Dominator Emperor

”Thirty thousand years ago, our Xiyan Ancient Sect’s battle with the Holy Heaven Sect cost us far too much. Even after all this time, we still haven’t recovered our Primordial Qi.” Sun Changye the Elder couldn’t help but sigh softly.

The other elders present could only sigh as well. After the battle thirty thousand years ago, the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s decline had become a foregone conclusion.

Thirty thousand years ago, the Xiyan Ancient Sect battled the Holy Heaven Sect and suffered a crushing defeat. In that war, the Xiyan Ancient Sect mobilized all its forces to protect the Xiyan Ancient Country. After the battle, the vast majority of its members, from Elders to ordinary disciples, had been killed. In the end, the sect was forced to retreat to its old stronghold.

Before the great war, the Xiyan Ancient Sect had countless experts, including several Great Sages. However, after the battle, only ten or twenty percent of them survived.

This battle completely hollowed out the Xiyan Ancient Sect. Although a few powerful Elders and Guardians survived, they became the sect’s last protectors.

After the war, though a few powerful Elders and Guardians were still alive, they were merely clinging to life. The battle had been far too brutal. Even the Heaven-Defying Elders who survived were grievously injured beyond easy recovery. They could only rely on Life Pills and Longevity Medicine to prolong their existence. After returning, they all entered secluded cultivation, unable to emerge again.

At that time, the surviving Elders would not emerge unless the Xiyan Ancient Sect was facing total annihilation, because their own conditions were extremely dire.

In fact, not only did a large number of disciples die in that war, but the conflict also drained the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s vast reserves of treasured artifacts and Spiritual Medicines.

Back then, to protect the Xiyan Ancient Country, the Xiyan Ancient Sect expended vast quantities of Treasure Artifacts, Immortal Objects, and even used up massive amounts of Body Ointments, Longevity Medicines, and Life Pills. During the great war, countless disciples went into battle powered by these consumables. Faced with a losing situation, legions of disciples frantically used Body Ointments, Longevity Medicines, and Life Pills, hoping to launch a counterattack against the Holy Heaven Sect!

Because of this, although the Xiyan Ancient Sect survived the war, its treasury was left empty. The number of valuable treasures and Spiritual Medicines it could present was pitifully small.

After that war, all of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s even remotely talented disciples had died on the battlefield. This led to the sect losing its Emperor Techniques. Although the Xiyan Ancient Sect still possessed a vast number of Saint Emperor’s Skills and Great Sage Techniques, the disciples recruited afterward had to rely entirely on their own trial and error in their Cultivation. This caused many disciples to go down the wrong path or take many detours. Compounded by the lack of support from Treasure Artifacts and Spiritual Medicines, this caused the Xiyan Ancient Sect to decline day by day.

At the same time, after the Holy Heaven Sect established the Treasure Sacred Upper Country, it became even more difficult for the Xiyan Ancient Sect to recruit disciples. Any remotely talented prospects were unwilling to join them.

Li Qiye could understand the situation the Great Elder and the others described. Under such circumstances back then, it was a miracle the Xiyan Ancient Sect even survived, let alone thought of rising again!

”If the Xiyan Ancient Sect wants to rise again, we must loosen our grip. For the younger generation of disciples, after they pass an assessment, those with potential should be allowed to cultivate Great Sage and Saint Emperor techniques. If we want to rise, we must nurture the young disciples. Although Great Sage and Saint Emperor techniques are peerless, we should be willing to teach them. It is enough to keep the Emperor Techniques firmly in our own hands.” In the end, this was Li Qiye’s suggestion.

Ever since their decline, because the Xiyan Ancient Sect had lost its Emperor Techniques—the only complete one they possessed being the ”Kunpeng Six Transformations”—they kept an extremely tight grip on their Great Sage and Saint Emperor Cultivation Techniques. Under normal circumstances, an ordinary disciple would not be taught these techniques without undergoing decades, even centuries, of assessment!

However, for the disciples, this meant they had already missed their prime period for cultivation. The lack of guidance from a good Master further delayed their progress!

The Xiyan Ancient Sect had no other choice. With their Emperor Techniques missing, the Great Sage and Saint Emperor techniques were their most precious foundation. If even those were leaked, it would be an even greater blow to the sect.

”The Emperor Techniques... we will get them back.” In the end, Li Qiye persuaded the Five Great Elders with these words.

The Five Great Elders unanimously agreed with Li Qiye’s suggestion. The only path forward for the Xiyan Ancient Sect was to rise again. If they didn’t, their annihilation by the Holy Heaven Sect and the Treasure Sacred Upper Country was only a matter of time.

If the Xiyan Ancient Sect wanted to rise, it had to change. Otherwise, given their current conservative ways, any talk of a resurgence was just empty words.

Just as the Xiyan Ancient Sect decided on its reforms, news spread from the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. The neighboring Ancient Ox Territory and the Nine Saints Demon Gate were visiting! The Nine Saints Demon Gate’s Sun Demon Emperor personally met with the Human Emperor of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country.

The moment this news broke, it caused considerable waves within the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. Not long ago, the Xiyan Ancient Sect had executed Dong Shenglong and Marquis Liezhan, and even crushed the Human Emperor’s will. At that time, the successor of the Nine Saints Demon Gate and the princess of the Ancient Ox Territory, Li Shuangyan, were at the Xiyan Ancient Sect. Now, the Sun Demon Emperor was meeting with the Human Emperor of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. It seemed too much of a coincidence.

No one knew what the two Emperors discussed in their meeting. However, after the Sun Demon Emperor left, a rumor began to circulate in the Imperial Capital of the Treasure Sacred Upper Country: the conflict between Marquis Liezhan, Dong Shenglong, and the Xiyan Ancient Sect was merely a private grudge.

Although the Treasure Sacred Upper Country didn’t announce this through official channels—it only spread as a rumor—that was enough to explain everything.

Hearing this rumor, many of the Sects and Great Teachings within the Treasure Sacred Upper Country looked at each other in bewilderment. At this moment, everyone realized that the Xiyan Ancient Sect had cozied up to the Nine Saints Demon Gate.

It was only then that many people understood why the Xiyan Ancient Sect dared to provoke the Treasure Sacred Upper Country. It turned out they had the Nine Saints Demon Gate backing them. Otherwise, with the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s diminished state, how could they possibly have the strength to challenge the Treasure Sacred Upper Country?

”It’s hardly surprising that the Xiyan Ancient Sect and the Nine Saints Demon Gate have joined forces,” one Sect Leader couldn’t help but say. ”Think back to the old days. The Primordial Ancestor of the Nine Saints Demon Gate was the first Divine General under Mingren Immortal Emperor. The Demon Gate was once a vassal to the Xiyan Ancient Sect. Although the Nine Saints Demon Gate is strong now and the Xiyan Ancient Sect has declined, the two sects were allies for millions of years.”

”Distant water can’t quench a nearby fire,” someone else commented. ”Even if the Xiyan Ancient Sect is cooperating with the Nine Saints Demon Gate, the Demon Gate is far away. Given how weak the Xiyan Ancient Sect is, they will likely be destroyed by the Holy Heaven Sect sooner or later.”

After this matter got out, it stirred up considerable turmoil within the Treasure Sacred Upper Country for a time, with numerous Sects and Great Teachings discussing it animatedly.

Yet the Xiyan Ancient Sect, one of the main parties involved, remained indifferent to the matter. Right now, Li Qiye was the one calling the shots.

In truth, when the Five Great Elders first heard the news, they couldn’t help but be astonished. The Nine Saints Demon Gate strongly supporting their Xiyan Ancient Sect was completely beyond their expectations. However, seeing Li Qiye’s calm demeanor, they understood. The Nine Saints Demon Gate wasn’t supporting the Xiyan Ancient Sect for the sect’s sake, but for Li Qiye’s.

Within the Xiyan Ancient Sect, with the support of the Five Great Elders, Li Qiye began to carry out sweeping reforms. He started releasing Cultivation Techniques to the disciples. After an assessment, any disciple with potential would be taught suitable Great Sage and Saint Emperor techniques, whether they were Longevity Techniques, Life Techniques, Body Techniques, and so on.

In order to cultivate a batch of promising disciples, Li Qiye personally took charge of the entire process. From selecting disciples to imparting the Cultivation Techniques, he handled it all himself. His goal was to first build up a core force for the Xiyan Ancient Sect. This core force would be the sect’s hope for the future.

Li Qiye divided the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s core force into four parts. The second-generation disciples with potential, as well as the Hall Masters and Guardians, were all placed under Guardian Mo’s responsibility. Li Qiye chose Guardian Mo not only because he was a trusted subordinate, but also because he valued Guardian Mo’s steady and composed approach to Cultivation. The third-generation disciples, those who had already been formally initiated, were put in the charge of Qu Daoli. Qu Daoli was originally a disciple from the Triangular Ancient Courtyard, but Li Qiye had specifically singled him out.

Li Qiye had his reasons for choosing Qu Daoli. Qu Daoli held considerable prestige among the third-generation disciples. Moreover, his talent was good, and more importantly, he was steady, responsible, and broad-minded. As long as he was properly groomed, he was sure to become someone great.

Another part consisted of the three hundred disciples from the Washing Stone Valley. This was a team that Li Qiye had personally trained, and they were already well-coordinated with him. This group was placed under the responsibility of Xu Pei.

The final group of disciples were those who had not yet been formally initiated. This batch would become the reserve force and, at the same time, the future hope of the Xiyan Ancient Sect.

Originally, Li Qiye had intended for Nan Huairun to lead this reserve group. However, that kid was smarter than that; he only wanted to stay by Li Qiye’s side and run errands for him. He even resigned from his post as a Hall Envoy.

Anyone else probably would not have made such a choice. After all, being in charge of several thousand uninitiated disciples was a position with authority nearly rivaling that of a Guardian. Furthermore, Nan Huairun was a disciple qualified to cultivate the ”Purple Sun Ten Days Technique.” If he had stuck it out and cultivated diligently for a few more years, he might have become the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s youngest Guardian!

But Nan Huairun didn’t choose that path. He resigned from all his duties to remain by Li Qiye’s side as a powerless, positionless errand boy! What seemed like a foolish choice was, in fact, the smartest one of all!

For the sake of the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s rise, Li Qiye personally taught the Dao. For disciples with potential and a firm Dao Heart, he would personally lecture on the scriptures and impart his teachings.

Influenced by Li Qiye’s sweeping reforms, the Hall Masters, Guardians, and even the elders of the Xiyan Ancient Sect all began to redouble their efforts in cultivation.