Dominator Emperor

Li Qiye gave his command, ”Alright, it’s time for us to go. Our business here is finished.”

Xiao Niqiu immediately scurried along behind Li Qiye, wagging his tail like an eager puppy. Chi Xiaodie, on the other hand, was completely bewildered. The whole situation was simply too bizarre—a talking worm that was also exceptionally good at cursing people out.

”Brother Dao, please wait,” the old Daoist called out hastily as Li Qiye was about to leave. ”I just happened to hunt some game. How about you stay and have a taste, Brother Dao?”

Li Qiye turned, glanced at the old Daoist, and nodded. ”Very well. I’ll have a drink with you.” With that, he walked straight into the Daoist temple.

The old Daoist was overjoyed. He shot into the temple like a whirlwind, and a moment later, a CLANGING and BANGING erupted from the kitchen. In the blink of an eye, the old Daoist brought out a table laden with dishes.

”Cyan Simurgh Phoenix Liver, Celestial Leaf Solitary Grass, Ice Sea Immortal Turtle, Flying Flood Dragon Fish Eye, Peak Mountain Treasure Bamboo Shoots...” Seeing the table full of food, Xiao Niqiu cried out, ”You stinking Daoist! For the sake of this feast, this great one will forgive you for stealing my Divine Cannon.” Then, with a series of SLURPS and GULPS, it began devouring the delicious spread like a tornado sweeping through the clouds.

”Leave some for me!” The old Daoist was clearly a glutton himself. Seeing Xiao Niqiu’s ravenous assault on the food, he let out a great shout and jumped in to grab his share.

Chi Xiaodie was dumbfounded, and not just because the two were fighting over the food. She couldn’t believe that such a magnificent feast could appear in a rundown Daoist temple like this.

Of all the delicacies on the table, she only recognized two or three. The Cyan Simurgh Phoenix Liver and the Peak Mountain Treasure Bamboo Shoots were rare celestial flavors she had only tasted once before. Her father was the ruler of the Lion Roar Country, yet even for him, obtaining these two items was no easy feat; sometimes, he even had to hunt them himself. These were worldly delicacies, beneficial to one’s Great Dao. A mere Mortal could never hope to eat them.

”Go on, have a taste. Don’t miss this opportunity.” In stark contrast to the unsightly eating habits of the old Daoist and Xiao Niqiu, Li Qiye was the picture of elegance, merely taking small, delicate bites.

Chi Xiaodie snapped back to reality and, without further pleasantries, joined the battle for the food. An opportunity to taste such delicacies was a rare blessing indeed.

Like a tornado passing through, the magnificent feast was devoured in the blink of an eye. The old Daoist and Xiao Niqiu let out satisfied burps, and Chi Xiaodie was seventy percent full. As the Princess of the Lion Roar Country, this was the most delicious and precious meal Chi Xiaodie had ever eaten in her entire life. After the meal, she felt as if she were floating, every pore in her body open and relaxed, as if she were breathing in heavenly mists.

Only Li Qiye remained elegant, having eaten only a few small bites. The old Daoist hurried to bring over a jar of fine wine for Li Qiye, pouring him a cup. ”Brother Dao, please have a taste. This is a special brew from the Celestial Dao Academy.”

”Qingsheng Spring Wine. A fine wine indeed,” Li Qiye praised after a sip. ”The world has heard that Wang Yuan loved his wine, but who knew he was also a master brewer?”

”Brother Dao truly knows his goods. A remarkable person indeed,” the old Daoist praised immediately. ”This wine was brewed by our Sub-Saint Ancestor Master. Even the Celestial Dao Academy has very little of it left.”

The old Daoist clearly treasured it, as he didn’t even pour a cup for himself, only for Li Qiye.

As for Chi Xiaodie, she was deeply moved. Wang Yuan—that was a figure from the Invincible Generation, someone utterly extraordinary. To think this wine was his creation... its origins were simply earth-shattering.

”Hmph, hmph, what’s so great about Qingsheng Spring Wine? You stinking Daoist, you’ve never even seen the best wine in the world, the one from that Divine Dynasty...” Xiao Niqiu, stuffed to the gills, snorted and shot a disdainful look at the old Daoist.

”If you’re full, you can shut up.” Li Qiye slapped its Yellow Mud Box, cutting Xiao Niqiu off.

Xiao Niqiu immediately realized it had misspoken and clamped its mouth shut, saying nothing more.

Li Qiye drank several more cups of the Qingsheng Spring Wine before saying, ”I’ve tasted the food and drunk the wine. If you have something to say, say it.”

The old Daoist chuckled and rubbed his hands together. ”Brother Dao, I wonder, which esteemed power do you hail from? And what is your Daoist title?”

Li Qiye shot him a sideways glance, then smiled and shook his head. ”Daoist Master, you’ve misunderstood. I’m just a nameless junior. I come from the Xiyan Ancient Sect, just an ordinary disciple. My name is Li Qiye.”

”Heh, you can call my Young Master Li Immortal! No, call my Young Master Immortal King Li!” Xiao Niqiu declared arrogantly.

Li Qiye slapped it again. ”Stop spouting nonsense.” Xiao Niqiu gave a dry chuckle and shut its mouth once more.

The old Daoist studied Li Qiye for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. He didn’t press the matter further. Whether the name Li Qiye was real or fake no longer mattered; he realized that Li Qiye was utterly unfathomable.

”What is your name? And which generation of the Longevity Academy are you from?” Li Qiye asked, looking at the old Daoist.

The old Daoist bowed his head. ”To be honest with you, Brother Dao, my name is Peng Kang. I am the seventh-generation disciple of the Longevity Academy, and also its only disciple. I am currently in charge of the Longevity Academy.”

”I’m still young, so don’t call me something that makes me sound so old. Just call me Young Master,” Li Qiye said. He paused, saying no more.

Elder Daoist Peng looked at Li Qiye, waiting for him to continue. Chi Xiaodie also sensed that Li Qiye had more to say.

”Is Ma Gu well? Does she no longer preside over the Longevity Academy?” Li Qiye asked after a moment of silence. So many years had passed. ’I hadn’t wanted to ask about the fate of that little girl,’ he thought, ’but in the end, I couldn’t help myself.’

”The Ancestor Master has gone into seclusion,” Daoist Peng said. ”She is hidden in a secret location within the Celestial Dao Academy and no longer sees anyone. Even I am not permitted to see her.”

Li Qiye asked no more questions. He glanced at Elder Daoist Peng and said, ”You’ve practiced the Longevity Body incorrectly! Didn’t your master ever tell you that haste makes waste?”

Chi Xiaodie was stunned to hear this. ’The Longevity Body is one of the Twelve Immortal Bodies!’ she thought. ’It’s unbelievable that this scruffy old Daoist is actually cultivating one of them. The Celestial Dao Academy is truly full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons!’

Elder Daoist Peng was even more astonished. He rose from his seat and bowed. ”I beg for your guidance, Young Master. My master mentioned it when he was still alive—that I was too impatient in my youth and took a wrong step.”

”There is no solution,” Li Qiye said, shaking his head. ”The Longevity Body is for longevity. It can only be tempered through the passage of countless years. You must let it develop naturally, let it be. Do not try to forcefully correct it. Perhaps then it will have a chance to be reborn and return to the correct path on its own.”

Elder Daoist Peng was stunned by his words. He had cultivated the Longevity Body for a great many years, and as he carefully considered Li Qiye’s advice, he realized it made sense. He bowed again. ”Thank you for your guidance, Young Master.”

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