Sage Monarch

Blood oozed out of the holes Yang Qi had punched in Mortal Beheader’s skull as he held him, forming a very terrifying sight. Mortal Beheader was a seventh order Revered Demi-Immortal and was considered one of the top experts in the Titan Emperor Collegium. He had practiced cultivation for tens of thousands of years and was shown respect wherever he went. But now he looked about as strong as a baby chicken and was clearly terrified.

Mortal Beheader’s life was in Yang Qi’s hands, therefore no one dared to act rashly.

The people in the crowd exchanged awkward glances, but didn’t utter even the slightest sound. The ground was littered with the skins of numerous disciples, and even some prime elders. It was a scene of utmost horror and lunacy, and an extreme humiliation to the Hall of Beheadings and Executions. Normally speaking, the Hall of Beheadings and Executions took the lead in executing lawbreakers. But now the executioners were being executed.

No one knew what to do.

However, after a long moment passed, Heavenly Beheader stepped forward and angrily shouted, “Yang Qi, Sword Seventeen, Invincible Society… you’ve really gone and done it this time. You can’t turn back from this, you know. You’re dead and there’s nobody out there who can save you. You can only blame yourself for not leaving a way out for yourselves.”

“Leave a way out?” Sword Seventeen replied angrily. “How exactly were we supposed to do that? As soon as you showed up at our front door you started talking about killing us and exterminating our clans. And now you're talking about leaving a way out? If we didn't stand up for ourselves, we would be more dead than these people here. You backed us into a corner, so we’re going to wipe you out. We’ll see soon enough who’s more vicious: us, or you. You see, the Invincible Society doesn't go around threatening people. We’ve caused tempests of blood to rain down many times throughout history, and we’re not afraid of anybody. We’ll make you suffer, even if we die trying.”

“Enough, Elder Brother," Yang Qi said. “These pigheaded fools wanted to end our lives, but that's fine. I’m in the mood for some killing. I'm going to show them what a fiendish killer can do, and I'm also going to show them what it means to be invincible. We’re going to improve our society’s reputation again here. Eldest Brother forced their elder kings to cough up blood, and there’s no way I'm going to do anything less amazing.”

Voice as cold as ice, Heavenly Beheader said, “Let Mortal Beheader go, Yang Qi. This incident has already caused a stir in the upper echelons. If the elder kings get involved, how will you resolve the situation? You still have a chance to atone for your crimes, but only if you let Mortal Beheader go.”

“Either you die, or your whole clan dies,” Earthly Beheader said. “Which do you want? Think things through clearly.”

“Even with death staring you in the face, you still insist on being stubborn?” Yang Qi shook his head. “Do you people really think I'm afraid to go all out? Do you really think I’ll let you off the hook after everything that's happened? Let me tell you, once I decide to do something, I do it. No matter what. I'm going to cleanse the Hall of Beheadings and Executions with a river of blood and expunge it from the Titan Emperor Collegium for all time.”

“Oh really?” a voice cut in, echoing through the Hall of Beheadings and Executions, accompanied by an aura that seemed to contain the rotations of the universe.

A figure appeared, clad in royal garments and surrounded by an air of majesty.

Countless experts in the Hall of Beheadings and Executions immediately shouted out in shock. 

“Kingly Beheader!” Heavenly Beheader said, “These people from the Invincible Society are in outright rebellion! They’ve been bedeviled! The whole Invincible Society is bedeviled. You elder kings need to wipe them out of existence. That’s the only way to maintain the dignity of the Hall of Beheadings and Executions!”

“Elder King, look, he took Mortal Beheader captive!” Earthly Beheader said. “We’re all hesitating to shoot the rat for fear of breaking the vases!”

“Very well. Let me talk things out with this evil creature.” Kingly Beheader was one of the top leaders of the Hall of Beheadings and Executions and rarely made public appearances. He spent most of his time in seclusion, pondering the heavenly dao of Demolishing. The fact that he had come to handle the situation went to show how much of a scene Yang Qi had caused.

Looking at Yang Qi sneeringly out of the corner of his eyes, he said, “So, you evil creature, did I just hear you say that you would expunge the Hall of Beheadings and Executions from the Titan Emperor Collegium? Do you know how far back our history stretches? Do you know how many students work for us, or how strong we are? You really think that your tiny Invincible Society can do anything to us? I don’t think so. You won’t be exterminating anyone. Our Hall of Beheadings and Executions represents rule and law. Without rules, you can’t have a functioning society, and without laws, you can’t have a powerful sect. Considering the things that just came out of your mouth, your Master the Invincible Dugu is going to have to accept responsibility for this situation. We’ve already reported the matter to the supreme rector and sentenced both you and your entire clan to death.”

“Still going to be obstinate, Yang Qi?!” Heavenly Beheader said. “Let Mortal Beheader go! There’s no way you’ll defy an elder king, not with your life and the lives of your family on the line.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?” Yang Qi said. “And who the hell are the elder kings? How dare you people try to tell me what to do.” 

Heavenly Beheader was so shocked by Yang Qi’s response that he couldn't even say anything in response. Even Kingly Beheader was visibly stunned, and his face was starting to turn crimson. In fact, if he weren’t worried about accidentally hurting or killing Mortal Beheader, he would already have attacked Yang Qi.

“Let Mortal Beheader go,” he said, taking a step forward.

“Okay,” Yang Qi said, and Kingly Beheader stopped in his tracks. “I understand what’s going on here, Elder King. You’re worried that if you shoot the rat, you might break the vases. That’s why you’re holding back. Alright, considering how worried you are about that, why don’t we just skip to the part where we fight?”

“Oh? You’re going to let Mortal Beheader go? So, it turns out you are afraid of breaking the law after all. Well, did you really think the Invincible Society was actually invincible? Listen, everyone has to follow the rules, that’s just the way things work. I can tell you’re strong, so after you let Mortal Beheader go, I’ll only hit you three times. If you survive, I’ll spare your clan and only execute you. What do you think?”

Yang Qi burst out laughing. “You’re a real moron, you know that? You think I was talking about letting Mortal Beheader go? Wrong. I meant that I would kill him so we could just start fighting. Not even you’re strong enough to stop me. When I said I would make it rain blood here in the Hall of Beheadings and Executions, I was dead serious. However many people you have, that’s how many I’ll kill. Understand? And we're going to start with Mortal Beheader.”

Without any hesitation, he sent a burst of power into Mortal Beheader.

“I refuse to accept this! I can’t die here! I'm a Revered Demi-Immortal. I'm supposed to become an elder king. I'm– AIIIIEEE!”

BOOOM!

The man’s head exploded and his soul was wiped out of existence, leaving behind only the echo of his dying scream.

The Hand of the One God completely destroyed him, even the branding mark where he had ensconced his nascent divinity, ensuring that he would never be reborn.

Just like that, a mighty prime paragon elder was killed.

Yet again, something had occurred in the Hall of Beheadings and Executions that had never occurred before.

“What?” Kingly Beheader’s face went as white as a sheet and his hands began to tremble. He had experienced many things in life, and had encountered many ruthless individuals, but he had never seen anyone as brutal as Yang Qi. Yang Qi was the merciless type of individual who would defy all laws and principles, even those of heaven. Not even the Invincible Dugu could compare to him, his own disciple. Back when the Invincible Dugu had been a Great Sage, he hadn’t been able to kill Revered Demi-Immortals. The two levels were so far apart from each other that the former was like a beggar while the latter was like an emperor.

“He killed Mortal Beheader? He really killed him?” Kingly Beheader simply couldn't believe what he was seeing.

He, an elder king, turned out to be completely incapable of saving one of his own subordinates. Not even killing Yang Qi would restore the face the Hall of Beheadings and Executions had just lost in this blood-soaked episode.

“Yeah, I killed him,” Yang Qi said, looking completely calm. “Alright, Elder King. Let’s fight. I want to see how strong you are. Remember, this isn’t play fighting. It’s life or death combat. I’m going to kill you, then I’m going to wipe out the entire Hall of Beheadings and Executions. Anyone who talks about exterminating my friends and family will find that very thing happening to them. The only way to make sure this collegium remains balanced is to resolve the enmity between the Invincible Society and the Hall of Beheadings and Executions, right here, right now.”

The leisurely way Yang Qi spoke left the surrounding experts completely thunderstruck. Yang Qi was in a location that most people would consider as dangerous as a dragon’s pool or a tiger’s den, yet he was the picture of calm confidence.

“You!” Kingly Beheader shouted, completely and utterly enraged.

“Alright fine, you measly Great Sage. You ant. You want to fight me, an elder king? I tell you this: the only way you’ll walk out of the Hall of Beheadings and Executions today is over my dead body. I'm going to kill you, the Invincible Society, and everyone else connected to you. Except your mother from the Hanging Mountain. I’ll make sure she lives a life worse than death. The guilty can never escape justice from heaven! World of Magical Law!”

Streaks of light sped out to form a huge net above them, filling the courtroom hall and causing the power of space-time to thrum in the area.

At this point, a faint smile appeared on Yang Qi’s face. “Heaven and earth are inseparable. Mahānata is boundless. The sun and moon cycle endlessly. I hereby call upon the power of the One God to perform spatial teleportation! Time to learn a little bit about how the universe works. Void Teleportation: World Splitting Power!”

RUUUMBLE!

Suddenly, golden light shot out of his forehead and filled the courtroom hall, which began peeling away from its current place in space and time.

Unexpectedly, Yang Qi was taking the entire place with him to the Hell of Mahānata.