Emperor’s Domination

“Exile? Where to?” Li Qiye chuckled: “As long as you remain alive, you will return with the flow of time regardless of how far the banishment is.”

The middle-aged man sighed and stared at the coffin in a daze.

“Is there truly no path for us?” After a while, he turned and asked Li Qiye.

“You already knew the answer and the price but merely clung to a glimmer of hope.” Li Qiye smiled.

“I thought the heaven wouldn’t forsake us.” He said.

“Then you don’t understand the heaven for it does not care. Moreover, it doesn’t apply to this scenario, you were the one who sealed the future for yourself, not the heaven.” Li Qiye answered.

He smiled bitterly before nodding: “You’re right, Sir, I was the one who sealed our future.”

“Nevertheless, this path must be finished even if you have to crawl.” Li Qiye continued.

“Sir, I only wanted her to live again, nothing more.” He trembled and held his head, looking to be suffering.

“You’re not the only one. Those stronger than you also sought life when there was none and did everything possible to achieve this goal including devouring others. I also have a few I want to revive, should I do it?” Li Qiye said with a profound gaze.

He paused momentarily and said: “You didn’t fully grasp the gravity of your matter. I am more qualified and can revive someone easier than you, but I never tried.”

“You can actually revive someone, Sir?” He looked up and asked.

“I had more than one chance but I didn’t.” Li Qiye shook his head.

“Simply because you didn’t want to?” He asked again.

“Fine, let me show you what you have done.” Li Qiye said before opening the lid of the coffin.

“Creak.” The wailing curse could be heard afterward. It came from the abyss and echoed endlessly.

The thing inside was not a corpse but something indescribable. It appeared to be a black liquid in the shape of a clam. The pollution of the curse caused “hair” to grow.

Nevertheless, it was surely alive, possessing certain characteristics of life.

“You prided on being matchless in terms of appearance and skill.” Li Qiye said: “But in the end, this is your accomplishment.”

“I know, I have not reached that height.” He closed his eyes in pain.

“Your power pales compared to the villainous heaven or the truly great cultivators who have tried to do the same only to face the same outcome.” Li Qiye remarked.

He took a deep breath and asked: “Sir, is it an unforgivable sin trying to revive someone you love?”

“Yes, reviving the dead is unforgivable.” Li Qiye said: “There is no meaning in life without death, no one will respect life and death then.”

After a long silence, he murmured: “I was wrong, wrong indeed.”

“And it was your wish. If she had the choice, would she want to continue living like this?” Li Qiye asked.

He trembled upon hearing this and said softly: “I shouldn’t have.”

“The moment you embarked on this path, you already knew it was a road leading to the abyss. You relied on luck alone, thinking you could drag yourself and her out of it. Unfortunately, if this was possible, you would have been the high heaven, but if you were the high heaven, you wouldn’t have done this in the first place.”

“I overestimated myself and here we are with the consequence.” He lamented and felt despair.

“Therefore, the only thing I can do is kill the two of you and eliminate the curse.” Li Qiye stared at him and let out a sigh.

“Sir, I accept death without any grievance, but if, if you can remove the curse, can she go on living?” He understood what he wanted now.

“That’s not what I said, was it? But I suppose there is always hope.” Li Qiye smiled.

“Sir?!” He was ecstatic to hear this.

“The question is, do you think she’ll want to continue living like this? Your life only pays for the karmic consequence of your choice, this was determined. It doesn’t pay for anything else.” Li Qiye said.

He stared at the coffin and eventually made up his mind: “I won’t let her die.”

“It’s not like there isn’t a method.” Li Qiye’s eyes shifted between the man and the coffin.

“Please elaborate, Sir.” He found hope again and his eyes lit up.

“I can let her live and remove the curse entirely, she can live like a normal person.” Li Qiye said.

“Really?!” He was overwhelmed with joy upon hearing this.

“Yes.” Li Qiye nodded: “But as always, karma needs to be exchanged.”

“What karma, I accept whatever it is.” He became impatient.

“Is that so?” Li Qiye had a faint smile on his face: “The price is the karmic connection between you two.”

“Karmic connection? What does that mean?” He had a bad feeling about this.

“It’s simple, out of pity for your deep affection, I will shield you from the heaven’s wrath and extinguish this tribulation. But, I will also take your karma and you two shall be connected no more. The love between you two will vanish, she will not remember you any longer nor will you remember her. Not a trace of your connection will remain.” Li Qiye said.

“I see…” The man understood: “Like two strangers in a sea of people.”