Dominator Emperor

”Someone younger than me is going to teach us a Cultivation Technique? Isn’t this just going to hold up our cultivation? My assessment is in less than a year! What if I fail to become an inner sect disciple? I’ll have to wait another five years!” a disciple complained.

Too many disciples were unhappy. Another couldn’t help but complain, ”Exactly! We’ve got the worst luck. They just shoved someone younger than us in here to teach. This is going too far!”

”Hmph, a good-for-nothing with a Mortal Body and Mortal Wheel can actually become the Chief Disciple. What a disgrace to our Xiyan Ancient Sect!” a talented disciple spat, speaking with disdain.

”Shh, Senior Brother Luo, be careful he doesn’t hear you,” a disciple whispered, tugging on the senior brother’s arm.

In fact, Master Zhou had already hinted that making things difficult for Li Qiye was no big deal and that no one would stand up for him. This only made the disciples of the Martial Arts Hall even bolder.

”So what if he hears?” The disciple known as Senior Brother Luo raised his voice instead, speaking loudly, ”He’s just a worthless idiot. What’s so special about him? So what if he’s clinging to the Nine Saints Demon Gate for support? That’s no reason to let him delay our cultivation! What have we been working so hard to cultivate for all these years? To pass the assessment and become inner sect disciples! If we’re held back by a good-for-nothing, won’t all our years of effort be for nothing?”

”Yeah, that’s right!” Instantly, many disciples chimed in. ”We can’t let a good-for-nothing waste years of our hard work! We have to drive him away and get a new instructor!”

In that moment, dozens of disciples joined in, banding together to stir up trouble. Seeing this, Nan Huairun frowned and was about to step forward, but Li Qiye stopped him.

”Drive this good-for-nothing out! He’s not qualified to teach us!” dozens of disciples clamored.

”Exactly! Someone who just joined the sect a few days ago—he’s not even better than me, yet he has the nerve to teach us!” a disciple said disdainfully. ”Chief Disciple? Pfft, not worth a penny!”

The disciple called Senior Brother Luo shouted, ”That’s right! His Dao Practice is weaker than ours, and he dares to teach us? What an absolute disgrace! If you want to teach us, it’s not that hard. Beat us first, and then we’ll talk.”

”Is this really a good idea?” a female disciple with big eyes said timidly. ”Challenging a senior is a serious crime.”

”Pah! Challenging a senior? He’d have to qualify as our senior first,” this Senior Brother Luo declared loudly.

”That’s right! If he isn’t qualified to be our senior, what right does he have to teach? It’s not like we’re challenging a real senior,” many disciples added. Clearly, this Senior Brother Luo held a high status among them.

As the crowd grew more agitated, Li Qiye finally stood up slowly. He walked down, looked at the group of disciples, and said in a calm, leisurely tone, ”So, you’re all quite dissatisfied with me, your senior brother.”

Now that Li Qiye had spoken, the disciples on the scene suddenly quieted down, looking back and forth at one another. No matter how they felt, Li Qiye was still the Chief Disciple, sent here by the elders.

”Dissatisfied, you say? You can speak your minds. I’m a very open-minded person,” Li Qiye said with a grin.

This grin on Li Qiye’s face sent an involuntary shiver down Nan Huairun’s spine. That smiling expression gave him the chilling illusion of a Primordial Beast baring its cavernous, bloody maw and licking its snow-white fangs as it eyed a flock of lambs.

At that moment, all the disciples turned in unison to look at Senior Brother Luo. He was, without a doubt, their backbone; everyone was waiting to see what he would do.

This Senior Brother Luo was confident enough to step forward immediately. He was about sixteen or seventeen and looked at the even younger Li Qiye with a sneer. ”That’s right, we’re not convinced. You’re just a disciple who joined a few days ago. What gives you the right to teach us? Hmph, if they can just grab any random idiot to be our instructor, aren’t they just ruining our futures?”

”And you are, Junior Brother?” Li Qiye asked, surprisingly not angered, still wearing that same grin.

This Senior Brother Luo looked down at Li Qiye with arrogance. ”I have nothing to hide. My name is Luo Fenghua! If you want revenge, come right at me!”

Hearing the name, Li Qiye chuckled. He had read the roster, so he naturally knew of this Luo Fenghua. The disciple had been in the sect for nearly four years and had decent innate talent and physique. In just four years, he had already entered the Palace Breaking Realm.

As an Outer Disciple, he had no chance to access better Cultivation Techniques. Furthermore, with a single Hall Master responsible for teaching three hundred disciples, reaching the Palace Breaking Realm in just four years meant he could be considered a minor genius, even if his physique and Life Palace weren’t extraordinary.

”Besides this Junior Brother Luo, how many others are dissatisfied with me?” Li Qiye asked, that same smile on his face.

Luo Fenghua looked at the other disciples and shouted, ”If you’re not satisfied, then say so! It’s no big deal. We’re not cowards! We should band together and drive out this idiot for our own sakes! Letting an idiot teach us will ruin years of our hard work. If there are any punishments, they can come to me. I’ll bear the consequences!”

This Luo Fenghua was quite a persuasive speaker and showed some leadership ability.

”That’s right! We have to fight for our own rights!” Incited by Luo Fenghua, many disciples were swayed and began to stand up.

In an instant, nearly a hundred disciples were on their feet. One of them began to jeer, ”Someone younger than us who joined the sect later than us has no right to be our instructor! Get out of Washing Stone Valley now!”

”That’s right! Get out! Get out!” the other disciples roared.

The shouts grew louder, one wave after another. Swept up in the mob’s excitement, even the disciples who had been hesitant before couldn’t help but join the chorus.

”It seems you’re all very unhappy with me.” In the face of their discontent, Li Qiye simply continued to smile. ”But this was the elders’ decision, wasn’t it? Since you’re so displeased, I’ll hear you out. Tell me, what kind of person *is* qualified to teach you?”

The crowd was in an uproar, yet Li Qiye remained unprovoked, looking as if he were open to negotiation. His reaction stunned the group of teenagers for a moment. Lacking any real plan, they all instinctively looked to Luo Fenghua.

As the center of everyone’s expectations, Luo Fenghua stepped forward and sneered. ”It’s not that hard to become our senior. You at least have to be stronger than us. If you can’t even beat us, what right do you have to teach!”

”So, you want to have a spar?” Li Qiye said, looking at Luo Fenghua with that same grin.

Luo Fenghua’s expression hardened. ”That’s right. If you can beat me, you’ll be qualified to teach us! Hmph, but if you can’t, then don’t blame me for being merciless! I never show my enemies any mercy. Don’t blame me when I beat you to the ground. The moment I strike, I’ll break every rib in your body!”

”Th-that’s not a good idea,” the female disciple with the big eyes said timidly from the side. ”You should just have a friendly match and know when to stop.”

Li Qiye shook his head, still smiling. ”No, I think this Junior Brother Luo has a point. Knowing when to stop? What kind of fight is that? Am I right, everyone? If we’re going to fight, we should give it our all.”

”Good! Victory will depend on our respective Dao Practice!” Luo Fenghua stepped forward and declared, ”I accept your challenge!” He certainly had courage.

Li Qiye stepped forward, a wide grin on his face. ”If you want a fight, I’ll oblige.” As he spoke, he slowly drew the Snake-Beating Staff from his waist. ”As your senior brother, it wouldn’t be right for me to strike first. You can have the first move.”

”Hmph, he doesn’t know his own limits. Senior Brother Luo is already at the Palace Breaking Realm, and this guy dares to challenge him with a wooden stick? He’s courting death!” someone scoffed upon seeing Li Qiye draw his Snake-Beating Staff.

Nan Huairun, however, just shook his head. ’He knew someone was in for a world of hurt. Even an expert like Xu Hui had been thrashed by that Snake-Beating Staff until he was rolling on the ground; what chance did Luo Fenghua have?’

”You insolent fool!” To Luo Fenghua, the sight of Li Qiye pulling out a mere wooden stick was the ultimate insult. With a loud roar, he opened his mouth and spat out a Treasure Sword. It was a relatively low-level Treasure Artifact, but as it emerged with a resonant BUZZ, it instantly transformed into a torrent of sword-shadows. He unleashed the ”Star Sword Han River” technique, aiming straight for Li Qiye.

BANG! The moment Luo Fenghua’s Treasure Sword was unleashed, Li Qiye’s Snake-Beating Staff sent it flying.

BANG! The next blow sent Luo Fenghua seeing stars. The staff struck him viciously across the face, instantly bloodying it. He was completely unable to dodge the Snake-Beating Staff.

BANG—BANG—BANG—! Li Qiye showed no mercy. A dozen vicious strikes rained down, knocking Luo Fenghua to the ground. Li Qiye gave him a ruthless beating, striking him until he screamed in agony. He was especially brutal with Luo Fenghua, thrashing him until his head and face were covered in blood.

AAARGH—! By the time Li Qiye finally stopped, Luo Fenghua no longer had the strength to scream. All he could do was whimper in pain.

Against the Snake-Beating Staff, anyone below the Heavenly Essence Realm could do nothing but take a beating!

Nan Huairun couldn’t help but cast a pitying glance at Luo Fenghua. ’Even Xu Hui was beaten to a pulp,’ he thought. ’This beating from Li Qiye was actually merciful by comparison.’

All the disciples were stunned into silence. In the blink of an eye, the strongest among them, Luo Fenghua, had been thrashed until he was covered in his own blood.

”You. All of you. Step forward and come at me together,” Li Qiye said nonchalantly, holding his Snake-Beating Staff and pointing at the first few disciples who had backed Luo Fenghua.

”B-but we...” Seeing Luo Fenghua’s miserable state, these disciples couldn’t help but shrink back in fear.