Emperor’s Domination

The mentioning of the temple also reminded the crowd of Lion’s Roar, another behemoth.

Lion’s Roar to the south, Puresun of the east, True Immortal in the north, and Three Thousand Dao over western yonder. These were the four behemoths of Sky Border.

Later on, Puresun chose an isolation policy so its members stopped showing up. Lion’s Roar did something similar and stopped competing. Therefore, True Immortal and Three Thousand Dao’s influence and authority grew. Divine Dragon Valley took advantage of this as well and became the third corner of the power triangle.

Some believed that Lion’s Roar was no longer as strong as before and was on a declining slope. It might not be able to keep its spot as the leader of the south for long.

Greedy thoughts would come from whenever a great power was on a decline. Everyone wanted a piece of the pie. Alas, in this case, they knew that as long as the temple was around, Lion’s Roar would be just fine.

The temple served as an eternal lighthouse. Its light would always be there regardless of the era; no one could destroy it.

Though it was a part of Lion’s Roar, it was not subservient to Lion’s Roar. The opposite was actually the truth since even the successor and king of Lion’s Roar needed to listen to the temple.

“The Supreme Monarch.” Everyone whispered the title of a particular being, not daring to say her true name.

The temple served as her abode. Alas, future generations haven’t had the honor of meeting her, not even the ancestors from Lion’s Roar or the members of the temple themselves.

Everyone still knew that as long as the temple was there, so was her.

During the great calamity, she was someone who fought the darkness as effectively as Immortal Emperor Zhan. [1]

Her fame and prestige remained in the present day. Invincible masters and dao lords never dared to show an ounce of disrespect after hearing her title.

“Serenity Goddess is from the Si of Bodhisattva City.” An ancestor from the south elaborated.

“The Si is a peerless clan already, now they have someone in the temple too?” Another became emotional.

The Si was a top clan in Lion’s Roar due to Treasure-cloud Queen. She was none other than the wife of Golden Lion Emperor who revitalized the kingdom. Their strong love for each other was well-documented.

The clan remained in top shape even after the emperor’s generation, being considered one of the strongest in all of Sky Border.

“The Si is certainly impressive but it pales in comparison to her status as the priestess.” One ancestor said.

Being the priestess of Ancestral Divine Temple meant being its successor. The king of Lion’s Roar would need to show respect because the priestess was in charge of serving the Supreme Monarch.

This meant that she was one of the few who was in direct contact with the monarch. This elevated her status to the next level. Even ancestors needed to greet her.

At this point, people understood the significance of her position. This was the reason why the prideful Six-winged Emissary became startled to see her.

“In terms of status alone, is the goddess on the same level as True Immortal Young Emperor?” One youth quietly asked.

“No.” A big shot from the last generation shook her head: “When she is in the temple, she has considerable authority. This is comparable to the sect master of True Immortal. If she is actually serving the Supreme Monarch, then her status would be even greater.”

“Not just that.” An ancestor from the south elaborated: “Remember, she’s from the Si and has a strong backer there too.”

“Paramount Goddess!” A knowledgeable cultivator nearby immediately thought about this cultivator.

This title has not been mentioned in a while but people still remembered her exploits.

“Is that the goddess who actually attacked Three Thousand Dao? She fought Enveloping Monarch and forced Dao Sanqian to take action?” One youth asked.

“Yes, she was the priestess of the temple during that generation.” The ancestor from the south confirmed.

Nearby listeners couldn’t believe what they were hearing. Enveloping Monarch was known for being unkillable due to his golden cycle. As for Dao Sanqian, no need to say more about his power.

Nonetheless, the priestess forced both of them to take action? Listeners became overwhelmed with awe and admiration.

“Why did she attack Three Thousand Dao?” The youth became curious.

A few seniors have heard rumors about this but decided to not answer, only shaking their head instead.

Therefore, the current priestess of the temple was even more feared.

“Is her position official?” Someone asked.

“Not sure because the temple doesn’t announce things like this to the world. It’s only a matter of time though.” A big shot responded. No one else questioned the legitimacy of her position.

Her real name was Si Jingru. She approached the crowd without an intimidating aura but many still bowed to show their respect.

“Weak I may be, I would like to test my skill against you, Emissary.” She spoke softly. Though this was a challenge, it didn’t seem malicious.

This prompted the emissary to take another step backward. He knew that their status was not comparable in the slightest.

His face turned red due to the precarious situation. Refusing to fight meant damaging his sect’s reputation. On the other hand, he was obviously no match for Si Jingru.

1. The title of this emperor is still undecided. Normally, Immortal Emperor Zhan is the right translation given the lack of context but I think there is a chance that it means an emperor who fights immortals, not an Immortal Emperor. Regular Immortal Emperor titles have two prefix characters, this one only has one - Zhan, meaning to fight/battle/war. I recall another emperor with a very similar name before with the character Zhan way early in the novel. Once we get more context, I’ll change this title if I have to. ☜