Emperor’s Domination

Looking at the girl lowering her finely-sculpted forehead, Li Qiye gently shook his head: “There are no good or bad bloodlines in the sense that no one is born destined to be noble or wretched.”

“Really?” She secretly stole glances at him before nervously retracting them right after.

Li Qiye insisted in a serious manner: “I don’t need to lie to you. My words are true and come from the heart.”

“I, I didn’t mean to question your words…” Lin Miao thought that he was offended and almost started crying.

Li Qiye wryly smiled at this tense girl and said: “Sit down, we’ll have a talk about bloodlines.”

She hesitated for a moment before finally sitting down next to him. Her fair complexion was heating up, but she felt a bit happy inside.

Li Qiye looked at her and earnestly spoke: “There are no noble or lowly bloodlines, at least, not in my eyes. For the rest of the world, many people believe they have noble bloodlines, but how many of them were ultimately stomped by those with lowly bloodlines?”

“Is that so?” Sitting next to him left her with an indescribable sense of satisfaction. His soft and charismatic voice was sweet music to her ears.

“Yes.” Li Qiye continued: “For ages, how many Immortal Emperors have been viewed by others as ones who possessed weak bloodlines? Not all of them had a noble upbringing. To reiterate, even imperial children might lose to the common man.”

“As long as you have a noble dao heart, you will be the one with the noble bloodline.” He elaborated: “Many peerless existences were proud not because of their bloodline, but because of their dao heart. Be righteous, confident, and determined — these traits are more precious than anything else.”

“I, I heard that Young Noble, you have an imperial bloodline. In my eyes, you are nobler than anyone else.” Her eyes darted at him again. After saying this, she felt quite hot and bothered after blurting out her words.

Li Qiye chuckled in amusement and gently shook his head: “It doesn’t matter whether I have an imperial bloodline or not. All I need is my firm dao heart. With it, the entire world will be within my grasp. When I fail, I can still lift my head once more and break through all setbacks and become stronger than before. And even in success, I will not forget who I am. An indestructible dao heart will grant you eternality.”

He earnestly told her: “Maintain a strong dao heart to be in control of everything.”

“Well, of course, Young Noble, you are the true dragon of the nine heavens, victory will always be on your side.” She couldn’t help but praise him. In her eyes, Li Qiye was perfect. Embarrassment got the best of her again after a momentary lapse of emotions. She lowered her head once more.

Li Qiye explained: “You can also become a phoenix that soars in the distant horizon as long as you are determined enough.”

“Even, even someone like me?” Lin Miao’s mind trembled as if she had been struck by thunder. Being a phoenix was something she never dreamed about.

His words swept through her mind like lightning, as if he was showing her the most beautiful light in this world.

“Why not?” Li Qiye chuckled: “No one is born blessed or doomed. If your intentions are righteous, then you are noble! Countless people have risen against the heavens to change their fate. In the long river of time, some with humble beginnings left behind indelible marks.”

He gave an example: “For instance, Empress Hong Tian. She was only an ordinary girl born in an era full of geniuses, she couldn’t be any more ordinary.”

He paused for a bit before continuing: “But this ordinary girl surpassed countless difficulties. She laughed and cried but she never faltered. In the end, she trampled numerous geniuses and slew plenty of imperial princes. Her firm dao heart paved a way towards invincibility.”

Lin Miao listened while looking at Li Qiye. She was fascinated by his ordinary features. This common appearance was incredibly attractive as if it was a spell. She could look at him forever without tiring. The same was true for his pleasant words; they were full of wisdom and charisma.

“The empress’ motto was: how can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan? She kept this in mind all her life, so she was named Hong Tian.” Li Qiye told Lin Miao: “You can also do this instead of thinking you are inferior to others just because of your bloodline.” 1

Lin Miao was enchanted by this revelation. She eventually murmured: “How can the sparrow and swallow know the will of the great swan?”

This single phrase illuminated her life and would bring about a new change. She saw unprecedentedly bright colors.

This was an issue she didn’t ruminate in the past. In her eyes, the lake was large, but it couldn’t compare to sea god and Immortal Emperor lineages.

She was only a common disciple from the lake. There were other senior brothers and sisters that were much more excellent in comparison. For example, her close friend, Hong Yujiao, was better than her in virtually every aspect.

Thus, her life at best would only be a bit eventful. It was impossible for her to join the ranks of Shangguan Feiyan or the legendary Seven Martial Goddess. This, on the other hand, gave her peace. Her pursuits weren’t overly ambitious and she was satisfied with just following her own pace and doing what she wanted to do.

But now, Li Qiye’s words revealed a potential radiance never-before-seen in her life. It was a guiding beacon that she could follow.

“Dreams exist where the mind is.” He smiled: “Back then, your lake’s four clans didn’t have the same resources as you do today. But in the end, they became an invincible legion. With great comradery, they swept through the battlefields with their children for the sake of their clans and left behind an indelible prestige.”

He stared at her deeply and declared: “Your ancestors became something even stronger than an imperial legion not because of their unparalleled bloodline or incredible background, but because they had dao hearts that would never accept the word ‘defeat’.”

Lin Miao emotionally palpitated. A feminine girl like her still felt her blood boiling when recalling the glory of past. She became momentarily dazed and suddenly, a dream took shape in her heart. She murmured: “Dreams exist where the mind is…”

“That’s right. If you are willing, anything is possible.” Li Qiye encouraged: “The future of the younger generation is the future of the lake. No one else can control the fate of the lake other than all of you.”

She secretly stole glances at Li Qiye several more times after calming down before quietly responding: “I, I don’t dream about becoming invincible like the ancestors. I just want to live a comfortable and happy life.” She was worried about what he would think of her answer and nervously lowered her head again.

“As long as you keep on walking with great persistence and a goal, then all is fine. Whether you will become invincible or not, leave that up to your fortune.” He continued: “But you must try to protect the lake. If you young ones don’t protect your own home, who will?”

“Yes.” She busily nodded, true to her thoughts. Right now, she felt that everything Li Qiye said was incredibly reasonable and wise.

“Stick to it. Work hard and protect what you hold dear so that your lake can have a better future.” He showed a rare gentleness: “I will leave the lake to your generation, can do you it?”

In the end, Li Qiye still wanted the best for the lake. Hong Tianzhu’s group was too old, so it was up to Lin Miao and her peers to take care of the lake in the future.

The shy girl felt warmth and happiness. Li Qiye just said he wanted to entrust the lake to her. Just how much trust and hope was this?

She eventually met his gaze and mustered courage out of nowhere to decisively answer: “I, I’ll listen to you.”

1. I learned something here. I used to think Hong Tian meant Grand Heaven, but after this explanation, Hong Tian is most likely describing a swan flying freely in the sky. Hong can mean swan/great/grand. I suppose her title would be Heavenswan or Skyswan instead of Grandheaven, if we were to translate this title to English.