Sage Monarch

It was exactly as Yang Qi had anticipated.

The sura power only grew stronger the farther down he went into the Sura Devil-Eye. It was black, tinged with dark violet, and it clumped up like blood, until it looked almost crystalline in nature.

That power was like the sharpest glittering diamond, able to cut anything in its path. Even the most powerful magical treasures or defensive empyrean energies would be stabbed through by it. And once it entered the body of a person, they would be quickly devilized, transformed into a half-sura, a ferocious monster of the most evil nature.

However, when that sura power entered Yang Qi's acupoints and meridians, it was subjugated by the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, and began to form something that looked like the image of a tiny person.

This was not a true energy vestige.

After reaching Quinary Lifeseizing, one strengthened the flesh and blood, until true energy vestiges appeared in it. By fueling those vestiges with more true energy, one's life force and body structure would become vastly stronger, and one's sea of energy would become more vast.

Later, during Senary, Septenary, and Octonary Lifeseizing, the true energy vestiges would become so strong that they eventually became nascent embryos, and eventually, nascent divinities. That was the point when one would break through to Nonary Lifeseizing.

Nonary Lifeseizers were sometimes called another name: Acupoint Divinities. The meaning behind the name was the fact that their true energy became like nascent divinities, crystalized into their acupoints, where they were forced to undergo drastic transformations.

In the end, when the true energy and nascent divinities were ready, the Lifeseizer could attempt to break through to the Legendary level.

In the Legendary level, all of those divinities would combine into one, becoming immense power that would reside in the sea of energy. Then the power would erupt, and the body would transform. It would be cleansed by the vital energy of heaven and earth, and the practitioner would be one with all creation, and become a Legendary.

Of course, if they failed in the attempt, they would be crushed into dust.

Yang Qi had been present on Manyflowers Peak when Holy Daughter Manyflowers experienced her Legendary tribulation, and had seen the countless bolts of lightning form a huge bell which surrounded the mountain. Its tolling nearly reduced the mountain to rubble, except that Holy Daughter Manyflowers was an exceptional talent, and had successfully passed the tribulation.

Now, thanks to the stimulation provided by the sura power, Yang Qi's true energy vestiges were transforming, becoming tiny people formed of true energy, which were none other than true energy nascent divinities. As of this moment, he had already begun to break through to Nonary Lifeseizing.

Even more noteworthy was that the true energy nascent divinities in his acupoints were different from the ordinary type.

Most Lifeseizers had true energy nascent divinities that looked like miniature transcendent beings. In contrast, Yang Qi's nascent divinities seemed enormous, and completely vicious-looking. They were armored, and pulsed with devil energy. They also carried weapons, including wolf-fang swords, sawtooth sabers, bone canes, sickles, spears, funerary staffs, nooses, hooks, and even more. They were ferocious to the extreme, making it seem like an army of evil ghosts from hell were occupying his body.

They were ghostly suras, and even more shocking than their mere existence was the fact that they were in the middle of performing all sorts of profound martial arts, techniques Yang Qi had acquired by mere contact with the sura power. If an expert from an evil sect could peer into Yang Qi with divine will, he would see profound truths relating to the martial arts of such sects. Even just a smattering of the moves on display here would be enough to accomplish all sorts of ambitious and ruthless goals.

For all intents and purposes, the tiny suras in Yang Qi's acupoints were a treasure house of martial disciplines.

Furthermore, as he continued to absorb the sura power, the techniques grew more and more complete. Soon, the tiny suras inside him were like gods of martial arts and war, fiend-devils who could slaughter anything and everything in their path.

'Incredible! This sura power is even better than the Nine-Yang Immortal Energy. This is the true energy of hell, perfect for the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth.' As he descended into the Sura Devil-Eye, it got easier and easier to use his Hell Portal.

Eventually, he dispensed with the Hellfire Crucible and the Hell Portal, and simply absorbed the energy directly, which seemed even more effective.

As he did, it almost sounded like iron fetters were being loosened in his mind.

Sura power poured into him with mountain-like force, and yet, he was a fish in water. He even closed his eyes as he continued downward into the Sura Devil-Eye.

Eventually, his foot touched onto solid ground. Opening his eyes, he saw an enormous spell formation, which was rife with the stench of blood. In the middle of it was a palace filled with steel chains. Apparently, those chains were some sort of godsteel designed to constrain devil-ghosts. In fact, they were very much like the Quake-Dawn godsteel that bound the imprisoned Ghost Emperor Yama.

It was pitch dark inside the palace, but Yang Qi could still see clearly. There, amidst all the steel chains, was some sort of hulking devil-ghost. He was fully three hundred meters tall, with a boney, violet exoskeleton.

He pulsed with a will of battle, and raw sura power that rolled off him in waves.

Apparently, the sura power in the Sura Devil-Eye came from this creature. In other words, everything Yang Qi had benefited from up to this point was merely excess energy from this beast.

'Is this a fiend-devil from the Hell of Suras? A fabled asura!?' Although Yang Qi was shocked, from what he could tell, this devil-ghost was not as strong as Ghost Emperor Yama in terms of cultivation level, but his life force substructure was apparently far stronger.

After all, Ghost Emperor Yama was from the Rich-Lush Continent, and although he was a Great Sage, was inherently weak. In contrast, this asura, who was only at the Legendary level, originally came from the Hell of Suras, and thus was inherently more powerful.

In fact, it seemed to Yang Qi that if he were freed, he would be able to take on the Crown Prince.

He was an entity that, given Yang Qi's current cultivation base, he couldn't kill even if he tried. Besides, as one of the most powerful types of devil-gods from hell, this asura's life force was so powerful that, if he were to be killed in combat, he would be reborn almost instantly.

Numerous paper talismans could be seen at the asura's feet, an ancient spell formation which pulsed with demon energy. Obviously, it was the work of whatever Great Sage of the Demonfolk had sealed this asura here.

As he studied the formation, Yang Qi could sense that one part of it was different from the others. In a far corner of the formation, there was a character written in blood. It read 'Demi-Immortal'. It looked ancient, and it was impossible to say who exactly had written it, but to Yang Qi it seemed very much like the work of someone from the Demi-Immortal Institute.

It seemed highly likely that it had been written by the chancellor. After all, he had mentioned that he found a monster in the Heavendawn Quarry when he was young, and that he had sealed the creature.

However, the truth was obvious; the asura had been sealed by the ancient Demonfolk Great Sages, not by the chancellor. The chancellor had only added a sealing mark that could be utilized in some moment of great danger.

'That must be what's going on!' Yang Qi thought. Instead of entering the hall, he took the time to study the spell formation in more detail. Every part of it, including the area with the 'Demi-Immortal' character on it, seemed to be jumping up and down with life. It almost seemed alive.

Yang Qi was no expert with spell formations, and didn't understand their most enigmatic secrets. However, based on what he did understand, he could reach certain conclusions.

'It seems extremely likely that Young Master Shroud-Heaven knows there's an asura sealed here, an asura no weaker than the Crown Prince. Therefore, he hopes to use his Nine-Heavens Ten-Earths Demon-Devil-Horde World-Ending Grand Spell Formation to trap the Crown Prince, then unleash this asura on him. Of course, he couldn't possibly control the asura after releasing it. Perhaps he hopes to assimilate him?'

Yang Qi thought about the situation a bit more. 'The chancellor wanted me to come here and kill a monster. Obviously, this thing is the monster. And supposedly, my reward is here too? But where? I don't see anything particularly special. That 'Demi-Immortal' character isn't the treasure, that's for sure. Don't tell me he wants me to actually enter the hall? This mission is crazy. There's no way I can actually kill that thing. Maybe if I was a Legendary, I could take on an asura. But right now, there's no possible way. Perhaps the chancellor left behind some object or weapon that would make the job possible.'

After more consideration, he realized that, as the saying went, you can't catch tiger cubs without entering the tiger's lair. It seemed the only option was to enter the hall, no matter how dangerous it seemed.

As he neared the malignant asura, his cultivation base benefited more and more. If only he could melt that thing in his Hellfire Crucible, he would be able to reach the Legendary level, and perhaps achieve multiple transformations within it. Then he could definitely dominate the Crown Prince.

However, that didn't seem like a realistic plan. Even if the asura willingly entered the Hellfire Crucible, Yang Qi would probably still die as a result. Not even ten of himself put together was strong enough for that right now.

After a bit more thought, he activated his Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth and stepped into the hall.

As he did, the clink of chains could be heard as the asura apparently sensed what was happening, and opened his eyes.

The entire hall burst into flames fueled by sura power, causing a wave of heat to envelop Yang Qi.

1. This 'empyrean energy' is a new addition to the story, and for now, there is no explanation about what it is. That said, "empyrean" is by definition related to heavenly things, so that should give you a general idea of what it is.