Dominator Emperor

Li Qiye was filled with emotion. He finally had to admit, ”Time is heartless, but there are some things, some people, that can never be forgotten. For you to have come this far is truly remarkable. I am proud of you.”

”I want to see you, Teacher.” Inside the Ancient Pavilion, Ma Gu’s voice rang out, an ethereal sound filled with longing.

Li Qiye fell silent for a moment. ’For me, perhaps it’s better not to meet.’ He gave a wry smile and said, ”Perhaps my coming to the Celestial Dao Academy was a mistake. This is not to your advantage; it’s not a good thing.”

”No, this is a good thing for me!” the ethereal voice said excitedly. ”At least it gives Ma Gu the will to persevere! Teacher, you have lived through the eons. Although you stopped coming to see Ma Gu after I achieved some success, Ma Gu knows that you have always been alive in this world! When the Black Dragon King suddenly seized the Celestial Mandate, I worried something had happened to you and that you would never return. If Teacher does not wish to see Ma Gu, Ma Gu will not blame you. But Ma Gu *must* see Teacher.”

”Fine.” Li Qiye sighed inwardly and said, ”You should remain in seclusion; I’ll come to you. You still have a long way to go to reach the peak of the Longevity Body. Your Great Dao has locked down this space for countless years. If you step out of this Dao Lock today, how much effort would it take to lock it down again? Don’t leave this ancient haven, don’t leave this Dao Lock. Let the world remain outside while your heart locks the Dao. I will come in to see you.”

”I knew Teacher would agree to see me!” Ma Gu’s delighted voice rang out. Then, with a CRACK, the Great Dao that locked the Ancient Pavilion opened. The doors to the Ancient Pavilion swung open silently.

”You little rascal.” Li Qiye couldn’t help but smile and shake his head. ”Everyone used to say you were slow, but I think you’re becoming more and more of a sly little imp.” With that, he strode inside. As Li Qiye entered the Ancient Pavilion, the Dao Lock sealed it once more.

When Li Qiye stepped into the Ancient Pavilion, he found it to be like an Immortal Realm, completely different from its exterior. Inside the Ancient Pavilion, Immortal Qi drifted about as heaven and earth ebbed and flowed, as if it were a world unto itself.

Stepping inside, one was completely immersed in Immortal Qi. Wisps of it drilled into the body, making one feel as if they were about to ascend as an immortal. In that moment, the Immortal Qi washed away all traces of the mortal world.

Within this Immortal Realm, there was a jade bed. The bed was supported by endless Immortal Qi and enveloped in boundless auspicious light.

On the jade bed lay a girl who looked to be in her early twenties. Her beautiful eyes were closed, peaceful and serene. The girl wore plain clothes, and her face was ordinary, yet one could never tire of looking at it. Her ordinary features were heaven’s most beautiful masterpiece—flawless from any angle, with no imperfections to be found, no matter one’s taste.

Her beauty was of the most ordinary kind. It wasn’t breathtaking, but it invited careful appreciation, a sight one could never tire of.

The girl on the jade bed was suffused with Immortal Qi. She was the very picture of an otherworldly existence, transcendent and detached, as if she didn’t partake of the mortal world’s food. Her entire being was shrouded in Immortal Qi, making it seem as if the Immortal Realm itself nurtured her. In reality, it was she who nurtured the Immortal Realm within the Ancient Pavilion!

Fairy Mei Suyao was also transcendent and detached, yet Mei Suyao was ultimately missing something. She lacked tranquility. The girl lying here, however, was the one who was truly detached from the mortal world. Her Dao Heart was as tranquil and placid as this Immortal Realm, as still as the water in an ancient well, a quality that seemed eternally unchanging.

Li Qiye sat gently on the edge of the bed, gazing at her ordinary yet beautiful face. He couldn’t help but sigh softly in his heart. ’In this regard, I am not her equal. To be free of worldly conflict, with only the Dao Heart remaining eternal!’

Li Qiye watched Ma Gu for a long time without speaking. Slowly, the woman on the jade bed finally opened her eyes. The moment her eyes fluttered open, it was as if heaven and earth were being created, and the Immortal Realm was born.

It was once said of an Invincible Immortal Emperor: ”When his eyes open, heaven and earth begin. When his eyes close, the myriad ages end!” In fact, it would be no exaggeration to use these words to describe Ma Gu now.

”Teacher—” Seeing Li Qiye, the reclining Ma Gu still couldn’t contain her excitement. ”Teacher, I can finally see your true form!” she said, reaching out her hand. Her hand was wreathed in Immortal Qi, an unblemished Immortal Hand.

Ma Gu reached out and gently caressed Li Qiye’s face. She murmured, ”It’s real. Teacher, this isn’t a dream. Teacher, you’ve really escaped the Immortal Demon Cave!” Before she knew it, tears were streaming from the corners of her eyes, each drop as clear as Immortal Dew.

”Silly girl, this is a happy occasion.” Li Qiye gently wiped away her tears. ”Besides, with your Dao locking heaven and earth, you’re supposed to be beyond joy and sorrow.”

”As long as Teacher is alive, everything is worth it.” Ma Gu smiled through her tears. When she smiled, it was the most beautiful smile in the world, a smile that blossomed in one’s heart.

Li Qiye chuckled and shook his head gently. ”Don’t be like this. You should return to tranquility. Longevity is non-action. Why trouble yourself like this?”

”I will listen to Teacher.” Slowly, Ma Gu closed her eyes. As her eyelids gently lowered, her eyelashes fluttered like a sprite’s wings.

Ma Gu closed her eyes and gradually calmed down. It seemed that in this instant, she had once again locked heaven and earth, returning to her eternally unchanging state. However, her hand still tightly gripped Li Qiye’s, and a peaceful, sweet smile graced her face.

”Teacher, I have so, so much I want to tell you,” Ma Gu said slowly, her eyes closed in a tranquil, sweet slumber. At this moment, her Dao became eternal again, but now it was filled with Life Force. Like sunlight illuminating the world, her long Great Dao was no longer silent, but now possessed a fascinating color that people yearned for.

”Silly girl, in this lifetime, I will ascend above the Azure Heaven and rule over eternity. We will have plenty of time in the future,” Li Qiye said with a smile, gently stroking her hair.

”Is Teacher leaving?” Ma Gu asked, tranquil and sweet, her hand still gripping Li Qiye’s as if he would disappear the moment she let go.

”I will have to,” Li Qiye said softly. ”I need to go to the Ghost Sacred Realm. There are some things I must unravel. But before that, I still have time to listen to you.”

”I still want Teacher to guide me like before.” The tranquil Ma Gu smiled, an ordinary and beautiful smile that blossomed in the heart, making one feel sweet inside.

”No.” Li Qiye shook his head. ”In truth, I have nothing left to teach you. You have walked farther on this path than I have. With the Longevity Body, you have mastered more than me. In this aspect, you are the true Grandmaster, beyond compare. I can truly say I am proud of you. What are geniuses or paragons compared to you? They are nothing. In all of history, which genius has ever had your perseverance!”

”But there are still so many things about Teacher that I haven’t learned,” Ma Gu said, gripping Li Qiye’s hand like a child. She smiled, and her happiness and joy were all contained within that expression.

Li Qiye couldn’t help but laugh. He finally said, ”For me, the fact that you have come this far is more than enough. No one is more remarkable than you.”

Ma Gu laughed joyfully as well. Unconsciously, the Immortal Realm became cheerful, as if all the Ten Thousand Realms were at peace. A jubilant atmosphere filled the entire Immortal Realm.

In the end, Ma Gu and Li Qiye spoke for a very long time. Xu Chong Immortal, one of the most mysterious and powerful beings of the current age, a matriarch who was one of the two pillars of the Celestial Dao Academy, was still just that little girl from all those years ago in front of Li Qiye.

Inside the Ancient Pavilion, the joyful atmosphere lingered for a long time. Heaven and earth themselves seemed to rejoice, as if all of creation was experiencing the return of spring, a world reborn.

An unknown amount of time passed before it was time for Li Qiye to leave. Before he left, he lowered his head and gently kissed her forehead. ”With your Great Dao locking heaven and earth, you are only a hair’s breadth from success. Persevere. I’ll be waiting for the day you emerge. I believe you will succeed.”

With her eyes closed and a sweet smile on her face, Ma Gu finally entered an eternal slumber. Immortal Qi billowed as the Immortal Light from the Immortal Realm illuminated all of heaven and earth. It was as if, in that instant, Ma Gu had stepped into eternity.

Seeing her enter the state of the Longevity Body so quickly, Li Qiye felt a sense of relief and slowly departed. After he left, the Dao Lock sealed the Ancient Pavilion once more. Ma Gu had entered her eternal slumber again. Perhaps the next time she awoke would be the day her Longevity Body reached Great Success. On that day, she might even achieve true immortality.

Finally, Li Qiye left Xiu Peak and returned to the academy. For him, meeting Ma Gu this time had settled a long-standing matter in his heart. One could say this trip to the Celestial Dao Academy had now reached Perfection.

Li Qiye had been worried about meeting Ma Gu, afraid it would have a negative impact on her. However, seeing her state, his heart was put at ease. Ma Gu had indeed walked very far down the path of the Longevity Body, perhaps farther than anyone since the dawn of time.

With this weight finally off his mind, Li Qiye began to plan his departure. He didn’t intend to return to the Xiyan Ancient Sect; instead, he planned to go to the Ghost Sacred Realm. He held certain items that would allow him to unravel some of the mysteries there.

”Young Master, save my grandfather and brother!” However, as Li Qiye was preparing to leave for the Ghost Sacred Realm, Chi Xiaodie burst in one day in a panic. The moment she saw Li Qiye, she cried out urgently.

Li Qiye frowned slightly. ”What happened?”

”Little Saber was captured, and my grandfather is trapped! Young Master, you have to save them! If you don’t, no one else can!” Chi Xiaodie was on the verge of tears.

”Don’t panic. Tell me what happened, slowly.” Li Qiye quickly soothed her. ”As long as I am here, it wouldn’t matter even if all the All Heavens Gods and Demons were to descend.”

The frantic Chi Xiaodie finally managed to compose herself and said, ”It’s because of Princess Bao Yun. My brother was originally going to propose a marriage, but then he ran into the Tiger Roar Sect...”

Ma Gu, one of Xiao Sheng’s favorite female leads. She persevered in her purity, her Dao Heart eternal. In the eyes of others, she was once a slow girl, but in Li Qiye’s heart, she is a remarkable girl, and he is proud of her.