Sage Monarch

"On your knees immediately, Yang Qi!" Song Haishan shouted. "And explain your secrets right this instant! Otherwise, you'll regret it. Today, you're going to wish you were dead. Our Crown Prince Society is the most powerful organization in the whole continent, not just the Demi-Immortal Institute! We even have agents in the other institutes. If you offend us, then even if you run to the ends of the earth, you'll still end up dead. With death on the line, you have no options."

"You're nothing more than a dog, Song Haishan," Yang Qi said, waving his fingers at him dismissively, "and yet you dare to rave like that in my face? I already beat you once, and you're still out for revenge. Well, that's never going to happen. Not in this life, anyway. Your cousin Yun Hailan tricked me once, but that was a one-time thing. So forget any thoughts of trying to do anything to me."

"What did you just say?" Song Haishan growled, his eyes bulging. Suddenly, he waved his hand, causing a blade to appear, which was none other than an energy weapon.

It was a long, blood-stained saber that appeared to be the manifestation of an energy art that combined both righteous and wicked aspects.

It also thrummed with a royal aura; it was definitely a royal-class energy art.

"Ghost-Slaughtering Saber Art!" Song Haishan said, grinning viciously. "On this day, Yang Qi, you will get a taste of the consummate energy art that I have so painstakingly cultivated over the past few months in the Devil-Suppression Tower. I spent days and nights with devil-ghosts until I mastered this energy art and stepped into Lifeseizing. Now, I'll sacrifice you to my blade and—"

"Slow down," Jiang Fan interrupted. "Listen, Yang Qi. Don't be so stubborn. I'm giving you a chance here. Join the Crown Prince Society and hand over your secrets to atone for your crimes. If you push things too far, then I won't be able to do anything to save you. Presumably you're aware of the kind of punishments we inflict on criminals like you. You'll end up begging to die, only to be refused. As long as I don't kill you, the Demi-Immortal Institute will turn a blind eye to it. Don't think the institute will save you. For thousands of years, it's been that way. As long as no one dies, they don't care. At the most, I might end up locked up for a few decades, that's all."

What Jiang Fan said was true; the rules of the institute would not help Yang Qi in his current situation.

And the Crown Prince Society exercised incredible authority there.

Any non-affiliated students who ended up in a conflict with the Crown Prince Society would find that their own life or death wasn't in their own hands.

Of course, Yang Qi knew all that, and yet, was still confident in his situation. Looking coldly at Jiang Fan, he said, "Your name is Jiang Fan, right? You've done well in your cultivation it seems. You've been studying in the Demi-Immortal Institute for quite a few years, so I'm sure you've had plenty of chances to study the writings of the wise and holy men of the past. From generation to generation, the learned men of our institute have taught us to rid the world of devils and demons, console the common people, and bring peace to the lands. And yet here you are bullying fellow students, and using your power and position to try to steal from others. Considering that, what makes you different from the typical freakish hellion?"

"Shut your mouth!" Jiang Fan shouted, his face turning scarlet. With that, he let out a howl of rage that caused the clouds above to churn and collapse. "Who the hell do you think you are? I can't believe you're trying to lecture me!" The killing intent that filled his voice was clear. "Gu Fenxian, grab him! I'm going to personally soulsearch him and make sure he knows the true meaning of the word pain! By the time I'm done, he'll be mentally defective!"

"Yes sir, Elder Brother Jiang!" Gu Fenxian strode forward, glaring menacingly at Yang Qi. "I'm not sure why you would go and say something like that. Crazy maybe? Or maybe you think someone's going to come help you. I guess you're still under the impression the rules of the institute will keep you safe. In that case, I won't waste my breath any further. Time for you to see my immortal-immolating energy arts, the Painting of Immortal Immolation!"

Suddenly, a painting made of true energy sprang into being behind him.

It was much larger than the last time it had appeared outside the Academy of Sage Studies, and caused everything in the area to tremble. The power to immolate immortals swirled out of the painting and surrounded Gu Fenxian.

"Just die, will you?!" he said, waving his hand. Instantly, the Painting of Immortal Immolation swept forth and wrapped up Yang Qi.

However, in the same moment that Gu Fenxian made his move, so did Yang Qi.

His finger swept out like a sword, slicing through the air, and sending a boundless stream of sword energy out.

It was sword energy like that belonging to the most consummate swordsman, a strike that could destroy even the most ancient mountains.

In the blink of an eye, the Painting of Immortal Immolation was completely ripped to shreds.

Before Gu Fenxian could react, his defensive true energy was shattered, and the sword energy entered his meridians. Instantly, he saw nothing but stars, and he began to cough up mouthful after mouthful of blood.

Next, an enormous arm of true energy appeared, the type that could pluck stars and snatch moons. Before he could react, it grabbed him by the neck and dragged him over to Yang Qi.

Before anyone could do a single thing, Gu Fenxian was captured by Yang Qi, so casually that it seemed to take no effort on his part.

As the true energy in the area died down, everyone looked over to see Gu Fenxian hanging in the air next to Yang Qi, as helpless as a baby chicken.

Behind Yang Qi were six enormous arms of true energy.

"You!" Gu Fenxian gurgled. He looked around at the arms of true energy, and then the humiliation in his heart grew so intense that he simply passed out.

However, even as he lost consciousness, Yang Qi sent some true energy into him, waking him back up. "Wake up, Gu Fenxian. Now that I've got you, you won't escape even if you tried to kill yourself. What do you think? You said you'd make me wish I were dead, but now, it looks like you'll be the one begging to die."

"Yang Qi…." Gu Fenxian growled. He almost felt like he was going crazy. "I'm a young lord of the Gu Clan, one of its top talents! How dare you humiliate me! You're making an enemy of my entire clan! Do you know what that means?"

Before Yang Qi could reply, Jiang Fan said, "Let Gu Fenxian go." The shock in his eyes was visible. "I seriously could never have guessed that you would be this strong. You actually beat Gu Fenxian with a single move. So that's why you've been acting so arrogant, huh. But do you really think that such paltry strength gives you the right to be arrogant to the Crown Prince Society as a whole? Fine. I guess I'll have to personally take you down a notch!"

As he spoke, his true energy began to roil, and a violent aura spread out from him.

As it did, the entire plain went completely silent, and a massive energy field spread out, with Jiang Fan being at the center.

"Back up, everyone! Elder Brother Jiang Fan is about to make a move. There's no way Yang Qi can fight back against this. Elder Brother Jiang Fan cultivates the Starry River Zodiac Cyclone Art! Once he unleashes it, the fluctuations will reach a distance of fifty kilometers! It will even break through mountains!"

"I can't believe this little punk forced Elder Brother Jiang Fan to personally make a move! You hardly ever see him in action!"

"Isn't Elder Brother Jiang Fan worried about hurting Gu Fenxian? I'd say there's a high likelihood Gu Fenxian won't get out of this unharmed."

"Nah. Elder Brother Jiang Fan knows his stuff. Besides, if Gu Fenxian gets killed, the blame will all be on Yang Qi."

"That's true. Yang Qi is going to need to keep Gu Fenxian safe. If he gets hurt or killed, the institute will definitely punish him."

Instantly, the other students from the Crown Prince Society began to back up.

Song Haishan joined them, all the while thinking, 'How did this animal Yang Qi get so strong? Not even my painstaking cultivation has pushed me to the point of being able to deal with him? He can't be left alive! Thankfully, Jiang Fan has made a move. If he can capture him, then I'll have my chance to kill him eventually.'

The hatred and killing intent in his heart had reached such a high level that he had to hold back from lunging forward and cutting Yang Qi down where he stood.

Jiang Fan looked like a devil-god hovering in midair. "Bring it on, Yang Qi! Let me see how strong this energy art of yours is, and—"

"You really talk a lot of crap," Yang Qi said, eyes flickering. Suddenly, he attacked, moving with such incredible speed that no one present could track him with their eyes.

He was like a ghost-god emerged from the netherworld, spear in hand.

One strike destroyed Jiang Fan's energy field, and then instantly absorbed all of the true energy.

And then, Yang Qi was in front of him.

Before Jiang Fan even realized what was happening, Yang Qi's palm smashed into his chest.

BOOOOM!

He was a powerful Quaternary Lifeseizer, the famous Elder Brother Jiang Fan. And yet a single palm strike sent him flying down to slam into the grass below.

Thump.

Yang Qi dropped out of the air and landed on top of him, stomping onto his face with his foot.

Jiang Fan was still too stunned to react, and was shoved down into the dirt, temporarily unable to even breathe.

"Like I said, you really talk a lot of crap, Jiang Fan. It bored me so much I decided to just shut you up. Well, you wanted to see how strong I am. What do you think?" Yang Qi reined in all of his true energy, making himself look like nothing more than an ordinary person with no energy arts. And yet, that only made him seem even more terrifying than before.

Gu Fenxian plopped onto the ground some distance away, trembling violently, hardly able to accept what he was seeing. The seemingly heavenly Elder Brother Jiang Fan had been defeated with a single move, and hadn't even been able to fight back. Not even his energy field had been able to stand up to Yang Qi. It was simply unbelievable.

"Impossible!" one of the other students shrieked.

They had all been preparing to watch Jiang Fan crush Yang Qi, only to see Yang Qi defeat him with a single move, and then stomp him down into the dirt below. It was a level of strength that they simply couldn't comprehend.

Only one move, and Jiang Fan was completely and utterly defeated. How strong was this Yang Qi?

As for Song Haishan, his thoughts were in such chaos that he felt numb.

'Not good! I have to get out of here!'

That was the only thing he could think of at the moment. However, just as he turned to leave, a blast of true energy smacked him to the ground, and then an arm of true energy pinned him down, leaving him in the same position as Jiang Fan and Gu Fenxian.

"Song Haishan, you're such a weakling that I could kill you a hundred times over with the mere flick of a finger." Pointing around at the other students, he said, "Nobody's allowed to leave. Anybody who tries will be buried here."