Emperor’s Domination

“So who made it out?” Six-style eagerly asked.

“Remember, I was not present on the battlefield. When the second power erupted out of nowhere, the progenitors found themselves in a perilous situation. One of them instantly self-imploded and most importantly, the person could use the laws of the ghost market to disappear, fast enough that I couldn’t trace.” The temple lord said.

“So a second ghost law user. I thought only grand ghosts could remove all traces like that.” She said.

“Yes, only the emissaries and Ghost Monarch, in theory. I am an exception as well.” He said.

“You’re not the only one who was watching then.” Li Qiye said.

“Yes, Progenitor. I also spotted a spectator outside of the battlefield, could have been a living person or a ghost.” He said.

“Did you notice anything else?” She asked.

“The person came after the start of the battle and didn’t participate, choosing to hide in stealth. I only spotted due to my connection with the laws but it was still a feeble sensation lasting for a split second.” He said.

“Must have been strong.” She murmured since the person was able to evade the laws in this region.

“Not necessarily, could be a strong understanding of the ghost laws and found loopholes.” He said.

“Maybe another grand ghost such as yourself.” She said.

“If they found the right loophole, sure. They could have avoided the evacuation.” He said.

“Do you have anyone in mind?” She asked curiously.

“Most grand ghosts prefer to keep a distance from the laws due to their double-edged nature. The closer to the laws, the more limitations. Like Ghost Monarch who was completely derived from laws, there is no escaping the ghost market. Redemption is impossible.” He said.

“I haven’t heard of a grand ghost paying a fee for freedom.” She said.

“Weaker ones, sure. Just like how living merchants choose to become ghosts, ghosts can also go back to being alive.” He said: “It’s just that it’s a taboo to run around talking about this subject.”

“I suppose that some transactions are kept secret.” She agreed.

“It’s just harder for a grand ghost to leave. Even if I weren’t a temple lord, I would need to pay a proportional price, it’s better to just stay as a ghost.” He said.

“I see…” She thought that many ghosts seemed to have a great experience. Perhaps it was not too bad.

“Who are the best at evading the laws in the market?” She continued the investigation.

“Should be the emissaries and temple lords, but the formers are the best at it.” He said.

“There must be a record of when you became connected to the laws.” Li Qiye said.

“I was connected rather late. Everything before was a blur but I still had some memories, unlike Ghost Monarch.” He said: “Fog Emisary was the last and the youngest.”

“What about the others?” Six-style asked.

“Gold Emissary is most likely the oldest, so his connection time must have been before the ghost market.” He said.

“Soulcast Land.” Li Qiye responded.

“Either then or even before, it’s impossible to trace.” The temple lord said: “The next is Devil. This guy likes to hunt down those trying to find his true identity.”

“And Water?” She asked.

“Water is unique, there’s something off about his origin but he loves and views the market at his home. He assimilated the fastest out of the grand ghost, his future is bright here.” He said.

“He can become the boss later.” Li Qiye remarked.

“Do you mean replacing Ghost Monarch, Young Noble?” She asked.

“It’s not out of the question. The emissaries are part of the laws, the only difference is that they are sentient beings.” Li Qiye said.

“Right, they are laws or imitations of the ghost laws.” The temple lord nodded.

“What about Nameless Emissary, the most mysterious one?” She asked him.

“There are no records of this emissary. They weren’t erased so I speculated there was no transaction between Nameless and the ghost market.” He said.

“No transaction but still a grand ghost? Wait, could Nameless be a regular cultivator still?” She asked.

“Should be a ghost, and it was a voluntary transformation, not a transactional one.” He elaborated.

“I wonder why.” She murmured.

“Laws were different when it wasn’t the ghost market. No transaction doesn’t imply a lack of desire, and it could be someone else’s pursuit.” Li Qiye said.

“Would someone turn into a ghost for another’s desire?” She asked.

“It’s an interesting thought, perhaps not someone else’s pursuit but its own pursuit.” Li Qiye said.

“Now I am confused, what is the difference here? That’s just a regular transaction, becoming a ghost due to one’s own desire.” She said.

“Not necessarily, it’s a loophole.” Li Qiye smirked.

“How so?” She asked.

“I don’t need to use brute force to deal with the laws, I can trick them as well. I can use a dao avatar as a substitute, so I can do any transaction here without becoming a ghost. The issue is, not everyone can do this properly.” Li Qiye said.

“Could I do something like this when I had my cultivation?” She asked.

Li Qiye shook his head in response: “No, your old self was still far from reaching this level. The requirement for the dao avatar is high and if you somehow have a special ability or method to create one, the consequence is still high during the actual exchange.”