Dominator Emperor

Eventually, Li Qiye led the group to the summit of a tall peak. This was the terminus of a meandering mountain range that stretched for thousands of miles. The peak itself resembled a dragon’s head, making the entire mountain look like a coiled dragon.

Li Qiye led them into a hidden ravine on the peak. Without him to guide them, Li Shuangyan and the others would have struggled to find such a place.

Inside the ravine, a small creek babbled, the sound of its water washing over the rocks exceptionally pleasant to the ear. To find such a hidden ravine on a high peak felt like discovering a Grotto Heaven. The moment they stepped inside, they were greeted by refreshingly pleasant air.

Eventually, Li Qiye brought Li Shuangyan and the others to a halt in an unremarkable shallow cove. The area was surrounded by lush trees and dense, fragrant grass. Ahead of them was nothing but a stone wall, its only noteworthy feature being its perfectly smooth and flat surface.

Li Qiye signaled for Shi Gandang and Niu Fen to set down the offerings. He then began to scatter the Guiding Money, tossing it in circle after circle. After a few rounds, Li Qiye began to dance like a shaman, chanting loudly, ”Wu Binglan, the 637th-generation descendant of the Wu Family, accompanied by her husband and servants, has come to pay homage to the Saint Ancestor. Glorious is the Saint Ancestor, whose tomb is Panlong Mountain and who is known as the Panlong Mountain Master. The descendants of the Wu Family have for generations admired your virtue, reminiscing about the Saint Ancestor’s heroic grandeur, sleepless day and night...”

Li Qiye danced like a shaman, circling again and again. He produced a Yellow Bell from out of nowhere and began to strike it. DONG! DONG! The sound of the Yellow Bell was faint yet profound, each toll seemingly echoing all the way down into the Underworld.

”Your grandson-in-law Qiye, and my wife, the 637th-generation descendant of the Wu Family, Wu Binglan, first bow to the Celestial Ancient, second to the Nine Netherworld, and third to the Saint Ancestor...” After finishing his dance, Li Qiye shot Li Shuangyan a look and bowed deeply. Li Shuangyan, holding the Roof Tile, quickly performed a deep bow as well.

Chen Baojiao and the others followed suit and bowed. The ritual sent a chill down Shi Gandang’s spine; he felt like they weren’t paying respects to the dead, but worshiping a ghost!

Once the set of rituals was complete, Li Qiye burned the offerings on the ritual table, leaving only the Celestial Sacrifice Soup. After burning all the items made of Yellow Paper, he lifted the lid from the basin of Celestial Sacrifice Soup and chanted, ”O Saint Ancestor of our Wu Family, today is the day your descendants pay homage. We have petitioned the heavens to offer you this Celestial Sacrifice Soup. We invite you, Saint Ancestor, to emerge from your residence and taste this celestial soup...”

Li Qiye’s chant sent a shiver down the spines of Li Shuangyan and the others. But just then, something strange occurred. Wisps of mist began to rise from the Celestial Sacrifice Soup. The strands of mist drifted down like an immortal curtain, seeming to connect with the Cyan Netherworld above and channel into the Underworld below.

GRIND—GRIND—GRIND— At that moment, the unbelievable happened. The smooth, flat stone wall before them began to slowly part, and an Ancient Coffin slid out. The coffin was exquisitely crafted from Divine Gold, adorned with cast ancient script and carved dragons and phoenixes. It was so elaborate that one glance was enough to know the person interred within was an extraordinary figure.

In that instant, the Ancient Coffin opened, and a person stepped out! Although it wasn’t the first time they had witnessed such a scene, Chen Baojiao and the others still felt their hair stand on end.

The person who stepped out of the Ancient Coffin was an old man wearing an imperial crown and a Dragon Robe. A vast Emperor’s Qi billowed from him, marking him as a supreme sovereign who once ruled over millions.

Though the old man who stepped out looked nothing at all like a corpse, his eyes were closed, as if he were merely asleep. His expression was exactly the same as the Treasure Lord’s!

”The 637th-generation grandson-in-law of the Wu Family, with his wife Wu Binglan, pays homage to the Saint Ancestor...” As the old man stepped out of the coffin, Li Qiye prostrated himself and chanted loudly.

Li Shuangyan immediately bowed, and the others followed suit. The old man simply extended a hand, and the Roof Tile in Li Shuangyan’s grasp flew into his palm.

The old man gently caressed the Roof Tile, and his previously placid, expressionless face now showed a flicker of excitement. Though his eyes remained closed, he stroked the tile and murmured, ”The Wu Family... oh, the Wu Family!”

After a long moment, the old man raised his head. In that instant, he opened his eyes. A blood-red light flashed within them, his gaze falling upon Li Shuangyan.

In that instant, Li Shuangyan’s heart began to pound, and she grew tense. ’I’m an impostor, a fake descendant of the Wu Family! If this ancestor discovers the truth, we’re all doomed!’

Li Shuangyan had no confidence whatsoever; this was the first time she had ever impersonated someone of a different bloodline.

Only Li Qiye was perfectly calm. An uninformed observer, seeing his demeanor, would have truly believed he was the 637th-generation grandson-in-law of the Wu Family. In reality, Li Qiye wasn’t the least bit worried.

This wasn’t the first time he had employed such a grand deception. Short of an Immortal Emperor, not even an invincible existence could see through his scheme.

After a moment, the old man closed his eyes. The Roof Tile flew from his hand back into Li Shuangyan’s. He spoke slowly, ”Child, do not be afraid. Although I have been buried here for countless years of Time, I was still a living person when I was interred, and I am a living person now.”

The old man’s words allowed Li Shuangyan to finally breathe a sigh of relief. She said in a low voice, ”This is my first time visiting the Ancient Sky Corpse Land, so I have lost my composure. If not for my husband consulting a great master, we would never have learned the method to enter, nor would I have had the courage to come here.”

Li Shuangyan was a clever woman and had been coached by Li Qiye beforehand, so she quickly recited the lines he had taught her. Even though the words were part of a pre-arranged script, she couldn’t help but blush when she said the word ”husband.”

The old man grunted in acknowledgment and nodded. Then, he opened his mouth and inhaled. In an instant, all the wispy steam rising from the Celestial Sacrifice Soup was drawn into his mouth.

With a SIZZLING sound, the old man began to inhale the steam from the Celestial Sacrifice Soup mouthful after mouthful, just as if he were Swallowing Smoke and Mist. As he did, a strange phenomenon occurred within the basin. The sounds of a dragon’s roar and a phoenix’s cry could be heard. Various visions appeared within the large basin: sometimes reflecting the Underworld, other times showing hordes of ghosts. Now and then, a Fierce Beast would seem to charge upwards, causing the soup to ripple as if it were about to burst out. All sorts of strange visions materialized in the soup.

As the old man continued to inhale the steam, the Celestial Sacrifice Soup in the large basin began to change. The broth, which had been a patchwork of green, yellow, and red, slowly turned clear until it was as limpid as pure water.

Before this, the soup had been filled with chunks of things: Dragon Breast, Phoenix Claw, Turtle Whip... even what looked like human heads. Li Shuangyan and the others had no idea what these disgusting pieces of meat were, but now, they had all vanished, leaving only clear water in the large basin.

After finishing the essence of the Celestial Sacrifice Soup, the old man smacked his lips, seemingly savoring the aftertaste. He murmured, ”The smoke and fire of the mortal realm, the ghost-flesh of the Underworld...” Finally, he asked, ”What is your wish?” His eyes remained closed.

Now, it was Li Qiye’s turn to speak. He bowed and said, ”Time flies like an arrow. Millions upon millions of years have passed since you departed, Saint Ancestor. Your descendants have been incompetent, failing to uphold the might of the Wu Family. Today, the Wu Family has declined and is on its last legs; our treasures and Cultivation Techniques are all lost. My wife and I wish to revive the Wu Family and restore its former glory. That is why we spent our entire fortune to seek guidance from a great master, just so we could enter the Ancient Sky Corpse Land and have an audience with you. We beg you, Saint Ancestor, to take pity on your descendants, to reverse the family’s decline, and to show us a clear path forward!”

”Time is ruthless, the sun and moon ever-shifting...” the old man sighed softly, his eyes still closed. He reached into his Ancient Coffin, retrieved an object, and handed it to Li Shuangyan. ”Go to the Profound Dragon Cave and see the Primordial Ancestor,” he said. ”He is known as the Martial God of the Profound Dragon Cave!” With that, he lingered no longer and lay back down in his Ancient Coffin.

GRIND—GRIND—GRIND— With a final rumbling sound, the Ancient Coffin slid back into the stone wall. The opening sealed shut, just as if nothing had ever happened.

At this, Li Shuangyan and the others let out a collective sigh of relief. They hadn’t expected everything to go so smoothly. This was a first-time experience not just for Li Shuangyan, but even for veterans of the older generation like Shi Gandang and Niu Fen.

After the Wu Family Ancestor had returned to his coffin, Li Qiye calmly and unhurriedly continued to burn the Guiding Money. Only after every last piece had turned to ash did he bow one final time and lead Li Shuangyan and the others away.

Once they were away from Panlong Mountain, Li Shuangyan handed the object from the Saint Ancestor to Li Qiye.

Everyone gathered to look. It was a pedestal of some kind. Made from an unknown material, it was incredibly heavy. Inscribed upon it were the words ”Tun Ri”! The words themselves were incomparably domineering, possessing an aura that could swallow rivers and mountains. More frightening still, it felt as if an Immortal Emperor were personally presiding over it, inspiring awe in all who beheld it.

”What is this?” Seeing the object, everyone from Li Shuangyan to Shi Gandang and Niu Fen was deeply moved.

”An Emperor’s Throne! A gift from the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor,” Li Qiye said slowly. ”This Emperor’s Throne and the Roof Tile are two parts of a whole. When the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor was young and poor, he gifted a Roof Tile to Wu’s Ancestor, the Martial God. But after he became an Immortal Emperor, he forged this Emperor’s Throne for that very same tile.” As he spoke, he placed the Roof Tile onto the throne. The moment it was set, an overpowering Emperor’s Qi burst forth, and everyone knew they were looking at an extraordinary Emperor’s Treasure!

”Only with the complete Emperor’s Treasure can one meet Wu’s Ancestor, Emperor Wu,” Li Qiye said calmly. ”He is far more powerful and formidable than his son. Over a hundred of his War Generals were buried with him in the Dragon Cave. Without this key, there’s no getting into the Profound Dragon Cave!”

Hearing this, the others exchanged glances. This was a scheme within a scheme! First, they had deceived the Wu Family Ancestor, and now they were going to deceive the Wu’s Ancestor!

”Bring out the new offerings,” Li Qiye said to Niu Fen and the others. ”We are going to pay our respects to the Primordial Ancestor!”

Li Qiye and the others prepared a new set of offerings, placing the items they had brought one by one onto the ritual table. Finally, Li Qiye placed the last basin of Celestial Sacrifice Soup in the center.