Emperor’s Domination

Only the entrance of Phoenix Ground was barren. The internal region had no lack of spirit energy and life.

Fish and birds enjoyed the verdant mountain ranges, spirit springs, and waterfalls. The buildings present didn’t destroy the pristine appearance. Mortals would believe that this was the blessed home of immortals.

This was the home to many species of birds. The ones considered rare somewhere else were common here.

One could see the various branches right beneath the phoenix bloodlines. This was an avian paradise.

Most attributed this to Feng Qi’s blood. Her spirit energy bathed the land and made it prosper. More bird species came because they found it harmonious and were blessed as a result. Thus, numerous top bird demons appeared during subsequent eras.

The most illustrious was the Jian Clan – a stout pillar of Phoenix Ground. Their bloodline was considered prestigious, nearing the level of the legendary phoenix. One must bring up Divine Luan Dao lord when talking about this topic. She was closely related to the Jian and rumor has it that she had the real phoenix bloodline.

Of course, there were other great powers and races in Phoenix Ground. Nonetheless, demons were the clear majority, especially bird demons.

Elder Hu and the young ones were preoccupied with the sceneries around them – water springs surging into the air, rare birds playing in the sky, the magnificent peaks…

Even Elder Hu had never seen such a paradise before. The young ones were even more impressed. Only Li Qiye remained indifferent.

The presence of Li Qiye and his allies was noted by the disciples of Phoenix Ground.

“Who is that? The demon monarch personally greeted him.” A disciple found this puzzling because the group reassembled country bumpkins.

Only big shots had the privilege of being welcomed by their demon monarch, not these weak cultivators.

“I think they’re from a sect named Little Diamond or whatever.” A knowledgeable peer said.

“Never heard of them.” The first disciple responded. This wasn’t surprising since Southern Desolace probably had a hundred thousand sects similar to Little Diamond.

“Why is the monarch going so far for this tiny sect?” Someone else questioned.

People asked around and eventually, someone had an answer: “I heard that they’re the lady’s friends. She’s not here so the monarch is welcoming them instead.”

An older disciple murmured: “The lady is too kind, she’s willing to befriend everyone.”

“Wait, it’s not that simple. I just got back from Dragon Citadel and heard something else.” A talented senior brother joined in.

“What did you hear, Senior Brother Sky Eagle?” A crowd formed around him.

The older disciple stared at Li Qiye’s group and said: “I believe the sect master has stated his intent to kill them, an official decree.”

“This tiny sect, why?” All eyes were on the group.

“Isn’t killing them as easy as pie? Why did the sect master need to give a decree?” Another said with disdain.

“How strange, I’m wondering why the monarch is welcoming them to our place. It can’t be right.” Another older disciple said.

They were a part of Dragon. If their sect master wanted to kill someone, they should certainly assist him to show solidarity.

“I’m sure there’s a reason.” Another interjected.

“It won’t be long until everyone knows about it.” Sky Eagle said.

The youths from Little Diamond eventually noticed that they were under the spotlight and became nervous.

The disciples from Phoenix Ground were once unreachable existences. Now, they were all over the place like cabbages. This was a strange shift for the youths.

“Don’t go anywhere without permission, watch your words as well.” Elder Hu ordered. He never expected to be in this situation before. He could see that some of the crowd were not friendly. Causing trouble in the enemy territory could result in a swift death.

The monarch enthusiastically carried out his task and wasn’t just all talk. He led the group around all of Phoenix Ground and introduced the various notable places.

Li Qiye had a smile while listening to the introductions of the towering peaks and winding rivers. However, he stopped after coming across a particular cliff.

Ahead was a bottomless abyss engulfed in clouds and fogs. Standing on this cliff was akin to standing amidst the clouds.

One could barely see floating islands, platforms, and peaks. They were incomplete, clearly damaged by something in the past.

This place could have been a continent once. Alas, something shattered it and left it in this unstable state.

Li Qiye took a deep breath and released his divine intent for a scouting mission.

“What is this place?” The young ones focused on the bottomless abyss.

“Ravaged Land.” The monarch introduced: “This is the largest region of the entire city, taking up more than half. The three branches are built around it.”

“Did a shocking war happen here?” Wang Weiqiao asked while staring at the fog.

“Yes, this should be the place where the battle between Feng Qi and Jiu Bian took place. According to the legend, this place was beautiful and magnificent once. Now, this is all that’s left.”

“Can people descend? How deep is it?” Elder Hu inquired.