Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

The quick responses provided by the patriarchs only served to convince Yang Qi that they were troublemakers who had all sorts of tricks up their sleeves.

Proud Heaven was also inwardly surprised.

These patriarchs were profound experts and expert schemers. That much was obvious, otherwise they wouldn't have accomplished what they had accomplished in life. Proud Heaven was wildly arrogant and immensely powerful, but not even he would dare to be anything but cautious and careful around people like this.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ll keep things simple,” Proud Heaven said. “This fourth dynasty, the Sage Monarch Empire, is expanding rapidly. We need to strike quickly before it siphons away too much of our destiny. If that happens, the consequences will be too horrible to contemplate. Dividing the dao of heaven in thirds is enough. If this fourth dynasty disturbs the balance we've created, we’ll undergo untold hardships. That’s why the patriarchs of the Central Dynasty have already agreed that we three dynasties should all send troops to crush them.”

“We completely agree,” said the Heaven-Extinguishing Dugu, a patriarch from the House of the Invincible. “However, the question is how exactly to do that. The Central Dynasty is the strongest of the three, so it seems to me that you should provide sixty percent of the forces, while we provide twenty percent each. And when we conquer the Sage Monarch Empire, we split any loot three ways.”

“I agree with that,” the Lord of the Chiliocosm said with a faint smile.

“That seems a bit excessive,” Proud Heaven replied. “We invited you here to discuss things honestly and fairly. The resources taken after conquering the Sage Monarch Empire should correspond to the troops provided. Don’t you agree?”

The one to respond was Yang Voidprime. “Brother Proud Heaven, how about you keep all of the resources, and just give us Yang Qi? He has the God Legion Seal, and how could that possibly be split three ways?”

RUMBLE!

A buzz arose amongst the gathered patriarchs.

“What? God Legion Seal? You’re saying the God Legion Seal has appeared?”

“What’s going on?”

“Don’t tell me that Emperor Yang Qi has somehow acquired the most powerful legacy there is, the Sovereign Lord’s God Legion Seal!”

“How could that even be possible? Isn't the God Legion Seal in the impure lands? Not only can we from the god world not go to the impure lands, but the Ancient Road to the Gods has also disappeared, which means Ascendants can’t come here.”

“Does he really have the God Legion Seal, Yang Voidprime? Are you sure your information is accurate?”

“If the God Legion Seal really has appeared, Yang Voidprime, then it's a major matter that affects the entire god world, and would bring countless invincible old-timers out of hiding. This is no joking matter. Forget the actual God Legion Seal. Even news about the God Legion Seal would cause a huge stir. Many God-Lords went to incredible lengths to avoid being trapped by the God Legion Seal. Some even killed themselves to be freed from it, and eventually, were born again.”

Yang Voidprime rose to his feet. “Brother Proud Heaven, there’s no reason for the two of us to keep any secrets. I'm not sure what power you used, but you somehow sent an expression of will into the impure lands to search for Yang Qi. But guess what? I did the same, using someone connected by destiny to the talismans of King Immortal-Slayer's legacy medallions. You clashed with Yang Qi several times, then eventually brought the Great Necropolis back here with King Immortal-Slayer imprisoned in it. That's what Proud Central is busy with, isn’t it? He's keeping King Immortal-Slayer under control. He wants to assimilate him to reach the half-Annulled level. I bet Proud Central is waiting until just the right moment to jump out and get control of the God Legion Seal. You might be able to hide the truth from the masses, but not from me. If you get the God Legion Seal, your Central Dynasty will be unstoppable. You’ll destroy our two dynasties, take the treasure troves of the Halls of Heaven, and accomplish your wildest ambitions.”

Dead silence followed his words.

The other figures from the Central Dynasty exchanged awkward glances as they realized there were plenty of secrets that even they were unaware of. As for the experts from the Chiliocosm and Invincible Dynasties, those with psychic scales over a hundred billion, their eyes glittered at the mention of the God Legion Seal.

“What are you talking about, Brother Yang Voidprime?” Proud Heaven said, looking at Yang Voidprime with shock in his eyes. “I really just don’t understand.”

Yang Voidprime threw his head back and laughed. “Brother Proud Heaven, surely you’ve noticed something strange about me. Don’t my features resemble someone you know? Aren’t I Yang Qi from the impure lands? Don’t I look exactly like him? You know full well that Yang Qi is a Fateless One, just like me. But according to all the old legends, there shouldn’t be two Fateless One in existence at the same time. Do you know what’s going on here?”

“You’re very informed, Brother. You know just about everything that happened in the impure lands. Presumably you have more to say?” Proud Heaven spread his hands. “Well? Go ahead. Tell us what’s going on here.”

“Simple. A stream of fateless energy came to be in the god world many years ago, something that surpassed fate itself. And the Sovereign Lord took notice. He knew that the birth of the fateless energy could bring down his rulership. Therefore, he used a most boundless divine ability to lock up that fateless energy, in the hopes that he could absorb it and grow stronger as a result. Perhaps it could’ve even helped him break through to the true Annulled level. After all, fateless energy is key to that breakthrough. Unfortunately, he couldn't assimilate it. So he sealed it with the strongest seal imaginable, then gave it to the High Priestess to watch over. You see, when it came to the Sovereign Lord’s subordinates, the King of Godmammoths was known for strength and power, but the best schemer of them all was the High Priestess.”

Everyone present was hanging on Yang Voidprime’s every word, as this was information most of them had never heard before.

“Sadly, the Sovereign Lord did everything wrong, and eventually the legion of gods turned on him. In the preparations for the final attack, the High Priestess unsealed the fateless energy and tried to assimilate it herself. She failed, fracturing the fateless energy in the process. One part of it was reincarnated as me, while the other part fell into the impure lands, where it disappeared. Obviously, that second bit of fateless energy became Yang Qi.”

Yang Qi couldn’t help but be shaken by what he was hearing. Was that really how he had come to be? Was he really an expression of fateless energy?

If so, was he really incomplete? Did he really have to devour this Yang Voidprime to become whole?

And wouldn’t that mean that Yang Voidprime wanted to devour him as well?

‘Is he connected to the High Priestess? No wonder! The High Priestess built the Nacrelight Sageland, and this guy went there and hooked up with one of their women, then built the Destined Marriage God Temple. Thankfully I subjugated the Nacrelight Sageland, otherwise I might have alerted him to my presence.’ [1]

Yang Qi had always been afraid of the High Priestess, as he knew that she was on roughly the same level as the King of Godmammoths. She wasn’t as strong as him, but her ability to manipulate the dao of heaven had been profound and enigmatic, and she obviously wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

Legend had it the High Priestess had long since perished, but now Yang Qi couldn’t help but suspect that perhaps she was similar to the Lord of the Sword Dao, and had actually gained some enlightenment of the boundless will of the dao of heaven, allowing her to remain alive.

“Is the High Priestess still alive?” Proud Heaven asked. Although he didn’t completely trust Yang Voidprime’s story, he was still shaken.

“That's right,” Yang Voidprime replied. “She is alive. However, she’s in a state of deep slumber, similar to that of the patriarch of the House of the Invincible, the Invincible Dugu.” Yang Voidprime glanced over at the patriarchs from the House of the Invincible, then continued, “Everyone has secrets. As for your Central Dynasty, you've been keeping secrets regarding the Great Necropolis, King Immortal-Slayer, and the Lord of Righteous Justice. As for the House of the Chiliocosm, our secret relates to the High Priestess. And the House of the Invincible has been keeping the Invincible Dugu a secret. But now everything is out in the open. So, Proud Heaven, don’t think you can take advantage of us. If you do, you’ll get just as badly hurt as us. And if you don’t believe me, maybe you’ll believe the High Priestess’s spokeswoman. Come out, Hailan.”

Suddenly, chiming laughter rang out, and a figure stepped out from behind Yang Voidprime, clad in a blue cloak. She pulsed with the energy of the High Priestess, as well as an air that implied she could manipulate the dao of heaven and summon all types of energy to her.

The High Priestess had been as famous as the King of Godmammoths, and there were old-timers present who had actually laid eyes on her. So they knew that this newcomer was definitely her spokeswoman. With that, the woman pulled her hood back and revealed her face.

Shock coursed through Yang Qi as he realized this woman looked exactly like someone whose face he would never forget. ‘It’s Yun Hailan!’ [2]

However, his shock soon turned to icy calm. After all, it made sense. If he really was an incarnation of a stream of fateless energy, it was a given that people would have been trying to keep an eye on him.

“I wonder if my mother was some almighty transmigrated person as well. Why don’t I sense her aura on Proud Heaven?” Yang Qi had another goal in coming to the Central Dynasty, and that was to search for clues regarding his mother, Greensura. So far, he hadn't come across any useful information. However, he was now certain that his mother wasn’t an ordinary person, any more than Yun Hailan had been ordinary. [3]

Giving a little salute, the young woman said, “I am your humble servant Hailan, spokeswoman for the High Priestess. Well met, Master Proud Heaven.”

Yang Qi could see that this woman really did resemble Yun Hailan in every way, including her imperious disdain for others. She would do anything to anyone, as long as it resulted in her own profit. Chuckling coldly, he thought, ‘It seems Yang Voidprime and this woman are both using each other. However, their plots and schemes are only going to buy time for my Sage Monarch Empire to grow. Right now, the priority is to use this opportunity to get that piece of the Mahātmā Jade!’

1. For a refresher on the story of the High Priestess, Destined Marriage God Temple, and all that, head back to chapter 1314.

2. Yun Hailan died in chapter 335, and after that specific arc, was mentioned in precisely five chapters before now.

3. Fun Fact: the last time Greensura was mentioned by name was in chapter 1178, and before that, chapter 672.