Sage Monarch

Everyone in the audience knew that this particular saber strike from Young Master Ling Tian would determine victory or defeat. And the reason for that was because everyone recognized the move.

It was the very same stance he had used to decapitate Iron Boxer, cut Iron Falcon in half, and cut down Iron Monarch. None of them had been able to survive that particular saber strike, much less block or evade it.

From the look of it, that move was just impossible for anyone to deal with, and could be used to defeat any opponent.

'I wonder who will win and who will lose.'

That was what everyone was wondering. The truth was that few people had a very good impression of Yang Qi. Although they were impressed by the purrling, and the fact that he had the support of the Woodfern Couple Palace, it was common knowledge that he had been defeated by Bastard Seacliff with a single blow. He had even coughed up blood. And considering that Young Master Ling Tian was on the same tier as Bastard Seacliff, how could they believe that Yang Qi would be able to fight him?

Of course, the fighting so far had changed many minds. The fact that Yang Qi had actually gone back and forth with Young Master Ling Tian seemed to indicate that perhaps he was a lot stronger than everyone realized.

It was a saber strike that seemed to both weep and rejoice at the same time. It was like the rebuke of a lover, the chant of a young woman, or the murmur of a dreaming child. It seemed to surpass the limits of all saber techniques, telling such a perfect story that anyone upon whom the saber light shone would be killed, transcending reality and being freed from worldly worries.

It was a saber strike of extirpation.

Buzzzz.

Saber light shone, creating a host of flickering nimbuses. Then the saber rose up into the air again.

Initially, no one could tell what had just occurred. But as they craned their necks to observe the platform, they realized that Yang Qi had simply lifted his arm to stop the movement of the saber. Then he just pushed the saber away from him.

Various expressions flashed across Young Master Ling Tian's face as he dispelled the saber, which was a mere manifestation of magical laws. "Brother Yang Qi, many thanks for holding back just now. I'm not even close to being a match for you. The truth is that you could defeat me with a single blow if you wanted to, but instead, you gave me some face by drawing the fight out. If you become the league-lord, I'll follow you without the slightest hesitation."

Without another word, he walked off of the platform and sat down off to the side.

He could have left, but was instead waiting to see how the rest of the fighting would play out.

Now that Yang Qi had vanquished Young Master Ling Tian, everyone realized how formidable he was. And many an unsightly expression could be seen on the faces of the people from the Genesis Sanctum.

Everyone knew about the tensions between the two major sects, and the fact that Yang Qi had the support of the Woodfern Couple Palace wasn't lost on the crowd. If he became the league-lord, then benefited from the blessing of vital energy, it would be a big blow to the Genesis Sanctum.

Even as Yang Qi stood on the platform and prepared to address the crowd, a beam of black sword light suddenly appeared, flashing out from the depths of the crowd accompanied by sinister laughter.

"You killed a lot of experts from our Royal Palace of Assassins, Yang Qi. Now we're about to see if you can hold your spot on that fighting platform!"

The sword light was as black as the darkest night, and as it reached Yang Qi, it turned into something like a black dragon, pulsing with a noxious aura that seemed filled with poison.

"A hypertoxic god sword!"

"A blade of a poison god!"

"Everyone on the Ancient Road to the Gods would shiver in fear if that sword appears. According to the stories, it's a god item left behind by the king of poison gods. It can turn any area into a hypertoxic kingdom that can kill even gods."

Many expressions of surprise could be seen in the audience.

However, Yang Qi didn't seem the least bit fazed. He curled his fingers into a shape that resembled a lotus, and reached out to meet the toxic sword light. The light slammed into him over and over again, until he was surrounded by a haze of darkness that was a toxic miasma.

However, that was when a boundless energy art took effect.

The toxic energy suddenly burst into flames! How could some god of poisons possibly deal with the True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body and the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth?

Yang Qi wasn't in the mood to show the least bit of mercy. Reaching out with fingers curled into hooks, he latched onto a hidden figure and dragged him out into the open. It was a black-garbed man, who subsequently turned and tried to flee. Before he could, Yang Qi clenched his hand into a fist, and the man's head exploded. Then Yang Qi shoved his hand out, and the man's body was crushed into a smear of gore on the platform.

Unfortunately, it was obvious that the man in black had been a mere puppet under the control of some far more powerful entity, a tool of assassination aimed at Yang Qi.

"The Royal Palace of Assassins is full of nothing but trash!" Yang Qi flicked his finger, sending out a stream of true flame that wiped the smear of gore out of existence. "When I have the time, I'll wipe out every last wretch-devil from the place."

When everyone saw him easily dispatch the hypertoxic sword without even being hurt, they were shocked to realize that his energy arts were even more profound than they had assumed.

"Mother, Father," Mu Yexi said quietly, "how strong is this guy? Was he just running his mouth before, or is he really that powerful?"

"He's powerful," Mu Renwang said. "In fact, I can't believe he's reached this level. I can't even get a read on him. The move he used to beat Young Master Ling Tian was exquisite. And he just used a very vicious daoist technique to cut down the expert from the Royal Palace of Assassins. It looks as though he hasn't even used his Unspoiled Body yet. His cultivation base is definitely at the level of being able to beat mid Terrifying opponents!"

"If that's the case," Su Xin said, "doesn't it mean we won't be able to control him?"

"It doesn't matter. Look at the expression on Huangfu Genesis' face. You can tell how much he hates Yang Qi; he'll obviously do anything in his power to deal with him. So why should we waste any effort on it?"

"True," Mu Yexi said. "Although, I can't help but wonder what the junior pontiff is currently saying to Huangfu Genesis."

The junior pontiff was indeed whispering into his father's ear.

"Father, how could this brat be so strong now? Did the Woodfern Couple Palace really help him that much?"

"There's no way. How could the Woodfern Couple Palace be that incredible? I know exactly how strong that adulterous couple is. If they had the ability to make someone this strong, they would've used it on that daughter of theirs, not a stranger. It seems to me this boy is strong enough to fight a mid Terrifying expert. We can't afford to underestimate him. If he becomes the league-lord, it's going to be an unmitigated disaster for us. I have other people on my payroll who I thought would be useful, but now I think they'll be nothing more than cannon fodder. And where is Bastard Seacliff? Why hasn't he made a move yet? Don't tell me he's gone into hiding."

"He said he needs to fuse with some sort of magical treasure," the junior pontiff said. "But I wouldn't be surprised if he's hiding out and just watching events unfold. He's the kind of person that's impossible to predict or control."

"Let's wait and see what happens. If Bastard Seacliff joins the fight, it'll be a battle between a dragon and a tiger. And if they hurt each other badly enough, we can probably swoop in and turn the situation to our advantage. Son, remember that you can't afford to underestimate all the heroes that exist out there. Don't assume that just because you have me on your side, you can match up to them. You're strong, but you can't be the league-lord. You're simply not on the same level as the true geniuses from the Ancient Road to the Gods. Even if I tried to bless you with power, you wouldn't be able to get strong enough for that."

"I just can't accept it, Father," the junior pontiff said with a scowl. "I know that whoever becomes the league-lord will be a puppet that will be under incredible pressure and will have to defend against attacks from all fronts. But I'm not scared! It's just too bad that there are so many experts out there vying for the spot."

"Later on, I'll help you take control from behind the scenes. The struggles of the Ancient Road to the Gods aren't important in the end. As long as you can reach godly ascension, you'll have true power." Huangfu Genesis' eyes shone with brilliant light as he stared at Yang Qi. "I'll think of a way to deal with this kid. Eventually, I'll take everything that belongs to him and give it to you. Even if he does become the league-lord, well, I've already planned for what to do when the blessing of power occurs...."

"What do you mean, Father? Did you finally gain enlightenment of the final passage of the Book of Genesis?"

"Of course. Just wait and see what I'm capable of now. Maybe this boy is as strong as a mid Terrifying expert, but he isn't actually in that level. His will is deficient, so if he tries to stand up to me, he'll be pulling a myriad of tribulations down onto his head!"

Meanwhile, Yang Qi stood there, having vanquished the expert from the Royal Palace of Assassins. And apparently, no one was willing to step forward and challenge him.

Clasping his hands behind his back, he said, "With all the heroes converged here today, is it really true that no one out there will challenge me? If not, I supposed I'm the league-lord."

"Very bombastic!" someone said.

A middle-aged man suddenly stepped out of nowhere. He had halos surrounding his head which were none other than primeval god skills, and he wore the clothing of a confucian scholar. He looked like a man of learning, yet his eyes were bright green, making him also look like some sort of fiend-devil.