Sage Monarch

Within Yang Qi, three streams of true energy had formed a large circle. The junior superintendent was fueling his attacks with burned godhood, but wasn't fully refining that power. Therefore, it was causing different transformations within Yang Qi, who was ravenously devouring every bit of godhood power that he could.

The True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body required huge amounts of power. For example, in order to cultivate the first line, the mahātmā fiend-devil had sacrificed over ten thousand powerful fiend-devil sect leaders and given their devil vitality to Yang Qi by means of the sheepskin scroll.

Yet how could devil vitality compare to godhood?

Yang Qi had taken a collection of godhood that had been used to seal Lord Blood River, but that collection was difficult to assimilate, thanks to the godliness left behind in it by the legion of gods. And the impurities it left behind when he had assimilated it were difficult to get rid of. In fact, it had only been with Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame that he managed to extrude them. So he obviously had no desire to get himself in the same bad situation again.

Thankfully, his enemy was now funneling pure godhood power right into him.

After using it to boost his own true energy, he realized that it was too much for him to contain, so he sent the remainder into the depths of his heart.

The imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems were one of the most mysterious systems of the Engine of the One God. But he wasn't actually using the Engine of the One God. Instead, he was using his enlightenment of the engine to create a model of those systems. In essence, he was cultivating a new energy art.

The Engine of the One God was the most powerful 'furnace' the Lord of Civilization had ever created. As for the imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems, they were the manifestation of his lifetime of understanding of quintessence and energy arts.

Yang Qi had contemplated the systems long enough to have a deep understanding of them, and now he was trying to create a copy. If he could even form just the first, weakest aspect of those systems within his heart, it would lead to major advancements in his energy arts.

"Imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems. First state!"

Countless magical symbols formed together to create something corporeal, an imperial design with no beginning that pulsed with power.

The power of godhood was fundamentally deathless, and it was the only thing that could truly fuel the imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems. Even having just completed the first state of those systems, he could assimilate a huge assortment of power. Furthermore, it would be a big stabilizing force, allowing him to make much better adjustments to his three major energy arts, and truly begin combining three into one.

As the fight continued, more godhood power entered him and the first state of the imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems began to take shape. And as he grew stronger, he reached the point where he could easily strike a stunning blow that would send the junior superintendent flying.

However, he didn't make a move yet. He just continued pretending to be struck over and over again, prompting the junior superintendent to continue burning his godhood.

If possible, Yang Qi wanted to push his new imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems to the second state.

By this point, the two of them had fought for several thousand rounds, and the junior superintendent was starting to go a bit crazy. Every time he thought that Yang Qi was going to fall for sure, the exact opposite would happen.

It happened once, then twice. Then ten, and twenty times. Then a hundred times. Then two hundred.

Even if the junior superintendent were a complete and utter idiot, he would still have realized that something odd was going on. Yet he couldn't figure out exactly what it was.

He wasn't the only one. Others in the audience were starting to pick up on the clues, and were wondering how it was possible that Yang Qi was in such a bad position for so long, yet hadn't been defeated.

Even Peaklord Grand Might, who hated Yang Qi and wanted him to die, was finally starting to realize that there was more to him than met the eyes. 'What's this brat up to?'

Finally, one of the Executors of the Ancient Road realized what was going on and said, "Junior Superintendent, this guy is absorbing your godhood! Be careful! He's definitely hiding his true capabilities!"

The game was up!

"Damn you, bastard!" he shrieked. "I can't believe that you would secretly steal my power. You're cultivating some energy art with it, aren't you? Time to use a magical treasure. Sword of Reincarnation!"

A beam of sword light shot out from his palm as he prepared to use a magical treasure. Normally, he would never have used something as precious as this, mostly because it would be a big loss of face. But now he had no other options. If his opponent was getting stronger in the middle of their fight, the ultimate consequences would be too horrible to contemplate.

However, the instant the sword light appeared, Yang Qi burst out laughing. "Too late, Junior Superintendent. I'm about to test out something new on you that I just mastered!"

Within his heart, the first state of the imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems surged with power, and three streams of energy within him converged into something like a huge dragon. When it shot out and met the sword light, the light shattered, revealing an ancient, pitch-black sword.

Yang Qi shot forward like a tornado, reaching out with his hand and waving it at the sword.

Whizz!

A sound like vibrating metal was heard as the Sword of Reincarnation flew out of the junior superintendent's hand and into Yang Qi's. Then Yang Qi poured true energy into it, causing loud cracking sounds to ring out.

"Arrghhh!" the junior superintendent blurted, and blood sprayed out of his mouth as he suffered serious injuries. His animadestiny sword had just been wrenched away by Yang Qi, so it was little wonder he had ended up getting hurt.

Swish!

Yang Qi shot forward and extended the sword until it was touching the junior superintendent's throat. Meanwhile, the sword will that filled the area made it impossible for the junior superintendent to move.

"What do you think, Junior Superintendent? You've lost. I've completely and utterly defeated you, and I could kill you if I wanted to."

"Vile bastard!" the junior superintendent said, yet he couldn't move. He was completely enveloped by sword energy. His Sword of Reincarnation had been taken over by Yang Qi, and considering it had once belonged to the junior superintendent, he knew that he wouldn't be able to escape it.

The situation had completely turned around.

The sectlord breathed a sigh of relief and started laughing. A true battle between giants had been fought, and everyone present had learned something by watching it. And regardless of anything else, a major crisis had been momentarily averted.

"Don't hurt the junior superintendent," one of the Terrifying executors said. "If you harm him, the entire Will Manifestation Heaven Sect will end up dead!"

"Are you looking to die, boy!? Get on your knees and apologize to the junior superintendent! Otherwise all hell is going to break loose!"

"You despicable asshole! Do you know how important the junior superintendent is? He's like a king among the Executors of the Ancient Road. Pointing that sword at him is a major crime!"

The executors were all furious, and obviously wanted to kill Yang Qi. However, in fear of hurting the junior superintendent, they were hesitating to shoot the rat for fear of breaking the vases.

Yang Qi had him locked down with sword energy, ensuring that if he even twitched, Yang Qi could end his life in a splash of blood before anyone could do a thing. It was now obvious that Yang Qi's cultivation was on par with that of a Terrifying expert, which only begged the question of what he would be like when he really did reach the Terrifying level. No one could even guess.

"Well done," the sectlord said. "Yang Qi, this junior superintendent of the Executors of the Ancient Road has lost the duel, and you have won. Why not turn weapons of war into gifts of jade and silk with the executors? After all, the knot of enmity should be untied, not tightened. Return his sword to him, and forget about the previous stakes of the wager. It's more than enough that the executors will refrain from causing trouble for us."

His words gave the junior superintendent and the other executors plenty of leeway to make a graceful retreat.

Yang Qi sensed a powerful force settling down around him from the sectlord. First, it was to ensure that the junior superintendent didn't try to stab him in the back. Second, it was to make sure the other four executors didn't suddenly attack him.

Yang Qi could only sigh in admiration at how careful the sectlord was.

He nodded.

He could tell that trying to force the junior superintendent to pay compensation wasn't the best course. There was obviously no way that he would simply hand over one hundred pieces of godhood. It was hard to say if even the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect as a whole had that much godhood in reserve.

"That's fine," Yang Qi said. "Are you going to stick to your word, Junior Superintendent?"

The junior superintendent snorted. "When an important person like me makes a promise, he keeps it. As for the matter of the godhood, it was your sectlord who decided to change the agreement, not me. For the time being, we won't cause any problems for your Will Manifestation Heaven Sect. But you just wait. The humiliation of today can only be washed away with blood. And it will be washed away, eventually."

"I'm always happy to have a fair fight," Yang Qi replied. "As long as you have the guts. But if you try teaming up against me, then sorry to say, I'll just vanish right in front of your nose."

Flipping the Sword of Reincarnation around, he tossed it, not to the junior superintendent, but to the sectlord.

The sectlord inwardly nodded. 'The kid really thinks things through.' Handing the sword right back to the junior superintendent would have only been asking for him to do something with it. Keeping it had put them in a much better position.

The sectlord quickly cleansed it of any remaining true energy and handed it back to the junior superintendent. "Junior Superintendent, the fact that you've kept your word will be remembered here in the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect. We'll be sure to spread word among the other superpower sects."

"Hmph!" The junior superintendent took his Sword of Reincarnation, then rejoined the other four executors.

Meanwhile, the four executors exchanged glances, then shouted as they suddenly blurred into action. Three of them headed directly toward the sectlord, and one of them reached toward Yang Qi with outstretched hands.