Emperor’s Domination

“Haha, treasure of the gods? If there really is a treasure of the gods, it wouldn’t be their turn to get it.”

Li Qi Ye sneered and said.

Li Shuang Yan glanced at him and asked:

“What is it then?”

Obviously, Li Qi Ye knew the Evil Infested Ridge very well.

“The god of death…”

Li Qi Ye’s eyes narrowed, then he continued:

“The god of death has been hungry for millions of years. Finally, it can no longer tolerate it.”

Whenever Li Qi Ye squinted his eyes like this, Li Shuang Yan couldn’t help but shiver. She understood that this matter was much more terrifying than her imagination.

“We’re going.”

Li Qi Ye commanded Niu Fen.

“Young Noble, where to?”

Niu Fen never questioned Li Qi Ye’s commands; he immediately obeyed.

“Back to the Cassia Lotus Tree.”

Li Qi Ye continued:

“Those bags of straw are only going to their deaths, to become delicious nutrients. There is no way they will be able to suppress that devilish thing!”

Li Qi Ye rode the snail back to the Cassia Lotus Tree. Seeing his return, the group of Gu Tie Shou couldn’t help but sigh in relief. Gu Tie Shou asked:

“What happened over there?”

Even though he didn’t allow the disciples to leave this peaceful ground, he still saw the bloody light up in the sky.

“A disaster.”

Li Qi Ye jumped down from Niu Fen and told Gu Tie Shou:

“Elder Gu, if there are still disciples outside, tell them to return immediately. All disciples, from now on, are not allowed to leave outside of this tree for more than ten zhang.”

“I have recalled all of them. I will tell them and not allow them to leave.”

Seeing his solemn demeanor, Gu Tie Shou hurriedly responded.

When the bloody light lit up the eastern sky, Gu Tie Shou didn’t know whether it was an auspicious or ominous sign, so he immediately recalled all of the disciples in order to avoid any unexpected events. In reality, after the light appeared, Gu Tie Shou was always waiting for Li Qi Ye to come back. Without Li Qi Ye, he — as the first elder — was anxious and even a bit afraid. Right now, Li Qi Ye had unknowingly become the foundation of the CLeansing Incense Ancient Sect. They had complete confidence in Li Qi Ye’s strategies. On the contrary, without his presence, they became uncertain.

While Gu Tie Shou was conveying his command to the others, Li Qi Ye approached the Cassia Lotus Tree. Before it, he sat down on the ground and clasped his hands together to form a cross. Then, he silently prayed to communicate his intention:

“That year, I joined forces with you and slayed the evil existence. You already know that this existence didn’t die. I had planted a seed here in preparation for the future, in order to stop the evil existence from being reborn…”[1]

“Now, as you are already aware, my preparation that I had left behind that year was destroyed. And now, the evil existence has a chance to be revived. For the Evil Infested Ridge, I will personally go once again. If you won’t go, I will not force this matter. However, I will need the lotus bones and holy water to create a formation to exterminate the reviving evil existence…”

Li Qi Ye sat on the ground and silently prayed to the Cassia Lotus Tree.

This was not the first time the group of Li Shuang Yan saw Li Qi Ye with such an appearance. At this moment, they knew that the tree in front of them had its own awareness. As for why Li Qi Ye referred to it as the Cassia Lotus Tree, they did not know.[2]

Under the intercession of Li Qi Ye, from above, a new branch was silently and slowly born. Then, many new extraordinary branches suddenly began to extrude from the tree.

The branches coming out of the tree’s body was about as big as an arm, but they was white as snow. At a first glance, they appeared to be white bones that were as glossy as white jades. Each of these white bony branches not only caused others to be fearful, but also another inexplicable feelings, as if there were the sounds of the grand dao emancipating from within.

The sudden appearance of the white jade branches on the tree’s body caused Li Shuang Yan and Tu Bu Yu to be dumbfounded. This giant Cassia Lotus Tree really had its own conscience.

When their mouths were still wide open, these branches begin to give birth to many blossoming buds. Then, they were suddenly in full bloom. At this moment, everyone clearly saw that these buds were lotus flowers with six petals; each lotus flower was as big as a hat.

When all of these lotuses were in full bloom, all of the people present felt as if their souls were leaving their bodies — they were completely at ease. In this moment in time, they felt that the lotuses in full bloom were resonating with their grand dao. The one who felt it the most was Li Shuang Yan, who had a natural born Pure Crystal Physique and cultivated the Void Imperfection Physique.

At this moment, Li Shuang Yan’s entire body was like a holy lotus, blooming. In a flash, her immortal brilliances thrusted up to the sky and the music of the grand dao began to play. They were very gentle, but these gentle and faint sounds, in the ears of others, carried the sensation of the godly bells, causing their hearts to beat faster.

Right now, Li Shuang Yan seemed to be a banished fairy from the heavens, descending on this mortal world — supreme and peerless. She was impervious to all universal laws and untainted by all existences; she was pure without any trace of defects, like a True Immortal in the legends.

Seeing Li Shuang Yan’s appearance, everyone became touched. Even Li Shuang Yan was emotional because she could feel that her Void Imperfection Physique greatly benefited from these lotuses in full bloom. It was as if they were tailored just for her physique.

“What are these things? Why are they such a match for my physique?”

Li Shuang Yan was surprised. If the world had lotuses like these, she would definitely accumulate them around her in order to grow her Void Imperfection Physique.

“Six Dao Lotus — stainless without defects, heavenly supreme, and sacredly unparalleled. Naturally, it would be perfect with your Void Imperfection Physique.”

Li Qi Ye said.

“Six Dao Lotus…”

Li Shuang Yan couldn’t help but to mumble and remember this name well. Of course, this was also her first time seeing this type of lotus.

Then, Li Qi Ye picked a lotus flower. When the lotus flower was plucked, the white jade branch on the tree’s body fell off, so Li Qi Ye used the lotus flower to hold the falling branch.

Using the lotus flower to hold the branch, he handed it to Tu Bu Yu and said:

“Use your true flame to refine it and turn it into ashes. Remember well, use the lotus flower to carry the branch. Otherwise, the lotus bone will fall into the ground and disappear.”

Tu Bu Yu remembered the words of Li Qi Ye and used both of his hands to create a pure green flame. This flame turned into a cauldron, and he threw the lotus — along with the lotus bone — inside, and he refined them into ashes.

Tu Bu Yu plucked many lotus flowers to carry the branches, and he refined all of them.

“To be able to use the true flame of the Cauldron of Life to create a pure green fire cauldron, you didn’t let the God of War Formula down.”

Li Qi Ye nodded his head and praised.

Tu Bu Yu wasn’t arrogant. He cultivated the God of War Formula, so he naturally knew the amazing mysteries of the God of War Formula. If he couldn’t do this, then he would have brought shame to the formula.

At this time, Li Qi Ye took out a jade bottle and shouted:

“Holy water is coming…”

The moment Li Qi Ye’s words came out, there was an immediate spring of flying water from the sky. This stream of water came from the highest point of the giant tree and it came straight down into the jade bottle in Li Qi Ye’s hand. The space inside the bottle was not small, but after a short period of time, the jade bottle was completely full.

After the stream disappeared, Li Qi Ye put away his jade bottle. At this time, Tu Bu Yu was also finished with turning the lotus flowers and lotus bones into ashes, and stored it in a treasure box.

At this point, Nan Huai Ren also copied the appearance of Li Qi Ye from earlier. He sat in front of the tree, with his hands clasped together into a cross, and quietly and continuously muttered.

Li Qi Ye slapped the back of his head and said:

“What are you doing?”

Nan Huai Ren dryly chuckled, then he smilingly said:

“I am learning from Big Brother. I’m praying to the godly tree and asking it to bestow a treasure for me. Heh, I see that this godly tree has its own awareness, and it will definitely be able to hear my prayers.”

Li Qi Ye slapped the back of his head yet again, then he glared at him and said:

“Even if this tree has its own awareness, you still wouldn’t be able to communicate with it.”

Even Protector Mo glared at his own disciple and angrily scolded:

“If you can earnestly pray and communicate with it, then you are no longer Nan Huai Ren.”

After being scolded by his master, Nan Huai Ren was still laughing with his shameless thick skin.

“This tree has its own awareness.”

At this point, Li Shuang Yan was standing next to Li Qi Ye while staring at this giant Cassia Lotus Tree. She couldn’t help but gently ask Li Qi Ye:

“Did this tree really turn into a god?”

Li Qi Ye glanced at her, then back at the tree, and he finally said:

“If there are gods in this world, then it would indeed be considered one. However…”

Here, Li Qi Ye paused and didn’t say anything else.

Hearing this, everyone here, including Li Shuang Yan, Tu Bu Yu, and Niu Fen… All of them were in awe. Immediately, all of them — including Nan Huai Ren — stood in a dignified and respectful manner.

They looked at the Cassia Lotus Tree in front of their eyes and couldn’t help but feel a sensation of fear and respect! The gods — they were legends from the ancient eras. The point in time when there was no one shouldering the Heaven’s Will, no one claiming to be Immortal Emperors, there was the legend of the gods.

There used to be a saying like this: before the Immortal Emperors, the Gods ruled over all generations! Whether this saying was true or not, on one knew for certain. However, the gods were existences that were revered by all.

Li Qi Ye said that if the world had gods, then it would be considered as one. In other words, the Cassia Lotus Tree in front of them was capable of standing next to the gods. Even if there were no gods in this world, it was still frightening enough to leave people aghast.

Before, Gu Tie Shou and many disciples only considered the Cassia Lotus Tree an extremely giant tree. At best, it was only a demonic tree that formed its own awareness. But now, Li Qi Ye’s words left them in awe.

At this moment, not to mention the disciples, but even the protectors and sectional leaders were shivering in fear. Nan Huai Ren was scared to the point where his legs became weak. He quickly kneeled to the ground.

“My grandpa God, my ancestor God, no, grand character Tree God up high above, this brat is young and ignorant and didn’t know that you were an existence higher than even the heavens. Two days ago, this lowly servant was a little naughty and peeled some bark from your body. Oh grand character Tree God up high above, please show your benevolence to this lowly servant; this brat is truly sincere and is admitting my mistake.”[3]

At this time, Nan Huai Ren was truly sincere. He pressed against the ground and slammed his head down out of reverence for the great tree.

[1] Li Qi Ye is addressing the tree in a respectful manner, as one would with their equals

[2] “Own awareness” raw is Tong Shen. There are two meanings to this, either that this tree had became a god, or it had its own spirit capable of communication. I chose the second meaning to play it safe – but there is a chance that the author is intending to describe this tree as a deity

[3] Like Li Qi Ye from before, the “you” in this section is a more respectful version