Dominator Emperor

Chapter 49: The Most Vicious Instruction (Part 1)

CRACK—CRACK—CRACK— Li Qiye gave Zhang Yu a vicious beating. Among the three hundred disciples, Zhang Yu’s Dao Practice was considered on the lower side, yet he had joined the sect a year or two earlier than most.

Although Zhang Yu’s Dao Practice was shallow, he possessed the tenacity of an Old Ox, with a spirit that refused to give up. The Snake-Beating Staff lashed cruelly against his body, wracking him with pain. It felt as if his muscles and bones were being flayed, making it difficult to even stand.

But Zhang Yu resisted again and again. Even though he knew this resistance was futile, he still struggled to his feet time after time. And each time he rose, Li Qiye would beat him back down.

This time, Li Qiye was intentionally testing him, lashing Zhang Yu over and over. Although no blood was drawn with any strike, the pain was unbearable, as if every bone in Zhang Yu’s body had been shattered.

Anyone else would have long since stayed on the ground, but Zhang Yu got up again and again, resisting Li Qiye’s cruel blows time after time.

CRACK—CRACK—CRACK— The staff struck Zhang Yu relentlessly. The sound of the blows made the hearts of the watching disciples pound in fear. Many of their faces turned pale, and they all felt that Li Qiye was being far too cruel to Zhang Yu.

In the previous three instances, Li Qiye would stop as soon as he knocked someone down. This time, however, it seemed he was deliberately targeting Zhang Yu. He beat him ruthlessly, and each time Zhang Yu struggled to his feet, Li Qiye would knock him to the ground again.

Finally, Zhang Yu was beaten to the point where he couldn’t get up anymore. Though there were no wounds or blood on his body, he was convulsing, his limbs curled up. He trembled from the pain, his face deathly pale as beads of cold sweat rolled down, a clear sign of his agony.

Seeing Zhang Yu’s fate, many disciples couldn’t help but shiver, their skin crawling with fear. The female disciples, in particular, found it unbearable and couldn’t bring themselves to watch.

”A spirit that never gives up. Very good.” Li Qiye glanced at Zhang Yu, who was curled up on the ground, and said nonchalantly, ”If I were merely displeased, I wouldn’t bother venting my anger on small fries like you. And to take a step back, if I really wanted to deal with you, I could come up with three to five hundred inhuman ways to torture you at any time!”

Li Qiye’s words were meant not only for Zhang Yu, but for all the disciples present.

”You—” After finishing his brutal beating of Zhang Yu, Li Qiye pointed the Snake-Beating Staff at another disciple. ”Step forward.”

When Li Qiye pointed at him, the disciple’s hair stood on end and his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. But under Li Qiye’s tyrannical pressure, he had no choice but to step forward.

”Do you know why I’m beating you all?” Li Qiye asked with a smile.

To this disciple, Li Qiye’s smile was more terrifying than a Demon’s. His legs trembled, a chill ran through his body, and he could barely speak, stammering, ”It-it’s because we... we offended First Brother...”

”Wrong,” Li Qiye said with a smile. ”Resist...” As he spoke, the Snake-Beating Staff in his hand lashed out again.

CRACK—CRACK—CRACK— The disciple was thrashed by Li Qiye and began to wail in agony.

”Next.” Li Qiye casually pointed to another disciple and delivered another vicious beating, leaving him unable to get up from the ground.

For a time, cries of agony rose and fell throughout the valley as, one by one, the disciples suffered under the Snake-Beating Staff.

”Tell me, do you know why I’m hitting you?” Li Qiye had beaten one disciple until he had nowhere to run. The disciple resigned himself to his fate, his face bruised and swollen. In the end, he gave up resisting entirely, simply covering his head with his arms and letting Li Qiye strike him.

”N-no, I don’t know...” The disciple could only curse his bad luck. He had already given over ten answers, none of which had stopped Li Qiye’s hand.

”F-First Brother’s every strike... it-it shatters our openings. Or, or maybe F-First Brother is... is testing the flaws in our Cultivation Techniques.” At that moment, a timid voice spoke up.

Hearing this, Li Qiye stopped at once. He spun around and looked toward the source of the voice. It was a female disciple whom he vaguely recalled. She had large eyes and a timid expression.

The female disciple was pretty, and her demeanor showed she wasn’t a bold person. When Li Qiye’s ”fierce” gaze fell upon her, the large-eyed girl subconsciously took a step back, her palms sweating. The senior sister next to her grew worried and gave her a gentle tug.

”You, come out,” Li Qiye said with a smile, pointing at the large-eyed, timid female disciple.

The large-eyed, timid female disciple was quite frightened and shuffled forward reluctantly. The scene was somewhat comical; Li Qiye was only a boy of thirteen or fourteen, while the young woman before him was clearly older.

Facing Li Qiye, the large-eyed, timid female disciple shuffled out like a little lamb facing a big, bad wolf.

”Tell me, why am I hitting you all?” Li Qiye asked, grinning at the female disciple. Her face was pale, and she didn’t dare get any closer.

The large-eyed, timid female disciple was truly afraid of Li Qiye and took another step back. The scene made Li Qiye look like a villainous young master who enjoyed bullying innocent maidservants.

Finally, the female disciple bit her lip and said in a low voice, as quiet as a mosquito’s buzz, ”I... I think... that First Brother’s every... every strike... shatters our... our techniques’ openings. F-First Brother... might be testing the flaws in our Cultivation Techniques.”

Having said this, the large-eyed, timid female disciple glanced at Li Qiye, not at all confident, then quickly lowered her head. She was really afraid of him.

Just as the female disciple thought Li Qiye was about to fly into a rage, he instead asked slowly, ”What’s your name?”

”Xu... Xu Pei.” The large-eyed female disciple felt her scalp tingle under Li Qiye’s gaze. She was older than him, but when he stared at her, she felt like she was being watched by a Primordial Fierce Beast.

”Xu Pei, Junior Sister Xu,” Li Qiye said with a grin. ”I have good news for you. Luckily, you guessed correctly.”

As soon as Li Qiye said this, many of the disciples were stunned. Xu Pei, meanwhile, was ecstatic. ’I’ve finally escaped this calamity!’

”From now on, you are the Senior Sister. You will lead the three hundred disciples of Washing Stone Valley,” Li Qiye said slowly. ”However, it’s your turn now.”

This sudden appointment from Li Qiye stunned all the disciples. Xu Pei was also stunned, not because of the appointment, but because of the last thing he said.

”F-First Brother, I... I guessed your question correctly. Sh-shouldn’t I be exempt from the beating?” Xu Pei finally mustered her courage, though she still spoke timidly.

Li Qiye narrowed his eyes and said with a grin, ”You guessed correctly, that’s true. But I never said I’d let you off. I’m a fair person; I always treat everyone equally.” At this moment, Li Qiye’s grinning smile seemed more terrifying than a big, bad wolf’s to Xu Pei.

In the end, Xu Pei had no choice. She had to summon her courage and resist. As she prepared to act, she couldn’t help but say timidly, ”F-F-First Brother... n-not the face, okay? Please...?”

Vanity is in a woman’s nature, even for a Cultivator. Although Li Qiye’s Snake-Beating Staff wouldn’t leave permanent scars, being beaten until one’s face was bruised and swollen was an ordeal for any girl.

”I can consider it,” Li Qiye said with a grin. But his Snake-Beating Staff was already striking toward her face.

Xu Pei was alarmed and immediately executed the Palace Gate footwork, dodging the Snake-Beating Staff aimed at her face. But the staff was like a maggot latched onto a bone; the moment she dodged, it struck again.

Horrified, Xu Pei repeatedly used the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s footwork to evade, but Li Qiye pursued her relentlessly, giving her no place to run.

”If you keep running, believe it or not, I’ll beat your face until it swells up like a pig’s head,” Li Qiye’s demonic voice rang out.

These words terrified Xu Pei. Not daring to evade any longer, she immediately turned to face her opponent. With a sharp cry, she swung her Long Sword in a wide arc toward Li Qiye.

BANG! Without mercy, Li Qiye’s staff struck Xu Pei on her delicate shoulder. The pain brought tears to her eyes, and it felt as if her shoulder would shatter.

”This technique, ’Sword Sweep Dust,’ is useless if your force is even a little weak. A sword that sweeps away dust must be just as its name implies: both rigid and dense!” Even as his staff struck her delicate shoulder so hard she was about to cry, Li Qiye continued to speak with a grin.

”Again.” Li Qiye ignored Xu Pei’s pitiful state. His smiling expression was utterly ruthless as he said, ”A life-and-death battle requires not only a mind as fine as dust but also courage as vast as the heavens. When two foes meet on a narrow path, the brave one prevails! Your mind is like a Bright Mirror, perceiving the smallest details, but you lack the courage and conviction to fight to the death!”

Li Qiye was instructing Xu Pei, pointing out not only the flaws in her techniques, but also her weaknesses in combat!

Xu Pei could only endure the pain and fight on. With another sharp cry, she unleashed a net of sword light as vast as the sea, counterattacking under Li Qiye’s cold rebukes.

BANG! Li Qiye’s staff struck her viciously on the waist. ”This ’Sword Vast as the Sea’ technique lacks vastness,” he said faintly. ”The key to this technique is the word ’vast’! An upright and awe-inspiring presence!”

BANG! Li Qiye shattered Xu Pei’s openings again and again, instructing her on every single move. ”’Southern Swallow Returns to the Nest’ is well-practiced, but don’t get complacent. Your Fire Control is still a bit lacking. If your control were just a little more refined, you could instantly turn your openings into traps...”

Li Qiye had studied all the Cultivation Techniques and martial arts practiced by the disciples of Washing Stone Valley. In truth, the techniques available to the three hundred disciples were limited. Moreover, most of those Cultivation Techniques were ones Li Qiye himself had left behind in the Xiyan Ancient Sect back in the day. Some were even techniques he had created for the Mingren Immortal Emperor to use in his Cultivation.