Emperor’s Domination

Li Qiye gently shook his head while looking at the Buddha in the painting: “No, it is not the Buddhist Lord of the kingdom. It wouldn’t be this easy for him to stabilize the lesser world.”

“Then it is the mythical Di Shi!” Mei Suyao was shocked. Di Shi was a being limited to legends. For millions of years, no one had heard of his sighting. Some rumors back in the ancient ages even stated that Di Shi was no longer in this world.

Others also thought that Di Shi didn’t exist and that he was only a character created by the Buddhist Funeral Plateau as a myth.

Li Qiye only smiled and didn’t say anything else. He left this palace for another one with Mei Suyao right behind him.

The next palace was very ancient. There was no scintillating light or immortal aura. It was quite strange due to the fanciful and obscured runes all over the walls.

They were of an archaic age. Even someone as well-read as Mei Suyao had never seen them before, arousing her curiosity. She opened her heavenly gaze while her forehead lit up; she intended to use her immortal bone to see through the mysticisms of the runes.

However, it wasn’t long before she felt the earth spinning and had to stagger several steps back.

“Is this the supreme origin of an era?” She was startled. Her immortal bone could communicate with gods and understand the entire world. It could even easily comprehend Heaven’s Will Secret Laws.

However, when she tried to analyze the runes on the walls, she felt as if she had fallen into a boundless world, as if the runes were connected to three thousand different worlds. It was a complexity beyond imagination.

“The three thousand worlds are also inside.” Li Qiye chuckled and didn’t look at the runes for his eyes were fixated on a stone table in the palace.

At this time, Mei Suyao finally noticed that there was nothing else in this place besides this stone table and an object that resembled a bronze truncheon on top of it.

However, this moderate-sized item was not a truncheon. It was assembled from many exquisite little pieces, giving it a rod-like appearance but also an arm. No one could tell what it was exactly.

Li Qiye reached out and this bronze item fell into his hand. Mei Suyao took a careful look at this unbelievably complex and well-crafted item.

The world had many things that were created from universal laws interlaced together. Some laws were as small as a strand of hair. However, each piece of this item ahead was around that size. The more impressive part was that it was all made out of metal.

Such an item consisted of countless parts. This was a heavenly level of craftsmanship beyond the scope of current understanding.

With a pull from Li Qiye, these little parts on the bronze object suddenly moved while the main body lit up. It was shaking as if it had its own life. At the same time, the runes on the walls resonated with brilliance as if they were waking up.

“Buzzz—” As the pieces on the object rotated faster and faster, they actually sucked in all the runes on the walls. In the blink of an eye, all the runes departed from the walls and went inside the bronze object.

After this absorption process, the object seemed to have taken on a different color and became even more complex and mystical in an unfathomable manner.

Mei Suyao was astonished as well. She thought the runes on the walls were painted on, but that didn’t seem to be the case right now. Someone had used an unbelievable method to pull the runes out of the bronze rod.

“The Devil Lord is indeed amazing.” Li Qiye looked at the rod and stated in a matter-of-fact tone: “To be able to remove the runes so perfectly, it is quite heaven-defying.”

Mei Suyao noticed some clues and asked: “Does Vedas Vajra’s item and this thing have the same origin?”

“Yes.” Li Qiye nodded slightly: “They do have the same origin. Unfortunately, the Devil Lord couldn’t have both items at the same time or else he would have realized something.”

“What is it?” She was full of curiosity. There weren’t many treasures that could attract Li Qiye’s attention. He didn’t even care for Immortal Emperor True Treasures, yet he seemed to be especially attentive towards these two things. It showed that they must have had an incredible origin, even more extraordinary than imperial true treasures.

Li Qiye smiled: “These things probably don’t have names. Very few know of their existence, let alone their names. However, after translating the runes, the language of their era, they indeed have a name.” Li Qiye looked at the bronze stick in his hand and said: “This is the Insect Pipe. As for the one you obtained from the Vajra, it also has a name — Mechanical World Vessel.” 1

“Insect Pipe, Mechanical World Vessel.” Mei Suyao quietly repeated. From just the names alone, she couldn’t understand their uses.

Nevertheless, she was very knowledgeable. She looked at Li Qiye and spoke: “Legend states that the progenitor of the Heaven’s Secret Valley with the title Mortal Monarch also has a body put together by assembling countless exquisite pieces…”

“Your Eternal River School really does know many things.” Li Qiye laughed and didn’t say anything else. He put away the Insect Pipe and left.

Li Qiye and Mei Suyao went back to the treasury. He smiled after seeing the group: “Are you all done with picking your treasures?”

“We’re done.” Chen Baojiao had just chosen something she liked.

There were too many treasures here for them. Picking a favorite out of them all truly left them a bit dizzy.

Li Qiye smiled and said: “Good. If everyone is done, then it’s time for us to leave.”

The girls had no objections and followed him out of the Dark Maxim Palace.

Under the mountain, countless cultivators were holding their breaths while gazing at the closed palace to wait for Li Qiye’s group to come out.

“Clank—clank—clank—” Eventually, the heavy gate was opened and the five of them came out in a line.

“What treasures did they get I wonder?” Many people were attentive to the group’s expressions in order to pick up clues.

However, they were disappointed because the group was very calm. There was no excitement typical of a successful treasure hunt. Perhaps for them, obtaining treasures wasn’t that exciting. Despite the crowd’s curiosity, no one dared approach them to ask what treasures they obtained from the palace.

The mass made a pathway for Li Qiye once more as they watched the group disappear into the horizon.

“I’ll give it a shot too.” After seeing the successful opening, some cultivators refused to give up and climbed to the summit again.

Of course, without the key from Heaven Relinquish, they couldn’t open it no matter how heaven-defying they might be regardless of their attempts.

Not long after their departure from the palace, everyone heard some news from an unknown source: “A dark cultivator wants to climb the Evil Slaying Platform.”

“This is a good timing.” After hearing this, Li Qiye chuckled and told the girls: “I have planned to bring everyone up to the platform already, so now that a dark cultivator is going there, nothing could be better. We can go see the mystical properties of the platform.”

The girls turned quite happy since Li Qiye had brought up the platform many times. They had a difficult time imagining the platform and the climbing process.

The Evil Slaying Platform was located in the deepest region of the Devil World. It was shrouded in an evil energy. At that place, there was no sky or sight of the sun as if it led to an unknown world.

When Li Qiye arrived, there was already a sea of people right outside the platform. Although they didn’t dare to go closer, the entire platform was still surrounded from the distance.

This simple and ancient platform was made from ink colored rocks placed together. It seemed to be one with the ground beneath it.

There was a huge lever-style guillotine at the top. It was completely black like an evil blade from hell, capable of decapitating all gods and devils.

In front of the platform was a precipice where only a vast expanse could be found in front of it. One couldn’t see the end of this void, making it seem as if successfully crossing it would lead to another world.

The guillotine emitted a faint light that exuded a quiver-inducing murderous intent. Because of this, no one dared to approach the platform.

No matter how strong one might be, they would feel this murderous aura from the blade once they got close. Although it was not particularly ferocious, it would instill a primal fear as if it was already dangling next to their neck.

1. The original word for Pipe here is difficult. It has too many meanings and I don’t know which one is right without more context – to take care (of) / to control / to manage / to be in charge of / to look after / to run / to care about / tube / pipe / woodwind / classifier for tube-shaped objects / particle similar to 把 in 管…叫 constructions / writing brush / (coll.) to / towards.