Emperor’s Domination

She wondered if it was just a dream. Alas, the feeling was so real, not to mention the waves of pain.

“Did you see? If you had grasped it then, you would have broken through the bottleneck.” Li Qiye smiled.

“Really?” She said skeptically.

“Of course, the chance was right before you.” Li Qiye said.

Despite the absurdity of his claim, the dao harmonization and everything else said otherwise.

“How did that happen?” She couldn’t help but ask.

“All the essential mysteries and profundities are written here by your progenitor.” Li Qiye said: “You wish to see it but are one step away.”

“Yes, just one step.” She admitted.

“Ask yourself, why are you one step away?” Li Qiye asked.

Assessing one’s cultivation in a short time was a difficult task.

“The dao heart being indomitable is one thing, courage is also there.” Li Qiye said.

“Courage.” She said softly.

“Without being tested, one would never know for sure the capability of their dao heart. It’s all assumptions.” Li Qiye said: “If you had the same experience starting out as your progenitor, would you have made the same choice? Would you be able to endure the trials of destruction?”

The woman entered a strange state while listening to him. She felt her grand dao crumbling, the same for her body. The pain caused her to stagger backward.

“What sorcery is this?!” She became alert.

“Not sorcery, just a quick impression of dao destruction, isn’t it frightening?” Li Qiye asked.

“Dao destruction.” She shuddered after recalling the sensation.

“Have you experienced it?” She regained her wits and asked.

“Yes, and more than once. You cannot imagine what I have been through.” Li Qiye nodded and answered earnestly.

“Cannot imagine?” She stared and assessed him again. Was this ordinary man lying?

“The truth is for cultivators, dying to the enemies or other simple types of death are a blessing.” Li Qiye said.

“Death is a blessing?” She found this perplexing again, the rambling of a madman.

“You have a long way to go before reaching this state of mind.” Li Qiye smiled: “The other dao seekers knew they would die but still did it. They did not want to back off, offering their lives as a heartfelt message.”

She trembled after hearing this.

“Dying for one’s pursuit and without regrets, how joyous.” Li Qiye said.

“Which is why they didn’t fear death.” She took a deep breath.

“What’s the alternative?” She asked.

“Despair and fear with agony in between, that’s one of the worst fates.” Li Qiye said.

“Just one of the worst?” She stared at him.

“Yes, life is full of terrible fates. For some, they believe cultivation is already tough enough. That’s because they haven’t lost it all before.” Li Qiye smiled: “Burying their loved ones, sending them away, the destruction of the world, untold massacres, living under the darkness…” 

He paused before asking: “The misery of cultivation is only one among them. If you have experienced all of these things, would you be able to sit here idly and search for the dao?”

“Perhaps not.” She said.

“There was a supreme overlord, a true guardian of the epoch, who kept on defending after losing everyone. The world didn’t understand and thought their defender was the source of calamities, repaying kindness with vile words and drawn blades. What would you do in this supreme overlord’s shoes?” Li Qiye asked.

She contemplated for a while before looking at him: “Why keep on defending?”

“It is the dao heart. One’s pursuit has nothing to do with outsiders, only the self.” Li Qiye said.

“But that world was not worth protecting.” She said.

“What is worth protecting? How about Three Immortals? It is beautiful indeed, but the three defenders died to the very descendants of this world. If they didn’t protect it in the first, Zhan Sansheng might not have existed.” Li Qiye said.

“Yes.” She answered softly after careful consideration.

“This highlights the importance of having a dao heart firm enough to maintain one’s original aspiration, and the reward can be immense power.” Li Qiye said.

“Immense power? Cultivating the dao heart is a mental thing. Power stems from the grand dao and cultivation.” She didn’t support his view.

“Oh?” He smirked.

His smirk annoyed her since it made her feel ignorant despite her achievements.

“You can use the dao heart to suppress my dao power?” She asked.

“Not difficult at all. Isn’t it interesting?” Li Qiye smiled.

“Impossible.” She responded: “I want to see it.”

“Very well, since our meeting is fate and I don’t mind a little exercise.” Li Qiye stood up and accepted the challenge.