Dominator Emperor

After Master Zhou left, Li Qiye casually flipped through the roster for the Washing Stone Peak Martial Arts Hall. There were a total of three hundred disciples, and the one who had joined the longest had been here for nearly five years.

After looking over the roster, Li Qiye glanced at Nan Huairun and asked, ”What are your thoughts?”

Nan Huairun gave a hollow laugh and said, ”Brother, I wouldn’t dare to speculate. If you insist on hearing my humble opinion, then I suppose I can be so bold as to say a thing or two.”

Nan Huairun was a smooth operator and always spoke with tact. He had already thrown in his lot with Li Qiye, so of course, he was in Li Qiye’s camp.

”Bullshit.” Li Qiye shot him a cold, sidelong glance. ”If you put that scheming mind of yours to use in cultivation, perhaps your Dao Practice might advance by another realm.”

At Li Qiye’s words, Nan Huairun could only laugh nervously again. ”A person’s nature is innate,” he said. ”You’re destined to be the person you were meant to be.”

”Alright, stop trying your slick words on me and just state your opinion.” Li Qiye waved a hand dismissively. He didn’t mind Nan Huairun’s wordplay; a smooth operator like him would never change his nature.

Nan Huairun lowered his voice. ”I heard a bit of news. The Great Elder originally intended for you to teach at the Qiyu Peak Martial Arts Hall. However, the Second Elder has always insisted that you should teach here at Washing Stone Peak instead.”

”Tell me the difference between the two.” Li Qiye smiled, already having a good grasp of the situation.

Nan Huairun didn’t dare to show off in front of Li Qiye, but he still laid out his thoughts seriously. ”The Second Elder has immense influence within the Washing Stone Peak lineage. Brother He Yingjian is from this very line. Although Brother He is only a third-generation disciple, he is, in fact, already on equal footing with his martial uncles of the Hall Master level.”

Nan Huairun didn’t dare express his full opinion, stopping after making his point. He knew that Li Qiye was no fool; his schemes were more terrifying than anyone could imagine.

”Oh? And what of the factions among the Six Great Elders?” Li Qiye asked with a smile.

”Well...” Nan Huairun hesitated. As a third-generation disciple, he wasn’t privy to the inner workings of the Six Great Elders.

”That’s simple. It all depends on whether the Great Elder has any intention of vying for the position of Sect Leader.” At that moment, a kindly voice spoke up.

Second Brother Tu Buyu walked in. Despite being over a thousand years old, he was still spry and wore a kindly smile on his face.

”Let’s hear it.” Li Qiye didn’t mind Tu Buyu’s presence, nor was he afraid of his involvement.

Tu Buyu said with a smile, ”Brother, within our Xiyan Ancient Sect, no one holds more influence than the Great Elder. He is a stern man but handles matters with fairness. More importantly, he was the previous Sect Leader’s direct head disciple. In terms of qualifications, he had the best chance of becoming the Sect Leader of the Xiyan Ancient Sect.”

”Wasn’t our master the previous generation’s head disciple of the Xiyan Ancient Sect?” Li Qiye was rather surprised to hear this from Tu Buyu. Since Su Yonghuang was the Sect Leader, he had assumed she was the previous Sect Leader’s direct head disciple.

Tu Buyu shook his head, a smile playing on his lips. ”Master’s situation is rather unique and different from the Great Elder’s. Among the first-generation disciples, the Great Elder always had the best chance of inheriting the position of Sect Leader. In fact, among the Six Great Elders, all but Second Elder Cao Xiong have, in principle, always supported the Great Elder.”

”And what does the Great Elder think?” Li Qiye asked with a smile, stroking his chin.

Tu Buyu shook his head. ”As for what the Great Elder thinks, I’m afraid only he knows. It’s no secret that Cao Xiong has always coveted the Sect Leader’s seat. The Great Elder, however, has never made his own stance clear, even with the support of the other elders. But loyalty can be worn down by time. From what I can see, the other four elders have likely started to waver in their support in recent years.”

Li Qiye looked at Tu Buyu and couldn’t help but chuckle. ”Master is away all year round, and you, Junior Brother, aren’t in the Xiyan Ancient Sect either,” he said leisurely. ”It seems both of you are still quite well-informed!”

There was something intriguing about this. Su Yonghuang didn’t reside in the Xiyan Ancient Sect, yet she was deeply knowledgeable about its affairs. Li Qiye, however, didn’t care what the Great Elder or Su Yonghuang thought. His determination to rebuild the Xiyan Ancient Sect was unstoppable! No one could stand in his way, not even his master-in-name-only, Su Yonghuang!

”You jest, Brother. As disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, this is our home. Of course we would be concerned about it,” Tu Buyu replied with a kindly smile.

As Tu Buyu spoke, Nan Huairun tactfully kept his mouth shut and stood to one side. Having lived for over a thousand years, Tu Buyu had more authority to speak on the affairs of the Xiyan Ancient Sect.

Tu Buyu was undoubtedly an old fox. Li Qiye glanced at him and smiled calmly. ”Since you’ve returned, Junior Brother, then you ought to know what Master’s attitude is.”

Any intelligent person could understand the implication in Li Qiye’s words. He wasn’t beating around the bush; he was getting straight to the point.

Tu Buyu’s expression remained unchanged. He replied with a faint smile, ”Brother, you are the Chief Disciple of our Xiyan Ancient Sect and represent its honor. As for your actions, you will naturally make your own decisions. Master will not interfere.”

’Impressive. Such a masterful way of sidestepping the question. He truly is an old fox who’s lived for over a thousand years.’ This piqued Li Qiye’s interest in Tu Buyu. If the disciple had lived for more than a thousand years, how old was his master, Su Yonghuang?

Li Qiye simply gave a faint smile in response to Tu Buyu’s words and made no further comment. He wasn’t in a hurry to make a move regarding the grand scheme of the Xiyan Ancient Sect. He would make his plans after his Dao Practice reached a higher realm.

After listening to Tu Buyu, Li Qiye offered no comment and simply instructed Nan Huairun, ”Huairun, bring me all the Cultivation Techniques practiced by the Martial Arts Hall disciples. I want to take a look at them.”

Nan Huairun acknowledged the order and hurried off to carry it out, not daring to delay for even a moment.

However, before Nan Huairun could return with the Cultivation Techniques, a disciple sent by the Great Elder arrived to summon Li Qiye.

The Xiyan Ancient Sect once presided over a thousand main peaks, but now, it truly controlled only seventy-three. Furthermore, all seventy-three of these peaks were in decline, their Heaven and Earth Essence Qi slowly withering away.

As the Great Elder, Elder Gu was naturally qualified to occupy a main peak of his own. The peak he resided on, moreover, still had relatively abundant Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.

The Great Elder received Li Qiye in his main hall. For a third-generation disciple to be granted a private audience with the Great Elder was an unparalleled honor among the younger generation of the Xiyan Ancient Sect.

Li Qiye sat down in the hall, calm and at ease. He showed not the slightest hint of nervousness in the Great Elder’s presence, appearing perfectly relaxed and comfortable.

The Great Elder sat in the seat of honor, studying Li Qiye without speaking for a long time. Li Qiye, in turn, remained silent, waiting for the Great Elder to begin.

After a long silence, the Great Elder finally spoke. He looked at Li Qiye, sighed softly, and said, ”Li Qiye, I cannot see through you. If you were sent by the Nine Saints Demon Gate, then you are far too brazen.”

For the Great Elder to begin with such words showed his intention to put all his cards on the table. Li Qiye merely smiled faintly. ”And what do you think, Elder? Am I a spy from the Nine Saints Demon Gate?”

”Whether you are or not is not for me alone to decide,” the Great Elder said grimly, his eyes fixed on Li Qiye.

A smile crept onto Li Qiye’s face when he heard this; he already understood. He looked at the Great Elder and said, ”How others see it is unimportant. What matters is how you see it, Elder. For example, my appointment to teach in the Washing Stone Peak Martial Arts Hall.”

The Great Elder stood up and walked to the window. He stood there silently for so long that he seemed to have turned into a stone statue. Finally, he turned back to Li Qiye and said, ”The affairs of the Xiyan Ancient Sect are not something I can control alone. Especially not anymore.”

’The other four elders have begun to waver!’ A smile touched Li Qiye’s lips. He recalled Tu Buyu’s words and now understood the Great Elder’s predicament. The other four elders had always supported the Great Elder, even in his bid for Sect Leader of the Xiyan Ancient Sect. However, loyalty couldn’t withstand the test of time. The Great Elder’s stance on the matter had always been inscrutable, whereas Cao Xiong was openly ambitious. Without a doubt, the other four elders had eventually started to waver.

”I grew up in the Xiyan Ancient Sect. My late master’s kindness to me was as vast as a mountain,” the Great Elder finally said in a heavy voice. ”More than anyone in this sect, I do not wish to see the day a great catastrophe befalls us!”

Li Qiye sat quietly, waiting for the Great Elder to continue. After a moment, the elder looked at him and said gravely, ”The enemies of the Xiyan Ancient Sect should not come from within, but from without—like the Holy Heaven Sect.”

”Please enlighten me, Elder,” Li Qiye said, nodding with a rare display of sincerity.

The Great Elder sat back down and sighed softly. ”Thirty thousand years ago, our Xiyan Ancient Sect fought a war with the Holy Heaven Sect. We suffered a crushing defeat in the National Capital and were forced to retreat to our Sect Territory, losing control over the entire Ancient Country. In the thirty thousand years since, the great figures of our older generation have passed away one by one, and our decline has become irreversible. Although the Xiyan Ancient Sect has fallen into ruin, we still possess things that the Holy Heaven Sect covets. They’ve held back from making a move only because they still have some reservations. If the day comes when the Holy Heaven Sect discovers we have no trump card left to play, it will be the day our Xiyan Ancient Sect is destroyed!”

Nan Huairun had told him about the war between the Xiyan Ancient Sect and the Holy Heaven Sect. In truth, Li Qiye, as the Yin Ya, had known a few things about the Holy Heaven Sect fifty thousand years ago. However, his condition at the time had been extremely poor, so he couldn’t have been bothered with such trivial matters!