Sage Monarch

by Stayrr

Yang Qi was the son of the patriarch of a wealthy family from a small town. Believing himself to be in love, he stole a pill for his lover, only to have the girl betray him, by taking the pill and leaving him behind. Caught, his dantian was crippled and left to die under the lightning. This lightning helped him to recover his lost martial arts and also helped him gain a new, divi

2. 33 - 64

Chapter 33: Disciples of the House of Spring and Autumn

Sage Monarch

All five of these disciples from the House of Spring and Autumn had profound energy arts. Yang Qi's initial guess was that they were all in the eighth phase, and were capable of using Mind Incarnation. In that case, they were roughly equivalent to a clan lord from one of the rich and powerful clans in Yanhaven.

However, considering they were from the majestic House of Spring and Autumn, that meant that even if their cultivation base was on the same level of a clan lord, they would definitely be much more dangerous.

It was similar to Yang Qi who, despite being in the seventh phase, could still overcome nearly a dozen eighth phase experts. Only a Master of Energy would have a chance of beating him in a fight.

As for these five, because they were backed by a mighty sect, they felt that they could essentially do whatever they wanted. But there was no way Yang Qi would accept that. He had come here to seize the wealth of the Chen Clan, and conscript all of their people into servitude. He didn't care how impressive their sect was; if he had to, he would kill these five disciples to keep what was his.

When the young man with the sword felt the gust of air that preceded the fist strike, and realized that Yang Qi was actually attacking him, his heart surged with murderous anger. "Nouveau riche yokel! How dare you insult the House of Spring and Autumn like this! Maybe you wiped out the Chen Clan today, but tomorrow, it's going to be your turn!"

His sword began to dance like a snake, sending sword light swirling into the air, along with cracking sounds like water freezing into ice and then breaking. Frost even began to spread out on the ground in the area.

Autumn Frost Blankets the Earth!

This was a royal-class energy art from the House of Spring and Autumn, called Four Seasons Swordplay, which could draw upon the power of spring, summer, autumn, and winter to wither all living things. When it was used in a fight, it was as though the power of nature itself was at play, like the most primeval elements of heaven and earth being used as a martial art.

The blast of air caused by the fist strike was instantly dispelled by the snake-like sword light, which then went on to strike toward the pit of Yang Qi's stomach.

'The martial disciplines of the House of Spring and Autumn are extraordinary!' he thought, shocked. To him, it felt like the transition of autumn into winter was something that existed on a higher level than his Invincible King's Fist. And truth be told, it was only royal-class energy arts that could evoke meteorological or astronomical phenomena.

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In the blink of an eye, his fist struck the shining sword light.

The sword pierced his skin, but was rebuffed by the membrane that existed beneath it.

And yet, for some reason, sword energy still entered his meridians, filled with a sensation of autumn frost or winter snow.

The young man who wielded the sword saw all of this happen, watching as a layer of frost immediately covered Yang Qi, and frigid energy began to build up like clouds over his head. Moments later, snowflakes began to pour down, until Yang Qi looked almost like an ice sculpture.

"Elder Brother," one of the young women said, "you've taken the two forms of the Four Seasons Swordplay all the way to the point of ultimate perfection! You have autumn and winter completely mastered. If you can unleash the rain of spring and the lightning of summer, then you'll be able to step into the Master of Energy level. If you use a royal-class energy art to become a Master of Energy, you'll be exponentially more powerful than any nouveau riche, country bumpkin Master of Energy."

"That's right," another of the disciples added. "In all of Yanhaven, there are only two Masters of Energy. One is Yan Gufeng, and yet, his cultivation base is so-so at best. The other is Yang Zhan, and he's even worse. A real moron."

"Kill Yang Zhan's son, and then we'll go take him out. How dare they insult the House of Spring and Autumn like this? How could they possibly have the gall to behave so disgracefully? Considering the Yang Clan has a son like this, they definitely deserve to be exterminated."

The arrogance of these five disciples was clear for all to see.

'This Four Seasons Swordplay is pretty incredible,' Yang Qi thought. 'Thankfully, I've tempered my body by absorbing the lightning mammoth.' He wasn't uncomfortable at all being covered by ice, and in fact, he could have neutralized the sword energy from the very beginning. At the last moment, he had changed his mind, and allowed the sword energy to enter his meridians, in order to stimulate the life force quintessence of the lightning mammoth.

When that happened, it only took a single breath of time for the quintessence to completely neutralize the sword energy.

At the same time, the particles within him stirred as two of the embryonic mammoths began to wake up and unleash their power.

The bones in Yang Qi's body instantly began to grow stronger, and the membrane beneath his skin became thicker. Every bit of muscle in him suddenly surged with barbaric ferocity, making him seem like a volcano that was just about to erupt.

As his energy and blood flowed through him, it sounded almost like the bubbling of a crucible somewhere in the depths of hell.

Supposedly, the crucibles of hell were able to melt anything in existence, even gods and spirits. Thus, when one cultivated the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth to the highest level, a tiny crucible could be produced within oneself, a crucible that could melt and refine anything.

It was known as the Hellfire Crucible. And eventually, it would give him the ability to consume a Golden Nine Transformations Pill, or possibly even directly consume a demon core.

However, Yang Qi was not quite at that level yet. At the moment, the only thing he could do was produce the bubbling sound of the Hellfire Crucible within his energy and blood flow. However, that was still considerable.

The additional power of two ancient megamammoths made Yang Qi stronger by a dramatic degree.

A massive flow of energy erupted out of him, shattering the ice and melting the snow.

He took a step forward, then reached out with his hand, his fingers curled into a claw.

That motion instantly destroyed the sword that had been stabbed into his palm, exploding it and sending shrapnel flying out in numerous directions.

The young man who had just attacked him was caught completely off guard, and the force of the blow sent him stumbling backward, blood spraying out of his mouth.

"You…." he growled, eyes turning bloodshot. Unsure of what was happening, he quickly tried to use his energy arts to counterattack. However, before he could, Yang Qi took another step forward and let loose another punch.

This punch was not a mere probe like the other had been. He left no room for his opponent to evade, and as his fist shot forward, he could hear the hissing that sounded like a crucible from hell as it melted the gods and spirits from the highest of the heavens.

His opponent had no way to fight back, and could only watch as the fist rapidly approached. Then, it slammed into his head, vaporizing it and turning him into a headless corpse that toppled down onto the ground.

Moments ago, that sword-wielding young man had been the picture of arrogance, but only three breaths of time later, his sword was destroyed, and he was killed where he stood. His four companions couldn't even react.

And in fact, Yang Qi had no intention of letting them react. He was like a divine dragon embodied, his feet as destructive as a megamammoth's, and his arms as sprightly as an eagle's wings. Without any hesitation, he unleashed his true energy, locking down everything within a hundred paces; there was no way he was going to allow these four disciples to escape.

If even one of them survived, and reported the matter to the leadership of their sect, the consequences would be unimaginable.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Qi struck each of the young men with a fist, caving in their chests. Blood erupted from their mouths, along with chunks of internal organs, as they flopped onto the ground twitching.

True energy wrapped around the hands and feet of the two young women, and rendered them incapable of moving. Then, Yang Qi flicked his finger, sending deadly strikes into their dantian regions, destroying their seas of energy. Instantly, they flopped to the ground, leaking energy like a pierced balloon would leak air.

And thus, five experts from the House of Spring and Autumn were either killed or crippled.

"You crippled our martial arts…." one of the women said. Even in the face of death, they simply couldn't believe what had happened. They had always been proud and insufferable, and the subject of immense respect wherever they went. And yet, in this random place in the middle of nowhere, they had encountered the ultimate misfortune.

The disgrace and humiliation they felt was beyond compare.

"Men, form ranks immediately!" Yang Qi said loudly, causing all the soldiers in the area to immediately fall into place. "Wrap these five people up and get them out of here. Make sure nobody sees them. Don't breathe a word of what just happened, and in fact, just forget it ever occurred! If word gets out, we'll all be executed!"

The soldiers present were all loyal, and Yang Qi was fairly certain that he could trust them to keep the matter secret.

And yet, he was still worried. He had potentially offended both the House of Shadowblight and the House of Spring and Autumn. The Yan Clan was now eyeing them like a tiger would its prey, and the chief elders of the Chen Clan were likely on the way to exact vengeance. The Yang Clan was definitely in a very precarious situation.

Although the clan was seemingly basking in glory, the coming days would be fraught with danger, and if they didn't play their cards exactly right, they could end up just like the Chen Clan, plundered and killed.

Chest after chest of treasure left the Chen Clan, as well as a stream of servants and clan members. The other big clans in the city all stayed in their mansions, completely on guard. At the same time, they sent reports to the city magistrate's mansion.

Armed conflict between clans was not unheard-of, but situations in which an entire clan was destroyed and pillaged were relatively rare.

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Yang Qi oversaw everything. The wealth and prisoners were quickly transported to the Yang Clan, as well as the five disciples from the House of Spring and Autumn. After everything was done, Yang Qi met with his father and brothers.

On the ground in front of them were the bodies of the three young men and the unconscious young women with the destroyed seas of energy.

"The House of Spring and Autumn…." Yang Zhan murmured. Considering he had just reached the Master of Energy level, it should have been a time of rejoicing. But the sight of these disciples caused him to frown as he paced back and forth. "If word gets out about this, then all ten branches of the Yang Clan would definitely be exterminated. In fact, Yanhaven itself would probably be razed to the ground. The House of Spring and Autumn is not a sect to trifle with. Some people are even starting to call them the Spring and Autumn Institute."

"Father," Yang Qi said coldly, "I already gave strict instructions to all the witnesses not to breathe a word of it. Furthermore, I left these two young women alive. Not only can we possibly get some inside information about their sect, but also, we might even get some energy arts that could strengthen our Yang Clan."

"Yes. We can't take back what's done, so there's no use wasting time with regrets." Yang Zhan's eyes turned as sharp as swords. "Besides, your aunt is a member of the Demi-Immortal Institute. Worst case scenario, we call upon that connection to forestall disaster."

Sage Monarch

Yang Qi nodded. "In that case, I'll wake them up and make them spill the secrets of their royal-class Four Seasons Swordplay."

As the ancient saying went, when soldiers come, send a general to stop them; when flood waters come, use earth to block them. The ball was already in motion, and it wouldn't do any good to sit around worrying about what bad things could possibly happen. Instead, energy could best be spent deciding how to react.

And at the moment, the most important thing was becoming stronger as a clan.

The Four Seasons Swordplay was an authentic royal-class energy art that outclassed even the Invincible King's Fist. If Yang Zhan could master it, his Master of Energy cultivation base would become even more stable.

Besides, the only way to reach the Lifeseizing level was to use a royal-class energy art such as this. Without one, he would end up being stuck in the ninth phase for the rest of his life, unable to seize life from the heavens.

As for Yang Qi, he wasn't particularly interested in the technique. He was too wrapped up in the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, and had no time for distractions. He had just awakened the power of two more ancient megamammoths, which made him even stronger than his father. Unfortunately, he was still only in the seventh phase, and needed more enlightenment to progress beyond it.

In Energy Manifestation, one could take energy and give it a shape, turning it into things like dragons, tigers, boulders, enormous hands, etc. However, if he could reach the eighth phase, and perform Mind Incarnation, then he could bring forth Humanoid True Energy and use Thousand Kilometer Soul Locking, techniques of a much higher level than he was capable of right now.

Those abilities involved transformations of one's true energy and soul, and required intensely difficult training.

Yang Qi wasn't overly anxious about it.

The life force quintessence of the lightning mammoth was still there inside of him, which enabled his cultivation base to advance by leaps and bounds. Of course, he knew that once that life force quintessence was gone, his progress with the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, as well as his cultivation base, would slow down, and he would advance like an ordinary person would.

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But that was something to worry about in the future.

Taking advantage of his present circumstances was the best thing to do.

Tapping each of the young women with his foot, he sent some true energy into them, opening their meridians and waking them up.

As soon as she opened her eyes, one of the young women said, "You Yang Clan dogs!" As she struggled to her feet, she glared at Yang Zhan, Yang Qi, and his brothers and went on to curse them with full vehemence. "How dare you! You think that crippling our martial arts will solve all your problems? Keep dreaming if you think that's true! The House of Spring and Autumn has Lifeseizers who can help restore our seas of energy."

'What? People in the Lifeseizing level can restore destroyed seas of energy?' Although Yang Qi was surprised, he knew that he had these two young women under his complete control, and that they had no way to fight back.

Instead of saying anything in response, he waved his hand, sending a stream of true energy into the three corpses of the young men. Before long, he had a stack of banknotes, some medicinal pills, and several pieces of paper in his hand.

Unfortunately, the papers did not contain the Four Seasons Swordplay itself, but rather, notes about it that the young men had written during the course of their studies. It was all very random, almost like journal entries.

"Talk," Yang Qi said. "Tell me how to cultivate the Four Seasons Swordplay. Otherwise I'll just kill you." As for the banknotes, they were worth about three million energy convergence pills, a considerable sum.

There were also some demon cores of similar value to those from the white ape.

All in all, it was quite a fortune.

The events at the Chen Clan had completely reversed any financial misfortunes of the Yang Clan, and in fact, they were now much richer than before, although they still couldn't compete with the city magistrate. However, they now had plenty of funds to expand their forces and interests.

"Forget it!" the other young woman said disdainfully. "The Four Seasons Swordplay is a transcendent energy art from the House of Spring and Autumn. How dare a bunch of nouveau riche country bumpkins even think of trying to use it!"

"Alright, enough," Yang Zhan said. "Qi'er, your energy arts are profound, but not sufficient for the task at hand. Now that I'm a Master of Energy, I've gained a bit of enlightenment about matters pertaining to souls and communication with them. Let me see if I can force an answer out of them." Two manifestations of Humanoid True Energy suddenly appeared, then lunged forward and entered the two young women.

Within moments, the young women's eyes glazed over as Yang Zhan utilized an energy arts hypnosis technique.

"Now, let me ask you again. How do you cultivate the Four Seasons Swordplay? There's no rush. Take your time. Start with the mnemonic."

"Okay." Speaking in very mechanical fashion, the young women went on to repeat the mnemonic. "Four Seasons Swordplay. Spring, summer, autumn, winter. Spring rains touch the mind and heart. Summer lightning strikes with violence. Autumn frosts blanket the earth. Winter snow fills the sky. Utilize the transformations of the four seasons to stimulate the yin and the yang in the meridians. Take vital energy and convert it into spirit seeds. Converge them in the sea of energy. Wait for the signs of spring to appear, and for all living things to blossom. The spirit seed will then grow…."

Yang Qi, Yang Zhan, Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong listened with rapt attention as the cultivation mnemonic was spoken in full detail.

That was especially true of Yang Zhan, who was a true connoisseur of cultivation techniques. As he listened to the mnemonic of a royal-class energy art, his true energy surged, and his face began to flicker with an expression of enlightenment.

As for Yang Qi, he also benefited from the information, which made him even more confident in being able to reach the eighth phase.

In the city magistrate's mansion.…

Yan Gufeng was anxiously discussing matters with his subordinates.

A big conflict had just erupted between two major clans, and as the city magistrate, he couldn't just sit idly by; he was responsible for trying to intervene and resolve differences.

And right now, he was waiting for the fighting to break out, and casualties to be inflicted….

A vicious expression was slowly overtaking his face.

"Magistrate," Luo Hun said, "the Chen and Yang Clans have presumably begun to fight by now. How about I go check on the situation, then report back?" Yan Gufeng nodded instantly, and Luo Hun left.

A moment later, another guard stepped in, and from the energy fluctuations on him, it was obvious that he was no less powerful than Luo Hun. As it turned out, the city magistrate's mansion actually had eight experts on the same level as the Armored Devil-Ghost.

"Magistrate, I've already put our soldiers on high alert. All it will take is one word, and we can go arrest the experts from the two clans in question."

"Remain combat ready, and wait for my orders," Yan Gufeng said.

"Sir, yes sir!" the guard said, then left.

At this point, Yan Gufeng looked over at an old man sitting off to the side. "Mr. Sun, do you think we should just take out both clans? The Chen Clan is in league with the House of Shadowblight, and is a major threat to our clan. And then there's Yang Qi from the Yang Clan; we don't know how he did it, but his cultivation base has grown so powerful than he can defeat Luo Hun. If we don't cut the weeds and eliminate the roots, then it could cause serious problems for my thousand-year-plan."

The mysterious old man was clearly one of Yan Gufeng's close advisors. He looked like an erudite thinker, and his eyes fairly glittered with schemes and conspiracies.

And the fact that Yan Gufeng addressed him as Mr. Sun showed that he had a very high standing. It was actually impossible to even see the level of his cultivation base. [1]

"I've been watching that Yang Qi kid," Mr. Sun said, fanning himself with a goose feather fan. [2] "He really did benefit in miraculous fashion from that lightning strike, which caused his martial arts to advance by leaps and bounds. You're right. He's very dangerous, and has almost limitless potential. If you can't use him, then the best thing would be to nip things in the bud and kill him now. City Magistrate, do you think it might be possible to recruit him?"

Yan Gufeng shook his head. "No. Impossible. He stole my Latent Dragon Pill, and obviously is holding a grudge over how his martial arts were crippled. Besides, as the saying goes, two tigers cannot live on one mountain. If things go as planned, and we found the State of Yan, then the Yang Clan will be our feudal vassals, and would be required to kowtow to us. How could he possibly go along with that? Besides, Yang Zhan is very ambitious. He would never agree to such an arrangement."

"That's true," Mr. Sun said, lazily fanning himself. "The Yang Clan definitely won't submit. Very well, you have the authority to do what you wish. If you can't recruit them, then the only thing left to do is kill them."

"I can kill that punk kid right now." Yan Gufeng kneaded the bridge of his nose. Apparently, he had made a decision. "A year from now, it will probably be impossible. And that's not to mention that Yang Zhan might become a Master of Energy."

Mr. Sun laughed loudly. "You don't need to worry about that, City Magistrate. Sir, you know very well how difficult it is to reach the Master of Energy level. It involves an interconversion between true energy and one's soul. There's no way Yang Zhan will achieve that breakthrough anytime soon."

"By now, the Yang and Chen Clans must be in the ultimate heat of battle. Considering the Chen Clan has experts from the House of Shadowblight on their side, they probably have the upper hand." As he spoke, Yan Gufeng continued to fiddle with a large thumb-ring on his right hand.

That ring was a valuable treasure that could store true energy. It had a name: Bloodbody Thumb-ring. The implication of the name was that the ring was similar to a person's body.

Even Masters of Energy had limited reserves of true energy. When they fought, that true energy would be drained away. However, with a Bloodbody Thumb-ring, one could store up true energy to use when fighting. Essentially, it could make an energy artist much stronger in a fight.

With that thumb-ring, Yan Gufeng could actually take on two Masters of Energy at one time in a fight. In other words, no single Master of Energy could possibly be a match for him.

It was an invaluable item that people from the most powerful organizations would covet, even individuals from the institutes. It was probably worth more than all of Yanhaven as a whole.

"Something bad's happened!"

In that very moment, a soldier rushed in and dropped to his knees, followed by Luo Hun, whose expression was grave.

"What's going on?" Yan Gufeng asked. He then smacked the table. "Don't tell me the fight between the Yang and Chen Clans is already over?"

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"It's not just over, it ended in a rout!" Luo Hun said. "That punk Yang Qi single-handedly captured Chen Dalei, and defeated all the experts of the Chen Clan, along with their entire army. He killed more than ten experts from the House of Shadowblight, all of them in the eighth phase. Even worse, Yang Zhan reached the Master of Energy level in the middle of the fight. The Yang Clan army already marched on the Chen Clan mansion and started to clear it out."

"What did you just say?!" Yan Gufeng said, half-convinced he was hearing things. Trembling, he continued, "That punk Yang Qi single-handedly wiped out all the experts from the Chen Clan and the House of Shadowblight? Was he really possessed by a thousand-year-old demon?"

That was the only explanation Yan Gufeng could come up with for what was happening.

1. In this case Sun is a surname, and has nothing to do with the burning ball of fire in the sky. To address him with the title "mister" is very respectful, something that Yan Gufeng would normally not need to do since he's the top dog in town.

2. Goose feather fans are frequently associated with Zhuge Liang, the most famous strategist and politician in Chinese history

Sage Monarch

"You heard me, sir," Luo Hun said. "I'm afraid the Yang Clan moved too quickly, and the Chen Clan simply couldn't stand up to them. They've been completely wiped out. Even we couldn't have taken out the combination of the Chen Clan and the House of Shadowblight so quickly. This Yang Qi is on the same level as a Master of Energy. If I fought him right now, I would definitely meet defeat."

Luo Hun could only sigh at the fact that the kid whose martial arts he had crippled only a few weeks ago was now on the level of a grandmaster.

It was almost like a dream. Or a nightmare.

"Yang Zhan is now a Master of Energy, and his son is essentially on the same level…." Yan Gufeng was so shaken that he almost wanted to go out that very instant and raze the Yang Clan to the ground.

The main thing holding him back was that he knew that if he attacked the Yang Clan without an ironclad reason, the other rich and powerful clans in the city would rise to their defense. Yanhaven was heading toward chaos, and that was not to mention that other cities in the area were eyeing them covetously, and could theoretically attack them at any time.

Also holding Yan Gufeng back was Yang Zhan's cultivation base, and the fact that Yang Qi seemed to have been possessed by a thousand-year-old demon. Even if the Yan Clan mobilized all of their forces to try to take them out, they would probably lose eighty percent of their men to achieve victory. And a victory like that was anything but a victory.

Yan Gufeng was struggling to contain his rage, and at the same time, was overwhelmed with regret. If he had known things would end up like this, he would have killed Yang Qi days ago. "What do you think we should do, Mr. Sun?"

"We're in a moment of extreme crisis," Mr. Sun said, rising to his feet. "City Magistrate, you can't go to war with the Yang Clan right now. Maybe you could wipe them out, but Yang Qi and Yang Zhan would likely escape, and that could cause major problems in the future. But if you don't wipe them out, then sooner or later, Yanhaven is going to end up being called Yanghaven. And in that case, you can forget about your thousand-year-dream. Very well. I'll head immediately to my Master's school and find an expert to help. City Magistrate, you absolutely must not do anything rash in the next few days. The Chen Clan will definitely send people to try to deal with the Yang Clan. And the House of Shadowblight won't let this go either. The more problems they cause for the Yang Clan, the better your chances of winning in the end."

"Well said," replied Yan Gufeng. "Alright, I won't mobilize a single man from my clan. And I'll send messages to all the Yan Clan experts outside the city to return immediately! Originally I didn't want to get the clan's council of chief elders involved, but at the moment, it seems I have no other choice."

"In that case, I'll take my leave. My next task is to convince Master to send someone to help you achieve your thousand-year-dream." Mr. Sun vanished in a streak of light.

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Yan Gufeng stared off in the direction of the Yang Clan, his murderous aura caused the images of sabers, blades, spears, axes, and other weapons to appear in the air behind him. There were even devil-ghost designs and patterns.

Before long, numerous orders were being sent out from the city magistrate's mansion.

Meanwhile, back in the Yang Clan mansion, the two young women from the House of Spring and Autumn had already divulged all the details of the Four Seasons Swordplay. There were all sorts of stances and forms, as well as complex descriptions of how to send energy flowing through one's meridians. There were many things to consider, even ways of training the soul. On top of all that, one needed to perform special breathing exercises to absorb the quintessence of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. It was a massive amount of information that left the four men of the Yang Clan with heads spinning.

After making sure he had all the information memorized, Yang Zhan once again immobilized the two young women.

"Father, what do we do with them now?" Yang Yunchong said, immediately touching on the most important issue at hand. "If we leave them alive, it could lead to a major disaster."

Apparently, he thought it might be best to kill them.

"Imprison them for now," Yang Qi said. "It wouldn't be appropriate to just kill them. Besides, they might be able to give us more information about the House of Spring and Autumn. And with their martial arts crippled, they won't be able to cause many problems."

"Alright, Third Brother," Yang Yunchong said with a nod. "You've clearly thought things through."

At the moment, everything seemed to revolve around Yang Qi. Even Yang Zhan seemed to be under the impression that his son would soon surpass him in all ways.

Yang Zhan took the two women to the clan dungeon, then returned. Eyes glittering, he said, "Qi'er, what exactly happened to you when you got struck by lightning? There's no way that a bit of body tempering could have gotten you to your current level."

Yang Qi took a long moment before answering. "It's a bit too embarrassing to talk about, Father. I'll explain eventually. But I have a lot of secrets, and I don't want to put the clan in harm's way. I hope you can understand."

"If that's the case, I won't push you any further. But if you've been possessed by a thousand-year-old demon, then your rapid cultivation advancement could end with you losing your mind and becoming a demon. You wouldn't even be human at that point."

Such things had actually happened in the Rich-Lush Continent before; when people were possessed, the end result was always tragic. And right now, anyone who had seen what was happening with Yang Qi would suspect that he had been possessed. However, Yang Zhan could see that Yang Qi still had all of his faculties, and didn't have the slightest bit of demon energy on him. In those respects, it didn't seem at all like he had been possessed.

Suddenly, Yang Qi had an idea. "Father, what if you start secretly spreading rumors that I've been possessed by an old demon? That might do a lot to prevent people from finding out the truth."

"So that they don't realize how powerful you really are?" Yang Zhan mused. "Make them let their guard down?" He nodded. "I have an even better idea. I'll make a big deal about buying some medicinal pills designed to suppress evil demons. Then, let others start spreading rumors."

"Perfect," Yang Qi said. "Another upside is that people who have it out for me will be more inclined to wait until the supposed demon tries to take control of me before they make a move. Little do they know that the longer they wait, the higher my cultivation base will get. Once I reach the eighth phase, not even a Master of Energy will be a threat to me."

"Father," Yang Yunchong said, "we need to get ready. It will only be a few more days before the Chen Clan's council of chief elders arrives, as well as their subsidiary branches. Perhaps you should send a message to our own council of chief elders and ask them to take control of the situation."

"There's no need," Yang Qi said. "The chief elders are working hard at their cultivation, so we shouldn't disturb them. We should be able to handle the coming difficulties. The strongest of the Chen Clan chief elders is a mere Masters of Energy. I'll intercept them on their way to the city, kill a few and slow them down. That will solve our biggest problem."

"You can do that?" Yang Zhan exclaimed. "Excellent. Kill as many experts from the Chen Clan as you can, outside of the city where nobody will know what happened. By now, the Yan Clan must have been informed that we exterminated the Chen Clan, and are probably thinking of making a move, but holding back for fear of causing problems for themselves. I know exactly what kind of person Yan Gufeng is. He's probably recruiting some top experts to help deal with us, and is waiting until the fight with the Chen Clan resumes again. If we can neutralize the threat of the Chen Clan experts before they get here, the Yan Clan will get confused, and we'll definitely be able to secure a victory."

"Father, allow me to help third brother with this," Yang Yunchong said.

Yang Qi waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need. Father, you stay here in the mansion. It's the safest place to be right now. I'll go ambush the Chen Clan experts. Not only will that push my cultivation higher, it will also make sure that our Yang Clan is in the safest position possible. With a Master of Energy on guard, who would dare to launch a sudden attack? Even Yan Gufeng would hesitate before attacking us on our home ground."

Yang Zhan sighed. "You're absolutely right. What an incredible son! Can you see all of this, Greensura? Before long, your son is going to surpass me."

The Greensura was Yang Qi's mother, who had left soon after he was born.

She hadn't died, but rather, had supposedly left to work on her cultivation. She was a strange woman who remained married to Yang Zhan for only a year, gave birth to Yang Qi, and then vanished.

Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong were actually Yang Qi's half-brothers, whose mother was a previous wife of Yang Zhan. Despite being half-brothers, they were all very close with each other, and there was never any friction between them.

After hearing his mother's name, Yang Qi said nervously, "Father, what exactly happened with mother? Where is she now? I've never even seen her. When I was young, you always said that when my cultivation base was high enough, you would tell me. Now I'm almost a Master of Energy. Don't you think the time has come?"

Yang Qi had always wondered about his mother, who had been a mystery to him ever since he was young.

"Your mother…." A look of pain could be seen on Yang Zhan's face. "She's wrapped up in a monumental secret. The truth is that we were fated to only be together for a single year, and during that time, I never pressed her for information. I didn't want to be privy to any secrets that might bring disaster to our clan. That said, your mother is a very important person. How about this: When you break out of the Energy Arts level and into the Lifeseizing level, I'll tell you everything I know."

"Okay…." Yang Qi said. Sighing, he continued, "If you're that reluctant to talk about it, it must be something pretty important. I'll work as hard as I can to push my cultivation base higher."

"Father," Yang Yunchong said, "aren't you setting the mark a bit too high? In the Rich-Lush Continent, Masters of Energy aren't uncommon, but we almost never see Lifeseizers."

Yang Zhan smiled wryly. "That's because to Lifeseizers, the rest of us are like bugs, even Masters of Energy. And there are some things in life that can be dangerous for bugs to know about."

Yang Qi nodded. "Alright, father. Well, I'm going to head out to take care of the Chen Clan experts." With that, he turned to leave.

"Hold on," Yang Zhan said. "You still have some time on your hands. Before you leave, why don't we try out the Chiliocosm Mirror."

Yang Qi took out the Chiliocosm Mirror he had acquired at the Chen Clan, which the House of Spring and Autumn disciples had said was made from Nine Heavens godjade. Yang Qi still had no idea exactly what the mirror did.

Waving his hand, he sent the mirror flying over to Yang Zhan, who grabbed it. Of course, considering Yang Zhan had been at odds with the Chen Clan for years, it was only natural that he knew exactly what this terrifying object could do.

"What an incredible mirror," he murmured. Rubbing its surface, he sent a bit of true energy into it.

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When he did, transformations of the seasons appeared, such as the spring rain, summer lightning, autumn frost, and winter snow. There was also a male figure practicing sword forms.

Obviously, this was the Four Seasons Swordplay, and the man, Yang Zhan.

As Yang Zhan stood there, it almost seemed like he had sunk into a trance, with his soul having been pulled into the mirror to practice the Four Seasons Swordplay.

After some time passed, his eyes flickered, and he retracted his true energy. Instantly, the images within the mirror vanished.

"Incredible. Send some true energy into the mirror, and you can practice artificial cultivation inside. You can try out all sorts of energy circulation techniques, and not worry about experiencing cultivation deviation."

Yang Qi was gradually coming to understand what the Chiliocosm Mirror could do.

One could send true energy into the mirror, and then cultivate an energy art in illusory form. Although it was only an illusion, it could still provide extremely valuable experience.

When cultivating energy arts in reality, one always ran the risk of circulating one's energy incorrectly, and experiencing cultivation deviation. And if an energy spasm occurred, one could theoretically explode.

To be able to practice cultivation in the illusory world of the mirror was much safer. One could become thoroughly familiar with how to properly circulate one's energy through the meridians before engaging in real-life training.

Even better, the Chiliocosm Mirror would conform to each individual's current state, and would help correct errors in one's martial discipline.

There were also other functions to the mirror that he had yet to uncover.

"This mirror is incredible, Father. You take it." Yang Qi knew that the sooner his father mastered the Four Seasons Swordplay, the better, and this mirror could be of great help in that regard.

Now that Yang Zhan was in the Master of Energy level, he was much closer to reaching the highest level of enlightenment. Once he broke through the final shackle holding him in the Energy Arts level, he would reach the Lifeseizing level. To do so would require, not only a major accumulation of resources, but also a royal-class energy art. Before, it would have been impossible for him. But if he could use the Chiliocosm Mirror to truly understand the transformations of spring, summer, autumn, and winter, and thus learn the Four Seasons Swordplay, then he really would have the hope of reaching the Lifeseizing level.

"Okay. With the Chiliocosm Mirror, I can increase my cultivation base to the point of being able to fight with Yan Gufeng. He's definitely planning to unify the territory controlled by Yanhaven and then officially declare it to be the State of Yan. And the Yang Clan will be his biggest obstacle in doing that. In the end, Qi'er, all of our hopes rest on you."

"Father, I won't let any harm come to the clan. Don't worry. I'm completely confident in being able to ambush the chief elders from the Chen Clan. I'll be back safely before you know it." With that, he turned and sprang into motion, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

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Yang Yunchong sighed deeply. "Third brother's cultivation base keeps getting higher and higher. It just keeps getting likelier and likelier that he'll reach the Lifeseizing level. What will it be like if the Yang Clan actually has a Lifeseizer? How glorious would that be?"

Yang Zhan nodded. "Lifeseizers can live four or five hundred years, and are strong enough to lead enormous clans to the heights of glory. However, I'm still worried about Qi'er's safety. What if his incredible progress now means that he'll end up running into a major cultivation obstacle in the future?"

Yang Hualong took a more lighthearted perspective. "In any case, third brother is thousands of times stronger than he was in the past, and that's a blessing for our clan. Even if his progress stalls eventually, he'll still count as a consummate expert."

"You have a good point," Yang Zhan said. Flicking his sleeve, he continued, "Very well, the two of you focus hard on your cultivation. No slacking off! All three of us can work on unlocking the quintessence of the Four Seasons Swordplay. Royal-class energy arts such as this cannot be taken lightly."

There was no question that, with this new technique, Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong would also achieve meteoric progress.

A day passed, and the other clans in Yanhaven were still completely focused on the previous clan warfare.

There was no royal or imperial law governing the Rich-Lush Continent as a whole. Local law was enforced by the city magistrate, and as for the rich and powerful clans, they enforced their own rules.

When two such clans went to war, then as long as the city magistrate didn't interfere, then the most powerful clan would come out on top, and the weaker one would be the loser.

It was night, and Yanhaven was quiet. In many of the aristocratic clans, discussions were raging regarding the figurative storm that would likely hit the city soon.

"The Yang Clan won! The Chen Clan's centuries-old foundation was destroyed!"

"You're right. But the weird thing is that the city magistrate didn't do anything. He just let them fight it out. You would expect him to take advantage of the situation to take out both of the clans in question."

"Well, you know the old saying, right? Don't shoot the rat; you might break the vases. The Yan Clan was probably worried about innocent city dwellers getting caught in the crossfire. I guess he didn't expect Yang Zhan to actually become a Master of Energy."

"Master of Energy! I can't believe we have two Masters of Energy in Yanhaven now. If they fight, it's going to be like a contest between giants."

"The only thing we can do is wait and see what happens. If things get dicey, we might have to leave the city and return after the catastrophe passes."

"I used to think that Yang Qi was just a silkpants. Who could have ever predicted that he would become as powerful as a grandmaster of energy arts? He single-handedly wiped out the entire Chen Clan. I heard that he might have been possessed by an old demon. Yang Zhan is even collecting spirit medicines that are used to neutralize demon energy. I guess he plans to use his Master of Energy cultivation base to subjugate whatever evil spirit took over his son."

"Ah, no wonder! And here I thought that Yang Qi had come across some good fortune that fueled his progress. But it makes much more sense that he was possessed. Well, eventually the little punk will probably lose his mind to that spirit, and turn into a murderous devil. And if he becomes a monster, then there's no way his existence will be tolerated."

Everyone knew that even though the Chen Clan's direct bloodline had been wiped out, they still had their council of chief elders, as well as subsidiary clans, all of whom would be coming soon to make a stand against the Yang Clan.

The reserve powers of the rich and powerful clans were nothing to be taken lightly. For one thing, they all had venerable Masters of Energy who normally spent their time in seclusion. Such people wouldn't often make public appearances, but when critical moments arrived for the clans, they would.

Somewhere outside of Yanhaven was a place in the mountains where the road became cramped and narrow.

Suddenly, a pair of majestic black wings flapped, and a figure appeared, speeding along the road. The resulting blast of wind caused all sorts of birds to fly up out of the surrounding shrubbery. Crows, owls, and other birds all cried out in shock and terror.

Yang Qi came to a stop, floating there in the air above the road, his Fiend-Devil Wings keeping him aloft. He looked almost like a devil from hell, with black energy swirling around him, a long spear held in his hand.

The dark of night was the perfect time for an ambush.

Because he was alone on this attempt to assassinate the chief elders of the Chen Clan, he could use the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth to his heart's content.

For now, his cultivation base was solidly in the seventh phase, the Energy Manifestation level. However, because he could use the strength of seven ancient megamammoths, as long as he continued to work on his cultivation, it wouldn't be long before he reached the eighth phase, the Energy Incarnation level.

This particular path was remote and not oft-traveled, surrounded by numerous mountains, and far removed from even the smallest hamlets or villages. On this particular moonless night, the wind wailed through the valleys, making the entire place seem particularly sinister.

Yang Qi alighted onto the road, where he stood unmoving, staring down the road as if he were waiting for something or someone.

After all, the Chen Clan forces had to pass through this area to get to Yanhaven.

The Chen and Yang Clan's had been at odds for many years, and had long since compiled detailed intelligence reports about each other. In fact, both sides knew exactly where the council of chief elders of the other was located.

As for the Chen Clan's council of chief elders, they normally holed up on a place called Mount Green.

This path which connected Mount Green to Yanhaven was a treacherous one that even Masters of Energy would tread with utmost caution.

After all, not everyone was like Yang Qi, with Fiend-Devil Wings that made it easy for him to fly for hundreds of kilometers without resting.

Most Masters of Energy could fly, but could only do so for a few dozen kilometers before having to drop to the ground and proceed on foot for a time.

It was even possible for bad landings to result in deaths.

For that reason, the experts of the Chen Clan were saving energy, and being safer, by not flying. It was the same with the Yang Clan chief elders; the chief elder who had visited the clan some time back had been flying on a golden eagle.

Yang Qi stood there patiently, keeping his true energy reined in. Eventually, he sat down cross-legged and began to perform breathing exercises. As the lightning mammoth stirred within him, feeding the quintessence of its life force in an eighth particle within him, he could feel another ancient megamammoth struggling to wake up.

Without that lightning mammoth, Yang Qi would have been forced to use his own true energy and quintessence to wake up the particles, which would have been much more difficult.

Considering how weak he was to begin with, he wouldn't even have been able to awaken a single particle by now.

The quintessence of Yang Qi's life force was like a drop of dew, whereas the lightning mammoth's was like a flowing river.

As for the particles, they were like deep, empty wells.

If he tried to fill in those wells one drop of water at a time, it would have been impossible. That was why most people never made much progress cultivating the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. Those who did advanced through the cultivation levels much more slowly.

From this it could be seen how difficult the technique was. How could a god-like cultivation method such as that be useful to humans?

In fact, Yang Qi was starting to get extremely nervous about what would happen when the lightning mammoth's quintessence ran out. How would he further his cultivation? Could he progress on his own? Or would he have to steal life force quintessence from somewhere? But how?

Of course, based on what he knew of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, he understood that after a certain point, his true energy would transform. He would create a Hellfire Crucible inside himself that would be capable of melting and refining anything. Presumably, he could consume external life force quintessence of others to replenish his own, in the form of demon cores, golden medicinal pills, and the like.

Perhaps that was the way to get the quintessence he needed.

The more deeply he sank into cultivating this technique, the more he understood about gods and spirits, and the more he comprehended the nature of hell. In fact, his entire world view was changing.

In his meditations, he had come to the realization that the Rich-Lush Continent was like a speck of dust in a larger world. It was essentially a tiny village, whereas heaven and earth at large were boundless and unfathomable, just waiting for him to explore and understand it, and even… to dominate it.

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As his true energy flowed, the eighth particle inside of him wriggled like a chrysalis on the verge of breaking open.

It was at this point that he heard something like the sound of hoofbeats, coming from some distance down the path. It sounded like dozens of them. After a few breaths of time passed, he realized that the sound did not come from ordinary horses.

Rising to his feet, he looked at a dozen riders heading in his direction. Their mounts were horse-like, but twice the size of ordinary horses, and covered in scales.

They were flood stallions, the legendary hybrid offspring of horses and floodwyrms. Not only were they incredibly powerful, but also extremely expensive, with a single one being worth hundreds of thousands of energy convergence pills.

The experts of the Chen Clan had arrived.

Sage Monarch

Flood stallions were incredibly fast, and could tear through mountainous terrain as though they were a flat plain.

They could even run on water, meaning that enormous lakes and rivers were not obstacles for them. Generally speaking, only incredibly rich people, government officials, and aristocratic clans could afford them.

The rider leading the group was an old man who, at a certain point along the path, raised his hand, causing an energy field to spring up that forced the entire group of flood stallions to stop in place.

That old man was the leader of the Chen Clan's chief elders, and had an incredibly profound cultivation base. Tugging on the reins of his flood stallion, he looked over at Yang Qi, his gaze as fierce as a tiger's. His eyes even glowed in the darkness of the night.

Yang Qi could sense the man's gaze locking down onto his soul; if he tried to flee now, the man would be able to track him down wherever he went.

He had obviously comprehended the Thousand Kilometer Soul Locking technique.

There was also some devilish power contained in his eyes, something that battered at Yang Qi's soul, making him want to fall asleep. Obviously, the old man was capable of hypnosis as well, which was an energy art that far surpassed the eighth phase.

He was in the ninth phase, making him a Master of Energy.

This was the only member of the Chen Clan's older generation who was a Master of Energy, the venerable Chen Tianxiong. [1]

He had been famous for sixty years already, and was also known as the Hundred-Armed Demonoid. The implication of his nickname was that his energy arts resembled those of a demon. He was inhumanly fast, and could unleash a hundred attacks in the blink of an eye, enough to destroy anyone he targeted.

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He had been in seclusion for years now as he attempted to break through into the Lifeseizing level. Masters of Energy could usually live for one hundred fifty to two hundred years, and Chen Tianxiong was already more than a hundred. He was already starting to run out of time. His body was beginning to wear down, and his quintessence was running out. Unless he achieved a breakthrough, the only thing that existed at the end of his path was death.

But now, the Chen Clan had been wiped out and plundered, giving him no choice other than to go deal with the Yang Clan.

As soon as the Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong assessed Yang Qi's cultivation base, he could see that he was in the seventh phase. "Who are you? How dare you try to block my path, you seventh phase whelp."

A Master of Energy was two levels higher than someone in the Energy Manifestation level, with true energy levels so high that one was like the heaven and the other, the earth. Although Yang Qi's true energy was vigorous, in terms of level, he just didn't match up. He couldn't even form Humanoid True Energy, let alone think about performing Thousand Kilometer Soul Locking.

"You're the Hundred-Armed Demonoid?" Yang Qi said loudly. "Chen Tianxiong? The only patriarch in the Chen Clan to have reached the Master of Energy level?"

"Who are you, punk?" one of the eighth phase chief elders barked.

"I'm Yang Qi," he said, looking particularly impressive as he stood there calmly. "Here to execute the Chen Clan's chief elders. Forget about the Yang Clan in Yanhaven. You're all going to meet your end here in these remote mountains."

"Hahahahaha!"

Raucous laughter erupted from the dozens of people present, who included both the chief elders as well as clan lords from subsidiary branches. Their laughter was laced with killing intent; after all, these people were the top figures in their clan.

"Elder Tianxiong," said one of the chief elders, "allow me to dispatch this little punk." Without another word, he flew off his flood stallion, his hand already clenched into a fist as he shot toward Yang Qi, as fast as a bullet. He looked like a fierce tiger, his fist thrumming with furious energy, surrounded by a vortex of true energy that could crush metal or stone.

This was a profound energy art from the Chen Clan: Devastation of the Rolling Stone.

And this particular chief elder was Chen Tianhua, who was an uncle of Chen Dalei. He was at the peak of the eighth phase, the type of person who virtually no one could defend against. Throughout the course of his life, he had torn dozens of opponents to shreds with his bare hands, and when he used Mind Incarnation to power his Devastation of the Rolling Stone, it could melt metal. [2] [3]

In fact, there were even stories about how he had once clenched his hand down onto some iron until it ran like liquid onto the ground.

However, Yang Qi hardly paid him any attention at all. He simply waved his hand out in casual and even weak fashion. When Chen Tianhua saw that, his expression twisted with vicious ferocity. "You think your true energy can stop me, you brat? I guess the expression a mantis trying to stop a war chariot was invented for you."

RUMMMBLE!

How could he ever have guessed that, even as the words left his mouth, Yang Qi's palm movement completely changed. A trumpeting sound like that of a dracomammoth could be heard, thrumming with energy that could dominate everything for thousands of kilometers in every direction. At the same time, seven ancient megamammoths appeared, ready to trample everything in their path.

"Not good!" Chen Tianxiong blurted. Without any hesitation, he flew over to help.

Unfortunately, he was too late.

Chen Tianhua was completely incapable of standing up to the attack; his true energy was smashed aside, and a palm hit his chest, which caved in, causing blood to spurt out everywhere.

Plop!

His corpse landed onto the ground, a mass of gore and blood that had been a living person only moments ago.

That was when Chen Tianxiong arrived. Reaching out, he grabbed Chen Tianhua's corpse and poured true energy into it in the hopes of saving him. Unfortunately, he was completely dead and beyond any help.

Yang Qi clasped his hands behind his back, making himself look like a true grandmaster. "Don't bother. He overestimated himself. He tried to compete with me using true energy, which meant he was just looking to get killed, don't you agree?"

The truth was that he actually looked forward to fighting a Master of Energy; a deadly battle like that would likely lead to another breakthrough for him.

The Yang Clan was facing troubling times, so the higher his cultivation base got, the better.

Furthermore, once he reached the Lifeseizing level, his father would tell him the secrets pertaining to his mother.

"You're really a vicious one, aren't you, boy? Ruthless to the core." Chen Tianxiong's white eyebrows twitched as he looked over at Yang Qi, killing intent swirling in his eyes.

He could tell that this young man would not be easy to deal with, and that it would take everything he had to come out on top.

"Not really," Yang Qi replied. "But our two clans are at odds, and the only way to resolve the situation is for one of us to be wiped out. You people actually colluded with the House of Shadowblight to harm my two brothers. That in itself doomed you to be plundered and exterminated."

"Oh, really?" Chen Tianxiong began to stride forward. "You've been possessed by a freakish hellion, haven't you boy? You might have gained incredible power, but the only thing you'll get in the end is calamity. Well, that's fine. I'll kill you now, and destroy whatever hellion is inside of you. Afterward, I'll go kill Yang Zhan too."

"Bring it on. A fight with a Master of Energy is just what I need to achieve my next breakthrough."

Yang Qi swept his hands out in front of him, drawing deeply on his energy arts. As he did, his blood and true energy flowed in unison, causing the bubbling sound of the Hellfire Crucible to once again echo out, a sound that would cause anyone who heard it to instantly think about the fires of hell.

"What kung fu is this?"

That was what all the Chen Clan experts were thinking as they looked on, their faces draining of color.

"Prepare yourselves to end this kid's life," Chen Tianxiong said loudly. "Surround him, and on my command, we all attack with full force. Turn him into a pool of blood!"

The Chen Clan experts all dismounted and spread out to surround Yang Qi.

At the moment, the survival of their entire clan was at stake, so there was no way they would follow the normal customs of the jianghu, and fight him one by one.

Even as they took their positions, Chen Tianxiong attacked, splaying his fingers as he unleashed pulses of true energy that seemed powerful enough to crush mountains. This was a consummate energy art known as Landslide Devastation.

However, Yang Qi simply sidestepped the attack, then released numerous palm strikes, drawing fully on the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. The power of seven ancient megamammoths drove his true energy with such force that the ground in the area was scraped away, and boulders shattered.

In the blink of an eye, the two of them had exchanged seven blows.

Each one was powerful enough to shake heaven and earth, and destroyed much of the surrounding terrain features. Moments later, Chen Tianxiong's face was flushed bright red as he stood there on a pile of rubble.

Yang Qi dropped down to the ground, his true energy surging with even more ferocity than his opponent's.

Unexpectedly, those seven interchanges were not enough to determine victory or defeat between the two of them.

"You have some impressive true energy, Chen Tianxiong," Yang Qi said. "A hundred years of hard work gave you what it takes to stand on equal ground with me. Sadly, you're getting old, and your body is already starting to decay. Can your meridians really take all of this?" Clearly, he wasn't afraid at all of the fact that his opponent had a hundred years of experience. He was still confident in being able to take him out.

"I might be getting old, but I can still kill you easily." Chen Tianxiong's white hair began to float up, and heatwaves began to roll off of him. He was now preparing to use the true might of a ninth phase Master of Energy as, all of a sudden, a gust of wind shot out, and his true energy took physical shape in front of him in the form of a person.

That person was transparent, with facial features that looked exactly like Chen Tianxiong. It was a clone made by the Humanoid True Energy ability.

This manifestation actually had meridians inside of it, and a sea of energy that was clearly visible because of its transparent state.

It almost looked alive, and also intelligent. This was a much more profound version of Humanoid True Energy than what Yang Zhan had utilized.

As soon as it took form, it seemed to form a connection to the vital energy of heaven and earth. Black clouds formed high in the sky, as well as other meteorological and astronomical phenomena.

"Fleshly body transformation! Form energy into gods and spirits, seize life from the heavens! I became a Master of Energy sixty years ago, you little punk. I have a complete understanding of the Lifeseizing level, and energy arts so profound that there's no way a shallow whelp like yourself could possibly compare to me. Pay attention…. I'm going to show you what people call Energy Gods and Energy Souls!"

In response to Chen Tianxiong's confident words, his Humanoid True Energy sprang into motion. At the same time, a gale-force wind erupted, filled with mists and clouds. Shockingly, within those winds and clouds appeared the images of dragons and tigers. [4]

Because the Humanoid True Energy was not constrained by the shackles of a physical body, every move it made was fierce beyond compare. In fact, it was actually three to four times more powerful than Chen Tianxiong himself was. It unleashed a palm strike, sending out fire hot enough to scorch the heavens.

"Astral Flame!"

The fire instantly took the shape of numerous blades, connected together like a net that then descended toward Yang Qi.

Yang Qi let out a shout, causing black energy to erupt out of him, which became his Infernal Deity Aegis, a swirling defense that blocked the intense flames.

"Infernal Deity Spear!"

The long spear appeared in his hand, and the aura of devils from hell erupted. Above Yang Qi's head, black energy transformed into devil horns, vicious to the extreme. At the same time, a godmammoth appeared behind him, ready to trample hell beneath its feet.

Then, the Infernal Deity Spear became a streak of dark light as it shot forth.

It was a move that contained infinite variations, and could destroy any true energy that it encountered. Even the hardest metals or the thickest walls would be pierced through by it.

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"Godsnake Silk Hands!" Chen Tianxiong shouted from his position behind his Humanoid True Energy. In response, the manifestation twisted its hand into a new form, causing true energy to erupt out. Even as it shot through the air, it became strands of silk that wrapped around the Infernal Deity Spear.

1. Chen Tianxiong: Tian means "heaven, sky" and Xiong means "male, grand, imposing, powerful, mighty"

2. Chen Tianhua: Tian means "sky, heaven" and "hua" means "magnificent, splendid, flourishing, flashy" as well as a host of other things

3. You might notice that both Chen Tianxiong and Chen Tianhua have the same character Tian in their name. In Chinese culture, it is customary for all the children born in the same generation to have identical Chinese characters for the first of their two-character name. Such names are decided generations in advance. This is a custom that is still followed by many Chinese even nowadays.

4. This line contains an obscure reference to a line from the Book of Changes. Literally, the line says "clouds come from dragons, wind comes from tigers" and is a metaphor implying a unison between powerful entities. In this section, he ties it to "reality" by saying that dragons and tigers appeared within the wind and clouds

Sage Monarch

Godsnake Silk Hands was a first-class energy art from the Chen Clan. It took true energy and turned it into strands of silk that then formed spirit snakes, which could be used to bind an opponent in place. It was a martial discipline that could theoretically be used to constrain all types of true energy.

Any onlookers would see what appeared to be numerous strands of white silk streaming through the air like dancing snakes as they wrapped around Yang Qi.

This was the true power of Chen Tianxiong, a ninth phase Master of Energy.

He had his Humanoid True Energy out in front protecting him, using its infinite variations like a demon or devil.

This was the power of the Hundred-Armed Demonoid.

The way he used true energy was really like demons, devils, ghosts, or monsters, and would make it virtually impossible for anyone to beat him in a fight.

Yang Qi suddenly felt as though his Infernal Deity Spear had finally met its match. As the true energy wrapped around the spear, it suddenly felt like it weighed tens upon tens of thousands of pounds, causing his arms to ache with pain just from holding it. In fact, it seemed like it might be wrenched from his grasp at any moment.

Yang Qi had hit a snag, but he wasn't afraid yet. Without any hesitation, he drew on the power of seven ancient megamammoths, and threw it into the spear.

Suddenly, the chanting of devil-ghosts echoed out from within it, sounds that seemed to originate in hell itself.

The cries were piercing, confusing, fiendish, and seemed to be thrumming with murderous intentions. They were filled with an incomparable desire to do battle, as though they were being voiced by an army of tens of thousands of soldiers.

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Snap! The silken snakes suddenly vanished as the spear erupted in raging black flames. The Infernal Deity Spear had reached a new peak, a point where it produced fire.

ZZZAAAAAP!!! HISSSSSSS!!

In the face of these flames, the true energy of the Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong was instantly vanquished.

In the shortest of moments, his Humanoid True Energy shrank down to half of its previous size.

"What energy art is that? That's not a royal-class art, is it? It surpasses royal-class! Don't tell me it's imperial-class!?" Chen Tianxiong was shocked, but at the same time, suddenly seemed to be filled with greed. "Don't you know, brat? When you have something nice, there will always be someone willing to take it from you! If word got out about this energy art of yours, everyone under heaven would be trying to kill you! Listen up, experts of the Chen Clan! It's time for the Devil-Imprisoning Formation! Trap this kid and force him to tell us how to cultivate this energy art of his!"

Not even Masters of Energy like Chen Tianxiong could avoid the temptation of an imperial-class energy art, and would do anything possible to get it.

By now, he could tell that Yang Qi was not someone who could be defeated easily, and that if the battle continued, it could end up as a bloodbath. Furthermore, the fact that this kid possibly had an imperial-class energy art made him extremely valuable.

In response to Chen Tianxiong's words, the council of chief elders nearly went crazy.

"What? An energy art higher than the royal-class? How is that even possible? Only the institutes have such techniques!"

"Imperial-class energy arts are the type that can throw the lands into war! If word got out, it could shake the whole Rich-Lush Continent."

"How did this punk get so lucky? How did he get an imperial-class energy art?"

"If it's really an imperial-class energy art, then it makes sense that the direct bloodline of the Chen Clan got wiped out so easily. Even among the great institutes, those energy arts are tightly-kept secrets."

"If our Chen Clan got our hands on this kid's energy art, then with a few decades of hard work, we could be one of the top clans in the Rich-Lush Continent! Nobody could possibly be able to defy us. We might even be able to found a new imperial dynasty."

"Trap this kid! We can't let him die. Chief Elder Tianxiong can use his hypnosis arts to drag out the secrets of that imperial-class energy art."

In the Rich-Lush Continent, energy arts were divided into third-class, second-class, first-class, royal-class, imperial-class, saintly-class, heavenly-class, and godly-class.

Most rich and powerful clans would have first-class techniques, whereas only large sects and organizations would have royal-class arts. Therefore, it could be imagined how heaven-shaking and earth-shattering an imperial-class art would be. Anyone who acquired such a technique would experience instant success in any endeavor, and would have almost no problem reaching the Lifeseizing level.

The Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong was a Master of Energy, and had much experience in life. Sixty years ago, he was already a famous legend in the jianghu. Therefore, if he assessed Yang Qi's energy arts as being in the imperial-class level, how could he possibly be mistaken?

Shouting, the more than twenty chief elders all unleashed the full power of their energy arts.

The Chen Clan's council of chief elders was a powerful group; the requirement to join it was to be an expert in the eighth phase.

And even the weakest of them had been in that level for sixty years at the least.

All of them could perform Mind Incarnation, and they unleashed it to full effect to create an enormous projection of the eight trigrams. As the image rotated high in the air, true energy radiated out and caused all of the mountains in the area to tremble.

Cracking sounds rang out as trees snapped in two, and many boulders were reduced to dust.

This Devil-Imprisoning Formation required all the top experts in the clan to pool their true energy, and was normally used to constrain some of the most powerful demons and devils that existed in the world.

Twenty top experts, including one who was a Master of Energy: that was a force to be reckoned with.

Normally speaking, even someone in the seventh phase who got trapped in this formation would be killed for sure. It was simply too strong to fight back against.

Unfortunately, Yang Qi was something of a freak. And the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth was not some trifling imperial-class energy art. It was a godly-class energy art, which was so far beyond the imperial-class that the two couldn't even compare. It was the type of energy art that would normally be cultivated by gods, not humans.

Even more relevant was that he had the life-force quintessence of some mysterious member of the senior generation.

As such, he could deal with even more force than was present already, if he had to. He was not the type of person who could be handled by relying on common sense.

As soon as the massive pressure of the Devil-Imprisoning Formation began to crush down on him, an expression appeared on his face, not that of terror, but rather, excitement.

A sound like the trumpet of hundreds of thousands of megamammoths could be heard as the lightning mammoth inside of him roared into action. One vortex after another sprang up around him, all of them radiating the aura of hell, to the point where the entire area smelled like lava.

One of the chief elders, an old woman named Chen Tianzhen, glared viciously at Yang Qi and unleashed a massive stream of toxic energy.

This was no energy art from the Chen Clan, but rather, a technique from the House of Shadowblight.

Another of the chief elders also snarled, sending out a mountain of energy that seemed strong enough to divert rivers and drain seas. The true energy took the shape of a huge hammer that could crush boulders into rocks as surely as if it were some sort of primeval spirit.

As the attacks slammed into the pitch black Infernal Deity Aegis, the shield rippled and distorted, as one defensive layer after another shattered. The wastage of true energy was massive to say the least, and even though Yang Qi cultivated a godly-class energy art, he was not a god. He was only in the seventh phase, and was facing more than twenty experts in the eighth phase, as well as one in the ninth phase. Even if he was a god, he would still be in a tough spot.

In fact, by this point, he was already gasping for breath.

"Crush him again!" one of the chief elders shouted, smiling viciously. They almost had an imperial-class energy art in their hands, like a gift from the heavens, and thus it was only natural that, in their excitement, they would act like ferocious beasts.

'I'm the incarnation of a godmammoth!' Yang Qi thought. 'I can crush the stars, and inhale the sun and moon! I can crush hell, and transform into a crucible! I can dominate all infernal deities!' Roaring with the effort, Yang Qi fought back against the pressure, causing the latent potential of his life force to once again surge. As the attack slammed into him, it bashed through his meridians toward his sea of energy and bore down on the lightning mammoth.

In response, the lightning mammoth quintessence poured out of it, coursing into the eighth particle within Yang Qi.

With that quintessence, Yang Qi had almost no limits. Any attack that hit him would only serve to incite that life force, and help him to advance further in his cultivation. It was also the main reason he dared to fight against a whole group of powerful experts.

Even Yang Zhan or Yan Gufeng would have had no choice but to flee in the face of so many opponents. But they were exactly what Yang Qi needed for his training. Only by walking the most deadly course could he achieve the breakthrough he needed.

Suddenly, as more life force was put into the particle, it woke up.

And it caused a chain reaction, opening up the ninth particle as well.

Shockingly, the process still continued. A third particle in a row woke up. The power of three additional megamammoths began to course through his meridians. When added to the previous seven, that was a total of ten megamammoths.

Yet again, Yang Qi's body was remolded. As the energy flowed through his blood, he closed his eyes and inspected himself. Because of how his blood was becoming one with the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, it was no longer pure red; already, it was possible to see glimmers of gold in it. Gold was a sign of nobility, grace, dignity, might, royalty, and even… immortality.

When people normally practiced cultivation, they could transform their body to some degree, but not this dramatically. Only by gaining enlightenment of the good fortune of heaven and earth could they seize life from the heavens and thus become a Lifeseizer expert. At that point, they could use energy arts to refine and transform their body.

Without doing that, growing physically stronger was only somewhat effective.

For example, even Masters of Energy like Yang Zhan and Yan Gufeng were only ordinary in terms of fleshly body.

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But now, Yang Qi was once again defying the norms. And if someone in the Lifeseizing level could actually come to see what was happening, they would see transformations of a completely extraordinary nature.

After all, only by having an incredibly powerful fleshly body could one contain such unusual amounts of true energy.

With the power of ten megamammoths, Yang Qi had surpassed the Master of Energy level, and was now beyond the compare of even Yan Gufeng. As the energy flowed through him, sounds erupted out like that of rushing water, crumbling earth, raging fire, and booming thunder. His blood ignited, and his true energy surged. As he transformed, he seized good fortune from heaven and earth, and began to understand the mysterious operations of the sun and moon.

The level of his energy arts increased, his true energy grew more crystalline, and a chain reaction swept through his entire body, causing his true energy to become one with his soul and his mind.

Mind Incarnation.

Sage Monarch

The Mind Incarnation ability of the eighth phase of energy arts was profound to say the least.

Simply put, one could send one's thoughts into one's true energy, and do the opposite as well. That could lead to all sorts of abilities, such as the True Energy Megahand, which could perform strikes, jabs, claws, and other motions.

The eighth phase was one of a complete increase in raw power. At that point, the True Energy Megahand was almost like one's own hand, so much so that it could be used to detect an enemy's temperature, heartbeat, stamina and even how they circulated their true energy.

In the eighth phase, it also became possible to send one's true energy out to examine one's surroundings.

By simply closing the eyes, one could use true energy to examine the surrounding area as if it were a painting.

When one reached the Energy Incarnation level, it didn't matter if one was blinded, lost one's ears, or suffered any number of other mutilations. After all, true energy could be used as a substitute for one's own eyes, ears, mouth or nose.

That was actually the meaning of the term Mind Incarnation.

It was the ability to send one's mind outside of the body.

It was also one of the reasons why the eighth phase was so mysterious, and so much more powerful than the seventh.

At the moment, Yang Qi was using his vast reserves of true energy to break through the shackles that bound him to his previous level. As he entered the eighth phase, the whole world seemed to open up to him, and he was suddenly filled with power that could shake the heavens and topple the earth.

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"Infernal Deity Aegis!" he roared. A black shield of true energy swept up around him, blocking the incoming attacks, and even sending backlash strikes to the attackers.

POP!

The toxic energy bullet launched by the old woman became an arrow that pierced directly into the pit of her stomach, causing a plume of black blood to shoot out. In the blink of an eye, all of her skin turned black from the poison, and then she dropped to the ground, dead, killed by her own weapon, her eyes still flickering with ferocious greed for that 'imperial-class' energy art.

"Many thanks for attacking me!" Yang Qi announced loudly. "It pushed me through another breakthrough. Now it will be even easier to kill the lot of you. Imagine, all the chief elders of the Chen Clan, buried in the deep mountains."

WHOOSH!

He looked like a devilish god as he burst into action, as lithe as a dragon as he unleashed a fist strike onto the nearest chief elder. Before the elder could react, his tendons were snapped and his bones crushed. His skull caved in, and all of his blood was shoved out of his body by his true energy, spraying out of his mouth in its entirety as he flopped onto the ground, a dried-up corpse.

"Triumph in Every Battle."

Yang Qi didn't stop with killing one person. Without pausing, he continued with more forms from the Invincible King's Fist, attacking the next two chief elders.

Cracking sounds rang out as the two chief elders' arms were turned into mangled gore, and true energy raced through them toward their dantian. Sadly for them, their seas of energy simply couldn't withstand the force.

Their bellies exploded, and both died.

In the blink of an eye, three people had been cut down.

"Dammit! How could this be happening? How could he have broken through so quickly?" Chen Tianxiong was completely overwhelmed by both grief and terror. Eyes bloodshot, he shouted, "Retreat! Get out of here! I'll hold him off!"

With that, Chen Tianxiong began to walk forward, using a powerful footwork technique in which his steps created an outline of the Big Dipper constellation. At the same time, his Humanoid True Energy exploded, becoming seven enormous stars that hovered above his head. With those stars in place, it almost seemed like he had the power to connect with the actual stars in the sky.

"Seven Stars Above, Unleashed and Unstoppable."

Chen Tianxiong's hands flowed from one form to another, causing the seven stars of true energy to spring rapidly through the air. At the same time, he began to float up into the air, his clothes rippling as he went through the seven forms of the technique. Unexpectedly, he also had a quasi-royal-class energy art like the Invincible King's Fist.

He was unleashing an attack that contained the accumulated power of one hundred years of cultivation. It was nothing to be taken lightly; the power of the seven stars was more than enough to slaughter devils and cut down demons.

Yang Qi slapped his palms together and then pulled them apart, activating his defensive energy arts; crackling sounds could be heard as lightning swirled around him. Then, he took three bold and decisive steps forward, clenching his hands into fists as he said, "Suppressing Hell!"

Suddenly, the image of a crucible appeared above his head. It was like a furnace, and also like a cauldron, yet was neither of those. It was filled with boiling lava, and emanated the screams of divine beings, as though disgraced gods were being melted inside of it.

This was a sign of a further increase in the godly-class energy art that was the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth.

The first upgrade in the technique was the Infernal Deity Spear.

The second was the Fiend-Devil Wings.

The third was the Infernal Deity Aegis.

And the fourth was the Hellfire Crucible, which could melt anything and everything. According to the ancient legends, it had been created for punishing fallen and disgraced gods. With the complete crucible, Yang Qi could easily consume demon cores raw.

However, what he had now was only a slight fraction of the true Hellfire Crucible. As for how much cultivation it would take to reach the full form, he had no idea.

And yet, even adding even a fraction of the power of the Hellfire Crucible to a fist strike would be enough to defeat just about any opponent.

In the blink of an eye, the Seven Unstoppable Stars smashed into the Hellfire Crucible, and the resulting shock wave was like the roar of some enormous spirit, creating a cyclone dozens of meters high and marvelous to behold.

As for Yang Qi, he strode forward through the cyclone, completely unharmed. In contrast, Chen Tianxiong was dragged out of the air, his body covered with so much blood that he looked bright red.

"You little punk…." he growled, still unable to believe that Yang Qi was this strong. "You've definitely been possessed by a demon! And that's not an imperial-class energy art. Not even imperial-class energy arts could release this kind of power. This technique isn't meant for humans, it's meant for gods!"

"You know too much," Yang Qi said coldly. Coming to a stop above Chen Tianxiong, he reached down and grabbed him by the neck. Lifting him up into the air, he shouted, "Nobody move, or I'll kill your highest ranking chief elder."

Chen Tianxiong's energy was in chaos. His meridians were nearly destroyed, and his sea of energy was in horrible shape. Considering how old he was, the damage he had suffered had pushed him to the brink of complete collapse. He was no longer as young as Yang Zhan or Yan Gufeng, and thus, Yang Qi was able to capture him with ease.

"Get out of here, all of you!" Chen Tianxiong barked. He knew that he was about to die, but was still concerned about his clan. "This brat isn't human! He stole the power of a god! Mortals can't do that without being punished in the end!"

The other chief elders were completely terror-struck by the sight of a Master of Energy having been defeated so easily. And considering that he had just ordered them to flee, they didn't hesitate to do just that.

"You think I'm going to let you get away?" Yang Qi said. Twisting his wrist, he broke Chen Tianxiong's neck. Then, black energy swirled as two wings sprouted out of his back. Now that he had increased another level, he could move ten times as quickly as before.

His Fiend-Devil Wings were now dozens of meters wide, and cast everything around them into darkness. Furthermore, the slightest flap of the wings could propel Yang Qi dozens of kilometers.

Thus, it didn't matter how quickly the Chen Clan's chief elders fled, or in which direction. They couldn't escape the death which came at them from above.

One of the chief elders was already five kilometers away. But when Yang Qi appeared above him and threw his Infernal Deity Spear, the elder was pinned to the ground, dead.

Another chief elder managed to leap onto a flood stallion, but then Yang Qi's True Energy Megahand grabbed him, pulled him three hundred meters up into the air, sealed his cultivation base, and then dropped him to his death.

In this moment, Yang Qi truly seemed like an infernal deity risen from the depths of hell. He was a sinister wind that could cut down millions of expert fighters if it wanted to.

Screams rang out in the desolate mountains on that moonless night. Over twenty chief elders of the Chen Clan were killed, as well as the leaders of the subsidiary branches.

And Yang Qi did it all on his own.

Not even Yan Gufeng and Yang Zhan working together could have accomplished such a thing. With the power of ten ancient megamammoths, the eighth phase Yang Qi was already more powerful than two Masters of Energy put together.

After the screams all died out, Yang Qi retracted his Fiend-Devil Wings and floated down to the ground. As for the flood stallions, they all dropped down to him as if in worship, completely cowed into subservience by his aura.

In the ancient myths, godmammoths were the lords of all beasts, demons, and devils. They were like the living incarnation of the power of all gods, that could crush and subdue anything that got in their path. The aura of godmammoths even surpassed that of dragons. Therefore, the flood stallions could do nothing other than obey any order Yang Qi gave.

Yang Qi collected the corpses together and searched them for valuables, thus acquiring about fifty million energy convergence pills' worth of banknotes. He also found some divine weapons and medicinal pills.

The wealth carried by this council of chief elders was essentially the quintessence of the Chen Clan.

With these additional funds, Yang Qi had finally brought in enough money to pay for the losses incurred by the Latent Dragon Pill.

'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. You have only yourself to blame for picking a fight with the Yang Clan. You colluded with the House of Shadowblight to harm my brothers, and therefore, it's only proper that I send you to the depths of hell. Hopefully in your next life, you'll remember not to provoke those who should be left unprovoked.'

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Yang Qi dug a deep pit into which he dropped all the corpses. Then he slapped his palms together, sending a stream of black fire into the pit, which quickly turned the corpses into ash.

The Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth had infinite variations, and high-temperature flame was just one aspect of it. It could also unleash freezing cold, or the sharpness of the sharpest metal….

That was one of the mysterious aspects of the technique, and one of the reasons it surpassed anything and everything.

Yang Qi watched until the flames burned out. As of now, no one would ever be certain of the whereabouts of the Chen Clan's chief elders. That clan was no longer a factor in Yanhaven, and even their subsidiary branches were completely doomed.

Once again unleashing his true energy, he summoned his Fiend-Devil Wings. Sending out a blast of swirling wind, he picked up the twenty-eight flood stallions, and then disappeared into the darkness of the night, looking like the very picture of a demon king.

Sage Monarch

Twenty-eight flood stallions, each one worth tens of thousands of energy convergence pills. There was no way Yang Qi would simply leave them behind.

Ordinary Masters of Energy weren't capable of sustained flight for more than several dozen kilometers, much less use true energy to carry a team of flood stallions.

But Yang Qi had seemingly limitless strength, and boundless true energy, so to him, carrying a group of beasts like this wasn't a problem at all.

Back in the Yang Clan mansion, Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong were pacing back and forth, while Yang Zhan calmly sat off to the side.

"Father, why isn't third brother back yet? Did his ambush fail? One of the Chen Clan's chief elders is the Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong, a Master of Energy. Is it possible that third brother met defeat?"

"That's right, the Chen Clan's council of chief elders is not much weaker than our own. They're all top masters. That's at least twenty-three people in the eighth phase. Even a god or immortal who attacked a group like that might end up dead."

Clearly, Yang Qi's brothers were both very anxious.

Yang Zhan also seemed a bit restless as he sat there. "You're right. Even Yan Gufeng and I working together would probably lose if we took on the Chen Clan's entire council of chief elders. And Qi'er is only a single person, no matter how powerful he is."

"What should we do, Father?"

"Stay calm," Yang Zhan replied, waving his hand dismissively. "Ever since the incident with the pill, and getting struck by lightning, Qi'er has grown up a lot. He plans things out before acting, so he definitely wouldn't do something stupid and leap to his own death. I think he wants to use this as an opportunity to temper himself. Let's just wait. If he isn't back by dawn, then I'll go look for him personally."

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Thump!

In the same moment that the words left his mouth, a gust of wind swept over them from above, and they heard a sound like something falling onto the ground. Then, they heard a bray like that of horses. Finally, someone appeared in the darkness, leading a group of enormous creatures.

"Who goes there?"

"Father, it's me," Yang Qi said, walking over.

"Qi'er, you're back!" Yang Zhan said, leaping to his feet. Then, he saw the more than twenty flood stallions, and his jaw dropped. "Are those… flood stallions? You have so many…."

"These flood stallions used to belong to the Chen Clan's council of chief elders. I killed all of them, as well as some of their subsidiary clan lords, and took their mounts. I also got some banknotes…." Yang Qi plopped a big stack of banknotes onto the table, along with the weapons and medicinal pills he had taken.

Yang Zhan let out a long sigh of satisfaction. Sitting back down, he said, "With a son like this, what else could a man ask for?"

As for Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong, they almost felt like they were looking at a stranger. After all, hadn't Yang Zhan just said that not even he and Yan Gufeng could handle the Chen Clan's council of chief elders? And yet Yang Qi had killed them all?

It was like an ordinary citizen suddenly declaring himself to be a rebel, then breaking into the imperial fortress and killing the emperor.

Yang Yunchong was actually at a loss for words, and could only stammer, "Third Brother, is this real…?"

Yang Qi nodded. "It's real, Eldest Brother. I killed them all. The Chen Clan is done for. They'll never be strong enough to threaten the Yang Clan, ever again."

Yang Hualong was similarly taken aback. "Are you saying… that not even a Master of Energy is a threat to you?"

"Indeed. I can take out Masters of Energy now. And thanks to the fight, I've unlocked more of my potential, and reached the eighth phase." The calm way that Yang Qi answered the question immediately served to calm the hearts of his brothers and father.

Only at that point were his brothers finally able to accept what was happening. And yet, they still weren't exactly sure how to react. Originally, they had assumed that Yang Qi would try to kill one or two of the Chen Clan's chief elders, to throw them into chaos and delay their arrival in Yanhaven.

Never could they have guessed that Yang Qi would actually wipe them all out.

"Well, that puts an end to the matter," Yang Zhan said, his eyes once again flashing like those of a fierce tiger. "None of us must ever breathe a word about the fact that Qi'er wiped out the Chen Clan's entire council of chief elders. Qi'er, I'm going to make an announcement that you've fallen ill, and are bedridden. As the saying goes, the tallest tree attracts the most wind. If word got out about what you've done, the big sects and organizations would start investigating, and that could lead to a big disaster for us."

Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong both shivered.

"I agree, Father," Yang Qi said. "However, what about me fighting Chen Dalei? Word of that is bound to spread, and there could be consequences."

"He was only in the eighth phase, not the ninth," Yang Zhan replied calmly. "The difference between the two is like the difference between heaven and earth. Therefore, it's not a very big deal. Besides, I've been spreading word that you were possessed by a demon, but that during your fight with Chen Dalei, it was killed. I'll also make sure people hear that the reason you're bedridden is because of that very demon, and the injuries you sustained in the fight. If you stay out of sight in the clan mansion for a while, then eventually, all of it will blow over."

"You're right, Father." It was a good time for Yang Qi to rest, and to stabilize his cultivation base. After all, his progress recently had all been thanks to the life force from the lightning mammoth. He had actually neglected his own personal cultivation.

For the rest of the night, father and sons discussed their plans and strategies, before finally dispersing to get some rest.

Nothing eventful happened in the following days. Yang Qi made no public appearances, which lent much credibility to the rumors that he had fallen ill. He spent his time meditating on his energy arts, and pondering the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. He also continued to absorb the lightning mammoth's life force.

After all of the advancement Yang Qi had made, the lightning mammoth had shrunk down significantly, and he could tell that it wouldn't be long before it was gone.

Based on his guesses, he was fairly certain that there was enough left to push him past the ninth phase, and actually reach the Lifeseizing level.

Days passed in which Yanhaven remained very quiet.

The aristocratic clans in the city, and even the city magistrate's mansion, were all waiting for an army of Chen Clan experts to come and fight things out with the Yang Clan. However, such events never materialized. It was as if the Chen Clan had simply vanished.

Everyone found it to be quite odd.

Eventually, word spread that Yang Qi had been possessed by an old demon. Supposedly, the demon had been eradicated, but the result was that Yang Qi fell seriously ill, and had regressed in his energy arts.

Not too long ago, everyone had worried that a spectacular genius had risen up in the Yang Clan. But now everyone believed it was all because of a demon, and thus breathed sighs of relief.

People who were possessed would often develop monstrous personality traits, and eventually transform into actual monsters that few people could ever fight. However, if the demon in question were expelled, then the previously possessed victim would become very weak.

A new genius was something everyone would talk about. But someone who was possessed, then cured and left incredibly weak, would be fated to be a laughingstock.

After an entire month passed, Yan Gufeng was starting to get extremely nervous.

He had already recruited numerous experts, who were all waiting in the city magistrate's mansion, ready to spring to action as soon as the Chen and Yang Clans began to fight. Unfortunately, no such fighting broke out. The Chen Clan had been plundered, and their mansion occupied by Yang Clan experts. In fact, they had even removed the sign from above the main gate, and replaced it with their own.

Yan Gufeng smacked the table. "Luo Hun, go find out what's going on."

"City Magistrate, I've already run the investigation. The Chen Clan's subsidiary clan lords were mobilized, along with their chief elders. But they never showed up here, and they never returned to their clans. They went missing."

"Missing? The Chen Clan's council of chief elders has plenty of eighth phase experts, as well as the Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong, a Master of Energy. How could they all have gone missing? Don't tell me they're dead?" Yan Gufeng simply refused to believe that something like that could have happened. "Perhaps they're still preparing. Maybe they want to kill all of the experts in the Yang Clan, all in one shot."

Luo Hun nodded. "City Magistrate, it's definitely impossible that they were all killed. The only realistic explanation is that they're not confident in being able to take on the Yang Clan, so they went out to find allies."

"Fine. What about that brat Yang Qi? Was he really possessed? If the demon was driven out, shouldn't he be extremely weak?"

"I'd say there's an eighty to ninety percent chance the rumors are true," Luo Hun replied. "I've had people watching the Yang Clan mansion day and night, and Yang Qi hasn't stepped outside at all over the past month. It seems he's simply too weak. Like I said from the beginning, the only explanation for his unusual behavior is a demon. If he wasn't possessed, then how could he possibly have become so strong that he could defeat me?"

"That demon must have been at the Master of Energy level, but bereft of a fleshly body. What a pity. If we could have captured that brat and then extracted the demon, it would have made a medicinal ingredient no inferior to a Latent Dragon Pill." Yan Gufeng licked his lips.

"So, what do we do now?" Luo Hun said. "Do you want to make a move on Yang Zhan?"

"There's no rush," Yan Gufeng replied with the wave of his hand. "If the Chen Clan's council of chief elders is working on some big plan, let them have at it. Meanwhile, we wait patiently and see how the situation develops."

Even as the two of them discussed the matter, Yan Feixia's voice suddenly reached their ears.

"Father…."

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"What's wrong, Xia'er?" Yan Gufeng said, rising to his feet.

"Father, I just received a message from the True Dragon Institute. I have to go back. The sexagenary Inter-Institutional Martial Arts Competition is going to be starting soon, and my master wants me to work on my cultivation ahead of time."

"Well, hurry back then," Yan Gufeng said. "This competition is a big deal, and your performance will have a big influence on your future." Yan Gufeng knew well that the competition between the True Dragon Institute, the Demi-Immortal Institute, and the other two big institutions was nothing to take lightly, and was actually much more important than anything that could happen in Yanhaven.

To the big institutes, Yanhaven was like an ant.

"Take care, father," Yan Feixia said. As she turned, a pair of white crane wings sprouted out of her back, and she vanished.

Sage Monarch

After Yan Feixia's departure, things remained calm and quiet in Yanhaven.

Three months passed by in a flash, and summer was giving way to autumn. The bleak fall wind swept through dried-out trees, sending leaves swirling through the air as the migratory birds made their way south.

Farmers throughout the lands were harvesting their crops of medicinal herbs to sell to the rich and powerful clans.

In the Rich-Lush Continent, the common people didn't focus on growing rice or wheat. They grew the spirit plants necessary to create energy convergence pills. Every year when autumn came, the harvest season, new batches of energy convergence pills would be created. Of course, the common people couldn't concoct the medicinal pills, only grow the ingredients.

There were even some aristocratic clans who were incapable of making the pills.

Only the largest organizations in the lands, including the institutes and the Sage Ancestor Dynasty itself, were capable of such a feat.

However, the clans still participated in the trade, which was very profitable.

Yang Qi had been holed up working on his cultivation for three months.

During that time, he had become thoroughly familiar with the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, and had also remolded his body into something completely new.

He was now far stronger than any Master of Energy, and the membrane beneath his skin had become so tough that it was impervious to all sorts of weapons. In fact, few energy arts attacks would be able to pierce it.

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He had also taken plenty of time to train with the various abilities that came with his godly technique, including the Infernal Deity Spear, Infernal Deity Aegis, and Fiend-Devil Wings.

Of those three, the Infernal Deity Spear was the most powerful in terms of attack power. The Fiend-Devil Wings provided speed, and the Infernal Deity Aegis gave him powerful defensive capabilities.

With all three of those abilities combined, he had incomparable strength in battle.

The next thing he needed to do was successfully cultivate his Hellfire Crucible to completion.

This technique was actually one of his most powerful assets, and would allow him to melt, refine, or consume just about anything. He could take life force quintessence from other beings, as well as the sun and moon, the vital energy of heaven and earth, the power of the stars, and use the Hellfire Crucible to add it to his own life force.

If he could create that crucible, then it wouldn't matter if he lost the benefit of the lightning mammoth.

Inhale, exhale….

Yang Qi currently hovered cross-legged in the air, with absolutely nothing supporting him. He floated on true energy, and could do so for more than two hours without gasping or turning red in the face. That was how incredibly advanced his energy arts were.

If a ninth phase Master of Energy could see what he was doing, that person would likely pass out from shock.

At the same time, Yang Qi could send his true energy into the floor of his meditation chamber, and then expand it out to literally see everything around him as if with the naked eye.

Snakes, insects, rodents, and other small creatures were all going into hibernation, and provided a remarkable subterranean scene.

Yang Qi could even see the tangled waterways beneath Yanhaven, as well as all sorts of secret tunnels and passageways.

Although Yang Zhan could similarly send his true energy into the ground, it could only reach a few dozen meters down, and perhaps a few thousand meters in each direction.

But Yang Qi was different. His true energy could cover the entire Yang Clan mansion, and even further. Everything within four or five blocks of the mansion could be covered by his field of vision. Any powerful expert that even got close would be detected by him, which meant that unless someone dropped down from the sky, they wouldn't be able to launch a surprise attack.

This was none other than the legendary Cosmic Surveillance.

Most top masters of energy arts had this ability, but none of them came close to Yang Qi's version.

"Go," Yang Qi said, flicking his finger. In response, a gossamer strand of true energy flew out, shot into the pond water, and wrapped around a large, ten-pound fish.

The fish, extremely powerful and green, struggled mightily as it was dragged out of the water. However, it was unable to free itself from the fetters of true energy.

This was Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm from the Four Seasons Swordplay. When backed by Yang Qi's cultivation base, it couldn't be broken by the sharpest magical weapons, much less some big green fish. After practicing by grabbing the fish, Yang Qi let it drop back down into the waters of the pond.

There was a splash of water, and then the fish flapped its tail and disappeared.

Next, Yang Qi tried something a bit different. With the flick of a finger, he sent a thread of true energy up into the clouds, where it wrapped around a wild goose and dragged it out of the sky.

He grabbed the animal, who was so terrified it stuck its head beneath its wing.

"There, there," Yang Qi said with a smile. "Head back to your buddies. I'm not going to hurt you." He sent some true energy into the goose to stimulate its blood flow, then planted a tiny seed of energy into it. The goose immediately looked up in delight, then let loose a honk of gratitude.

With that, Yang Qi lifted the goose up, which flapped its wings and shot like an arrow back up into the clouds.

The goose had received quite the bit of good fortune; going forward, it would now be able to practice natural cultivation.

Letting the creature go was an act of mercy on Yang Qi's part, mercy which came from the heart.

The Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth came with baleful energy like that of a devil from hell, and therefore, anyone who practiced it needed to consciously cultivate mercy. Yang Qi's recent meditations had gradually revealed this fact to him. Not only had his cultivation base improved, his understanding of heaven and earth had as well. He had also developed a sense of empathy for other living beings. For example, he did his absolute best to not even harm the bugs that crawled around on the ground.

Of course, if he faced a dangerous enemy, he wouldn't hold back at all. And as a representation of a godmammoth or an infernal deity, he would punish the wicked and promote righteousness.

As had been written: All living beings are fundamentally good; those who choose evil, should be punished with evil.He who slays endless evildoers is a monster, but with mercy, can become a living Buddha.

Taking a final breath, he floated down and landed on the ground, then stretched out his muscles, which caused a muffled rumble of thunder to echo inside him. As of this point, his true energy was so domineering that mere exhalation of breath on his part could send an eighth phase expert tumbling backward through the air.

And yet, he still didn't have the spark he needed to propel himself into the Master of Energy level.

Even the rarest geniuses, people who had enlightened masters to help them, would still need fifty years of hard work or more to become a Master of Energy.

Yang Zhan had taken more than forty years himself, and that was only because of the airmastery plant he had consumed as a youth, and the Golden Nine Transformations Pill that Yang Qi had given him.

As for Yan Gufeng, he only succeeded because of the Latent Dragon Pill.

'I'm not that far from the ninth phase. Although these past few months of hard work didn't awaken another ancient megamammoth, I've almost completely mastered the Four Seasons Swordplay. I wonder how my father and brothers are doing.' He had not progressed past the level of ten megamammoths. However, his understanding of energy had reached a much higher level than before.

Suddenly, a servant girl rushed in and said, "Third Young Master, your father and brothers are waiting for you in the meeting hall. There's an important matter to discuss."

"What important matter?" Yang Qi replied. "Oh, I almost forgot. Summer's over, so it's time for the clan's autumn hunt. And I'm supposed to compete in martial arts with Yang Honglie! Although, at this point, I could kill that little punk with a single breath. Three months ago he was in the seventh phase, so even if he got some sort of miraculous medicinal pill, he couldn't be any higher than the eighth."

With that, Yang Qi hurried over to the meeting hall.

As the servant girl had said, his father and brothers were waiting for him.

In the months since he had seen them last, his eldest brother had reached the seventh phase, and his second brother, the sixth. The vital energy that had come from medicinal pills they acquired from the Chen Clan and their council of chief elders was equivalent to ten or twenty years of bitter cultivation.

Yang Zhan was in high spirits, and his eyes glittered from the enlightenment he had recently gained of the four seasons. From that, Yang Qi could tell that his father had used the Chiliocosm Mirror to full effect, and had succeeded in cultivating a royal-class energy art.

After all, the Invincible King's Fist, which had once been the top energy art in the clan, had only been quasi-royal-class, and thus couldn't compare at all to the Four Seasons Swordplay.

Smiling, Yang Qi said, "Congratulations, Father. I can see that you've become even more powerful. I guess you wanted to discuss the autumn hunt?"

"It looks like you've improved as well, Qi'er," Yang Zhan replied. "I'm definitely not a match for you. Now, our direct bloodline can clearly hold our head high during the autumn hunt. The time has come to cow the subsidiary bloodlines, and unite the clan. If we all work together, we can definitely seize control of Yanhaven." Yang Zhan clearly had some lofty ambitions.

Yang Qi thought for a moment, and then said, "Father, as long as the Yan Clan doesn't try to take us out, we should be able to live our days in peace. What's the point of taking control of Yanhaven?"

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"You're technically right. But my sources have indicated that Yan Gufeng recently recruited a team of highly skilled fighters. Before long, he's definitely going to make a move on us." Yang Zhan shook his head. "In the Rich-Lush Continent, many city magistrates want to found their own nations. Before long, the world is going to descend into chaos. If Yan Gufeng doesn't do something, then surrounding cities will eventually invade Yanhaven. He knows that there needs to be one major power here, not two."

Yang Qi didn't have anything to say in response. He was well aware that there were powerful forces in the area surrounding Yanhaven, such as Yundale-by-the-Sea, which was now the State of Yun. Already, such powerful forces were beginning to swallow up their neighbors, and that meant that an invasion of Yanhaven was only a matter of time.

"Well, enough of that. I just got a message from our council of chief elders. The clan forces are gathering in preparation to enter the Blackcorpse Mountains. The time has come for us to participate in the autumn hunt."

"Father," Yang Qi said, "the city magistrate could make a move on us at any time. What happens if he launches a sneak attack while we're away?"

Yang Zhan shook his head. "He won't. With all of us away, it wouldn't benefit him. Yan Gufeng wouldn't do something so stupid. He'll wait until he's confident he can take us all out in one fell swoop."

Sage Monarch

As he thought about it, Yang Qi realized that it really didn't make sense for the Yan Clan to make their move when everyone was out on the autumn hunt.

Besides, Yang Zhan was a Master of Energy now. And considering that Yang Qi was in the eighth phase, he could use Thousand Kilometer Soul Locking. Therefore, it would be a simple thing to leave a scrap of true energy behind in the clan, to provide an instant notification if anything happened.

And with his Fiend-Devil Wings, Yang Qi could return very quickly if necessary.

After considering all of those things, he nodded in agreement.

With that, father and brothers headed toward the Blackcorpse Mountains.

As they sped along, Yang Qi realized that his brothers didn't have enough true energy to get even close to the speeds he was capable of. "Eldest Brother, Second Brother, let me give you a hand."

With that, he sent some of his own true energy into them.

Instantly, their clothing billowed as they accelerated rapidly.

"Third Brother, your true energy is so powerful!" Yang Yunchong exclaimed. He had been working on his cultivation with his father recently, and had also used the Chiliocosm Mirror. Thanks to that, and some amazing medicinal pills they had acquired from the Chen Clan, he had sped through what normally would take twenty years of cultivation to achieve, and reached the seventh phase, the Energy Manifestation level.

Of course, compared to Yang Qi, his true energy was like a firefly compared to the full moon.

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Thus, the four clansmen flew along, following the Yan River toward the mountains. In a very short period of time, they were fifty kilometers away.

To Yang Qi, though, that was still a bit slow. Looking around to confirm that there was no one else present, he turned to Yang Zhan and said, "Father, I know how to fly. How about we speed things up a bit?"

"What?" Yang Zhan said, shocked. "You can summon true energy wings?"

Then, he watched as a pair of black wings sprouted out of Yang Qi's back, dozens of meters wide. The slightest flap of those wings sent the Yan River water churning, and the creatures within swimming away in terror.

All of a sudden, Yang Qi looked majestic to the extreme, like some deity from the most ancient times. The mere sight of him caused Yang Zhan's breath to stick in his throat.

"What type of energy art is that?" Yang Zhan blurted, shivering. "That's not first-class, is it? Royal-class? No, wait… don't tell me that it's a legendary imperial-class energy art? Qi'er, what good fortune did you come across? If word of those wings got out, I'm afraid the Yang Clan would face complete and utter extermination."

"Don't worry, Father. I won't let anyone see this." With that, he flapped his wings, and in the blink of an eye, they were dozens upon dozens of kilometers away.

In the shortest of moments, they were nearing the source of the Yan River, the Blackcorpse Mountains.

Numerous waterfalls, springs, and other bodies of water in those mountains eventually met and became the mighty Yan River.

At a certain point, Yang Qi retracted his wings and pulled in his true energy. Then, he and his father and brothers sped through the mountains on foot for about an hour, until they reached a certain valley.

By the time they arrived, there was already a sizable group gathered there.

All the experts of the Yang Clan were present, from the young to the old.

Roughly thirty were white-haired and older, and that group all sat cross-legged in meditation. As they went about their breathing exercises, the fluctuations that rolled out confirmed that they had profound cultivation bases.

They were none other than the Yang Clan's council of chief elders.

The enormous golden eagle was present, as was Yang Zhougong, who had appeared during the clan forum.

However, Yang Zhougong's cultivation base was not the most powerful among the chief elders. Although he was at the peak of the eighth phase, there were two others who were Masters of Energy.

One of them was tall and well-built, with such a full head of white hair that he looked like a lion. He was the most powerful expert in the Yang Clan, and was even mightier than Chen Tianxiong had been. He had reached the Master of Energy level seventy years before, and was supposedly at its peak, constantly attempting to break into the Lifeseizing level.

His name was Yang Xingshi. [1]

He was a beast of a man, and although he was old, his skin had no age spots, but instead, was as smooth and lustrous as jade.

Sitting off to the side was a female Master of Energy, an old woman who was just as tall as Yang Xingshi. She wore green garments, and resting next to her on the ground was a dragon-headed walking stick forged from metal.

She was known as Dowager Yan. [2]

She was a matriarch of the Yang Clan who had already lived more than one-hundred and fifty years. People had long since forgotten her full name, and thus took to calling her Dowager Yan.

Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan were the two strongest individuals in the Yang Clan.

Also present in the valley were Yang Zhen, Yang Shi, and Yang Xu, as well as other leaders from smaller subsidiary branches. And of course, the elite young ones were all there, including Yang Honglie.

Surprisingly, Yang Honglie was now in the eighth phase; his eyes flickered with violet light, and he was surrounded by a medicinal aroma. Even more noteworthy was that there was also a slight, violet hue to his face, apparently the manifestation of violet energy inside him.

He had obviously used a powerful medicinal pill recently, and had not yet fully absorbed it.

Suddenly, Yang Qi heard his father projecting his voice into his ear using true energy. "Qi'er, it looks like Yang Honglie used a medicinal pill that contained violet energy. I'd say it's highly likely he used a legendary Violet Sunrise Pill. Consuming that pill is equivalent to practicing cultivation for a full sixty-year-cycle. I would never have guessed that he would encounter good fortune like that."

"Don't worry father," Yang Qi replied with a cool smile. "Even if he did use a pill like that, he wouldn't be a match for me."

"I know, I'm not worried." And that was the truth. After all, considering his son's strength surpassed his own, what was there to be scared about?

Yang Zhan's entrance into the valley immediately attracted the attention of the council of chief elders.

"Yang Zhan?" Yang Xingshi said by way of greeting. "So, you actually reached the Master of Energy level?"

Dowager Yan also turned her gaze onto Yang Zhan.

Considering that both of them were Masters of Energy, it was no surprise that they could detect the aura of another Master of Energy.

Experts in the ninth phase of energy arts were impressive figures, to say the least.

"What? Yang Zhan is a Master of Energy?" Yang Zhen, Yang Shi, Yang Xu, and the experts from the other subsidiary branches were all visibly shocked.

Yang Zhan offered a respectful salute to the two most powerful members of the clan. "That's right. Great Uncle, Dowager Yan, I'm now in the Master of Energy level."

"Considering your cultivation base, it should have taken you another thirty or forty years," Yang Xingshi said. "What medicinal pill did you use?"

"You're very perceptive, Great Uncle. I used a Golden Nine Transformations Pill."

"A Golden Nine Transformations Pill…." Dowager Yan said, clearly surprised. "That pill provides a significant boost to both energy and blood, and also increases longevity."

Yang Xingshi rose to his feet, looking very much like a mighty lion in human form. Glaring over at Yang Qi, he said, "Yang Zhan, according to the rumors, some major events occurred recently. Your prodigal son apparently shoved the direct bloodline into complete bankruptcy. Is that right? I also heard that your other two sons were poisoned, although it looks like they've recovered."

"Great Uncle, your information isn't completely accurate," Yang Zhan replied. "The direct bloodline is actually stronger than it's ever been. We exterminated our rivals, the Chen Clan, and have doubled the level of our previous wealth. We're also in the middle of recruiting a large army. It won't be long before we have it out with the Yan Clan over control of Yanhaven."

Yang Shi suddenly burst out into laughter. "Could you blow your own horn any louder, Yang Zhan? The Chen Clan is one of the most powerful clans in Yanhaven, and their council of chief elders has a Master of Energy, Chen Tianxiong, the Hundred-Armed Demonoid. You're trying to tell me that he would just sit on his thumbs while you exterminated his clan?" Yang Shi had actually heard rumors about the conflict with the Chen Clan. However, because the direct bloodline had such a poor relationship with the subsidiary branches, Yang Zhan hadn't even bothered to notify them of the latest developments. Therefore, Yang Shi believed the rumors to be mere exaggerations.

"There were plenty of eyewitnesses in Yanhaven," Yang Zhan said coolly, "so what's the point of jabbering about it? Besides, it happened three months ago. You must have heard the news by now."

"So it's true?" Dowager Yan said.

"I would never joke about something so important. That said, the Chen Clan's council of chief elders never showed up. They went missing three months ago, and we're still waiting for them to make their counter strike." Obviously, Yang Zhan wouldn't go to the extent of telling everyone that his son had killed the Chen Clan's entire council of chief elders.

Although, no one would have believed him if he had.

Eyes flashing, Yang Xingshi said, "Yang Zhan, you've done well with these two sons of yours. One is in the seventh phase, and the other, the sixth. I heard that your third son was crippled, but then got struck by lightning, and recovered. He even beat Yang Kui in a fight, is that correct? Don't you find that to be a bit odd? Has he been possessed by an old demon? Things like that have happened in these lands. However, when freakish hellions like that suddenly have a massive increase in their energy arts, they always end up turning into monsters."

As he spoke, he looked at Yang Qi with eyes that seemed capable of piercing into the soul itself.

Of course, Yang Qi had long since concealed the nature of his cultivation base. Anyone who looked at him would take him to be an ordinary person.

"He's definitely been possessed by a demon," said Yang Shi. The fact that his son Yang Feng had been defeated by Yang Qi caused hatred for him to seep down into his very bones. "Great Uncle, you should cripple his energy arts again. Now that he's been taken over by a demon, he'll definitely turn into a monster sooner or later."

"How dare you, Yang Shi!" Yang Zhan said loudly. "If you dare to touch my son, I'll take your life!" With that, he unleashed some of the fluctuations of his cultivation base, causing Yang Shi's face to turn pale.

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However, Yang Shi still managed to laugh coldly and say, "Oh really? Don't tell me you're feeling guilty, Yang Zhan? Sadly, no matter how remorseful you feel, you can't cover up the truth. Your son bankrupted the clan, and was then possessed by a demon. Did you really think he's some sort of energy arts genius? If he was a genius, why did he go steal a Latent Dragon Pill from the city magistrate of Yanhaven, and then drag the clan into ruin? And now you've gone and wiped out the direct bloodline of the Chen Clan. Their council of chief elders is definitely going to come for revenge, and that's going to lead to an even worse catastrophe. Do you realize what you've done?"

Yang Zhan was about to say something when Yang Qi stepped forward. "Father, there's no need to respond. Yang Shi, you say I've been possessed. But what evidence do you have to prove it? I'm no hellion. You can tell just by examining my true energy. If you want, you and I could have a little contest to see the truth."

"You've really got some guts to say something like that, you cretin!" Yang Shi shouted. "Have a contest with you? Are you hallucinating? Have you forgotten your rank in the clan? Or the level of your cultivation base? Yang Zhan, you've raised a son that doesn't understand how seniority works. Great Uncle, considering the ravings of this brat, I'd say it's obvious that he's been possessed by a demon."

1. Yang Xingshi: Xing means "awake" and Shi means "lion". There is one line of text I'm leaving out of the translation in which there is a play on words describing his name, using the characters for "awake" and "lion". It sounds pretty cool in Chinese, but silly in English

2. Dowager Yan: Her surname is a different Chinese character from the Yan Clan. Don't forget that in Chinese culture, women don't change their surname upon marriage. So the fact that she has a surname other than Yang indicates that she most likely married into the clan at some point

Sage Monarch

What type of person was this Yang Shi?

He was considered one of the most powerful experts in the Yang Clan, a man who had long since reached the eighth phase, and could perform Mind Incarnation. He was someone that numerous younger ones looked up to. Three months before, Yang Qi had been in the fifth phase of energy arts, the Energy Eruption level. How could he possibly have reached the point of being able to fight Yang Shi? It was simply not possible.

Even most of the chief elders seemed to think that Yang Qi was being too arrogant and conceited.

"Quiet, Yang Qi, your superiors are talking," Yang Zhougong said. "Don't you know how to follow clan rules?"

"Clan rules?" Yang Qi replied, his tone of voice just barely hovering on the edge of being disrespectful. "This Yang Shi has repeatedly plotted against my father, the clan lord. He even said that I've been possessed by a demon. If I don't speak up in my own defense, I might end up crippled again. Don't tell me it's against clan rules to defend oneself against slander?"

"What nerve you have!" Yang Xingshi said, his gaze turning as cold as ice. "We can easily check to see if you've been possessed! Yang Zhougong is ranked higher than your own grandfather! What gives you the right to be so disrespectful?"

"Because there's a thing in the world called logic!" Yang Qi turned to look at Yang Xingshi. As of this moment, Yang Qi looked very domineering; considering how strong he was, his confidence was understandable. Sounding completely unruffled, he continued, "I'm just speaking logically. Can you point out anything I said that was disrespectful?"

His calm tone of voice only stoked the fury of Yang Shi and those who sided with him.

"You dirty little swine!" he shouted. "I can't believe you're actually being disrespectful to Great Uncle! Is this how Yang Zhan raises his sons?"

In that very moment, Yang Honglie stepped forward. Facing Yang Xingshi, he said, "Patriarch, it was only three months ago that Yang Qi and I agreed to have a martial arts match during the autumn hunt. And now here he is being disrespectful to you seniors. However, there's no need for any of you to do anything. I can teach him the lesson he deserves."

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With that, he turned toward Yang Qi and began to circulate his energy, causing violet-gold light to swirl around him.

Immediately, the experts of the Yang Clan began to discuss the matter.

"No wonder Yang Honglie is considered the top genius in the clan. Look how quickly he reached the eighth phase! I wouldn't be surprised if he becomes a Master of Energy even more quickly than Yang Zhan did."

"This is what I'm talking about. Have Yang Honglie teach that brat a lesson."

"Yang Qi is just too arrogant. Not only did he bring catastrophe to the clan, he even dared to insult the members of the older generation. I guess he thinks Yang Zhan will protect him now that he's a Master of Energy. Considering both Yang Qi and Yang Honglie are in the younger generation, Yang Zhan has no legitimate reason to interfere."

"Remember how Yang Honglie found that rare manual out in the mountains once? It was the Violet Sunrise Divine Art, a royal-class energy art! Now that he used the Violet Sunrise Pill, he's taken another step toward reaching the highest level of enlightenment."

"That brat Yang Qi has no hope of coming out on top."

As far as these experts were concerned, Yang Honglie was the top genius in the clan, and even more relevant, had a royal-class energy art.

For many years, the Yang Clan had never possessed any royal-class energy arts, which were the only way to practice cultivation past the Master of Energy level and into the Lifeseizing level.

"Yang Qi, the time has come for me to teach you a lesson," Yang Honglie said. "Not only will I punish you for your disrespect for the senior generation, I'll also drive the demon out of you. Strength should come from personal accomplishments, not because of the help of a demon. That path will only lead to you becoming a monster."

"Oh, really?" Yang Qi replied. "Alright, make your move. I'll give you three chances."

"Three chances?" Yang Honglie burst out laughing, as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world. "Who do you think you are? How about instead, I give you three chances?"

Yang Xu and many of the other experts in the clan were shaking their heads, convinced that Yang Qi had been possessed, and that he was being exceedingly arrogant.

"Bring it on!" Yang Qi said, beckoning at Yang Honglie with his finger.

Yang Honglie's eyes flashed with killing intent, and violet light erupted from his forehead. Waving with his finger, he turned the light into sword energy, and then sent it shooting toward the pit of Yang Qi's stomach. Unexpectedly, he was using a deadly move!

He had transformed violet energy into sword energy, which cause the air to fill with sword projections, all bearing down onto Yang Qi.

"Violet Energy from the East!"

A moment later, the violet sword energy slammed into the ground about three paces behind Yang Qi. It had completely missed him, and no one saw how he evaded it.

"Eee?" Yang Xingshi murmured, his eyebrows shooting up.

"That was your first chance," Yang Qi said calmly. "You have two more, Yang Honglie. Better make the best of them."

"This is absurd! DIE!" Face twisting into a ferocious expression, Yang Honglie lunged forward, his forearms forming a cross in front of him as he summoned a projection of the word for DIE — 杀.

It was a powerful energy art that surged with violent energy so explosive it blasted a crater open into the ground.

However, Yang Qi was not in the crater.

"Second chance." Yang Qi said. This time, he was standing right behind Yang Honglie.

Without even thinking, Yang Honglie spun around, curled his fingers into claws.

"Heart-Piercing Strike!" At the same time, he poured true energy into his fingernails, causing them to transform into meters-long blades that shot directly toward Yang Qi's heart.

Sadly for Yang Honglie, though, Yang Qi merely stepped out of the way.

The Heart-Piercing Strike didn't strike anything except air.

"Third chance. Now it's my turn. Better watch out, Yang Honglie."

"You punk!" Yang Honglie shouted. "Fine, I'm gonna show you a real royal-class energy art. Violet Sunrise Divine Art!" He lunged backward, sending several streams of violet light out, which swirled together into the shape of an enormous dragon. "Rise of the Violet Dragon!"

Everyone looking on was shocked.

"Rise of the Violet Dragon? I can't believe he's using that move. It's so powerful."

"Look, it's ripping crevices open in the ground."

Sure enough, crevices were opening up in the ground as the violet dragon behind Yang Honglie continued to power up.

"Rise of the Violet Dragon?" Yang Qi said. "Alright. So can I go now? That's your most powerful move, right?"

Even as the words left his mouth, he swept his hand out in a slapping motion.

Then, as everyone looked on, an enormous hand materialized in the air, which then smacked Yang Honglie across the side of the face.

Whack!

"Aaaiiiieee!"

He let out a bloodcurdling scream as his violet dragon was shattered, and his violet energy was completely vanquished. He was thrown off of his feet, blood spraying out of his mouth as he then slammed onto the ground, his face already swelling up.

The move he had been using was strong enough to tear the ground open, and yet Yang Qi simply slapped him and knocked him onto the ground.

"Useless piece of trash." Yang Qi said, shaking his head and clasping his hands behind his back. "Can't even stand up to a single slap from me. Top genius in the clan? Consumed a Violet Sunrise Pill? It would have been better to not waste that pill!"

"You…." Yang Honglie grated. Still not quite convinced that he had been beaten, he tried to struggle to his feet. However, trying to circulate his energy through his meridians filled him with agonizing pain.

Thankfully for him, Yang Qi had actually held back, and had not used a deadly move. He wanted to hurt Yang Honglie, not kill him. Otherwise, he would have been ripped to pieces.

He was doing his best to show mercy, and refrain from killing as much as possible.

"Three months of rest and you'll be fine. You're a member of the Yang Clan, after all, so I didn't cripple you."

'I hate you….' Yang Honglie thought. However, the pain and humiliation were so intense, that at that point, he simply passed out.

"Freakish hellion!" Yang Shi shouted. "How dare you harm a child of the Yang Clan! Thousand-Kilometer Glaciating!"

Yang Shi immediately resorted to his frigid ice energy art, causing frost to spring up everywhere. Worse, he was attacking from behind Yang Qi.

It was a completely unexpected move, something that Yang Shi had clearly been planning to do from the beginning. Like the strike of an assassin, it was vicious and ruthless. Not even Yang Zhan could react in time.

This was Yang Shi's most powerful move, Thousand-Kilometer Glaciating. By accusing Yang Qi of being a freakish hellion, he could later use the excuse that he was ridding the world of a demon or devil, not a true child of the Yang Clan.

"Qi'er!" Yang Zhan shouted, but he was too late to interfere.

Neither could the clan lords of the subsidiary branches do anything, nor the chief elders.

RUMMMBLE!

However, when the Thousand-Kilometer Glaciating hit, it didn't hurt Yang Qi at all. In fact, the energy simply shattered as surely as if it had encountered a warm spring breeze.

And then Yang Qi made his move.

Another slap.

The enormous hand of true energy sprang into being, then moved with lightning-like speed, instantly connecting with Yang Shi's face.

The suit of ice armor he had been wearing collapsed into pieces, and he toppled head over heels off to the side. Most of his teeth flew out of his mouth before he slammed into a boulder and then slowly slumped down onto the ground.

WHOOSH!

Before Yang Shi could do anything else, Yang Qi flew through the air toward him, and then placed his foot onto his dantian region.

"You asked for it, Yang Shi. As a member of the senior generation, I honestly can't believe that you would attack me from behind like that. Are you even human?" Looking down at Yang Shi's now toothless mouth, he said, "You're just like Yang Honglie. A useless piece of trash."

"Yang Qi… how did you…." Yang Shi was pinned to the ground by Yang Qi's foot, unable to move. It was a complete humiliation. And he simply couldn't understand how Yang Qi could be so strong. A single slap had knocked him out of the fight. And it didn't seem like Yang Qi had even used an energy art. He had already reached the point of being able to turn ordinary actions and moves into nearly magical abilities.

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"Can't figure out what's going on? You thought that because you're in the eighth phase, you could crush me? Well, I don't need help from anyone to crush you, not even my father. Want to usurp my father and take his place? I guess I should cripple your energy arts, that way the clan will be peaceful and stable going forward."

With that, Yang Qi drew on his true energy and prepared to send it into Yang Shi's sea of energy.

"Stay your hand!" someone shouted. It was like the roar of a lion, filled with boundless majesty, a sound that shook everyone so deeply that they went stiff from fear.

This was the Lion's Roar, unleashed by the highest-ranking patriarch of the Yang Clan, Yang Xingshi, a move so powerful it could shake the soul.

Anyone with weaker energy arts than the person who unleashed that shout would have no choice but to comply with the orders they heard.

Sage Monarch

Yang Xingshi's shout had absolutely no effect whatsoever on Yang Qi.

As soon as the sound waves entered his mind, the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth neutralized them. Despite that, Yang Qi still stopped moving, and did not cripple Yang Shi's energy arts.

He first wanted to hear what Yang Xingshi had to say.

After all, Yang Qi was still a member of the Yang Clan, and Yang Xingshi was the most powerful of the clan's chief elders. He ranked higher than even Yang Qi's grandfather, and therefore, it was proper to give him a bit of face.

Keeping his foot pushed down onto Yang Shi's torso, he respectfully said, "Did you have something you wanted to say, Patriarch?"

Yang Xingshi looked at Yang Qi's foot resting on Yang Shi's torso, and frowned. "What were you planning to do, cripple him and then discuss the matter? He's still your uncle, you know. Is that how you treat an uncle? He attacked you from behind, but isn't he still your senior? And you didn't get hurt. Crippling his energy arts would be a bit excessive."

"I didn't get hurt? That's because I'm stronger than him. Way stronger. If I weren't, then I would be dead right now, wouldn't I? Would you have spoken up for me then like you're speaking up for him right now?" There was no way Yang Qi was going to let Yang Shi off the hook. Therefore, he unleashed a biting retort onto Yang Xingshi.

At this point, the scholarly-looking Yang Xu stepped forward. Pointing his fan at Yang Qi, he angrily said, "You dirty little swine! How dare you talk back to Great Uncle like that? You're nothing but a disgrace and a rebel. In the end, you didn't get hurt. And Yang Shi is one of the leaders in our clan, far above you in terms of seniority. Even if he did end up killing you, his punishment would come from the council of chief elders, not someone in the junior generation. What gives you the right to talk about crippling him?"

"That's right," Yang Zhen added. "If clan rules were violated by Yang Shi, then the council of chief elders should make the decision about what to do. It would be the same if something happened to your father; they would make the decisions for the clan in that scenario. Right now, Great Uncle is the leader of the council of chief elders, and he has the power to make all rulings and decisions. He just ordered you to release Yang Shi. Are you really going to defy him? Are you really going to go against the clan?"

One of the other chief elders frowned and said, "Yang Shi suspected you of being possessed by a demon. That's why he attacked you. He was essentially trying to rid the world of devils. That's not a crime, that's a contribution to society!"

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"What's that supposed to mean, Yang Wangxi?!" Yang Zhan said. "Are you saying my son is a demon?"

Yang Zhan was the clan lord, and was now a Master of Energy too. As such, his position was incredibly high. In the past, he had been forced to always concede to the council of chief elders, but now he was powerful enough to argue with them if he wanted.

As for Yang Wangxi, he was an eccentric old man in the peak of the eighth phase, who came from Yang Shi's side of the clan. He also had it out for Yang Qi.

Yang Wangxi slowly rose to his feet. "What's this, Yang Zhan? Do you truly dare to defy the orders of the chief elders? Don't think that just because you're a Master of Energy, you can do whatever you want. Your son is strong enough to defeat an eighth phase expert, and you're trying to get us to believe he did it on his own? He's obviously been possessed by some freakish hellion! Furthermore, why didn't you do anything when he tried to cripple Yang Shi? You're simply allowing him to become a monster and harm the Yang Clan?"

Turning his attention to Yang Qi, Yang Wangxi went on to say, "Back away from Yang Shi, you dirty little swine. Get on your knees and allow us to extract the demon from you and cripple your energy arts. If you don't let us expel the monstrosity within, then don't blame us for putting you to death."

"That's right," Yang Xu said. "As long as that demon is in him, he's going to keep causing disasters."

All of a sudden, Yang Zhen made a proposal that fairly boiled with malice. "Great Uncle, considering you've already reached the peak of the Master of Energy level, you could probably use the hellion inside of him to create a medicinal pill that would help you break through to the Lifeseizing level."

Yang Xingshi frowned in thought.

He had been about to point out that Yang Qi didn't have any demon inside of him, but now he was starting to wonder if perhaps he did.

At this point, Yang Qi suddenly burst out laughing. Eyes flashing, he looked over at Yang Wangxi and said, "Don't think that just because you're a chief elder I'm scared to make a move on you. I've had enough of your nonsense. You claim I'm a freakish hellion? Fine. Say what you want. But if you think I'm just going to sit around and let you cripple me, you can forget it."

RUMMMBLE!

Yang Qi thrust his palm out, spreading his fingers wide, causing his true energy to swirl out into the form of a net that shot in Yang Wangxi's direction.

Shockingly, he was actually attacking one of the chief elders!

The audience immediately erupted into shouting.

"How dare you, swine!"

"You're attacking a chief elder?!"

"Have a death wish?!"

Yang Xingshi took action immediately. Roaring like a lion, he summoned a massive vortex behind him, from within which emerged an enormous white lion made of true energy. Then, he struck out at Yang Qi.

"On the ground immediately, boy!"

"I think not," Yang Qi replied calmly. With the wave of his hand, he sent some true energy out, creating something like a bolt of lightning.

It was the Four Seasons Swordplay, shooting through the air like a thunderbolt.

BAM!

The two blasts of true energy collided, and a massive explosion rocked the valley. The white lion shattered into bits, and Yang Xingshi staggered backward by about ten paces, crushing the stone floor of the valley with every step he took.

Yang Qi, on the other hand, didn't even move. He simply stood there calmly, his foot still on Yang Shi.

It was immediately obvious who was more powerful than whom.

"Get over here, Yang Wangxi," Yang Qi growled, continuing to propel the attack he had unleashed earlier toward Yang Wangxi.

Yang Wangxi's eyes were bloodshot as he tried desperately to fight back. But Yang Qi's command of Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm was beyond perfection, and could be used to capture even the most powerful beasts of ancient times. How could Yang Wangxi possibly do anything to break it?

In the blink of an eye, he was wrapped up, and was dragged over to Yang Qi like a captive bug.

"What?"

"Not even Great Uncle can get the upper hand?!"

"How is that even possible? Is Yang Qi human? How can he be fighting Great Uncle?"

Moments before, several of the chief elders had been preparing to join forces to attack Yang Qi. But after what had just occurred, they were now too frightened to follow through. Yang Xingshi, the top expert in the Yang Clan, the bold and powerful fighter known as the Lion King, the man who had been famous for a hundred years, and was at the peak of the Master of Energy level, had actually been shoved backward across the battlefield by one of Yang Qi's palm strikes.

What did that imply?

That Yang Qi was actually a Lifeseizer?

After all, only people in the Lifeseizing level should be able to do what he had just done.

Everyone who had just been about to jump into the fight suddenly began to edge backward and rein in their energy. Some people were even so shocked that they contemplated fleeing.

"Nobody move!" Yang Zhan shouted. Turning to Yang Xingshi, he said, "Great Uncle, my boy offended you. Please, I hope you can forgive him." His words immediately served to defuse some of the tension which had built up moments ago.

It took Yang Xingshi a moment to bring his energy under control. After all, he hadn't held back at all during the interchange with Yang Qi. And the feeling he got after the impact was definitely not that of someone from the younger generation. It had felt like exchanging blows with an enormous, demonic creature from ancient times.

He had also felt a sensation of impending death.

In that instant, he had the heart-pounding realization that this young man definitely had the capacity to kill him.

Suppressing his shock and anger, he said, "Excellent. Stupendous!" Staring at Yang Qi, he continued, "Boy, that demon inside of you is incredible. Why don't you allow it to come out and introduce itself?"

"There really isn't any demon inside of me," Yang Qi said. "But if there was, I definitely wouldn't let it out so that you could try to take control of it. Besides, perhaps I can accept being insulted by everyone in the clan, but a demon couldn't. It would kill Yang Shi, and then do whatever else it wanted regardless of what you said."

"Great Uncle," Yang Zhan said, "I can guarantee that Qi'er has no demon inside of him. His strength is all due to his own hard work and good fortune."

"Impossible!" Yang Xu shouted. "If there's no demon inside him, then how come he's so fiendish and murderous? Great Uncle, if we can't drive this freakish hellion away, then call one of the great sects to exorcize whatever demon or devil haunts him!"

"Have a death wish?!" Yang Qi growled, his anger spiking. Things had reached the point where Yang Qi was done holding back.

RUMBLE!

Energy erupted out of him as he waved his palm out in another attack. As for Yang Xu, he had no time to even react before he was slapped off of his feet.

Next, Yang Qi said, "And I've had enough of your mockery and ridicule, Yang Zhen! On the ground, immediately!" He let loose another slap, which Yang Zhen couldn't dodge. Even as he was knocked off his feet, he screamed, "Monster! You're a monster!"

"I'm sick of all four of you!" Ignoring their curses, Yang Qi sent out Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm, binding up Yang Xu, Yang Shi, Yang Zhen, and Yang Wangxi. For good measure, he added Yang Honglie in as well.

That group of five included a youngster, some clan lords, and a chief elder, and now they were hanging in mid-air, trussed up like chickens.

At this point, the unconscious Yang Honglie finally woke up, and looked around to a sight so shocking that he immediately coughed up blood.

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"Top genius in the clan, Yang Honglie? That's a joke if I've ever heard one." Yang Qi shook his head. "Well, that's fine. I'll just leave you hanging there until you're capable of acting sensibly. And as for you three, Yang Xu, Yang Shi and Yang Zhen, I want you to swear oaths that you'll acknowledge allegiance to my father. From here on out, you need to be completely loyal to the clan. Do that, and I'll let you go. The alternative is that I cripple your energy arts. And now you know that I can follow through with that threat if I feel like it."

Crack!

All of a sudden, the dirt beneath Yang Qi's feet erupted as a spike broke the surface of the ground right between his legs.

It was impossible to see who had launched the attack, but it was vicious to the extreme.

"How impudent!" Yang Qi yelled. Stomping down, he destroyed the spike, and sent a blast of energy through the ground toward its source. A moment later, Dowager Yan coughed up blood and staggered backward.

Sage Monarch

Dowager Yan, another Master of Energy, had also launched a sneak attack on Yang Qi.

She had used her Deep Earth Energy Art, which allowed her to fuse her true energy into the ground itself, then give it a shape such as a spike, which could kill the enemy before they knew what hit them.

Unfortunately for her, Yang Qi's senses were too acute.

He had sensed the energy vibrations beneath his feet, and had stomped the spike out of existence, simultaneously shoving the true energy back toward its source in a backlash attack.

Three months ago, he had been able to kill all of the chief elders from the Chen Clan, including the Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong. So what was he capable of now, three months later? During that entire three months, he had focused wholeheartedly on cultivation. His understanding of energy was at the very peak, and his Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth had reached the point of perfection. He was so strong that not even a hundred demons could hurt him.

One move.

One simple move had completely defeated Dowager Yan, and even injured her.

After coughing up a mouthful of blood, she clutched her hands at her chest, as though her heart might explode at any moment.

"Why the sneak attack, Dowager Yan?" Yang Qi said, his voice laced with anger. "I didn't kill Yang Shi and the others. Nor did I cripple anyone. I merely asked that they swear loyalty to the clan lord, thus strengthening our clan. Is there really a need for such ruthless tactics on your part?"

Yang Qi wasn't bothering at all to be polite.

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After all, Dowager Yan's attack had been merciless; were it not for Yang Qi's powerful defensive energy arts, he would definitely have been killed. From that, it could be seen how dead set Dowager Yan was on killing him.

And there was no way Yang Qi would be polite to someone who wanted him dead, even if that person was a senior member of the clan.

At this point, Yang Zhougong stepped in front of Yang Qi. Glaring at him, he said, "What do you think you're going to do, Yang Qi? Don't tell me you think you're going to kill Dowager Yan?"

"No, I'm not going to kill her," Yang Qi replied coldly. "But I can tell you this. If I find out anyone else is harboring malicious intentions, I'm going to run out of patience. I don't want to do anything to harm the clan. I want to restore us to glory. Father has already become a Master of Energy, and is also the clan lord. What's so wrong about asking everyone to follow his orders?"

"Fine. What do you want, Yang Qi?" Yang Xingshi said. "What are the rules here?"

By this point, the astute Yang Xingshi could sense that Yang Qi really hadn't been possessed. If he were, then considering the level of his cultivation base, he could have crippled or killed everyone present. Instead, he captured a few people; he had fought with propriety and restraint.

"Simple," Yang Qi said, with a decisiveness that could sever nails and chop iron. "Our clan must remain united, with my father as its heart. Yang Xu, Yang Shi, and Yang Zhen must all give him their allegiance, and swear an oath to that effect in front of the clan shrine. Henceforth, they must focus all of their thoughts and efforts on supporting the clan as a whole, on defending it from external threats, and on upholding its honor and glory. If they do that, I'll let them go. If not, I'll cripple their energy arts immediately!"

"That's it?" Yang Xingshi and the other chief elders exchanged glances, and then began to transmit a conversation amongst themselves.

A bit of time passed, then Yang Xingshi said, "If you really have no demon inside you, Yang Qi, that means you're a consummate prodigy the likes of which only appears once every thousand years in the Rich-Lush Continent. However, in the past, your aptitudes could only be considered average. Therefore, we chief elders would be remiss not to ask some questions. How about this: can you tell us exactly what happened? Convince us to back you, and we will. We'll even agree to let you be the next clan lord."

Yang Zhougong nodded. "Exactly, Yang Qi. You definitely have to tell us what good fortune you came across. If it's some consummate technique, then you have to offer it to the clan as a whole. You keep saying that you're part of our clan, so why don't you show it by action? Sharing with the clan is the proper thing to do."

Yang Zhan let out a cold harrumph. "Yang Honglie acquired the royal-class energy art Violet Sunrise Divine Art, and a Violet Sunrise Pill that can provide sixty years of longevity. Why didn't he hand those over to the clan? Well, whatever. Qi'er, you make the decision."

"Okay, Father. The good fortune I encountered was extraordinary, to say the least. It involves a mysterious secret the likes of which could lead to the destruction of our clan if word got out. Therefore, now is not the time to reveal it publicly."

"So, you're saying you're not going to tell us?" Dowager Yan said venomously. "That just proves you do have a demon inside you. Your mother was a freakish hellion, and—"

"Shut your mouth!" Yang Zhan shouted.

"What did you just say?" Yang Qi growled. Considering what Dowager Yan had just said, and how his father had reacted, numerous puzzle pieces suddenly clicked together in his mind.

He had been wondering about his mother for a long time, but Yang Zhan had always been very tight-lipped. But now, he was starting to understand some of the situation.

If information about his mother was involved, Yang Qi didn't care at all about clan rules. Enraged, he sent true energy exploding out of him in the shape of an enormous clawed hand, like that of an eagle or a tiger.

"Tell me what you mean!" he said loudly.

"How impudent!" Yang Xingshi bellowed. Then, he and all of the other chief elders attacked at the same time.

Their energy arts joined together like a river, a host of deadly weapons and creatures that bore down murderously on Yang Qi.

"Be destroyed!" Yang Qi shouted, so loudly that even the clouds above were disturbed by the sound waves. Then, he swept his hands through the air in a ripping motion, causing innumerable images of palms to shoot out toward the river of energy arts.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam! Bam!!!

All of the chief elders were shoved backward, their faces draining of blood. Even Yang Xingshi staggered back more than twenty paces until his progress was halted by a tree. As of this moment, he had lost all face.

Meanwhile, Yang Qi took a step forward and made a grasping motion, causing Dowager Yan to be grabbed up as easily as a baby chick by an eagle. "Spit it out. Who was my mother? Or should I just cripple you? You think your little council of chief elders is a match for me? By the way, do you want to know why the Chen Clan's council of chief elders never showed up? Because I killed them all."

Yang Qi wanted to purge the clan of all opposition, and establish his might beyond the shadow of any doubt.

He was done with being vague.

"What?"

Thump.

Several of the younger clan members dropped to their knees. Others were so struck with terror that they couldn't even react. Yang Qi had single-handedly defeated more than twenty experts from a council of chief elders?

Yang Xu, Yang Shi, and Yang Zhen did not shout or yell. They were struck mute from fear.

As for Dowager Yan, her expression was that of complete dread; she had originally assumed that if the council of chief elders all attacked together, they could defeat him. But instead, it was to her utter disbelief that not even that level of force did anything.

Yang Qi's words were simply too astonishing. If he took out the Chen Clan's council of chief elders, that meant that he had also killed the Hundred-Armed Demonoid Chen Tianxiong.

That meant that his cultivation base was already at the legendary Lifeseizing level.

"Talk," Yang Qi said, not giving her any more time to deal with her shock.

"Your mother was a daemon!" Dowager Yan blurted. "You were born with the blood of daemons in you. Yang Zhan somehow stumbled into the holy land of the Demonfolk, the Hanging Mountain! That's where he met that daemon and got that airmastery plant. If it weren't for that, there's no way he would have become a Master of Energy so quickly!" [1]

"My mother was a daemon?" Yang Qi shouted. "Are you feeling suicidal, Dowager Yan? Don't think for a minute that I won't kill you."

"Enough, Qi'er!" Yang Zhan said, his tone somewhat bitter. "Let her go. She's telling the truth. I'd hoped to keep the details from you until your cultivation base was higher, but we've passed that point now. I might as well just lay things bare. Your mother is a very important person. She's a princess of the Demonfolk from the Hanging Mountain."

"What?" Hand quivering, Yang Qi let go of Dowager Yan, allowing her to drop to the ground. "What's the Hanging Mountain?"

"It's not in the Rich-Lush Continent. It's part of another world." Yang Zhan shook his head. "When your cultivation has reached a higher level, you'll understand."

"Another world?" Yang Qi was shocked, but considering how deeply focused he had been on cultivating the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, he was privy to some secrets that others were not. He knew that the Rich-Lush Continent was like a drop in the ocean compared to how many other places existed.

The very existence of his godly-class energy art itself pointed to the fact that there was a world of gods, and also a world of hell. And if the Rich-Lush Continent was tiny and insignificant, then Yanhaven was even more so.

Yang Zhan nodded. "Qi'er, when your cultivation base is high enough, you can go to the Hanging Mountain yourself. And considering that you are already much stronger than a Master of Energy, I'd say that that day isn't too far off."

'The Hanging Mountain, huh?' Yang Qi made sure to imprint the name deep in his heart.

A long moment passed in which no one spoke.

Then, Yang Qi said, "Enough is enough. Yang Xu, Yang Shi, Yang Zhen. And all of you chief elders, including you Yang Wangxi. I'm giving you one more chance to declare allegiance to my father. If you refuse, then you know what will come next."

"I'm willing to swear allegiance," Yang Zhen said bitterly. He was now convinced that he wasn't a match for Yang Qi, and that if Yang Qi wanted, he could actually exterminate everyone in the clan.

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"Very well then. You're free to go." Yang Qi waved his hand, allowing Yang Zhen to drop to the ground. Face completely expressionless, he said, "Now get on your knees and kowtow to my father. From here on out, you need to treat him the way that ministers of old would treat the emperor."

Imperial etiquette was different from clan etiquette. In an imperial dynasty, even close relatives had to kowtow to the emperor.

Yang Zhan frowned for a moment, but then accepted the idea. After all, centralizing power would serve the interests of the clan as a whole.

"What? Not going to follow along, Yang Shi? Yang Xu? And what about you, Yang Wangxi? You might be a chief elder, but you still need to respect the clan. From now on, the position of clan lord surpasses your own. My father is like the emperor, with complete power over life and death, even that of the council of chief elders. Without rules, nothing good can be accomplished. The rules of an imperial dynasty are perfectly suited to our clan. If we're not unified, if we allow for internal power struggles, how can we succeed in anything? Cities everywhere are struggling to found nations, and sooner or later, our Yang Clan might do the same."

1. As I mentioned before, I'm trying to use unique words for all of the terms in Chinese. In this novel, I'm using hellion, monster, and daemon as very near synonyms, and are basically just terms to refer to generic monstrous creatures. Hellion and daemon both contain the character that, by itself, I usually translate as demon. And monster contains the character that, by itself, I usually translate as devil. In any case, they are mostly just used as generic terms. In fact, when I originally translated this chapter, I had Dowager Yan say "Your mother is a monster." I later changed it in editing because I really want to keep the terms separate like in Chinese. This story has A LOT of terms, and I think keeping them separate and identifiable is important.

Sage Monarch

"What? You want us to kowtow to Yang Zhan from here on out? Treat him with imperial etiquette? We've never had any rules like that before!"

The chief elders were all flabbergasted by Yang Qi's demands.

After all, they ranked higher than Yang Zhan according to clan seniority. They were like patriarchs, or even higher, enigmatic figures who spent their time in cultivation. If they had to follow imperial etiquette, that would make them like government officials who had to show utmost respect to Yang Zhan. Not only would they have to kowtow to him, but he would also hold their lives in his hands. How could they possibly accept an arrangement like that?

"I make the rules from now on," Yang Qi said coldly. "Refuse to comply, and have your martial arts crippled. Besides, this new arrangement will be good for the clan. Before, we were as unstable as a plate of sand. Everyone was constantly scheming and plotting to get ahead. Eventually, it would have led to the clan falling apart."

Yang Qi knew that he couldn't back down when dealing with this group of old-timers.

If he did, things wouldn't end well.

However, simply slaughtering them wasn't an option. On the other hand, he had to be sure that they wouldn't spread word of what had happened on this day. If that happened, then Yang Xu's threat could become a reality, and some of the major sects could intervene. And Yang Qi would have a hard time coming out on top if people like that came after him. Besides, there was still the matter of him killing those disciples from the House of Spring and Autumn.

Furthermore, he didn't want his father dragged into the situation.

And that was not to mention the House of Shadowblight.

If he didn't get this group to capitulate, they would become like termites eating away at the foundation of the clan, leading to inevitable disaster.

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And thus, Yang Qi drew on all of the strength he could possibly muster to deal with the situation. As for Yang Zhan, he looked on as his son revealed how he had surpassed everyone in the clan, and nodded in satisfaction. 'Can you see this, Greensura? Your son has become so powerful. He's growing up. Perhaps he hasn't reached the point of being worthy among you Demonfolk, but his potential knows no bounds. He's not even twenty, and can already defeat any Master of Energy. One of these days, he's definitely going to come looking for you.'

"Yang Qi!" Yang Shi shouted furiously. "You've obviously become a freakish hellion, the vile spawn of a monster! If you've got what it takes, just kill everyone in the clan! None of us are going to follow your orders. You just wait. Eventually we'll get someone to come kill you, you demon!"

"If that's what you want, then fine." Yang Qi could tell that Yang Shi's animosity ran too deep, and not only would he never submit, but would definitely cause problems later. A burst of true energy suddenly erupted from Yang Qi.

Crack! Snap!

Yang Shi grunted as all his meridians exploded, and his sea of energy cracked open. Instantly, all of the frigid true energy he had inside him erupted into his body, freezing him in the blink of an eye.

Immediately, the other members of the Yang Clan began to whisper among themselves.

"Yang Shi is dead? He killed him!"

"Yang Qi caused a backlash of true energy that turned him into ice!"

"How cruel…. It seems nobody can do anything about Yang Qi now."

"What do we do? If we fight back, he'll kill us all. His cultivation base is so powerful that not even the chief elders can deal with him."

Suddenly, one of the members of the younger generation stepped forward, dropped to his knees, and kowtowed to Yang Zhan.

"Clan Lord, I'm willing to comply with the new clan rules."

This young man was one of the elite young ones in the clan. He was twenty years old, with fifth phase energy arts, and was named Yang Yang. [1]

"Good. Very good." Yang Qi said, nodding in approval. "Thank you for your good intentions, Yang Yang. You clearly have the interests of the clan at heart. So, you're in the fifth phase, well on your way to the Energy Weapon level. Excellent. As a reward, I will help you advance your cultivation base a bit. That way, we can work together for the glory of the clan, our heads held high."

Yang Qi placed his palm on the top of Yang Yang's head, who shivered in response. He suddenly felt as though he were being burned with fire that cleansed the impurities in his body. It was as if his flesh, blood, and meridians were being bound with steel reinforcements, making them terrifyingly sturdy.

At the same time, Yang Qi sent some of his true energy into Yang Yang's sea of energy, bolstering it, strengthening it. In that short moment, Yang Yang experienced the same benefit he would have by working hard at his cultivation for twenty or thirty years.

As soon as Yang Qi's palm left his head, Yang Yang leapt to his feet and waved his finger, causing a stream of sword energy to fly out, carving a deep crevice in the ground.

Yang Yang burst out in exuberant laughter. "I've reached the sixth phase! I can form energy into weapons! That's years of hard work, dispensed within a moment!"

In response to this development, everyone looked over at Yang Qi with complete astonishment.

Normally speaking, using one's own vital energy to help further another's cultivation was extremely harmful, and potentially even deadly. And yet Yang Qi had done just that in very casual fashion. It hadn't even seemed to take any effort on his part; he'd done it as easily as spitting onto the ground.

"I'm willing to follow the new clan rules!"

"I submit, too."

One by one, other young elites rushed out to kowtow to Yang Zhan, treating him the very same way that an emperor would be treated.

This was real power.

They were angry and unwilling, but the threat of Yang Qi, and the prospect of improving their cultivation bases, ensured that in the end, they agreed to the change in rules.

Personal interest would often trump all else. Energy arts and cultivation base lasted for a lifetime, and were the source of all possible honor, glory, and position. For those things, anyone could deal with a difficult situation. Many people would do anything to acquire wealth, and that was even more the case with energy arts and cultivation base.

"Very good," Yang Qi said, pouring true energy into all of the young ones who had just stepped forward.

All of them immediately broke out of the fourth phase and into the fifth. That, of course, was a watershed. Reaching the Energy Eruption level meant that they could release their true energy outside of their body to use in a fight.

Everyone present was completely shaken.

Next, higher ranking members of the clan stepped forward to kneel and kowtow.

Yang Qi did not bless them with true energy; that was something he reserved for the young elites. The crafty, powerful older ones were not worth wasting vital energy on. And using the carrot and stick approach was often the best way to deal with a large group of people.

Up to this point, the chief elders still had not taken action. But now, they exchanged awkward glances.

The expressions on the faces of Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan were extremely unsightly; to them, kowtowing to Yang Zhan was a fate worse than death.

In the end, Yang Zhan didn't want to push things too far. "Very well, the council of chief elders doesn't need to kowtow. An ordinary salute will do."

His words eased tensions a bit. Yang Zhougong nodded and then gave him a salute. "I'm willing to follow the new clan rules."

He couldn't help but look over at the frozen corpse of Yang Shi, whose energy arts had been at the same level as his own. And yet, Yang Qi had killed him as easily as slaughtering a chicken, leaving Yang Zhougong with the feeling that he had just barely escaped a similar fate.

After him, more chief elders expressed their willingness to follow the new rules.

Yang Qi looked on, very pleased with how he had forced everyone to submit by pure strength alone. Nothing compared to strength; not wealth, not position, not influence. Only by being strong could one be truly invincible.

In the end, it was only Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan who still had not submitted. Because they were Masters of Energy, they simply couldn't bring themselves to salute Yang Zhan as a superior.

Up to this point, they had been the true leaders of the clan; how could they so easily submit to a new leader? How could the ultimate figures in any organization suddenly agree to work for someone else?

"What," Yang Qi said in a voice as cold as ice. "Yang Xingshi, Dowager Yan, don't tell me you're not willing to accept a rule that can further the glory of the clan? You're not willing to be a good example for everyone?"

Earlier, he had addressed Yang Xingshi as a patriarch, but now, he didn't show him any politeness. By now, he realized that politeness wouldn't do any good. Strength was the only way he could force these people to submit.

And he was also willing to kill if he had to, to protect his father's authority.

"You…." Yang Xingshi very nearly had an energy spasm in response to Yang Qi's words. And there was nothing he could say by means of retort, especially considering the icy killing intent within Yang Qi's eyes.

'This kid is terrifying. He's only in the eighth phase, but he can already dominate Masters of Energy. If he reaches the ninth phase, does that mean he'll be able to defeat invincible Lifeseizers?' Finally, Yang Xingshi looked away from Yang Qi and saluted Yang Zhan.

"I, Yang Xingshi, offer greetings to you, Clan Lord."

This was the first time he had submitted to another person in such a way.

"What about you, Dowager Yan?" Yang Qi said, his voice cool. Of course, everyone realized that since she was the only one left, if Yang Qi wanted to, he could kill her with impunity.

It was in this manner that true might and majesty were established.

"I'll respect the clan rules," Dowager Yan said, and then forced out a salute. The truth was that she was absolutely terrified of Yang Qi; when he had grabbed her moments ago, she had been powerless to fight back or flee.

"Well, that's good," Yang Qi said. Then, he clapped his hands together once and smiled, dispelling some of the somber mood. "See, that wasn't so hard, was it? The corruption in the clan has been removed, and we've turned over a new leaf. On this day, the Yang Clan is born anew. We've centralized our power and established a new level of authority for the clan lord. By the way, Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan, don't harbor any ill thoughts. Soon I'll be a Master of Energy, and then you'll know what true power is. After all, you two still have hope of reaching the Lifeseizing level."

His words seemed to wake Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan up from a dream.

Dowager Yan's face softened a bit; no amount of words or tokens of respect were more important than the marvelous Lifeseizing level. They were approaching the end of their longevity, and only had about twenty or thirty years before their energy and blood ran dry, and they died.

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Therefore, they would kowtow to Yang Zhan ten thousand times, and even call him 'daddy' if it meant they could seize life from the heavens. Respect was almost like nothing compared to life and power.

Yang Zhan couldn't have been more pleased with how Yang Qi handled everything. As a father, there were few things that made him happier than seeing his son succeed.

"Father, shouldn't we start the hunt? All we're waiting for is the word from you."

"Right," Yang Zhan said. Waving his hand solemnly, he said, "Let the autumn hunt begin!"

1. Yang Yang: The Yang in his name differs from the clan surname. It's the same Yang from "yin-yang", and also means "sun"

Sage Monarch

In response to Yang Zhan's order, all the experts of the Yang Clan, chief elders included, looked over at Yang Qi.

The autumn hunt was a dangerous affair, and although it was possible to come out of it with great gains, it was also possible for clan members to die at the hands of the demonlings they encountered.

However, with an unrivaled expert like Yang Qi with them, they likely didn't need to fear the demonlings as much.

Not even these beasts could survive in a fight against someone like him.

Yang Zhan knew that his son had numerous remarkable abilities at his disposal, and therefore he said, "Qi'er, how about we go into the deepest parts of the Blackcorpse Mountains to hunt for demonlings?"

"That's fine," Yang Qi replied. After all, he could benefit greatly from having a stockpile of demon cores when he finally finished his Hellfire Crucible, and could directly absorb them.

Demon cores were essentially collections of life force quintessence and energy arts, but in order for humans to benefit from them, they needed to be refined. Normally, they would put them into medicinal pills, or insert them into weapons, although some of the large sects and institutes would purchase demon cores, and then use secret methods to draw out their power.

In some respects, demon cores were viewed as a hard currency similar to energy convergence pills. And thus, everyone sought to kill demonlings and take them to earn profit. Locations which traded in demon cores could be found just about everywhere.

"Yang Yang. And you, Yang Tong…." Yang Qi picked out about a dozen of the elite young ones, all of whom had just made breakthroughs into the fifth phase. "Now that we've established some new clan rules, we need to set up some law enforcement methods. Why don't you act as our new law enforcement team? If anyone refuses to comply with the newly established rules, then punish them with impunity. Imprisonment, beating, and execution are all accepted forms of punishment. Without rules, nothing good can be accomplished. As for me, I will act as the chief elder in charge of law enforcement."

When the experts of the Yang Clan heard his words, their hearts went cold.

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"Also, Eldest Brother and Second Brother, why don't the two of you head the Ministry of Rites and Etiquette and the Ministry of Finance and Property respectively. That way you two can oversee all of the ceremonial rites and financial aspects of the clan." All of this was another big blow to Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan. Yang Qi technically had low seniority in the clan, and yet was obviously the most influential person in it. With such power at his disposal, and with the cold corpse of Yang Shi still laying there off to the side, who would dare to speak a single word of defiance?

"If any member of the clan violates any rules, or breaches etiquette, you two can decide how to punish them, and then report the matter to father. Of course, you will have the law enforcement team at your disposal to enforce the verdict. Furthermore, all wealth, troops, and other valuables that have been accumulated in the subsidiary branches will be returned to the clan headquarters. Father, I hope that you can come up with a plan for how to do that."

The Yang Clan had more than a dozen subsidiary branches, each of which was like a small clan unto itself. Such clans would all have at least a hundred clan members, plus soldiers and servants. Anyone who gathered all of the wealth of so many clans together would have ultimate power over the lives of over ten thousand people.

After all, the people who had come to the autumn hunt were only the elite members of the branches, and numbered around two hundred people.

Yang Qi had just established a law enforcement team, as well as the Ministry of Rites and Etiquette and the Ministry of Finance and Property. Clearly, he was not pulling any punches. There was no question that he was putting all of the power of the clan into the hands of the clan lord.

As for Yang Zhan, he looked on in amazement at how decisively his son was taking matters into his own hands. He definitely didn't seem like an eighteen-year-old.

Looking around, Yang Qi could see that many of the elites of the clan were looking very discouraged, and even outraged, although none of them dared to speak up. Obviously, they thought that he was already abusing his power.

After all, he had just declared his intention to seize all of the wealth in the clan. The fact that they weren't rioting was actually admirable.

"Let it be known," he said, "that the Ministry of Rites and Etiquette and the Ministry of Finance and Property have not been established to punish the clan.

"Those ministries are actually a gift to all members of the clan. Any clan member under thirty has a great opportunity during the autumn hunt. Whoever brings back the most demon cores will be given a month of cultivation time using the clan's Chiliocosm Mirror, and will also receive an influx of true energy from me."

Yang Qi's words immediately caused an uproar.

"What? Chiliocosm Mirror? Isn't that a legendary treasure from the Chen Clan?" Even Yang Xingshi was bowled over. Many of the chief elders were visibly excited; with cultivation bases like theirs, they had a much deeper understanding of life than the young ones, and knew exactly how amazing the Chiliocosm Mirror was. It could completely remove the very real chance of experiencing dangerous cultivation deviation.

One of the reasons that the cultivation of energy arts was such a slow process was that extreme caution had to be exercised. The slightest energy spasm could end a person's life, and therefore, detailed study of a new technique was required before one could begin to cultivate it. Sometimes that process took ten years. Only when one was absolutely familiar and comfortable with a technique could the true cultivation and training begin.

Some cruel individuals would force others to practice a form of cultivation and watch to see if they experienced cultivation deviation. However, that was a dao of devils that was prohibited in the Rich-Lush Continent.

Anyone who was found to be performing human experiments would be condemned by both the Sage Ancestor Dynasty and the four institutes.

"Yes, the Chiliocosm Mirror. I have it right here." Yang Zhan pulled out the mirror, which had been crafted from Nine Heavens godjade. The mere sight of that mirror caused all eyes present to widen.

One of the chief elders even gasped. "If I'd had that mirror years ago, my cultivation would have progressed much more smoothly."

By this point, everyone was rolling up their sleeves in anticipation of beginning the hunt. The chance to cultivate with the Chiliocosm Mirror was just too enticing.

"Very well, let's head into the mountains."

With that, the group of roughly two hundred Yang Clan experts broke up into teams and began to head into the depths of the Blackcorpse Mountains, dashing through the trees with more agility than a troupe of monkeys.

Whatever demonlings they encountered, they killed; it was like an armageddon had been unleashed on the mountains.

As for Yang Qi, he floated up into the air and watched the clan members spreading out into the forest. He didn't participate in the fighting, but rather, oversaw from a high vantage point. That way, if any of the young clan members encountered a particularly fierce demonling, he could interfere with a blast of sword energy.

After that happened a few dozen times, the Yang Clan experts were coming to view him as some sort of god or spirit.

At one point, Dowager Yan sat down on a tree to rest, having just dispatched a seventh phase demonling with her dragon-headed walking stick. Looking up at Yang Qi floating in the air high above the forest, she couldn't help but sigh. "What do you think Yang Xingshi? Is there really no way to deal with that little punk Yang Qi?"

Masters of Energy could normally speed through the air as though flying.

But to do what Yang Qi was so calmly doing, to hover indefinitely, was simply unheard of. His true energy was clearly at least ten times abundant as theirs, or maybe even a hundred times.

Even more shocking, Yang Qi could use his true energy to attack enemies ten thousand paces away.

Currently, a group of young clan members on the front lines had encountered a particularly fierce demonling, an enormous boar that was several times larger than an ordinary ox. It was completely covered in fire, and could even breathe flame.

"Not good!" someone shouted. "That's an eighth phase demonling, a redflame fireboar!"

Redflame fireboars were a rare type of demonling that normally lived in lava pits in the depths of the earth. Because they naturally absorbed the quintessence of fire that existed in their habitat, they were perfect for people who cultivated fire-type true energy.

After receiving some nasty burns, the young clan members began to retreat. One of them was nearly killed by a sea of flames.

At that point, Yang Qi, who was fully one hundred thousand paces away, flicked his finger, sending a stream of sword energy shooting out. In the blink of an eye, it reached the beast and wrapped it up until it couldn't move.

"What?" Yang Xingshi blurted, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull.

Off to the side, Dowager Yan felt like she was about to have a heart attack.

"Dowager Yan, how far can you shoot your true energy?" he asked.

Sounding dazed, she replied, "If I go all out, I could maybe shoot it eight thousand paces. After that, it becomes so weak it couldn't hurt a fly, and eventually just fades away."

When it came to the range of true energy, most people could achieve a range of a hundred paces. Top experts could possibly reach a thousand, and true Masters of Energy could unleash it even further.

But Yang Qi had just killed an eighth phase demonling that was a hundred thousand paces away. Not even a top expert like Yang Xingshi could even dream of doing something like that.

"And he's only in the eighth phase." Yang Xingshi seemed both pleased and angered at the same time. "He's going to be in the ninth phase soon. How powerful will he be then?"

"You're right, he's only eighth phase…." Dowager Yan shivered. "He's going to be completely terrifying when he's a Master of Energy."

"At the moment, he's already invincible within the Energy Arts level. After he breaks through, I'm afraid not even a Lifeseizer could stop him. Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

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At this point, Dowager Yan resorted to projecting her voice by means of a special energy art. "He restructured the clan and demoted the council of chief elders. He's got some ruthless ambitions…. He's a daemon just like his mother. He's definitely going to bring disaster to the clan."

All of a sudden, a voice spoke into her ears, rumbling like thunder, accompanied by a flow of true energy that caused her to cough up a mouthful of blood.

"Hmph. Ruthless ambitions? Bring disaster to the clan?" High up in the air, Yang Qi was looking down at her. "Dowager Yan, I know you still haven't accepted your fate. But don't forget that I'm watching you. I'm watching every little move you make. And your life is in my hands."

Yang Qi had actually heard the words she had transmitted to Yang Xingshi, and then used his own energy arts to transmit a booming message into their ears. None of the other clan members heard his words. Only Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan, and both of them were shaken to the core.

"The clan hunt is a grand occasion, so I'm not going to do anything to you now. But if you disturb the unity of the clan, then when the hunt is over, I'll have the law enforcement team arrest you!"

The sight of Dowager Yan coughing up blood because of Yang Qi's energy art transmission was a complete shock to Yang Xingshi. At long last he was truly starting to realize that he was on the losing side; having been a patriarch of the Yang Clan for more than a hundred years, he could see how truly powerful Yang Qi was.

"That was a private conversation, Yang Qi! Don't kill her!"

"I'll kill her if I have to. Do you submit, Dowager Yan? Answer the question."

"I submit! I submit!" Dowager Yan couldn't have been more terrified. She knew that if she refused to back down, she would end up dead. "I'll respect the clan rules from now on."

Yang Qi let out a cold harrumph. "Well, that's good. Let's hope you keep your word. Everything I'm doing is for the benefit of our clan. If I notice any errant behavior on your part, or if I find out that you've leaked information about me to the big sects, then I won't be as nice as I was today. It won't be long now before all of the vassal states in the Rich-Lush Continent rise up, and war engulfs the lands. If the Yang Clan isn't truly united when that happens, we'll get wiped out."

"Yes, of course…." Yang Xingshi said, nodding repeatedly. As of this point he was completely cowed by Yang Qi's strength.

As Yang Qi's voice faded away, Dowager Yan and Yang Xingshi looked up at him drifting through the sky above, and felt completely powerless.

As for Yang Zhan, he was aware of what had just occurred, but didn't interfere.

The truth was that, as a Master of Energy, Yang Zhan could easily crush anyone in the clan except for Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan. Those two had been Masters of Energy for many years, and had considerable influence. If they really wanted to try to overthrow him, the result would be a complete bloodbath.

Obviously, Yang Qi's seemingly villainous behavior was all for the good of his father.

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The clan's autumn hunt proceeded without a hitch. Yang Qi was always there to interfere if the demonlings that appeared were too vicious, which left a deep impression on the hearts of all clan members.

Before, many of them had truly believed that Yang Qi was possessed by a demon, but now it didn't seem likely. Possessed individuals would act with crazed insanity, but Yang Qi was cool, reasonable, and in complete control.

As the hunt proceeded, Yang Qi slowly solidified his position as the top genius and number one expert in the clan.

It lasted for three days, and the more than two hundred elite clan members completely dominated everything that got in their path in the Blackcorpse Mountains. Innumerable demonlings lost their lives, and a vast quantity of demon cores were harvested.

At one point, a thirty-year-old young man respectfully approached Yang Qi and said, "Elder Brother Qi, the forest gets particularly dense up ahead, in the true depths of the Blackcorpse Mountains. That's where the corpse clans lurk, the supposed location of a spectacular battle in ancient times. Eventually, the corpses absorbed enough of the baleful energy of heaven and earth to become demon-spirits. The cores of these corpses are even more precious than normal demon cores. Why don't we take the hunt there?"

As a matter of fact, many of the younger ones wanted to go into the ultimate depths of the mountains.

Yang Qi was currently standing on a cliff, looking into the pitch-black depths of the mountains, where black energy pulsed in such a fashion that it seemed like he was looking at a graveyard.

That graveyard of black mountains stretched out as far as the eye could see, leading to the true depths of the Blackcorpse Mountains.

As for that war in ancient times, it was impossible to say how many corpses it resulted in. From what Yang Qi could see, those mountains were filled with flickers of motion that seemed to be zombies. There were also numerous auras that even he felt were dangerous to the extreme.

He shook his head.

"Let's not," he said. "We've already killed enough demonlings to get millions upon millions of energy convergence pills. And the battle experience has been incredible. The battlefield in the depths of the Blackcorpse Mountains is just too mysterious and dangerous. I'm fairly certain there are thousand-year-old corpse kings there; one of those things could wipe out our entire clan if we tangled with it."

The legendary, terrifying thousand-year-old corpse king was a demonic creature that was even more powerful than a Master of Energy.

Not even Yang Qi was confident in being able to defeat a being like that. He knew that he could crush anyone in the Energy Arts level, but when it came to entities higher than that, he wasn't sure.

The difference between a Lifeseizer and a Master of Energy was like the difference between the clouds and the mud beneath them.

Suddenly, a dazzling beam of light appeared, piercing through the night sky toward Yang Zhan.

With it came pulses of sword energy, and in fact, Yang Qi could even see a sword within the light.

"Watch out, Father!" he shouted, preparing to leap forward to intercept the sword.

"It's fine, Qi'er. That's your aunt's flying sword transmission art. Simply miraculous…." Leaping into motion, Yang Zhan reached out toward the descending sword, attached to which was a letter.

As soon as he plucked the letter off the sword, the sword apparently detected it. Spinning in place, it erupted with sparks and then shot off into the night.

"Flying sword transmission art? Legendary!"

Many of the other elites in the clan recognized what was happening.

Actually, one of the main reasons Yang Zhan had been able to secure the position of clan lord was because of Yang Qi's aunt, Yang Susu, who was now a member of the Demi-Immortal Institute.

Clearly, this flying sword transmission art was her handiwork. Although Yang Qi was not capable of such a feat, he could tell that the most powerful aspect of it was the sword itself. It was a powerful, divine weapon that had already developed a spirit. In fact, if one considered it to be a demon, it would be a sword demon.

'I wonder how Aunt Susu's studies are going at the Demi-Immortal Institute.' Yang Qi thought back again to the little girl who had fed him his meals when he was a child.

Many of the chief elders who didn't approve of Yang Zhan noticed the arrival of the sword, and looked on reticently.

After all, although they all recognized Yang Qi as being incredibly powerful, not even he could compare to Yang Susu.

And that was because Yang Susu was backed by the top institute in the lands. The Demi-Immortal Institute was a legendary holy place in the Rich-Lush Continent. When people talked about it, they would often refer to it as 'that colossal monster of an organization'.

Yang Zhan looked at the message for a moment, and then his eyes lit up. "Good news, Qi'er. It's indeed a message from your aunt. She secured a spot for you at the Demi-Immortal Institute! She wants you to head over there to study." With that, he handed the message over to Yang Qi.

"What?" Yang Qi said, taking the message, the handwriting of which was definitely his aunt's. Apparently, she had performed some meritorious service for the institute, and was allowed to select her own reward. She had asked for approval to allow a young one from her clan to become a member, and her request had been granted.

All that was required was to personally take the message and report in to the institute.

It was both a great honor and an opportunity. Even Yang Xingshi or Dowager Yan felt jealous. On the other hand, all of their previous dissatisfaction with Yang Qi was now gone. He was going to be joining the Demi-Immortal Institute, which meant that no one had any hope of fighting him. And no excuse about 'exorcising demons or devils' would help.

The message from Yang Susu also contained some information about the House of Shadowblight.

She had used her position in the Demi-Immortal Institute to issue a warning to them, instructing that they leave the Yang Clan alone. That had put an end to the matter; the House of Shadowblight was simply too afraid of the Demi-Immortal Institute to do anything out in the open.

It also explained why the House of Shadowblight had been so silent in the past several months.

'The Demi-Immortal Institute?' Yang Qi thought, his heart already pounding with anticipation.

Although he had assumed a leadership role within the clan, that just made him a big fish in a very, very small pond. In contrast, the Demi-Immortal Institute was like an ocean, and was truly a place one could be proud to dominate.

Considering it was the number one institute in all the lands, one could only imagine what crouching tigers and hidden dragons could be found there, and what knowledge was there waiting to be acquired.

Yang Qi knew that although his cultivation of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth gave him extraordinary power, if he remained in isolation in this backwater part of the world, he could end up having major problems later. Therefore, having contact with other experts in the world at large would be very beneficial.

The Demi-Immortal Institute didn't just have Lifeseizers, they had people even higher than that. In fact, Yang Qi wasn't sure what to call the level after Lifeseizing.

Another factor to consider was that if he joined the Demi-Immortal Institute, then the Yang Clan's position would become even more stable.

That much could be seen from how Yang Susu's position had helped him survive the disaster of the Latent Dragon Pill incident.

All of a sudden, a name that was branded into his heart and mind suddenly reared its head.

"Yun Hailan is in the Demi-Immortal Institute."

Her deception had nearly resulted in his death, and he knew that she was a deadly, venomous foe. Now, the fact that she was in the Demi-Immortal Institute didn't matter as much. Considering he would soon be in the same place, it would make it much easier to exact the revenge he sought.

She had very nearly brought about the destruction of his entire clan.

If it weren't for that lightning strike, Yang Qi would currently be a cripple, and Yang Zhan would not be the clan lord. His entire immediate family would have suffered heaps of humiliation.

Pushing these thoughts to the back of his mind, he said, "Well, Father, why don't we head home? Let's get clan affairs in order, including all the ceremonial rites and financial aspects. Once all of the top experts have been moved to the main headquarters, and everything is in order, I'll report in to the Demi-Immortal Institute."

"Very well," Yang Zhan said. Raising his voice, he called out, "Members of the Yang Clan, the time has come to go home. We have important matters to discuss in Yanhaven."

The clan members regrouped, organized their loot, and then began to head back.

Before, people had given respect to Yang Qi because of his profound energy arts, but now, they did so because he was a student of the Demi-Immortal Institute. His future prospects were now boundless.

To the country bumpkins that the Yang Clan were, even an insignificant freshman student from the Demi-Immortal Institute was a top expert.

All the clans in Yanhaven were bumpkins, and the Yang Clan were nouveau riche among bumpkins.

Two days later, all of the experts of the Yang Clan were in Yanhaven, gathered in the meeting hall of the clan headquarters.

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This forum was a much more solemn and important one than the previous one.

Yang Qi oversaw the affair, and Yang Zhan issued order after order. No one refused to comply. After all the orders were given, the forum ended, and the clan experts went out to gather all the wealth and manpower in the clan to be returned to Yang Zhan's control.

Some of the chief elders even agreed to take up residence in the mansion in Yanhaven.

After the forum was over and everyone went about their tasks, the mansion quieted down.

"Father," Yang Qi said, "the time has come for me to report in to the Demi-Immortal Institute. However, I'm still worried that Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan might cause problems after I leave. We need to make sure you're strong enough to keep them in line. I'll help you, Father. Let's push your power to the next level."

Sage Monarch

To hunt tigers, one must have the help of a brother. To fight wars, one must have the help of an army of fathers and sons.

Yang Qi was very familiar with that old adage.

If he just left for the Demi-Immortal Institute, and didn't leave someone powerful behind to keep charge, chaos would ensue. Therefore, he would pass some of his energy to his father, and also improve his brothers' cultivation bases. Only in that way could he rest at ease in his studies, and pursue his revenge on Yun Hailan.

At the moment, he had no idea how she and Song Haishan were progressing in their cultivation. However, he was confident that they weren't a match for him. Their only advantage was their backing, and the fact that she had presumably consumed the Latent Dragon Pill, and advanced by leaps and bounds.

The mere thought of his potential revenge on Yun Hailan caused Yang Qi's heart to itch with the desire to get to the Demi-Immortal Institute as quickly as possible.

He also couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she found out how powerful he was. And Song Haishan's reaction would surely be similar.

'Song Haishan. Yun Hailan. I'm going to make the both of you wish you could be dead.'

In a private chamber in the Yang Clan, Yang Qi, Yang Zhan, Yang Hualong and Yang Yunchong sat in the east, west, south and north corners of the room.

"Third Brother," Yang Yunchong said, "won't it adversely affect you to transmit your energy to us? You're at the peak of the eighth phase, just on the verge of becoming a Master of Energy. If it's going to harm you to do this, then don't."

Yang Qi shook his head. "It's fine. My life force is quite vigorous. Even if I give up some true energy, I can get it back soon enough. What I'm going to do this time is use an exceptionally powerful divine ability to cleanse you and strengthen your meridians and seas of energy. You should become ten times tougher than before, allowing your cultivation base to advance rapidly. In the future, you shouldn't get stuck in any bottlenecks, either. Father, your cultivation base is the highest, and you have the best control over your true energy. I'll start with you."

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"Okay." Yang Zhan knew that Yang Qi had many mysterious and unfathomable aspects. Although he didn't know exactly what he planned to do, he was curious about what ability he would use to strengthen his meridians and improve his sea of energy.

"Infernal Deity Boneflame: Hellfire Crucible!"

Rising to his feet, Yang Qi pulsed with boundless true energy as power equivalent to ten ancient megamammoths erupted out of him.

The chamber they were in seemed to separate from the world around them. And Yang Qi was like the god of that realm, his black hair whipping about as his true energy took the shape of an illusory crucible, as well as other hellish images.

The howling of depraved, fallen gods soon echoed out from the crucible.

He still couldn't use the full power of the Hellfire Crucible, and wouldn't be able to even in the Master of Energy level. However, even the illusory version could give birth to true energy flames that could temper the physical body.

With the flick of a finger, he sent out a tongue of flame that contained infinite variations, which then took the shape of a magical pendant that entered Yang Zhan's forehead.

Yang Zhan watched the process, his eyes flickering with fear; sometimes he felt like this son of his wasn't even human, but rather some sort of demon or devil. Whatever he was, he was some higher form of life, perhaps even a god, something that didn't originate from this world.

'What technique is this?' he thought. 'It definitely surpasses even imperial-class energy arts! When I was in the Hanging Mountain, I saw some of the Demonfolk patriarchs who cultivated imperial-class arts, and I even encountered some entities who possessed saintly-class arts. Although they were stronger than Qi'er is now, he surpasses them in terms of how astonishing he is….'

It would almost have been impossible for Yang Zhan to be more shocked than he was. However, he was still very happy for his son.

Whizz!

As the flame entered him, he felt his meridians ignite. As a Master of Energy, he had a profound understanding of energy, and thus cooperated with the flow of the flame, allowing it to pass through all of his meridians.

As that happened, impurities within him that he hadn't even been aware of were burned away. Pulses of black smoke began to rise up from the top of his head, and noxious filth began to ooze out of his pores.

As his blood pumped through his veins, it began to take on an aura like that of a god-spirit, and his meridians grew stronger. His skin grew tougher, his bones and tendons stronger. Every part of his body grew more closely connected, and if he closed his eyes and cast his senses inwardly, everything seemed to be glowing.

He could even hear his marrow bubbling.

Eventually, Yang Qi's true energy reached his father's sea of energy. When it did, Yang Qi saw something very unusual.

"Huh? What's that?"

It was a green medicinal energy that looked almost like a plant.

It had nine leaves, each of which had a different shape. One was circular, another was elliptical, and so on. Some even had serrated edges. Just like the nine sons of the dragon, each one was unique.

The plant was simply floating there, and resisted any attempts to be absorbed by Yang Zhan's sea of energy.

"Father, is this the airmastery plant you consumed in the past?" Yang Qi asked, shocked.

"That's right." Yang Zhan smiled wryly. "Airmastery plants are a divine herb from the distant past, with incredible medicinal properties. Mortals who consumed them would be able to float up into the air. Even though I consumed it years ago, the medicinal energy still exists in the depths of my sea of energy. Even after becoming a Master of Energy, I'm not able to completely absorb it."

"Oh? It's that strong? Well, let's see if I can help you absorb it…." Growling, Yang Qi sent his true energy out in even more explosive fashion, drawing on the full power of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth.

Instantly, the airmastery plant sent back a surge of overwhelming force. However, when it encountered Yang Qi's energy, it dissolved, causing a powerful medicinal energy to begin to ooze out of Yang Zhan. As it did, it took heaps of noxious filth with it.

At long last, the airmastery plant which he had been unable to absorb even after decades, was melting away.

It was a divine herb from the distant past that most ordinary people wouldn't be able to absorb even after a lifetime of trying. Without Yang Qi's help, it probably would have remained inside of Yang Zhan until he died, after which it would have absorbed his corpse for nutrients.

But now, it was becoming a source of power for him.

The airmastery plant dissolved, turning into true energy that filled Yang Zhan with a sensation of lightness and airiness, making him feel almost like an immortal. In fact, if he drew upon that power, he would be able to float up into the air.

It truly was the power to master the qualities of air.

The power of the plant flowed through him, becoming a part of his own true energy, and instantly pushing his cultivation forward by leaps and bounds. Because of the true energy of the airmastery plant, Yang Zhan's own true energy capacity increased by four or five times.

Thankfully, Yang Qi had helped remold his meridians, otherwise his energy would likely have exploded.

"Very well," Yang Qi said with a smile, retracting his energy. He could sense that after absorbing the airmastery plant, his father had benefited so significantly that not even Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan working together would be a match for him.

He was now quicker and more agile, and as fast as a ghost. He would be able to dispatch enemies within the blink of an eye, and should be stronger than even top experts in the same cultivation level as himself.

Yang Zhan was now in the very peak of the Master of Energy level, with a longer lifespan than before; he was at the very peak of life.

Yang Zhan couldn't help but laugh heartily. "I'm afraid not even Yan Gufeng could fight me. He might have that strange thumb-ring of his that stores true energy, but he still couldn't match up to me."

Not only was Yang Zhan's true energy vigorous to the extreme, in terms of quality, it surpassed any ordinary Master of Energy.

"Okay, Father, keep working on your Four Seasons Swordplay. You have to work on getting enlightenment to reach the Lifeseizing level. If you can seize boundless life from the heavens, then you can truly live forever. And now I'll give some true energy to you, Eldest Brother and Second Brother."

Reaching out, he placed a palm onto the back of both Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong. Instantly, their meridians began to improve as Yang Qi imparted the infinite variations of his own energy to them.

The two brothers shivered, and their muscles and bones spasmed, causing rumbling sounds within them that resembled steel bands slamming against each other.

Thanks to the boundless true energy improving their cultivation bases, Yang Hualong suddenly achieved another breakthrough, and stepped into the seventh phase, the Energy Manifestation level.

As for Yang Yunchong, he pushed his way to the peak of the seventh phase, right on the brink of a breakthrough to the eighth.

The two brothers were now as powerful as many of the lords of the subsidiary branches.

Seven days and seven nights went by.

Father and sons remained in seclusion the entire time as Yang Qi explained various martial practices to them. As they were tempered and purified, their might increased, and they gained the dignity of gods.

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As for Yang Qi, the constant flow of energy pushed an eleventh particle within him closer to awakening, inching him even closer to the Master of Energy level.

On the morning of the eighth day, the process was over. Yang Zhan had completely transformed, and was now more powerful and dignified than ever.

Yang Yunchong and Yang Hualong had also improved significantly, and had made major improvements with their Four Seasons Swordplay. They could perform Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm and had incredible control over their sword energy.

Yang Qi was now confident in being able to leave. Unless a Lifeseizer suddenly showed up, the clan would be safe.

And thankfully, no such expert would deign to cast eyes on the countryside city of Yanhaven with its population of bumpkins.

Sage Monarch

During the seven days that had passed, the troops and wealth of the subsidiary branches had already been consolidated by the chief elders. After all the details were handled, Yang Zhan called a formal meeting with them, along with Yang Qi and his brothers.

One goal was to see how sincere the chief elders were in their support of Yang Zhan as clan lord.

It was a frosty autumn morning, and the ground was already white with ice, with scattered leaves blowing here and there that the clan servants were working hard to clear.

All of the servants in the mansion seemed to be ruddy-faced and in high spirits.

Because of the energy convergence pills they received as salary, all of them had strong cultivation foundations. Already, the clan was rebuilding its strength and power.

As soon as the more than twenty chief elders caught sight of Yang Zhan, they were deeply shaken. Each and every one of them could sense how much more powerful he was than before.

That was especially true of Yang Xingshi and Dowager Yan.

Being Masters of Energy, both of them were certain of what had occurred.

Yang Zhan's face fairly shone, and his eyes sparkled like the starry sky. It seemed like the wave of his hand would be sufficient to allow him to fly into the air and leave the world they resided in.

He was as sturdy and intimidating as Mount Tai, but at the same time, seemed as light as air, and capable of moving at such speed that he could vanish and reappear anywhere in the blink of an eye.

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Shooting to his feet, Yang Xingshi said, "Yang Zhan? Did you fully absorb that airmastery plant that was in you?"

"Yes. I finally did, with Qi'er's help." Yang Zhan couldn't hold back from laughing heartily. He almost seemed like a king now, and it immediately caused them all to bow their heads in deference. Even Dowager Yan felt like she was suffocating just by looking at him.

As of this moment, she realized that she was a match for neither Yang Qi nor Yang Zhan.

"My cultivation base and energy arts are now four or five times beyond what they were in the past," Yang Zhan continued, "and the true energy of the airmastery plant now flows through me." Smiling, he suddenly moved with such incredible speed that no one saw anything more than a blur. A moment later, he was back in his seat. However, everyone could now see that his palm print had been embedded into a huge tree several thousand paces away.

In a mere breath of time, he had moved a huge distance, and returned. What level of speed was that? And it was not an energy art, it was just the speed he was currently capable of.

In terms of his fleshly body, he was now past the Master of Energy level, all thanks to the airmastery plant. It was the same with his lifespan.

Most Masters of Energy would die of natural causes after two hundred years or so, but he could definitely live for much longer.

"Four or five times…?" Yang Xingshi murmured, swallowing hard and not daring to say anything further. He now fully realized that he couldn't defeat Yang Zhan even if he teamed up with Dowager Yan.

Of course, thanks to the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, Yang Qi was actually ten times beyond Yang Zhan in those regards.

Many of the chief elders simply bowed their heads even more deeply. The son was invincible, and the father had advanced by leaps and bounds. The senior members of the Yang Clan were now pushed into a corner, and could do absolutely nothing about it.

Given some time, Yang Zhan's control over the clan would definitely be like that of an emperor.

At this point, Yang Qi rose to his feet. "Father. Eldest Brother. Second Brother. Now that clan affairs are in order, the time has come for me to go to the Demi-Immortal Institute. Please, be careful of the city magistrate."

"I'll find some time to go put him in his place," Yang Zhan said. "After doing so, I'll make sure all the clans in Yanhaven know how powerful we are, and that they have no choice but to submit to our oversight."

Yang Qi nodded. "Well then, I'll take my leave."

"Why don't you take something with you to help you in your studies? How about the Chiliocosm Mirror?"

"There's no need," Yang Qi replied with the shake of his head. "The technique I cultivate won't benefit from it." He had actually attempted to cultivate the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth with the Chiliocosm Mirror, but for some reason, the mirror didn't work with it. Apparently, the technique was simply too powerful for the magical elements of the mirror to handle.

"Farewell, Father."

"Have a safe journey. Keep track of the map and don't get lost. You'll have to cross nearly a third of the continent to get to the Demi-Immortal Institute, a journey of tens upon tens of thousands of kilometers, through hundreds of cities. Make sure to bring plenty of energy convergence pills. And when you get to the institute, don't show off. Keep your true powers hidden."

At that point, Yang Qi flew into motion, flitting away like a bird into the clouds.

That was something that Masters of Energy normally couldn't do. For example, although Yang Zhan could now float in the air, that didn't mean he could fly into the clouds like a bird.

'With an outstanding person like that in our clan, I wonder what will happen when he reaches the Demi-Immortal Institute. Will he bring even more glory to us?' That was what all of the chief elders were thinking. After all, no matter how shocking of a person Yang Qi was in Yanhaven, the experts in the mighty institute were as numerous as the clouds in the sky.

Therefore, it was hard to predict how Yang Qi would rank, or how he would progress.

Hopefully, he would reach the Lifeseizing level; if he did, all of the chief elders would benefit from that glory.

Yang Zhan now had two family members in the Demi-Immortal Institute, and a powerful cultivation base of his own. His power as the clan lord would only continue to grow more stable.

"Clan Lord! Bad news just came in!"

Suddenly, one of the clan's top experts rushed in and knelt in front of Yang Zhan. This was one of the individuals who had been sent to collect wealth from one of the subsidiary branches.

"What happened?" Yang Zhan said, his expression flickering. "What's got you so flustered?"

"The State of Yun has started expanding. War broke out between them and Zhaoluforth, and therefore, we weren't able to get in to access our wealth and troops. According to the news we came across, the experts from the State of Yun have already put the city magistrate of Zhaoluforth to death, and captured the city. Worse, our subsidiary branch there has already become part of the State of Yun!"

"What? Yundale-by-the-Sea wasn't like this before, was it? They wiped out Zhaoluforth? The city magistrate there was a Master of Energy! The number of top experts under his command was like the clouds in the sky. And they had plenty of connections to big sects, like the House of Jade Dew. I can't believe that they were defeated, just like that!"

Yang Zhan wasn't the only one to react with shock. The more than twenty chief elders were also completely taken aback.

Yang Xingshi was so surprised that he rose to his feet. "Yundale-by-the-Sea is its own nation now," he said, "the State of Yun. And former City Magistrate Yun Zhonglong is now calling himself a king. The Great King of Yun." [1]

"Yes," Yang Zhan replied, "but who could have guessed that they would become so aggressive so quickly? How did they get so many soldiers and expert fighters? Did Yun Zhonglong actually join the battle himself, and kill Zhaoluforth's city magistrate on his own?"

"No, Clan Lord. The State of Yun has a mysterious expert working for them, a masked figure who uses the energy arts of the Sea King. Supposedly, he's not even human, but rather, one of the people of the sea! In the battle for Zhaoluforth, there were quite a few experts present who wore very strange armor, people who are rumored to be Seafolk."

Yang Zhan's expression flickered dramatically in response to the news. "Yundale-by-the-Sea is in league with the Seafolk? Not good."

The beings who populated the sea were usually called Seafolk. They built cities on the seafloor, and in most ways were like other humans. However, they breathed with gills instead of lungs, which made it as difficult for them to go on land as it was for ordinary humans to enter the depths of the water. When it came to affairs on the land, they normally minded their own business. But now, they had joined a war with dwellers of the land, which was very suspicious.

Of course, one of the four big institutes in the Rich-Lush Continent was the Sea God Institute, which was just as famous as the Demi-Immortal and True Dragon Institutes.

Yundale-by-the-Sea was actually a coastal city, and was the home of Princess Yun Hailan, who was the daughter of Yun Zhonglong.

Yun Zhonglong was something of a legend. He had reached the Master of Energy level long ago, and had married a Seafolk princess. His wife had eventually given birth to Yun Hailan as well as several doughty sons.

And now, they had gone to war to expand their territory, and were joined by warriors from the Seafolk. If that war reached Yanhaven, then the Yang Clan could be facing a big disaster.

"Clan Lord," one of the chief elders said, "Zhaoluforth has already fallen, and the flames of war are heading in our direction. We need to be prepared for when it comes." This chief elder had bossed Yang Zhan around in the past, but as of now, he was treating him with the newfound respect.

Suddenly, everything clicked for Yang Zhan. 'Well done, Yundale-by-the-Sea. Yun Zhonglong's daughter seduced Qi'er and tricked him into stealing that Latent Dragon Pill. As it turns out, they were planning to make a move on Yanhaven all along. Supposedly, that Latent Dragon Pill was concocted using the blood of a dragon. When an ordinary person uses it, it increases their life force and strength, and completely transforms their body. It also imparts some of the blood of a dragon into whoever consumes it. However, it would be different for someone who has the blood of a sea god in them. A person like that would have a rapid advancement in energy arts. Yun Hailan has the blood of a sea god in her, and if it's incited, the results will be astonishing.'

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"Muster our soldiers immediately!" Yang Xingshi shouted. "And—" Suddenly, he stopped talking. Apparently remembering his standing in the clan, he looked at Yang Zhan and said, "Clan Lord, what do we do now?"

Yang Zhan looked back at him with a glint of praise in his eyes. Strangely, Yang Xingshi didn't seem offended at all by that.

"Muster the experts. And have all of the subsidiary branches retreat to Yanhaven. Thankfully, we exterminated the Chen Clan, which gives us an extra mansion in town. It should be large enough to hold the influx of people coming."

In response to Yang Zhan's orders, everyone in the clan headquarters burst into action.

1. Yun Zhonglong: Yun means cloud. In this context, my interpretation is that Zhong means "in the midst of" and Long means "dragon." So technically, his name could be translated as "dragon in the clouds"

Sage Monarch

WHOOSH!

A figure descended from above, a young man, seemingly seventeen or eighteen years old. It was none other than Yang Qi. After flying for several hundred kilometers out of Yanhaven territory, he dropped to the ground to proceed toward the Demi-Immortal Institute on foot.

There were roads and paths crisscrossing the land in all directions, as well as villages, cities, and rivers. The terrain featured both vast plains and sprawling mountain ranges.

Yang Qi had a map in his robe that he would occasionally check before continuing on his way.

The path to the Demi-Immortal Institute was a long one, and even with the incredible speed he was capable of, was not the type that could be made in only a day or two. This was the longest journey Yang Qi had ever taken in his entire life.

It was all very novel to him. After all, the furthest away he had ever been from home was the Blackcorpse Mountains. He had heard many stories of the world beyond, but had never experienced it for himself.

He took a deep breath of the crisp, autumn air, and looked around in satisfaction.

Suddenly, he sensed an intense sensation of murder coming from the road ahead. Looking off into the distance, he saw an army in the midst of carrying out slaughter. Numerous hamlets in the area were burning, and many locals were being cut down mercilessly as the soldiers marched toward the nearest town.

He was currently in a remote area in the territory controlled by Redleaf City. Both sides of the roads featured enormous trees with red leaves, although, considering winter was coming, the trees were nearly bare.

The soldiers marching on the town wore white armor decorated with a blue sea motif, which enabled Yang Qi to identify them as an army from Yundale-by-the-Sea.

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All cities in the lands had unique sigils, which made their forces easy to identify on the battlefield. Because Yang Qi had been close with Yun Hailan, he was familiar with the sigil and armor of her state.

"The State of Yun has fought all the way to here? Doesn't that mean they'll invade Yanhaven soon?"

Obviously, the supreme leader of the State of Yun, Yun Zhonglong, had lofty ambitions. He had formed an alliance with the Seafolk, and was also connected to the Sea God Institute.

Many of the soldiers laughed lasciviously as they stripped the clothing from local women and tossed them onto their horses, taking time to grope them as they did.

The women screamed and wailed, but unfortunately, the soldiers were simply too vicious, and completely impervious to such cries for mercy. In fact, Yang Qi even saw one soldier cruelly cut the tongue out of one woman who had been cursing them particularly loudly.

"Worse than animals!" Yang Qi growled, striding forward.

The soldiers immediately took notice of him.

"Stop right there!" one of them barked, pointing his saber at Yang Qi. "Who are you?" The saber glittered with bright light that almost seemed alive. From the look of it, he could send his true energy flying through the air to kill people a hundred paces away from him.

That, of course, meant that he was in the sixth phase of energy arts, the Energy Weapon level. This was the leader of these soldiers, a man vicious to the core, whose aura seemed tinged with the screams of numerous souls, which was the only surviving remnant of the people he had slaughtered in cold blood.

In fact, this was the very same man who had just cut the woman's tongue out.

"Who am I?" Yang Qi replied. "I'm the guy who's going to kill the whole lot of you."

At that point, the leader of the soldiers chuckled and waved his saber through the air, sending a stream of blade light in Yang Qi's direction. In response, Yang Qi flicked his finger, destroying the blade light and decapitating the leader, all in one move.

"Ambush!" shouted the soldiers further back. Drawing weapons, they rushed forward to surround Yang Qi.

These soldiers had mediocre energy arts, most of them being in the third or fourth phase. They couldn't use their true energy outside of their bodies, and yet, they were still experienced fighters who had killed many opponents in their careers. Furthermore, they were skilled at fighting from a distance using bows and pikes.

It only took moments for dozens of pikes to be stabbing through the air with enough power to impale an ox.

The greatbows the soldiers used shot iron shafts that could pierce armor from a hundred paces.

Normally speaking, even someone in the seventh or eighth phase would have been forced to take a group like this seriously. Unfortunately for the soldiers, they were dealing with Yang Qi.

As he walked forward, he sent a blast of energy out that instantly caused all of the pikes and arrows to suddenly stop in place, unmoving.

Then…. Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh! They turned and shot backward, flying with ten times the speed they originally had, making it impossible to dodge them. The soldiers didn't even have time to scream before they were dead.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Qi had just killed roughly forty elite enemy soldiers.

However, their cries of 'ambush' had been loud enough to travel quite a distance.

Thus, it was no surprise that a screaming whistling sound suddenly erupted from the nearby town.

Because of the sound wave, the surrounding buildings trembled, and many roof tiles cracked and fell to the ground. Clearly, this was evidence of some powerful expert.

Swish!

A figure blurred into motion from atop the town's defensive walls. He was clad in a blue robe, and had two sea-blue wings at his back, fully nine meters wide. The mere flap of those wings caused tornadoes to spring up in the area; unexpectedly, this was a first-class energy art, something that most people couldn't possibly stand against.

"Master of Energy!" Yang Qi murmured.

Normally speaking, people in the ninth phase were city magistrates, therefore, it was strange to see one here amongst the forces of Yundale-by-the-Sea. He moved with incredible speed, flying off of the city wall, provoking cheers from the soldiers beneath.

Yang Qi simply stood there, waiting to see who he was dealing with.

As far as he remembered, Yundale-by-the-Sea only had one Master of Energy, that being Yun Zhonglong himself.

Moments later, the blue-robed Master of Energy appeared in front of Yang Qi. Surprisingly, he was a young man, probably not even thirty years of age.

'A Master of Energy who isn't even thirty?' Yang Qi thought. 'He has to be more than the typical genius. If such a young Master of Energy appeared in Yanhaven, the news would spread for thousands of kilometers.'

"Did you kill these soldiers?" the young man asked, looking around coldly at the dead bodies. He didn't seem to have any emotional reaction at all, which actually served to make him seem even more chilling.

"I did," Yang Qi replied without the slightest quaver to his voice. "And who are you? I don't remember Yundale-by-the-Sea having a second Master of Energy."

"Yundale-by-the-Sea?" The young man in blue clasped his hands behind his back. Looking down his nose at Yang Qi, he continued, "I'm from the Sea God Institute. An ignoramus like you doesn't need to know my name. Since you killed these soldiers, I'll kill you. In fact, I think I'll torture you to death, which will be quite an honor for you, considering that I never kill worthless nobodies. So tell me your name. That way you can be more than worthless."

'Sea God Institute?' Yang Qi was shaken; obviously, he knew that the Sea God Institute was a colossal monster of an organization.

However, the young man's words caused a grim expression to appear on his face. "These soldiers were murdering, raping and looting. I'd say they hardly qualify to be human. Your Sea God Institute is orthodox and righteous. Don't tell me the soldiers had your approval to do all those things?"

"Quite the blowhard, aren't we?" the young man said. Apparently, he had lost his patience, and didn't think Yang Qi was even worth listening to. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me your name, then I'll take you captive and force it out of you. I know over a hundred different torture arts for you to enjoy. In the end, you'll be screaming your name to me."

RUMMMBLE!

The young man thrust his palm out, causing a wave of energy to surge forth. At the same time, a sound like a crashing sea could be heard as his true energy transformed into the image of destructive sea water. Within that sea water was a gigantic floodwyrm with vicious-looking claws.

"Boundless Ocean!" the young man growled, sending out an attack that could level mountains.

To Yang Qi, it almost seemed like the sky had been replaced by a blue sea, surrounding him and crushing down with incredible force. In fact, the ground beneath his feet began to crack; this was a move that far surpassed anything he had faced from Yang Xingshi or Dowager Yan.

The truth was that Dowager Yan and Yang Xingshi were little more than countryside peasants. Although they were Masters of Energy, this young man in blue came from the Sea God Institute, one of the most colossal organizations in the lands. In terms of his true energy abilities, and his techniques, he existed on a completely different level.

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In fact, this Boundless Ocean was a royal-class energy art!

And yet, Yang Qi didn't even flinch. Even as the true energy surged toward him, he made his move, unleashing a single punch.

It seemed like nothing more than an ordinary fist strike, and yet, it was also like an ancient beast or god. Black energy swept out from beneath his feet, almost like the aura of hell. He was now the incarnation of an ancient godmammoth, an ancient god-spirit who could suppress millions upon millions of worlds. It almost was as if the word 'power' had been specially created just to describe him.

The Boundless Ocean was completely vanquished, and then Yang Qi's fist landed onto the young man.

An expression of disbelief appeared on his face; this was only one fist strike! One! And yet, he was flung backward, booming sounds echoing out in his body as his meridians were destroyed.

Sage Monarch

One fist strike.

One simple fist strike.

That was all it took for Yang Qi to destroy the meridians and sea of energy of a Master of Energy from the Sea God Institute.

Afterward, the blue-robed man flopped onto the ground, where he lay gurgling, a look of complete incredulity on his face. Never in his wildest imaginations could he have guessed that a nobody like this would unleash power like that of a devil-god.

After all, the attack he had just unleashed should have been enough to crush even a Lifeseizer.

"How could you be so strong?!" Despite his current condition, the young man in blue seemed just as wildly arrogant as before. Struggling to his feet, he continued, "I'm from the Sea God Institute! I'm famous there, and all the professors told me that I would be a match for any Lifeseizers I encountered. How could I possibly have been defeated by a nobody like you? Just who are you? Talk to me, punk! What's your name? You just wait till I get back to the Sea God Institute. Things aren't going to turn out the same when we have a rematch!"

Yang Qi chuckled. "Where do you think you are, back home at that institute of yours? You think you can make a comeback after being beaten like this? We're in the jianghu, the home of danger and viciousness. You seriously think I'm going to just tell you my name and let you go, so that you can return to the Sea God Institute and get some more powerful people to get revenge for you? Well, I can tell you, that's not going to happen."

He was by no means boasting. With the flick of a finger, he sent a stream of true energy directly into the young man's forehead.

The young man screamed, then flopped back onto the ground, dead.

A moment later, Yang Qi flew up into the air, sending out countless threads from Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm. In the blink of an eye, all of the soldiers from Yundale-by-the-Sea who had remained alive in the area were killed.

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Obviously, there was no way that he would leave any of the enemy soldiers alive.

If they returned and informed the Sea God Institute of what he had done, the Yang Clan would be wiped off the map. [1]

Even more pertinent, considering the troops from Yundale-by-the-Sea were pillaging and murdering everything in their path, killing them would ease a bit of the pressure on Yanhaven. And it would also give the common people a better shot at escaping the turmoil.

Several hundred fierce soldiers were all simultaneously struck by the sword energy of Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm.

The Four Seasons Swordplay was a royal-class energy art, and thus it was no surprise that a single move from it could kill so many people that quickly.

If the other aspects of the technique were unleashed, the summer lightning, autumn frost, and winter snow, it would be even more formidable. At the moment, Yang Qi was stuck in the eighth phase, but when he reached the ninth, and became a Master of Energy, then even many top experts in the House of Spring and Autumn would blush with shame upon watching him use their Four Seasons Swordplay.

In one fell swoop, Yang Qi wiped out all the enemy troops, leaving the ground littered with corpses of soldiers from Yundale-by-the-Sea. There were also a handful of individuals wearing blue armor that identified them as Seafolk.

"Yundale-by-the-Sea is working with the Seafolk? So that's why a student from the Sea God Institute was here." After considering the matter for a moment, Yang Qi looked over at the blue-robed young man he had killed. Stepping over, he began to search him. Considering his identity, Yang Qi was fairly certain that he would be carrying a lot of riches. And since Yang Qi was about to enter the Demi-Immortal Institute, having some extra funds on hand would surely be useful.

Unfortunately, he was wrong. After searching the young man quite thoroughly, he didn't find anything on him. No banknotes. No energy convergence pills. No weapons. No energy art manuals. Nothing.

Apparently, he was completely penniless.

'Impossible! How could a student from the Sea God Institute be completely broke? He doesn't have anything on him? Not even some weapons?'

He even searched the body with true energy, and yet, couldn't find anything.

Eventually, his gaze came to rest on the finger of the corpse, and a thumb-ring of blue jade.

It looked completely ordinary in nature, like a common piece of jewelry. However, there was something about it that piqued Yang Qi's interest, so he sent a stream of true energy into it.

After all, once one entered the eighth phase, one's true energy would be able to pierce large objects and see what was inside of them.

However, when he sent his true energy into the blue jade thumb-ring, it was like dropping a pebble into the ocean.

He couldn't sense anything inside the ring, but could tell that it was as large as an ocean. Obviously, this was no ordinary item.

Although this blue-robed young man had not possessed any weapons or magical items, his thumb-ring was definitely extraordinary.

Yang Qi took the ring and then leaped into the sky like a bird, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The sooner he got away from this place, the better.

After all, the death of a student from the Sea God Institute would be no small matter. Soon, people would be coming to investigate, and if he stuck around, he would surely be suspected of being involved.

Sure enough, only a few hours after Yang Qi left, as evening began to fall, an autumn wind swept across the lands, stirring the leaves that had already begun to cover the corpses.

Suddenly, the thunderous sound of galloping warhorses could be heard, and the acrid odor of some sort of beast filled the air, as though an army of demonlings were approaching.

Before long, torchlight could be seen, illuminating the road.

Then, an army of horses appeared, tall and strong, mighty to the extreme. Unexpectedly, these were all flood stallions! Thousands and thousands of them.

It had only been by a fluke that the Yang Clan managed to get twenty-eight flood stallions, and yet here, there were thousands. If a force like this attacked a city, its walls would collapse instantly. No fortification would be able to resist a force like this, and in fact, any defending soldiers who saw it coming would collapse mentally before the fight began.

The ground trembled under the hooves of these furious creatures, whose passage caused the trees to tremble so violently, that many split apart and even crashed to the ground.

Furthermore, the wind that sprang up because of them instantly blew away all the leaves that had piled up, revealing the corpses on the ground.

When the corpse of the blue-robed young man was revealed, one of the riders, a burly, middle-aged man, leaped off of his horse in shock. Rumbling sounds could be heard as his true energy was unleashed, propelling him through the air toward the corpse, which he lifted up into his arms.

Unsure of his current state, he tried to pour true energy into the young man in the hopes of reviving him, but sadly, he was already dead.

Looking like the picture of astonishment, the man said, "How could you be dead, Gu Che? How? You were a top student at the Sea God Institute, with energy arts invincible to anyone under the Lifeseizing level. Even if you were attacked by a Master of Energy, you should have been able to escape. How could you have died? And who killed you? How is the State of Yun going to explain this to the Sea God Institute!?"

A soldier stepped forward. "Supreme Leader," he said, "we must get to the bottom of this immediately. We need to find out who killed Gu Che, and then report the matter to the sergeant major of the Seafolk, and of course the Sea God Institute."

As it turned out, the burly man who was now holding Gu Che's corpse was none other than the supreme leader of the State of Yun, Yun Zhonglong, who was also the father of Yun Hailan.

"Look at the wounds," Yun Zhonglong said. "See how fine they are? It's almost like he was hit by silk threads, or raindrops. There's also a lingering sensation of the life that blooms during spring…." He suddenly shivered. "Gu Che was killed by the Four Seasons Swordplay from the House of Spring and Autumn. It must have been a Lifeseizer. But what would such an expert from the House of Spring and Autumn be doing here?"

"Supreme Leader, we've already counted up the corpses. There are a few hundred of our men here, all of them killed by sword energy that pierced through them like silk threads. It looks like they were all killed at the same time. Only someone with profound energy arts could do something like that!"

"Huh? Didn't Gu Che have the Heart of the Sea thumb-ring? How could it be gone? Don't tell me someone robbed him?" At this point, Yun Zhonglong was bristling with anger. After all, he knew how valuable that thumb-ring was; it was more important than Gu Che himself.

An eighth phase expert off to the side said, "Supreme Leader, there's no need to be anxious. Everyone's dead, so it makes sense that his valuables were taken."

"You don't understand. Gu Che's most valuable possession was the Heart of the Sea. Supposedly, it is crafted from godly jade, and contains a minor plane that can be used to store large amounts of items. People like us can't even conceive of how valuable that ring was. Gu Che borrowed it from the Sea God Institute, and now it's lost! His death probably isn't very important; there are plenty of exceptional students there. But for that precious treasure to have been lost is no joking matter! It could likely cause a war between the House of Spring and Autumn and the Sea God Institute!"

Looking exceptionally grave, Yun Zhonglong said, "Let's go. We'll head back to the capital. For now, our expansion stops here. Pour all of our resources into uncovering the truth of Gu Che's death. Afterward, we'll return to our border expansion initiative."

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"Yes, Supreme Leader. Considering we've already absorbed several dozen cities, and now control lands with a population of millions upon millions, we should be able to clear the matter up. And that's especially true since we can assign so many aristocratic clans to the case."

With that, the horses and men turned and prepared to leave.

"Supreme Leader, Gu Che's death doesn't really matter. He was only a Master of Energy, and his clan isn't very influential among the Seafolk. Besides, considering that Young Miss Yun Hailan got that Latent Dragon Pill, and awoke the blood of the Sea God inside her, she has already far surpassed Gu Che."

"You're right. Lan'er is in the Demi-Immortal Institute now, and a certain member of the senior generation has already taken a liking to her. From now on, her cultivation will advance with breathtaking speed."

1. There is a logic error that I'm leaving out. Yang Qi uses Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm to kill any surviving enemy soldiers. Then the narrative justifies that action by saying that if the House of Spring and Autumn found out about him using the technique, the Yang Clan would be finished. Except that he didn't use the technique before. So that doesn't really make sense.

Sage Monarch

The next day, the autumn wind was as desolate as ever as Yang Qi made his way to the east, far, far from Redleaf City. Along the way, he saw the turmoil and chaos of war. Many city magistrates were founding nations and mustering troops to campaign across the lands. War had broken out, and the common people were the ones to suffer.

The vassal cities were like a pack of dragons with no leader, and no quarter was being given in the fights which were breaking out everywhere.

Yang Qi traveled for three days and three nights, during which time he saw over a hundred battles. Pillaging and looting were present everywhere.

Yanhaven was located in a relatively remote region that had not truly been touched by the flames of war. After all, the Rich-Lush Continent was a massive land, with huge cities everywhere. Some of them were ten times larger than Yanhaven, with so many energy arts experts that they were difficult to number.

On more than one occasion, Yang Qi sensed Masters of Energy fusing their energy with the clouds.

Instead of flying, he traveled mostly on foot; resorting to his Fiend-Devil Wings only when he found himself in extreme danger.

After all, experts abounded, and he was no longer in Yanhaven. If someone discovered who he was and what he could do, it could lead to complications.

Yang Qi had already made a decision not to use the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth when he got to the Demi-Immortal Institute, at least not unless it was absolutely necessary. Considering how many experts would be around, it would be a problem if people started picking up on the clues about him.

A godly-class energy art. What did that imply? It implied a connection to god-spirits in heaven, something that even the Demi-Immortal Institute would covet.

Right now, Yang Qi had the power of ten ancient megamammoths, which meant that even the most random energy arts move he used would be backed with endless power, and made him virtually omnipotent.

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Once he broke through to the Master of Energy level, and truly began to cultivate his Hellfire Crucible, he would be able to melt and refine all sorts of true energy. Then, whatever energy art, martial art, or consummate discipline he encountered could be easily acquired and mastered.

Most people could only cultivate a handful of energy arts before running the risk of encountering a conflict between two of them, and damaging or destroying their meridians.

Yang Qi tucked such thoughts away and focused on the road; it would still be another two months before he would arrive at the Demi-Immortal Institute.

Thankfully, it was not a boring journey. There was plenty of scenery, including important historical sites. When he had moments to spare, he would take the time to study the blue thumb-ring.

Continued examination only went to confirm that it was a very peculiar object. No matter how he tried to send his true energy into it, the energy would disappear as surely as a rock thrown into the ocean. It seemed boundless and never-ending inside, as though it weren't jade, but rather, something from another world.

As time passed, he fiddled with the ring and tried different ways of getting his true energy into it, but it was all to no avail.

However, he was becoming increasingly convinced that it was a valuable treasure, and that it was simply a case of him not yet being able to unlock its secrets.

Perhaps if he could become a Master of Energy, the resulting transformations to his true energy would be enough to crack the secret of the ring.

"What is this thing anyway? And how come I can't get into it with my true energy?"

In terms of his cultivation base, he could tell that he had already reached the ultimate peak of the eighth phase. His soul was already connecting to his true energy, and from the resulting fluctuations, he was sure that he was on the very verge of rising to the ninth phase.

As he traveled, he made sure to continue working on cultivating his true energy, as well as the various martial disciplines he had at his disposal. By now, he had pushed his three public-facing techniques to the point of perfection.

Of those three, the Invincible King's Fist and the Golden Bell Rampart could both be considered hard and unyielding, whereas the Four Seasons Swordplay was all-encompassing and utilitarian.

Yang Qi could tell that because of those three energy arts, the true energy that flowed through his meridians was somewhat heterogeneous. And if he continued to focus on cultivating those arts, he might eventually lose control of them.

It was only because he also cultivated the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth that his meridians and sea of energy could endure to this point.

Having all sorts of energy arts at one's disposal wasn't necessarily a good thing; purity was often the best route.

It was for that reason that, after acquiring the Four Seasons Swordplay, Yang Zhan had flushed the true energy of the Invincible King's Fist out of him. Then, he had focused fully on the new technique. By maintaining purity of energy, he could ensure that even if he did experience some problem it wouldn't lead to a true energy spasm.

For similar reasons, Yang Qi was working hard to make progress with his Hellfire Crucible. If he could melt and refine all sorts of true energy, then he could use any techniques he acquired, and any type of energy art. Hard and unyielding. Soft and feminine. Frigid cold. Scorching hot….

"The Demi-Immortal Institute…. I wonder what it's like. I can't wait to find out. I'm on my way, Aunt. And I'm coming for you, Yun Hailan and Song Haishan!"

Yang Qi's eyes shone with an incisive luster.

Considering his miraculous abilities, and the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, he was confident that he could earn a name for himself in the Demi-Immortal Institute, and accomplish amazing things.

At dawn, he emerged from an inn in a large city. Having paid for his accommodations, he blurred into motion, vanishing without a trace.

He was now holding nothing back in terms of speed.

A month later, after a multitude of experiences on the road, he reached the Demi-Immortal Institute, which was located in the most flourishing part of the Sage Ancestor Plains, right in the middle of the Rich-Lush Continent.

Stretching out on either side of the road were endless expanses of land. Nine rivers snaked through those plains, creating a complex pattern that surrounded an enormous city.

That city was the most bustling place in the Rich-Lush Continent, the imperial capital, Sage Ancestor City.

This was the home of the Sage Ancestor Dynasty, which commanded veneration from thousands upon thousands of vassal states.

Opposite of Sage Ancestor City was a collection of ancient, majestic buildings that stretched out for hundreds of kilometers in all directions. The buildings fairly radiated the sensation of learning and culture, a righteous and noble aura that filled the area.

This enormous collection of buildings was none other than a fountainhead for civilization.

The Demi-Immortal Institute!

'How majestic!' Yang Qi thought when he first caught sight of the institute and city. He was literally a country bumpkin catching sight of the biggest forces in the lands, and couldn't hold back from craning his neck to look this way and that. All roads in the Sage Ancestor Dynasty led here, and as they neared, the traffic on them never ceased, no matter the time of day. Even at nighttime, the entire area would be brightly lit with fires and lamps.

It was quite a contrast to the turmoil and chaos of war that Yang Qi had seen on his way here.

With both Sage Ancestor City and the Demi-Immortal Institute being located here, there was enough military power to keep the peace for tens of thousands of kilometers in all directions.

Yang Qi made sure to hide his energy arts deep inside himself, making him seem like an ordinary person. Then, he entered Sage Ancestor City, where he found an inn to stay the night. The following morning, he headed over to the entrance of the Demi-Immortal Institute.

It was like an enormous temple, with countless towering structures here and there, so expansive that it was impossible to take in with a single glance. At the same time, it was so austere and impressive that no one would ever think to try to enter it unlawfully.

Of course, Yang Qi went directly to the hall set aside for receiving new students.

Outside was a square constructed of sparkling and translucent white stone slabs, so large it could fit hundreds of thousands of people.

As for the building that housed the entrance hall, it was so tall that one could easily get a crick in the neck from trying to glimpse its top. It was adorned with gold and jade to the point where it seemed completely holy and dignified.

Quite a few individuals could be seen kneeling in various locations in the square. There were young ones, middle-aged people, and even the elderly. Some were rich, some were poor.

This was the entrance to the grand Demi-Immortal Institute.

Yang Qi had asked around in the city the night before, and knew that people came every day to the main entrance, hoping to get accepted to study there.

Some were so devoted that they would remain kneeling for nine days and nine nights.

It was even said that people would occasionally drop dead from waiting there for too long.

This was the most prestigious educational establishment in all the lands, and therefore, being a part of it gave one incredible social standing. Yang Qi could even see some experts in the eighth phase, kneeling there quietly.

When Yang Qi simply showed up and started walking toward the entrance, many of those kneeling in the square noticed, and began to comment amongst themselves.

"That guy's got a lot of guts. Does he think he's just going to walk into the Demi-Immortal Institute?"

"He's not going to get in. People who try to enter the Demi-Immortal Institute uninvited get killed instantly."

"Is he out of his mind?"

"Calm down. Lots of crazy people try to get into the Demi-Immortal Institute in the hopes of getting famous. It was only a few days ago that a few youngsters came along and challenged the experts here. In the end, they were all beaten with a single palm strike. See the freshman students at the gate? They all have extremely profound energy arts."

As Yang Qi got closer, someone suddenly yelled out in a voice that shook the surroundings. "Stop right there! You can't just walk right into the Demi-Immortal Institute. If you want to join, kneel outside like everyone else, and wait for good fortune to come."

A young man wearing the uniform of the institute walked out, looking very imperious as he glared at Yang Qi. Apparently, he didn't think anyone out here was worthy to even talk to him.

In fact, he was acting exactly like the blue-robed young man from the Sea God Institute.

That was how the people from the institutes often acted, as though they existed on a higher level than anyone else. In the Rich-Lush Continent, there were a lot of organizations like the House of Spring and Autumn who weren't called institutes. They were considered to be of a lower level, and were in some ways dissident groups, as opposed to the institutes, who were the orthodox practitioners of energy arts.

Only the four institutes truly represented culture, civilization, and great daos.

Standing in front of the long corridor that led into the institute itself were these students, who kept watch as surely as if they expected an imminent invasion.

Yang Qi knew that even though these were the lowest-ranked students, the freshmen, they would still be treated with utmost honor and respect wherever they went.

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Acting neither servile nor overbearing, Yang Qi said, "I have a letter here instructing me to report in."

With that, he took out the letter from his aunt, Yang Susu.

Printed on the outside of the letter in ancient script was the word Demi-Immortal. Anyone who looked at it would be able to tell at a glance that the letter came from the institute itself. [1]

When the freshman caught sight of the letter, a solemn expression overtook his face. Not even opening it, he nodded and said, "Wait here for a moment while I report the matter to my superiors."

1. I don't want to get into spoilers, but I need to point out that "Demi-Immortal" is not the literal translation of the name of the institute. The two characters that make up the name are very complex and could be interpreted many different ways. I'm interpreting them as "Demi-Immortal" based on a wordplay explanation that comes up way later in the book.

Sage Monarch

Some time passed, and then the freshman student returned, letter in hand.

"You're Yang Qi, right? Come with me. For the most part, you already have your place as a student here. However, you still need to do a test to check your energy arts and cultivation base."

"Okay." All of a sudden, it felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. This entire time, he had worried that there might be some holdup because of internal matters in the institute. But now, everything seemed to be going smoothly. And considering the level of his cultivation base, he shouldn't have any problem fitting in.

Thus, he followed the freshman student into the entrance.

This was merely a building set aside to accept new students into the Demi-Immortal Institute; it had dozens of floors, and was constructed with bricks of white jade. Everything was carved with exquisite texts and images depicting various martial disciplines, sword stances, aphorisms and proverbs. It simply pulsed with a sensation of knowledge and power.

Yang Qi went through various hallways that twisted and turned through the building, and climbed higher and higher, until they were on the eighteenth floor. Eventually, they reached a room filled with wooden bookcases, all of which were apparently crafted from expensive sandalwood.

In the middle of the hall was a middle-aged man, standing there reading a book. From this high vantage point, the scenery was beautiful, with a clear view of the plains and the rivers beyond the institute.

A tremor passed through Yang Qi as he sensed that this man was a Master of Energy. His true energy was mighty to the extreme; he was clearly many times more powerful than Yang Zhan with the airmastery plant.

Up to now, Yang Qi had always assumed that the most powerful experts in the Master of Energy level would only be a bit stronger than his father.

But now he could see that he had truly been a frog in a well, his eyes obscured by a single leaf.

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If one split the Master of Energy phase up into three overall levels, then Yang Zhan and people like him would be at the lowest level.

It didn't take Yang Qi long to reconcile himself to this fact, though. After all, the world was a large place, and if a freakish hellion like himself could rise up, why couldn't other freakish hellions exist in other places?

This was the Demi-Immortal Institute, the number one most domineering organization in all the lands; it only made sense for it to abound with remarkable things.

The freshman student immediately bowed to the middle-aged man and then said, "Sect Uncle Chu, I've brought a new student here with an introduction letter."

"Very well. You wait outside."

The man waved his hand, sending the book in his hand flying off to a nearby shelf.

"So, young man, your name is Yang Qi. Is that right?"

"Yes."

Yang Qi was doing his best to keep his cultivation base completely under cover, leaving only the true energy of the Invincible King's Fist flowing through him. Everything else was hidden away in his sea of energy, and would appear as little more than a speck of nothing to anyone who looked at it.

That was a function of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth. It could take true energy and turn it into a speck of nothing, then turn that speck into a megamammoth, all in the blink of an eye.

"You're in the eighth phase. Not bad. And you just turned eighteen? If you can become a Master of Energy before twenty, your aptitude will be considered toward the top. Of course, Yanhaven is a small place. Presumably something miraculous happened to you?"

The man looked at Yang Qi with shining eyes, and was instantly able to tell 'everything about him'.

"Wow, Professor Chu, you have sharp eyes. Yes, I was struck by lightning a while back, which made my meridians stronger, and advanced my cultivation significantly."

"Oh? Struck by lightning, but didn't die?" With another wave of his hand, he sent a stream of true energy into Yang Qi's meridians.

Yang Qi plastered a look of surprise onto his face. However, he had already disguised his meridians to reveal only about ten percent of their full level.

The man's true energy was as nimble as a fish, and almost seemed intelligent as it went through him. After coursing through his meridians a few times, it came to rest at his sea of energy for a bit before leaving.

"Strong meridians," the man said. "And a good fleshly body. What energy arts and martial disciplines did you study? Why don't you do a little demonstration?"

"Yes sir," Yang Qi said. He quickly went through the forms of the Invincible King's Fist, summoning the six arms of true energy to accompany him. Each move he did was better than the last; overall, it was a very impressive performance.

The man instantly recognized what he was looking at. "The Invincible King's Fist. It's too bad you haven't been cultivating the full discipline. That's a royal-class energy art with nine forms, but you only have six of them. I would guess that our Demi-Immortal Institute's Scripture Pavilion probably has the full set. You just need to perform some meritorious service for the institute and you'll be able to get your hands on it. Very well, that's enough. You can go get your uniform now. You're a freshman student, so from here on out, you will only go up in the world. Understand?"

"Freshman student?" Yang Qi replied, a bit stunned. He had originally assumed that he would come in with a higher rank.

"What. Not happy?" Apparently, the man could tell what Yang Qi was thinking. "Everyone here starts out as a freshman student. The only way to rise in the ranks is to perform meritorious service, get stronger, and learn more. Now go. The Elder Brother outside will take you to the place where you can clean up and change into your uniform. You'll also be assigned a residence. Leave a record of your name at the admissions desk, and remember that you could be called in for assessment at any time."

"Yes sir," Yang Qi replied. Originally, he had assumed that he would be able to see his aunt right away, and possibly even Yun Hailan or Song Haishan. But now, he was coming to realize that in the Demi-Immortal Institute, rank and status were extremely important.

He needed to spend some time getting used to all the new rules and situations. Right now, he was too much in the dark.

At the moment, he didn't even dare to cast his true energy out to get a sense of his surroundings. There were just too many powerful auras, and if they caught on to him, they would definitely try to figure out who he was.

Back outside, the freshman student he had met earlier was waiting there, looking a bit bored. Upon seeing him emerge, he said, "Well, Junior Brother, congratulations on becoming a member of the Demi-Immortal Institute. From here on out, you're one of the top dogs in the Rich-Lush Continent!"

"Thanks so much!" Yang Qi replied. "I hope you'll look out for me, Elder Brother. Might I ask your honored surname and distinguished given name? And please accept a little gift to establish our friendship."

Smiling, he handed him a banknote worth one hundred thousand energy convergence pills.

That was no small number.

The freshman student nodded knowingly. "Of course, I'm happy to help out, Junior Brother. My name's Li He. Pleasure to meet you. Alright, come with me, we need to get your uniform and identity plaque. Then you'll officially be a student of our institute." [1]

With that, Li He led him down into the institute itself. Majestic pavilions and kiosks could be seen everywhere. Compared to this, the city magistrate's mansion in Yanhaven was like an ant colony.

As he walked along, Yang Qi almost felt like he was in paradise. At one point, he said, "Since I only just arrived, Elder Brother Li, I don't really understand how the sect works. Could you give me a quick rundown so that I don't make any mistakes right off the bat?"

"Ah, that's easy. We're the lowest ranked students in the Demi-Immortal Institute: the freshmen. Above us are the outer campus students, and then the inner campus students. After that are the elite students, and then the conclave students. Anyone who goes past the conclave student level is called a holy neophyte." The envy in Li He's voice was clear. "Ai. Those people are legends. I've been in the Demi-Immortal Institute for eight years, and I've never even seen one of them."

"What?" Yang Qi said, shocked. "You've been here for eight years and still haven't been promoted? Is it really that hard to get into the Outer Campus?"

"It's indeed hard," Li He said bitterly. "Very hard…. Unless you're a genius who constantly advances by leaps and bounds, you have to do it the slow way. According to the rules of the institution, you have to have performed plenty of meritorious services, and cultivated your energy arts all the way to the ninth phase. Then, if you pass the test, you can become an outer campus student."

"What?" Yang Qi said, stunned. "Only Masters of Energy can join the Outer Campus? What about the inner campus students? How strong are they?"

"Most of the inner campus students are Masters of Energy, too. However, they're all the best of the best. For example, that professor who just gave you the test is one. As for the elite students, they're all past the Master of Energy level, and are Lifeseizers."

Considering the gift Yang Qi had given him, Li He was giving a very detailed explanation of everything.

"Junior Brother, if you want to rise through the ranks, you either need to hand in a lot of merit points, or advance your cultivation dramatically. If you can pass the Master of Energy level, and seize life from heaven, the institute will promote you to elite student level. It's sort of a shortcut, and in fact, the easiest way to get promoted." Li He chuckled bitterly. "I'm still in the eighth phase, and unable to become a Master of Energy. Most of the freshman students are like me, stuck in the seventh or eighth phases."

"I guess that's to be expected from the Demi-Immortal Institute…." Yang Qi shook his head. Back in Yanhaven, people in the seventh or eighth phase were clan lords. Here, they were freshmen. 'At least I'll finally be able to get a look at a Lifeseizer. I wonder how strong they are?'

Before long, Li He and Yang Qi arrived at a room, inside of which was a bed, a desk, and various other necessities of life. It was actually very spacious.

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"This is your room. Over there is your uniform. Put that on, and you're an official student of the Demi-Immortal Institute. As for your daily tasks, you'll be informed of that later. Whatever you do, don't ever offend any of the important people among the freshman students. If you do, you'll have a very hard time getting along." With that, Li He waited outside for Yang Qi to get changed.

The uniform consisted of an exquisite white robe made of snow silk, which would keep one warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Back in Yanhaven, a robe like this would have been considered a treasure.

There was also a jade pendant which was carved with the words: Demi-Immortal.

Upon stepping out of his room, Yang Qi smoothed his robes, looked at Li He, and said, "By the way, Elder Brother Li, do you know a girl around here named Yun Hailan?"

1. Li He: Li is an extremely common surname that also means "plum". He means "crane". Incidentally, the He rhymes with "duh" not "bee"

Sage Monarch

Yun Hailan's whereabouts were one of his top priorities now that he was at the Demi-Immortal Institute, and he had already started trying to track her down.

This institute was a massive place, with too many buildings to even count, and countless secrets. Finding a single person was like fishing a needle from the sea.

"Yun Hailan?" Li He shook his head, apparently unfamiliar with the name. But then, after a moment passed, his eyes lit up. "Wait, I have heard of someone with that name. A girl, right? She joined the institute a few months ago. But she's not a freshman student; one of the higher-level students took an interest in her, so she's already in the College of Elite Students."

"What? She got straight into the College of Elite Students?"

The College of Elite Students was the highest college within the Demi-Immortal Institute, and every member was a Lifeseizer.

There was no way Yun Hailan was already in the Lifeseizing level, so how could she have joined the College of Elite Students? Back when Yang Qi had first met her, she was only in the sixth phase.

Of course, he was also aware that she was a shrewd schemer, and had kept much of her true powers secret.

But there was no way she had been in the Lifeseizing level, that was for sure.

"I think it might have something to do with an agreement between the Demi-Immortal Institute and the Sea God Institute." Li He shook his head. "According to the rumors, there's something very special about that girl's bloodline. She's an important person, you know? Somebody we freshman students can't even hope to emulate."

A grim expression had overtaken Yang Qi's face. 'I could never have guessed that Yun Hailan would immediately join the College of Elite Students….'

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Yun Hailan was now in a position of some reckoning. After all, Yang Qi was currently strong enough to win in a fight against ten Masters of Energy, but it would be suicide for him to cause problems for someone in that college level.

Considering the current level of his cultivation base, he definitely was not confident in being able to take on a Lifeseizer.

"Alright, Junior Brother. From now on, you're an official freshman student of the Demi-Immortal Institute. Why don't I introduce you to some of your new Elder and Junior Brothers? We'll be cultivating and working together pretty much every day, after all."

With that, Li He took Yang Qi to meet some of the other freshman students. Along the way, he reminded him not to go wandering around the institute. It was a big and complicated organization, and freshman students had to stay in their place and not cause any problems. Generally speaking, they attended to daily chores, cultivated, studied, and did whatever the Masters of Energy told them to do.

Occasionally, they would be able to travel outside of the institute on missions to earn merit points, which was how they could eventually get promoted.

From what Yang Qi could tell, merit points were the most important thing in the Demi-Immortal Institute.

They were earned by performing important services, and a record of them was kept on-hand in the institute. For example, a student could hunt demonlings for demon cores, then turn them in at the institute in exchange for merit points. Some insanely rich people even handed in energy convergence pills just to buy them.

With merit points, one could go to the Scripture Pavilion to study matchless martial disciplines and energy arts, or acquire help from a top expert to refine one's true energy and fleshly body. And it was also possible to buy treasured items, or have powerful techniques directly imparted into one's mind by the institute.

From all of this it could be seen how important merit points were.

Before long, Yang Qi was settled in the Demi-Immortal Institute, and life turned into a rather boring routine. Other than guard duty and various chores, he worked on cultivation in his room, or attended lectures in which Masters of Energy would talk about cultivation. None of it was very exciting.

Freshman students were the lowest of the low, and only had access to the most fundamental energy arts and martial disciplines of the Demi-Immortal Institute.

That said, Yang Qi was fine with it all. Being able to peacefully work on his cultivation meant that his Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth was becoming more refined by the day. He was growing stronger and his breathing exercises were more profound; by now, he could easily absorb the quintessence of the sun and moon, as well as the spirit energy of heaven and earth.

A month passed in which nothing of note occurred.

Even his mind and soul grew stronger; he almost felt like he truly was a godmammoth, capable of plucking stars and moons out of the sky.

Currently, he sat cross-legged in his room, his true energy surging through his meridians.

Just barely visible in his dantian region was a convergence of true energy that bubbled like lava. If anyone had been there to observe, they would have seen golden light flickering beneath his skin, almost as if he wasn't made up of flesh and blood anymore, but rather, gold.

Gold was everlasting, and right now, an everlasting aura filled him.

Before, the membrane beneath his skin had been transparent, but now it had turned golden.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and mouth, and spat out a burst of true energy, which wrapped around a sheathed sword that was hanging on the wall. The sword flew out of the sheath and whizzed through the air toward him. Grabbing it out of the air, he brandished it in front of him, causing pulses of frigid energy to roll out in all directions.

This was a treasured sword forged here in the Demi-Immortal Institute, made from uncommon metals, and it was so sharp that it could slice through iron as easily as mud.

Without any hesitation, Yang Qi ran the blade through the palm of his hand.

And yet, not a single mark could be seen on his skin.

Not even that incredibly sharp sword could harm him.

And he hadn't even fused his true energy with his fleshly body at this point.

Snap!

He flicked his finger, causing the sword to shatter into pieces.

"Infernal Deity Boneflame: Scorching Hellfire."

Intense true energy poured out of his palm, so hot that the ground in the area began to melt. As the energy entered the destroyed fragments of the sword, it turned them into liquid iron.

Upon cultivating the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth to the pinnacle, one's true energy changed. It could be like a freezing hell, a burning hell, a hell of blades, or a hell of sludge.

It could freeze a mighty river solid, or evaporate it into nothing.

Yang Qi was currently working on this particular energy art in the hopes of taking the broken pieces of various equipment and weapons, refining them, and then gaining a better understanding of how they worked. The end goal was to further his understanding of the jade thumb-ring he had acquired.

His intuition was telling him that it was some sort of treasured item.

After sending his true energy into the fragments of the sword, he quickly deduced that it had been constructed from an amalgamation of at least thirty types of metals, all of them fused perfectly to create an incredibly sharp blade.

Yang Qi was by no means a grandmaster of equipment forging, and therefore, couldn't specifically identify how the various metals had been knitted together. However, he could tell that there were imperfections that made the sword less than perfect.

With the wave of a hand, he caused his true energy to extrude the impurities, which became a small pile of sludge on the ground.

As the moments ticked by, the liquid iron slowly began to shape back together into a sword, this one smaller, only about seven inches long. In fact, it was more of a dagger. Reaching out, Yang Qi grabbed it. From the intense glitter that emanated off of it, it was clearly nothing ordinary.

A single swipe of the dagger could slice through the stone floor as easily as tofu. In fact, Yang Qi could tell that this dagger could definitely pierce through numerous types of defensive true energy.

"This thing is definitely worth some money. I wonder how much I could sell it for." With that, he carefully put the dagger away and then took out the blue jade thumb-ring.

As the ring hung in front of him, supported by his true energy, he exhaled some more true energy, which took the form of a crucible, right beneath the ring. Instantly, flames sprang up as if to roast the item into nothing.

This time, Yang Qi wasn't holding anything back.

Whoosh!

When the flames touched the ring, water vapor began to pour out it, filling the entire room with the aroma of the sea. It was even possible to hear the crashing of waves. As the water vapor continued to pour out, it gradually began to take the form of a humanoid entity.

It had the torso of a human and the body of a snake, and held a trident in its hand. It was ferocious to the extreme, and as soon as it appeared, it looked menacingly in Yang Qi's direction.

In the blink of an eye, Yang Qi felt like he was in another location, in the depths of the sea, with massive waves all around him. As for the snake-like entity in front of him, it was like a god of the sea, with its glittering trident pointed directly at his heart.

In fact, he had never even been in the presence of something this powerful.

This was power that surpassed the Master of Energy level. It was true energy left behind in the ring by some consummate master, given a form that could slaughter anything it encountered.

'Not good!'

Yang Qi reacted quickly, drawing on the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth to summon his Infernal Deity Spear, complete with its infinite variations. Without any hesitation, he thrust the spear out to meet the trident.

"Crush Hells, Subdue Devil-Gods!"

Yang Qi made an impressive sight, stabbing out with a spear that was like a mountain, causing black true energy to fill the area.

"Boundless Ocean," the snake creature hissed. Instantly, a huge vortex like an ocean sprang up around the trident, complete with massive waves that bore down on Yang Qi.

Two expert fighters were clashing, causing the furniture in the room to shatter into pieces.

They fought back and forth for a short moment, whereupon Yang Qi unleashed an explosive attack. The Infernal Deity Spear pierced through the air, destroying the trident before stabbing into the snake creature.

The creature was not real; it was merely a manifestation of Humanoid True Energy, left behind by some powerful expert. Gurgling sounds erupted from its mouth as the spear stabbed into it. And yet, the creature simply lunged forward, allowing the spear to pass through it.

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At the same time, Yang Qi felt some powerful will entering him.

Unexpectedly, the snake creature was trying to take control of his mind and soul.

This thing was far more powerful than a Master of Energy, that was clear. Apparently, it even had the ability to possess him.

However, as soon as it entered him, the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth erupted out, and a hell-crushing aura flowed through his meridians. In response, the creature shrieked, "What energy art is that? Dammit! That's the aura of a godly-class energy art…."

Even as the voice echoed out, it started to fade away, as strange transformations began to occur to it.

Sage Monarch

As the Humanoid True Energy entered Yang Qi, it began to transform. It wanted to take control of his soul, to possess him, and normally speaking, not even a Master of Energy would have been able to resist. Sadly for it, Yang Qi cultivated a godly-class energy art that was designed to crush hells.

Cracking, crunching sounds could be heard as the creature entered Yang Qi's dantian region to be absorbed by the lightning mammoth.

Normally speaking, if such powerful true energy entered a person, it would need to be expelled immediately lest it harm the meridians, or defile one's own true energy.

But with the quintessence of lightning that had come along with the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, Yang Qi could easily absorb it into his sea of energy.

Closing his eyes, he observed the energy settling into place in his dantian region, where it slowly transformed into a blue monster, the same snake-creature from before. However, it now seemed bereft of any ability to act or think of its own accord.

"Good!" Yang Qi murmured, prodding at it with his thoughts.

Unexpectedly, he found that he could manipulate it as easily as one of his own limbs.

At this point, he looked back at the jade thumb-ring which had been hovering there in the air this entire time. Without any further hesitation, he sent the strange stream of true energy directly into the ring.

Buzzzzzz….

The ring, which had not so much as trembled the entire time he had possessed it, suddenly began to shake violently.

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At the same time, scintillating blue light shot out of it, which took the shape of a human-sized door, covered with blue ripples like waves.

Yang Qi's eyes went wide with disbelief. "What's this?" He sent some true energy inside, and immediately realized that this door was a passageway to a small, self-contained dimension, roughly sixty square meters and as tall as seven or eight people.

As for the walls, ceiling, and floor, they all appeared to be made of rippling water.

There were a variety of objects stacked up here and there, the most eye-catching of which was an altar surrounded by bottles and bottles of energy convergence pills. The medicinal strength they exuded sent powerful fluctuations rolling out to fill the small dimension.

"A spell formation!" Yang Qi murmured, shocked. According to the rumors, some top masters became so powerful that they could send out true energy that would never fade away. Instead, it would perpetually absorb the spirit energy of heaven and earth. It was a level that far surpassed Master of Energy.

And this altar was exactly that type of object.

However, what was most intriguing of all wasn't the altar, but instead, a weapon that lay on top of it.

It was a trident that was apparently made of black gold, its surface covered with numerous complex designs. It was inlaid into the altar itself, which was absorbing the energy from the energy convergence pills, and using a powerful spell formation to imbue it into the trident.

It was almost as if this weapon were a person, absorbing spirit energy.

"A spirit weapon?" Yang Qi was aware that some weapons would develop a spirit and personality. After being refined with true energy to a certain degree, they would be able to absorb the spirit energy of heaven and earth, and do amazing things such as fly through the air.

Most powerful weapons could improve the wielder's true energy, but weapons with spirits and personalities were different. They could attack enemies on their own, and if they became strong enough, were often referred to as demons.

And in truth, such weapons had become demons, although they were referred to as spirit weapons. They were very rare, and in fact, Yang Qi had only ever seen one in his entire life, the flying sword that his aunt Yang Susu had used to transmit messages.

He had even entertained the hope that if he continued to refine that sword of his, it would eventually become a spirit weapon. Unfortunately, he didn't know much about equipment forging; having been in the Demi-Immortal Institute for only a month, there was no way he would have studied such things.

And yet, this trident here was most definitely a spirit weapon in the making. It was impossible to say how many energy convergence pills it had absorbed, but after examining it with his true energy, Yang Qi could see that it already had a system of meridian channels forming in it.

"This thing is amazing! If it truly becomes a spirit weapon, it will be incredibly powerful." Yang Qi was completely delighted. "Plus, this thumb-ring actually has its own dimension! Amazing! It must be some sort of legendary treasure. From now on, I can hunt way more demonlings than before. However many demon cores I harvest, I can keep them all in here."

At long last he realized that this ring was a legendary holding device.

How many objects could be stored in a sixty-square-meter area as tall as seven or eight people? From now on, he wouldn't need to carry important objects on his person anymore.

"No wonder that blue-robed youth wasn't carrying anything. He actually had a thumb-ring of holding!" With that, he went on to take a complete inventory of everything in the ring. In addition to the altar and trident, he found some sets of clothing and medicinal pills. Unfortunately, he didn't find any martial arts manuals.

There were also numerous banknotes worth more than thirty million energy convergence pills, which was a fortune.

"It's too bad that thirty million energy convergence pills are only worth three merit points in the institute. Virtually useless…." In the Demi-Immortal Institute, merit points were precious. Even a single one was worth ten million energy convergence pills.

Generally speaking, it wouldn't be worth it for anyone to buy merit points with energy convergence pills. They had set things up that way specifically to discourage students from doing so.

Yang Qi retracted his true energy, and the door vanished.

Reaching out, he grabbed the ring, which was when he noticed that he could now see writing on its surface: Heart of the Sea.

It was a legendary object from the depths of the sea, forged from a holy object that gave it the ability to hew out its own dimension.

Feeling very pleased with himself, Yang Qi put the ring away and looked around at the wreckage in his room. Taking a breath, he sent out numerous strands of Silk Rain of the Spring Silkworm, and before long, the room was back in order.

Thump thump. Thump-thump-thump….

It was at this point that Yang Qi realized someone was knocking on his door.

Sending some true energy through the door, he saw Li He along with his group of other freshman students.

When he opened the door, they all rushed in. "Yang Qi, we have a good opportunity on our hands. The institute issued a mission for freshman students that's worth a lot of merit points."

"What mission?" Yang Qi asked, starting to get a bit excited. After being in the Demi-Immortal Institute for a whole month, he hadn't accomplished anything of note. If he could get some merit points, though, it would make life a lot easier.

One of the freshman students was named Hua Yinhu. [1]

"An army of brigands has risen up in the northwest plains," he said. "They've been burning and pillaging everywhere, causing a lot of grief for the common people. What's worse, many of the common people who were killed had their blood sucked out of them. It seems that the brigands are probably cultivating some evil energy art. The institute wants students to investigate, so a lot of outer campus and even inner campus students are heading to the northwest. Luckily, there are also slots available for freshman students who want to join. All we have to do is kill some of the vampire brigands and bring their blood demon cores back here to get merit points." [2]

"Kill vampire brigands? That's all we have to do to get merit points?" Yang Qi was surprised. "That's a pretty hefty reward, isn't it?"

"Yeah, so a lot of students are planning on going. However, the fact that the reward is so high indicates that the vampire brigands are definitely not easy to deal with. That's why we need to join forces."

In addition to Li He, Hua Yinhu, and Yang Qi, there were two other students present, making them a team of five.

"Alright, let's do it!" Li He said excitedly. "Hey, Yang Qi, I heard that some people from the College of Elite Students might be participating in the mission. You never know, you might run into that Yun Hailan you've been looking for."

"Oh, really?" Yang Qi replied, an enigmatic smile playing out on his face, his pupils glittering.

Hua Yinhu thought for a moment and said, "Yun Hailan? She's way more important than any of us freshmen. I heard she's some sort of genius. I'm pretty sure that only two months ago she defeated an inner campus student who was in the ninth phase. Somebody like that must have some impressive backers. She's not the type that we could ever tangle with. We could only hope that one day we would have the chance to kiss up to her."

'What? She defeated a Master of Energy? How could she be advancing so quickly?' Yang Qi frowned, but recovered his composure quickly. This was the Demi-Immortal Institute; studying here was ten times more beneficial than being on the outside, perhaps even a hundred. Many students who had the right circumstances could easily get stronger in a short period of time.

After all, this was a holy land in the Rich-Lush Continent, a place whose legacy stretched back more than ten thousand years.

And Yun Hailan had joined it as an elite student, a position vastly above that of the freshmen.

Perhaps she was being groomed by a Lifeseizer.

However, Yang Qi was convinced that, no matter how strong she was, and no matter how proud, he would be able to crush her.

'You betrayed me, Yun Hailan. You used me to get that Latent Dragon Pill and then joined the Demi-Immortal Institute. I bet you never could have guessed that I would end up stronger than you. Unless you're already in the Lifeseizing level, I can definitely crush you. I can't wait to see the expression on your face in that moment. Will you still look as arrogant as you did back when you were toying with me?'

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Although the thought got Yang Qi's heart pounding, he didn't let it show on his face.

"What," Li He said teasingly. "Who is Yun Hailan to you anyway? A sweetheart of yours?"

"No," Yang Qi replied coolly. "But I know her. And she owes me."

1. Hua Yinhu: Hua is a common surname that has a lot of meanings. Yin technically means "respectful, regardful" and Hu means "tiger". However, the combination of them has a unique meaning. Without getting too complicated, it basically means "year of the tiger"

2. The specific words here implies that these brigands are "mounted bandits"

Sage Monarch

A biting wind swept across the lands, carrying with it a gritty sand that coated any passing travelers. These were the northwestern plains. It was now midwinter, and yet, no snow had fallen. It was a dry place, filled with yellow earth and bare hills. Occasionally, dried leaves would flutter drearily off barren trees, accompanied by the desolate caws of crows and ravens.

Li He cleared his throat and then spit; before the spittle could even reach the ground, it was frozen.

"The weather here is horrific," he said. "Sand everywhere. Your spit even freezes as soon as it leaves your mouth. Without strong energy arts, you'd probably freeze if you stayed out in the open. How do people survive the winters here?"

One of the other freshman students opened his mouth to reply, only to have it filled with sand, causing him to devolve into a fit of coughing and cursing.

Yang Qi was there in the team of five.

They had accepted the mission to eliminate vampire brigands, all in the hopes of earning some merit points.

There were other groups who had accepted the mission as well, but were acting on their own. That was how it usually went in the Demi-Immortal Institute; small groups would form, and if things went well with them, they might eventually form official organizations.

Licking his lips enviously, Hua Yinhu looked over and said, "Yang Qi, how can you be taking this so casually? Your true energy must be way more powerful than ours!"

Yang Qi was actually surrounded by a shimmering barrier of energy, which kept the sand and wind away from him. He was the only one among the group who was completely clean, unlike the others, who were covered with sand.

The truth was that they could all create similar barriers if they wanted to.

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After all, they were all in the eighth phase, and could perform Mind Incarnation. However, none of them were willing to casually waste their true energy in the way that Yang Qi did.

When they first arrived in the northwestern plains, and saw Yang Qi doing so, they had assumed it was because of his inexperience. After all, conserving true energy was one of the most important things to do on missions. One didn't want to run low of it in a crucial moment.

To waste true energy on keeping warm and sand-free seemed like suicide.

However, Yang Qi's energy fluctuations didn't seem to be weakening at all. His face was not flush from the effort, and was not even close to gasping. He seemed to be taking it all completely in stride.

None of them had ever encountered anyone with such boundless energy reserves.

One of the other students, He Jili, seemed very intrigued. [1]

"Hey, Yang Qi," he said. "We've seen you working on your cultivation, but haven't seen you fight yet. What are your energy arts and cultivation base like? We're all curious. Want to exchange some pointers? Warm up a bit?"

He Jili was in the eighth phase, and had an impressive background; he was born to a noble family from the Sage Ancestor Dynasty, which was far richer than the country bumpkin Yang Clan. They even had Lifeseizers there. Despite that, he had still been sent to study in the Demi-Immortal Institute.

"Hey, did you notice that?" Yang Qi said. "Forget exchanging pointers. I smell blood. Come on, let's go check it out!" He suddenly burst into motion, sending sand flying out everywhere as he shot off in a certain direction.

"Blood? How come I don't smell anything?"

The other four students shook their heads, but followed along.

They sped along for a few dozen kilometers before arriving at a desert bazaar. What they saw instantly caused their jaws to drop.

It was a huge market city, and everyone in it was dead. There were corpses everywhere, and the entire place was splattered with blood. There were men, women, the old, and the young. Even babies. All of them had been drained of blood, leaving them as nothing more than desiccated corpses. Furthermore, everything of value had been taken away.

Expressions of horror could be seen on the twisted corpses, as though their final moments had been filled with unimaginable pain.

There were already wolves present, gnawing at the corpses. The sound of crunching bones made the entire scene seem like hell itself.

Yang Qi very nearly gasped at the sight.

After looking around, he noticed that the nearby corpse of a particularly burly man had a wound on his neck that looked like a bite mark. Shockingly, these people had been bitten on the neck, and then had their blood sucked out of them.

The winter wind swept through the bazaar, and it sounded like the wailing of ghosts and the moaning of gods; it was enough to cause one's heart to twitch.

Some of the wolves howled, and then, noticing that there were living humans present, rushed toward the freshman students. However, Hua Yinhu quickly killed them.

"What cruel vampirism!" he said. "I wonder what energy art they were using. It's forbidden to cultivate vampiric arts; they can lead to rapid cultivation advancement, ten times the speed of ordinary people. But anyone found to be practicing such things would be killed instantly. Who would have ever thought that vampire brigands would rise up in the northwestern plains? If we don't drive them out immediately, who knows how much damage they'll incur?"

He shook his head. As the son of a marquis from the Sage Ancestor Dynasty, he knew much more about the world than the rest of the students. Kneeling down, he reached out to touch the blood that filled the hoof marks leading off into the distance.

"These people have only been dead for a few hours. Thanks to the temperature, a lot of evidence has been left behind. Looks to me like there were a few thousand brigands. They swept through the bazaar and killed everyone in roughly the time it takes an incense stick to burn. If we follow these tracks, we should be able to catch up to them."

'This Hua Yinhu knows what he's doing,' Yang Qi thought. Although he knew himself to be extremely powerful, it was obvious that it was going to take a lot of work to catch up to the other experienced students when it came to things like investigation and reconnoitering. He knew how to fight, but when it came to non-combat skills, the best thing to do for the moment was to keep quiet and learn from those who knew what they were doing.

"Since we have their trail, let's track down these vampire brigands and slaughter them all!" Filled with righteous indignation, the students immediately focused on ridding the world of devils and demons like the brigands.

Yang Qi was in full agreement. These vampires were dangerous, and the world wouldn't be safe until they were all dead.

Hua Yinhu took the lead, and the rest of the group followed him as he began to track the hoof prints off into the distance.

The northwest was gloomy at this time. Occasionally, they would pass hills or other terrain features where common people had set up residence. Sadly, all such structures had been destroyed.

Thousands of years ago, the northwest had been a prosperous place, but eventually, it had been taken over by desert sands, and descended into ruin. As the group continued on, they saw evidence of the civilizations that had existed in this place many years ago.

When they were a few hundred kilometers away from the bazaar, evening began to fall, and the sky turned dark. Thankfully, everyone in the group was an energy art expert, and could easily see in low light. From the thick clouds that choked the sky, it seemed likely snow would begin to fall soon.

At one point, Hua Yinhu stopped and pointed out in front of him. "Look, up ahead! The ruins of an ancient city. Be careful everyone. I'd say it's highly likely the vampire brigands have taken up residence in those ruins."

The winter wind howled across battlements which had watched thousands of years pass by.

The team of five sped forward until they were at the city gates. At that point, they realized that there was absolutely no signs of passage, neither of humans nor horses.

"Did we lose them?" Hua Yinhu murmured.

"It's fine," Li He said. "These brigands move about like the wind. Look, it's getting late. Why don't we find a place in these ruins to make camp? We can come up with a new plan tomorrow. Besides, it looks like it's going to snow, and we don't want to get stuck out in the open if that happens."

Everyone exchanged glances, and could see that they all agreed.

Not even people in the eighth phase would want to get stuck in a freezing storm that lasted the night. If spit turned into ice during the day, it could be imagined how cold the night would be.

And thus, the group of five entered the city gate.

The whimpering of the wind was even more ghostly inside the city, almost as though they had passed through the gates of hell. The shops that lined the streets were so old that their signage had long since rotted away into nothing.

"Let's look for a place that—" Before Li He could finish his sentence, a creaking sound filled the air as the city gates closed behind them of their own accord.

Other than Yang Qi, everyone was shocked. Spinning, Li He said, "Who's there!?"

Suddenly, they all had the feeling that they had walked into a trap.

Cawing like that of a crow or raven suddenly echoed out on the street, a sound that resembled that of fiendish ghosts who stalked the night. Whispering sounds could also be heard, although it was impossible to determine where exactly they came from.

"Watch out!" Hua Yinhu barked. "There's something strange about this city. Everybody stand back-to-back!"

Even as the words left his mouth, a shadowy figure appeared behind Hua Yinhu, the color of blood, with sharp fangs and claws. At the same time, a ghostly wind blew across them that caused their hackles to rise.

A claw slashed through the air, pulsing with blood-colored energy as it made contact with Hua Yinhu's defensive true energy.

An aroma of blood inundated the group that was so strong they nearly collapsed into unconsciousness.

Startled, Hua Yinhu let out a shout, but didn't have time to react before the blood-colored claw was almost right on him.

"Die!" Yang Qi growled as he attacked like lightning. Instantly, a wave of true energy shot out from him and struck the blood-colored figure.

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The thing screamed, then flew away, disappearing into the city.

As it turned out, it was Humanoid True Energy, dispatched by a Master of Energy.

"Who's out there?!" Hua Yinhu shouted. "Vampire brigands? Your end is nigh! We're students from the Demi-Immortal Institute! Get out into the open, you freakish hellions! It's time for you to die!"

At the same time, however, he projected his voice to everyone else in the group. "We're in trouble. We fell into their trap. Who would have thought that they had a Master of Energy on their side?"

1. He Jili: He is a common surname. Incidentally, it rhymes with "duh" not "bee". Jili is a common word that means "auspicious, lucky".

A ninth phase expert, a Master of Energy, had ambushed their team of five.

As for the seemingly blood-soaked figure, it was Humanoid True Energy that had slipped in as quietly as a ghost, and disappeared just as suddenly.

Normally speaking, if five freshman students in the eighth phase were attacked by someone in the ninth phase, they would be wiped out. Sadly for their attacker, though, the freakish Yang Qi was there to fight back.

Suddenly, an eerie voice echoed out in the distance. "Who would have guessed that there would be an expert hidden amongst the freshman students of the Demi-Immortal Institute?"

Along with the voice, a demonic wind swept through the desolate ruins that reeked of blood. The stench was so unbearable that the group nearly vomited.

"That's a blood-toxin energy art!" Hua Yinhu said, struggling to pull a medicinal pill out of his garment. "Get your antidote pills ready!" After consuming the pill, some color returned to his pale face, and wisps of blood-colored toxic energy seeped out of him.

"You take one, Brother Yang," Li He said, digging out some pills. Clearly, everyone else in the group was experienced enough to have come prepared for something like this.

"There's no need," Yang Qi said. "That blood-toxin has no way to get into me." Sure enough, the true energy flowing through his body prevented any tainted blood energy from entering him.

In fact, he even sent his true energy out for a few dozen paces in every direction, clearing it of any poison, and negating the demonic wind.

Seeing what was happening, the other four students edged closer to him.

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They were no fools, and could immediately tell what was going on. Yang Qi was obviously far more powerful than them, and was finally revealing the levels of strength that he had previously kept concealed.

"How could I have guessed that you were keeping your true strength so deeply hidden!?" He Jili said, rubbing his hands together eagerly. "Don't tell me you're already in the ninth phase! I guess I really would have embarrassed myself if I really got you to fight earlier, huh?"

"I'm not a Master of Energy," Yang Qi said with a smile. Shaking his head, he continued, "But don't worry, I could fight one if I really had to. I'll take care of you from here on out."

Of course, if he drew upon the true power of his cultivation base, he could easily flush out and kill whatever Master of Energy was hiding in the ruins. But that would be a bit too dramatic.

And right now, he could only use his Invincible King's Fist and Golden Bell Rampart.

The Four Seasons Swordplay wasn't an option; it was a consummate discipline of the House of Spring and Autumn, so if word got out, he might not be afraid of the consequences, but he had to think of his father and brothers.

Even still, with his level of true energy, he could use his two techniques to defeat a Master of Energy fairly easily.

Suddenly, sinister laughter echoed out around them. "Pretty confident in yourself, huh, you little brat. You think you're strong enough to escape me? What a joke! You brats don't know the height of the heavens and the breadth of the earth! You think you can come here and rid the world of devils and demons? Although, considering that you're all in the eighth phase and can perform Mind Incarnation, that means your blood will be much more rich and nourishing than that of mortals. I guess I'll just have to suck you all dry."

Yang Qi snorted coldly. "Enough grandstanding. Show your face."

With that, he stamped his foot onto the stone ground, using his true energy to grab ahold of a large chunk of stone, which he then sent shooting toward the top of a nearby wall.

A gasp of surprise suddenly echoed out, and then a blood-colored streak of light blurred forth, slamming into the rock and shattering it.

As the dust settled, a middle-aged man appeared on the wall, clad in a blood-red robe.

His face was as pale as death, and twisted into a ferocious expression. Two fangs were just barely visible, which were clearly used for the purpose of sucking blood. He pulsed with demon energy, making him seem almost like a demon, and thanks to whatever energy art he cultivated, he was surrounded by blood-colored light.

The man strode off the wall, stepping onto the air as though it were solid ground.

As he approached, more brigands appeared on the walls, hundreds of them, all with profound energy arts. Even the weakest among them was in the fifth phase, and with a mere glance, Yang Qi identified at least ten who were eighth phase experts. Each and every one of them radiated the stench of blood, and were fiendish to the extreme.

As they looked down at Yang Qi and his companions, they seemed like hungry wolves eyeing helpless sheep.

"We're done for!" Li He murmured. He and the others all had ashen faces, and felt despair gripping their hearts.

"We still have a chance to get out of here," Hua Yinhu said. "If we send out a distress call, any students within fifty kilometers will come to help." With that, he pulled out a small firework pellet. He would only have one chance to shoot that pellet high into the air and alert the nearby students. Without any hesitation, he threw it as high as he could.

Pop!

A holy light exploded above them, which gradually took the shape of the word: Demi-Immortal.

Anyone within dozens of kilometers would be able to see it clearly.

"That's not going to do you any good," the leader of the brigands said. "We've locked this place down tight. There isn't a living soul within fifty kilometers. If you think other students from your institute are going to come help you, you're a complete fool."

The leader truly didn't seem to care at all about their distress signal.

Eyeing Yang Qi, he said, "I want this brat's blood. The rest of you share the others."

"Yes sir!" the other brigands replied, and then began to chuckle menacingly.

"What do we do?!" Hua Yinhu said. He and the others looked over at Yang Qi, whom they had already come to view as their leader.

The fact that so many of these brigands were energy arts experts, all ready to attack, seemed to indicate that escape was an impossibility.

Yang Qi frowned. 'It seems that the only way to kill these brigands is to use my true strength. If I do that, it could lead to problems later on. But then again, impressing these four right now might be a good thing. As long as they keep my secret, it shouldn't be a problem.'

His frown vanished, and he prepared for the slaughter to begin.

"Kill them!" the leader shouted, his Master of Energy cultivation base surging to life.

The fight was just about to begin, and yet, that was when a whistling sound suddenly filled the air.

It started out at a great distance, but within moments, was only a few kilometers away. By that point, it sounded like rumbling thunder that caused the ruins around them to tremble physically.

Everyone present looked around in shock.

Even Yang Qi was visibly surprised.

Based on what he was hearing, this was a level of true energy that surpassed anyone he had ever met before. It was at least ten times more powerful than the Master of Energy level, perhaps even a hundred times. It was far beyond anything ordinary.

Shivering, he thought, 'Don't tell me… it's a Lifeseizer…?'

He had just been preparing to unleash his true level of power, but now, he reined in his true energy, and decided to just wait patiently and watch how the situation developed.

The whistling sound suddenly ended, as quickly as it had begun.

At the same time, a figure appeared on a nearby section of the city wall.

It was a young man dressed in simple hemp garments that made him look like an ascetic monk. However, he had a sword strapped to his back, and was so dignified and imposing, with such powerful energy, that anyone who saw him would be inclined to drop to their knees to offer worship.

From his position on the wall, he looked over the scene, and anyone his gaze touched felt like their soul was being struck by a lightning bolt.

Looking at the leader of the brigands, he said, "You freakish hellions! How dare you ambush Demi-Immortal Institute students!"

"Who are you?!" the vampire brigand leader shrieked. Obviously, he recognized how powerful this young man was.

"Chu Tiange from the Demi-Immortal Institute. Remember my name after I kill you. After all, we wouldn't want moronic ghosts in hell, would we?" [1]

Even as Chu Tiange spoke, sword light spread out from the sword on his back, almost like a bright sun that illuminated all of the city walls.

Before the vampire brigands could even react, countless streams of sword energy stabbed through them, provoking blood-curdling screams.

"A Lifeseizer!?" the leader shrieked. He spun in place, and a pair of blood-colored wings sprouted from his back as he prepared to flee.

However, before he could, the sun-like sword light covered every possible path available to him.

Moments ago, the ancient city had been like a ghost city in the depths of night, sinister to the extreme. But now, intense, sun-like sword light filled it, dispelling any ghostly energy, and filling the place with warmth.

Only shocking types of energy arts could provoke such an astrological phenomenon with only one move.

"A cosmic sunflare leaves thousands shocked. A blow against evil that cannot be blocked. A Demi-Immortal elite who cannot be stopped! Only Chu can sing a song of the heavens!" [2]

As Chu Tiange chanted his poetry, his sword energy swept out dramatically. A moment later, the vampire brigand leader screamed, and was cut down, completely unable to fight back.

Then, a blood-colored demon core flew out of him.

Chu Tiange had used a single move to kill hundreds of brigands, and also cut down a Master of Energy.

To him, it had been as easy as brushing some dust off of his shoulder.

After the sword light died down, Hua Yinhu bowed his head and said, "My respects, Elder Brother Tiange."

Li He and the others followed suit.

"No problem," Chu Tiange said, looking them over. His gaze came to rest on Yang Qi. "You're the ones who released the distress signal?"

"Yes."

"It's dangerous for freshman students like yourselves to try to take out vampire brigands of this level. I've already investigated the matter thoroughly; these brigands are the work of one of the demon kings of the seventy-two grottos, which is subordinate to the Hanging Mountain. Specifically, they came from the Blood Demon Grotto. Their entire purpose here is to sow chaos and wreak havoc." Looking back up into the sky, Chu Tiange said, "They're beyond you, so just leave."

It was at that point that a howl like that of a lion suddenly reached their ears, and several shadowy figures appeared.

Shockingly, they were colossal monsters, creatures with the heads of lions and the bodies of birds. Yang Qi recognized them. They were demonlings called griffons, an ancient breed that some institutes raised as mounts.

The griffons swooped in and landed on the city wall, whereupon a few people hopped off, all of them students from the Demi-Immortal Institute. And none of them were freshmen. Laughing, they looked at the scene spread out in front of them.

"You're so awesome, Elder Brother Tiange. You killed all of the brigands before our griffons could even catch up."

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Suddenly, Yang Qi's eyes flashed with cold light, and his gaze became a stare that locked onto one particular young woman, dressed in blue clothing.

It was her!

Yun Hailan!

1. Chu Tiange: Chu is a common surname which also means "distinct, clear, orderly" as well as a variety of other things. It's the same Chu from Chu Yuyan in ISSTH. Tian means "heaven, sky" and Ge means "song, sing". So Tiange could be translated as "song of heaven"

2. This translation is not completely accurate in terms of the meaning, but close enough as far as I'm concerned. My main goal was to make the first three lines rhyme like they do in Chinese. The fourth line is not supposed to rhyme. It's a play on words, as his given name (by itself) means "song of heaven" or "sing to the heavens" if used in this context

Sage Monarch

Yang Qi felt the blood rushing to his head, and could even hear grinding sounds as he gritted his teeth. His hands were clenched so tightly into fists that blue veins bulged out on his wrists and forearms.

This was his first time laying eyes on her after her betrayal.

The events had occurred more than half a year ago, and yet, her face had remained imprinted in his heart and mind the entire time. In fact, he couldn't even count how many times he could see her staring at him contemptuously as he fell asleep at night, or when he went about cultivation. She was beautiful, but at the same time, despicable. Many times during the clan warfare he had participated in, when he saw the mangled, screaming, blood-soaked enemies, he had daydreamed of seeing her in such a state one day.

Now they were in each other's presence again, and the hatred was nearly overwhelming him. However, he knew that he couldn't actually attempt to take revenge right now; he just wasn't strong enough. Not by a long shot.

After all, he was also in the presence of a Lifeseizer, Chu Tiange.

The sword technique Chu Tiange had just used was so powerful it could encompass an entire city, and had been able to kill scores of vampire brigands with almost no effort. Yang Qi could tell that he was not a match for that.

This was his first time witnessing the might of a Lifeseizer.

Before, he had assumed that they were simply a bit more powerful than Masters of Energy; but now, he could tell that the disparity was the exact opposite of small.

In fact, the mysterious sun-like sword energy that Chu Tiange had unleashed had even seemed to contain the spirit energy of heaven and earth, and could lock down the sky and the land in all directions.

That was what happened when one could absorb the spirit energy of heaven and earth.

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Yang Qi knew that eventually, when a person was powerful enough, he could absorb both the spirit energy of heaven and earth, as well as the quintessence of the sun and moon. Because of that, it wasn't necessary to only use energy convergence pills.

After all, medicinal plants and vegetation could absorb such energies. By taking such ingredients and using them to make medicines, one could then acquire that energy to bolster one's own true energy.

Only by reaching the Lifeseizing level could one 'seize energy' by forcibly taking it from heaven and earth.

Energy was life. Life was energy.

As some people said: without energy, life will end.

There were countless types of spirit energy within heaven and earth, and innumerable quintessences. However, experts in the Energy Arts level couldn't absorb them. It was something only Lifeseizers could do.

And that was why that level was such a major step up.

'My cultivation base is in the eighth phase, and I have the power of ten ancient megamammoths, but I still would die if I fought a Lifeseizer. If I could achieve another breakthrough, and become a Master of Energy, I would be able to use the Hellfire Crucible, and then I might have a chance…. Wow, Yun Hailan is so powerful! She's not a Lifeseizer, but it looks like she's already a Master of Energy! Well, I guess that's what comes from consuming a Latent Dragon Pill.'

Yun Hailan's aura was so powerful that Yang Qi was almost certain he could see the image of an enormous blue ocean made of true energy behind her, within which dragons swam. Apparently, that was the power of true dragons.

Her exquisite blue clothing made her look like an immortal that had just stepped out of the ocean. She seemed free of all mortal impurities, and even prettier than she had in the past. Virtually any man who saw her would want to worship her.

At the moment, she wasn't looking around at the others present, but rather, was focusing her attention on Chu Tiange.

"Elder Brother Chu, your Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique has reached the point of absolute perfection. I think it won't be long before you reach Secondary Lifeseizing. At that point, you'll be twice as powerful as you are now!"

Yun Hailan's voice was so soothing and natural that everyone who heard her speaking would instinctively relax. With the exception of Yang Qi. To him, it was the sound of profoundly sinister schemes and plots.

Chu Tiange shook his head. "Not necessarily. The Lifeseizing level is broken up into nine stages, each one of which involves seizing life from the heavens and significantly increasing one's own life force. But the spirit energy of heaven and earth will fight back, and many people who have lost control during that process end up being ripped to shreds. Secondary Lifeseizing is no joke, and can't be rushed into."

At this point, he smiled warmly, making him seem completely different from the man who had just slaughtered countless enemies. "But you're different, Junior Sister. You have the blood of a sea god in you. As a descendant of a god-spirit, you can progress much more rapidly than me. In fact, many of the professors in the institute think that you're more of a genius than me. I expect it won't be long before you become a Lifeseizer as well."

"Thank you for your kind words, Elder Brother," Yun Hailan replied, looking like the picture of elegance. "Well, having killed all of these vampire brigands, I'm sure you'll receive a hefty reward of merit points."

"I don't care about the merit points, Junior Sister. If you could use the demon cores, they're yours."

He waved his hand, and numerous blood-colored demon cores flew up from the corpses and into a sack which he offered her.

"Well, many thanks to you, Elder Brother." She waved her hands, and a young man stepped forward to take the bag for her.

That young man was none other than Song Haishan, clad in a suit of white armor. Unexpectedly, during the short half-year he had been in the Demi-Immortal Institute, he had already raised his cultivation base to the Master of Energy level as well. Normally speaking, that would take an ordinary individual an entire sixty-year cycle to accomplish.

Hopping back onto his griffon, Song Haishan glanced cursorily at Yang Qi and his companions and said, "You freshman students came to try to kill vampire brigands? How reckless! These vampires are the work of the Blood Demon Grotto, a subsidiary organization of the Hanging Mountain. They all cultivate using blood demon energy, and are experts at sucking the blood out of living beings. You're no match for them, so get back to the institute immediately. That way we won't be troubled by having to save you again."

The only people who could use griffons were either outer or inner campus students, which meant that they were beyond the compare of mere freshman students.

Hua Yinhu had long since come to the conclusion that they needed to leave. Grabbing Yang Qi, he said, "Come on, let's get out of here."

It was only at that point that Yun Hailan finally looked over at them. When her gaze came to rest on Yang Qi, a strange expression appeared on her face, including a hint of disbelief.

Song Haishan noticed her strange expression, and followed the line of her gaze to Yang Qi, whereupon his eyes lit with surprise. Then, he sneered viciously and said, "Yang Qi! It's you! You joined the Demi-Immortal Institute?"

"That's right," Yang Qi replied in a sonorous voice that everyone present could hear. "I'm a student now too. Surprised, Song Haishan? After being crippled, I experienced a complete recovery."

From the way he spoke, it was also obvious that he held Song Haishan in complete contempt.

Keeping his voice calm, he looked over at Yun Hailan and said, "It's been half a year since we saw each other last, Yun Hailan. Congratulations on the progress you've made, I guess that Latent Dragon Pill worked out well for you."

Yun Hailan had already recovered her composure, and it was now impossible to tell what she was thinking or feeling. Smiling faintly, she said, "You're in the eighth phase, Yang Qi. Seems you must have encountered some good fortune of your own. Well, it's good to see you again. Who would have thought that you would also end up in the number one educational establishment in all the lands? Focus well on your studies, and be a good student. Don't try to show off. Eventually you can go back to Yanhaven, get married, and live out the rest of your days in peace."

There were volumes of meaning contained within her words; she was reminding him that he was lucky to be alive, and at the same time, warning him to know his place.

"Live out the rest of my days in peace?" Yang Qi replied, smiling. "If I can break through to the Lifeseizing level, and increase my longevity, maybe I could eventually live forever. Then, I could enjoy all the wonderful aspects of life for all time. There are a lot of things I want to do, and I'm definitely not going to stop until I reach the ultimate pinnacle. However, listen well, Yun Hailan. Relying on treacherous schemes won't get you to the top. True strength comes from the heart!"

"What gall!" Song Haishan shouted, leaping off his griffon and then flying down from the city wall. Striding toward Yang Qi, he said, "Who the hell do you think you are? You're nothing more than a measly freshman student! How dare you talk to Hailan that way! She's an elite student!"

"What," Yang Qi replied, standing his ground, killing intent swirling in his heart. "You think you're going to teach me a lesson or something, Song Haishan?"

"Teach you a lesson?" At that point Song Haishan laughed loudly. "You think you're worthy of me? Let me tell you, Yang Qi, you've been nothing more than a bug to me from day one. Things haven't changed. You're nobody. You think because you got some good fortune and reached the eighth phase that you suddenly have the right to be a boorish philistine? Some people are born geniuses, and some people are born trash. And you're the latter: Trash! You'll never change that. I guess that's something barbarians like you will never understand!"

Seeing how things were developing, and worrying that Yang Qi would come out the worst of it, Li He leaned over and whispered, "Brother Yang Qi, let me handle this. This Song Haishan is at the very least an outer campus student. He completely outranks us. Whatever grudges you held in the past, you should just let them go."

Then, he stepped forward and addressed Song Haishan. "Elder Brother Song, it seems that my Brother Yang Qi has a beef with you. But we're all Demi-Immortal Institute students now. As the saying goes, it's best to turn weapons of war into gifts of jade and silk. What do you say? Why don't you give us some face and—"

Smack!

Before he could finish speaking, Song Haishan stepped forward as quickly as lightning and slapped him across the side of the face, causing blood and teeth to spray out of his mouth as he was knocked to the ground.

Then, Song Haishan spat on him. "Give you some face? Who the hell are you? You're nothing but a measly freshman student. How dare someone like you talk about face to me! You think I owe you face?"

Not even Yang Qi could have guessed that Song Haishan would actually strike Li He.

He could have intervened, but was not blind to the fact that Chu Tiange was staring at him closely, forcing him to expend almost all his effort on concealing the evidence of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, and revealing only his Invincible King's Fist and Golden Bell Rampart.

However, the sight of Li He laying there on the ground caused his killing intent to begin to burn.

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Stepping forward, Yang Qi helped him to his feet and then sent some true energy into him. A moment later, the swelling on his face was gone.

As for his missing teeth, they would grow back eventually.

After all, energy arts masters were far beyond ordinary people, and could circulate their energy in a way that would mend bones and cause broken teeth to grow back.

"Many thanks, Brother Yang," Li He said with a wry smile. "I really made a fool of myself, didn't I?"

"Don't worry, Brother Li. I'll help you pay back that slap with plenty of interest." Yang Qi's voice then turned as cold as ice. "Nobody hits a brother of mine. He broke some of your teeth? I'll break every bone in his body!"

Sage Monarch

"Pay it back? With what?" Song Haishan looked on coldly as Yang Qi helped Li He up, and then healed him with true energy. Secure in the knowledge that he had powerful backers, he was certain he was in absolute control of the situation.

"I'm an outer campus student, so I have full authority to provide instruction to freshmen. This little punk failed to study something he should have studied: Respect! Who does he think he is, asking that I give him face? And then there's you, Yang Qi. I'm offended by your tone of voice, and normally speaking, would cripple you for it. However, considering that you're part of the Demi-Immortal Institute now, I'll give you a chance to turn over a new leaf. Get on your knees and give me three sets of three kowtows. Then, I might let you off the hook. What do you say?"

The expression on Song Haishan's face was as vicious as a cat's when looking at a mouse.

Obviously, he was just having some fun, and everyone present could tell that even if Yang Qi did kowtow to him, he still wouldn't let the matter drop.

As for Yun Hailan, she simply looked on, seemingly engrossed with what was happening.

Chu Tiange, on the other hand, was a powerful Lifeseizer. He remained on the city wall, hands clasped behind his back, his robe rippling in the wind. It was at this point that snowflakes began to drift down from above.

"It's snowing," Yang Qi said, reaching out to let a snowflake land on his finger. "It's too bad there's an annoying dog barking in my ear, ruining the scene."

When Li He heard his words, his jaw dropped. Hua Yinhu and He Jili shivered and turned to look at him, their eyes written with terror, completely incapable of comprehending why Yang Qi would say something like that.

"What did you just say?" At first, Song Haishan wasn't sure he had heard clearly. However, after a moment passed, his face turned purple, and he looked like he might explode at any moment.

"What are you, deaf?" Yang Qi shouted, his words echoing like thunder. "Well, Song Haishan, are you? I said you're an annoying dog!"

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"Are you looking to die!?" Unable to hold back any longer, Song Haishan burst into motion, curling his fingers into dragon's claws, along with his true energy surging out to form clouds around him. As he moved forward, his claw-like hands stretched out from within the clouds, as if searching for prey.

Seeking Claw of the Cloud Dragon!

The true energy claw attack was so powerful that the stone beneath Song Haishan's feet shattered. He was obviously holding nothing back, and the killing intent in his move made it clear that he wanted Yang Qi dead.

However, Yang Qi didn't even pay attention to the claw attack. Clenching his hand into a fist, he unleashed the Invincible King's Fist, causing six crab-like arms to appear behind him.

His true energy was as powerful as a ten-thousand-ton boulder, and as it catapulted forth, it hit Song Haishan's true energy and crushed it into nothing.

The onlookers saw Yang Qi's six arms of true energy form together into something like a sphere, which then rolled forth and smashed into Song Haishan, completely destroying all of his defensive true energy.

Song Haishan screamed as he was sent flying backward, his clothing in tatters. When he finally rolled to a stop, he tried to struggle to his feet, but failed.

"Defeated…?" Li He blurted.

Yang Qi's friends weren't the only ones who were surprised. All of the outer campus students on the griffons were completely taken aback. After all, Song Haishan was a Master of Energy, and Yang Qi was only in the eighth phase. Generally speaking, they existed on completely different levels, and no one would ever think that the fight would have gone this way.

Yun Hailan was also visibly shocked.

"What's this?" Chu Tiange murmured, also surprised.

"You…." Song Haishan simply couldn't believe that he had been defeated, and still wanted to try to kill Yang Qi.

But before he could move, Yang Qi was right next to him. Squatting down, he patted his cheek and said, "You think that just because you're a Master of Energy, you can handle me? You see, what you don't know is that I've already absorbed an airmastery plant. I have the same level of inner force as a Master of Energy…."

Of course, Yang Qi mentioned an airmastery plant as a way of concealing the truth about his cultivation base.

When he helped Yang Zhan absorb the airmastery plant inside him, he had acquired some of the plant's aura, and therefore, had a deep understanding of it. Furthermore, the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth could easily imitate the true energy of the plant, in a way that no other person could detect.

Unless Chu Tiange actually sent some true energy into Yang Qi, he wouldn't be able to pick up on any clues.

"Hailan, kill this brat!" Song Haishan screamed, hardly able to stand the humiliation.

Whack!

Yang Qi slapped Song Haishan squarely on the side of the face.

Another scream escaped Song Haishan's lips, as well as a mouthful of blood and teeth.

"Like I said, if you insult a brother of mine, I'll pay the insult back ten times over. Now, prepare to have your energy arts crippled. That'll get rid of your little superiority complex."

With that, he gathered his true energy together in preparation to cripple Song Haishan.

"Enough!" Chu Tiange said. Although he was far away on the city wall, he waved his hand, sending a stream of true energy out that took the form of an army of horses and soldiers. In the face of that, Yang Qi had no choice but to back away.

'Incredible!' Yang Qi thought, fully aware that he couldn't fight back against that energy unless he relied on his true powers. But if he did that, it would attract the suspicions of Chu Tiange, which he couldn't have right now.

While he backed away, the true energy picked up Song Haishan and pulled him back to the city wall. There, Chu Tiange grabbed him and sent some true energy into him.

Song Haishan immediately began to tremble as his blood heated, causing him to inflate almost like a balloon.

"Behold the spirit energy of heaven and earth!" Chu Tiange said. As everyone looked on, streams of green light fell from the sky, entering Song Haishan and repairing his teeth instantly.

'So, Lifeseizers can even do that?' Yang Qi licked his lips in near disbelief.

Although he hadn't been able to kill Song Haishan, humiliating him did ease some of the inner tension. Of course, he cared a lot more about Yun Hailan. Song Haishan was nothing more than a henchman of hers.

Tossing Song Haishan back onto his griffon, Chu Tiange turned to Yun Hailan and said, "Very well, he's all healed up. Junior Sister Hailan, do you have some sort of grudge with that brat? He has some impressive true energy, and considering he used an airmastery plant, if he becomes a Master of Energy, he'll be even more powerful. A word from you, and I can resolve the matter immediately, although you would owe me a favor. What do you say?"

Chu Tiange's words immediately caused the atmosphere to become very tense.

From the way he spoke, he didn't even think Yang Qi was worth looking at, and if he wanted to, could take him out instantly.

"Elder Brother Tiange," Hua Yinhu blurted, "Sir, you're a Lifeseizer! Why do you have to make things so difficult for us?"

Chu Tiange ignored him, keeping his gaze fixed on Yun Hailan.

Yun Hailan looked at Yang Qi for a long moment, then sighed. "Forget it. His aunt is Yang Susu. Besides, airmastery plants aren't anything special. Let's go, Elder Brother Tiange. There are still plenty of vampire brigands left to kill."

Chu Tiange's eyes suddenly glittered with intense light. "He's Yang Susu's nephew? Well, isn't that interesting. But you know, Yang Susu isn't really that extraordinary. As I said, a single word from you, and I'll end all of this frustration for good."

"Many thanks, Elder Brother, but let's go." Yun Hailan hopped back onto her griffon, which spread its wings and then launched up into the air. Looking back down, she said, "Yang Qi, it would be best for you to know your place. Leave the Demi-Immortal Institute. If you don't, you'll regret it sooner or later."

"Thanks for your concern," Yang Qi replied. "Although, you should be more worried about yourself."

Chu Tiange gave Yang Qi a long look, then blurred into motion, becoming a series of afterimages that shot off into the distance.

And thus, a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering event came to conclusion.

When Li He and the others were finally alone, they all breathed long sighs of relief, although they were all still taut with nervousness.

As for Yang Qi, he closed his eyes and sat down cross-legged, almost as if he were working on his cultivation.

After some time passed, Hua Yinhu found an area nearby where some trees had begun to grow in the ruins of the city. Within those trees was a ramshackle hut, where he quickly set up a fire. Hurrying back to Yang Qi, he said, "Why don't we spend the night here? There's nothing dangerous in the area now. With all the brigands slaughtered, and Chu Tiange nearby, there definitely won't be any more incidents."

"Lifeseizers are incredible," Yang Qi said, opening his eyes. "You four warm up by the fire. I'm going to work on my cultivation in this snowstorm. After seeing Chu Tiange in action, I've gained some enlightenment, and want to push toward my next breakthrough."

"Alright. In that case, we won't disturb you."

With that, everyone went to sit by the fire, although they kept an eye on Yang Qi.

The snowfall grew heavier and heavier, and before long, the ground was pure white.

Yang Qi had already summoned a protective barrier to keep the snow away.

'Yun Hailan, it won't do you any good to hide behind Chu Tiange. I can defeat him.' His true energy surged through him like lava ready to erupt from a volcano.

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Meanwhile, the lightning mammoth was already active inside him.

Slowly but surely, the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth was causing something like a crucible to form within his sea of energy.

The Hellfire Crucible actually contained the lightning mammoth, and was slowly melting it, extracting its life force quintessence.

Whizz!

Another particle woke up inside Yang Qi, filling him with the power of an eleventh ancient megamammoth.

Sage Monarch

'Hell-Crushing Godmammoth; return of the king of hell….'

As the eleventh particle within Yang Qi woke up, his mind and heart were filled with the fundamental meaning of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, saturating his true energy to an even further degree.

The liquid-like true energy within him was now crystallizing, and snowflake-like magical symbols were swirling within his sea of energy. Each of those symbols, which were expressions of true energy, contained different properties, and yet, they all seemed to be stretching out toward the heavens.

Even his soul seemed to be encompassed by his true energy.

The energy poured from his meridians, flowing toward his sea of energy, making it feel as though all parts of his body were linked together.

'This is what it feels like to be a Master of Energy!' he thought, filled with excitement at the prospect of an imminent breakthrough.

Upon reaching the ninth phase, it was true that all parts of the body became linked together. The true energy that was produced by the meridians not only became stronger, it formed river-like streams that flowed into the sea of energy.

In this level, one became vastly stronger than an ordinary person, and could last for much longer in a fight.

Because of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, Yang Qi was already a hundred times stronger than an ordinary person, and was very familiar with the Master of Energy level.

After all, he had helped to unleash the medicinal effects of the airmastery plant in his father.

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Therefore, the transformations which were occurring now were by no means strange.

As soon as he felt the various parts of his body linking up, he guided the newly-created magical symbols into the shape of the Hellfire Crucible.

It was only an embryonic version, not fully formed. He would need to cultivate further to unleash its true power, but if he did, it would be easy to fight Chu Tiange.

After all, the legendary Hellfire Crucible had originally been used to melt and refine disgraced gods.

Even its embryonic form served to purify any type of true energy within him.

For example, the true energy of the Invincible King's Fist, the Golden Bell Rampart, the Four Seasons Swordplay, or even the scrap of sea god energy. All of them became purer upon passing through the Hellfire Crucible, and would not conflict with each other.

As a result, he could use virtually any type of energy art that he wanted.

At the moment, snow choked the sky and covered the lands, making all existence a mass of whiteness.

Hua Yinhu looked out at Yang Qi sitting there in his defensive barrier and said, "I wonder what exactly Brother Yang Qi's cultivating, he's been out there in the snow for a long time. If I tried to sit out there all night, I'm afraid my true energy would run out."

"He's so strong that he can already defeat Masters of Energy," Li He said. "He's got so much true energy I don't think it would ever run out. However, he picked a fight with Song Haishan, an outer campus student. That's only going to cause more and more problems down the line."

"What are you scared of?" said Liang Dong, another of the students. "As long as he's strong enough, those stuck-up bullies won't dare to provoke him." [1]

The team of freshmen consisted of five students in total: Yang Qi, Li He, He Jili, Hua Yinhu and Liang Dong.

Liang Dong was the most mysterious. He had been in the institute for the longest, and yet, nobody knew anything about him. However, it was obvious that he wasn't a nobody.

As he picked up another piece of firewood and tossed it into the fire, he heard a strange noise coming from outside. At the same time, he smelled something that made him think of lava from hell, causing him to sneeze.

"What's going on? Is there a volcano in the area?" Shocked, he rose to his feet. "Look! Brother Yang Qi is experiencing a transformation! Do you sense that power?!"

Everyone else stood up and looked over nervously at Yang Qi.

The barrier which surrounded Yang Qi was getting bigger. And it was no longer transparent; instead, it was as red as fire or even lava, and just as hot, causing all of the snow in the area to evaporate and rise up like steam.

Even the ground began to grow soft, and then melt and bubble.

All coldness in the area was driven away, to be replaced by incredible heat.

In fact, all the snow that had built up within the ancient city around them was turning into steam.

"Hot! So hot!" Li He and the others were all having trouble enduring.

RUMMMBLE!

Moments later, it got so hot that the shack they were in burst into flames.

"Quick, get out of here!"

Drawing on their energy arts, the four students flew up to stand on the city wall.

In that position, the heat was less intense, and they also had a better view of Yang Qi's position, although the bright red barrier that surrounded him made it impossible to actually see him.

It was as if he were in the middle of a sea of lava and flame that was transforming the entire city around him into a massive conflagration.

RUMMMBLE!

Suddenly, the lava barrier exploded, sending a column of flame high into the sky, piercing directly into the dark clouds.

If it weren't for the fact that there was a snowstorm, the flame would have been visible for hundreds of kilometers in all directions.

"Fuse one's energy with the clouds," Hua Yinhu said. "The Master of Energy level…."

"This power is incredible!" Li He exclaimed. "Yang Qi was keeping his true strength concealed earlier. With this level of strength, I bet he could easily stand up to a move from Elder Brother Chu Tiange's Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique."

"Just how strong is Brother Yang Qi? And what energy art does he cultivate?"

Even as the students discussed the matter amongst themselves, the column of flame shrank back down, and the heat faded away. Yang Qi was then revealed, his clothing not burned in the least bit, and the ground beneath his feet already starting to cool and solidify.

Considering how cold it was, the ground soon began to ice over, and snow once again began to cover everything. Because of the rapid change in temperature, however, the city began to crack and crumble as surely as a porcelain vessel that had been dropped.

After all, the heat which had just been emanating off of Yang Qi had been like that of the sun.

'I'm finally a Master of Energy!' Yang Qi thought, calming his aura. Already, he could sense that the flow of true energy within him was much more stable.

Furthermore, because his true energy had transformed, the life force quintessence of the lightning mammoth inside him had caused the eleventh through fifteenth particles to awaken.

As of now, the lightning mammoth's life force quintessence had been reduced so much that only a small amount was left.

Based on what Yang Qi could calculate, he was fairly certain that it would only get him to the point of twenty ancient megamammoths. When that happened, his cultivation would not proceed as smoothly as it had up to this point. He would need to find his own way to accumulate life force quintessence.

Thankfully, the Hellfire Crucible would help him to refine all sorts of true energy.

With the power he had now, that of fifteen ancient megamammoths, he could easily destroy all sorts of enormous beasts from primeval times.

Suddenly, a stream of true energy erupted out of Yang Qi, which assumed a humanoid shape. It actually looked exactly like Yang Qi himself, down to the finest detail. Only a powerful energy arts master who looked at it closely would be able to tell that it wasn't him.

'Go!' Yang Qi ordered via his thoughts. In response, his Humanoid True Energy burst into motion toward the nearby city wall.

BOOOOOOOM!

A huge explosion resulted, causing a large portion of the wall to crumble into nothing.

That city wall was very sturdy, and was dozens of meters thick. It had stood strong for many years, and was impervious to even gunfire weapons.

And yet, Yang Qi's Humanoid True Energy crushed it, sending chunks of rocks flying out everywhere.

No ordinary person could possibly unleash power like that.

"He's… a Master of Energy?"

Li He and the others were all shocked to the core as they dodged out of the way of the rocks which rained down after the explosion.

"The Sage Ancestor Dynasty's Hundred Grandmasters Spell Formation can break through city walls as easily as a hammer crushing an ice cube," Hua Yinhu murmured. "This is the same level of power!"

That formation was enormous, and required a hundred Masters of Energy to pool their power together to attack the walls of a besieged city. No matter how powerful a city wall was, it wouldn't be able to stand up to that level of power.

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And yet, Yang Qi's Humanoid True Energy had unleashed exactly the same level of strength. How could one person be as powerful as a group of a hundred Masters of Energy?

"You might be a Lifeseizer, Chu Tiange, but now that I'm a Master of Energy, I can definitely take you on!" Yang Qi was confident that with his Humanoid True Energy combined with his Infernal Deity Spear, Infernal Deity Aegis, and Fiend-Devil Wings, he could definitely fight Chu Tiange and his Cosmic Sunflare Sword technique.

Maybe he wouldn't be able to defeat him, but neither would he lose.

'Today was my first time seeing a Lifeseizer in action. I wonder when I'll actually be able to fight one.' Yang Qi snorted coldly. 'One day, Yun Hailan, I'm going to strip you of every bit of arrogance that exists within you. You will definitely come to realize that you made a monumental mistake.' At this point, his eyes softened. 'But my most important goal is still my dear mother. I will kill anyone who blocks my path to the Hanging Mountain to find her.'

1. Liang Dong: Liang is a common surname. Dong means "winter"

Sage Monarch

BAM!

The head of a vampire brigand flew off his shoulders, his fangs shattered. At the same time, a blood-colored demon core flew out of him.

That particular brigand had been a sixth phase energy arts expert.

Far from the city was a band of thousands of vampire brigands who had just returned from pillaging a village. As soon as Yang Qi, Li He, He Jili, Hua Yinhu and Liang Dong found them, they set upon them with no mercy.

It was the day after Yang Qi had become a Master of Energy.

Now he really was a ninth phase expert, and had the power of fifteen ancient megamammoths at his command. His true energy was now powerful enough that his attacks could damage mountains.

Instead of returning to the Demi-Immortal Institute, they continued to hunt vampire brigands in the northwestern plains.

After all, every brigand they killed meant more merit points in the end.

And with Yang Qi in the mix, the vampire brigands had no hope of fighting back.

The northwest was rife with numerous bands of brigands; the one that Chu Tiange had killed the night before was only one of many.

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After his breakthrough, Yang Qi had rested for the night. Then, at dawn, he led the hunt. It had taken some work, but they eventually found a village several dozen kilometers out of the city that some brigands had sacked. From there, it had been an easy task to track the vampires down.

"Get over here! Snatch the Dragon; Sway the Crane!" True energy poured out of Hua Yinhu's hand, smashing into a seventh phase vampire brigand, and then extracting the blood demon core from him.

Soon, the group of five had a ninth phase brigand surrounded, the leader of the band.

Despite being a Master of Energy, he wasn't as strong as the brigand leader from the city before; apparently, he had just achieved his breakthrough. Looking around at his dead subordinates, he backed away, trying to use his true energy to defend himself against Yang Qi.

Yang Qi wasn't in a hurry to kill him; instead, he wanted information. "Talk, you hellion. How many vampire brigands are in the northwest? Who's your top leader? Is he a Lifeseizer?"

The brigand burst out into raucous laughter. "Just kill me!" he growled. "The exalted Wuxue will avenge my death! You just wait! We're subordinates of the Hanging Mountain! We were created by one of the demon kings of the seventy-two grottos, the Blood Demon Grotto!" [1]

This was not Yang Qi's first time hearing of matters such as this.

The first time had been back in the Blackcorpse Mountains, when his father revealed some of the truth of his mother to him.

That was when he came to know that his mother was actually an important person in the Hanging Mountain. She was not a human, but rather, one of the Demonfolk. And supposedly, the Hanging Mountain was actually another world.

And he had also heard of the demon kings of the seventy-two grottos before.

If even the lowest ranked among those grottos, the Blood Demon Grotto, could casually produce a huge force like this, it begged the question of what else the Hanging Mountain was capable of.

As Yang Qi tried to decide what to say next, a violent burst of energy suddenly rose up inside of the brigand leader, causing him to explode into a haze of blood.

Yang Qi leapt backward, waving his hand to summon a huge barrier to contain the explosion.

Within the barrier, blood splashed about everywhere.

"That was Grand Bloodshade Disintegration!" Li He blurted. 'It's used to kill oneself along with the enemy. When unleashed by a Master of Energy, the levels of deadly power are incredible. And yet, it couldn't even break through that barrier Brother Yang Qi threw up? Just how strong is he?'

The longer this group of four was around Yang Qi, the more mysterious he seemed to them.

Yang Qi looked at the pearl-like demon core from the leader. "This is a high-quality core. We should be able to get quite a few merit points from this."

"You're right, Brother Yang," Li He said. "That demon core is probably worth three merit points. It usually takes dozens or even hundreds of ordinary cores to get even a single merit point. And according to sect rules, only demon cores from the eighth phase and up can be exchanged. Do you want to rest for a bit? Or just keep on hunting? According to what we all just heard, the ultimate leader of these vampire brigands is someone they called the exalted Wuxue. He must be a Lifeseizer, otherwise Chu Tiange wouldn't be involved."

"Sure. By the way, I'm the newcomer here, so I don't know much about the Hanging Mountain. Considering how long you guys have been around, do you know anything about it?"

Up to this point, Liang Dong hadn't said much. But apparently, he knew a lot about Demonfolk, as he provided the explanation. "According to the legends, it's a divine mountain created in primeval times by one of the Demonfolk's invincible Great Sages. Supposedly, it exists beyond the heavens. The patriarchs of the Demonfolk live there, and the other Demonfolk who do live in the Rich-Lush Continent heed their commands, and view the place as a holy land. By that I mean the seventy-two demon kings and thirty-six devil lords, who lead a total of one hundred and eight major forces. As for those major forces, they are broken up into too many smaller factions to even count. The institutes of our land have tried to establish formal relations with the Hanging Mountain, but have never succeeded."

None of it seemed very real to Yang Qi. "So the Hanging Mountain is basically mythological?"

It all seemed so vague and unreal that it made the idea of seeking out his mother seem like nothing but a fantasy.

"For all intents and purposes, yes." At this point, Liang Dong shifted the topic of conversation. "Yang Qi, when you defeated Song Haishan yesterday, your true energy was incomparably mighty. Did you really use the power of an airmastery plant? I've heard that airmastery plants come from the Hanging Mountain."

Yang Qi smiled. "Someone in my clan got one for me. And I was also struck by lightning, which helped me to absorb it."

"You really got lucky, Brother Yang," Li He said. "Well, now that you're a Master of Energy, we can kill more of these vampire brigands and get even more merit points. If we can become outer campus students, then we can finally cultivate some of the institute's best techniques. I've been wanting to become a Master of Energy for as long as I can remember."

"Don't even worry about it," Yang Qi said, clasping Li He on the shoulder. "When my energy arts are strong enough, I'll do everything I can to help you."

"You're a real brother," Li He said, smiling. "If you ever need help with anything, you just come looking for me. Although, considering how profound your cultivation base is, I doubt I'll ever be of much help."

"You never know," Yang Qi said. "I heard you're actually from a powerful group in the Sage Ancestor Dynasty, is that right? Nobility or something? My clan is from a remote place called Yanhaven. War is coming their way, and I'm not sure if they're strong enough to survive. Maybe you can help me move my clan closer to the Sage Ancestor Dynasty itself?"

"I'll do everything I can to help." Looking a bit nervous, he continued, "But don't forget, although my clan is powerful, I rank really low. My words don't carry much weight."

Yang Qi chuckled. "Just wait until you're a Master of Energy. Then your words will carry weight. And I'm not asking you to do anything right away. I'll only need help if they reach the point where they can't take care of themselves. Right now, they're in a golden age of sorts, high-spirited and full of mettle. Here." He sent a tiny seed of true energy into Li He's sea of energy. "Absorb that true energy seed, and it might help you become a Master of Energy more quickly."

The other three students looked on enviously, but refrained from saying anything. After all, it was no easy task to do what Yang Qi was doing.

Yang Qi looked over and could tell what they were thinking. "What, you three brothers also want some true energy?"

"Brother Yang Qi, your energy arts are profound. Any help you could provide would be amazing, and we would be eternally grateful. From now on, matters of the Yang Clan will be our responsibility. We'll share both honor and disgrace with you."

"Excellent. Considering everything we've been through, we're all brothers now. Listen, I know it's not the custom, but how about I help you increase your cultivation bases? The time has come for you to make a name for yourselves in the institute! Who says freshman students are useless? In fact, why don't we formalize our friendship and form a campus society?"

In the Demi-Immortal Institute, it was common for students to form campus societies, which could eventually turn into major forces.

Although the official rules stated that the students of the institute were supposed to be united, the truth was that relationship networks were both complicated and very important. Anyone who wanted to succeed needed to be in a campus society. After all, that was one of the best ways to get access to precious cultivation resources.

"Agreed!" Liang Dong said. "Let's form our own society. And you have to be our leader, Brother Yang Qi. Right now, the most powerful society in our institute is the Crown Prince Society. Some of the other powerful societies are the Divine Ability Society, the Truth and Reason Society, the Five Lightnings Society, the Moonfire Society and the Gentlemen's Society. We'll start from the very bottom and work our way up. And eventually, we'll rock the world and do amazing things."

"Oh? I didn't know there were so many groups in the institute." Although he had been in the Demi-Immortal Institute for a while now, he was still very low-ranking, and hadn't spent much time with others.

"Yeah, Chu Tiange is from the Crown Prince Society, that's why he's so overbearing. Even some of the professors are scared of him."

"I heard that the leader of the Crown Prince Society, the mysterious and enigmatic Crown Prince, is actually a holy neophyte within the institution."

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"They're so strong! Think about it, you have to be a Lifeseizer to become an elite student, and above them are the conclave students. Can you even imagine what a holy neophyte is like?"

"Alright, but what should we call ourselves?" Yang Qi said, turning his eyes up in thought.

"You know, there's a maxim in the Demi-Immortal Institute. It says 'sage inside, monarch outside'. Powerful experts are sages, almighty beings are monarchs. Cultivate the morality of a sage on the inside, and the might of a monarch on the outside! If you're strong, you can protect the common people and the nation, and can earn the devotion of countless people. Be wise and sagacious. Appoint the best and brightest to serve you, and cater to their abilities. If you do these things, you will earn the sincere respect and admiration of the masses. Why don't we call ourselves the Sage Monarch Society?"

"Sage inside, monarch outside…." Yang Qi murmured, thinking about the profound nature of the words. After a moment, he smiled. "Alright. The five of us are the Sage Monarch Society. Let's hope that we can make a name for ourselves! I accept the nomination to be the first leader, and all of you will be the first council of chief elders!"

1. Wuxue literally means "no blood" or "bloodless", but in this case, is a name

Sage Monarch

Who could ever have guessed that the very Sage Monarch Society which would eventually shake the Demi-Immortal Institute to the core would be founded by five freshman students in this fashion?

In truth, the puny little group was only the seed of a society. Compared to the membership and power of the numerous other societies in the institute, they were almost like children playing house. However, Yang Qi was convinced that things would only improve from this point on.

Although Li He, He Jili, Hua Yinhu and Liang Dong were only in the eighth phase, they all had impressive backgrounds. If they could rise within the ranks of the institute, and improve their cultivation bases, then their influence in their clans would grow, and that would benefit Yang Qi.

Most people who got into the Demi-Immortal Institute came from powerful clans, so the more people he could get as allies, the better he would be able to protect his own clan.

"Alright, let's swear a blood oath to be brothers, and form our society!"

They all got on their knees and swore to the heavens: "The five of us are brothers. Sages inside, monarchs outside. Share in glory, share in loss. Let any traitors be punished by heaven and earth, and abandoned by mortals and gods alike!" [1]

Having uttered their oath, they exchanged glances and then burst out in laughter.

Yang Qi was feeling wonderful. Now that they were all brothers, if his secret was revealed to them, he was more confident that word wouldn't spread.

"Alright, sit down. I'm going to use my energy arts to transform you completely. Before long, all of you will be Masters of Energy!"

With that, Yang Qi used his true energy to mark out places for them to sit, placing his friends in the east, south, west, and north positions, and himself in the center.

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Then, he threw his hands out, causing a true energy barrier to spring up around them. Simultaneously, four arms sprouted out from his back.

Now that he was a Master of Energy, the arms that came with the Invincible King's Fist were extremely shocking in nature.

Five fingers sprouted out from the end of each arm, which then came to rest on the heads of his four friends. Almost instantly, scalding true energy began to pour through their meridians and into their muscles. The four of them gritted their teeth as the impurities within them were slowly extruded.

"So much heterogeneous true energy!" Li He was delighted to see the energy being forced out of him, and the reversal of the damage that had been done to his meridians because of the various energy arts he practiced.

Yang Qi's cultivation base had also once contained such heterogeneous true energy.

The truth was that one of the main reasons people had trouble rising to higher cultivation levels was because of the discord created by different techniques, which caused the true energy to become impure.

Unfortunately, only cultivating a single technique wasn't an option, as it would leave one too weak to contend with enemies in a fight.

All in all, cultivation required finding a good balance.

Now that Li He and the others were having the true energy conflicts within them smoothed out, they could tell that it would be easier to reach the ninth phase.

One of the main reasons their studies in the Demi-Immortal Institute had been going so slowly was because of the heterogeneous true energy they had built up.

All four of them exhaled, their true energy flowing through them as hot as magma.

It was no waste for Yang Qi to be using his true energy to purify them. After all, as it flowed inside of their bodies, he was able to discern certain secret aspects to the techniques they cultivated, which was of great benefit to himself.

Flames swirled out from Yang Qi's true energy arms and into specific acupuncture points, piercing deep into their veins to find necrotic blood.

Before long, steam began to rise up from the heads of the four students as the noxious, acrid blood was cleansed and made pure.

This was a water-type energy art, and considering that it was snowing, water-type energy arts were particularly easy to use.

All of a sudden, a whistling sound could be heard as a stream of vital energy shot up from Liang Dong and reached toward the sky. Fuse one's energy with the clouds! Liang Dong was the first among the group to become a Master of Energy.

He was the most mysterious of the group of five, and kept many secrets. But now, Yang Qi realized that he had a type of spirit herb inside him, similar to an airmastery plant. However, while the airmastery plant contained an energy related to lightness and agility, this plant was hard and unyielding, and as hot as fire.

"At long last my flamesun vine is completely refined!" Liang Dong exclaimed excitedly. "I've finally mastered flamesun true energy! Many thanks, Brother Yang!"

"Good job," Yang Qi said, nodding. With that, he pulled his energy back in. Although his other three friends were not yet Masters of Energy, it wouldn't be long before they broke through the bottlenecks that were holding them back.

Rising to his feet excitedly, Li He said, "Alright, let's go track down some more vampire brigands. We can break through during the fighting."

With that, the five of them blurred into motion, disappearing into the snow, eager to get back to action.

Meanwhile, on a mountain some distance away, a griffon was crouching in the snow. On its back was Song Haishan, who was in a foul mood. In fact, he was so angry that he felt like committing suicide.

"Dammit! I'm gonna kill you, Yang Qi!"

Waving his hand angrily, he sent out a burst of true energy in the form of a sphere, which smashed into the snowy ground and exploded.

Yun Hailan was off to the side.

"Alright, Song Haishan," she said, her voice as cold as ice. "Calm down. Aren't you done venting? You don't want to interrupt Elder Brother Chu Tiange's studies of that astrological phenomenon."

In response, Song Haishan quickly reined in his true energy.

"I refuse to accept this, Hailan! That punk is nothing but trash. So what if you used him back in the day? And now he's making a name for himself? I'm never going to forget how he humiliated me. I'll get my revenge one day! I'll wipe out his entire clan! I'll make sure he understands the consequences of offending me!"

"Making a name for himself? I doubt it." Yun Hailan sat down cross-legged, using her true energy to create a canopy over herself, not to block the snow, but to collect it.

As she did, the snow began to transform into magical symbols made of water vapor, which then shrank down into dots that entered her body.

Apparently, she was absorbing the quintessence of the snow itself.

"Yang Zhan probably saved Yang Qi using his airmastery plant, that's all. If Yang Qi absorbed that airmastery plant, it means that his cultivation base is the same as four or five Masters of Energy put together. It's only natural that you're not a match for him. However, not even a hundred Masters of Energy could be a match for a single Lifeseizer. You just focus on your cultivation. The rewards from the institute for this mission might be enough to awaken the blood of a sea god within you, and possibly even reach the Lifeseizing level. If you let the incident from yesterday erode your confidence, then you'll be worse trash than Yang Qi."

Throughout the entire conversation, Yun Hailan's voice didn't seem to contain even a hint of emotion.

"I'm gonna rip that little swine's head off and hang it on a tree right next to his father's," Song Haishan growled furiously. "Hailan, you had a Lifeseizer to help you further your cultivation. Plus, the blood of a sea god within you is very strong. Probably a hundred times stronger than in me, or maybe even a thousand. You definitely have a shot at becoming a Lifeseizer soon, but it's going to be a lot harder for me."

"Don't worry. Once I'm in the Lifeseizing level, my standing among the Seafolk will rise rapidly. I'll get you some medicinal pills that have the blood of a sea god in them. That should help you out." With that, she waved her hand dismissively. "Come on, sit down and start cultivating. If Yang Qi attacks you again, then I'm going to stop treating him special because of how he gave me the Latent Dragon Pill. I'll take him out myself if I have to. If he tries to strut around relying on the quintessence of an airmastery plant, he's nothing more than a big joke."

Not too far away on the peak of the mountain was Chu Tiange, who was using a feng shui compass formed of true energy to study an astrological phenomenon. "Let me remind you again, Junior Sister Hailan. If you don't mind owing me a favor, I can go cut that brat down right now."

"Many thanks, Elder Brother. The reason I want to leave Yang Qi alone is more than just his connection to Yang Susu. He did steal a Latent Dragon Pill for me, and we were friends. And I also swore an oath not to kill him. However, if he insists on being bull-headed, and continues to talk of revenge, then our friendship will be over for good. That will be the day he dies." Apparently, Yun Hailan felt that she had everything under control. "Yang Qi is a nobody, and isn't worth even thinking about. The most important thing right now is what you're working on, Elder Brother Chu Tiange. Have you been able to divine the location of the leader of the vampire brigands, Jing Wuxue? If you want me to owe you a favor, Elder Brother Chu Tiange, then why don't you kill Jing Wuxue and give me his blood demon core?" [2]

"Alright. Done deal!"

Chu Tiange rubbed his hands together and eyed Yun Hailan's voluptuous curves. "But favors to me aren't always easy to pay back. When the time comes, and I ask for something, will you agree to give it?"

Yun Hailan chuckled. "As long as the favor matches the debt, I won't hold anything back. That said, the Crown Prince personally told me that everyone in the Crown Prince Society is supposed to take care of me. The whole reason I entered the College of Elite Students as a Master of Energy was because of him. Elder Brother Chu Tiange, aren't you worried that he might find out about the thoughts running through your head right now?"

The Crown Prince was a legendary figure within the Demi-Immortal Institute.

He was a holy neophyte, an incredibly high position. Furthermore, his cultivation base was profound to the extreme. In fact, even Lifeseizers looked up to him, and were unsure of his exact cultivation level.

His Crown Prince Society was the most powerful organization within the Demi-Immortal Institute, and had as many experts as members as the sky had clouds.

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Even an insufferably arrogant person like Chu Tiange would shudder in fear at the mentioning of his name.

After all, he was a member of the Crown Prince Society, and knew full well how terrifying the Crown Prince was.

Somehow, Yun Hailan had encountered the Crown Prince when she first joined the Demi-Immortal Institute half a year ago, and apparently, he had taken a liking to her; a single word from him allowed her to enter the College of Elite Students. And he had even used his own true energy to increase her cultivation.

1. The word for "brother" here is different for the word used to describe blood relatives. I think some translators use "bro" but I feel that sounds too casual. Usually, the difference is obvious based on the context, so I'm going to just use "brother" for both "blood brother" and "sworn brother"

2. Jing Wuxue: Jing is a common surname. As I mentioned before, Wuxue literally means "no blood" or "bloodless"

A long moment passed in which Chu Tiange apparently put some thought into the matter of the Crown Prince. Then, he shifted the topic of conversation. "Junior Sister Hailan, presumably you want to use Jing Wuxue's blood demon core to force a breakthrough into the Lifeseizing level, right? Don't forget, he's a Lifeseizer. Even if I managed to kill him, you wouldn't be able to absorb his demon core any time soon. It would burn your five yin organs, and throw your meridians and sea of energy into chaos." [1]

Yun Hailan smiled. "Oh, I have a plan, Elder Brother Tiange. Don't you worry. Take a look at what I have here, and you'll understand why I have no reason to fear a blood demon core."

Even as her energy arts continued to transform the quintessence of the snow into magical symbols that entered her body, she rose to her feet and extended her hand, within which rested a pearl.

It glittered so brightly that it was difficult to look at, and was clearly filled with immense power.

The holy, silvery light which shone off of it rose high into the sky, driving the snow away from it.

Just barely visible within that silver light was what appeared to be a divine dragon, swirling about and roaring. All of a sudden, it felt as if there really were a dragon present, making it almost impossible to breathe.

Song Haishan immediately began to back away, his eyes wide with disbelief; clearly, he had no idea that Yun Hailan possessed such an item as this.

This was a legendary treasure!

"A dragonpearl!?" Chu Tiange blurted in shock. He immediately circulated his true energy as if he were about to attack her and steal it. But then, he thought of the Crown Prince, and settled his energy. Letting loose a low whistle, he said, "I can't believe you have a dragonpearl. They're so rare that I'm not sure if even the institute has any. Where did you get it, Junior Sister?"

"I found it on a sightseeing trip at the ocean," Yun Hailan said casually. "Dragonpearls contain the will of a divine dragon, and can suppress all types of wretch-devils. Fortunately for me, I also acquired a Latent Dragon Pill in the past, giving me some of the blood of a divine dragon. With such blood, I can link myself to the pearl, making it the perfect treasure for me. After I get Jing Wuxue's blood demon core and use the dragonpearl to suppress it, I can then use it as an ingredient to use to create an out-of-body incarnation of myself, a second nascent divinity if you will. In any case, I don't plan to absorb it. What do you think, Elder Brother Chu Tiange? Truth be told, the moment the Crown Prince met me, he saw my dragonpearl, which was why he took an interest in me. In fact, he was the one who taught me how to make the second nascent divinity to begin with."

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"The Crown Prince taught you how to make a second nascent divinity?" Chu Tiange said, clearly shaken. "No wonder. That's a secret legacy energy art of the Demi-Immortal Institute; not even I know how to do it."

He then looked deeply at Yun Hailan. "That's a royal-class energy art that would normally cost over ten thousand merit points to acquire from the institute. It's also forbidden to pass it on to another person. If they found out, they would cripple the energy arts of whoever did it…. but the Crown Prince is an exception. The normal rules don't apply to him, and no one would dare to accuse him of a crime. You're extremely lucky to have attracted his attention, Junior Sister Hailan. Very well. I'll help you to kill Jing Wuxue. I just hope that when you have a chance, you can put in a good word for me to the Crown Prince."

"That goes without saying. By the way, the Crown Prince mentioned that he would personally help me to break into the Lifeseizing level." Seeing that she had thoroughly cowed Chu Tiange, Yun Hailan smiled faintly. As she did, the dragonpearl sank down into the milky white skin of her palm.

Apparently, the dragonpearl wasn't corporeal, but rather, existed in spirit form, which allowed her to store it in her sea of energy.

All of a sudden, Song Haishan began to laugh loudly. "I never could have guessed that you would have a treasure like that, Hailan. No wonder you despise Yang Qi so much, that little punk. That airmastery plant doesn't even count for one one-thousandth of a dragonpearl."

"Quiet!" Yun Hailan barked. "Focus on your cultivation, and on figuring out how to kill Yang Qi! You know what? Maybe you should get your own revenge on him. The whole reason he could come back for revenge is that you beat him up to begin with, giving him the drive to advance his cultivation. You could learn a thing or two from him."

"Alright," Song Haishan said meekly. He was her older cousin, so technically, he should be the one to rebuke her if he felt like it. But right now, he couldn't even talk back to her. He knew how devious and cunning she was, and considering her connection to the Crown Prince, she was the type of person who no one could afford to offend.

There were a few other students on the mountain peak who had been in the middle of feeding their griffons, and had overheard the conversation between Yun Hailan and Chu Tiange. Now, their eyes shone with both fear and veneration of her.

After all, anyone who was closely connected to the Crown Prince was in a position of incredible glory.

"Eee?" Chu Tiange said. He waved his hand, sending out some true energy to create a map, which floated in the air in front of him. There on the map was a blood-colored light, blinking brightly. "Got it! Blood demon aura, coming from the northwest. There's a large group of vampire brigands there and Jing Wuxue is definitely with them. Come on, let's go!" [2]

Some of the students made as if to mount their griffons.

However, Chu Tiange waved his hand. "The blood demon encampment is going to be very dangerous. Even though the lot of you are all Masters of Energy, you're still too weak. The last thing I need is for you to be getting in my way. Got it?"

"Yes sir!" the students said, including Song Haishan. After all, when someone as powerful as Chu Tiange gave orders, who would dare to talk back?

"Junior Sister Hailan, you might as well dispense with riding a griffon. I know how much power you have at your disposal. If you use the might of that dragonpearl, your true energy will essentially never run out." Suddenly, a beam of sword light appeared beneath Chu Tiange's feet, which wrapped around him, and then shot off into the snowy sky.

Yun Hailan smiled faintly, sending a stream of draconic true energy out, which swirled around her and lifted her up into the clouds. A moment later, she was gone.

Song Haishan stared mutely at the spot she had just occupied. It was as if he was seeing his younger cousin for the first time.

'My cousin played you like a musical instrument, Yang Qi. You really thought that the two of you were meant to be? How could a good-for-nothing yokel like you even dream of being with her?'

Growling, he unleashed a fist strike at the snowy ground, carving out a sizable crater.

"Alright, everyone. Let's go kill some vampire brigands and get some merit points."

"Whatever you say, Brother Haishan."

Considering that Song Haishan's cousin was so closely connected to the Crown Prince, it was no wonder that they treated him with such respect. Although his humiliating defeat at the hands of Yang Qi ensured that they actually despised him, they didn't dare to let that show.

"Brother Haishan," one of the students said, "there's no need to feel discouraged. That punk Yang Qi is only a freshman student, and can't compare at all to people like us. We're like the heavens, and he's like the earth. Once we get back to the institute, we can call in some favors. Trust me, there are plenty of ways we can drive him to an early grave."

"Many thanks to all of you." Song Haishan said, his eyes glittering with sinister light.

With that, the entire group vanished into the snow.

Meanwhile, Yang Qi and his four friends were resting in a majestic villa they had come across, which was nearly buried in the snow by this point.

The various servants, maidservants, handmaidens and soldiers were all waiting on them hand and foot.

Outside of the manor were piles of vampire brigand corpses, which were slowly disappearing under the snow.

By chance, Yang Qi and his friends had come across the place right when it was being attacked. They intervened, slaughtered the brigands, and saved everyone.

Without them, everyone inside would have become desiccated corpses.

One old man present was in the seventh phase of energy arts. When he realized that this group of five was from the Demi-Immortal Institute, he set out a lavish banquet for them.

"Villa Lord, why don't you move?" Yang Qi asked. "The northwest is overrun with vampire brigands. If you stick around, you'll end up getting killed sooner or later."

The villa lord looked like he wanted to cry, but had no tears to shed. "Move? To where? We would be complete strangers wherever we went. And besides, how do you move such a large group of people? All my wealth is tied to this land, and the spirit herbs that grow in the nearby mountains. Without that, I would have nothing. Sir, I'd be willing to part with half of everything I own if you would be willing to help protect us."

"We're students from the Demi-Immortal Institute!" Li He said. "We fight for justice, so slaughtering wretch-devils is part of our tradition. We don't need any rewards. Besides, our entire purpose in coming up here is to clear out the vampire brigands, not for a reward from you locals."

"Many thanks, many thanks! You Demi-Immortal Institute students truly live up to your reputation of being wise and sagely!"

"Villa Lord, do you happen to know of any other vampire brigands operating in the area? We'd love to clear out the entire area."

At this point, a young man who was apparently the villa lord's son approached. "Oh, holy ones, according to local rumor, the ancient city of Krorän is located about fifteen hundred kilometers away from here. It was once the most prosperous city in the northwest, and supposedly, was about to make a big comeback. But then, the vampire brigands came along and slaughtered the entire city. That's their main encampment. If that main group were to be wiped out, the vampire brigands wouldn't be a threat anymore."

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'The ancient city of Krorän?' Yang Qi had heard the name before, and remembered that it was reputed to be the capital of the richest nation in the northwest plains.

"In that case, there's no time to lose," Liang Dong said. "Let's go scout it out."

"Hold on a moment," Hua Yinhu said. "That city is where the Lifeseizer Jing Wuxue should be. He's the top expert among the subordinates of King Blood Demon, and we're definitely not a match for him in an open fight. Besides, Chu Tiange is definitely going to try to kill him. Maybe we can kill some of the other brigands in the area, but there's no way we can take on Jing Wuxue."

1. In traditional Chinese medicine, the internal organs are organized into five viscera and six bowels. In the past, I often translated this as "five yin organs and six yang organs" because of how the various organs are related to yin and yang elements. From here on out, I will use the more proper "five viscera and six bowels" even though it sounds a bit more gross. The actual terms do not contain the characters for yin and yang, and since the terminology in this translation is very complex, I don't want to insert meaning into a given term that strays too far beyond its literal translation. The five viscera are the heart, liver, spleen, lungs and kidneys, and each one is associated with one of the five elements (also known as the five phases. I'll be using "five phases" in this translation, something I will talk about later). The six bowels are the gall bladder, stomach, large intestine, small intestine, bladder, and "triple burner" which is basically connective tissue that Western medicine doesn't consider an organ. These organs are also associated with the five phases. For more information, you can check out the wikipedia article here.

2. Sorry to have not pointed this out earlier to anyone not familiar with my translations, but "eee" is a transliteration of a very specific sound that is used in the Chinese language. It sounds just like it's written, and is used to denote surprise. It is similar to "ai" or "aiya" in that it is very unique to the spoken Chinese language, and thus, I try to keep it around to add to the Chinese flavor