Dominator Emperor

”No.” Lan Yunzhu glanced at him and said, ”Does something like that even exist? I doubt it. Even if our sect’s founder visited the First Evil Tomb, they probably only came once. It’s impossible they would have known so clearly which areas were dangerous and which were safe.”

”I’m sorry, but I just so happened to acquire an ancient map that clearly marks which regions are safe and which are dangerous.” Li Qiye said with a smile, ”Let me tell you an exclusive secret.”

”What is it?” Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but ask.

Li Qiye smiled and said, ”Collect more antiques, like ancient books and maps. You’ll always find unexpected rewards. Everything I know, I gathered from such ancient books and maps.”

”Hmph—” Lan Yunzhu shot Li Qiye an annoyed glare and said, ”Uncle, I’m not an idiot. If you don’t want to tell me, then don’t. Just stop trying to fool me. The First Evil Tomb is an Evil Land, one of the Twelve Burial Lands. If secrets like these could be learned from some ancient book or map you’d find at a street stall, then the Twelve Burial Lands wouldn’t have any secrets to speak of.”

Li Qiye couldn’t help but laugh at her words, and he didn’t deny them either. Lan Yunzhu, in turn, puffed up her cheeks and glared at him.

Eventually, Li Qiye led Lan Yunzhu to a grassy field. The field wasn’t large, only a couple of acres, and there was nothing in it. Forget Medicine King Holy Trees, there wasn’t even a single ordinary Spiritual Medicine.

The only thing in the field was a very old Ancient Stele. It was extremely dilapidated, and there seemed to be nothing special about it.

”Uncle, you dragged me all this way just for this Ancient Stele?” Lan Yunzhu glanced at Li Qiye and said, ”Don’t tell me this Ancient Stele doesn’t have a secret! I won’t accept that.”

’Li Qiye had led her across mountains and rivers to get here, even passing up countless Medicine Kings and Holy Trees. There was absolutely no way he did it for no reason.’

”You’re actually right. This place *is* a secret.” Li Qiye chuckled, then took out the key to the First Evil Tomb. As he opened the secret scroll, which resembled an imperial edict, Dao Patterns flowed and ancient characters emerged one by one.

CLANG, CLANG, CLANG... At that moment, the ancient characters landed on the Ancient Stele, which immediately began to emit wisps of light.

Lan Yunzhu had seen this before; it was how Li Qiye had opened the First Evil Tomb. So, as she watched the ancient characters land on the Ancient Stele, she couldn’t help but hold her breath.

RUMBLE— RUMBLE— RUMBLE— At this time, the dilapidated Ancient Stele began to move. Once the dilapidated stele had moved aside, a gateway appeared out of thin air on the ground.

”After you. Go see what a true Medicine King looks like,” Li Qiye said with a smile, gesturing with his hand.

Lan Yunzhu didn’t know what lay beyond the gateway. She took a deep breath, preparing herself for a surprise. She stepped through the gateway, and Li Qiye followed right after.

RUMBLE— RUMBLE— RUMBLE— After they stepped through, the stele moved back to its original position, and the gateway vanished. No one would ever know a mysterious gateway was hidden here.

The moment Lan Yunzhu stepped through the gateway, she was stunned by the sight before her. Her jaw dropped as she stared at the scene.

It was a breathtaking sight. The place was like a world unto itself, with cascading waterfalls, faint mountain ranges, and a gentle breeze that made one feel as if they had entered a paradise hidden from the world.

But that wasn’t the main point. The main point was the flora here—or rather, it wasn’t mere flora. These were the kings among Medicine Kings, the holiest of Holy Trees.

”Immortal Phoenix Grass, Star River Tree, Time Flower, Lost Bamboo...” Lan Yunzhu stared blankly at the Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees before her. ’These things only existed in legends. Throughout the eons, very few have ever seen them. These Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees are completely beyond the scope of Alchemy; one could even say they have transcended it. Using them for Alchemy would be an outrageous waste.’

The Immortal Phoenix Grass resembled a Phoenix, hovering gently above the treetops. The entire Immortal Herb actually emitted the cry of a Phoenix.

”Legend says the Immortal Phoenix Grass is a treasure used by Immortal Phoenixes to build their nests,” Lan Yunzhu murmured as she gazed at the plant.

The Star River Tree swayed in the gentle breeze, resembling a river of stars spilling across the world. It was as if this seemingly small Star River Tree had sown countless seeds of the Star River throughout the endless cosmos.

The Time Flower, a small blossom, was slowly blooming. As it bloomed, it was as if ten thousand years passed in an instant; endless time seemed to flow through its petals.

”Don’t watch the Time Flower bloom. Otherwise, you’ll age and die along with its blossoming. No matter how powerful you are, you can’t resist the aging effect of its bloom.” Li Qiye stopped Lan Yunzhu just as she was about to watch it.

Here, these Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees were not mere ingredients. They were terrifying existences in their own right. The power they possessed was something that even Great Sages would dread.

Although the Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees were right in front of her, even a genius like Lan Yunzhu didn’t dare to try and pick them. Harvesting them was no simple task.

These Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees weren’t guarded by any Insect Emperors or poisonous creatures. However, they possessed terrifying power of their own, a strength no less than that of a Saint Emperor. Some were so powerful that even Great Sages were wary of them.

”What is this place?” Lan Yunzhu asked, deeply moved. Seeing even one Defying Heaven Immortal Herb or Holy Tree like the Immortal Phoenix Grass, Star River Tree, Time Flower, or Lost Bamboo was normally harder than ascending to the heavens. Such plants were exceptionally rare in the world, yet here she was, seeing not just one, but many. This was something that could never happen in the outside world.

For so many peerless Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees to appear in one place... how could it not be shocking?

”No one can say for sure what this place is, exactly. But, we can call it the Lost Immortal Medicine Garden,” Li Qiye said with a smile.

”The Lost Immortal Medicine Garden,” Lan Yunzhu murmured. ’Perhaps only such a name is fitting. If there was any place in the world that could gather so many exceptionally rare Immortal Herbs and Holy Trees, it could only be the legendary Medicinal Garden of the Immortals.’

’This Medicinal Garden before her is likely the very same one that the Immortals lost to the mortal world.’

Coming back to her senses, Lan Yunzhu was moved once again. She looked at Li Qiye and said, ”So those places outside where the Medicine Kings grow... they aren’t the most precious and essential parts of the Wood Realm.”

”That’s right,” Li Qiye said with a smile. ”There’s no place in the Wood Realm better than this Lost Immortal Medicine Garden.”

An idea suddenly occurred to Lan Yunzhu. She looked at Li Qiye and said, ”The First Evil Tomb has Five Great Realms. This means the Earth Realm isn’t the only one with a ’burial secret’ ground! In fact, this Lost Immortal Medicine Garden is the same type of place as the Earth Realm’s Celestial Tomb. They are both the burial secret ground of their respective realms, aren’t they!”

”You’re not too slow. To be precise, each of the Five Great Realms has a burial secret ground. It’s just that the Earth Realm’s Celestial Tomb became too famous and was eventually discovered by the world,” Li Qiye said with a smile.

”Legend has it that Immortal Emperor Earth Fool entered the Earth Realm’s Celestial Tomb and obtained the fabled Longevity Immortality Technique. That’s why the Celestial Tomb became so well-known to later generations,” Lan Yunzhu murmured.

Li Qiye gently shook his head. ”That’s not actually how it happened. The key reason the Celestial Tomb became known to the world had nothing to do with Immortal Emperor Earth Fool. You’ll understand in the future.”

”The Earth Realm has the Celestial Tomb, and the Wood Realm has the Lost Immortal Medicine Garden. What about the Water and Gold Realms?” Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but ask. If each of the Five Great Realms had a burial secret ground, then the Water and Gold Realms must have one too.

Li Qiye spread his hands. ”Well, that I don’t know. I’m not omniscient. You’re asking me, but who am I supposed to ask?”

”Is that so?” Lan Yunzhu looked at Li Qiye, not believing him for a second. ’It’s definitely not that simple,’ she thought. ’He absolutely knows something.’

Lan Yunzhu exclaimed, ”I get it now! Each burial secret ground is opened with the key to the First Evil Tomb! So the world has no idea that the key to the First Evil Tomb can do more than just open the tomb itself!”

”You’re not that slow after all.” Li Qiye lightly flicked her forehead and said with a smile, ”You’re right. Only the holder of the key to the First Evil Tomb can enter the burial secret grounds.”

”Since you hold the key to the First Evil Tomb, why don’t you enter the other burial secret grounds? Like the one in the Gold Realm, or the Water Realm?” Lan Yunzhu asked, looking at Li Qiye.

’If a secret like this got out, the world would go mad. A burial secret ground definitely contains heaven-shattering treasures, just like this Lost Immortal Medicine Garden. Anyone who entered a place like this would strike it rich.’

”Well, as for that, I don’t know where the other burial secret grounds are,” Li Qiye said with a smile and a gentle shake of his head.

Lan Yunzhu shot him an angry glare and said irritably, ”Uncle, are you taking me for an idiot? You even know about the Secret Realms, so how could you not know about the burial secret grounds? Hmph, the burial secret grounds should be even easier to find than the Secret Realms!”

”Alright, girl, you really aren’t that slow,” Li Qiye said with a laugh. ”The burial secret grounds have their own set of rules. It’s not as simple as just taking whatever treasure you want. Besides, the secret grounds in the Gold and Water Realms might not have what I’m looking for. My first priority in coming to the First Evil Tomb is to find what I need. Only after that, if time permits, will I consider looking for other things. Of course, unless the ’Secret of the Burial Grounds’ appears, there’s no way I’m visiting every single one.”

”The Secret of the Burial Grounds? What’s that?” Lan Yunzhu asked, her curiosity piqued. She had never heard of such a thing, but from the way Li Qiye said it, this ’Secret of the Burial Grounds’ had to be something extraordinary.