Sage Monarch

Unexpectedly, it was the sectlord of the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect.

Yang Qi wasn't completely unfamiliar with the man. After all, his son Cipher Rite-Heaven was currently a faithful believer in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart.

Suddenly, the photonic computers spoke up.

[Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep. Power index over fifteen hundred. Will convergence in the early Destabilizing level.]

'He's strong,' Yang Qi thought. 'Leaf Dao-Denier's power index is over a thousand, and his will convergence is in the early Destabilizing level. Even though I'm at the peak of Destabilizing, my power index is just far too low.'

There was something about the way that Cipher Ever-Heaven directly revealed the level of his cultivation base that made him particularly awe-inspiring, and made Yang Qi more wary of him than of Leaf Dao-Denier.

Glaring at Yang Qi, Cipher Ever-heaven said, "Screw off before you mess up our plan, pissant!"

He was obviously a sectlord, as he spoke with utter arrogance. Of course, that was how powerful leaders usually acted, treating the common people as though they were ants. In the cultivation world, there were few cultivators who treated the common people with compassion, like sheep who needed to be taken care of.

"Mister Cipher Ever-Heaven, please, calm down. This is a friend and ally who also has a deep hatred of Empress Joyflower. He's not from the Ancient Road to the Gods, but rather the immortal dao civilization. He's a top ruler there, the league-lord of the Dao Defense League, Yang Qi. The Joyflower Palace stole the Dao Defense League from him, and he wants to work with us to oppose her."

Although Leaf Dao-Denier was offering a logical explanation, his tone of voice made it seem like he wanted Cipher Ever-Heaven to do something to Yang Qi.

Cipher Ever-Heaven looked at Yang Qi coldly and said, "So, you're some scum from the immortal dao civilization. What could someone as weak as you possibly be capable of? You call yourself a top ruler? Die!"

He waved his sleeve, sending out a violent stream of vital energy headed directly toward Yang Qi.

Any cultivator with a power index of less than a thousand would be completely incapable of defending themselves against something like this.

Leaf Dao-Denier quickly backed up. Obviously, he wasn't afraid of Cipher Ever-Heaven, and was hoping to see Yang Qi suffer a setback. In fact, he was convinced that Cipher Ever-Heaven would shred Yang Qi's power double to bits.

But Yang Qi reacted by waving his two fingers through the air, sending out a stream of godpower that became sword energy. The sword energy slashed the energy tempest in half, causing numerous world energy bubbles in the area to explode as a result.

Having completely negated Cipher Ever-Heaven's move, Yang Qi rose to his feet, having revealed no clues whatsoever that he was actually a power double. "I recognize that move, Cipher Ever-Heaven. It's the Netherworld Ghost-Dao Vortex Wind. But you haven't cultivated it to the point of summoning multiple vortexes, or the ghost-gods that come with them."

Cipher Ever-Heaven had been just about to make another move, but Yang Qi's words caused his jaw to drop. "How do you know about the Netherworld Ghost-Dao Vortex Wind? It's a consummate technique of the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect! It's top-secret! And you know about the highest levels within the technique? Who exactly are you?"

The fact that the wind he had summoned hadn't killed Yang Qi was quite a loss of face and had stoked his killing intent. But now he realized that, although this opponent didn't have a lot of power, he was still enigmatic and impossible to predict.

Back in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, a bit of liquid in front of Yang Qi's true self was evaporating into steam.

The truth was that he had just taken some liquid godhood and sent it into the Engine of the One God, then used it to strengthen his power double. That was the only way he had managed to negate the Netherworld Ghost-Dao Vortex Wind.

It had been a big waste of power, but it had successfully cowed Cipher Ever-Heaven.

"I'm Yang Qi, league-lord of the Dao Defense League. I happen to know a lot about the top techniques of your sect. Sectlord Cipher-Devil, I advise you against trying to fight me. I'm feeling lazy nowadays, and I'm not interested in wasting effort on anyone but Empress Joyflower."

"Come," Leaf Dao-Denier said, "we're all locusts tied to the same rope. Infighting won't help us." Secretly, he was marveling at what Yang Qi had just accomplished. Although he had no idea what kind of power had just erupted from Yang Qi, it had been enough to completely vanquish Cipher Ever-Heaven's technique. And Yang Qi had hardly seemed to expend any effort at all to do so. Immediately, Leaf Dao-Denier discarded his old plots and schemes and began devising new ones.

Thus, he hypocritically stepped forward to try to keep the peace.

However, Cipher Ever-Heaven wasn't inclined to take his advice. Eyes blazing with malicious light, he prepared to attack Yang Qi and crush him out of existence. However, Yang Qi simply settled down cross-legged and closed his eyes, completely ignoring the other two.

The atmosphere was getting tenser by the moment.

However, that was when a stream of raucous laughter reached them, along with a valiant aura. A beam of light descended, within which was a burly young man who didn't appear to be older than twenty. He wore a pitch-black suit of armor and wielded an enormous saber, making him seem very much like an executioner.

"The Hundred-Battles God Saber, in the hands of Hundred-Battles Blade!" Cipher Ever-Heaven edged backward as if he were somewhat afraid of this newcomer.

"I was watching just now, Cipher Ever-Heaven, and I almost couldn't believe how weak and feeble you are. You can't even stand up to a featherweight like this?" Hundred-Battles Blade turned to Yang Qi and clicked his tongue admiringly. "Not bad, boy. Your power level makes you a featherweight, but you're capable of miracles. Obviously you're hiding your true strength and won't give us a single clue about your true limitations."

Apparently 'featherweight' was some sort of stock phrase Hundred-Battles Blade used.

Snarling, Cipher Ever-Heaven said, "If I'm such a bad leader, Hundred-Battles Blade, then how come the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect is still around, unlike your House of a Hundred Battles? Your houselord Hundred-Battles Heaven-Dome was taken captive by that cunt, Empress Joyflower, and just about everyone else from the House of a Hundred Battles became consorts. Is a mere prime elder like yourself going to keep your house going?"

Hundred-Battles Blade snorted coldly. "Hundred-Battles Heaven-Dome didn't listen to my advice, which is why he got caught. He insisted on leading the sect into that danger zone, which turned out to be a trap. I've been saving my vital energy for the chance to kill Empress Joyflower and free all the captives. Then I'll be the new houselord. Besides, I've already succeeded in cultivating the ultimate energy art of the House of a Hundred Battles, the Hundred-Battles Saber-Energy Reincarnation Laceration!"

"Sadly, that doesn't make you a match for Empress Joyflower," Cipher Ever-Heaven said, his voice dripping with ridicule.

All of a sudden, a middle-aged scholar appeared, clad in green garments. His expression was placid, and he held a jade flute inscribed with musical symbols of a magical nature that seemed to stir the magical laws around him. Obviously, this was another consummate expert.

"Enough, Cipher Ever-Heaven, Hundred-Battles Blade. There's no need for fighting between the two of you. We're holding this meeting to discuss good faith cooperation to deal with Empress Joyflower. The Joyflower Palace is getting too powerful here in the Great Necropolis, putting all other major organizations in danger. If Empress Joyflower actually assimilates the godhood she took, she'll devastate us. We'll all end up dead. Either that, or we'll become eunuchs or consorts. And which of us could endure that torment?"

Whether it was Cipher Ever-Heaven, Hundred-Battles Blade, or this scholar, all of them had power indexes above a thousand.

"Houselord Three Sounds!" Leaf Dao-Denier said by way of greeting. "Your sect was nearly destroyed, so it's no wonder you want to exact revenge on the Joyflower Palace."

"You're exactly right. They almost wiped us out! Sorrow. Sorrow. Sorrow!" As the houselord of the House of Three Sounds said the word 'sorrow' three times, his voice seemed to enter the minds of everyone present and fill them with sorrow.

At this point, more powerful figures appeared.

"Pontifex Chief Battle!"

"Cadre Lord Peach Sky!"

"Dao Lord Cloud Severing!"

"Assembly Chief Unipeace!"

Over a dozen experts appeared, and Leaf Dao-Denier greeted all of them. Obviously, all of these people had power indexes of over a thousand, with some in excess of fifteen, or even eighteen hundred.

As Yang Qi looked around, he frowned slightly. 'Where did all these people come from? And since when did Leaf Dao-Denier get so good at making connections? How did he recruit a group of people like this?'

All of these people had led powerful, top-tier organizations from the Ancient Road to the Gods. Right now, they were down-and-out, with cultivation bases too low to personally take on Empress Joyflower, whose power index was over three thousand. However, if they joined forces, they would make an incredibly powerful force.

Each newcomer would glance over at Yang Qi and wonder why a weak cultivator like him was in attendance. Of course, both Hundred-Battles Blade and Houselord Three Sounds were quick to tell everyone that he was simply hiding his true strength, and that he had vanquished Sectlord Cipher-Devil's Netherworld Ghost-Dao Vortex Wind. In fact, Hundred-Battles Blade actually began to exaggerate the story to ensure maximum humiliation for Cipher Ever-Heaven.

That caused Cipher Ever-Heaven to stare at Yang Qi with such vicious animosity that it was obvious he would try to kill him at the earliest opportunity.

Quite a few of the leaders present were aware of just how powerful Sectlord Cipher-Devil was. They knew he kept the nature of his cultivation base secret, and was completely vicious and merciless. Therefore, the fact that this young man had stood up to him spoke volumes.

At a certain point, Leaf Dao-Denier looked around and said, "And where is Battle Resister, houselord of the Profound House of Battle Energy? Isn't he the strongest of us all? Don't tell me he's scared of Empress Joyflower!"