Sage Monarch

Ape Heavenhelve looked at the immortal ranking list, and was at first convinced that he was seeing things. But after a moment passed, he threw his head back and roared. 

“Argggghhhhh!”

The agony and despair he felt defied description, and anyone who heard his cry felt their hair standing on end.

“Dead. Dead! The best disciples of the Apefolk, my two sons, both dead!? Ape Purgemalice acquired the Seven Malices Heaven-Scroll, a legacy from an immortal world. He was supposed to become an immortal. How could he be dead?

“And Ape Electrospace was born with lightning in his blood, and could communicate directly with electricity. Tribulations didn’t hurt him, they helped him. He slaughtered too many sixth step Great Sages to count, and was supposed to succeed me as clan chief. How could he be dead?”

Ape Heavenhelve’s hand clamped down onto the Heaven-Propping Pillar so tightly that it emitted cracking sounds.

He was so angry he felt like he was going crazy, and wanted to kill everyone in sight just to ease his heart. 

All of the Demonfolk who had tried to cause trouble for Yang Qi had suffered greatly this day, and no one could stand in his way. It was almost like the training competition had been set up specifically for him. Mammothfolk? Apefolk? Genius elites? All they did was make it obvious how strong Yang Qi was. And everyone was wondering what kind of reward he would receive from the immortal world after he returned to the Hanging Mountain.

According to the rules, the higher one’s score, the better the reward.

“Well, Ape Heavenhelve, not even your sons could escape death.” Leviathan Truesoaring threw his head back and laughed loudly. “You bragged about killing the Holy Mother’s son, but in the end, your sons got killed. By the way, Young Master Yang Qi is the type who will seek revenge over the smallest grievance. After he returns, he’ll be blessed by the immortal worlds, and his cultivation base will definitely increase. I’d say it won’t be long before you Apefolk are completely wiped out of existence.”

Ape Heavenhelve finally lost his temper, and lunged at Father Leviathan with the Heaven-Propping Pillar.

However, Yan Wubing stepped between them and stopped the pillar with a single finger.

Smack!

“Looking to get killed, Ape Heavenhelve? Seems to me there's no reason to get in a life-or-death fight right here and now.”

Yan Wubing's aura was now so pure and powerful that he seemed like an immortal. Apparently, he was very close to a breakthrough, which would make him a Lesser Demi-Immortal.

Thanks to the enlightenment Yang Qi had given him, he was actually benefiting with every hour that passed, and was experiencing true energy transformations deep within him.

As for Ape Heavenhelve, he could sense those transformations through the pillar, and it caused a spark of fear to appear in his heart. Although he was also a ninth step Epic Saga Sage, it was obvious that Yan Wubing was stronger than him.

“Yan Wubing!” he growled. “One of these days, you and all the other people who support the Holy Mother, including that young master of yours, are going to be dead and buried.”

“Just wait until the young master is out of the training,” Yan Wubing replied coldly, “then I’ll kill you. Cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.”

Ape Heavenhelve’s eyes blazed as if with fire, and yet, he couldn't do anything.

Letting out another roar of rage, he shot toward Mount Sumeru to confer with the August Patriarch.

Upon reaching the summit, he entered the palace and said, “August Patriarch Mammoth Heaven! The Apefolk have suffered dearly in this competition. Our quintessence was wiped out, and therefore, I demand that Yang Qi be killed. August Patriarch, please, do this for the Apefolk.”

“Be calm, Ape Heavenhelve,” he said. “Calm and patient.” Of course, Mammoth Heaven’s expression was just as grim as Ape Heavenhelve’s. “The rules of the competition are clear. Some people live, some die. It's been like that since ancient times, and there’s nothing we can do about it. Once Yang Qi comes out of the competition, we can’t do anything to him openly. If we do, the immortal world would punish us dearly. Not even I can defy their rules. Understand?”

“August Patriarch, you’re a Demi-Immortal! There has to be something you can do. Two of my sons died in there. And your son Mammoth Force also died. We can’t let Yang Qi live after that! Don’t tell me my sons died for nothing! My son Ape Purgemalice had the Seven Malices Heaven-Scroll, and even you sang his praises. He was supposed to be an important leader in the Hanging Mountain. If we let Yang Qi just continue to gain power, then we Demonfolk will never see a day of peace again. August Patriarch, you can't let him keep living.”

Suddenly, one of the Mammothfolk’s Epic Saga Sages looked away from the immortal ranking list and shouted, “How impudent! Haven't you jabbered enough, Ape Heavenhelve? What's going on with you? I can’t believe you would break the rules and yell at the August Patriarch! Back down now, otherwise the August Patriarch will imprison you for all eternity.”

August Patriarch Mammoth Heaven waved his hand dismissively. “It's fine. Let him have his say.”

Forcing himself to calm down a bit, Ape Heavenhelve said, “August Patriarch, think about it. Yang Qi is currently either a Legendary or a Great Sage. If he’s a Great Sage already, he's only in the Born Again Step. And yet, he killed my sons and plenty of other experts. It’s almost like he's invincible. You know full well how strong my son Ape Purgemalice was. Not even an ordinary seventh step Great Sage could have fought against his Seven Malices Heaven-Scroll, much less killed him. That means that Yang Qi is now strong enough to defeat seventh step Great Sages. Once he comes out, he’ll be blessed by the immortal worlds, and will probably achieve multiple breakthroughs. At that point, he could theoretically kill even me. Considering he's the son of the Holy Mother, his progress will definitely be much more rapid than ordinary people. And think of how terrifying he would be as a Demi-Immortal! Perhaps not even you could deal with him, August Patriarch.”

Mammoth Heaven sat there in thought for a long moment, then said, “He’s definitely a plague that needs to be rooted out and destroyed. I've never heard of a first step Great Sage who could defeat the seventh step. I don’t think there was even a person like that back in the days of the Yore-Wilds Continent. Perhaps such geniuses exist in the immortal planes. In any case, my son Mammoth Manyvoids should be able to defeat him. He’ll definitely track Yang Qi down soon and kill him.”

“Your son Mammoth Manyvoids does have the reputation of being the top elite young one in the Hanging Mountain. Can he really kill Yang Qi though?”  

“Manyvoids is about to reach the Without Limit Step, so he should be able to kill Yang Qi. When that happens, the Holy Mother will want to weep, but won’t be able to summon the tears. At least now I understand why she was willing to risk universal condemnation to give birth to that child. She must have known that he would progress like this.” With that, Mammoth Heaven began to murmur to himself as though making certain calculations.

**

Back in the Hell of Mahānata, Yang Qi was traveling about randomly.

He had already accumulated enough points to secure his spot in first place. Now, he needed to meditate more on the essence of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, and the magical laws he had command of.

It wasn't easy for a person like him to get into a true hell, which were very different from the ordinary planes that had been converted into hells later on.

The ground and air naturally contained devil energy, and the magical laws were different. Right now, he was contemplating the issue of how to break through to the second step, and become a Nirvanic Resurrection Sage.

He had to be very careful how he did it. He needed to find a very secure location, and brand it with a sealing mark from his nascent divinity. The process was called nascent divinity ensconcement. It had to be very secure, and a place where no one could acquire the sealing mark later. After all, if he died, then that nascent divinity sealing mark would be his ticket to nirvanic resurrection.

Lion Hightower, Mammoth Force, Shark Seaguzzler, and their fellows all had such abilities. Unfortunately, Yang Qi’s Hand of the One God was too powerful, and was capable of crushing anything connected to a person out of existence. It could even reach to the nascent divinity sealing marks and destroy them. That was simply how domineering a godly-class energy art was.

Yang Qi was planning to ensconce his nascent divinity in the Hell of Mahānata.

It was not an easy place to get to, not even for Demi-Immortals. In other words, if he successfully ensconced his soul here, then even if a Demi-Immortal killed him at some point, he could be born again.

Even more noteworthy, performing nascent divinity ensconcement here would connect him even more closely to the Hell of Mahānata. Eventually, he could make the entire plane his own.

Of course, that was something that would happen in the distant future, when he was more than a Demi-Immortal and more than a Demolisher.

Right now, he was simply planting a tiny seed that would eventually sprout and turn into a mighty tree.

An additional factor was that the location where the nascent divinity was ensconced would affect how much power it could be used to generate. The Hell of Mahānata was considered grand, consummate and perfect, and therefore, there was no better place for nascent divinity ensconcement.

Eventually, he found a suitable location, and drew upon his nascent divinity to begin connecting it to the magical laws of the plane. If he succeeded, he would be a Nirvanic Resurrection Sage.

It would give him access to the essence of the plane, which would recognize his soul as part of it.

As would be expected, though, the larger and more powerful a plane was, the more difficult it would be to ensconce one’s nascent divinity there.

Hardly anyone would dare to use the Hell of Mahānata for ensconcement, or even think to do so. Few people could possibly deal with the backlash they could suffer from the plane's essence.

All of a sudden, Yang Qi heard someone singing. “Myriad Mammoths, Many Voids. The Final Radiance of the Setting Sun….” 

Then, a figure appeared in the distance. “Brother Yang Qi, you're quite bold. You’re actually trying to ensconce your nascent divinity here in the Hell of Mahānata?”