Sage Monarch (Sage Emperor)
Chapter 857: Collecting Them All

Yang Qi had just managed to get his hands on someone who had ambushed him, only to have a ‘kind-hearted’ individual interfere. It was no exaggeration to say that Yang Qi was feeling very irritated. That said, this Star Swordlife was not as bad as some of the vicious and merciless people Yang Qi had encountered in the past, nor was he a true threat at the moment. Considering there was no mortal threat, Yang Qi was more than happy to compare sword techniques with him.

Star Swordlife’s technique overflowed with life force and opportunity, and almost seemed to connect with the dao of heaven.

“Even if I lose, there’s no way I’ll let you have all these people!” he said. Suddenly, his sword technique grew even more complex, becoming like a spring rain of silk that filled the area. Exquisite flows of power caused Yang Qi’s attacks to crumble instantly, making it very clear that Star Swordlife’s sword technique had really reached the ultimate height.

Swish. Rustle. Slice.

Unleashing three sword moves, Yang Qi said, “Swords of life and swords of salvation are nice. Sadly, you’ve picked the wrong path. It’ll be hard, but if you can turn things around, you might reach a higher level.”

“Where exactly have I gone wrong?” Star Swordlife said, eyebrows rising in anticipation. “Please, give me some advice.”

“Alright, listen up. In life, there is suffering. In fact, life is suffering. The only way to free yourself from pain is to lack life itself. So-called lifelessness is nirvanic extermination, and the death of nirvanic extermination is to become destructionless. Lifeless. Destructionless. That is the true path. The only way to transcend the eternal is to reach the other shore of pāramitā.”

He was echoing the words of King Life-Killer’s dao of the sword, which contained the fundamental nature of the sword.

King Life-Killer’s name was very specific. He wasn’t King Killer, but rather, King Life-Killer. He believed that all living entities experienced the bitterness of suffering. In fact, he believed that on a person’s face, the eyebrows and eyes were the character 艹 and the nose and mouth were 古. Put them together, and it created the character for suffering 苦. The only way to be free from suffering was to exterminate life. Ending life resulted in that which was lifeless and destructionless. Only then would the world not give birth to suffering. Return everything to the starting point, cause all heaven and earth to go silent, prevent all growth, and send the universe back to a single point. That was life-killing. Lifeless and destructionless.

Lacking in any suffering.

That was the fundamental core of King Life-Killer’s dao. However, it wasn’t the kind of slaughter that one would initially think of. Instead, it was filled with the compassion and mercy of putting an end to suffering.

As Yang Qi slashed his sword about, the character for suffering 苦 popped up everywhere, becoming numerous human faces, all of whom were scowling and on the verge of tears. The more they sensed the life force in the opponent’s sword, the more vexed and distressed they became. After all, with more life came more suffering.

It was a sword technique that would shock heaven and earth, and cause ghosts and gods alike to weep.

This duel had already surpassed a contest of simple sword technique, and was instead a battle of the will of the sword technique.

“You're wrong,” Star Swordlife said. “Heaven and earth are filled with life, and that is what brings joy. Life isn’t about suffering! Life is about happiness. Any life that can exist in the world is a blessing, and every person is an expression of life. If life is suffering, as you say, then why don't you enter that state of being lifeless and destructionless?”

It was a clash of wills, and this time Star Swordlife’s will fought back, stabbing into Yang Qi’s will to attack the ideals of his dao of the sword.

Yang Qi wasn’t fazed. Instead, he attacked with even more might than before.

“All other living things would have to be lifeless and destructionless before I enter that state,” he said. Then he unleashed more core techniques from King Life-Killer’s dao of the sword. “Star Swordlife, your dao of the sword has already been crushed. Your ideals are flawed. The more life that exists, the more hatred will come to the world, and the more revenge killings will occur. The world is too big for you to save everyone in it. The only proper path is to return to when there was neither life nor destruction.”

“Impossible! The more life that exists, the more happiness there will be. People in the world grieve at death and rejoice at birth. Whether it's the mortal world, the immortal world, or the god world, whenever someone dies, people mourn. But when someone is born, everyone rejoices. Those are the natural reactions to life and death. You can’t change that.” Yet again, Star Swordlife was countering Yang Qi’s logic regarding life and death.

Their swords met, and… crack!

Yang Qi’s sword will began crumbling. Unexpectedly, Star Swordlife had struck a stunning blow. “Brother, enough with the killing. Let Cipher Rite-Heaven go. Whenever possible, you should spare your enemy.”

Laughing, Yang Qi suddenly vanished, then reappeared behind Star Swordlife. At the same time, he unleashed the power of the Devil-God Seal and the Many Heavens God Seal, causing a huge vortex of godpower to spring up over his opponent's head. As a result, Star Swordlife’s sword technique was impeded.

“Brother Star, you fell for my trap.”

Up to this point, Yang Qi had been craftily putting on a show to make it seem like Star Swordlife’s techniques were too much for him. But the reality was that he had just been waiting for the right moment to crush him with his Many Heavens God Seal.

Although it would only slow Star Swordlife for a moment, a moment was all he needed.

Swish!

Yang Qi became like a rushing wind sweeping through the stone arena, collecting up everything therein, including the people present and the holy, golden sword.

Of course, he left a few people behind, such as the elders of the Star River Sword Sect.

When he was done, he opened a vortex and jumped inside. As he did, a piercing cry rang out, shattering the Many Heavens God Seal and sending a stream of sword energy into the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart with lightning-like speed. Of course, it contained no killing intent, only the pulsing power of life.

Unfortunately, even a more powerful stream of sword energy wouldn’t have done anything to Yang Qi in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart. He grabbed it, converting it into a soft stream of power that he quickly assimilated, giving him deeper insight into Star Swordlife’s dao of the sword. As he did, Star Swordlife's voice echoed into his ears.

“Brother, that’s quite a miraculous magical treasure you have. Where’s it from? I truly hope that you refrain from killing, and that we can meet again someday in the future.”

“Don’t worry, I'm not going to kill any of these people,” Yang Qi replied. “In fact, I'm going to improve and purify them, enabling them to live with neither joy nor grief.” With that, Yang Qi closed the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart.

Considering that Star Swordlife had been born on the Ancient Road to the Gods, he had never heard of the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart.

“Congratulations, Young Sir,” Holy Daughter Joyflower said. “Really, congratulations! You won a big victory back there. You got the god soul of God-Noble Goldensword, Cipher Rite-Heaven from the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect, and plenty of other people. If you assimilate them, your energy arts will definitely advance by leaps and bounds.”

“Of course,” Yang Qi said with a smile. “I can’t assimilate the god soul yet, but I will once I subjugate all of these experts I captured and use them to create a spell formation.”

Although the people he had taken looked like corpses as they floated there in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, they were still alive. They had been struck by God-Noble Goldensword’s sword will, and were currently gasping for life as they struggled to save themselves.

These people came from places like the Gåma Basilica, Fallen Heroes School, Peach Void Mountain, Cloudsea Hall, and Blacktree Cavern. They were all stronger than ordinary Grand Emperors, especially the experts from the Cipher-Devil Sword Sect, one of whom had a power index of eighty.

After taking count, Yang Qi found that he had fifty captives, which was a nice round number.

Instead of giving his captives treatment right away, Yang Qi reached out and grabbed Cipher Rite-Heaven, who he had no trouble controlling now that they were in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart. Cipher Rite-Heaven glared at him and, through gritted teeth, said, “Is this the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart? So, you got some of King Immortal-Slayer's legacy medallions, huh. That brat Star Swordlife might not know what this place is, but I do. And once the other experts on the Ancient Road to the Gods find out, they’ll come to you like flies to honey. When that happens, you’re dead!”

“Oh really. And who, exactly, is going to be able to get in here?” Without any further ceremony, Yang Qi sent true energy streaming into him. Screams rang out one after another, becoming more and more hysterical. Now that Yang Qi’s cultivation base put his power index at over a hundred, he was no weaker than Cipher Rite-Heaven. And he had an even further advantage, being in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart. As a result, Cipher Rite-Heaven wasn’t even capable of fighting back.

Then, Yang Qi pulled out the Hell Scourge. There was no need for words. Cipher Rite-Heaven had cruelly ambushed him, ensuring that not even death could earn him recompense.

Cipher Rite-Heaven squealed like a pig as he experienced the boundless torments of hell.

As for Yang Qi, he was starting to get very nervous overall; he wanted to get as strong as he could, as quickly as possible. With experts from the Ancient Road to the Gods in the Great Necropolis, the Dao Defense League had become a very weak organization. And he had no desire to see it taken over by some powerful expert.

His previous plan had been to consolidate power, then strike a blow at the future world and the experts from the Primeval Age. Never could he have guessed that the Great Necropolis would show up. Now, all of his plans had been thrown into chaos. However, adversity often brought opportunity, and thus, he continued vigorously forging ahead, using every trick he had at his disposal.

“Open your soul and become my servant, and I will remove your pain and suffering. Exercise faith in me.” Yang Qi's voice thundered into Cipher Rite-Heaven’s soul and sea of consciousness, forcing him to give over his faith.

As long as there was even the slightest chink in his faith, the burning Light of Faith could convert him.