Dominator Emperor

Chapter 48: Imparting the Arts (Part 2)

’The only explanation is that Li Qiye cultivates a peerless, unrivaled Body Technique!’ The sheer weight of that kick had left an incredibly deep impression on her, and his words echoed in her mind.

Li Shuangyan’s mind reeled. For a long moment, she couldn’t snap out of it as a thousand thoughts raced through her head.

The next day, Li Qiye appeared once again at the Martial Arts Hall, seated in the high position overlooking the training grounds where its three hundred disciples had gathered. At this moment, the entire Martial Arts Hall was deathly silent.

It was impossible to say how many disciples were now terrified of Li Qiye. Yesterday, every last one of them had been beaten to the ground, thrashed mercilessly by his staff. The mere memory of that pain was enough to make them shiver.

However, the Snake-Beating Staff was truly magical. Even if one were beaten until their skin split open, it wouldn’t damage their bones or sinews. Besides, Li Qiye had already gone easy on many of the disciples yesterday. A smear of Antiseptic Medicine, and they were mostly fine by the next day.

Many disciples had been thoroughly cowed yesterday, so when Li Qiye’s gaze swept over them today, their hearts pounded in their chests, and they didn’t dare to meet his eyes.

”Very good. It seems some of my junior brothers and sisters are quite courageous, daring to file a complaint against me.” Li Qiye said with a smile. ”But I wonder... does the one who complained have the courage to step forward now?”

At this, many disciples exchanged glances. Seeing Li Qiye’s beaming expression, their hearts began to hammer in their chests again.

”A man answers for his own actions. I’m the one who complained about you!” At that moment, Luo Fenghua stepped forward and declared loudly. Although he could walk and was not seriously injured, the medicinal plaster on his face rather ruined his handsome features.

Li Qiye descended from his high seat. Beaming at Luo Fenghua, he nodded and said, ”I’ve always admired courageous people, and Junior Brother Luo is certainly someone I admire. However, if you dare to challenge my authority, you must be prepared for the consequences. So tell me, Junior Brother Luo, would you prefer to crawl back to your quarters today, or be carried back?” As he spoke, he slowly drew out his Snake-Beating Staff.

Seeing Li Qiye’s grin and the Snake-Beating Staff in his hand, the expressions of every disciple present, male and female alike, changed drastically.

”R-Relying on a treasure... what kind of skill is that?” Luo Fenghua’s face was pale, but he stood his ground and shouted, ”If you’re so tough, fight me with real martial arts!”

By now, even an idiot could tell that the unremarkable wooden stick in Li Qiye’s hand was a treasure.

”You really want to spar with me?” Li Qiye said with a grin, eyeing Luo Fenghua.

There was nothing Luo Fenghua wanted to see less than Li Qiye’s grin. The sight of it sent his confidence plummeting. Still, he gritted his teeth, steeled his resolve, and declared, ”That’s right! If you have the guts, fight me for real. If you’re stronger than me, I’ll have nothing to say.”

”Since Junior Brother Luo insists on a spar, then a spar it is.” Li Qiye put away his Snake-Beating Staff with a smile. Looking at Luo Fenghua, he said, ”As your senior brother, it wouldn’t be right for me to make the first move, would it? You can go first.”

Luo Fenghua was secretly overjoyed to see Li Qiye put away the Snake-Beating Staff. He summoned his Treasure Sword and shouted, ”Alright, let’s spar!” The moment he finished speaking, his sword swept horizontally, and he assumed a flawless Defensive Form.

Luo Fenghua had been thoroughly spooked by Li Qiye, which was why his opening move was a Defensive Form.

”A bit of talent,” Li Qiye commented with a slight smile upon seeing the solid stance. In the next instant, his Life Wheel emerged, his Blood Qi surged, and he lashed out with a kick.

BANG! The kick landed. Luo Fenghua’s flawless stance was useless. He was sent flying thirty feet, his Treasure Sword shattering on impact. He hit the ground hard and coughed up a large mouthful of blood.

CRACK! Even before Luo Fenghua hit the ground, the sickening sound of a bone snapping echoed. He had broken a rib. As he landed, he spat another mouthful of blood, his vision went black, and he passed out cold.

The Prison Suppressing Divine Body! Li Qiye cultivated the world’s strongest, most invincible Body Technique. A single kick held the weight of ten thousand mountains. One could only imagine its true power.

All the disciples were dumbfounded. Among the three hundred of them, even if Luo Fenghua’s Dao Practice wasn’t ranked number one, he was still among the very best. Yet he couldn’t even withstand a single kick from Li Qiye. How was that possible?

”He couldn’t even take one-tenth of the weight of my kick, yet he dared to spout such arrogant nonsense and challenge me,” Li Qiye said slowly, retracting his foot.

Li Qiye had already held back with that kick. Otherwise, if he had put his full power into it, Luo Fenghua would be dead without a doubt.

Standing to the side, Nan Huairun gently shook his head. ’Six months ago, First Brother hadn’t even started his Cultivation, yet he dismembered both Du Yuanguang and Xu Hui. Now that he’s actually cultivating, isn’t Luo Fenghua just courting death?’

Without waiting for Li Qiye’s orders, Nan Huairun revived Luo Fenghua, set his broken bone, applied Antiseptic Medicine, and carried him back to his living quarters.

”It seems teaching you lot a lesson with the Snake-Beating Staff is much less dangerous after all,” Li Qiye said, drawing it out once more. He pointed to a random disciple. ”You. Step forward. Show me what you’ve got.”

”F-First Brother, I... I didn’t complain about you! I swear to the heavens, I absolutely didn’t complain!” The chosen disciple instantly turned pale as a ghost.

Li Qiye nodded earnestly. ”I know you didn’t complain about me. However, the lesson plan for today is still to give you all a sound thrashing. Of course, you can try to run. But if I catch you, I’ll make sure your beating is ten times worse than yesterday’s. You’d best believe me, or the consequences will be severe.”

The disciple had no choice but to brace himself and step forward. ”Please go easy on me, First Brother,” he said, trembling.

”Instead of asking me for mercy, you should be trying harder! Give it your all. The initiative is in your hands,” Li Qiye said with a grin, and with that, he swung his staff.

The disciple had no choice but to meet the attack.

BAM—BAM—BAM— The disciple didn’t last two moves before the Snake-Beating Staff sent him sprawling. Li Qiye thrashed him casually, leaving him in agony. At least it was better than yesterday—he wasn’t bleeding.

”You, you, and you...” Li Qiye pointed to a few others. ”Step up.”

BAM—BAM—BAM— In the time it would take to eat a meal, all three hundred disciples were once again beaten to the ground by Li Qiye. Painful howls filled the air. Whether they were genuine or feigned, the pain itself was bone-deep. Even though Li Qiye hadn’t been as vicious today and hadn’t drawn blood, the agony was still a torment.

”Truly hopeless,” Li Qiye sighed, shaking his head as he turned and walked away.

「The third day」

Li Qiye appeared once more, and the three hundred disciples were again summoned to the training grounds. To Li Qiye’s surprise, Luo Fenghua, whose rib he had broken the day before, was also present.

Having been brutally beaten twice, the three hundred disciples now looked at Li Qiye as if they were seeing a ghost, shivering inwardly. The memory of the Snake-Beating Staff was bound to haunt their nightmares for a long time.

Their fear was understandable. Back in the day, even the young Mingren Immortal Emperor and the band of Invincible War Generals who followed him to conquer the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands couldn’t forget the ’taste’ of the Snake-Beating Staff. Even long after shouldering the Celestial Mandate and achieving the status of Immortal Emperor, Mingren would recall those days with a complex mix of feelings.

”Today’s lesson is the same as before: I’m going to beat you,” Li Qiye announced with his usual smile as he walked down to them.

The moment he spoke, every disciple shivered. Beaten twice already, and now a third time? The thought was so terrifying their knees felt weak.

”Who’s first?” Li Qiye asked, that same grin on his face. His gaze swept across the three hundred disciples, and as it passed over them, many trembled and instinctively took a step back.

”I will.” In the end, the first to step forward was, surprisingly, Luo Fenghua. ”I’ll go!” he declared, pulling out a Giant Shield.

Luo Fenghua had gotten smarter. He had specifically brought a shield today, hoping it could block the Snake-Beating Staff.

”Courageous, and a little bit clever,” Li Qiye remarked with a nod and a smile.

BAM—BAM—BAM— Ultimately, Luo Fenghua couldn’t escape his fate. If a mere Giant Shield could block the Snake-Beating Staff, it wouldn’t have been worth Li Qiye taking it from the Ghost Forest in the first place.

This time, Li Qiye thrashed Luo Fenghua mercilessly, beating him until he was covered in bloody marks and lying on the ground, unable to get up, in unbearable pain.

Seeing how ruthless Li Qiye was this time, the expressions of the other disciples changed drastically, but none dared to voice their anger.

”You’re clever, but you applied it in the wrong way. True cleverness is wisdom. Next time, try to use your brain a little more. I’m giving you this harsh beating to help you think a bit harder,” Li Qiye stated calmly.

That day, every disciple was once again thrashed by Li Qiye. This time, he was even more vicious than the day before. Many disciples were left bleeding on the ground, unable to rise.

On the fourth day, Li Qiye leisurely announced, ”The lesson for day four is still beating you. Who wants to be first?”

At this, every disciple’s expression changed dramatically. They all took several steps back, no one daring to be the first to step forward—not even Luo Fenghua, who had been so courageous the day before.

”I... I’ll go.” Finally, a young man of about eighteen stepped forward. He had an honest-looking face and a sturdy build.

”What’s your name?” Li Qiye asked, glancing at the youth. He remembered this one. During every beating, while the others tried to dodge or run, this disciple had shown incredible resilience, always facing the blows head-on. Every time he was knocked down, he would struggle desperately to get back up. His unyielding attitude had left a considerable impression on Li Qiye.

The disciple scratched his head and answered honestly, ”Replying to First Brother, my name is Zhang Yu.”

”And why did you step forward first?” Li Qiye asked with a grin.

”W-well... First Brother is going to beat us whether he’s happy or not. He’s just going to beat us no matter what. Since we can’t avoid it, I... I figured I might as well get it over with,” Zhang Yu stammered.