Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

Proud Heaven stood atop the platform and watched the High Priestess float toward him. Her billowy garment seemed to connect to the void itself, and caused all heaven and earth to tremble around her as she moved.

Everyone could tell that the High Priestess was furious, and had sworn to herself that she was going to kill Proud Heaven on the spot.

For him to vie for the throne against her was disgraceful, even rebellious behavior. After all, she was a mighty figure who even people in the Sovereign Lord’s Age hadn’t dared to defy. Worst of all, Proud Heaven had been the one to bring the fight to her. In essence, he had to die. There was no room for mercy.

“You really want to kill me, don’t you High Priestess?” Proud Heaven said, standing there still and unmoving, but with a vicious grin on his face that made him seem like a tiger staring at a fat sheep. He seemed so ready to attack that looked as though he wasn’t feeling any pressure at all.

“That’s right, Proud Heaven. But it's not too late for you to concede the fight. I'm not sure what makes you think you can beat me, but you’re not a half-Annulled expert, nor do you have destiny to draw on. The only way this fight is going to end is with your death. However, if you get on your knees, kowtow, and hand over control of the Central Dynasty, I’ll spare your life. But if you obstinately persist in going about things the wrong way, it’ll be too late.”

“High Priestess, aren’t you aware that talking to me like that is going to piss off the essence of the god world?” Now that they were locked together in the fighting arena, Proud Heaven didn’t feel the need to hide anything. “Did you really think I’d throw myself into a fight I knew I couldn't win?”

“What did you just say?” the High Priestess blurted, her face falling. “Essence of the god world? What do you mean?”

“I'm the representative of the essence of the god world. Yang Qi has become a big threat to the god world, which I'm sure you understand in full measure. The god world needs primal-chaos paleo-energy to grow, and once it’s had its full, it will achieve a breakthrough. But then Yang Qi showed up and built his Everlasting Aegis. Now he's started taking primal-chaos paleo-energy, in direct competition with the god world. Not only that, he just acquired a host of Ascendants that the god world can’t sustain. The essence of the god world has no further patience, and has called on me to kill him! All it’ll take is a mere inhalation on my part, and I’ll become one with the god world.”

He threw his head back and laughed heartily as unsightly expressions appeared on the faces of everyone present.

The mere words ‘essence of the god world’ were enough to cause numerous top experts to be completely dumbfounded with terror. After all, many old-timers knew that the essence of the god world had once inflicted a serious injury on the Sovereign Lord.

“The essence of the god world?!” the High Priestess murmured, and her expression quickly returned to normal. “Now I understand. So that's why you felt you could challenge me. Sadly, you’ve made a big mistake. Maybe the essence of the god world supports you as its representative, but this fight is really going to come down to cultivation base. If I kill you, then I’ll be the representative. Strength is the only thing that matters, when it comes to helping the god world get rid of Yang Qi. Yang Qi has the God Legion Seal and the Mahātmā Jade, and he's combined them into one. He’s devouring the Halls of Heaven, and once he succeeds, he’ll be able to strike a deadly blow to the god world. And I'm the only one that can save the god world from him. You’ve grown a bit too cocky for your own good.”

RUMBLE!

Even as the words left the High Priestess’ mouth, Proud Heaven suddenly shivered, and the essence of the god world started rolling out from him with tremendous force.

Snorting coldly, Proud Heaven said, “Clever idea, High Priestess, Not bad. Not bad at all. You're trying to weaken the god world’s decision to bless me. Unfortunately for you, you won’t get the chance to pull that off. Prepare to face my consummate art: Ten Universes!”

RUMBLE!

Ten universes appeared behind Proud Heaven. In the past, they were dead and lifeless, but now that they were powered by the essence of the god world they had become ten powerful incarnations, each with different universal characteristics. And they all bore down on the High Priestess with crushing power.

“Ten Universes?”

The High Priestess flicked her sleeve. “Deathless Heaven Art!”

She thrust her hand out from the depths of her sleeve, sucking all the vital energy in the area into her palm and leaving behind a vacuum. As a result, the aura of the Ten Universes was locked in place.

“You have a powerful cultivation base, Proud Heaven, and those clones created by your Ten Universes are very impressive. They’re essentially ten versions of you. However, you still don't understand the vast difference between you and me. I'm half-Annulled! There’s no way you can fight someone like me.” Chuckling, she stepped forward, looking like a terrifying devil-god as she continued, “God Steps of Prayer!”

Swish!

It was like the prayers of countless individuals had been gathered by the High Priestess and turned into a massive attack, then launched right at Proud Heaven.

All of a sudden, the spectators saw a vision of the High Priestess leading the legion of gods in offering sacrifices and praying. And that sky-obfuscating, land-enshrouding power was something that no one could possibly defend against.

The speed, might, and grandeur of this attack were beyond description. And its power covered the entire battlefield, ensuring that Proud Heaven couldn’t possibly escape from it.

This attack by the High Priestess was clearly intended to kill Proud Heaven instantly.

In her fury, she was using attacks that drew on the prayer power of the ancient legion of gods, which was something she could have used to defy even the Sovereign Lord.

“Proud Heaven, this fist technique is something I prepared over billions of years to use against the Sovereign Lord, if I had to. It would kill the Sovereign Lord himself, if he were struck by it, so you’re definitely going to die.” It seemed like something that no one in existence could dodge or block.

“This isn’t going to go well,” Yang Qi said.

However, what he meant was that things weren’t going to go well for the High Priestess! It was obvious to him that Proud Heaven was using the High Priestess’ power as a half-Annulled expert to benefit himself.

“You have to hold on just a bit longer, King Immortal-Slayer,” Yang Qi murmured. After all, he couldn’t step in to help.

RUMBLE!

The High Priestess’ fist slammed into Proud Heaven’s chest, much to the shock of the onlookers. It seemed obvious that anyone who was struck by it would be completely wiped out of existence, yet it seemed to be doing nothing to Proud Heaven.

Then the Great Necropolis suddenly appeared behind Proud Heaven, and cracking sounds could be heard as the power of the attack hit it, piercing inside to strike King Immortal-Slayer.

A howl of rage rang out from King Immortal-Slayer.

“High Priestess, you moron! You're attacking me! Agggggh!” The destructive power of the attack engulfed King Immortal-Slayer, and the Great Necropolis started shrinking down. Proud Heaven’s will wrapped around it, and the aura of the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart started seeping out.

Proud Heaven cackled madly as King Immortal-Slayer went silent, seemingly having disappeared. However, it was still possible to detect his vital energy on Proud Heaven.

Proud Heaven had assimilated him, thanks to the power of the High Priestess’ attack. And having been hit hard enough, King Immortal-Slayer’s defenses had all been worn down, to the point where Proud Heaven was able to assimilate his soul and use it to bolster himself.

“Half-Annulled! I finally assimilated King Immortal-Slayer. Wahahahahahaha!” The insufferably arrogant Proud Heaven was now bursting with power. At the same time, the essence of the god world became like hosts of dragons wrapping around him. The vital energy in the area shattered as he broke through his previous limitations. Then, his power fluctuations vanished. His godhood vanished. His body vanished. Everything about him was becoming annulled.

This was the half-Annulled level.

Proud Heaven’s plan had succeeded.

He had even used the last bit of power to devour the Lord of Righteous Justice.

Yang Qi exhaled slowly as he saw Proud Heaven reaching the half-Annulled level. He knew the truth: King Immortal-Slayer wasn’t dead. In the very last moment, he had entered an incomprehensible state of existence that not even Proud Heaven could be aware of. But Yang Qi was aware of it. King Immortal-Slayer wouldn’t be King Immortal-Slayer if he were that easy to slay.

Proud Heaven was now half-Annulled, but King Immortal-Slayer was hiding inside of him, waiting for the right moment to strike a mortal blow.

Because Yang Qi had ordained King Immortal-Slayer as his imperial preceptor, he was connected to the destiny of the Sage Monarch Empire. And because of that, Yang Qi was able to sense that he wasn't gone. He was in a state that surpassed even Nevasaññānāsaññāyatana, yet wasn’t the Annulled level.

Having reached the half-Annulled level, Proud Heaven stepped forward and grabbed the High Priestess’ fist.

“Many thanks to you, High Priestess. That blow of yours was just what I needed to deal with King Immortal-Slayer. I never would’ve reached the half-Annulled level without you. Now I can show you what I'm really capable of. I'm going to make sure you’re buried by the essence of the god world!”

Proud Heaven truly was pleased, as he really wouldn’t have succeeded without this moment playing out just as it had.

Now he was convinced that he could defeat the High Priestess and take control of the three dynasties. Soon, he would be the most domineering figure in the god world!