Emperor’s Domination

If it were a tree, it wouldn’t seem all that ancient, but as a vine, it was indeed incredibly old.

This ancient vine had grown as tall as a large tree; its trunk was covered in thick, aged bark. This bark was incredibly tough, resembling dragon scales. Trying to break it was impossible and knocking on it even produced a metallic sound.

No one knew just how old this ancient vine was. While it still had many hanging tendrils, there were very few leaves left. It appears to be in its twilight years as if it could wither and die at any moment.

This ancient vine grew for countless years, seemingly linked with this old house as if they existed in tandem. As long as the old house stood, so would the vine. Perhaps the day the old house crumbles would also be the day this ancient vine finally withers.

Li Qiye reached out and gently stroked the ancient vine. Its thick, old bark, like dragon scales, was hard and even sharp. He couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.

His fascination with this ancient vine surprised Teng Sujian. Even the disciples of their family, knowing the vine’s origins, would only give it a glance, not gaze at it for so long, even studying it intently as Li Qiye was doing.

“Fellow Daoist, do you know about our ancestral vine?” Teng Sujian asked with curiosity after seeing him so engrossed.

“What kind of ancestral vine is it?” Li Qiye looked at her.

She couldn’t help but feel a little frustrated. She came from a noble background, and although she had recently lost influence and felt somewhat dejected, she didn’t expect to be ignored completely. His expression when he looked at her was like he was looking at a passerby.

No matter where she went, she always attracted attention and was even revered among the young generation. Yet, Li Qiye looked at her as if she were utterly unremarkable. She wanted to look in a mirror to see if she truly was plain.

It was fortunate that she had recently experienced some setbacks, which had made her temperament much calmer and more stable. Otherwise, with her former arrogance as a favored daughter of heaven, if Li Qiye had spoken to her like this, she wouldn’t have even bothered to give him a second glance.

“Yes, the legend says this vine was personally planted by our progenitor.” Teng Sujian patiently explained to Li Qiye: “Rumor has it this place was where our progenitor and progenitress first met. He planted this ancient vine to bear witness to their love.”

“So, this is also considered the origin place of our clan.” Teng Sujian paused here, her voice softening: “Although it’s not where our clan established its sect, our origin should be traced back to this spot.”

“Love, huh?” These words made Li Qiye turn his head and glance back at the old house, especially the ancient plaque above its entrance. The two characters, Jingye, suddenly seemed to carry a profound meaning.

“So your progenitress’ name is Jingye.” Li Qiye smiled.

“How do you know?!” She became startled.

“It’s written there.” Li Qiye pointed at the plaque.

“You recognize these ancient symbols?” She couldn’t believe it.

She couldn’t read them and only knew the meanings after being told by an elder in the clan. This knowledge was passed down for generations – the house belonged to their progenitress.

This place has always been a part of their territories but no one wanted to stay here. Recently, she suffered setbacks with cultivation and decided to find peace in this place.

“It’s a beautiful legend.” Li Qiye didn’t answer her question.

“Yes, our progenitor didn’t leave after meeting her.” Sujian nodded.

The Teng was a great clan in World City, rumored to have been founded by a supreme overlord, First Vine. [1]

In theory, the clan should be massive and strong enough to sweep through this region. Alas, the Teng was far from it, only a major clan at best.

Therefore, many in Heaven World thought there was no relation between the clan and First Vine, that they only shared the same last name.

Although the clan wanted to tell everyone they were First Vine’s descendants, they didn’t have solid proof. Moreover, there was an internal theory that they were part of his son’s branch, not his directly.

However, a beautiful legend was passed down in their clan. It spoke of how First Vine worked with Desolate Ancestor during Heavenslay, waiting to deliver the final blow to Dingtian.

This led to Dingtian’s demise but he also suffered an irrecoverable injury. He traveled the world afterward and met the love of his life here – Jingye.

The actual details were not recorded. Rumor has it she was a regular mortal. How did a supreme overlord fall in love with a female mortal? This seemed rather absurd and impossible.

Thus, others said she was a talented emperor or a flower demon… Either way, the descendants of the Teng believed the first theory of her being a mortal.

He chose to stay instead of returning to Life and Death Heaven where the lord could have healed him, preferring to die from old age with his beloved wife. Because of this, some said the current Teng was founded by their son, not First Vine himself.

This clan was strong enough back then to have a primal ancestor who eventually joined Life and Death Heaven.

Regardless of its origin, the clan had strong ties with this faction. The strongest ancestors of the clan always supported the lord and held high positions there.

The argument against First Vine’s ties with the clan came from the lack of resources left behind. As a supreme overlord, he should have left enough treasures and materials behind to elevate the clan. This was not the case.

“You don’t believe it?” She asked.

“I do, love can change people dramatically.” Li Qiye nodded.

“Really?” She didn’t expect him to agree since the two parties in the tale were so different.

1. Teng Yi ☜