Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

The instant Cipher Rite-Heaven from the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect entered the sword formation, he was assailed with sword will. Countless sword techniques bombarded him, all of them entering his sea of consciousness to combat his very will.

This had nothing to do with his true energy or power index, but was a competition of wills instead.

Although it wasn’t visually impressive, it was an extremely dangerous situation. A loss would involve the destruction of his soul, turning him into an empty husk. However, this young lord was particularly strong-willed.

“Die!” he shouted as he stood there, tall and straight, looking like a consummate divine sword, ready to pierce through the void. Around him swirled the will of the Cipher-Devil Sword, causing thunderous rumblings to echo out and making him seem like all heaven and earth was under his control.

“Supreme Cipher-Devil Sword!”

“Grand Prestige Suppresses Devils!”

“Black Moon Rising!”

“The Devil Cometh!”

“Devil King Exterminates Worlds!”

“Devilized With a Thought!”

“Cipher-Devil Sacrifices Heaven!”

“Hidden Devil Shatters the Sword!”

Black mists rose up as the two wills clashed, and within it, the young lord seemed to be going mad. He went through one sword stance after another, howling as he seemingly fought an invisible opponent.

“This is going bad,” one of the other experts from the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect said. “We have to get him out of there before he experiences cultivation deviation!”

“God-Noble Goldensword,” another of them called out, “our young lord wants to retract his claim on your legacy!”

“Retract his claim? That’s not how things work. If his will fails, he will die. In the dao of the sword, there is no such thing as retreat! No legacy in the world gets handed out for free. Those who wish to gain a powerful legacy must understand the meaning of death.”

“Die!”

“Many-Heavens Cipher-Devil; God Lightning Without Limit!”

Several of the elders attacked, howling with rage. God lightning appeared, striking everywhere and ripping apart space, accompanied by dancing devils and monsters.

God-Noble Goldensword snorted coldly, and streams of sword energy swept forth, shattering the lightning and sword strikes, and heading directly toward the elders. This was sword energy that could slaughter devils, end life, and destroy energy.

Plop. Plop. Plop. Plop.

Even as the elders dropped dead, another person made a move, sending out a stream of sword light like a river of stars. As the light shot forth, it turned into numerous stars, surrounded by endless hosts of sword masters. Each of those masters was a soul, pulsing with life force and energy.

Shockingly, this wasn’t a sword attack designed to kill, but rather to save.

BOOM!

Shockingly, when this move met God-Noble Goldensword’s sword, it was the latter who was forced back. The sword light faded away, and another young man appeared in front of God-Noble Goldensword. It was none other than the Chaos God from the Star River Sword Sect, who looked to be only fifteen or sixteen years old. He was the very same one who had been born after his mother dreamed of a universe of swords, and was said to both live for the sword and always be ready to die for it.

‘What’s this?’ Yang Qi thought. He never would have guessed that this young man would leap forward and bear the brunt of God-Noble Goldensword’s attack. Not even Yang Qi’s Life-Killing Sword Technique could have blocked that move, unless perhaps he backed it with the Seventy-Two Monarchs Energy Art and the Hand of the One God.

“Nice sword technique,” God-Noble Goldensword said, taking a step back. “Perhaps you qualify to carry on my legacy.”

“I don’t want your legacy,” the young man replied. “Besides, your sword is designed to kill and destroy, whereas my sword is designed to save lives. You see, my dao of the sword is about preserving life, not taking it. Your aim is to kill everyone here, but my aim is to save them. My name is Star Swordlife. Swords are life. Made to create. Made to save. God-Noble Goldensword, although you claim to be seeking a successor, the truth is that you want to kill all comers, absorb their destiny, and use it to resurrect yourself. Am I right?”

“Made to create? Made to save?” God-Noble Goldensword burst out laughing. “You’re a genius with the sword, but if you don’t want my legacy, then you’ll have to die too.”

“Everyone, we need to join forces and crush this wretch-devil,” Star Swordlife said. “He’s just another soul here in the Great Necropolis. Defeat him and we can gain our freedom!”

He waved his sword again and more stars appeared, all of them surrounded by endless expert sword cultivators. It was like a civilization of pure swords, brimming with life, truth, magical laws, and gods, all of them completely at one with the sword. It rumbled toward God-Noble Goldensword with relentless power.

‘This kid is strong!’ Yang Qi thought. ‘He’s actually trying to take out God-Noble Goldensword! Well, I can’t let him outdo me!’ Yang Qi could tell that Star Swordlife was strong, but not strong enough to beat God-Noble Goldensword on his own. Not even the strongest genius could take on the legion of gods, and even though this was just a god soul, he was still strong enough to crush anyone present. Yang Qi was already getting the sense that God-Noble Goldensword didn’t have good intentions.

“Seventy-Two Monarchs!” Yang Qi blurred into motion, appearing behind God-Noble Goldensword and unleashing a fist strike right at his back. The seventy-two monarchs all appeared, their will shaking the entire stone arena. At the same time, he unleashed the Hand of the One God with his other hand. And he backed both of them with the Engine of the One God and the martial essence of the God Legion Seal.

‘Puny god-noble! How dare you defy the God Legion Seal. Are you looking to die?! On your knees!’ When Yang Qi attacked, he didn’t hold back. Dazzling light shone everywhere as his will viciously pierced into God-Noble Goldensword’s soul.

Normally speaking, God-Noble Goldensword wouldn’t be worried about an attack from Star Swordlife and the other experts, and would be able to easily vanquish them with a single sword move.

After all, these people may have been strong, but they were as disunited as a dish of loose sand.

He never would have imagined that someone like Yang Qi would be lurking in their midst. Not only was Yang Qi attacking with two powerful fist strikes, but he was using his will as well. Then, God-Noble Goldensword trembled in shock as he felt himself being shoved from the Destabilizing level down to the Stupendous level. After all, any god who faced the God Legion Seal would find it impossible to resist, and that was especially true of god souls. No type of will convergence could truly resist the power of the God Legion Seal.

BOOM!

Yang Qi’s fists slammed into God-Noble Goldensword’s back, causing a massive shockwave to roll out. At the same time, Star Swordlife’s sword energy slammed into him from the front. Two top experts were using their energy arts to explosive effect.

“AGGGH!” God-Noble Goldensword screamed, and yet he wasn’t destroyed. Instead, he transformed into a golden sphere that began expanding with incredible rapidity. “Primal Origin Golden Sword; Extinguish All Under Heaven!”

Whiz. Whiz. Whiz. Whiz.

The golden sphere shattered into a host of tiny swords that shot out in all directions. Screams rang out as many of the nearby experts were hit and fell out of the sky, their nascent divinities and meridians grievously injured.

“You contemptible rabble!” God-Noble Goldensword growled, transforming into a holy, golden sword. However, instead of targeting Star Swordlife, he faced Yang Qi, convinced that he had some particularly marvelous asset that enabled him to inflict such injurious blows.

SNICK!

The golden sword shot forward with indescribable speed, and Yang Qi couldn’t even react before the sword was right at the pit of the stomach.

“Watch out!” Star Swordlife shouted, but he was too late to interfere.

He dropped to the ground, assuming that Yang Qi was about to die. However, a shriek rang out and God-Noble Goldensword suddenly vanished. To the onlookers, it seemed as though Yang Qi had somehow sealed and assimilated him.

‘He sealed God-Noble Goldensword with a single move? Incredible! Yet his cultivation base isn’t very high.’

Little did he know that God-Noble Goldensword had fallen for a trap. Yang Qi had intentionally attacked him from behind knowing that he would turn and attack him in reprisal. However, Yang Qi simply opened the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart and let God-Noble Goldensword fly straight inside. Once inside the chart, there was no way for him to escape.

It was a risky move, for if God-Noble Goldensword had realized what was happening and avoided the chart, Yang Qi would have been in great danger.