Sage Monarch

Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.

Even as the experts from the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect conferred, several beams of scintillating light pierced through the dome of heaven, heading in their direction and pulsing with powerful auras.

Then, a group from another sect appeared in their vicinity.

Cackling laughter rang out, and a voice said, "The Will Manifestation Heaven Sect is joining this assembly? What an utter joke! Aren't you weaklings worried that you might get expelled for being so useless?"

There were a few dozen of these newcomers, and they quickly arranged themselves in formation around the force from the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect.

Looking around, Yang Qi saw that they were all Terrifying experts. Their leader wore yellow garments and had his hands clasped behind his back, making him look like the kind of arrogant person who looked down on all creation. Furthermore, his energy arts were clearly the type that could shake the heavens, topple the earth, and cause dead stars to rain down from above.

Although they were surrounded, the sectlord didn't show any sign of looking nervous. Expression placid, he projected a divine will message to Yang Qi that no one else could detect, "These people have been enemies of our sect for hundreds of millions of years. They're the Void-Trampling Immortal School. Although they call themselves an 'immortal school', most of their members follow the dao of devils. They go around killing and plundering, and are extremely vicious and evil. In the past, they've kidnapped disciples of our sect to use in experiments for their devil dao energy arts. There's no need at all to treat them respectfully. In fact, I expect that we'll finally resolve our grudge here at this assembly."

Yang Qi nodded coolly.

He could already sense the wretch energy on these people from the Void-Trampling Immortal School, which they did nothing to hide. Obviously they weren't even attempting to conceal the fact that they were evil people.

A particularly tall man in bright red clothing stepped forward. "Sectlord Will Manifestation, did you really think that you could stay safe by hiding out here like a turtle with its head in its shell? Why not step forward and resolve the enmity between our two sects?"

"Well if it isn't Li Immortal-Trampler," Peaklord Celestial said. "What are you so anxious for? Today is the sect assembly. Why not head into Destructionless Castle first, and worry about our issues later? There's no point in getting involved in deadly combat out here. You'd make both of us a laughingstock. Our Will Manifestation Heaven Sect and your Void-Trampling Immortal School have been at odds for hundreds of millions of years, so don't think that we're going to just forget about the countless disciples of ours you've killed, let alone our chief elders. We'll avenge them eventually."

"You're scared, aren't you?" said another of the experts from the Void-Trampling Immortal School. "It's a good thing you were waiting right here. Killing you in front of Destructionless Castle will be the perfect way to vent our frustrations."

"If you're really interested in dying, Li Immortal-Trampler, I can make your wish come true." From the look of it, the sectlord was just about to start fighting.

"Slow down," said the leader in yellow. Looking around at everyone present, he continued, "Sectlord Will Manifestation, we're not going to bully you in front of so many sects. I find it interesting that, of all the people you could have brought here today, you actually brought someone who isn't even in the Terrifying level. Aren't you worried about being made fun of?"

Obviously, he was referring to Yang Qi. The fact that he wasn't in the Terrifying level was very obvious, and it would naturally be something others would laugh at.

"What are you suggesting, Li Void-Trampler?" Sectlord Will Manifestation said, his face remaining an expressionless mask.

"One on one!" replied Li Void-Trampler, who was actually the leader of the entire Void-Trampling Immortal School. "You have seven people, we have seven people. Let's have a little fight, right here, right now. Those destined to live will live, those doomed to die will die. Do you dare to accept?"

"Why wouldn't I?" the sectlord replied with a smile. "You're getting more and more arrogant, Li Void-Trampler. But don't worry. If heaven wants you dead, it will first drive you mad. So. How exactly do you want to run this little competition?"

Li Void-Trampler didn't say anything in response, but gave a meaningful look to one of his nearby disciples instead, a man clad in a white suit of armor, with a long silver spear in his hands.

At first, the armored man's eyes locked onto Zi Qiong, but then they went wide when he realized that she was an Inheritor. Obviously, that would make her a very tough opponent. Turning, he pointed at Jadefall with his spear and said, "Hey, hottie. Care to come out and have some fun with me? I won't hurt you. I'll just make you my concubine! That'll be far better than being in a crappy group like the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect."

Even as the words left his mouth, he sent a stream of energy from his spear toward Jadefall.

Purr, purr....

Jadefall had been just about to step forward. But before she could, the piglet-like purrling she was holding in her arms apparently sensed the hostility of an enemy. Eyes opening, it spat out a bubble.

Although the bubble seemed to drift along slowly, it actually moved with incredible speed. In one one-trillionth of a moment, it surrounded the man with the spear, sealing him tightly.

"Aaaiiiieee!" he screamed, and everyone could tell that his true energy was completely suppressed.

"Not good!" Three of the other disciples immediately lunged forward and attacked the bubble.

However, none of their attacks did a single thing. The bubble simply absorbed their attacks and redirected them to the disciple with the spear.

"ARGGGHHHH!"

In the blink of an eye, he was pierced through by the countless attacks. Then, his head slumped over and he lay still.

Everyone could see that he was completely dead! Utterly and thoroughly without life!

Although he had only been an early Terrifying expert, that was still a force of incredible power. For all intents and purposes, he was eternally indestructible. Of course, that was relatively speaking. Even the mighty Sovereign Lord could be destroyed, much less a puny Terrifying entity.

"Damn you, demoness!"

"Die!"

Disciples rushed toward Jadefall from several angles, yet the result was downright astonishing to all of the onlookers, including disciples from other superpower sects who had stopped to see what was happening.

Purr. Purr....

The pink purrling spat out more bubbles, and in the blink of an eye, all of the incoming disciples were stuck.

They all unleashed extremely powerful energy arts, yet not a single one of them could escape.

They began screaming in fear as they realized how dangerous of a situation they were in.

"Dammit, what is that thing!?" said the sectlord of the Void-Trampling Immortal School. Unable to just sit back any longer, he took action, using one hand to send scorching flames out to hit the bubbles, and the other to grab the purrling.

Simultaneously, he flicked his fingers, causing several powerful streams of energy to shoot out toward the other enemies present. The finger attacks seemed soft and gentle, and in fact, were nearly invisible. But everyone could sense that they contained a boundless power that could inundate one's soul and sea of consciousness.

"Watch out!" said Sectlord Will Manifestation, shooting to his feet. "That's a consummate art from the Void-Trampling Immortal School, the Thirteen Soul-Hooking Fingers! Every one of them is powerful enough to snatch souls from heaven, earth, hell, the dao of immortals, and even the god world!"

Instantly, he unleashed a host of palm strikes.

He was profoundly aware that once Li Void-Trampler unleashed an attack, it would be extremely dangerous. Although Yang Qi and Zi Qiong could likely defend themselves from it, Emperor Heart-Celestial and Jadefall definitely couldn't.

However, this was when something even more shockingly unbelievable happened.

Purr. Purr....

The pink purrling spat out another series of bubbles, which wrapped around all of the incoming finger attacks. The energy of the attacks turned into what appeared to be devils made of true energy, like beings from the depths of hell out to harvest souls of fallen gods from the god world. However, upon being trapped inside the bubbles, they were made completely powerless.

In the following moments, all of the bubbles merged together to create one larger composite bubble. Then the larger bubble suddenly shot toward Li Void-Trampler like lightning. He dodged and evaded, but all such efforts were in vain, as he was ultimately gobbled up by the bubble. Inside, he stared around with furious eyes at the burning ghostfire that surrounded him.

Unfortunately for him, he was completely incapable of extricating himself.

Next, hair-raising screams rang out as the disciples trapped in the other bubbles died. It was impossible to say exactly what sort of power was killing them, but regardless, it left Yang Qi with his hair standing on end. What exactly was this purrling?

The bubble display in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart hadn't been nearly as formidable as this, yet it had taken the strength of nine bulls and two tigers for him to escape. He had even been forced to use the Sovereign Lord's Holy and Far-Reaching Consummate Omnicurse and the True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body, combined with the external force of the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart.

However, it was now apparent that the purrling knew he was Jadefall's friend, and perhaps even knew he had funneled power into the original godspore. Perhaps the purrling had used the bubble on him more as a game than anything.

In contrast, the purrling could tell that the threat from the Void-Trampling Immortal School was deadly in nature, and had fought back with bubbles that were ten times stronger than what Yang Qi had experienced.

Meanwhile, Li Void-Trampler unleashed a bevy of palm strikes, fist strikes, and kicks, and also unleashed a host of god items. None of them did any good. Furthermore, his defensive empyrean energy was being worn away by the effects of the bubble.

Not even a top sect leader could deal with these bubbles.

He was a famous individual who could rebuke heaven and earth, but now he was trapped in a bubble. The people watching the scene play out could hardly believe their eyes. They looked over at the pink purrling, but of course, none of them had any idea what it was or where it came from, and all of them were wondering how it could be so amazing.

Finally, Li Void-Trampler began to scream and plead. "Spare me! I don't want to die! Let me out of this bubble! I admit defeat. We'll submit to the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect. Hurry and free me."

To see a top sect leader like him wagging his tail and begging for pity left everyone feeling shocked to the core.

1. This expression of "if heaven wants you dead, it will first drive you mad" has actually come up in the story before, or at least variations of it have, and I've translated it in different ways. After doing some more research, I found that it's apparently an expression from the ancient world. Sometimes it's attributed (apparently wrongly) to Herodotus or Euripides. There are many variations, .