Dominator Emperor

A single sword, invincible; a single pardon, eternal. Before this strike, all else was eclipsed. The sword had severed the character for ”Pardon,” yet endless runes continued to undulate. Runic light still soared to the heavens, erupting like a volcano.

Without a doubt, the sword strike had failed to breach the Emperor Array! The Guqin in Li Qiye’s arms, however, had dimmed considerably. The attack had consumed a staggering amount of Emperor’s Immortal Intent. If this were to continue, the Guqin would eventually shatter just like his Qimen Saber, reduced to a mundane item!

”A clash between Twin Emperors!” Niu Fen muttered, shivering as he finally struggled back to his feet.

It wasn’t just Chen Baojiao; even her old servant’s face turned white. Emperor’s Power—this was not something they could possibly resist. Be it a True Master or an Ancient Saint, once suppressed by Emperor’s Power, one could only grovel on the ground.

At the same time, Chen Baojiao and the old servant were aghast. They had never imagined Li Qiye possessed such an Emperor’s Treasure. Facing someone with such an item, forget True Masters—even an Ancient Saint could only flee for their life. To make an enemy of such a person was to court death, unless one also possessed an Emperor’s Treasure or an Emperor Artifact, or was a Great Sage!

Niu Fen and the others stared at the Immortal Emperor’s suppression ahead. The runes were unabated, their light still gushing forth. Though the runes no longer radiated a suppressive Emperor’s Power, the sight of the individual Emperor’s Texts undulating in the air was still enough to make one’s skin crawl. Forget the full suppression of a peerless Immortal Emperor—a single Emperor’s Text written by an Immortal Emperor’s own hand could annihilate them.

What manner of powerful being could compel an Immortal Emperor to personally act to suppress it? The very thought sent a chill of horror down Niu Fen’s and the others’ spines.

”Quite the display.” Li Qiye’s gaze turned cold as he spoke slowly, ”Think it over carefully. Otherwise, the next time I come, I will annihilate your Emperor’s Lineage!”

These words from Li Qiye made the old servant beside Chen Baojiao’s eyes narrow. Although Li Qiye seemed to be speaking to the air, the servant understood he was addressing the Suppression Array. He was threatening a suppression left by an Immortal Emperor, threatening the very will of an Immortal Emperor! How arrogant! How presumptuous! How tyrannical!

Threatening the will of an Immortal Emperor... in all of history, few had ever been so domineering. Anyone else would have dismissed it as empty boasting, but at this moment, neither Chen Baojiao nor her old servant felt that Li Qiye was being ignorantly arrogant.

This was precisely what left them stunned. Their hearts skipped a beat. To threaten the will of an Immortal Emperor—in all of history, no one had ever displayed such tyranny!

In the end, Li Qiye did not linger. He turned his snail around and left, leaving the endless, undulating runes behind him.

Li Qiye was silent along the way. Li Shuangyan, his personal attendant, couldn’t help but ask softly, ”Not opening the Emperor Sect?”

Li Shuangyan understood Li Qiye better than any outsider. She knew his capabilities extended far beyond this. For him to return empty-handed was out of character, which was why she had offered the suggestion.

Li Qiye glanced back toward the deepest area, then gently shook his head. ”I didn’t come here for a slaughter this time. If the Emperor Sect were opened wide, releasing all the killing intent within, everything in the northern region would cease to exist.”

Hearing this, Li Shuangyan fell silent. ’In truth, she wanted to ask just what—or who—was being suppressed in the deepest part of the northern region.’ But since Li Qiye did not elaborate, she did not ask.

Chen Baojiao and her old servant were also dazed. ’What on earth is being suppressed in the northern region? Which Immortal Emperor took action here?’ It was clearly not Mingren Immortal Emperor. If not him, then it meant a second Immortal Emperor had been here! This conjecture sent their minds racing. The presence of two Immortal Emperors in this place had an extraordinary meaning!

Only then did Chen Baojiao understand that Demon’s Back Ridge was far from simple. It was more than just the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s hunting ground back in the day. A giant tree in the south, a suppression in the north, demonic creatures in the east... ’If Li Qiye hadn’t brought me here this time,’ she thought, ’I would never have known that Demon’s Back Ridge concealed such a heaven-shattering secret!’

When Li Qiye and his party returned safely, the anxious Gu Tieshou finally breathed a sigh of relief. The fact that Li Qiye had used an Emperor’s Treasure had given Gu Tieshou a terrible fright, as he had assumed they had encountered a formidable enemy.

Ultimately, the disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect had gathered a vast amount of Spiritual Medicine and mined large quantities of Treasure Gold. Some disciples even obtained a True Destiny Divine Stone. The expedition was a bountiful harvest for the Xiyan Ancient Sect!

Seeing that the day of Demon’s Back Ridge’s closure was drawing near, Li Qiye took charge and led the disciples in a retreat from the ridge.

Upon stepping out of Demon’s Back Ridge, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, especially Chen Baojiao and her old servant, who felt as if they were seeing the light of day again. Thinking back on the expedition to Demon’s Back Ridge, the old servant couldn’t help but tremble. Almost all the sects, countries, and powerful cultivators had been wiped out. Besides his mistress and himself, the only ones who left alive were the contented party from the Purple Mist Temple and the experts from Feijiao Lake who had evacuated a step ahead. As for the Qingxuan Ancient Country, the Holy Heaven Sect, the Jiangzuo Family, and the Nantian Country, they were all utterly annihilated. Even Ancient Saints had died tragic deaths inside.

At this thought, the old servant rejoiced inwardly. ’If we hadn’t been with Li Qiye, we would have certainly been among the dead.’

”Little girl, think it over. I’m saving a spot for you by my side. But don’t take too long. My patience is limited,” Li Qiye said in a slow, deliberate manner as they were about to part, giving Chen Baojiao a sideways glance.

Being called ”little girl” by a young man even younger than herself infuriated Chen Baojiao. She shot Li Qiye a fierce glare. This kingdom-toppling beauty’s every frown and smile could steal one’s soul—a true femme fatale.

The disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect were filled with awe and envy. ’Only our First Brother could be so domineering!’ they thought. ’He already has a celestial figure like Li Fairy by his side, and he still wants to take the Princess of the Jade Xi Territory, another peerless beauty! And what’s even more impressive is that he can say such things so casually right in front of Li Fairy. He’s so impossibly cool! He’s our idol!’

To claim two great beauties at once—how could the disciples of the Xiyan Ancient Sect not be filled with admiration and envy at such audacity?

Ultimately, Chen Baojiao and her servant departed, and Li Qiye led the disciples back to the Xiyan Ancient Sect.

Upon their return, the entire Xiyan Ancient Sect was jubilant. The expedition to Demon’s Back Ridge had been an immense success, and with very few disciples lost! The Elders and Guardians who hadn’t participated were visibly moved and overjoyed at the sight of their haul.

The Xiyan Ancient Sect hadn’t even been qualified to enter Demon’s Back Ridge anymore. Yet this time, they had not only entered but returned with a huge bounty. How could the sect’s upper echelons not be ecstatic?

After returning to the Xiyan Ancient Sect, Gu Tieshou presided over a meeting regarding the expedition to Demon’s Back Ridge. He made a special point of inviting Su Yonghuang to attend, showing his respect for her position as Sect Leader.

Previously, even though Su Yonghuang was the Sect Leader of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, she resided in a remote region and had almost never participated in the sect’s major meetings. Her attendance this time helped to affirm her status within the Xiyan Ancient Sect.

Gu Tieshou had intended to invite Li Qiye as well, but Li Qiye had a distinct lack of interest in such meetings and did not attend.

During the meeting, Gu Tieshou gave a detailed account of the expedition to Demon’s Back Ridge. Listening to the tales from the trip, the assembled Elders and Guardians were deeply moved. The Elder Guardians who hadn’t participated found the stories simply incredible—they were left utterly dumbfounded!

At this, the Elders and Guardians of the Xiyan Ancient Sect looked at one another. They couldn’t help but marvel; choosing Li Qiye as their Revival Lord had been an incomparably wise decision.

Su Yonghuang was also moved by the account. Hailing from the Tianya Su Family, she already had a certain understanding of the Xiyan Ancient Sect. But now, listening to Gu Tieshou’s words, she couldn’t help but draw in a sharp breath and murmur, ”I never thought Demon’s Back Ridge held such a heaven-shattering secret!”

As for Li Qiye, the first thing he did after returning to the Xiyan Ancient Sect was find a Wooden Fish. He took out the toad-shaped object, placed it on a table, and murmured, ”I’ve finally recovered it. It’s time to let it see the light of day again.”

With that, Li Qiye began to slowly tap the Wooden Fish. ”TAP, TAP, TAP...” The rhythmic sound rose steadily. Gradually, the sound of the Wooden Fish transformed into a melody that carried an ineffable Dao charm.

TAP, TAP, TAP... As the sound of the Wooden Fish rang out, the toad began to vibrate, its rhythm perfectly matching the tapping.

BUZZ— After an unknown amount of time, a soft humming sound emerged as the toad’s back lit up. Runes began to surge forth from its surface, ancient runes that seemed to bear the weight of endless Time, as if they had been steeped in its river for countless eons.

”It’s finally returned!” Li Qiye was overjoyed at the sight of the emerging runes. His Life Palace opened, and his True Destiny inhaled all the runes, pulling them into his mind. In that instant, the runes were branded upon his Sea of Consciousness, weaving themselves together to form Chapters of a text.

As the runes were imprinted upon his Sea of Consciousness, fragments of once-erased memories began to resurface within it.

The *Medicine God’s Grand Canon*—the supreme pharmacopoeia! It was the ultimate tome written by the Medicine God, hailed as the Primordial Ancestor of Pharmacists! In truth, the world did not know that the *Medicine God’s Grand Canon* was not written by the Medicine God alone. In that ancient era, Li Qiye had also poured his very heart and soul into its creation.