Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

Hissing and popping sounds could be heard as the fire surrounded Yang Qi, making him look almost like a burning scarecrow. Everyone was shaken to the core, yet Yang Qi almost seemed like he didn’t notice what was happening as he fiercely fought back against the junior superintendent.

One of the combatants was an outstanding figure from the Executors of the Ancient Road, the other a beneficiary of unusually marvelous good fortune. Both were at the very peak of the Destabilizing level, with cultivation bases that seemed capable of devastating anything that got in their path. Even the Terrifying experts were learning a thing or two from watching them fight, much less the disciples of the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect.

They exchanged ten moves in a very short period of time, with Yang Qi being just as lively and energetic as before, and by no means at a disadvantage. However, Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame was like a host of black dragons trying to burrow into his skin and get inside him.

Many of the onlookers were very worried that the varied transformations of the fire would eventually allow it to burn its way into Yang Qi’s meridians and wipe him out of existence.

Truth be told, that was exactly what the junior superintendent was banking on. By constantly varying the transformations of the fire, he was hoping to get it inside Yang Qi to force him to surrender.

“I can’t believe you’ve lasted for ten moves!” the junior superintendent said. “From ancient times until now, you’re the only cultivator under the Terrifying level who’s done that. You should be proud.” After the tenth move, the junior superintendent’s moves grew even fiercer, and he began to reveal his true strength. At the same time, Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame grew even more intense.

Whoosh!

Behind the junior superintendent, the ground and air alike split apart and sent a blast of flame out in all directions.

Flop!

One of the disciples in the audience couldn’t hold out and flopped dead to the ground, black flames already beginning to eat him up.

“Everyone, back up!” the sectlord ordered, “especially disciples who aren’t in the Terrifying level!” Even as the orders left his mouth, the sectlord waved his hands out, causing the magical laws in the receiving hall to grow stronger and ensuring that the shockwaves from the fighting wouldn't spread far.

Everyone was visibly astonished at how intense Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame was, and concern for Yang Qi grew. Even the Terrifying chief elders weren’t confident that they could deal with that fire the way Yang Qi was. Despite being engulfed in flame, it didn’t seem like his fighting prowess had been affected at all.

“Obsidian Flame Ten Weapons Transformation!”

The junior superintendent was pushing the technique to its limits. Black fire extended from his hand, turning into a long spear whose blade emitted tiny cold sparks that fell down like rain.

Yang Qi spun in place, writhing like a snake as he clenched his hand into a fist and launched a punch directly at the incoming spear.

The junior superintendent chuckled coldly and backed up. As he did, the black spear of fire transformed into a snake that wrapped around Yang Qi.

CRACK!

Yang Qi shouted in pain as the snake began to expand, exerting immense amounts of strength as it bound him tightly in place and made it impossible to free himself.

Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame was so powerful that, if it got inside someone, they would definitely die. So was there even a need to mention how strong it would be in the form of a huge snake?

“Six-Daos Sealing! Heaven-Earth God-Devil!”

The junior superintendent suddenly blurred into position behind Yang Qi, where he launched a palm strike with countless variations in it, causing a host of sealing marks to fly out.

Crick. Crack!

The sealing marks quickly began to envelop Yang Qi.

“Prepare to die!” the junior superintendent growled, beginning to add palm strikes to the sealing marks. Gasps could be heard as the onlookers assumed that Yang Qi was about to die.

“Master!” An Yiru said to her Master, Peaklord Memory.

“Don’t worry. Victory and defeat won't be determined right now. Yang Qi won’t be that easy to beat, considering he cultivates such an extremely powerful divine ability. He has a body that's virtually indestructible; even I would be hard-pressed to deal with Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame, but he’s actually absorbing it and using it to further his cultivation.”

She was right.

Yang Qi was sucking Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame into him, where it streaked through his meridians without harming them at all. Not even a fire created by a wretch-god from the distant past could possibly harm his True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body.

And although the power of the tribulations that rolled out of him weren’t enough to vanquish the black fire on their own, Yang Qi also had the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. In combination with the Seventy-Two Monarchs Energy Art, there were three major forces that Yang Qi could draw upon to defend against the invading flame, which was soon gobbled up as surely as if by a gobblewock.

The snakes of true energy shattered and crumbled. Then Yang Qi drew on another energy art from the True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body to form a new character within himself. It was the character for ‘righteous’, and it was uniquely capable of crushing wretch-devils.

That ‘righteous’ character was actually a grand tribulation designed to crush wretch-devils. Within Yang Qi, that character began proliferating, giving birth to more and more characters that then slammed into Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame, crushing it. As part of the process, another tribulation and another kalpa appeared within his Unspoiled Body.

Yang Qi was getting stronger again.

RIP!

He threw out a punch and the sealing marks exploded, allowing him to leap out into the open. Grabbing the black snake of fire, he squeezed it in his hands, causing it to rapidly shrink and be absorbed into his body.

Black smoke began pouring out of him, impurities that the Unspoiled Body was extruding upon making contact with the quintessence-blood and vital energy of wretch-devils.

“Many thanks, Junior Superintendent! Wretch-God Ultimate's Obsidian Flame is really helping to push my energy arts to a new peak! And the tempering to my body is helping my cultivation base rise to higher heights!”

Laughing, Yang Qi threw a punch that sent the junior superintendent staggering backward.

“Hold on!” the junior superintendent shouted. “You’re using the ultimate energy art from the Hell of Sages and Mahātmās! The True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body! How did you start cultivating that? To get that, you would have to find a scroll made of sheepskin, personally penned by the Supreme True-Devil, plus the Three Lives Stone. In the past ten thousand generations, there were countless people who tried to cultivate it, but died as a result. It’s simply impossible to fully master. How many characters have you succeeded at? Hand that sheepskin scroll over!”

RUMBLE!

A minor uproar ensued among the onlookers as they realized that Yang Qi had cultivated what could only be considered a supreme energy art. Yet that energy art was essentially a death sentence, causing many of the onlookers to look at Yang Qi sadly, as though they expected him to die as well.

Many profound and enigmatic individuals had cultivated that art, only to experience profound cultivation deviation.

In fact, there had once been a wretch-devil on the Ancient Road to the Gods who had cultivated a few dozen of the tribulations, only to end up shattering into dust.

“What,” Yang Qi said, sounding completely unruffled. “Just because other people fail at it, does that mean I can’t succeed?” The truth was that it was much better for this secret to be revealed than the secret of his God Legion Seal. After all, this was an energy art that fewer people would be interested in trying to seize.

“Hand it over!” the junior superintendent shouted. “Something as evil as that should not be allowed to exist in the world. We Executors of the Ancient Road are tasked with destroying such abominations!”

“What's going on here, Junior Superintendent?” the sectlord said. “Are you really planning on going back on your word? You said that if a disciple from the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect could beat you in a fight, you would immediately leave and stop causing problems for our sect.”

The junior superintendent snorted coldly. “I'm not going to go back on my word. I'm going to kill him and get that sheepskin scroll!”

As the words left his mouth, the junior superintendent launched a very simple and direct attack, his five fingers curving into deadly hooks that were clearly some new energy art he hadn’t used up to this point.

Yang Qi laughed coldly. “Oh, so now you’re trying to kill me? Are you crazy? I'm about to crush you, so why not just be a good boy and pull out the hundred pieces of godhood you owe as tribute!”

At the moment, Yang Qi was cultivating more and more tribulation characters, causing his cultivation base to rise. And each move he unleashed was like an invincible tribulation that could devour all living things.

They fought back and forth, unleashing move after move in a seemingly endless cycle. The junior superintendent was pushing his energy arts higher and higher, and the shockwaves from their clashes caused everything to tremble violently.

Eventually, they had passed a thousand moves. At that point, Yang Qi laughed heartily and said, “That’s a thousand moves, Junior Superintendent. Wasn’t the limit supposed to be fifty? You can’t do a thing to me, can you? I guess it’s my turn!”

“Bastard!” the junior superintendent said, so furious that he was actually smiling. He could never have predicted that this opponent would be so strong. Even if he had known beforehand that Yang Qi was cultivating an Unspoiled Body, he wouldn’t have been very worried. After all, that technique was full of fatal flaws. But right now, it didn't seem that there was anything wrong with it at all.

Even worse, it was devouring his true energy without cease.

Of course, what he had said earlier was mostly correct. Without the Three Lives Stone, it should have been impossible to overcome the inherent flaws of cultivating the True-Devil Unspoiled-by-Myriad-Kalpas-and-Tribulations Body. But he had no idea that Yang Qi could use the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth to do the same thing.

“Fine. It's time for you to try out another boundless divine ability, a consummate technique that we Executors of the Ancient Road use. It’s called the Myriad-Worlds Adjudicating-Honor-and-Glory Grand Energy Art!” He was finally using some of the energy arts unique to the executors.