Sage Monarch

Sword Seventeen and Yang Qi made further plans.

Taking into account everything they knew about the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, they made some very specific plans of how to face the dangers of the world junctions.

There was obviously no way to search through all of them.

However, they were all treasure troves, in addition to being locations to escape to the outside world.

Whooooosh….

As the two of them flew out of the lake, the God Legion Paradise shrank down until it was a thumb-sized bullet that was roughly the same color as the surrounding terrain. As it zipped along with Yang Qi and Sword Seventeen inside, it was virtually impossible for anyone to spot.

At Sword Seventeen’s urging, Yang Qi continued focusing on gaining enlightenment from the primeval godworm.

Although he was still stuck at the pathetically weak second step of the Great Sage level, his enlightenment was on the verge of breaking through to the Demi-Immortal level.

He was already itching to get back out and achieve those multiple breakthroughs.

“Do you sense that energy up ahead?” Sword Seventeen said. “It's a world junction for sure. That light is like a liquid manifestation of space; have the godworm eat it and his cultivation base will grow even higher.” As they neared the world junction, the lava-like liquid that swirled around it was like liquid jade that Yang Qi quickly inhaled and sent into the God Legion Paradise. The God Legion Paradise was changing. As it filled with the godly laws of space, it no longer shone with a brilliant light. Instead, it looked ancient and mighty, like the work of supernatural beings. It now looked like it was made of stone, the type that was speckled with age and filled with the passage of endless seasons.

Sword Seventeen could sense the changes that were going on within Yang Qi, and he clicked his tongue in amazement. “Junior Brother, your energy arts and cultivation base just keep getting more and more profound. Pretty soon you’re going to outpace Eldest Brother. Trust me, once we get out of here, our Elder Brothers and Sisters are going to do everything in their power to open a passageway to the Hell of Mahānata for you. Once you get in there and improve your cultivation base, our Invincible Society is going to have another world-shaking member. When you step into the Demi-Immortal level, I’d say that not even sixth order Demi-Immortals will be able to hurt you.”

“You flatter me, Elder Brother. Say, what’s that? Are there people standing watch over the world junction?”

Up ahead, there was a rather large group of people who had set up a spiderweb-like network of warding magics to prevent anyone from getting to the world junction. They even had patrols set up.

“Those people work for King Langya,” Sword Seventeen said coldly. “He's been in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart for a hundred thousand years and has cities set up everywhere. He’s never been able to get out through a world junction, but he’s certainly hoarded a lot of treasure. You see, the world junctions are like spirit nodes that occasionally eject treasures from the immortal worlds. He treats them like his personal property, and obviously doesn’t want anyone else benefiting from them. Those people we killed earlier were also his men. They’re going to be on the lookout for us. Junior Brother, do you think your personal domain can get through those warding magics?”

“Easily,” replied Yang Qi. “To me, those warding magics are like kids’ toys.” He opened his Lord's Eye and quickly identified the loopholes in the warding magics.

In the outside world, these warding magics would be considered the most ultimate and deadly types of spell formations possible. But in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, the magical laws of space changed everything. Besides, he could benefit from the eyes of the godworm to find their weaknesses.

As he continued feeding the Blood of the One God to the godworm, it was inching ever closer to the third stage of its life cycle. When that happened, the genetic memories in the creature would pour into Yang Qi’s mind and his enlightenment would break through to the Demi-Immortal level.

Whizz!

Yang Qi sent the God Legion Paradise rocketing through the nearly liquid space that surrounded the world junction and past the patrolling guards.

RUUUUUUMBLE!

As Yang Qi and Sword Seventeen entered the world junction, an immense energy descended on the area as King Langya himself arrived.

“Your Majesty!” one of the patrolling guards said. “We’ve set up warding magics everywhere, just as you ordered. Nobody will get into this world junction now. As for those two people who killed the Six Langya Fiends, we’ve been searching but haven’t turned up any clues.”

BAM!

King Langya smacked the guard viciously across the side of the face. “Trash! You're all trash! Those two punks just went into this very world junction! I sensed the fluctuations clearly only a moment ago. Get out the Langya Ghost-God Mirror immediately, you useless bunch of fools!”

With that, he began kicking and beating all of the guards. Sadly, King Langya treated his subordinates horrifically, and would abuse or even kill them at random.

“Mercy, Your Majesty, spare us!” they shouted, kowtowing as they begged for mercy.

“I’ll let you off the hook for now. Keep an eye on Langya City while I head into the world junction and capture those two. Having trash like you working for me is completely pointless. I have to do everything myself.”

With that, he turned and vanished into the liquid sea of space that was the world junction.

Afterward, his bedraggled subordinates all breathed sighs of relief. 

“Why did we have to end up stuck in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart?” one of them said. “It's bad enough that King Langya works us like pack animals, but if we make the slightest mistake, he’ll kill us. And when he needs longevity, he absorbs it from us, his own subordinates.”

“Ai!” another of them sighed. “We used to be noble students in the Destructive Calamity Collegium. Back then we had limitless prospects. But we came here in the hopes of getting some good fortune, leaving, and founding our own sects. Now we're slaves, with statuses lower than pigs or dogs. I don’t have any ambitions anymore other than getting out of here.”

“The Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart is basically a big prison. Although, it does contain big secrets regarding the legion of gods and the host of immortals. According to what I've heard, the entire chart is connected to the ancient leader of the host of immortals, King Immortal-Slayer. Supposedly, you have to have his command medallion to get the true legacy of the host of immortals.” He sighed. “In the end, we're just sacrifices to this place, with no hope of ever escaping.”

“Well, not necessarily. You know what I heard? According to certain calculations, the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart has opened one hundred and eight times. One hundred and eight is a perfect number and filled with immense profundities. In other words, this is when the bearer of King Immortal-Slayer’s legacy medallion should show up. He’ll get the legacy of the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart and transform it so that we can get out.” [1]

“Oh really? Where did you hear that?”

“Just a few days ago, in Worldking City. As you know, Patriarch Worldking is half a step into the dao of Demolishing. And he used some boundless space-time magic to divine the workings of heaven.”

“Is that so? Patriarch Worldking, huh. He’s a ninth order Demi-Immortal. I heard that he’s on the verge of becoming a real immortal.”

“Well, let’s just wait and see what happens.”

** 

Yang Qi and Sword Seventeen were already in the depths of the world junction.

RUUUUUUMBLE!

As it turned out, the world junction was actually a chiliocosm of worlds, somewhat like the outside world, with a dark sky and countless planes of existence.

ROAR!

Before they could even begin searching, a powerful cry echoed out from the darkness and they saw an enormous emperor snake bearing down on them.

It was bright yellow, the same color that emperors would wear, and the color of sage items. In fact, the scales on its head actually looked like an emperor's crown, complete with dazzling jewels.

It was as large as a mountain as it bore down on them. And when it smashed into the God Legion Paradise, its greyspace began to smoke as though it might evaporate.

BAM!

Yang Qi was severely shaken, and was even sent tumbling backward a significant distance. In response, the emperor snake looked at him mockingly, then opened its mouth and lunged forward again. Shockingly, it seemed intent on consuming the entire God Legion Paradise.

Before Yang Qi or Sword Seventeen could react, the snake swallowed them up, whereupon they found themselves amidst a host of wriggling, yellow spell formations that began digesting the God Legion Paradise.

Crunch. Crunch…. The greyspace of the God Legion Paradise began to crack and split as it came under the destructive assault of the emperor snake’s digestive power.

“What is this thing?” Even as Yang Qi opened his Lord's Eye to examine the situation further, Sword Seventeen let out an excited yelp. 

“Junior Brother! This is an imperial snakecharm, a talisman created by an immortal from the ancient Snakefolk!”

1. The number 108 is packed with all sorts of meaning. Check out more info here.