Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

It was really a case of trapping turtles in a jar.

They set the trap well, waiting for the target to enter the Crystalline Turtle Shell Kingdom. Then they would capture the people from the House of the Chiliocosm, plus Dugu Nimou.

They couldn't kill Dugu Nimou. Instead, they would injure him, then have the people from the House of the Chiliocosm blame him for attacking them. He would immediately fall from grace, whereupon Yang Qi could take over his territory before any of the leaders of the sect could do anything.

“I’ve already explained the plan in detail,” Yang Qi said. “Dugu Hong, take these heaven caliber godstones and bribe the necessary leaders in the House of the Invincible. I want to make sure that after all of this plays out, I can take over his territory.”

“Yes sir,” Dugu Hong replied. “We can’t kill Dugu Nimou, nor can we formally arrest him. All we can do is investigate any crimes he committed and then accuse him of misconduct. That’s the only way to overthrow him, according to the law. If we don’t follow the rules down to the last letter, it's going to be very problematic. Remember, Dugu Nimou has backers in the House of the Invincible, and they’ll rain violence onto us if they find out we’re trying to take him out.”

“It’s simple. Injure him and let him get away. In fact, make sure he escapes. The Second Devil General will just intercept him and entrap him in a warding magic from the dao of devils. While he’s trapped in there, he won’t be able to participate in the fighting. Then, after we leave, he’ll come back out with no idea of what happened.” Yang Qi laughed at the thought of it.

“Then that’s what we’ll do,” everyone said, nodding.

The Second Devil General was the only one who wasn’t nodding. “This is really annoying. We're still plotting? Yang Qi, why don’t you just subjugate him and put him under your control?”

“The downside to that is there wouldn't be any reason for us to be promoted to viceroy afterward. What good is it for us to be police chiefs? We need to step out from behind the curtain! That's what we’re doing here. Right now we’re in the shadows where no one will ever see us. But when we're viceroys, we can really flex our muscles. And then, when we can perform truly amazing services for the sect, we can start skyrocketing through the ranks. What do you think?”

“Agreed. Alright, let's begin. Boundless Devil Realm. Nurture the Dome of Heaven. The Dome of Heaven Devilized. Nine Yins Sun and Moon!”

RUMBLE!

The Second Devil General was drawing on a major trump card technique, causing an incomprehensible devil domain to spread out. It was called the Heaven Dome Devil Domain. It was also a major spell formation, and when it linked with the Cruiser of Civilization it would trap even the most powerful of experts. After making all the necessary preparations, the Second Devil General transformed into a tall young man with a waterfall of inky black hair and a black robe. He fairly radiated wretched evil, making it obvious at a glance that he wasn't a good person.

“Let’s go,” he said. “I’ve set everything up. Nobody can possibly escape this trap, so we might as well head into the Crystalline Turtle Shell Kingdom and see what these people from the House of the Chiliocosm are like. And I'm curious to see what this Yang Chiliocosm is all about. I've always considered him a major enemy.”

“Hold on,” Yang Qi said. “Are you saying that the Lord of the Chiliocosm is actually named Yang Chiliocosm?”

Yang Qi was obviously sensitive about the surname Yang, and was more than a little surprised to hear the Second Devil General calling the Lord of the Chiliocosm, a powerful God-Lord from ancient times, by the same surname as himself.

“Yeah, that’s right. The Lord of the Chiliocosm is named Yang Chiliocosm. He’s a reflection of the chiliocosm of worlds, and was born in ancient times in a mysterious and enigmatic way. In other words, he predates the god world. He has a lot of descendants too. Right, you’re surnamed Yang, and so is he. I bet that’s not a coincidence. I wonder if the two of you are related. Think about it. There are three major powers in the god world. The Central Dynasty is run by the Proud Clan, and they’re obviously your enemy. The House of the Invincible is connected to your Master from the impure lands, the Invincible Dugu. And the House of the Chiliocosm has the Yang Clan, which is the same surname you bear. You think that’s just random chance? I think not. It looks to me more like fate and predestination.”

“I think you’re right,” Yang Qi replied. “I need to get to the bottom of this. Oh, right. Second Devil General, you know a lot about the ancient god world. Are you aware of any Fateless Ones other than myself?”

“Fateless Ones?” The Second Devil General’s brow furrowed in thought. “I haven’t heard of any. Eternal Ones and Fortuned Ones, yes. But Fateless Ones were little more than legend. That said, I’ve been imprisoned since the God Legion Tribulation. Who knows what happened in the billions of years I was away. Although, it would be strange if there was another Fateless One besides you. The old stories always said there could only be a single Fateless One at any given time.”

‘It does seem strange,’ Yang Qi thought. ‘Fateless Ones are supposed to be extremely formidable, so why wouldn’t he settle down and found some sect? I'd say it’s highly likely he’s in one of the three major dynasties. I have a feeling this other Fateless One is my archenemy. I have to be on guard constantly.’

“Enough jabbering. Let's get inside.” The Second Devil General waved his finger to call on the Myriad Worlds Greater Teleportation, causing himself and the others to enter the Crystalline Turtle Shell Kingdom.

Big things were happening inside.

In a majestic meeting hall, a teleportation portal whizzed to life and a group of people appeared.

Leading them was Marquis Three Realms, a peak Paramount God from the House of the Chiliocosm. And standing next to him was someone roughly on the same level as Buddha Thunderjolt. He was Chiliocosm Hegemon, the same one who had previously injured Dugu Hong.

The rest of the people present were all late Paramount Gods with godhood ratings and psychic scales of two or three hundred million. All of them were viceroys in the Chiliocosm Dynasty.

There was a group of people waiting for them, including Dugu Nimou and certain other viceroys from the House of the Invincible, who Yang Qi could identify thanks to the destiny around them.

“Greetings, greetings!” Dugu Nimou said, rising to his feet and bowing at the waist.

“Cut the crap,” Chiliocosm Hegemon said. “We have demands, Dugu Nimou. You have to stop the upcoming wedding. It won’t do to have Sprite Susu marry Dugu Yunkong. If this marriage alliance happens, the Spritefolk will be inextricably linked with the House of the Invincible. And the combined strength of the Dugu Clan and the Spritefolk will disrupt the balance of power among the three major dynasties. We’ve already called on many of our most important relationships to make sure this doesn't happen. Our leaders are all involved, and numerous spies have been called to action. Normally speaking, the responsibility would be all mine, but considering the important nature of the matter, Marquis Three Realms has been sent to help. There’s not much to discuss, Dugu Nimou. You've done a lot of work for the Chiliocosm Dynasty, and have benefited a lot as a result. And when you help this time, you’ll benefit more than ever.”

Turning to Marquis Three Realms, Dugu Nimou said, “And what benefits will they be, exactly?”

“Simple,” Marquis Three Realms replied. “We’ll make sure you reach the peak Paramount God level. But you have to accomplish the mission. We know that you have a lot of connections to the top leaders in your sect. And I’ve brought lots of valuables and treasures that you can use for bribes.”

Eyes lighting up, Dugu Nimou said, “In that case, this won’t be a problem, Marquis Three Realms. Don’t worry. I've been working for the Chiliocosm Dynasty for years, so surely you trust me by now. When have I ever failed you?”

Marquis Three Realms smiled. “You're right. However, you're still a member of the House of the Invincible, which makes it a bit odd that you’re so willing to work with us.”

“There’s nothing odd about it. People will die for riches just as birds will die for food. What’s so strange about that? I can’t profit enough in the House of the Invincible, so it's only natural that I would branch out to the House of the Chiliocosm. I'm out for myself. And if the House of the Invincible can't take care of me, screw ‘em. As long as I can rapidly improve my cultivation, why should I care who dies? I'm sure there are plenty of people like me in the House of the Chiliocosm as well. You know, I heard that the Central Dynasty has sent a lot of spies into the Chiliocosm Dynasty. It seems like a tricky situation. You people should be on the lookout.”

“There will always be spy wars,” Marquis Three Realms said. “Let’s cut to the chase, Dugu Nimou. Do you agree to the deal?”

“I can do it for you, no problem. The truth is that there are quite a few leaders who aren’t happy with Dugu Yunkong. They think he’s too arrogant, and in reality, he has a lot of competition. There are many parties who would love for his marriage to Sprite Susu to fail. After all, if it goes through, he’s only going to have more reason to be cocky. Furthermore, the Spritefolk really are thinking of throwing their support behind the House of the Invincible. If they do, the destiny of the House of the Invincible will grow by at least thirty percent. That's definitely going to disturb the balance of things, and affect the dao of heaven of the god world as a whole. So yes, I’ll definitely do this for you, Marquis Three Realms. As long as you don’t hold back when it comes to the compensation.”

Marquis Three Realms chuckled coldly. “How much compensation are you asking for? Don’t get too greedy!”