Dominator Emperor

Standing before the Ancient Stele and seeing the name ”Overlord Immortal Lion King,” Chi Xiaodie couldn’t help but feel a surge of excitement and pride. This was an ancestor on her grandfather’s side! Her maternal ancestor had once studied at the Celestial Dao Academy and later swept through the Eight Desolations. Even though he was born in the same era as the Tun Ri Immortal Emperor, the Overlord Immortal Lion King’s brilliance still stunned his generation!

This inscription was the Overlord Immortal Lion King’s own handiwork, a relic left by her maternal ancestor. Gazing at the imposing and grand calligraphy, Chi Xiaodie’s heart pounded in her chest. She clenched her fists tightly. Her ancestors were Hundred Battles Divine Emperors, bestowed with the highest honors and acknowledged by True Gods. Her maternal ancestor, the Overlord Immortal Lion King, had been the marvel of an era. As a descendant, perhaps she too could one day bring glory to her ancestors and restore their divine might!

Li Qiye gazed at the Ancient Stele before him without a word. One familiar name after another, one influential figure after another, one member of the Invincible Generation after another, one genius who had looked down upon the ages after another... But alas, whether invincible or an Immortal Emperor, all were eventually submerged in the long river of time.

On this Ancient Stele, every name represented a peak, the brilliance of an era. Some he knew, some he had heard of, and some had even served under his war chariot... But alas, they had all vanished in the end. The path of the Great Dao was a solitary one, so cruel, so merciless.

”Let’s go,” Li Qiye said with a soft sigh to Chi Xiaodie, who stood dazed before the Ancient Stele.

Chi Xiaodie struggled to calm her turbulent emotions and quietly followed behind Li Qiye. As they stepped into the Celestial Dao Academy, a young man was already coming down the steps to welcome them.

”You must be Brother Li,” the young man said, clasping his fist in a salute and smiling as soon as he saw Li Qiye and Chi Xiaodie.

The young man had a sturdy and well-built frame. No matter where he stood, he seemed like an unmovable mountain. He didn’t exude an overbearing aura, but his eyes were like black jewels, bright and full of spirit, his gaze firm and resolute.

”I am Yue Yi. Brother Li and Miss Chi must be weary after your long journey. Please forgive my poor reception,” the young man said. His conduct was appropriate, and he carried himself with exceptional poise.

Li Qiye was unconcerned, but when Chi Xiaodie heard the name ”Yue Yi,” her heart skipped a beat. She never expected to be personally greeted by the Celestial Dao Academy’s number one disciple.

Yue Yi was an absolutely renowned figure in the East Hundred Cities. However, he had few famous battles to his name, unlike Yao Guang Ancient Country’s Yao Guang Giant Ancestor Emperor Wu, whose astounding talent was clear from the moment he was born, allowing his Dao Practice to soar.

Nor was he like Ba Xia, the Eldest Prince of the Nu Xian Sacred Country, who was overbearing and aggressive, making a name for himself by challenging numerous established figures.

Yue Yi had joined the Celestial Dao Academy and become its leading disciple. He cultivated in a low-key manner, tempering himself through hardship. He rarely challenged outsiders, yet he sat firmly on the throne of the academy’s number one disciple. When faced with challenges from others, he was never afraid. No matter which genius he fought, he stood as firm as ever, like an unshakable Giant Peak.

Even when the Eldest Prince of the Nu Xian Sacred Country, Ba Xia, challenged him while wielding his formidable Innate Tyrant Body, Yue Yi calmly accepted. The outcome of that battle was unknown to the public. Afterward, Ba Xia returned to his country and went into seclusion. Although the Nu Xian Sacred Country announced that the fight between Ba Xia and Yue Yi was a draw, some speculated that Ba Xia had not gained any advantage. They believed that Yue Yi, being easygoing, was not aggressive and stopped once the point was made.

In the East Hundred Cities, some busybodies had once ranked the younger generation. Some ranked Fairy Mei Suyao as number one, with Yue Yi and the Yao Guang Giant Ancestor Emperor Wu tied for second.

Such a ranking was not without reason, but of course, many refuted it. A good number of people believed that Yue Yi was not yet strong enough to be ranked alongside Ancestor Emperor Wu.

Regardless, Yue Yi was definitely one of the strongest geniuses of the younger generation in the East Hundred Cities. It was just that he had always remained at the Celestial Dao Academy, cultivating diligently in a low-key manner, so his fame was not as resounding as that of the Yao Guang Giant Ancestor Emperor Wu or Ba Xia.

”Thank you for your trouble. The two of us are here to report to the Great World Academy,” Li Qiye said with a leisurely smile, as if he were just sightseeing.

As for Chi Xiaodie, she stood silently beside Li Qiye, leaving him to make all the decisions.

”Then I will lead Brother Li and Miss Chi there,” Yue Yi said without fuss. He summoned a sailboat, stepped onto it, and said, ”It’s still some distance to the Great World Academy. I’ll give you two a ride.”

Li Qiye and Chi Xiaodie boarded the sailboat. Yue Yi steered it into the sky. The small vessel was astonishingly fast, covering ten thousand miles in an instant.

”Wang Yuan’s ride. It really is something,” Li Qiye remarked with a touch of emotion upon seeing the old artifact. ”This boat once entered the Drowning Sea and managed to return completely unscathed.”

Chi Xiaodie was moved. She never imagined this small sailboat was actually the treasure of a Sub-Saint. Given Sub-Saint Wang Yuan’s status in the history of the Celestial Dao Academy, this was enough to show how much importance the academy placed on Yue Yi.

”Brother Li is truly knowledgeable. I am humbled by my own ignorance,” Yue Yi said, moved as well. He had been using this sailboat for a long time, but very few could recognize its origin at a glance. For Li Qiye to know its history just by looking at it was astonishing. It also made Yue Yi vaguely understand why the higher-ups at the Celestial Dao Academy had suddenly recruited such a student of unknown origin.

The sailboat soared through the air, flying into the Celestial Dao Academy. Only after entering its domain could one truly know how vast the world was. Here, great rivers flowed for a hundred thousand miles. Here, mountain ranges like Giant Dragons spanned a million miles. Within this land, there were colossal cities that could house millions of people and Divine Bridges that connected the heavens, linking one sky-piercing Divine Mountain to another...

This was also Chi Xiaodie’s first time at the Celestial Dao Academy. Upon entering this world, she couldn’t help but be moved. If one heard the name and thought the Celestial Dao Academy was just a school, they would be gravely mistaken.

The Celestial Dao Academy was less of a school and more of a massive Jiang Country, a true behemoth. The territory under its command was extremely vast. In the East Hundred Cities, perhaps only the Long River Sect could compare to a colossal entity like the Celestial Dao Academy.

Eventually, Yue Yi brought Li Qiye and Chi Xiaodie down into the Great World Academy. This place was less of a ”courtyard” and more like a Great Sect. The entire Great World Academy was a region formed by more than ten large valleys and several dozen mountain peaks connected together, covering a thousand square miles. Even a minor sect couldn’t possess such an imposing Ancestral Land or Divine Land.

The moment they landed in the Great World Academy, they could feel the dense Heaven and Earth Essence Qi. Forget minor sects; even the ancestral lands of average sects and lineages probably didn’t have such rich Heaven and Earth Essence Qi.

One could only imagine how terrifying the Heaven and Earth Vein of the Celestial Dao Academy was. There were even rumors that the Celestial Dao Academy occupied the best Earth Vein in the entire East Hundred Cities, possibly even the best in the entire Human Emperor Realm.

It was precisely because of this that, for millions of years, countless titans had coveted this Holy Land. Unfortunately, no one had ever been able to shake the Celestial Dao Academy.

Li Qiye and Chi Xiaodie landed on a mountain peak. Yue Yi, having received instructions from above, had specially arranged for them to occupy a peak by themselves. This could be considered very high-level treatment in the Great World Academy.

”The Great World Academy currently has over ten thousand disciples. If Brother Li and Miss Chi would like to meet some fellow cultivators, I can make some introductions,” Yue Yi said after getting them settled.

Chi Xiaodie followed Li Qiye’s lead in all matters and offered no opinion. Li Qiye shook his head and said with a smile, ”No need. I’m going to rest for now.”

”Very well. The Great World Academy has lectures in every Dao Valley every day, roughly one every two hours, all taught by the academy’s elders. You two may choose any lecture you like at any time,” Yue Yi explained some of the Great World Academy’s arrangements to Li Qiye.

”If Brother Li or Miss Chi need anything, you can come find me at any time,” Yue Yi added very politely before leaving.

In truth, Yue Yi was also quite curious. He didn’t understand why the higher-ups had specifically appointed him to welcome these two students. Moreover, they hadn’t undergone any assessment or paid any tuition fees, which he found very strange.

Although there were countless geniuses in the current era, the Celestial Dao Academy would not make exceptions for any of them. For example, for geniuses like Ba Xia or the Yao Guang Giant to enter the Saint World Academy, they had to either pay a sky-high tuition fee or pass the academy’s assessment. If they passed, they could get in. And even after paying the sky-high tuition, they still had to pass a basic assessment. If they couldn’t even pass that, they wouldn’t get in no matter how rich they were. The most basic requirement for entering the Saint World Academy was to be a genius!

As for peerlessly brilliant geniuses, if they could pass all the assessments, they could have the sky-high tuition waived. Of course, such world-shaking geniuses were happy to pass all the trials. For them, clearing all the assessments in one go was a kind of glory!

Although the standards for the Great World Academy were the lowest, they were still strictly enforced. Disciples entering the Great World Academy either had to pay a hefty tuition fee or pass the academy’s standard assessment. Passing the standard assessment could get them a reduction in fees!

However, what Yue Yi found strange was that Li Qiye and Chi Xiaodie had neither passed an assessment nor paid any fees! Chi Xiaodie was one thing; a princess from the Lion Roar Country. People of her status were a dime a dozen at the Celestial Dao Academy. The problem was the mysterious Li Qiye.

But this was what Yue Yi didn’t understand. If Li Qiye’s background was truly heaven-defying, it would be impossible for him to enter the Great World Academy; it would be the Saint World Academy at the very least! Moreover, even if Li Qiye was an incredible genius, the Celestial Dao Academy would not bend the rules for him. Geniuses like the Yao Guang Giant Ancestor Emperor Wu and the Divine Being Ji Kong Wudi were powerful enough, invincible enough, right? But if they wanted to enter a better academy, they still had to go through the assessments!