Dominator Emperor

Li Qiye felt utterly helpless. Before him was a large pool of Starry Universe Water. If he could obtain it, he would be the wealthiest man in the world, with enough to squander to his heart’s content. At that point, it would be difficult for him *not* to become invincible.

But for such a large pool of Starry Universe Water, he had nothing left to contain it. This made Li Qiye give a bitter smile. So what if a huge pool of Supreme Treasure Water was right before him? He could only look on and sigh in vain.

In the end, Li Qiye gave up on taking the Starry Universe Water. His gaze fell upon the ”Heaven and Earth Origin Gold.” This piece of Treasure Gold could truly be called the Ancient First Gold.

Li Qiye took a deep breath and reached out to snatch the Heaven and Earth Origin Gold from atop the fountain. But no matter how he tried to take it, the Heaven and Earth Origin Gold refused to budge!

”Move—!” Li Qiye roared, using all his might to grab the Heaven and Earth Origin Gold. However, it still wouldn’t budge. Even when Li Qiye used every ounce of strength he possessed, he couldn’t move the Heaven and Earth Origin Gold in the slightest.

BANG—BANG—BANG— Li Qiye was getting pissed off. He slammed his body against it, hacked at it with his sword, and struck it with treasures, but nothing could shake this piece of Heaven and Earth Origin Gold.

After all that smashing, Li Qiye started to lose heart. In the end, he simply hurled the stone tablet at it and cursed, ”To hell with it—”

BOOM— Just as Li Qiye hurled the stone tablet, it sent the Heaven and Earth Origin Gold flying. Fortunately, Li Qiye’s eyes were sharp and his hands were quick; he instantly caught the airborne Heaven and Earth Origin Gold.

”This is a real treasure, you’re not getting away,” Li Qiye said excitedly as he caught the Heaven and Earth Origin Gold.

GULP—GULP—GULP— A sound like water being drunk rang out. As Li Qiye caught the Heaven and Earth Treasure Gold, the stone tablet sank into the pool, instantly plugging the spring’s eye. Then, something even more incredible happened. The stone tablet began to frantically swallow the Starry Universe Water in the pool! Under the tablet’s frenzied consumption, the level of the Starry Universe Water dropped at an astonishing speed!

”What the hell—” Li Qiye was dumbfounded as he watched the stone tablet frantically absorb the Starry Universe Water. His Ten Thousand Gods Furnace had a shocking origin, yet it couldn’t even withstand a single mouthful of the Starry Universe Water. And yet, this battered stone tablet was guzzling it down. To the tablet, the Starry Universe Water seemed like plain boiled water, easy to drink without any difficulty at all.

”Hey, leave some for me! I still want to test whether my body can handle the Starry Universe Water!” Li Qiye shouted, snapping out of his daze.

SSSZZZ— However, right at that moment, the stone tablet slurped up the very last drop of Starry Universe Water, leaving behind nothing but a dry pool.

Staring at the scene before him, Li Qiye felt like crying but had no tears. Starry Universe Water! Forget a whole pool, if even a single cup of it got out, it would drive the entire Nine Realms into a frenzy. Even True Gods would claw their way out of their graves for it! Yet, this damn piece of rock had swallowed an entire pool!

If he had obtained that pool of Starry Universe Water, it would have been enough for him to squander to his heart’s content. At that point, it would have been difficult for him *not* to sweep across the world!

”Damn it! In all my time, I thought I was the biggest wastrel, the most extravagant person alive. I never imagined you, this piece of junk rock, would be a thousand, even ten thousand times more wasteful than me!” Li Qiye stared at the dry pool, on the verge of tears.

He jumped into the pool and kicked the stone tablet, cursing, ”Get the hell out of the way! Stop blocking the spring’s eye. Let’s see if any more Starry Universe Water comes out.”

However, his kick didn’t move the tablet. Instead, with a CRACK, the stone tablet shattered into pieces all over the ground. Once it broke apart, a Stone Egg was revealed. This Stone Egg was only slightly smaller than the tablet had been, and it was a dull, drab gray. One glance was enough to tell it was some worthless trinket.

”An egg—” Li Qiye was dumbfounded when the tablet cracked. This Stone Egg before him was a drab gray and looked utterly unremarkable.

”Don’t tell me... you’re the one that drank all the Starry Universe Water?” Li Qiye muttered in a daze. ”Today is just one hell of a day!”

Li Qiye regained his senses and stared dumbly at the Stone Egg. ”I thought opening the Divine Stone would grant me Eternal Life,” he said, flabbergasted. ”But this damn rock breaks open and gives me a Stone Egg. This is ridiculous! I’m not a mother hen!”

Although he complained, Li Qiye understood in his heart. ’This Stone Egg swallowed all of the Starry Universe Water. This drab, gray thing is definitely something extraordinary.’

Li Qiye wrapped both hands around the Stone Egg and shouted, ”Get up—”

BOOM— With a deafening roar, the Stone Egg shot off like a cannonball, dragging Li Qiye with it straight into the Void.

”Holy hell, where is it taking me!?” Blasted away, Li Qiye was stunned for a moment, tightly hugging the drab, gray Stone Egg.

「Celestial Ancient City」

The city was peaceful today. After the Netherworld Ship’s appearance had ended, most of the Great Teaching Territories had begun to withdraw, and not many Cultivators remained.

Within the Grotto Heaven estate of the Nine Saints Demon Gate in Celestial Ancient City, the atmosphere was oppressive. Neither Li Shuangyan’s group nor Chi Yun’s group was in high spirits.

Twenty days had passed since Li Qiye departed on the Netherworld Ship, but there was still no word from him. Li Shuangyan and Chen Baojiao, of course, were consumed with anxiety. They worried and prayed for Li Qiye, hoping he could create another miracle and return safely. Although they still had faith in him, their hearts were filled with a gnawing uncertainty.

This was the Netherworld Ship, after all. Throughout history, only a handful had ever returned alive from it, and those were typically the dying who had managed to choose a Lifeboat. Li Qiye, however, did not fit that description.

As for Tu Buyu and the others, they were utterly stunned when they first heard that Li Qiye had boarded the Netherworld Ship. It was likely the most insane thing they had ever heard.

”Senior Brother will definitely return triumphant!” Nan Huairun had declared, bursting with confidence in Li Qiye. But now, twenty days later, with Li Qiye still missing, it wasn’t just the other disciples; even the ever-confident Nan Huairun was starting to feel uneasy.

Among them, Niu Fen was perhaps the most at ease. Having once journeyed into the depths of the Ancient Sky Corpse Land, he muttered, ”Even the Ancient Sky Corpse Land cannot stop his return!”

As for Chi Yun and the other Elders of the Nine Saints Demon Gate, they were even more anxious and restless. Their anxiety wasn’t simply due to concern for Li Qiye’s safety.

Their Nine Saints Demon Gate had made a guarantee to the War God Hall. Although this venture onto the Netherworld Ship was a deal between Li Qiye and the War God Hall, the Nine Saints Demon Gate had put up immense capital as collateral. To secure this guarantee, even their Demon Emperor was staying at the War God Hall. If Li Qiye really failed to return, the consequences would be catastrophic!

Even many of the War God Hall’s Elders hadn’t left; they remained in Celestial Ancient City. They were waiting for news of Li Qiye. They, too, wanted to see if he could return alive from the Netherworld Ship. If he did, they would have much more confidence in their deal.

”Twenty days have passed...” Inside the estate, Chen Baojiao sat by the window, her chin resting in her hand as she gazed at the horizon. Chen Baojiao was a true cultivation fanatic. Despite being a peerless beauty, she trained with more fervor and effort than anyone else. She never wasted a moment; as soon as she had free time, she would practice relentlessly.

But for the past twenty days, Chen Baojiao had been completely distracted, with no mind for Cultivation whatsoever. She spent her days sitting listlessly, having lost her appetite, longing day after day for her Young Master’s return. But as each day passed without any sign of him, her anxiety only deepened.

”He will come back. He’s even stronger than we imagine,” Li Shuangyan said, sitting beside her. Though she was as cool and noble as a plum blossom in the snow, an irremovable shadow of worry now clouded her beautiful brows.

Even as Li Shuangyan spoke these words, she felt her own conviction waver. After all, this was the Netherworld Ship, and twenty days had already passed.

Li Qiye had made a pact with them: if he wasn’t back in half a month, they were to take the juniors and return to the Xiyan Ancient Sect. But now, twenty days had gone by, and they still couldn’t bring themselves to leave. A sliver of hope remained in their hearts—the hope that their Young Master would return.

Today, the sky above Celestial Ancient City was clear and bright. Not a cloud was in sight. It was a beautiful day.

WHOOSH— Just then, a sharp whistle tore through the cloudless sky, and a shooting star streaked over Celestial Ancient City.

”A shooting star—” Many people looked up. ”No, that’s not a shooting star! It’s a person!” one exclaimed.

The meteor streaking across the sky—no, it was a person. He was moving so fast he looked like a burning meteor, his entire body engulfed in blazing flames.

”That’s Li Qiye—!” Despite the incredible speed, a sharp-eyed Prince recognized the person within the inferno.

Hearing this, the many Cultivators present were shaken. A powerful figure cried out in disbelief, ”Impossible! I saw him drift away on the Netherworld Ship with my own two eyes!”

”It really is Li Qiye!” By now, more than one person had recognized him. The figure in the flames was, indeed, Li Qiye.

In an instant, the many powerful experts and great figures who witnessed this were utterly stunned. Li Qiye had actually come back alive!

”That brat... he’s a freak of nature!” Whether it was the older generation of Emperors and Sect Leaders or the reclusive Old Undyings, all were profoundly shaken.

”To board the Netherworld Ship and return alive... that’s beyond freaky!” Countless people exchanged glances, finding the whole affair utterly unbelievable.

BOOM— With a tremendous crash, the Grotto Heaven estate of the Nine Saints Demon Gate was smashed open, leaving a giant hole. Everyone inside the estate was jolted by the sudden impact.

”What’s happening—!?” Chi Yun and the other Elders within the Nine Saints Demon Gate were startled. Ever since the attack by the Holy Heaven Sect, they had become far more vigilant. Instantly, countless disciples and experts rushed toward the scene of the crash.