Dominator Emperor

At this moment, a wisp of lingering attachment surfaced once more. The shade of Su Yuhe emerged from the Ancient Coffin again. She bowed to Li Qiye and said, ”Lord Divine Crow, you have buried my bones for a second time. I am endlessly grateful.”

”Let it be. This karma began with me, so let it end with me as well.” Li Qiye sighed softly and said, ”Go now. There is nothing left for you to long for in this world. Do not remain as a wisp of lingering attachment! Disperse without any ties or worries. Return to the heavens and the earth.”

Su Yuhe bowed, then respectfully offered a Mei Bottle from the coffin. Handing it to Li Qiye, she said, ”There is an ominous presence beneath the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s territory. I hope this bottle can be of some help to Lord Divine Crow in the future.”

Li Qiye gently accepted the Mei Bottle and nodded. ”Let all karma be dispelled. Rest in peace.”

Su Yuhe gave one last, deep bow. As she lay down inside the Ancient Coffin, a rain of light scattered. The wisp of lingering attachment that had once taken the form of Su Yuhe finally dispersed into the world, free of all ties. In the end, this wisp of attachment vanished completely.

From that day on, there was no longer a Su Yuhe in this world. And the only one who remembered her name was, perhaps, Li Qiye.

With a soft sigh, Li Qiye buried the Ancient Coffin deep beneath the old peach tree. Standing under its branches, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of melancholy. ’Of course, under this very tree, the Mingren Kid was once such an optimistic and enthusiastic boy. A shame everything changed later... because of the Celestial Dao, because of that woman who was so innocent she was an idiot, because of the Su Family Female General, and because of me, his mentor, the Yin Ya...’

Even though he went on to carry the Celestial Mandate and become invincible across the Nine Realms, the Mingren Immortal Emperor was not necessarily happier than he had been in his youth.

Finally, with another soft sigh, Li Qiye gently stroked the old peach tree one last time before turning to leave. It was likely he would never return to this place again.

After Li Qiye had walked far away, the rain of light scattered around the old peach tree was absorbed by it. Before long, the tree began to sprout tender new shoots, like a withered tree revitalized by spring, once again bursting with life.

The East Hundred Cities was far livelier than the Middle Grand Realm, and also incomparably more prosperous. The origin of its name was simple: legend had it that in the eastern part of the Human Emperor Realm, there were a hundred incredibly ancient cities. Thus, this eastern region came to be known as the East Hundred Cities.

Although the Middle Grand Realm was vast and boundless, it was mostly comprised of sparsely populated lands. The East Hundred Cities was different. It was home to countless cities and teeming with life. Within the Human Emperor Realm, it was the largest gathering place for the Human Race, and even many other races congregated there in great numbers.

The East Hundred Cities was once hailed as the origin land of the Human Race. Legend says that during the Desolate Era, the Human Race first began to put down roots here. They later endured the Pioneer Era, a time of war with the Hundred Races, followed by the dark Ancient Nether Era, until at last came the brilliant and magnificent Age of Emperors. To this day, the Human Race remains firmly rooted here.

When the Age of Emperors arrived, it went without saying that this was the domain of the Human Race. One could even say that all Humans throughout the entire Human Emperor Realm could trace their origins back to migrations from the East Hundred Cities.

The East Hundred Cities was home to many ancient lineages and countless powerful and profound Jiang Country Sects and Holy Land Ancient Sects, such as the Long River Sect, the Celestial Dao Academy, the Yao Guang Ancient Country, and the Bingyu Palace. These were all powerful and ancient Emperor Immortal Gates.

In terms of ancient lineages and Emperor Immortal Gates, the Middle Grand Realm truly could not compare to the East Hundred Cities. So many of the Human Race’s Immortal Emperors had come from the East Hundred Cities—even the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s Primordial Ancestor, the Mingren Immortal Emperor, hailed from here.

Li Qiye journeyed through the East Hundred Cities. In this vast eastern region, there were countless cities and just as many towering mountain ranges. The entire expanse was boundless. Li Qiye walked across this land step by step, cultivating and seeking the Dao.

Entering the mortal realm and treading old ground, Li Qiye walked on, step by step, cultivating while reminiscing about the past. So many places here held his memories. Over the eons, through countless ups and downs, he had walked the East Hundred Cities time and time again. In the ancestral land of the Human Race, their place of origin, he had found one promising youth after another, trained one invincible master after another, and brought back corpse after corpse to be buried in the East Hundred Cities...

For Li Qiye, who had lived for countless ages as the Yin Ya, the East Hundred Cities held too many joys and sorrows, too many partings and reunions.

Time is ruthless, and the landscape is ever-changing. Ancient cities of the past had turned to ruins, former mountain ranges had become bustling metropolises, rivers had run dry, and lands had sunken into the earth. Li Qiye walked slowly, passing through one place after another, cultivating as he went. This was not just a journey of remembrance; it was also a way to motivate himself, to immerse himself in the memories of a purer, more valiant age.

Within an incredibly bustling ancient city, Li Qiye turned into a small alley. Here, however, was only a field of ruins. Once upon a time, this had been the site of a colossal family, a Daoist Lineage that had been passed down for countless ages. But in the end, it could not withstand the ravages of time, turning to dust and smoke before becoming these ruins.

Standing amidst the rubble, Li Qiye sighed softly. ’During the Pioneer Era, a War General under my command once swept through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands with me, conquering the Eight Desolations. After achieving great success, he retired and eventually established an incomparably powerful lineage here. A pity. Time is endless, the ages are long, and even that once-mighty lineage has turned to dust and smoke.’

Following a vast river, Li Qiye walked alone upstream, eventually stopping at the head of a small islet. He sat down quietly in a corner of the river cove, staring at the slowly flowing water, and remained silent for a long, long time.

’Who could possibly know that in the deepest part of this river cove lies a terrifyingly invincible existence? Who could remember a time when a female Sword Attendant accompanied my Four-Battle Copper Vehicle? A time when a single slash from my handmaiden’s sword could shock the Nine Realms? A time when my female attendant wielded the Ten Thousand Techniques on my behalf...?’

The ages are too long, too long, and time is too ruthless, too ruthless. In the end, after a world-shocking battle concluded, everything was swept away by the wind, everything grew old. The Sword Attendant who had followed him to conquer the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, the woman who had been utterly loyal to him her entire life—she was unwilling to cling to a wretched existence like so many others. She wished to leave this world with the most unparalleled grace, in the most free-spirited manner imaginable. In the end, he buried the Sword Attendant who had followed him for a lifetime in the very place they had first met.

In that era, who would have known that the goddess whose sword once stunned the Nine Realms had once been a simple fisherman’s daughter? That it was only because she was raised by a Crow that she eventually became that very goddess.

”Fallen leaves return to their roots, but for me, such a thing has become a hopeless extravagance.” Finally, Li Qiye gave the tranquil river cove one last look. In its depths, she was at peace for all eternity. With that, Li Qiye drifted away.

Amidst a sea of mountains, high upon a steep ridge, Li Qiye stood silently before a broken pillar. This place had once been a great and prosperous city. But time was merciless, and now it was nothing but mountains and ridges, covered in towering trees.

”Hongtian...” Scenes from that year flashed through his mind. This was the place where he had first met the Celestial Empress Hongtian. ’Who could have known, back then, that she was just a stubborn little girl? Who would have guessed she would later become a figure invincible across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, the Six Paths and Eight Desolations?’

As the Yin Ya, an existence that had drifted through the eons, Li Qiye had trained many invincible figures. He had raised more than one Immortal Emperor, but the most stunning and peerless of them all was still the Celestial Empress Hongtian.

The rise of this Empress even brought an end to a juggernaut like the Thousand Emperors Sect! That was a lineage that had produced four emperors, spanning four entire eras. In those days, not even the Feixian Sect dared to contend with the Thousand Emperors Sect.

And yet, this very Thousand Emperors Sect, which had once commanded the Nine Realms and was invincible in the Six Paths, was ultimately ended at the hands of the Celestial Empress Hongtian. Even their last, most invincible, and most talented genius—one destined to become an Immortal Emperor—died by her hand.

Once, they had walked the path together and shared so much. But in the end, because of a difference in ideals, because of a difference in pursuits, they parted ways, even becoming bitter enemies.

Standing there, Li Qiye’s heart felt heavy. ’It seems some things are just not a matter of choice. I had my principles, and she had her pursuits.’ In the end, the two of them—who had been both mentor and friend—became enemies, never to see each other again.

”What was the point of it all...” Li Qiye finally murmured. ”The eons are endless. Sooner or later, the seas will dry up and the fields will turn to oceans. So why bother holding on so tightly?”

Finally, Li Qiye let out a melancholic sigh and left. The Celestial Empress Hongtian had become a legend forever, and behind her story were buried too many secrets unknown to the world.

Li Qiye walked and reflected, cultivating with every step as he wandered the mortal world and roamed the Eastern Division. He wasn’t just reminiscing about the past; walking between heaven and earth allowed him to sink into a state of selflessness. In this state, mysterious beyond mystery and wondrous beyond wonder, he laid an exceptionally solid foundation.

During these days, Li Qiye’s Heavenly Essence Realm reached the stage of Great Perfection, and he began to step into the God Nurturing Realm.

The God Nurturing Realm was a major turning point for a Cultivator. Upon stepping into this realm, one was already considered among the ranks of experts. A Cultivator of this level, even a Loose Cultivator, could receive a title from any Jiang Country they chose to join. In this realm, a Cultivator could be ennobled as a Heroic Hero. Many Jiang Countries welcomed such cultivators. Even a Wanderer could receive a title by joining a Jiang Country; some would even be granted land, allowing them to become a One-sided Heroic Lord.

Heroic Heroes and Princes could be said to be the mainstays of the current generation. During the Tough Dao Era, the older generation of True Ancient Saints had all gone into seclusion. As for the legendary Saint Venerables and Saint Emperors, they had buried themselves away, hiding within Time Blood Stones, unwilling to endure the temporal ravages of the Tough Dao Era.

Because of this, Heroic Heroes and Princes became the new mainstream in the present world. This era was their stage, especially since the Tough Dao Era had not yet ended.

Finally managed to catch my breath today. Xiao Sheng did a count of the monthly tickets, and you readers have all been incredibly enthusiastic. After deducting the tickets for the Chapters released on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, there are still 82 extra monthly tickets.

Normally, 90 tickets would mean three extra Chapters. Even though we didn’t hit that, Xiao Sheng is still adding three more Chapters today anyway.

Also, the monthly ticket count resets today, so we’ll have at least six Chapters in total. As for how many tickets everyone casts today, Xiao Sheng will count them up tonight or tomorrow.