Sage Monarch

Yang Qi sped through the vast starry river, moving at incredible speed. The universe was an immense place, and numerous planets and other heavenly bodies sped past him as he blurred along almost at the speed of light itself.

Some of the planets were enormous, filled with spirit energy and packed with spirit stones and ores. Naturally, places like that often had humans, demons, devils, or other living beings that could practice cultivation. He also saw countless continents, or even cities floating in the starry sky.

Strangely, as he followed the immortal map in the Titan Emperor Medallion, he realized that the planets he passed were growing more numerous and bustling. On more than one occasion, he came across networks of ancient planets which were linked with wormholes and teleportation portals, alliances of sorts that were larger than the Sage Monarch Continent, Quake-Dawn Continent, and Hanging Mountain combined. Eventually, there were so many planets that it was like a river. This place was like a capital city of the starry skies, whereas Yang Qi’s home was a place for ignorant country bumpkins.

‘Is this planetary river the center of the Four Wilds planetary system? I'm definitely not in the former Yore-Wilds Continent anymore.’

The planetary system that consisted of the Hanging Mountain and everything around it had once been part of the Yore-Wilds Continent, which despite being a flourishing location in the past, had been attacked and destroyed by the Hell of Euphoria. Ever since then, the entire place had been in a state of decline.

The other of the Four Wilds, including the Proto-Wilds, Brute-Wilds, and Waste-Wilds, had escaped destruction, and had continued to thrive in the following tens of thousands of years.

The Four Wilds were overseen by the Titan Emperor Heaven, and in the middle of those four great continents was a central region where the Titan Emperor Collegium was located. It was so far away from the Hanging Mountain that a low-level Great Sage who relied on space-time wormholes could take a thousand years to get there. Maybe even ten thousand.

Only a Great Sage in the eighth step, the Without Limit Step, would possibly have energy arts and true energy boundless enough to sustain the type of flight that would make such a journey possible.

As of now, Yang Qi’s cultivation base surpassed that of an eighth step Great Sage, and that was especially true of his Angel Wings. Even a single flap of those wings could propel him past numerous planets.

It was speed normally attainable only by ninth step Epic Saga Sages, and which bordered on the Demi-Immortal level. As he traveled, Yang Qi saw all sorts of astounding sights. There were enormous, heavenly trees floating in outer space, with roots that stretched far into the depths of the void. Such trees were actually worlds unto themselves, occupied by countless humans and Demonfolk.

He saw things that didn't exist near the Hanging Mountain, proving just how wide and varied the universe was.

Eventually, he reached a location that was densely packed with countless flourishing planets. At that point, he opened the Lord's Eye to look around.

All of a sudden, his view of the world changed.

He could see now that there was a central planetary system, with starry rivers stretching out in the four cardinal directions. There were also profoundly wild and ancient auras present.

The auras of the east, west, and south were grand and matchless, and strong to the extreme. Those locations led to the Proto-Wilds, Brute-Wilds, and Waste-Wilds.

Behind him to the north, the energy seemed faint and weak, and was filled with darkness and gloom. There was also strong devil energy there.

That was the old Yore-Wilds planetary system. It was obviously far, far from being restored to its former glory.

The Four Wilds planetary system surrounded what was called the Central Planetary River, which was also the location of the Titan Emperor Collegium. As for all of the countless planets here, they were organized into an immense Universal Skywide Star-Studded Grand Spell Formation.

Even the orbits of the various ancient planets conformed to the nature of the spell formation, whose defenses would make unlawful entry impossible.

To link up numerous planets into a star-studded spell formation like this was something that only an eighth order Universal Demi-Immortal could do. Only they could understand matters related to the rotations of the universe, and only they could control planets.

Obviously, it was a level that surpassed Yang Qi in every way.

Although he could fight at levels higher than his own level, Universal Demi-Immortals were nearly twenty levels higher than him. If he faced a person like that, he would be little more than a bug.

Swish!

Blurring into motion again, he flew onward before eventually landing on a particularly large planet, in a wide-open plain that was hundreds of thousands of kilometers from end to end. Streams of people could be seen flying about here and there, along with teleportation portals that brought people and sent them away without cease.

In the very middle of the plain was an immense gate, fully ten thousand meters tall, surrounded by ranks of Great Sages wearing bright yellow uniforms. Their mere auras were the type that would cause other people to shiver.

On the chests of these yellow-garbed individuals was the character ‘Titan’ embroidered in black cloth. Clearly, they represented the ruling force in this starry sky, the Titan Emperor Heaven.

‘This ancient planet is similar in size to the Quake-Dawn Continent,’ Yang Qi thought. ‘It’s actually the entranceway to the Central Planetary River proper, and the Titan Emperor Collegium. This is the only way to get past the Universal Skywide Star-Studded Grand Spell Formation.’

Just looking around, it was impossible to tell how many planetary systems existed in the Central Planetary River. In any case, they were all linked with magical power, with certain ancient planets left open as gateways to enter.

There were people from the Four Wilds here, entering and exiting, all of them high-level Great Sages, with quite a few being Epic Saga Sages.

Occasionally, immense auras would appear, causing everything to tremble. They were the Demi-Immortals. When they arrived, everyone else would put their heads together and whisper enviously. Even here in the Central Planetary River, Demi-Immortals were the objects of universal veneration.

The experts of the Four Wilds came from trillions of various planets, and included both humans and Demonfolk. Considering the vast population in question, Great Sages actually didn’t count for much.

As Yang Qi approached the gate, a young man in yellow stepped forward. “Who are you? State your background and energy arts, and pay the tax. That’s the only way to enter the Central Planetary River. Any who violate the rules and try to enter unlawfully will be executed immediately.”

“Is that so?” Yang Qi said. He quickly pulled out the Titan Emperor Medallion. “I’ve been summoned to join the Titan Emperor Collegium. Do I really count as a visitor?”

“What? Titan Emperor Medallion?” The young Great Sage could hardly believe his eyes. After studying the medallion closely, he exchanged a glance with one of his comrades and then said, “Well, if it isn’t a new student with a Titan Emperor Medallion. Congratulations. You now have a very high standing in the Central Planetary River and the Four Wilds. Even Legendary students from the collegium can crush ordinary Great Sages. As guards here, our job is to receive incoming students with Titan Emperor Medallions. Come with me. I’ll arrange everything, and help you register at the collegium.”

With that, the young man opened the glittering shield of light that covered the gate, and then led Yang Qi inside.

Beyond the gate were countless space-time wormholes that led into the Central Planetary River. That ‘river’ was made up of numerous enormous planets, which were like cities, palaces and the like. Enormous seas floated between them, and the entire place looked like a holy realm that ordinary people could not create.

There were even complex aspects of space that his Lord's Eye couldn’t pierce.

The yellow-clad young man led him into one particular wormhole, and they were whisked along until they reached a city. It had been carved out of an entire planet, and was filled with roads, squares, plains, and countless enormous buildings. It was a massive place.

“This city is called Sanitus, and is one of the thirty thousand major cities of the Central Planetary River. These thirty thousand cities surround the Titan Emperor Collegium, and are ruled by city magistrates, who are elite and auxiliary students of the collegium. Why don’t you rest here for a few days until the Titan Emperor Collegium opens again? After that, you can go get a master.”

“Okay,” Yang Qi replied coolly, having no reason to do otherwise.

Before long, he found himself a few hundred kilometers into the city, in a delightful courtyard. It was empty, but filled with spirit energy. Even the ornamental rocks were decorated with sovereign-grade spirit stones.

Yang Qi sat down to rest.

“If you have any issues, just call out,” the guard said. Then he faded away.

** 

In the middle of Sanitus, in the city magistrate’s mansion, the young Great Sage who had been making arrangements for Yang Qi was now in a private chamber, exchanging words with another young man, who was none other than a young master of the city. His name was Sanitus Maximus.

“Young Master, we finally had someone with a Titan Emperor Medallion show up. It took some convincing, but I tricked him into resting in the Heart-Devil Patio. What should I do now?”

“Excellent,” replied Sanitus Maximus. “Now I’ll finally get my chance to join the Titan Emperor Collegium. The Titan Emperor Heaven has been holding training competitions in the Four Wilds to find top fighters to give those medallions to. But those ruffians don’t deserve to be students in the Titan Emperor Collegium. I’ll just relieve this fellow of his, and finally get my own spot as a student.”

“Very well, I’ll take care of everything. Although, if he did get a Titan Emperor Medallion on his own, he’s not going to be easy to deal with. And if word got out that Sanitus broke the laws of the Titan Emperor Collegium, it could cause a lot of trouble.”

Sanitus Maximus chuckled. “Don’t worry, I have a way to make him completely disappear.”