Dominator Emperor

”Hah, Treasure of the Gods?” Li Qiye sneered. ”If there really was a Treasure of the Gods, would it be their turn to claim it?”

Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but look at Li Qiye and ask, ”Then what is it?” It was obvious that he knew Demon’s Back Ridge inside and out.

”The Death God.” Li Qiye’s eyes narrowed. ”A Death God that has starved for millions upon millions of years, one that can no longer bear its hunger and thirst.”

The sight of Li Qiye narrowing his eyes sent a shiver down Li Shuangyan’s spine. She understood that this matter was even more terrifying than she had imagined.

”Let’s go,” Li Qiye ordered Niu Fen.

”Where to, Young Master?” Niu Fen never questioned Li Qiye’s commands and had always served him with utmost loyalty.

”Back to the Osmanthus Lotus Tree!” Li Qiye said. ”That bunch of good-for-nothings will only be sending themselves to their deaths, becoming a delicious meal. There’s no way they can suppress that monstrous thing!”

Li Qiye rode his snail and hurried back toward the Osmanthus Lotus Tree. Upon seeing him return, Gu Tieshou and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief. Still, Gu Tieshou couldn’t help but ask, ”What happened over there?”

Although Gu Tieshou and the disciples had not taken a single step outside this Pure Land, they still saw the column of blood-red light that had shot up into the sky.

”A catastrophe.” Li Qiye leaped off the snail’s back and instructed Gu Tieshou, ”Elder Gu, if any disciples are still outside, recall them immediately. From this moment on, all disciples are forbidden to leave. They must not stray more than ten zhang from the tree’s trunk.”

”I’ve already recalled all the disciples. I will order them not to leave,” Gu Tieshou said hurriedly upon seeing Li Qiye’s grave expression.

When he saw the blood-red light surge into the eastern sky, Gu Tieshou, uncertain if it was a good or bad omen, immediately recalled the disciples who were out hunting and training to prevent any unforeseen incidents. In truth, ever since the light appeared, Gu Tieshou had been anxiously awaiting Li Qiye’s return. In Li Qiye’s absence, he, the Great Elder, felt not just uneasy, but utterly lost. Unconsciously, Li Qiye had become the pillar of the Xiyan Ancient Sect. They had absolute confidence in his strategies; on the other hand, when he wasn’t around, they felt completely unsure of themselves.

As Gu Tieshou went to relay the command, Li Qiye walked directly to the Osmanthus Lotus Tree. Before its massive trunk, he sat on the ground in the lotus position, clasped his hands, and prayed silently, conveying his will. ’Back then, I joined forces with Your Excellency to slaughter the demonic creatures. You know as well as I that they can never be truly eradicated. For this reason, I planted a seed in this realm and left behind a contingency to keep them in check, to extinguish any hope of their revival...’

’...Now, as you know, the contingency I left behind has been compromised, giving the demonic creatures a chance to revive. For the sake of Demon’s Back Ridge, I must make the trip myself. If it is not convenient for Your Excellency to grace us with your presence, I shall not insist. However, I require Your Excellency’s lotus bones and Holy Water to break their Evil Techniques...’ Li Qiye remained seated, silently praying and communicating his will to the Osmanthus Lotus Tree.

This wasn’t the first time Li Shuangyan and the others had seen Li Qiye act this way. They all knew by now that the colossal tree before them possessed a divine spirit. As for why Li Qiye called it an Osmanthus Lotus Tree, they had no idea.

In response to Li Qiye’s prayer, branches silently began to sprout from the tree’s trunk. It wasn’t just one; a number of them grew, and they were unlike any ordinary branch.

The branches were as thick as an arm, but they were a stark, colorless white. An uninformed onlooker might have mistaken them for protruding bones. These bone-white branches shimmered with the luster of white jade. Instead of being horrifying, the growth of these bone-like branches possessed an ineffable charm, as if the very sound of the Great Dao emanated from them.

The sudden sprouting of these jade-white branches from the trunk left Li Shuangyan, Tu Buyu, and the others completely stunned. The great Osmanthus Lotus Tree was truly divine.

While Li Shuangyan and the others were still dumbfounded, flower buds began to form at the tips of the branches. The buds then blossomed, and only then could everyone see clearly what they were: lotuses. Six-petaled lotuses, each one the size of a conical farmer’s hat.

As the lotuses bloomed, everyone present felt an ethereal sensation, as if they were about to ascend to immortality. Their bodies felt completely at ease. At that moment, they all sensed the blooming lotuses resonating with their own Great Daos. The one with the strongest reaction was Li Shuangyan, who was born with a Biqing Body and also cultivated a Pure Body.

At that moment, Li Shuangyan herself seemed to be a blooming Holy Lotus. In an instant, Immortal Light erupted from her as the sound of the Great Dao emanated from her body. The sound was incredibly faint, as soft as a petal unfurling, yet to the ears of those around her, it was like the tolling of a great temple bell, striking a chord in everyone’s heart.

At that moment, Li Shuangyan resembled a Banished Immortal descended to the mortal realm, peerless and transcendent. She seemed impervious to all techniques, untouched by the mortal world, immaculate and pure, just like a True Immortal of legend.

Anyone who saw Li Shuangyan in this state would be deeply moved. Even Li Shuangyan herself was stirred, for she could feel her Pure Body receiving immense benefits. It was as if these blooming lotuses were tailor-made for her.

”What is this? It’s a perfect match for my constitution,” Li Shuangyan murmured, deeply moved. ’If such a lotus truly exists in this world, I must plant one by my side to nourish my Pure Body.’

”The Six Paths Lotus,” Li Qiye said. ”Pure and undefiled, its cleansing power is unparalleled across the heavens. Of course it’s a perfect match for your Pure Body.”

”Six Paths Lotus...” Li Shuangyan murmured the name. It was, of course, the first time she had ever seen such a flower.

Just then, Li Qiye plucked one of the lotuses. As he did, the jade-white branch it grew from broke away from the trunk. Li Qiye used the lotus flower itself to catch the falling branch.

Holding the branch in the lotus, Li Qiye handed it to Tu Buyu. ”Use your True Fire to refine this into ash,” he instructed. ”Remember, you must catch the branch with the lotus you pluck. Otherwise, if this lotus bone touches the ground, it will burrow into the earth and dissipate.”

Tu Buyu committed Li Qiye’s words to memory. With a flick of his hands, he sent the lotus floating into the air. In the next instant, an incomparably pure azure flame ignited in his palms. The flame took the shape of a furnace, instantly enveloping the lotus and refining it to ash.

Tu Buyu plucked the lotuses one by one, catching each branch and using his True Fire to refine them all into ash.

”To have cultivated the True Fire of your Life Furnace to such a perfect degree... you are truly worthy of the War God Technique,” Li Qiye nodded in approval.

Tu Buyu didn’t show any pride. As a cultivator of the War God Technique, he was well aware of its mysteries. If he couldn’t even reach this level of mastery, then just as Li Qiye had said, he would truly be unworthy of the Divine Technique.

At this point, Li Qiye took out a Jade Bottle and bellowed, ”Holy Water, come to me!”

The moment Li Qiye spoke, a stream of water erupted from the very top of the colossal tree, arcing down like a fountain and falling straight into his Jade Bottle. The space within the bottle was considerable, but it was filled to the brim in no time at all.

The stream of water vanished, and Li Qiye put away the Jade Bottle. By then, Tu Buyu had finished refining all the lotuses and their bony branches into ash, which he carefully stored in a Treasure Box.

At that moment, Nan Huairun tried to imitate Li Qiye. He sat down in the lotus position before the trunk, clasped his hands together, and began to mutter under his breath.

Li Qiye smacked him on the back of the head. ”What do you think you’re doing?”

Nan Huairun let out an awkward laugh. ”Heh heh,” he chuckled, ”I’m learning from Eldest Brother and praying to the Divine Tree. I’m asking it to grant me a treasure. Heh, since this Divine Tree is so miraculous, I’m sure it can hear my prayers.”

Li Qiye smacked him on the back of the head again and shot him a sidelong glance. ”Even if this tree is divine, it’s not something the likes of you can communicate with.”

Even Guardian Mo shot his disciple a glare and snapped irritably, ”If you were capable of communicating with a divine being, you wouldn’t be Nan Huairun.”

Despite being scolded by his master, Nan Huairun just grinned shamelessly.

”This tree is truly divine,” Li Shuangyan said, her voice filled with awe. Standing beside Li Qiye, she gazed at the colossal Osmanthus Lotus Tree and asked him softly, ”Has it really achieved Divinity Transformation?”

Li Qiye glanced at her, then looked up at the Osmanthus Lotus Tree that blotted out the sky. ”If gods truly exist in this world,” he finally said, ”then this tree would count as one. It’s a pity, though...” He trailed off, saying no more.

Hearing Li Qiye’s words, everyone present—from Li Shuangyan and Tu Buyu to Niu Fen—felt a profound shock. In an instant, even Nan Huairun straightened his posture, no longer daring to snicker or act frivolously.

At that moment, everyone gazed upon the giant Osmanthus Lotus Tree with reverence. Gods had always been the stuff of legend, with tales passed down from the most ancient of times. Before anyone had ever shouldered the Celestial Mandate, before anyone had been crowned Immortal Emperor, there were already legends of the gods.

There was an old saying: Before the age of Immortal Emperors, the gods ruled the world. No one knew if the legends were true, but to all, the gods were existences that inspired absolute awe.

’And now Li Qiye was saying that if gods existed, this tree would be one of them. In other words, the Osmanthus Lotus Tree before their eyes was comparable to a god. Even if there were no gods, its power was still terrifying beyond imagination.’

Before this, Gu Tieshou and the other disciples had merely seen the Osmanthus Lotus Tree as a colossal tree. At most, they believed it had gained sentience and possessed some Divine Techniques. But after hearing Li Qiye’s words, they were filled with reverence.

Now, never mind the disciples—even some of the Guardian Hall Masters present couldn’t help but shudder. Nan Huairun was so frightened his legs went weak, and he hastily dropped to his knees.

”Grandpa God, Ancestor God, no, Lord Tree God above! This little one was young and ignorant! I didn’t know Your Excellency was an existence loftier than the heavens! A few days ago, this little one was being naughty and peeled off a bit of your bark. Lord Tree God, you are high and mighty; please don’t stoop to the level of a humble one like me. I am sincerely apologizing and admitting my mistake.” This time, Nan Huairun was truly earnest. He prostrated on the ground and kowtowed several times to the giant tree.

Because there will be a mass release for the VIP launch tomorrow, I’m resting and gathering my energy today. There will be two Chapters today.