Sage Monarch

The Rich-Lush Continent experienced roughly half a year of refinement, until it was thoroughly transformed.

Verdant hills and crystal-clear waters could be seen everywhere. There were no longer any barren or dangerous locations, although Yang Qi had set up special places to raise low-level demonlings and fiend-devils.

It was time for a change of names. No longer was this place the Rich-Lush Continent, it was the Sage Monarch Continent.

There were no sects or organizations present, there was only the Sage Monarch Society. All citizens were members of that society, and were provided with resources appropriate for their level.

The Sage Monarch Society was essentially an imperial dynasty, with centralized state power that exercised control over numerous clans and peoples. The age of the Sage Ancestor Dynasty and its feudal system were a thing of the past.

Everyone lived in peace and happiness, and could work on their cultivation without hindrance.

That said, as the populace rose in cultivation and grew stronger, they became a fighting force capable of unleashing incredible destruction.

WHOOSH!

A burst of energy rose high as yet another individual became a Great Sage. It was Hua Tianxiong. He had been killed by the Crown Prince, but his discarnate soul had been rebuilt. Later, he reached even higher levels of enlightenment. Then, after furthering his cultivation in the planetary core, he became the second of the new Great Sages after Yang Chaoguang. Now, if you left out Yang Qi and Ghost Emperor Yama, there were three Great Sages in the Sage Monarch Continent.

The continent was already just as glorious as the Rich-Lush Continent had been in its golden age.

And there would only continue to be more Great Sages in the future.

After all, there had been many Half Sages in the four institutes, and now all of them were trying hard to break through to the next level.

As Yang Qi worked hard to improve the Sage Monarch Continent, a pair of eyes opened in an unknown location not very far away in the starry sky.

As they looked in the direction of the Sage Monarch Continent, they burned with hatred.

The owner of the eyes was tall and lean, but as imposing as a mighty mountain. For some reason, he seemed like a leader of people. He was none other than Chancellor Demi-Immortal. He had interfered in the fight with Yang Qi and the Crown Prince, in the hopes of saving the Crown Prince. But in the end, his daughter had been killed, and he had barely escaped with his life. Now he was back, and strangely enough, just as strong as he had been before. In fact, if one didn't know, it would be impossible to tell that he had ever been hurt. He had even reached the eighth step, and was now a Without Limit Sage.

'I took you into the Demi-Immortal Institute, Yang Qi. I protected you, and even made sure the Crown Prince didn't kill you. How could I have made such a monumental mistake? Thanks to my mistake, the core daoist teachings and doctrines of the institute have been done away with. I can only hope that the ancestors can forgive me. To rectify my mistake, I will kill Yang Qi, with my own hands. I'll remove his head and offer it as a sacrifice to the fallen heroes of the Demi-Immortal Institute.'

As he concluded his prayer, his killing aura surged. 'How could I have ever guessed that you would get this powerful, Yang Qi? You reached the highest heights in the Hanging Mountain's training competition, and even killed Chief Lion. Well, sometimes you have to fail first before you can succeed. Thanks to the spirit medicines of the Quake-Dawn Cathedral, I'm back, and even stronger than before. And I'm coming for you. You have a Titan Emperor Medallion, and will soon be studying in the Titan Emperor Collegium. But little do you know that the founder of the Demi-Immortal Institute was a student from the Titan Emperor Collegium, and therefore, it wasn't hard at all for me to get my hands on an enrollment medallion. I'll disguise myself a bit, enter the Titan Emperor Collegium, and wait for you to fall into my hands….'

Chancellor Demi-Immortal slowly faded away into the void, leaving behind no traces of his passage.

As the chancellor faded away, Yang Qi was sitting in Sage Monarch City, when suddenly he experienced a very odd sensation. Looking out into the void, he realized that there was a vaguely familiar aura out there.

'Is that… the aura of Chancellor Demi-Immortal? Was he out there spying on me?' After a moment of thought, and a bit of calculation, his eyes glittered, and his killing intent surged. Taking a step forward, he vanished, to reappear far out in the starry sky.

'I know that Chancellor Demi-Immortal escaped, like a fish slipping out of the net…. But I can't believe that he came back to spy on me. He's definitely a genius, that much is shown from how he became a seventh step Planet God Sage on the backwater and impoverished Rich-Lush Continent. He's probably even more talented than the Crown Prince. Well, he obviously hates me now, and there's no way he'll give up on trying to kill me. And there are other Great Sages from the Demi-Immortal Institute out there in the void. If he gathers them and then leads them against me, it could be troublesome. And what if he has Aunt Susu? How do I find her?'

Plans and ideas flitted through Yang Qi's mind, until finally, a smile broke out on his face.

Then, he headed back to the Sage Monarch Continent to continue his cultivation, and attempt to reach the Eternal Sands Step.

Before he could begin, though, a powerful aura appeared, and Yang Qi looked over to find Yan Wubing standing in front of him.

"Young Master!" Yan Wubing said by way of greeting, as he bowed at the waist.

"Sir Yan, there's no need to act with such formal courtesy," Yang Qi said. "What matter has brought you here? Has the Holy Mother emerged from seclusion? Did she ask to see me?"

Yan Wubing nodded. "You hit the nail on the head, Young Master. The Holy Mother sent me here to bring you back to the Hanging Mountain and see her. Can we leave immediately?"

"Yes, of course." Yang Qi chopped his hand through the air, opening up a wormhole.

"Such skill, Young Master!" Yan Wubing exclaimed. "It won't be long before you surpass me." Glancing around at the Sage Monarch Continent, he added, "You've really changed this place into a holy land. I'm sure talented geniuses will be rising up within it soon. I'm sure this won't be the limit of what you create, Young Master. Incidentally, there are some other matters I need to discuss with you. Why don't we chat about them on the way?"

With that, they entered the wormhole. As they did, a serious expression overtook Yang Qi's face.

"What matters might you be referring to?" he asked.

"Matters regarding your enemies, of course. First of all, August Patriarch Mammoth Heaven is secretly plotting to kill you. Personally. Sadly for them, we have eyes and ears in the Mammothfolk. As such, I notified the Holy Mother of the situation already, and she went to Mount Sumeru to confront the August Patriarch."

Yang Qi's eyes flickered with cold light. "He, a Demi-Immortal, wants to personally kill me? Go ahead and let him try. He won't come out of it alive, I guarantee it."

"Your humble servant can sense an immense power within you, Young Master. Because of that, I'm not too worried about your safety in the Hanging Mountain. After all, even as a Legendary, you slaughtered Great Sages. And with each successive breakthrough you achieve, you'll get stronger and stronger. In any case, thanks to the Holy Mother, there's no chance that the August Patriarch will try to do anything.

"Very well, let me move on to the second issue, which relates to Chancellor Demi-Immortal."

"Him?" Yang Qi's heart thumped a bit. "What's the situation?"

"Well, he's always been on good terms with the Holy Daughter of the Quake-Dawn Cathedral. After being defeated by you, he went there, and with her help, recovered and even reached the Without Limit Step. It's little wonder considering how much of a genius he is, more so than the Crown Prince. He also got a Titan Emperor Medallion, which means that he'll be going to study in the Titan Emperor Collegium. He's definitely plotting to do something to you, Young Master. You need to be very careful when you go there.

"And now, there's a third matter. Young Master, you have an aunt, Yang Susu, who has the blood of the ancient Spritefolk. Well, I found out that she's long since left for the planetary system that is home to the Spritefolk."

Considering all of the information Yan Wubing had just given him, Yang Qi was finally coming to a realization of how powerful the Holy Mother's people were. Their network of spies and informants was clearly formidable.

"The Spritefolk have their own planetary system?" Yang Qi asked, surprised. "Where is it?"

"Not here, that's for sure, Young Master. It's in another starry sky. You see, this starry sky consists of the ancient Four Wilds, which are the Brute-Wilds, Proto-Wilds, Waste-Wilds, and Yore-Wilds. We're all under the direct jurisdiction of the Titan Emperor Heaven. The Spritefolk, on the other hand, are very, very far away, under the jurisdiction of the Megaplexus Heaven. I can tell you now what the Holy Mother wishes you to do. She wants you to go study at the Titan Emperor Collegium, and begin to contemplate the dao of immortal ascension. At the same time, she wants you to probe for information about a huge secret. Young Master, as it turns out, she wants you to find out more about your birth father."

"My birth father?" Yang Qi said, shivering subconsciously. "What do you mean? I thought we weren't supposed to talk about that. Tell me all the details!"

"Things change, sir," Yan Wubing said, bowing deeply. "Your father was a banished immortal, sent here from a higher immortal plane as part of a punishment of some sort. He stayed for a time in the Titan Emperor Collegium, which was how the Holy Mother came to know him. Eventually, he was pardoned by the immortal plane, and returned there, leaving behind no explanations or anything else for that matter. He did something very untoward to the Holy Mother, and she hopes that you can find out more about where exactly he went. She wishes to eventually go find him and demand answers for everything that happened."

"Oh, I see…." Yang Qi wasn't sure what to make of the situation. The fact that his birth father was out there somewhere had always been a distant and somewhat abstract concept. Perhaps some of it had to do with how his blood had literally changed, and was now becoming the Blood of the One God, which surpassed that of the host of immortals or even the legion of gods.

However, if his mother was giving him this responsibility, then he would follow through with the task at hand.

During the course of their conversation, they traveled through the wormhole and eventually reached the Hanging Mountain, and Mount Sumeru. Without any hesitation, Yan Wubing led Yang Qi to a palace at the summit, where there were two thrones. Seated on one was August Patriarch Mammoth Heaven, and on the other was a young woman.