Emperor’s Domination

At first glance, this looked like a child playing with a branch. However, Qin Baifeng saw something different.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call her a sword master since she used this dao to obtain her sacred fruits.

Therefore, she had great insight into this aspect and became startled after seeing the man waving the branch.

“A good seed.” Niu Fen couldn’t help but praise. The apex dao lord was far stronger than Qin Baifeng, possessing superior vision and insight.

“The sword naturally has a dao heart as well.” Li Qiye smiled and said: “The blade follows the heart.”

“You know everything.” The man sniffed up his snot and exclaimed: “Then do you also see the sword, it’s right there.”

“It’s everywhere.” Li Qiye smiled before raising one hand.

Mortals wouldn’t notice anything special since there was nothing outwardly special about it. However, Baifeng and Niu Fen saw the indiscernible sword dao embedded in his movement. The momentum was there in spite of a void in technique and form.

“How did you do that?” The man stared at Li Qiye’s hand as if it were the most interesting treasure in the world, unable to avert his gaze.

“I get it, I get it!” After a while, he burst into laughter and fell to the ground, kicking his legs in excitement just like a child who had just found his favorite toy again. This was pure happiness, no need for anything expensive or an unparalleled achievement.

This childish innocence shouldn’t be present in a middle-aged man but it was clearly there.

As he rolled on the ground, he became dirty with mud on his clothes and snot on his face. He didn’t mind at all and wiped it with his sleeve.

“You try it.” Li Qiye showed an interest in the man.

“Okay, it’s like this.” He stood up and excitedly copied Li Qiye, raising his hand in the air and waving it.

“Buzz.” Something was being dragged by his hand movement - a sword momentum.

Niu Fen and Qin Baifeng couldn’t believe their own eyes, the latter even gasped in response.

This man was clearly a mortal yet he understood the dao profundity within Li Qiye’s action. He possessed no dao power or chaos true energy but nonetheless, he was able to control the momentum of the sword.

“Incredible, this brat might be one of the greatest sword geniuses in history.” Niu Fen murmured.

Li Qiye gathered the sword momentum without needing any technique or an actual sword. However, this was Li Qiye.

Now, the man was able to do so as well - something truly frightening.

“The fundamental is there.” Li Qiye nodded: “But there are still sound and form, only a minor completion, not enough.”

“Right…” He scratched his head and asked earnestly: “So how do I do it with no sound and form?”

“An innocent heart with happiness is enough.” Li Qiye said: “But to reach the highest level, polishment and perseverance are necessary. Only by actively holding onto this natural innocence would you be able to achieve silence and formlessness.”

“This is that dao heart again?” He asked with a pair of bright eyes freed from any impurity. The mortal coil left no mark in his windows to the soul for he still had the heart of a child.

“Yes, cultivation is easy, the same for obtaining the dao. Within the dao heart lies the true challenge.” Li Qiye nodded.

“I see.” The man said: “So that’s how it is, I gotta protect it, keep it warm.”

“You could say that.” Li Qiye smiled patiently before patting the man’s shoulder: “Here, take a look at her.” He pointed at Qin Baifeng afterward.

The man was engrossed in the conversation with Li Qiye and the impromptu sword movement. He didn’t notice anyone else standing nearby and even if he did, he would have forgotten about them right away. He barely could remember his own self, let alone anyone else.

He looked up and took a look at Qin Baifeng. In the mortal world, others would think that she was a celestial maiden and become captivated.

However, he wasn’t interested in her beauty - only her sword dao and source.

“So many little birds, you take care of all of them?” He asked.

“What?” She didn’t have a response.

“They’re chirping and playing in your heart right now.” He resembled a child who had just found a shiny new toy.

She immediately understood that he was talking about her sword dao. Although her main cultivation was Sunset Glow, she created her own sword dao to become a dragon lord.

The name of her Dao was “Reign of the Phoenix” - a technique manifesting in hundreds of birds worshipping the phoenix.

“This is my sword dao.” She said.

“I see. Let me touch them.” He then reached forward.

A man would find himself in a precarious situation for this rude and potentially perverted demand. Alas, his innocence and curiosity were as clear as day.

He didn’t wait for permission and got close enough to touch.

“Blank!” Of course, he was touching her sword dao, not her body.

This mortal was capable of spotting a sword dao on top of reaching it. Anyone else would have been instantly attacked in an automatic response for the sword dao belonged to her only.

Alas, he possessed an innate gift of being infinitely intimate with the sword dao. No sword dao could ever refuse him, akin to best friends finally meeting again after a long separation.