Dominator Emperor

Li Qiye shook his head and said, ”More than likely, the portal to the Void Gate is located within the Celestial Dao Academy’s territory. It’s hard to say where exactly, and it’s also hard to say in which era it will truly open. But no matter what, it’s probably somewhere within this land! The Primordial Ancestor of the Celestial Dao Academy was a being of incredible power. He spent his entire life making calculations, and in the end, he established the academy here. He must have seen that this Heaven and Earth Vein had some connection to the Void.”

”Sigh, that’s easier said than done,” Xiao Niqiu couldn’t help but say. ”I heard from my old master that the Elder Sages of the Celestial Dao Academy have been trying to calculate the Void Gate’s location for generations. They’ve poured countless efforts into it. Although they’ve opened a few portals, they’ve never found the true Void Gate.”

Li Qiye calmly replied, ”Nothing is ever that easy. The Nine Great Heavenly Treasures... throughout the eons, which Immortal Emperor hasn’t coveted them? But since the beginning of time, which Immortal Emperor has actually managed to possess even one of them? They are even more unfathomable than the Celestial Mandate. They existed before the birth of heaven and earth. Grasping one of the Nine Great Heavenly Treasures is an extremely difficult feat.”

”Damn it all,” Xiao Niqiu muttered. ”If only we had the Void Book, we might find a way in. That bunch of old monks at the Old Wu Temple are just too difficult to deal with.”

Li Qiye’s eyes narrowed. ”When the Buddha Burial Plateau opens the gates to the Buddhist Sect, I will make another trip to the Old Wu Temple,” he said. ”How could I ever give up on something like the Void Book?”

”Young Master, this is no joking matter! You were almost trapped there last time. That damned place... even a True God might never return from there,” Xiao Niqiu said, his voice filled with dread.

The very mention of the Buddha Burial Plateau and the Old Wu Temple terrified him. His old master, the Ten Thousand Forms True God, was heaven-defying and invincible, was he not? And yet, as a True God, he still ended up trapped. In the end, Li Qiye had to expend a monumental effort just to get them out, and even Li Qiye himself almost didn’t make it back.

Li Qiye’s eyes narrowed. ”Don’t worry,” he said. ”This time, I will openly and honorably debate the Dao with that bunch of old monks. To deal with them, debating the Dao is the only true way. I won’t be using any of my other methods.”

”Debate the Dao—” Xiao Niqiu’s face fell when he heard this. ”Even an Immortal Emperor might not be able to out-argue those old monks! Legend has it that only Immortal Emperor Feiyang ever managed to win a debate against them!”

”That’s right.” Li Qiye nodded. ”Immortal Emperor Feiyang truly had a silver tongue. In the end, he managed to talk a Stone Buddha right out of there. That guy was really something else, full of crafty ideas. Later, Hao Hai Immortal Emperor also wanted to make a bet with that... pot. Unfortunately, he didn’t win. He ultimately retreated, still an invincible figure, but from that day forward, he never dared to set foot on the Buddha Burial Plateau again for the rest of his life!”

”Heh, that Hao Hai Immortal Emperor was far too arrogant. Who would dare make a bet with that damn pot? Whoever bets is just asking for a tragedy. Damn it all, I wish I could smash that wretched thing to pieces, but that’s obviously impossible.” The mere mention of the pot sent a shiver down Xiao Niqiu’s spine.

Li Qiye sighed softly. ”Emperor Shi seized the initiative with that pot, making it difficult for anyone in later generations to do anything about it. To bet against that pot... it’s easier said than done. Even an Immortal Emperor would find it hard to win! However, there’s still a chance to win against that bunch of old monks. As soon as the Buddhist Sect opens its gates, I’m going to the Old Wu Temple!”

Xiao Niqiu fell silent. He, too, wanted to avenge his old master and crush those old monks to vent his frustrations. However, he didn’t possess his Young Master’s heaven-defying methods. To defeat the Old Wu Temple, his only hope was the Young Master!

Years ago, Xiao Niqiu had followed the Ten Thousand Forms True God into the Old Wu Temple. Their original goal had been the Void Book, one of the Nine Great Celestial Books. Unfortunately, even an invincible being like the Ten Thousand Forms True God ended up trapped inside. In the end, it was Li Qiye who used countless methods and poured out immeasurable effort to get them out! Li Qiye himself almost got trapped that time. And although the Ten Thousand Forms True God was rescued, he never escaped the nightmare and ultimately passed away prematurely.

While Xiao Niqiu was surveying the changes in the Earth Vein, Li Qiye was searching the wilderness for a Longevity Celestial Beast. Finally, Li Qiye set his sights on a 500,000-year-old Longevity Spirit.

One had to understand, a 500,000-year-old Longevity Spirit was something that would make even an Ancient Saint’s expression change. It was incredibly difficult for an Ancient Saint to slay one; it would take a team of two or three Ancient Saints working together to bring it down!

What was even more terrifying was that cultivators were always afraid of being targeted by a Longevity Spirit. Once one had you in its sights, it was more dangerous than anything. Yet here was Li Qiye, targeting a 500,000-year-old Longevity Spirit himself. If anyone else found out, they would surely think Li Qiye was insane and seeking his own death.

After targeting the silent, traceless Longevity Spirit, Li Qiye took out his Nine-Word True Bow, preparing to hunt down the elusive creature.

”Oh, my heavens! This—this is the legendary Nine-Character True Words! Nine-Word True Mantra Treasure Gold! It’s a rarity across the eons, something even an Immortal Emperor would want to possess!” Having followed the Ten Thousand Forms True God, Xiao Niqiu knew his treasures. When he looked closer at the Nine-Word True Bow in Li Qiye’s hands, his expression changed drastically, and he cried out, ”This... this is the world’s number one True Words! This is Heaven and Earth Origin Gold! Holy crap, if this was nurtured for another few hundred million years, wouldn’t it have the potential to become another Celestial Treasure?!”

Xiao Niqiu immediately started drooling all over the ground. Salivating, he said, ”Heh, heh, heh, Young Master, I heard you used to have a Treasure Vault... heh, heh, one from which you even lent treasures to Immortal Emperors... Heh, how about you bestow three or five treasures on me to play with?”

”Help me find the true Void Gate, and treasures won’t be a problem,” Li Qiye said nonchalantly, giving him a sideways glance.

’Of course he had a Treasure Vault. Unfortunately, it wasn’t on him. He had buried it in the most heavily guarded, most impregnable place in the world. If he didn’t open it himself, not even an Immortal Emperor would be able to break in.’

”Don’t worry, Young Master, I’ll definitely find the Void Gate for you!” Xiao Niqiu patted his chest, making thumping sounds. Unfortunately, as an earthworm, he didn’t exactly have a chest to pat.

Li Qiye just smiled. ’He wanted to find the true Void Gate too, but it was easier said than done. Throughout the eons, countless Elder Sages had searched for the Void Gate, and the vast majority of them had returned empty-handed.’

After Li Qiye left, Chi Xiaodie remained at the Ancestral God Temple, training diligently.

「Three days later.」

Li Qiye returned with Xiao Niqiu, carrying a massive creature on his shoulder.

Li Qiye was covered in bloodstains. Seeing his appearance, Chi Xiaodie was alarmed and asked in surprise, ”You... you’re injured?”

”It’s just a minor injury.” Li Qiye threw the behemoth from his back onto the ground. THUD! The colossal beast’s impact smashed a large crater into the earth.

”An Earth Dominating Flood Dragon! A 600,000-year-old Celestial Beast!” Chi Xiaodie couldn’t help but cry out when she saw the giant creature, her expression shaken. Such a ferocious Celestial Beast was something even her royal father wouldn’t dare to provoke.

”I only killed it; I didn’t take its marrow and sinews, nor did I remove its Dao Bone,” Li Qiye said. ”You’re cultivating the Divine Eye Thousand Soldiers Path. It’s not as simple as just cultivating; you must master the construction of the Great Dao and have skill in the Art of Commanding Soldiers. Starting today, you will use a blade to butcher this beast, and you will practice until you can do it with ease.”

Hearing Li Qiye’s words, Chi Xiaodie was stunned for a moment. She hadn’t expected that Li Qiye had gone out hunting, and that he had done it to help her cultivate the Divine Eye Thousand Soldiers Path.

”Start now.” Li Qiye was an absolutely strict teacher. He gave Chi Xiaodie no time to prepare and simply issued the command.

Chi Xiaodie took a deep breath and focused her gaze. Instantly, her eyes seemed to turn into orbs of solid gold. As she activated her Divine Pupil, a metallic ringing sound echoed, and her beautiful eyes actually constructed a divine saber—a shimmering Golden Divine Saber.

ZING—The divine saber flew out from her Divine Pupil and slammed down onto the Earth Dominating Flood Dragon’s chest, sending blood splattering everywhere.

”Wrong,” Li Qiye said in a heavy voice. ”The Art of Commanding Soldiers isn’t just about brute force, nor is it just about divine power. What’s more important is technique. Only by mastering the technique can you command thousands of weapons at will. Only when your skills are perfected will you be able, in the future, to glance at any Treasure Artifact—even an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure—and instantly understand its mysteries. Only then can you construct an Immortal Emperor’s Treasure of your own.”

”The Earth Dominating Flood Dragon’s hide is hard and tough. If you just hack at it with brute force like that, you’ll only sever the Beast Marrow and damage all the precious materials in its body. The blade must follow the grain of the skin. Be light yet fast, fierce yet gentle, sharp yet keen...” Li Qiye instructed Chi Xiaodie.

Chi Xiaodie took another deep breath, composing herself. She once again commanded the Golden Divine Saber and started over from the beginning. Under Li Qiye’s step-by-step guidance, she began to disembowel the Earth Dominating Flood Dragon.

Chi Xiaodie gutted the Earth Dominating Flood Dragon while Li Qiye occasionally offered a pointer or two from the side. When she finally finished dismembering the entire Flood Dragon, separating every part, she let out a long sigh of relief. Forgetting all about her ladylike demeanor, she plopped right down on the ground.

For her, this kind of Art of Commanding Soldiers was even more exhausting than an intense battle.

”Barely passable.” Li Qiye glanced at her work and shook his head. ”Your ancestor’s Divine Eye Thousand Soldiers Path can be described as perfection itself. At its highest realm, it can manifest an Immortal Emperor True Artifact that is identical in appearance and even possesses its divine power! If you want to reach that level, you must understand the Art of Commanding Soldiers. Otherwise, you’ll end up with nothing but brute force, only capable of manifesting one weapon after another for mindless bombardment! That is not what it means to command soldiers!”

Chi Xiaodie listened gravely to Li Qiye’s lecture. Although his words were harsh, she still committed every single word he said to heart.

While Chi Xiaodie arduously trained in the Divine Eye Thousand Soldiers Path, Li Qiye would go into the mountains every few days to hunt Longevity Celestial Beasts and Fierce Bird Insect Kings for her to practice the Art of Commanding Soldiers.

Chi Xiaodie trained silently, diligently, and with great effort, treating Li Qiye’s every word as gospel.