to give me their faith? Prepare to die.”

Without waiting for a response, he made a move, resorting to the Hand of the One God. Power erupted, including the dazzling works of nature, accompanied by holy hymns and psalms.

“You really do think too much of yourself!” the prince said. “Ladies and gentlemen, it’s clear this Yang Qi is a natural-born monster who isn't worth negotiating with! Were you listening just now? He openly said that he wants you to join him and accept his system of laws. He even wants your faith! He obviously doesn’t care about your planetary systems. So what are you waiting for? Unleash your power! It's better to be a broken piece of jade than an intact clay tile! In the end, all of you will bend the knee to the Misty Kingdom!”

One thing was for sure: this Prince Mist had a glib tongue and good arguments. Already, many of the supreme rectors were considering taking action.

Meanwhile, a stream of light that looked like a dragon-snake swirled around the prince and he dodged the Hand of the One God, then began speeding away in a blur. Apparently, he was trying to break free from Yang Qi’s territory.

“Where are you going?” Yang Qi said. “Do you really think your parlor tricks will protect you from me? You think you can just come and go as you please? What kind of a weakling do you think I am?”

The Wheel of Fate popped into being above Yang Qi, locking down on the god item fan and interfering with its functionality.

“That’s not going to work on me!” the prince said, snorting coldly. “Godly-class energy art: Void Mist Mountain and Sea Interstice!” In the blink of an eye, the prince turned into an illusory projection. Then he waved the fan out in front of him and a hurricane sprang up in the area, filled with the wailing of ghosts and weeping of gods. [1]

“The Breeze is Still; the Waves are Quiet!” Yang Qi smashed his palm down and the hurricane suddenly went as still as if it had been frozen.

“Deathless Godliness; Enter the Body; the Mists are Formless; Mountain and River Mirage! Watch and learn. This is my inherent formless divine ability!” A killing aura sprang up around the prince like a god dragon emerging from the water, piercing through all space to bear down directly on Yang Qi in a deadly attack.

1. I know interstice is not a very common word, so here’s the basic definition: an intervening space, a small narrow space or interval, an interval of time.