Sage Monarch

Yang Qi looked around at the vast second floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

Even working at top speed, it would take him anywhere from three to five years just to look through everything. And that wasn't even factoring in the time spent deciphering all the information.

Before he had a chance to start reading again, the medallion in his hand suddenly flickered with light.

Bai Yin's medallion also flickered.

"Come on," Bai Yin said, "someone just entered the pavilion. We have a chance to get some gifts." He beckoned at Yang Qi, looking very much like a scammer who had just locked eyes on a rich target.

They walked out from the bookshelves into a wide hall filled with prayer mats. It was large enough to hold tens of thousands of people, and was obviously a place where the disciples could study books and seek enlightenment.

A group of a few dozen people had just entered.

Upon seeing Bai Yin and Yang Qi, one of them said, "We're here to study in the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion. We want to pay for six hours of study time."

"I'm sorry, ladies and gentlemen," Bai Yin replied coolly. "According to the rules, disciples aren't allowed to enter inside. You can read quietly here in the reading room. Just tell us what kind of books you'd like and we'll bring them out to you."

A man stepped forward, looked down his nose at Bai Yin, and snorted coldly. "I heard you Scripture Pavilion people have a habit of making things hard for other disciples. I guess it's true. But the Great Classic of God Ordainment doesn't say anything about the supposed rules you just mentioned. Therefore, you have to let us inside. According to the regulations, we can look at any books we want as long as we don't take them outside."

"Well, that's true," Bai Yin replied casually. "But we still have to make sure that no one makes too much noise or damages any books. With a group as large as yours, it would be easy for someone to slip a book out, and then we would be held responsible. So it's simple. You stay here, and we'll bring you the books you want!" As he spoke, he pulled out a jade plaque inscribed with complex designs. "It'll be five merit points each, and the limit is ten books per person."

"So you want a bribe, huh?" another disciple said. "Fine, I have some godnotes that—"

"No, don't give them anything," said their leader, smiling coldly. "We aren't going to support pigs like this. They sit around all day reading whatever ancient records they want. Meanwhile, we work ourselves to the bone to get the merit points we need to study here. And now they're making things deliberately hard on us? I think I'm just going to walk right in and see what they do about it!"

With that, he strode toward the entrance.

"Back the fuck down!" Bai Yin shouted, and all of a sudden a white beam of light swirled out and wrapped around the entire group in front of them.

The other disciples were ready, though, and thrust their palms out as they unleashed all sorts of martial disciplines, energy arts, and godpower. Unfortunately, their efforts were useless. The white light shattered their techniques and plopped them down onto prayer mats, simultaneously rendering them completely immobile.

Then, Bai Yin reached out and grabbed the godnotes the disciple had been about to give him. Counting them out, he found there were twenty. Giving half to Yang Qi, he said, "Brother, you go get the books they need. Ten each. Find records about how to form godhood. Meanwhile, I'm going to teach a lesson to these poorly behaved fools."

The leader of the small group of disciples was furious. He had believed his cultivation base to be extraordinary, only to be easily defeated and sealed by Bai Yin. "Y-you," he spluttered, "my Master said—"

"Shut your mouth!" Bai Yin snapped. "Disturbances aren't allowed in the Scripture Pavilion!" Bai Yin waved his hand, causing godpower to form into a paper talisman that he slapped onto the disciple's head, making it impossible for him to speak.

Yang Qi clicked his tongue in amazement at how domineering Bai Yin was.

Entering the Scripture Pavilion, he collected a group of random books to give to the disciples. Placing the books in front of their various prayer mats, he said, "Please, take a look."

The furious disciples were still immobile, and could only struggle to use their divine will to look at the contents of the books.

"Let's go," Bai Yin said. "When they're finished reading, my White Prism Manacles will release them and send them out."

"Alright!" Yang Qi said. It was a bit amusing to see Bai Yin deal with the disciples in this way. If things went like this every day, he could only imagine how profitable this position would be.

Six hours later, the White Prism Manacles released the disciples, who hurried away. As for the books they had been reading, they flew back into the Scripture Pavilion and returned to their places on the shelves on their own.

At the bottom of the mountain, the group of disciples glared back up at the Scripture Pavilion, and one of them even suggested going back to cause a scene. However, the leader said, "Forget about it. Let's chalk this one up to a loss. But we're not going to forget what happened. Bai Yin is going to get his comeuppance eventually. Come on, let's go."

However, that was when the voice of a woman reached their ears. "Hmph! You're still thinking of getting revenge on Bai Yin? I advise you to put such thoughts to rest. Do you think that just because he hasn't reached godly ascension, you're a match for him?"

A fair-faced woman appeared behind them, clad in a light yellow garment, her hair bound with a phoenix hairpin. When the disciples saw her, none of them dared to say anything out of line.

"Hello, Elder Sister Xue!"

"Leave. And remember, don't bother Bai Yin. It's for your own good. He might not seem impressive, but he's wildly ambitious. Provoke him and you'll end up dead, one way or another."

"Yes, yes of course. We understand, Elder Sister Xue."

The disciples hurried away.

Elder Sister Xue then walked right into the second floor of the Scripture Pavilion.

"Aha!" Bai Yin exclaimed when he saw her. "Well, if it isn't Elder Sister Xue. Might I ask why you keep spending so many merit points to look at the books on this floor? Why not go to the third floor?"

Elder Sister Xue chuckled. "What. Don't tell me you're fishing for a bribe, Bai Yin."

"I wouldn't dare!" Bai Yin replied. "Anyone who dares to ask for a bribe from Elder Sister Xue would clearly be suicidal. By the way, allow me to introduce Yang Qi. He's new around here. He's a friend of the newly famous Jadefall, and he's no slouch.

"Yang Qi, hurry up and offer greetings to Elder Sister Xue. She's the founder of the Snow Society, and although she isn't a god, she could easily slaughter a Lesser God. She could reach godly ascension at any time, and probably go all the way to the Common God level. No one with a godhood rating of less than ten could possibly stand up to her."

"Well met, Elder Sister Xue," Yang Qi said, nodding. Obviously, she was another formidable figure who wanted to wait until she reached the Paramount level before becoming a god.

Elder Sister Xue looked Yang Qi up and down, and was visibly surprised. "You're a friend of Jadefall? Her cultivation base is amazing. But what's even more amazing is that pet of hers. It's completely invincible, and no one knows exactly what it is. In any case, you seem to be quite amazing in your own right."

Casually reaching out as if to caress Yang Qi, she said, "Come. Let Elder Sister test out your cultivation base."

"You flatter me, Elder Sister. My cultivation base is average at best." Yang Qi was actually quite taken aback. Her casual gesture was actually so profound that it targeted all of the major acupoints on his body, making it impossible to dodge. It was obviously a martial discipline filled with stolen good fortune of heaven and earth.

In response, he simply extended two fingers such that if she continued moving her hand toward him, her palm would be stabbed through.

"Not bad," she said. Her hand shifted directions, cutting an arc through the air as she changed the target of her blow to the Greater Yang acupoint on his temple.

Unfortunately for her, she suddenly realized that Yang Qi's fingers had shifted and were already in the path of her hand.

Eyes glittering, she shifted to another technique that encompassed both yin and yang, her five fingers acting as the five phases. Her hands flowed through hundreds of various moves, a dazzling display that seemed both as slow as a turtle and as fast as lightning. In fact, most people who watched her movements would likely cough up blood.

Yet no matter what she did, Yang Qi would casually adjust to meet her, his two fingers always waiting. It was as if he were trying to tire her out.

Bai Yin watched, nodding in admiration at how unexpectedly formidable Yang Qi was. The truth was that Bai Yin and Elder Sister Xue were both extraordinary people who wanted to eventually form monarch godhood. Few people could possibly evade their wrath, not even Lesser Gods, much less people who hadn't reached godly ascension.

Who could have guessed that another person such as them would suddenly appear?

"That's enough," Elder Sister Xue said, retracting her attack. "I almost can't believe you're this strong. I could even defeat Jadefall, at least, without her pet involved. But you're stronger than her. Why weren't you taken as an apprentice when you became an official disciple? Could it be that you have some secrets you don't want let out?"

Yang Qi laughed heartily. "Very clever of you, Elder Sister Xue. I can see that, just like me, you want to reach the Paramount level before godly ascension, and form monarch godhood. Perhaps we could pool our efforts in that regard?"

The fact that she was the leader of the so-called Snow Society reminded Yang Qi of his old days in the Demi-Immortal Institute, when he led the Sage Monarch Society and had to deal with people like the Five Lightnings Society, Divine Ability Society, and of course, the Crown Prince Society.

Apparently, the House of God Ordainment had a similar arrangement of factions.

"Are you interested in joining my Snow Society?" she asked. "I can help you with whatever goals you have. Bai Yin, tell him who my Master is."

Bai Yin laughed. "Elder Sister Xue's Master is a Consummate God! Although, I have the feeling that Brother Yang Qi is the free and unfettered type who likes to do his own thing. Sort of like me."