Sage Monarch

Business had been booming for the Sage Monarch Consortium ever since Yang Qi plundered the Chaos Forge God-Shrine, taking thirteen crystal skulls that he refined with the God Legion Seal and his Unspoiled Body. With the spell formations he had inscribed with them, they pulsed with the power of godmammoths, and could easily unleash the power of an early Consummate God.

The skulls were even more impressive considering that they were created by the undying will of countless almighty figures from the past, making them much better than average magical treasures. Most treasures could withstand assaults by ordinary energy, but not attacks of will.

For example, if Zhang Jufang were to rely on his other magical treasures, then if a Greater God came along with Paramount will, he would be in real trouble without the skull. But with the skull, he would be able to defend himself.

With it, he could slaughter any enemy under the level of a Consummate God.

Consummate Gods were considered luminaries in the god world, and were usually ambitious and ruthless figures that no one would dare to cause problems for.

Because of that, the Sage Monarch Consortium was able to peddle its medicinal ingredients without the slightest scruple. They were also able to fence stolen goods brought to them by the Demonfolk, and even people from the dao of devils. It was for that reason that they had been butting heads with the Eternal-Life God-Dynasty. However, now that Yang Qi was a member of the Crown Prince Society, he was actually under the protection of the Eternal-Life God-Dynasty, and would be able to partake in plenty more shady business.

"Zhang Jufang, the time has come for me to help you with your cultivation base again. You're going to become a Common God!"

Yang Qi reached out and clamped his hand onto Zhang Jufang's head, who was kneeling in front of him. Power coursed into Zhang Jufang, causing his godhood to grow stronger, and his body tougher. It was actually the Sovereign Lord's Holy and Far-Reaching Consummate Omnicurse, which Yang Qi was using to baptize his godhood and remove impurities from it.

Ever since forming monarch godhood, Yang Qi's Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth and its associated energy arts had all transformed significantly.

As for the Sovereign Lord's Holy and Far-Reaching Consummate Omnicurse, it was getting closer and closer to the level it had been at when it was used by the Sovereign Lord himself.

Zhang Jufang kneeled there, a solemn and pious expression on his face as the power of the technique flowed through him. Impurities were forced out of him, almost like black liquid, which subsequently faded into nothing, having been absorbed into the void.

What was left behind was something far more pure than before, a godhood in which the dao of heaven itself swirled.

Zhang Jufang immediately started kowtowing. "Many thanks, Milord! Your benevolence knows no bounds, and I shall be eternally grateful!"

"Rise," Yang Qi said. "Within less than half a year, your energy arts will advance by leaps and bounds, and you'll reach the early Common God level. Remember to diligently cultivate the techniques I've imparted to you, and you'll do fine." Next, he gestured at the wooden-faced Summer Tearfall standing next to him. "Find a place in the Sage Monarch Consortium for this woman. She'll be an assistant of sorts to you. Got it?"

"I understand, Milord."

With that, Zhang Jufang hurried away.

Now, the only two left in the room were Yang Qi and Summer Tearfall. Seeing that her expression was as blank as ever, he said, "Were you born mute or something?"

A long moment passed, then she said, "Why didn't you drain me? My fate was to cultivate a technique that would result in me being drained. I don't care about anything anymore. Kill me. Torture me. Do whatever you want. My heart is dead, so what's the point of jabbering about it?"

"Your heart is dead?" Yang Qi laughed. "Your sect was destroyed, you were captured, and you were forced to cultivate a technique that would result in you being drained. That's it? What's there to sigh about? In the end, you weren't drained. Furthermore, you actually gained some godpower. I've given you a new life, and want you to work for me. As for your godpower and techniques, they aren't good for fighting, but I'll change that and make sure you can defend yourself. How about it?"

"Really?" she said, a bit of expression returning to her eyes. "Except, I'm not interested in having my godpower for fighting. I just want to be back the way I was before. By the way, my sect wasn't destroyed. The Eternal-Life God-Dynasty could never destroy the Nacrelight Sageland. So if you can just help me recover, and get me back home, then my gratitude will know no bounds."

"That should work," Yang Qi said. "I'd wanted you to help out in my Sage Monarch Consortium, but if you just want to go back to your sect, that's fine. I can find the kindness in my heart to help you."

"I know that you spent two hundred thousand godnotes to free me," Summer Tearfall said, "and I'll make sure that wasn't a waste. Once I'm back in the Nacrelight Sageland, I'll repay those godnotes. Okay?"

"That's fine. We'll treat it as a business transaction. If you want to pay me back, I'll accept. If you don't want to, it's no matter." Yang Qi waved his hand dismissively.

Summer Tearfall was visibly surprised at Yang Qi's nonchalant attitude. She also recalled how he had just helped his subordinate improve his godhood. After thinking about it for a moment, she couldn't help but ask, "Do you mind if I ask who exactly you are? Most people can't just casually pull out two hundred thousand godnotes."

"That's not really any of your business," he said. Then his hand snaked out and clamped onto the top of her head. "You have a warding spell in your sea of consciousness that makes it impossible to use your previous energy arts. I'll help you remove it. Then I'll convert your godpower into something of the pure void, and of primal-chaos. It won't take long until you're fully recovered and can leave to return to your Nacrelight Sageland. I'll also give you a protective talisman that will keep you safe, even if a Consummate God tries to cause trouble for you."

There was a flash of light, then Summer Tearfall sensed something like an explosion in her mind, whereupon everything about her changed. Once again, she became elegant, noble, and refined.

Nodding at what he was seeing, Yang Qi produced a golden talisman that resembled a swirling dragon, which he placed in her hand.

"You can use the talisman three times to escape from a Consummate God," he explained. "After the third time, it will vanish forever. Don't get involved in a fight with a Consummate God. Just run. The talisman isn't good for anything other than that. If you try using it to fight, you'll end up getting killed."

"If you can create a talisman to escape from a Consummate God, then that means you're no weaker than a Consummate God. You're definitely not an early Lesser God, so why are you pretending to be one?"

"Remember, curiosity can get even gods killed," Yang Qi said. "You and I are not on the same level, so you shouldn't be asking questions like that. Everyone has secrets, and prying at them is a good way to end up dead."

"I understand." Surprisingly, Summer Tearfall actually smiled. "Many thanks to you for saving me. I'll never forget the kindness you've shown me. When you have the time, come visit me in the Nacrelight Sageland and I'll do my utmost to entertain you."

"That's fine. Now, take your leave. And considering you have no money whatsoever, take these twenty thousand godnotes. That should cover your expenses on your way back to the Nacrelight Sageland." Yang Qi handed her the money, and she accepted, then gave him a profound look before turning and flying off into the distance.

'She wasn't telling the truth about who she is,' Yang Qi thought. 'I'd say it's highly likely she's actually someone very important from the Nacrelight Sageland. Now that I think about it, I remember reading about that place before.' Closing his eyes, he recalled the information he had gleaned from the Great Classic of God Ordainment.

'The Nacrelight Sageland is made up entirely of women. It's considered a very important church located on the distant Great Continent of Radiance.' As it turned out, the Nacrelight Sageland was a huge sect of similar size and scope to the House of God Ordainment, and had been in opposition to the Eternal-Life God-Dynasty for many years.

Not that Yang Qi cared about that. Saving Summer Tearfall was just planting a seed that may or may not bear fruit in the future.

As he sat there in the Sage Monarch Consortium, he summoned a bottle gourd, out of which flew nine jade boxes and a body.

They were items he had taken from the Chaos Forge God-Shrine, but hadn't yet had a chance to study thoroughly. Inside the nine jade boxes were nine flower petals, whose function he still hadn't identified. As for the body, it was that of a scholar, and he was also unsure of what it did.

In addition to these items, there was also a medicinal pill he had acquired that he was unsure about, as well as the markings he had observed on the ninth floor.

Of course, the wills of the top experts from those battle scars had been absorbed by his piece of the Mahātmā Jade and were inaccessible to him. So for now, all he had to work with were the flower petals and the scholar's body.

'Time to open the boxes and put the flower petals together!' Yang Qi waved his hand, sending some godpower into the boxes, resulting in the flower petals flying out into the open and taking the shape of a strange flower. Yang Qi had never seen a flower like this. Furthermore, it was missing a stamen, which meant that it wasn't complete.

Yang Qi took the flower petals in his hands and fiddled with them for a bit, whereupon he suddenly sensed the power of time itself. Yang Qi thought back to certain things he had read about in the Great Classic of God Ordainment, as well as some of the books he had studied in the Scripture Pavilion.

'Is this...' he thought, then frowned. 'Don't tell me this is the legendary flower of time? One of the ten miraculous and boundless godflowers? In years past, the Sovereign Lord had a garden filled with numerous godflowers. The concubines in his harem palace would always discuss which of them were the best, and the flower of time was definitely one of them.'