Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)

“Well I guess that means only one of us is going to leave this place alive,” Yang Qi said, his killing intent beginning to boil. He gripped the Infernal Deity Spear so hard that it trembled, casting projections of itself in all directions, almost like a peacock spreading its feathers.

As of this moment, his energy arts did not seem inferior to the white ape’s in any way. Not hesitating for a moment, he stabbed out with the spear, whereupon the wails of ghosts and gods could be heard. The projected image of the infernal deity also appeared, and the entire stone chamber was cast into the darkness of hell.

When the white ape saw all of that, he didn’t dare to hold back. Swiping his golden cudgel through the air, he unleashed a swarm of deadly attacks.

It was impossible to say exactly what material his cudgel was made from, but it was clearly perfectly suited to his energy arts, making the white ape even more formidable. It even burst into flames as it swung through the air, causing heat waves to ripple out everywhere.

When the spear and the cudgel hit each other, a sonorous sound echoed out like that of a bell. As a result, the white ape staggered backward three paces, and Yang Qi felt his true energy fading a bit.

However, Yang Qi was resilient, and his true energy majestic; considering that he had the power of five ancient megamammoths, which was enough to level the mansion grotto around them, it took only a moment for him to recover.

Gripping his spear, he stabbed out again.

Crackling sounds could be heard as electricity danced on the surface of the Infernal Deity Spear; it hit the golden cudgel again, and sparks rained out everywhere.

ZZZZZZAAAAAP!!!

Metal was the perfect conduit for electricity, and therefore, electricity surged into the cudgel and then the white ape, causing the smell of charred flesh to fill the air. Some of the white ape’s fur even caught fire because of it.

With this move, even this demonling with his profound energy arts was put at a disadvantage.

“Lightning energy arts….” he murmured, looking a bit flustered.

Experts who could control lightning with their energy arts were completely terrifying. After all, lightning was a violent natural force, and if it wasn’t controlled properly, could easily destroy anyone who tried to use it.

But when Yang Qi was struck by it, he sowed destiny with the lightning mammoth that entered him. And whenever he pushed his energy arts to the limit, the lightning inside of him would subdue all other arts.

As for the white ape’s golden cudgel, it was made from some type of metal, and could easily conduct electricity. Therefore, it only took one attack to seriously injured the white ape, damaging his meridians to the point where he could only draw upon half of his normal energy level.

Yang Qi was growing fiercer by the moment, and his energy arts were being unleashed more and more quickly. His Infernal Deity Spear attacked like a lightning bolt, causing the entire chamber to be lit up with the glow of electricity.

It was now a critical moment for the white ape, and his reaction was to go all out. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly began to grow larger, until he was double his previous size. At the same time, he extended his golden cudgel; shockingly, a long metal spike emerged from the end, which he stabbed toward Yang Qi.

That golden cudgel was incredibly heavy; backed by the strength of the white ape, it was enough to reduce most humans to a bloody paste.

Yang Qi’s heart trembled. Drawing on all the power he could muster, he poured it into the Infernal Deity Aegis, causing energy to swirl ten paces in every direction, creating an impenetrable barrier.

BAM! KABAM!

One explosion after another rang out as the golden cudgel smashed into the barrier of energy, destroying layer after layer until it was right in front of Yang Qi.

Only then did Yang Qi actually make a move. He drew on all the power of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, causing five ancient megamammoths to appear behind him, trumpeting viciously. At the same time, the divine power of the megamammoth converged in his hands, which he thrust out toward the cudgel in the form of a palm strike.

The momentum of the cudgel was halted, and the cudgel itself actually bent under the force. On the other end, blood began to ooze out between the ape’s thumb and forefinger. Then, a moment later, the ape was flung backward, smashing into the wall and sending rock debris out in all directions.

Although the white ape was mighty, he didn't compare at all to the power of five ancient megamammoths.

Yang Qi himself had transformed on a bodily level, from his skin down to his tendons and bones. His fleshly body was no longer as simply constructed as the average human body; once he activated his energy arts, ordinary weapons would not be able to harm him, and although he didn’t compare in size to the ape, was basically just as tough as him.

After being hurled into the wall, the ape slumped to the ground and then struggled to rise to his feet. However, there was no way Yang Qi would let him do that. Without any hesitation, he launched the Infernal Deity Spear at the ape’s chest.

This ape was a ferocious demonling, and therefore, in this moment of crisis, he suddenly unleashed an explosive display of energy arts. Opening his mouth, he spat out a stream of blazing fire that blocked the spear, instantly dissipating it.

However, that was when Yang Qi reached out and grabbed the golden cudgel, which the ape had dropped earlier. Walking forward, he lifted it up with both hands and used a martial technique of his own, Devastating Mountain-Crushing.

RUMMMBLE!

He could now tell that the cudgel weighed thousands of kilograms, and as he swung it through the air toward the ape, it caused a massive wind to blast out.

The ape itself actually had difficulty using the cudgel sometimes because of its massive weight, but as for Yang Qi, he didn’t seem to have any problems at all. The power of five megamammoths combined could move buildings, let alone a cudgel.

“Damnation!” the ape cursed under his breath. “Have to put everything on the line!” There was no way the white ape could avoid the cudgel, so he thrust his palms out to try to block it directly. However, Yang Qi kept hitting him over and over again with all the ferocity he was capable of. He was like a windmill, sending strike after strike bashing into the ape.

Bam. Bam. Bam. Bam! Bam!! BAM!!!

He struck out ten times, thoroughly shaking the white ape’s defensive true energy until the final strike crushed it.

The ape was struck directly in the torso, breaking his bones, snapping his tendons, and destroying his five viscera. He couldn’t even let out a howl or roar. Glaring at Yang Qi, he slumped down onto the ground and died.

“Finally,” Yang Qi said. He tossed the huge cudgel to the side, where it smashed into the stone ground of the chamber. Then he walked forward to check the ape, ensuring that he was completely dead, his spiritual souls gone and his physical souls dissipated.

Then he struck out with another palm, breaking open the ape’s corpse. There, in his dantian region, was a fist-sized demon core that Yang Qi scooped out.

It was scintillating and gorgeous, and it was possible to see something like magical symbols inside of it. It also contained the true energy formed by the white ape’s essence-blood, built up over a lifetime.

“Incredible…. A demon core on the very cusp of the ninth phase. This thing must be worth a million or even more. I wonder what other good stuff this ape has in his mansion grotto.” With that, he began to search the cave, starting with the pill furnace.

It was made from some sort of remarkable stone that was as smooth as jade, and blue in color. When he touched it, it felt like ice, as though it contained boundless frigid energy. It was obviously very valuable, but considering there was no way for him to take it away, he would have to return another time for it.

In addition to that, Yang Qi happened to notice that the color of the ground off to the side was strange. Circulating his energy, he struck the stone and shattered it, revealing a secret compartment, which contained a jade box. Opening the box, he saw glittering, golden light coming from a medicinal pill. In addition, there was a scroll that contained, not some secret energy art or cultivation method, but rather, information about the medicinal pill. Presumably, the ape had stolen it from somewhere.

“Nine Transformations Pill Sutra?” he murmured. That was the title on the scroll. As for the text, it contained the medicinal plant ratios required to concoct what was called a Golden Nine Transformations Pill, as well as complex variations to produce different versions.

The effects of the pill were also explained. “Use energy to connect with heaven and earth, and be reborn a master. Those whose energy arts reach the peak of the eighth phase, but cannot break through to the Master of Energy level, can use this medicinal pill to achieve their desired breakthrough.”

‘Awesome!’ Yang Qi thought, delighted. ‘Father is already nearing the peak of the eighth phase. If he has trouble breaking through to the Master of Energy level, then he can use this Golden Nine Transformations Pill to be reborn a master. As for me, I have my Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, so I shouldn't have any problems with my breakthrough.’

Yan Gufeng was the only ninth phase expert at the moment, and he controlled the whole city. But if Yang Zhan broke through, then everything could change. Who knew whether Yang Zhan himself might be able to take over.

Yang Qi was already very pleased. Thankfully, the white ape hadn’t consumed the pill, otherwise he would have been much more difficult to deal with.

Putting away the Golden Nine Transformations Pill, Yang Qi continued to search the chamber, flipping through various scrolls which had clearly been stolen from human institutes and organizations.

Unfortunately, such things weren’t particularly valuable.

Eventually, he found the white ape’s treasure store, which contained a box of banknotes worth roughly five million energy convergence pills.

It made sense for demonlings and devillings to hoard wealth, as they required energy convergence pills if they wanted their own cultivation to advance rapidly.

Actually, one of the main reasons that humans rose to power to begin with was because of how popular energy convergence pills turned out to be. Years in the past, when humans could only eat food, they were very weak. At that time, it was almost impossible to practice cultivation to the Energy Eruption level.

The fact that this white ape was so rich indicated that it had killed a lot of humans. After all, if humans could kill demonling and devillings, they could do the same back.

‘How many people did that ape kill to get five million energy convergence pills worth of banknotes?’ Although he was shocked by the thought, he was also very pleased with all the wealth. It would definitely get the clan's businesses going again, and the idea of making a comeback would now be more than just wishful thinking.

After looking around and seeing nothing more of value, Yang Qi hefted the golden cudgel over his shoulder and then flew out of the mansion grotto.

Considering he didn't know what material the cudgel was made from, he decided that he should take it home with him.

He was now in the seventh phase, the Energy Manifestation level, and could glide along with his Fiend-Devil Wings. With that boost, he could travel ten times as quickly as before.

WHOOSH!

With the flap of his wings, he began to make his way out of the Blackcorpse Mountains.

By this point, the rain had stopped, and it was night, which made everything seem even more frightening. However, during the night, it was also easier to travel stealthily. Flying around in the forest in broad daylight would probably have attracted the wrong kind of attention.