Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

“Get over here!” Leaf Dao-Denier said. “Empress Joyflower just summoned me for dual cultivation. This is our best chance to kill her! Get to my palace immediately!”

Heart pounding, Yang Qi called the sect leaders to him, then became a rushing breeze that raced over to Leaf Dao-Denier’s residence.

Leaf Dao-Denier stood there looking as calm as could be, with an unreadable expression on his face. Almost immediately, Yang Qi detected power fluctuations from him that resembled the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. Examining him through the devil seed, Yang Qi could see that he had been forcibly cultivating the technique, despite the warning not to do so. Truth be told, it was no surprise. If Leaf Dao-Denier wanted to do something suicidal, Yang Qi would let him, and wouldn’t provide any help when the deadly moment of truth arrived.

“Just what exactly is going on?” Yang Qi asked. “Where will the dual cultivation be happening? There will definitely be defensive measures in place. How are we supposed to get inside?”

Remaining as calm as ever, Leaf Dao-Denier produced a command medallion and said, “Once I’ve arrived at my destination, I’ll set up a spatial nexus connected this command medallion. Then, when I'm in place, you can use the medallion to teleport to my location.”

“That works,” Yang Qi said, taking the medallion he was offered. Glancing at the sect leaders, he saw a variety of expressions on their faces. Obviously, some of them were less than happy with him, but considering he had infected them with devil embryos, there was no way they could plot or scheme against him.

Everything seemed to be going smoothly.

“We’ll wait for your call, then,” said Cipher Ever-Heaven. “Remember the oath you swore, Leaf Dao-Denier, and how we helped you with your Secret-Ensconcing All-World Anything-Everything Fundamental-Law Magic. If you reveal our plan to the empress, all of us will end up dead.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let that happen,” Leaf Dao-Denier said. “You think I want to be a consort for the rest of my life? I'm relying on all of you to help make sure Empress Joyflower ends up dead. I would be a complete fool to let this opportunity pass me by. If she continues making progress in her cultivation, it will become increasingly difficult to do anything. Remember, I face the prospect of immense humiliation if you fail.”

“Focusing on doubts won’t do any good,” said Battle Resister. “Don’t forget the oath you swore. If you do anything to betray us, and we don’t kill her today, you’ll definitely be a consort for the rest of your life.

“He's right,” Daolord Cloud Severing said. “If we fail, you’ll remain as a consort, but she’ll pick someone else to be her favorite. Your ultimate fate will be dismal.”

“I'm fully aware of all the potential consequences,” Leaf Dao-Denier said. “Wait here for my next update.”

“We will,” Yang Qi said, still refraining from activating the devil embryo. Not only did he not want to alert Leaf Dao-Denier to its presence, but he could also sense something Empress Joyflower had left in Leaf Dao-Denier, sealed, calling to him. Activating the devil embryo now would most likely warn her as well.

Unfortunately, without proactively using the devil embryo, Yang Qi couldn't get a read on Leaf Dao-Denier’s thoughts and feelings, thus he had no way to know what he was really thinking.

A moment later, Leaf Dao-Denier vanished without a trace. However, in the moment he left, they sensed profound killing intent coming from the passageway he took.

“Such incredible viciousness!” Battle Resister said. Looking over at Yang Qi and the medallion he held, he said, “What do you think, Brother Yang Qi? Will Leaf Dao-Denier betray us? Fight us?”

“It’s hard to say,” Yang Qi replied. “We’ll just have to wait and see. Considering the recent advancement in your energy arts, Brother Battle Resister, I have a feeling we can hold our own even if he does turn on us. Either way, it seems to me that he's a bit nervous.”

Battle Resister chuckled. “You’re very perceptive, Brother Yang Qi. Meanwhile, I can’t get a read on your cultivation base. Could it be that you’re here as your true self?”

Yang Qi nodded. “That’s right, I'm here as my true self. How else would I fight Empress Joyflower? I'm putting everything on the line today.”

Even as the words left his mouth, his expression suddenly turned very serious as he realized that Leaf Dao-Denier had entered some secret aspect of space-time, a place filled with immense will and power. Almost immediately, the devil embryo inside him was forced into a state of complete inactivity, much like hibernation.

He was now completely in the dark about what Leaf Dao-Denier was doing, which definitely threw all of his plans for a major loop. However, the only thing he could do was remain patient.

Meanwhile, in a certain alternate dimension, Leaf Dao-Denier was in the presence of a young woman. She wore crimson garments that glowed with such a bright red light that it was difficult to make out her facial features.

From the look of her, if she were to be killed, she would definitely become the most consummate of ghosts.

“My respects, Empress!” Leaf Dao-Denier said, dropping down to one knee. Already, his heart felt cold, as he knew that Empress Joyflower only wore the color of blood when she planned to kill someone. And when she planned to kill, she never revealed her true facial features.

Her color always matched her mood, and her current getup meant that she was ready for slaughter.

“Has someone been threatening you, Leaf Dao-Denier?” she asked in a very serious tone of voice. “I can sense that you acquired a boundless godly-class energy art, the same as that person. Did he use threats to force you to work for him?”

“Er....” Leaf Dao-Denier knew full well that the person she was referring to was none other than the Proud Heaven that Yang Qi had mentioned. Earlier, he had been committed to following Yang Qi’s instructions about what to do in this situation, but all of a sudden he was starting to have doubts. He was inclined to defy Yang Qi, but on the other hand, he was also worried that Yang Qi had infected him with something that could harm him. He knew how vicious Yang Qi was, and that he had profound and deadly energy arts.

“There’s no need to be afraid,” she continued coolly. “I sensed it as soon as you began using the energy art, which is why I emerged from seclusion and called you to me. I created this dimension we're in, and it can suppress anything from powerful energy arts to warding spells. Whatever that person placed in you, it will be suppressed. Fear not. Tell me the truth about everything.”

“Yes, Empress,” he said. Then, a vicious grin appeared on his face as he said, “It was Yang Qi, not Proud Heaven. He's a bastard son of Proud Heaven, and I don’t know what he's really up to. For all I know, he's working on Proud Heaven’s orders. All I know is that he has the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. I originally met him in the immortal worlds, where he founded the Dao Defense League. Now the Dao Defense League belongs to the Joyflower Palace, and he's come for revenge. He's even working with Battle Resister and some other sect leaders.

“He forced me to work for him, so I honestly don’t know what's going on. His energy arts have been advancing by leaps and bounds, which is why I suspect he's actually one of Proud Heaven’s tools. It must be Proud Heaven who helped him with them....” He continued blathering on for quite a bit, holding nothing back as he betrayed Yang Qi and the others.

That said, he didn't tell the full and complete truth. For example, Leaf Dao-Denier knew full well that Yang Qi had a God Legion Seal, and that it had nothing whatsoever to do with Proud Heaven. How could a God Legion Seal be freely gifted from one person to another?

However, he didn’t mention anything about that, hoping that if he convinced her that Yang Qi cultivated the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth because of Proud Heaven, he might be able to take the God Legion Seal in the end.

“Proud Heaven’s son? Yang Qi?” She sank into thoughtfulness for a long moment, until a mysterious smile appeared on her face, although Leaf Dao-Denier was barely able to make it out thanks to the bright red glow that surrounded her. “Well, that's fine. He must be an important son to Proud Heaven. I wonder what fool of a woman gave birth to him. Whoever it was, she deserves to die. So, Battle Resister and Cipher Ever-Heaven are allied against me too? I guess I’ll just have to bury them all. Unfortunately, I still haven’t finished cultivating my new energy art. Once I do, and my will goes from the Destabilizing level to the Terrifying level, killing all of those people will be an easy task.”

“Empress, if you want, I can easily just lure them right here into this dimension. I've already made all the arrangements.”

“Oh?” Empress Joyflower smiled. “I appreciate your loyalty, Leaf Dao-Denier, and the fact that you chose not to plot with them against me. I’ll reward you well for this. Just tell me what you want. Anything.”

Bowing his head to hide the sinister gleam in his eyes, he said, “Empress, as a consort, it’s my duty to serve you. I only hope that, after you capture Yang Qi, you don’t kill him. Please, just capture him. Oh, one other thing, Empress. A new force has arisen called the Inheritors of the Great Necropolis. I also hope you can get the godpower seed of an Inheritor for me.”