Yang Qi and Mu Yexi were now alone in the hall.

A single man and a single woman. Alone together.

Of course, there would be no explosion of passion. Both were on guard against each other, and Mu Yexi had specifically been stationed here by her parents to make sure that Yang Qi didn’t get away.

Yang Qi was an experiment that had succeeded beyond expectation, and they didn’t want to lose him.

The truth was that Mu Yexi actually wasn’t worried that he might attempt to flee.

She was fully aware that, before leaving, Mu Renwang had activated one of the Woodfern Couple Palace’s most powerful warding spells, something called the Heart-Linking Hex. It created a hexing mark within the heart of the target that was completely impossible to detect. With almost no effort at all, Mu Renwang would be able to track Yang Qi wherever he went. He could also use it to corrode the target’s spirit, or even detonate it. If he did that, Yang Qi would be in such incredible pain that he would drop to the ground and be unable to do anything but writhe and twitch.

Obviously, the imperial couple wouldn’t just leave and allow Yang Qi the freedom to do whatever he wanted.

The Heart-Linking Hex was also so powerful that it would keep Mu Renwang informed of whenever Yang Qi worked on his cultivation, and could provide a window to observe that cultivation.

Of course, Yang Qi had sensed the hex falling into place in his sea of consciousness. Thankfully, he could still connect to the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart and get help from his immortal-slaying clone.

As Yang Qi gained enlightenment of the Purrfect God Art, he could pass that knowledge to the clone. Although the clone’s mastery wasn’t on the same level as Yang Qi’s, he could still use it to amazing effect. After all, the cultivation speed the clone was capable of in the chart put him in the position to rival Yang Qi himself.

The clone was researching Shi Yuan’s godpower seed and had been paying close attention to how the imperial couple cleansed the seed earlier. When the moment came, it would be an easy task for him to pass Shi Yuan’s godpower seed out to Yang Qi.

In other words, Yang Qi could easily destroy the hexing mark that Mu Renwang had put on him. But right now wasn’t the time.

He would use the imperial couple to get himself into the position of league-lord before freeing himself from their control.

Snorting coldly inside, he thought, ‘They’re just trying to use me, but little do they know that I'm just waiting for my next breakthrough. Eventually, I’ll really be the league-lord, and then I’ll force them to acknowledge allegiance to me.’ The Heart-Linking Hex was a powerful spell, and normally speaking, it would even reveal the thoughts of its target.

But Yang Qi’s cultivation base was far too high.

He was a Fateless One with Life-Death Void-Destruction Lightning. Therefore, it was an easy task to send false thoughts through to Mu Renwang, pulling the wool over his eyes.

Later, he would even be able to use the Heart-Linking Hex to launch a counter-attack on Mu Renwang and give him a taste of his own medicine.

After all, Yang Qi was like the patriarch of all types of sealing marks, thanks to the Devil-God Seal, which was a combination of countless other types of sealing marks. Furthermore, thanks to the true energy of Proud Heaven’s version of the Strength of the Hell-Crushing Godmammoth, all of Yang Qi’s energy arts had advanced by leaps and bounds, including that one.

There was another trump card that Yang Qi had at his disposal.

That trump card was the true energy of the emperor of the Executors of the Ancient Road, which he had acquired during his encounter with the Shepherd. He had sent it into the Mahātmā Jade, but it was returned to attack him. Afterward, he had kept it in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart for later use. Since then, the immortal-slaying clone had spent time refining it.

And there were other tools Yang Qi had that made him unworried about his current situation.

“Congratulations, Yang Qi,” Mu Yexi said, looking down at him as he sat there cross-legged circulating his true energy. “You lived through the experiment. A true miracle. You now have a brilliant future ahead of you, something unprecedented. Not even I could match up to you at this point. Do you want to know the truth? I think you’re already in the position to beat Bastard Seacliff.”

“This is all thanks to you, Junior Empress, and your parents, the imperial couple. From here on out, I’ll do everything I can to advance the interests of the Woodfern Couple Palace.” Yang Qi was pouring it on very thick, trying to make himself seem like nothing more than a loyal servant. Keeping a very serious expression on his face, he said, “I’m much stronger now, and I'm now an Inheritor, with all sorts of new abilities. For instance, the God Tombstone Palms. But I'm still not ready to take on Bastard Seacliff. His energy arts have reached the point of perfection, plus, he’s a god bastard. How could I possibly beat him?”

Mu Yexi thought for a moment. “This is a big topic. If you can’t beat him, then all of this effort will have been in vain. Furthermore, him being the league-lord would bring nothing but harm. Considering that the Genesis Sanctum and our Woodfern Couple Palace are at such odds, he would definitely take advantage of the situation to further his own ends. And considering we’ve already publicly announced the matter of selecting a league-lord, we can’t just back out. Let’s hope that my parents can figure out something about the Mahātmā Jade and help you get to the Terrifying level. In any case, my parents will return before the assembly starts to bless you with power.”

“Many thanks for all of your help,” Yang Qi said. “My gratitude knows no bounds.”

“By the way,” Mu Yexi said, “if you really do end up as the league-lord, both the Genesis Sanctum and the Woodfern Couple Palace will provide blessings of power. Everyone will be helping you to get stronger and maintain power as the league-lord. What you're experiencing right now is just an appetizer. Although you’re acting very submissive right now, my bet is that you actually have some big ambitions you’re keeping secret. Am I right?”

“I wouldn’t dare,” Yang Qi replied immediately. “Your humble servant has no ambitions whatsoever. I just hope to please you and your parents, junior empress. Whatever blessings of power I get, I’ll pass them on to you. Then you can surpass that junior pontiff, and hopefully reach the mid Terrifying level.”

She stared sharply at Yang Qi for a long moment, then smiled. “Well said. I know that you’re a smart person, Yang Qi. You might sound subservient, but it could all be an act. Just remember that you’re going to be a puppet of the Woodfern Couple Palace, regardless of your true feelings on the matter.”

“But I—”

“Enough,” she interrupted coolly. “I've asked around and I know what kind of person you are, and I’ve had the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect fully investigated. You have some wild ambitions, and you rule your people with an iron fist. Look, I'm an ambitious person as well, so you don’t need to try explaining yourself. I know that a courageous person like you would never truly agree to be a puppet. But as I said, the circumstances require it. If you want to keep yourself alive, and your sect in one piece, you need to fall in line. Got it?”

Yang Qi didn’t interrupt. He just listened to her speech.

And as it turned out, she wasn’t done talking. “The Woodfern Couple Palace is expending a lot of resources to help you, and there’s no way we want a rebel on our hands. Don’t think us fools, don’t try to find some loophole in our agreement, and definitely don’t try to get help from the Genesis Sanctum; you really don’t want to mess with them. You have one shot at survival, and that’s to become the league-lord. Also, when the two sects bless you with power, you have to pass it to me, as you just promised to do. That point is non-negotiable. The power will come with warding spells, but I know that you can negate them. Then you’ll give me the power and any energy arts that come with them, which I will use to reach the mid Terrifying level. At that point, you’ll have offered true service to us. And we’ll make sure to treat you well because of it.”

“I’ll follow your each and every order, Junior Empress,” Yang Qi said. “Is there anything else you need to tell me? I only hope that when you reach the mid Terrifying level, you don’t 

cross the river and burn the bridge

by killing me.”

She smiled. “Don’t worry. As long as you do what you’re told, why would I want to kill you? You’re going to be the league-lord. Yes, a puppet league-lord, but a league-lord nonetheless. Everyone will follow your orders, although you’ll obviously make decisions that will further the interests of the Woodfern Couple Palace. And as long as our sect grows stronger, the Will Manifestation Heaven Sect will also grow stronger. The stronger you are, the better you can further our interests, so we obviously won’t hold back in helping you.”

Mu Yexi had put everything out in the open.

From that, Yang Qi could tell she was definitely someone that couldn't be taken lightly. Of course, that didn’t mean he would just let her call the shots. Just falling in line and becoming a true puppet wouldn’t lead to anything good. And right now, he couldn't afford to have an enemy that was in the mid Terrifying level.

Obviously, he couldn't allow her to achieve that breakthrough, otherwise she could join hands with her parents, in which case he would be completely outmatched.

Right now, he had to figure out how to defeat Bastard Seacliff, become the league-lord, and maintain his grip on power.

Meanwhile, in the Myriad Worlds Monarch Chart, his immortal-slaying clone was working hard with the imperial-heaven pre-beginning systems and the Purrfect God Art, so he could use them as a trump card at the right moment.

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