Sage Monarch

Right off the bat, Proud Ethics had put on a very aggressive front, demanding that Yang Qi return the pieces of the Cruiser of Civilization he had taken. In fact, the implication was that if Yang Qi didn't, Proud Ethics would attack him. Furthermore, the generalissimos who flanked him were equipped with mechas that glowed with golden light and emanated the aura of godmammoths.

Most likely, they were secret weapons created by Proud Heaven himself, using the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, or maybe even actual megamammoths from the past. Perhaps after becoming a Grand Emperor, Proud Heaven had managed to track down the corpse of a mammoth that bordered on the level of being a god, then used its power to create such mechas.

Yang Qi was stunned by what he was seeing, and knew that he couldn't do this. He only had a third of the full Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, and it was highly likely that the part Proud Heaven possessed contained energy arts that could be used to create mechas.

That said, Yang Qi's cultivation base made him confident enough to not be worried about the situation. Smiling, he said, "Did you catch a mental illness, Proud Ethics? Do you really think I'm just going to hand over the Cruiser of Civilization? Those fragments don't belong to the future world anymore. I've fully fused with them, and no threats from you will convince me to give them to you."

"So, you really do feel like dying," Proud Ethics said, his cheek twitching. "No one has ever dared to speak to me in that tone of voice. Even the magisters in the future world are more polite."

"This is the immortal dao civilization, not the future world," Yang Qi replied. "If you throw a temper tantrum here, it's going to end up with you dead."

Swish!

Even as the words left his mouth, a beam of light was shooting toward his forehead with lightning-like speed. It moved so quickly that everyone present was caught completely off guard.

Proud Ethics hadn't moved an inch, and it was impossible to see where exactly the light originated. And although it seemed weak, it abounded with killing intent, making it obvious that if it pierced someone's sea of consciousness, they would die.

The five eunuchs were all stunned. Although Yang Qi and Proud Ethics had been exchanging harsh words, none of them would have guessed that it would result in fighting. Furthermore, Proud Ethics hadn't given any indication that he would launch an attack, and also hadn't moved. That fact alone was terrifying.

Yang Qi's hand flew up toward his forehead, golden light flaring as his fingers latched on to what appeared to be a black, seven-inch-long object that resembled a centipede. As soon as he grabbed it, it began to twist and writhe, emitting clicking sounds and a biting coldness.

"A heaven-centipede!" Eunuch Blackheart exclaimed. "How vicious! They're venomous creatures from the god world, and even a god who is bitten by one will experience intense pain. Anyone under the level of a god will die! I have to say that I'm impressed, Proud Ethics."

"A heaven-centipede from the god world?" Yang Qi said. "Definitely impressive. It reaches its target almost as soon as it's launched, and I was very nearly struck." He sent a stream of true energy into the centipede, wreathing it in flames. A moment later, the centipede was gone.

Proud Ethics chuckled. "Calm down. That wasn't even a real heaven-centipede. It was only a projection. I've long since mastered a projection skill created by the legion of gods, allowing me to create things that are both real and illusory. In any case, if you were frightened by a mere projection like that, you're even weaker than I imagined."

"Projection?" Yang Qi's expression turned grimmer. He had just used the Secret-Ensconcing All-World Anything-Everything Fundamental-Law Magic on that centipede, but hadn't sensed any clue that it was a projection. If that was true, it meant that Proud Ethics' abilities with illusory projections really were incredible. However, he suspected that it actually wasn't an ability, but a magical treasure or a talisman of some sort.

Regardless, it indicated that Proud Ethics probably knew that he was a power double, but was keeping that information to himself in the hopes of catching his true self unawares. Proud Ethics was obviously a treacherous schemer, and the only way for Yang Qi to deal with him now was to keep his true self in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, only dealing with outside situations using his power double.

"Proud Ethics," said Jade Nightqueen, "we're here to do a job. Can't you resolve your personal issues with Yang Qi at another time? Why don't we concentrate on killing Profound Valor first? Didn't you say he'll be leaving his sect soon on a mission? We don't want to let this opportunity slip by. If we do, we might never be able to take him out."

"You're right," Proud Ethics said. Grinning at Yang Qi as though he were in complete control of the situation, he continued, "We'll drop the matter of our grudge for now. But I'm eventually going to get back those fragments of the Cruiser of Civilization. They belong to me."

"Fine," Yang Qi replied, smiling. "If that's how you want to play it, I won't pull any punches either. I know that you people have more fragments of the Cruiser of Civilization, and eventually I'm going to get all of them."

Each fragment came with more systems, and would be extremely beneficial, whether in terms of cultivation, fighting, enlightenment, or growth. He already had the most powerful part of the cruiser, the Engine of the One God, but knew that he probably only had about one tenth of the full ship. If he could piece together the entire thing, it would make it much easier to strike a fatal blow on Empress Joyflower, and the Joyflower Palace in general. And he could probably use it to travel directly to the future world.

That level of power would be akin to the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart.

"Just wait until this mission is over," Proud Ethics said, "and we can have a good and proper fight. If you accept my challenge."

"A fight?" Yang Qi laughed. "I'm not interested. I prefer to lure people into traps in which they have the ultimate disadvantage. In fact, you'd do best to prepare for a sneak attack at any time. You're an enemy of mine. Just like your father, Proud Heaven. In fact, I'm much more interested in taking Proud Heaven's life than I am this Profound Valor."

"What gall!" some of the generalissimos growled. Magister Proud Heaven was their ultimate leader, and was like a deity to the experts of the future world. To have Yang Qi openly insulting him made them want to go all out to try killing him.

"Enough!" Jade Nightqueen barked. "Are you people interested in bickering, or working together? Yang Qi, you're not permitted to lay a hand on Proud Ethics before the mission of killing Profound Valor is accomplished. Understand?"

"In other words, I can kill him after we're finished with Profound Valor? Alright, fine. Just remember, Flower Goddesses, the people from the future world are endlessly ambitious, and it's only a matter of time before they make a move on the Joyflower Palace."

"We can worry about such matters later," Jade Nightqueen said coolly. "For now, we need to cooperate in good faith. Alright, Young Sir Proud Ethics. Where exactly are we going to take down Profound Valor?"

'Once this mission is over, you're dead!' Proud Ethics thought with a mysterious smile on his face. Yang Qi saw his expression, and resolved to stay completely on guard.

Meanwhile, Proud Ethics took out a mirror that projected a map of the hundredth ranked immortal world they were on.

In one part of the world was a labyrinth of space-time in which existed a huge sect. It looked like a castle that abounded with both killing energy and dao energy alike. It was none other than the Profound Killing Dao Sect, and the magical laws that emanated out of it filled the entire hundredth ranked immortal world around it.

This was a world so enormous that, although Empress Joyflower might have been able to take control of it, she would have been forced to take a long time to do so. Its essence could sustain experts with power indexes of two or three thousand, and it was a given that top organizations from a place like this would be extremely wealthy.

It was just like how, in the mortal world, a thriving empire would have both a powerful army, and an abundance of fish and grain.

A moment later, a flash of light appeared on the projection of the planet.

Then the planet faded away into the mirror, and Proud Ethics looked over with a vicious expression. "Let's go. Profound Valor is out in the open, so all we need to do is intercept him."

In almost the same moment that he spoke, the generalissimos all vanished.

At the same time, the space around Yang Qi rippled, and he dissolved into innumerable particles which then vanished as they became one with the universe.

Jade Nightqueen and Snowlotus were both startled, and had no idea what techniques had just been used. However, Eunuch Blackheart said, "Proud Ethics isn't the kind of person we should be working with long term. If we can use Yang Qi to deal with him, the empress will be very pleased. She wants us to capture Proud Ethics and use him to lure Proud Heaven out into the open, and hopefully, destroy him. You see, her greatest ambition isn't to become a god, but to capture Proud Heaven and inflict the ultimate humiliation on him before ending his life. If we can capture Proud Ethics to help her reach her goal, she'll reward us well."

"Fine. Let's get going!"

The five eunuchs and two flower goddesses used their own spatial leaping technique to vanish.

Meanwhile, in another location, a figure blurred through the primal-chaos paleo-energy. The energy took many forms, from walls, to tempests, to boulders, but this person was able to easily move within it.

He was none other than the sectlord of the Profound Killing Dao Sect, Profound Valor.

He was tall and burly, and appeared to be in his forties. He had a long beard and slender, arched eyebrows, and looked very much like a scholar-general from the ancient past, the kind who had led countless troops in successful campaigns.

He stopped at a certain point in the primal-chaos, stood tall and straight, and said, "Guests from the future world, I'm aware of the ambush you're planning. I know you want to kill me, then loot and take over this immortal world."