Dominator Emperor

”With the Netherworld Ships appearing this time, will there be one that can grant an even longer lifespan?” The voice from the coffin finally spoke again, no longer discussing the matter of the Four-Battle Copper Vehicle.

”According to our agreement, the most I can do is grant you five hundred years of life,” Li Qiye said slowly. ”Once you come out alive, you can just lie back down in the Hidden Immortal Hall. You’ll be able to stay sealed for countless more years!”

The voice from the coffin replied, ”A five-hundred-year lifespan is ultimately finite. There will come a day when even Time Blood Stones won’t be able to keep me sealed!”

The person in the coffin had lived for countless years. With the War God Hall’s power, they had a more than sufficient supply of Time Blood Stones, but even that wouldn’t last forever. A day would eventually come when even the stones could no longer maintain the seal.

For an existence like him, his sole mission was to continue living to protect the War God Hall. Throughout the endless river of time, there were always moments when the hall needed him to emerge from his seal, and the price of doing so was extraordinarily high.

”Nothing lives forever,” Li Qiye said, shaking his head. ”Even an Immortal Emperor who carries the Celestial Mandate, commands the universe, and is hailed as a Celestial Being has never achieved true immortality. It’s already an incredible feat for Muzhan God to live another life, a miracle throughout the eons, but he will still fade away in the river of time. Five hundred years of life is enough to get you through many, many long years of being sealed!”

”A Netherworld Ship that grants a whole new life might not appear in this era, but there should be ones that offer a longer lifespan, right?” The person in the coffin clearly hadn’t given up. ”If we can secure passage on a ship that grants a longer life, the War God Hall is willing to pay any price!”

”In any given era, there are never more than three Netherworld Ships that can extend one’s life. I’m afraid there won’t be one that grants a whole new life this time. However, there is definitely a ship that offers more than five hundred years!” Li Qiye looked at the coffin and finally said, ”But that ship has already been claimed by the Middle Continent Princess. If you’ve heard her legend, I’m sure you won’t want to compete with her for it.”

”The Central Continent Ancient Country, destroyed during Tian Tu’s era!” After a long silence, the voice from the coffin spoke again, its tone now heavy.

”Throughout all of history, I believe there has only ever been one Central Continent Ancient Country,” Li Qiye said with a lazy smile.

The person in the coffin fell silent for a long time before finally asking, ”A Netherworld Ship that grants a whole new life has appeared in the world before. In which era do you think one will appear again?”

”A Netherworld Ship that grants a new life? That’s easier said than done. It’s a miracle. As for when one might appear again, I’m afraid only the Underworld would know!” Li Qiye chuckled and shook his head. ”In my view, even if it were possible for Muzhan God to live another life, you should give up on the idea. It’s fundamentally impossible. And even if such a ship did appear, I doubt you could get it. If a ship like that showed up, that fellow hanging around Heaven-Reaching Peak in the Ancient Sky Corpse Land would absolutely be the first to grab it!”

”’That existence is still alive!’” The person in the coffin couldn’t help but be stirred by these words. He had lived for countless eons and had heard the legend, but it had always been regarded by the world as just that—a legend. In reality, it was true!

”He’s alive and well. It’s a pity, though. Without boarding a Netherworld Ship, there’s no telling when he’ll ever be able to leave the Ancient Sky Corpse Land. So, if a ship that could grant a new life really did float out of the Nether River, do you think you could out-snatch him?” Li Qiye asked with a smile.

Hearing Li Qiye’s words, the man in the coffin fell silent. ’That legendary existence!’ Even an invincible figure like himself was rendered speechless.

”Business is business,” Li Qiye said finally. ”I’ll pick the ship for you. Getting on board is your problem. You’d better prepare yourselves. If you can’t make it on, don’t blame me.”

”You don’t have to worry about that. Boarding won’t be an issue, as long as you pick the right ship,” the voice from the coffin replied, brimming with absolute confidence.

This was the truth. For an existence such as him, one would be hard-pressed to find anyone in this world capable of suppressing him.

Li Qiye shrugged, said no more, and turned to leave. He had no desire to stay with a group of rigid, pedantic old men any longer.

”That little brat is too damn arrogant—” After Li Qiye left, one of the elders sitting on the ground couldn’t help but mutter.

The voice from the coffin rang out, ”Do not provoke him. He isn’t some ignorant, arrogant fool. He acts arrogant because he has the capital to back it up!”

Hearing his ancestor’s warning, the elder’s heart skipped a beat, despite his own astonishingly high status. He quickly suppressed his indignation.

”Elder Ancestor, if there is a Netherworld Ship that offers more than five hundred years, shouldn’t we consider it?” one of the seated Elder Ancestors couldn’t help but ask.

”Do not compete with the Middle Continent Princess for a Netherworld Ship. That would be looking for trouble. We will choose the five-hundred-year ship,” the voice from the coffin echoed once more.

Hearing their ancestor’s words, all the Elders of the War God Hall present were deeply shaken. Their ancestor was considered invincible, so who in the world was this Middle Continent Princess?

”The Central Continent Ancient Country,” one of the Elder Ancestors murmured. He then said with a shaken voice, ”As in, the legendary Central Continent Ancient Country from the Pioneer Era! It’s said that before Tian Tu became an Immortal Emperor, the Central Continent Ancient Country was the lineage most likely to stop him! But in the end, they sided with Tian Tu instead!”

”The Central Continent Ancient Country brought about its own demise,” the voice from the coffin said. ”They thought that by helping Tian Tu become an Immortal Emperor, they would be rewarded with glory and titles. The day Tian Tu finished unifying the heavens and earth was the day their Central Continent Ancient Country was annihilated.”

The elders who knew the history of the Central Continent Ancient Country were visibly shaken. According to legend, its origins were no less ancient than their own War God Hall. In that era, the Central Continent Ancient Country had been a colossus in the Human Emperor Realm!

For a time, the scene fell into a deep silence, and no one spoke for a long while.

After Li Qiye left the War God Hall’s encampment, he found the Nine Saints Demon Gate’s campsite not far away. Chi Yun had already gotten Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao settled in.

Seeing Li Qiye return, both Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao breathed a sigh of relief. This was especially true for Li Shuangyan, who knew her Young Master better than anyone. She had been worried that his arrogant attitude would infuriate the War God Hall. Now, it seemed her fears were unfounded.

Seated in the camp, Li Qiye waited with utter boredom for the Netherworld Ships to appear. For Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao, however, it was their first time at the Nether River Crossing and their first time witnessing such a miracle. They curiously observed the various Great Teaching Territories from across the world. There were just so many of them who had come bearing coffins.

At the same time, Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao were deeply moved by the sight of the Treasure Lords and Earth Immortals. Though they didn’t know the origins of most, Chi Yun had just mentioned a few. Whether a Treasure Lord or an Earth Immortal, each possessed a heaven-shattering background. Who could have imagined that these people, dead for millions of years, would suddenly reappear in this place?

”Is that Thousand Emperors Sect really so amazing?” Chen Baojiao had taken special notice of the last Sect Leader of the Thousand Emperors Sect, who occupied a peak all by himself, and couldn’t help but ask Li Qiye.

”They are indeed amazing.” Li Qiye glanced at the Thousand Emperors Sect’s last Sect Leader from a distance, a sight that stirred some long-buried memories. ”Four generations of Immortal Emperors across four consecutive eras. You could call it one of the greatest miracles of all time.”

”I heard from Elder Chi that the Thousand Emperors Sect once possessed the Void Book, one of the Nine Great Treasure Books. Is that true?” Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but ask. Chi Yun had just told her about it; he had only overheard some of the other Great Teaching Territories discussing it.

Li Shuangyan paid special attention when Chi Yun mentioned this, because she knew full well that their own Body Techniques came from the Body Book, another one of the Nine Great Treasure Books. This world-shaking secret was something only they could know and must be buried in their hearts forever.

The Void Book, as renowned as the Body Book, was one of the Nine Great Treasure Books. These books were items born before the very heavens and earth, peerless throughout all eons. Not even an Immortal Emperor’s ultimate achievement, a Heavenly Destiny Secret Skill, could compare to them!

As someone who cultivated the Supreme Immortal Body Technique and possessed a Pure Body, Li Shuangyan was naturally paying close attention to any mention of the legendary Void Book.

Li Qiye snapped out of his reverie of distant memories. He nodded gently and said, ”To be precise, they obtained a small fraction of the Void Book. If they had truly obtained the complete Void Book, it would have been something else entirely. With the Thousand Emperors Sect’s invincible power back then, they might have been able to create a realm of their own. Then, the world wouldn’t be the Nine Realms; it would be the Ten Realms!”

”But Elder Chi said the invincible Thousand Emperors Sect met its end at the hands of Celestial Empress Hongtian. Just how powerful was she?” Chen Baojiao couldn’t help but ask.

Li Shuangyan chimed in, ”Celestial Empress Hongtian... I’ve heard legends about her. It’s said that in later ages, people ranked her on the same level as Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor!”

Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor, the first Immortal Emperor of the Human Race, was undefeated his entire life! While not the first Immortal Emperor in all of history, his divine radiance illuminated countless eons. Many Immortal Emperors have risen throughout time, but to remain undefeated for an entire lifetime—especially as a youth before shouldering the Celestial Mandate—was no easy feat.

”Ranked alongside Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor!” Chen Baojiao was also deeply moved. In the hearts of many in the Human Race, Jiao Heng Immortal Emperor was the number one emperor! For Celestial Empress Hongtian to stand shoulder to shoulder with him... how terrifying was that! There had been more than one female Immortal Emperor throughout history, but it was rare to find one who enjoyed such a prestigious reputation.

”Celestial Empress Hongtian...” Hearing this name, Li Qiye froze for a moment. Once, there had been a girl who stumbled along the long road of the Great Dao.

Once, in a forgotten era, a Yin Ya had carried that girl far, far away. Once, behind the Empress’s supreme halo, an unknown Yin Ya had guided her to walk ever farther.

But it was a shame. In the end, because of *that incident*, they parted ways, each going to a different corner of the world.

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