Sage Monarch - Chapter 857

Chapter 857

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 .