Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

In response to the piercing voice that had just spoken, Holy Daughter Joyflower’s face fell. Although the man’s voice seemed to be speaking right into her ear, he was actually quite a distance away. From what Yang Qi could tell, this man was no weaker than the fiery god soul they were dealing with.

[Beep-beep-beep. Beep-beep-beep.]

Suddenly, the power assessment systems began speaking.

[Warning. Warning. Immensely powerful life form detected. Power index one hundred thirty… one hundred thirty-five… one hundred forty….]

Shockingly, the power continued to rise until it was over one hundred and fifty.

“Quick, run!” Holy Daughter Joyflower said, her expression one of terror. “We can worry about gratitude and grudges after we're out of here! This guy is a young chaplain from one of the strongest forces on the Ancient Road to the Gods, the Ancestral Wilds Basilica. He's been chasing me for a long time. He’s cruel and ruthless, and will definitely kill you along with me. The whole reason I need that god soul is to defend myself against him!”

Yang Qi nodded. “In that case, sure, let's get out of here.”

Things were different now that Yang Qi knew some of the experts in the Great Necropolis had come from the Ancient Road to the Gods. Obviously, they were terrifying experts who had been practicing cultivation for millions and millions of years, and were nearly as strong as the legion of gods.

Described by power index, a Lesser God would be about ten thousand. In other words, once someone had an index of ten thousand or higher, one would be at the level of the gods. Only someone as strong as ten thousand Grand Emperors put together would be able to reach out and touch the Deathless Throne.

In the immortal worlds, people with power indexes above ten were so rare as to be unheard of. Yang Qi was at thirty-six, which put him in the position to crush anything under heaven, lead the Dao Defense League, and take all of its destiny without any competition.

But the experts on the Ancient Road to the Gods were a completely different story. They had been working on their cultivation for much, much longer, and were strong enough to shake heaven and earth. In fact, people around the level of Holy Daughter Joyflower were not uncommon at all.

It was said that some people on the Ancient Road to the Gods had power indexes in the hundreds, or even thousands. Although such people weren’t actually gods, they were very close to that level.

Rising from the level of a human to that of a god was difficult beyond description. That said, Yang Qi was convinced that once he stood on the ninth stair of the Deathless Heavenly Stairway, his own power index would probably be close to ten thousand.

WHOOSH!

Not pausing for a moment, Yang Qi grabbed Holy Daughter Joyflower and sped down a nearby pathway.

In the depths of the Great Necropolis, pathways went this way and that, making the place a massive labyrinth. It definitely seemed like a place that one could get lost in and never escape. Sometimes Yang Qi even got the sensation that the layout changed as time went on. There were also spell formations that confused the five phases and inverted space and the elements, making it even less possible to find one’s way.

The danger was obvious.

However, Yang Qi had the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, so he wasn’t worried. The chart could surpass any and all mazes, so he could use it to return to the Dao Defense League any time he wanted. At the moment, he was still connected to his immortal-slaying clone, so if anything happened back home, he could return instantly. And any treasures he found here in the Great Necropolis could similarly be sent back to strengthen the league.

In addition to his clone, he had Patriarch Annalist, Yang Righteousness, Yang Mahānata, Yang Misery, Yang Never-Ending, and Yang Unrestrained to run things, all of whom were Grand Emperors.

Of course, his clone held the ultimate seat of responsibility, and was now on the seventh minor stair of the Deathless Heavenly Stairway. Furthermore, he was continuously benefiting from the faith and destiny that rushed into him. He currently had a massive, glowing halo around his head because of it, evidence of his constant increase in strength.

It wouldn’t be long before the clone was also a Grand Emperor.

In terms of strength, he was already stronger than the Grand Emperors; his power index was at roughly four or five.

“The appearance of the Great Necropolis is going to completely change the immortal worlds,” Patriarch Annalist said, frowning. “Before, it seemed likely that the Dao Defense League was going to be dominant. More and more people were flocking to us, and we were creating a new Immortal Dao Age. But now… the Great Necropolis is going to bring plenty of unexpected changes. We're going to enter an era of new heroes, and for all we know, there will be experts from the Ancient Road to the Gods that return. And who knows what they’ll do. I wonder how the god world will react. Will action be taken? At least we have an advantage in that the league-lord is in there investigating things himself.”

Almost as soon as he was finished speaking, the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart opened above the immortal-slaying clone and countless streams of power rushed down, filling the Heaven-Dao Operation God-Temple in the form of sturdy pillars. The pillars of power were immense, and all of them vibrated with godly might.

“These are various types of vital energy that I've collected here in the Great Necropolis. Use them to make weapons, medicinal pills, and spell formations for the purpose of heading toward godly ascension and turning the Dao Defense League into a place like the kingdom of the gods. Understand? I’ll continue sending vital energy like this to you, and will also forward you any treasures I find as I explore the Great Necropolis. For now, lock down the Dao Defense League and have everyone focus on cultivating and getting stronger!”

“Yes sir!” replied the dharmarajas, god-generals, and the other old-timers who were gathered in the Heaven-Dao Operation God-Temple. All of them were beaming with delight at the sight of the power pillars, as well as the prospect of the forthcoming treasures. It was impossible to say how many of them would soon become Grand Emperors thanks to the influx of resources.

After all, one of the greatest benefits to those who practiced cultivation on the Ancient Road to the Gods was that they could benefit from the power of the god world. Becoming a Grand Emperor was such a slow and painful task that, to many people, it was essentially impossible. But with power from the god world, it was like increasing one’s pool of resources from a tiny pond to a sprawling lake and would unlock vast amounts of potential.

The Dao Defense League was flourishing more now than ever.

That was especially true of the ultimate core of the Dao Defense League, which was the Yang Clan. Thanks to the god dao seeds that Yang Qi had provided them some time back, many disciples had become Godmyths. Later, he had assimilated the Tusita Heaven, which furthered their cultivation even more.

Already, Eldest Brother and Elder Second Brother were very close to being Chaos Gods, and Empress Jadefall was on the first stair of the Deathless Heavenly Stairway. Yang Qi’s father Yang Zhan, his brothers Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong, and his seventeen sworn siblings from the old Rich-Lush Continent were all close to being on the same level as the top old-timers in the league.

At the same time, the influx of god world power caused seventy-one halos to spring up behind the immortal-slaying clone, as well as seventy-one heavenly tribulations. The seventy-one patriarchs were all rising to a higher level. Not only were they becoming Chaos Gods, but considering that they had special constitutions, they were tens of thousands of times stronger than average cultivators.

All of the experts in the Dao Defense League were working hard on their cultivation and advancing by leaps and bounds. On all of the immortal worlds in the alliance, experts were setting up spell formations, concocting medicinal pills, and making other preparations. The hundred trillion worlds that made up the league were almost like an enormous living being, pulsing with life force and growing on a daily basis.

As the Dao Defense League grew stronger, Yang Qi was running for his life.

Cackling laughter rang out behind him and Holy Daughter Joyflower as they sped through the pathways, passing the countless planes of existence that existed in the walls. All of those planes were filled with incredible items, and whenever possible Yang Qi would grab some and throw them into the Dao Defense League via the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart.

Compared to this, the treasure trove in the Aeonic God Temple was like nothing.

However, no matter how they fled, that laughter continued following them. It was almost as if it were stuck to them like glue.

At a certain point, Yang Qi said, “What the fuck!? How come we can’t lose this guy!?”

It felt like, if they stopped for even a moment, their pursuer would catch up. It was a terrifying sensation.

“We have to find a place to hide and assimilate that fiery god soul,” Holy Daughter Joyflower said. “Then maybe we’ll be strong enough to fight him. Trust me. Stick together, and we’ll be able to deal with him.”

Yang Qi snorted coldly. “Fine, I’ll trust you this one time.”

Suddenly, a vortex appeared above him and they leaped into it, vanishing without a trace.

BOOM!

Only a few breaths later, a massive explosion rocked the pathway they had just occupied and a blue blur descended.