Sage Monarch

Out in the void, in a location of utter darkness and gloom, with no stars or any light of any other sort, Yan Wubing strolled forward through the pitch black. At a certain point, he extended his finger, and a lamp appeared, casting light ahead of him, revealing a path.

It was narrow and cramped, and had apparently been hewn out by some almighty being.

On either side of the path, it was possible to see vicious faces, devil-ghosts who would let out spine-tingling howls, and try to break onto the path to consume whoever it was that bore the light.

Yan Wubing proceeded along the path carefully, not daring to touch the pitch-black 'walls' on either side. Occasionally, he would sigh, and occasionally he would cough. 'The Hell of Gloom and Darkness is certainly powerful. But as long as I follow this passageway carved out by the Holy Mother, I should be safe. I mustn't stray to the side, even a single pace. This hell is even more terrifying than the Hell of Suras. This is where the destruction god-devils are born. Even one of them can bring destruction to any location they visit. I wonder if this is the hell the Immortal World Assembly plans to use for the competition. The Holy Mother is here in seclusion, hoping to use her radiance and light to convert the darkness and gloom. The perseverance, compassion, and bravery required to do that is truly worthy of respect.'

As he continued onward, he slowly got the sense that there was an immense power ahead of him, a power of destruction and calamity that came from the most powerful of fiend-devils.

The fiend-devils from the Hell of Gloom and Darkness were called 'destruction devil-gods'.

From the moment they were born, they thirsted to destroy the entire universe, and were known to be fiercer than asuras. After all, asuras had personalities. They were warlike and cruel, but at least they could be reasoned with. But the destruction god-devils had no sense of reason. They were completely insane and hysterical, with their only goal being destruction, and on top of that, more destruction.

Yan Wubing could sense that it was none other than destruction god-devils who were trying to bash their way into the passage he walked, and as a result, he didn't let down his guard for an instant.

He was a ninth step Great Sage, just on the verge of becoming a Demi-Immortal. And yet, in the Hell of Gloom and Darkness, he was insignificant to the extreme.

Even true immortals who entered a hell like this would have to be careful.

Eventually, Yan Wubing reached the end of the path, where he saw a globe of sagelight casting illumination upon the surrounding hell. There were hordes of fiend-devils outside of the light, attacking it, hoping to break inside. And yet, when they were touched by the sagelight, it would purify them. This light was different from Yang Qi's sagelight, which belonged to the Sovereign Lord, and had been used to create all things. This sagelight contained compassion, pity, and gentleness, like that of a bodhisattva who wished to alleviate the evils that plagued all living beings.

In the middle of the sagelight was a young woman whose facial features were obscured by the dazzling light. She sat completely still within the midst of numerous layers of the void, making it seem like she existed in a different aspect of space.

"Your humble servant offers greetings, Holy Mother," Yan Wubing said, bowing deeply at the waist. "The young master just arrived from the Rich-Lush Continent, and is working on his cultivation with Father Leviathan. He hopes to reach the Great Sage level soon."

A long moment passed, whereupon a voice drifted out of the sagelight. "Is Qi'er doing well?"

"Very well, Holy Mother. Ma'am, I think you'll be very pleased when you're finally able to lay eyes on him. He's very strong; despite only being a Legendary, he can already kill Great Sages. Not even fifth step Great Sages can cause problems for him. To be honest, not even I'm sure what energy art he cultivates. Although… I've heard rumors…."

"Rumors? What rumors?" The Holy Mother's voice quivered as if with excitement.

Ducking his head, and keeping his voice down as if he might be overheard, Yan Wubing said, "Your humble servant heard that the young master cultivates a fabled godly-class energy art, something from the most ancient of times."

"What?!" she exclaimed, sounding even more excited than before. "A godly-class energy art? In the planes of the immortal worlds, there are as many immortal skills as the grains of sand in the sea, but godly-class energy arts surpass them all. How did Qi'er get one? Are you sure about this?"

Yan Wubing ducked his head down even further. "Your humble servant isn't completely sure. And I didn't see him in action. However, I could sense an incomparably boundless power in him, something that could devastate the nine heavens. I didn't dare to probe him for more information. But I can tell you that the level of power surpassed any of the August Patriarchs of the Hanging Mountain, or even the will of the heavenly worlds. In fact, I don't even dare to speculate how powerful he is on a substructural level. Perhaps it's because, after killing the Crown Prince, the young master took the legacy of King Immortal-Slayer."

"Really?! When did that happen? The legacy of King Immortal-Slayer is not something easily acquired, and it almost always leads to immortal ascension. Except, such successors are considered enemies of the host of immortals, and as such, almost always die violent deaths. Although, if my son was capable of killing a successor of King Immortal-Slayer, then that means he bears the power of someone who is stronger than King Immortal-Slayer. I've heard of that Crown Prince. Considering he died in the Great Sage level, I guess he was never destined to succeed King Immortal-Slayer."

"You couldn't be more right, Holy Mother. Only the fabled legion of gods, who exist in the depths of the universe's cycle of reincarnation, could possibly contend with King Immortal-Slayer. It seems to me that the young master must have acquired the legacy of the legion of gods, they who look with disdain upon the immortal planes. Even a scrap of that type of legacy would be shocking to the extreme. If it's true, Holy Mother, then you can rest at ease. The young master will definitely grow up to fulfill all your expectations."

Suddenly, the Holy Mother let out a long stream of rage-tinted laughter. Then, she spoke to someone who clearly wasn't present. "Oh, you heartless man. Never in your wildest dreams could you have guessed that the object of your deepest desire would end up in the hands of the son you hated and despised. I wonder how you would react if you found out." She chuckled coldly. "Your son acquired the most ancient of legacies, and now has the blood of the legion of gods. He commands honor that surpasses your own by millions and millions of times. How will you face your son now that he is connected to the gods?"

"Holy Mother, please, sate your anger," Yan Wubing said. "You should be happy, no? In the past, the young master was weak, and despite having the potential to be a dragon, could only associate with the loaches and eels. But not anymore. He's growing up. You know, soon he'll want to know the truth about his past…."

A moment passed. When the Holy Mother spoke again, she seemed to have calmed down a bit. "You're right, Yan Wubing. Thank you for taking such good care of my son. When I'm out of seclusion, I'll do everything in my power to help you reach the Demi-Immortal level. That's the least I can do considering your years of service. In the meantime, announce publicly that my son killed the Crown Prince, and took the legacy of King Immortal-Slayer."

"I'll handle everything, Holy Mother. Whatever orders you give me, I'll carry them out to the letter."

"What do you think about Qi'er joining the training competition? I'm worried that Mammoth Heaven's people will cause problems for him. Considering that the competition will be in a dangerous hell, it would be the perfect opportunity for them to try to kill him."

"I think he'll be fine," Yan Wubing said. "He seems very confident, and when he fought with Mammoth Force, he didn't even sustain a single blow. Right now the young master is in seclusion trying to achieve a breakthrough. I suspect he'll reach the Great Sage level soon, or at the very least, step past the Never-Dying Transformation. Considering that, I don't think he'll have any trouble taking care of himself in hell. In my assessment, the young master is the type of person who likes to think things through, and won't take action unless he's confident in succeeding. Remember, he killed the Crown Prince, unified the Rich-Lush Continent, and even drove Chancellor Demi-Immortal away."

"Chancellor Demi-Immortal is a top genius. I met him once, you know. He reached the Great Sage level in only a few thousand years, and seemed poised to become a Demi-Immortal. My son actually sent him running? How did he manage that?"

"It must have been that enormous power lurking in him."

"Perhaps. Once I'm out of seclusion, I'll examine him and see exactly what type of transformations he's undergone. Go. You shouldn't stay in the Hell of Gloom and Darkness for too long. And I can only keep this pocket of light going temporarily."

"Very well. I'll take my leave."

**

Smack!

As Yang Qi sank deeper into the Sea of Illusions, he destroyed another leviathan and absorbed its true energy.

His blood was transforming, and he could sense his true energy vibrating, creating some sort of resonance with heaven and earth, as well as the magnetic field which existed therein. Once he aligned himself perfectly with that magnetic field, drastic transformations would occur.

"The magnetic field of heaven and earth; the empyrean sun and moon. The transformations of ghosts and gods; the empyrean and the baleful. Heaven and earth differ; the stars all differ. The Never-Dying Transformation; the reversal of the spiritual and physical souls…." Suddenly, rumbling sounds erupted from Yang Qi as he locked onto the magnetic field of heaven and earth, and began to undergo a dramatic transformation.

The Never-Dying Transformation was difficult to break into, and was the final obstacle within the Legendary level.

In ancient times, it was the final level for energy warriors, and was the last step before becoming a sage. Considering it was called "Never-Dying", it was possible to imagine how difficult it was. And that was especially true for Yang Qi, who needed to build up incredible reserves before attempting breakthroughs.

All of the Demon Sages were closely watching Yang Qi's transformation, and all of them were thinking the same thing. 'That energy is astounding! I wonder what the young master will be like when he breaks through.'