Sage Monarch

'What a pity I couldn't catch it,' Yang Qi thought. 'Imagine the incredible power I could have unleashed if I managed to enslave it with the God-Devil Seal!'

Unfortunately, it would have been very difficult to succeed in that task, so letting it escape was definitely the best thing. After all, what would have happened if, after he captured it, the thing managed to break free?

It was just on the verge of becoming a hellish dragon, and devil-dragons like that were pure terror.

Only Great Sages could possibly deal with such entities, and at the moment, Yang Qi wasn't that strong. He needed to reach the sixth Legendary transformation before he could be on the same level as a Great Sage.

'I wonder when I'll actually be able to use the God Legion Paradise.' He shook his head. 'If I were a Personal-Domain Legendary, would my God Legion Paradise be enough to capture that snake?'

Although he was actually a bit disappointed about how things had turned out, the mercenary squad was completely shaken, and everyone was looking reverently at Yang Qi, as though he were a deva from heaven.

Even the white-garbed Chaoguang was moved, although he managed to hide it. All of a sudden, he realized that he wasn't sure if he could take on Yang Qi in a fight.

"Alright, everyone, calm down," Yang Qi said. "The wormhole took a lot of damage, but back in the Grand-Wilds Mansion, they're definitely catalyzing it with enough magical power to keep it stable. We just need to wait until we reach our destination."

WHIZZZ!

The wormhole twitched, and the mercenaries were pushed into descent toward a spatial nexus.

"This is it!" Chaoguang yelled. "The Great Sage back on the other end is pushing us into the nexus. I wonder where we'll end up in the Rich-Lush Continent. Make sure to stick together, everyone!"

As the wormhole seemed to spin around them, the mercenaries linked their true energy to each other; if they got separated, it would only make it more difficult to accomplish their mission.

An explosive force shoved them, and they descended into the spatial nexus, flying through the greyspace of the Rich-Lush Continent.

After Yang Qi repaired the greyspace, it became far more strong and stable. However, the wormholes which had existed since the primeval era were still in place, and the greyspace would allow them to pass through it.

Before long, everyone realized that the fluctuations of the wormhole were gone.

They were surrounded by darkness, and for some reason, it seemed like they were far, far underground. There was even a vile aura that made them feel like throwing up.

"Where are we?" one of the female mercenaries said. Drawing on her true energy, she caused a glowing orb of light to form above her head, which cast radiance out in all directions.

They found themselves in an ancient hall of some sort, apparently in the depths of a mountain. However, it was a strange mountain, completely imbued with wretch energy, as well as what seemed to be some sort of magnetic force.

In the middle of the hall was a pond filled with gurgling springwater that emanated a boundless aura of life force that posed a sharp contrast to the wickedness of the mountain around them.

Yang Qi immediately realized that the place seemed familiar.

Next, the sound of clanking chains could be heard from the depths of the pond, as though some diabolical monster were sealed inside of it.

"This is odd," the female mercenary said. "Why would the Grand-Wilds Mansion send us here? This low-level plane really is weak. Too weak. I could create a spatial tempest without hardly even trying. And the magical law here is almost nonexistent. There's definitely no way any top experts or powerful magical treasures could appear in a place like this. Eee? A pond? That's a pretty strong aura of life force. Wait, is that life force springwater?"

She quickly flew over, reached out with her palm, and began to absorb the life force springwater.

'Hold on…' Yang Qi thought. 'Life force springwater….?' All of a sudden, everything clicked. "This is bad, get back here!"

They were in Yama Mountain in the Heavencorpse Kingdom.

Ghost Emperor Yama was imprisoned here, supposedly sealed by experts from the Quake-Dawn Continent. In fact, that was why Ghost Emperor Yama was bound by Quake-Dawn godsteel.

"This is Yama Mountain!" he shouted. "We have to get out of here!" Unfortunately, he was too late.

A pitch-black hand suddenly burst out of the pond and grabbed the female mercenary. She was a Never-Dying Legendary, and yet, the arm moved so quickly that not even she could track its movement.

WHOOSH!

Before she could react, she was dragged into the pond. Next, an agonized shriek rang out, which was then cut short as blood began to bubble up from the depths of the spring.

"Dammit, is there a devil-ghost in there? What is it?" Mercenaries left and right were shouting in anger and terror. Meanwhile, Blademaster Thunderbolt lunged forward and slashed at the pond with his saber, splitting it apart and revealing a pitch-black cave underneath.

"Stop!" Yang Qi shouted. "We have to go! This place is too dangerous. We've been tricked by the Grand-Wilds Mansion. Dammit! When I get back I'm gonna rip them to pieces!"

"Leave? Where are we supposed to go?"

Intense rumbling sounds could be heard, and the sky-obfuscating, land-enshrouding might of a sage filled the entire hall. At the same time, a devil-ghost appeared, wrapped up in chains that were so weak they seemed like they might crumble at any moment.

Yang Qi recognized him instantly; it was none other than the mighty Ghost Emperor Yama.

"A Great Sage devil-ghost!"

"It really is a devil-ghost in the Great Sage level!?"

"Why did they send us here? There's a sealed Great Sage devil-ghost here? The Grand-Wilds Mansion has sent us to our death!"

"Damn you, Grand-Wilds Mansion! You're using us like cannon fodder!"

"Run! Get out of here!"

Despite the fact that everyone present was a top expert, they were all terrified. After all, the aura emanating off Ghost Emperor Yama was the type that none of them could fight against.

This was an invincible, gigantic devil from the ancient past, a consummate monster who could end worlds.

"Run?" Ghost Emperor Yama said with a chuckle. "To where?"

Instantly, the space in the area turned solid, making it impossible for anyone to leave. At the same time, the chains binding Ghost Emperor Yama crumbled into dust. At long last, he was free!

All of a sudden, Yang Qi's heart sank into the deepest depths.

With Ghost Emperor Yama free, could the Rich-Lush Continent even defend against him? There was no doubt that once he was out in the open, he would instigate a reign of carnage and death.

'Crap!' Chaoguang thought. 'Damn that Grand-Wilds Mansion!'

Now that Ghost Emperor Yama was free of his chains, his aura was growing stronger.

"So, Wilds God, after all these years, you still remember me." Throwing his head back, he laughed maniacally. Even as the mercenaries dropped to their knees in terror, he continued, "You even sent me plenty of flesh and blood sacrifices. Wonderful. A host of magical laws from Half Sages and Never-Dying Legendaries will do a lot to help me build my power back up!"

Even as he spoke, he slowly shrank down from his gigantic form, until he looked like a vicious old man in a black robe.

Taking a step forward, he waved his hand, causing the life force springwater to rush together until it formed a pearl.

"Quake-Dawn Cathedral! The two of us cannot exist together. You sealed me here for far, far too long. I, the mighty Ghost Emperor Yama, locked up for tens of thousands of years. Tens of thousands years!" He looked around. "You people are here from the Quake-Dawn Continent, right? Excellent. The fluctuations of the space-time wormhole from moments ago finally freed me of that Quake-Dawn godsteel. The spatial coordinates led right to my throne room, which, unluckily for you, means that you're now going to be sacrificed to me. However, if any of you wish to live, and act as my servants, then start fighting. Whichever of you survives in the end can join me."

The mercenaries all exchanged awkward glances. Would they really have to fight each other to the death?

When Yang Qi realized that some of the mercenaries looked like they might actually start fighting, he threw his hands out. "Hold on everyone, don't move. Don't let yourself be fooled by this devil-ghost." Standing, he took a step forward. "Remember me, Ghost Emperor Yama?"

Moments ago, Ghost Emperor Yama had been reaching out to crush to death whoever had just spoken up. But then he got a good look at Yang Qi's face, and suddenly staggered backward three full paces.

The mercenaries all looked on in complete disbelief. How could any of them have guessed that Yang Qi would be able to frighten a consummate fiend-devil like this?

"I never would have guessed that you would remember me, oh Ghost Emperor Yama," Yang Qi said with a cool smile. The truth was that he wasn't confident at all in what he was doing. The ghost emperor was enigmatic and impossible to predict, and although Yang Qi had his God Legion Seal, he had no idea of knowing whether it would help him.

If it didn't, and Ghost Emperor Yama attacked him, he would be doomed.

"It's you!?" Ghost Emperor Yama said, glaring at Yang Qi. "You came back!? Well, that's good. I was just going to come looking for you. It's just like the old saying, you little brat. You can wear out iron shoes in a fruitless search, then find what you're looking for without even trying. By the way, the stuff with the Planar Pearl, was that you?"

"Yes, it was," Yang Qi said, sounding very confident in himself. "What I did with the Planar Pearl should be a good reminder of what I can do to you. I'll give you one chance here, Ghost Emperor Yama. Acknowledge allegiance to me, and I won't kill you. If I have to resort to that sealing mark of mine, you know that you'll regret it!"