Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

“What is this? Why did it suddenly start raining godnotes? Am I seeing things?” Lightning Dragonriser walked out of the spell formation and looked back to see Yang Qi sitting there in the middle, godnotes raining down around him. However, before the godnotes could reach the ground, they would vanish. Then new ones would appear above and start the process over again.

It almost seemed like a scene from a dream.

He reached out and grabbed one of the godnotes, but as soon as he did it exploded in his hand, flinging him backward with blood spraying out of his mouth until he landed on his back, unconscious.

Shocked, everyone else exited the formation and looked back to see Yang Qi slowly reining in his energy, causing the godnotes to vanish.

“What's going on?” Brahma asked. “What’s this all about?”

“I provoked a godnote transformation,” Yang Qi said, “using the power of wealth to create a killing move called Magnanimity to the Masses. Something new from my Sage Monarch Grand Magic. Lightning Dragonriser must have thought the godnotes were real, and when he tried to grab them, he suffered a big shock. Thankfully, he was only knocked unconscious, and will recover shortly.”

He waved his finger and sent a soft stream of energy into Lightning Dragonriser, who twitched in response.

Moments later, he opened his eyes and sat up.

“What were you cultivating just now?” he asked. “Why were there so many godnotes?”

“I gained some enlightenment of a new technique called Magnanimity to the Masses. What you experienced just now was a small test. If I used the real move, it would cause godnotes to rain down for dozens of kilometers in every direction. It would be a destructive, explosive rain that could kill even gods. It’s truly an unprecedented energy art. What do you think?”

Lightning Dragonriser shook his head. “It's simply... unbelievable! You're using godnotes as a means to attack your enemy? How extravagant. I've never heard of anyone doing anything like this before. Does it mean you’ll eventually be able to produce real godnotes?”

“It depends on my cultivation base,” Yang Qi replied. At the same time, he cast his vision deep into Lightning Dragonriser, where he saw something that almost looked like a sealing mark on his soul.

Lightning Dragonriser had been following Yang Qi for some time now, and seemed hell-bent on ingratiating himself. He really did seem to be treating Yang Qi as if he were some sort of omnipotent leader. Of course, some of that was a result of the Sage Monarch Grand Magic, which let Yang Qi become a sage or a monarch with a mere thought.

Magnanimity to the Masses was a truly powerful move. It would fill the air with a rain of godnotes that were so realistic it would be hard to identify them as anything but that. And while he had just caused them to gently flutter downward, he would eventually be able to use it to have them come crashing down like a true deluge.

The move was so named because it would cause wealth to appear in heaven and earth, providing endless blessings to the masses. With enough wealth, no one would be poor or hungry, and would instead live fruitful and happy lives. In fact, it hearkened to the teachings of the buddhist schools, and the dāna giving, which involved donating the treasures of chiliocosms of worlds. [1]

Thus, it was called Magnanimity to the Masses.

Getting to his feet, Lightning Dragonriser assessed himself internally, and was relieved to find that there were no injuries or impediments. He was increasingly realizing that ever since he had met Yang Qi, his energy arts were advancing nonstop.

All of a sudden, everyone realized that the medallions they had been given were vibrating. Taking them out, they all heard the same announcement spoken in a cold voice. “The Bloodgore Trials of the House of God Ordainment are set to begin. All participants will come to the Hall of God Ordainment to be put into groups. The teleportation portal will then take them to the trials. Any who are late will be refused entry and will not be allowed to register for future trials.”

Yang Qi rose to his feet, eager to finally get a look at the top sects that existed in the god world. Perhaps he would even get a glimpse of some real gods.

To date, he had not yet seen any true gods. Not even the blood infant he had fought on Egret Island was really a god.

“Be careful, everyone,” Yang Qi said. “And if any of you run into a young master from the Cloudsoaring Mansion, be especially careful. Remember, I've placed true energy in all of you that you can use in the case of emergency, although success or failure will depend on how skillfully you use it.”

“If some arrogant and conceited young master manages to kill us, it would mean our years of hard work would be in vain.” That was what Doom and everyone else was thinking.

People were already gathering in the immense hall in the middle of the city and heading into the teleportation portal therein. It was Yang Qi’s first time seeing a teleportation portal in the god world, and when he and his group stepped onto it, dazzling light shone and everything seemed to tilt as spatial power wrapped them up.

They felt something like a blast of heat, then they were elsewhere.

Looking around, they realized they were in a huge, deep valley that was vaguely bottle gourd-shaped. The cliffs on either side of the valley were lined with individuals who pulsed with shocking auras.

“Gods! They’re all gods!”

Cries of shock rang out, although Yang Qi and his followers just quietly looked around. They were only one small part of the huge group of people that was being teleported in.

Considering how many people would be participating in the Bloodgore Trials, it was clear that they wouldn’t be held in the Primal-Chaos Continent. The House of God Ordainment had obviously arranged for the event to be held on another, larger continent.

Looking around, Yang Qi could see that there were millions upon millions of people present, a real hodgepodge of good and bad people.

The figures up on the cliffs all seemed to be Lesser Gods, but they were more than enough to keep control, especially considering they could join forces if necessary.

“Ladies and gentlemen...” one of the gods said, and as he looked over the crowd, Yang Qi felt the pain caused by the man’s gaze. Shockingly, he was a Common God!

The weather was still extremely hot, requiring everyone to use their godpower to protect themselves lest they be burned out of existence. It was an effect from the god world itself, not the House of God Ordainment. The heat Yang Qi had experienced in Triopolis wasn’t the true heat that could be experienced in the god world. This was.

“Presumably all of you are familiar with the rules of the Bloodgore Trials. You will be put into groups of ten thousand and be sent into the mountains. The pathways there are the locations where you will fight. The medallions you were given will indicate which group you will join. Understand?”

Even as the god’s words were still echoing out, Yang Qi felt his medallion vibrating, indicating that he was in the first group. Without any hesitation, he flew up into the air, along with many other people in the crowd.

The atmosphere was tense, as would be expected considering that only one person would survive.

As they flew further into the valley, everyone was thinking about the fact that nine thousand, nine hundred and ninety-nine people were about to die.

BOOM!

Someone passed out from fear!

However, it didn’t do them any good, as one of the gods above waved a hand, awakening them. They now had no choice but to participate.

It wasn’t permitted to back out of the Bloodgore Trials, and although that person had been awakened, it was obvious that they were so weak they would die. There was no way someone like that would survive a trial like this.

Thankfully, Lightning Dragonriser had ensured that Yang Qi and his people weren’t to be placed in the same group.

Although cheating wasn't allowed in the Bloodgore Trials, a bit of flexibility was allowed during the initial arrangements.

‘This is going to be intense,’ Yang Qi thought.

A few kilometers further into the valley, it was possible to see a host of paths snaking into the mountains, only one of which was opened.

The others were sealed tight for other groups.

The god spoke again. “You are participating in the Bloodgore Trials, so be prepared to die with no regrets. Whether or not you become an official disciple of the House of God Ordainment will depend on your performance. Kill everyone else, and you’ll survive. We don't want people who are like flowers from a greenhouse. Only the strong will come out on top, as the arrangement has been for millions upon millions of years. Enter, and let the killing begin!”

Yang Qi flew along, and upon entering the path, found himself in what seemed like a never-ending jungle.

1. Dāna is a real thing from various eastern religions. More information here.