Dominator Emperor

Chapter 119: Chapter 119: Celestial Emperor Qingxuan (Part 1)

As the azure aura passed over Li Qiye’s group, it came to an abrupt halt. Standing high upon it, Celestial Emperor Qingxuan fixed his gaze on them. His body was wreathed in the azure aura, obscuring his features, but his eyes were exceptionally brilliant, like morning stars in the night sky.

Celestial Emperor Qingxuan’s gaze fell upon Li Shuangyan, and a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Junior Sister, this is Prince Qingxuan. Come up and pay your respects." At that moment, Leng Chengfeng, who stood beside Celestial Emperor Qingxuan, spotted Li Qiye and Li Shuangyan. A look of clear disgust flashed across his face when he saw Li Qiye, but he then spoke to Li Shuangyan.

Celestial Emperor Qingxuan was also looking at Li Shuangyan. His voice, exceedingly melodious, rang out as he nodded and said, "Li Fairy, I have long heard of your great name. I never expected to meet you here."

As for Li Shuangyan, she simply gave a slight nod. "You are also renowned, Emperor," she said. Even when facing Celestial Emperor Qingxuan, she remained as cold as frost and as proud as a winter plum.

Celestial Emperor Qingxuan was hailed as the number one expert of the younger generation in the Great Middle Realm. Hailing from the Qingxuan Ancient Country, his backing was terrifyingly powerful. However, as a Heavenly Pride Girl in her own right, she had no reason to feel inferior. She regarded even a genius like Celestial Emperor Qingxuan as an equal.

Seeing that Li Shuangyan had no intention of coming forward to pay her respects, Leng Chengfeng grew displeased. "Junior Sister," he said, "why not come up and meet the Emperor? In the future, our Nine Saints Demon Gate will be advancing hand-in-hand with the Qingxuan Ancient Country."

Li Qiye raised his head, glancing first at Leng Chengfeng and then at Celestial Emperor Qingxuan. He said calmly, "Shuangyan is now a member of my Xiyan Ancient Sect. It is not your place to order her around. As for paying respects? The people by my side need not pay respects to anyone but me! A mere successor of an Ancient Country is not worthy of receiving obeisance from one of my companions!"

"What an arrogant fool who doesn’t know his own limits!" Hearing Li Qiye’s words, the surrounding cultivators couldn’t help but gasp, and one of them cursed aloud.

Everyone thought Li Qiye was far too arrogant—so arrogant he was simply ignorant. To dare speak so wildly in front of Celestial Emperor Qingxuan!

At this, Celestial Emperor Qingxuan’s eyes narrowed. His gaze was like a pair of divine swords, seeming to slash toward Li Qiye.

"Hmph!" Just then, an old man beside Celestial Emperor Qingxuan snorted. An enormous hand shot out to grab Li Qiye as the old man barked, "Ignorant little whelp, get up here and kneel!"

"Kneel before your own damn mother—" Before Li Qiye could even speak, a furious roar erupted. A massive hand shot out from under the snail’s shell, seizing the hand that was grabbing for Li Qiye. With a sickening RIP, it tore the appendage apart on the spot, spraying blood everywhere!

The old man let out an agonized scream, his face deathly pale as he stumbled back several steps.

Niu Fen then tossed the severed hand into his mouth, chewing it loudly. "Too old," he declared. "The meat’s all tough and sour!"

This sudden turn of events left everyone present completely dumbfounded. Many exchanged speechless glances. ’This... this is just too brutal.’

The abrupt development caused Celestial Emperor Qingxuan’s expression to darken. The faces of the old men beside him also changed. In an instant, their gazes sharpened like Celestial Swords as they unleashed a terrifying aura. The energy exploding from them was like a raging storm, causing the many cultivators present to tremble and a chill to run down their spines.

"A Celestial Beetle Ancestor..." Just as a battle was about to erupt, one of the old men in a felt hat next to Celestial Emperor Qingxuan whispered the name. His voice was so low that very few people heard it.

The old man then gently shook his head at Celestial Emperor Qingxuan. His own expression sank; he had never imagined he would encounter the incredibly rare Celestial Beetle Ancestor here! At that moment, he recalled an ancient legend concerning the Xiyan Ancient Sect—a legend that was terrifying beyond compare.

"It seems my subordinate acted presumptuously." Celestial Emperor Qingxuan looked at Li Qiye, then nodded to Li Shuangyan. "Li Fairy, we shall take our leave. We will meet again." With that, he led his entourage away, crossing the sky on the azure aura.

Celestial Emperor Qingxuan’s sudden departure surprised many onlookers. One cultivator praised, "As expected of someone from an Ancient Country. Celestial Emperor Qingxuan is wise and magnanimous, refusing to stoop to the level of an ignorant junior. It’s no wonder so many are willing to flock to a titan of his caliber."

Other cultivators eyed the giant snail warily. Some had personally witnessed it devour a man back at the cliffs, and the memory made their skin crawl. "What kind of demon is the Xiyan Ancient Sect raising?" one muttered in a low voice. "It’s so vicious. It must be an ill omen."

Now, many cultivators who saw the giant snail gave it a wide berth, a sense of dread creeping into their hearts. A snail that ate people at the slightest provocation was a horrifying sight for anyone.

"A man-eating snail... that’s a first," a cultivator muttered.

After Celestial Emperor Qingxuan and his group had gone, Li Qiye smiled. "The Qingxuan Ancient Country has some knowledgeable people after all, to be able to recognize your origin." He patted Niu Fen’s giant shell as he spoke.

"Young Master, that old man in the felt hat was no simple character," Niu Fen said to Li Qiye. "From what I could tell, he, like me, has suppressed his Dao Practice."

Normally, only cultivators below the realm of Ancient Saint could enter Demon’s Back Ridge. However, by using an Exotic Treasure to suppress one’s Dao Practice to a lower level, it was possible to get in. The catch was that once inside, one could only exert power below the level of an Ancient Saint.

"I don’t care about his Dao Practice," Li Qiye said nonchalantly. "As long as he doesn’t get in my way, it’s none of my concern. But if he doesn’t know what’s good for him and dares to interfere in my business, I’ll kill him without hesitation."

Niu Fen carried Li Qiye and Li Shuangyan onward. Along the way, Li Qiye asked Li Shuangyan, "Has your Nine Saints Demon Gate allied with the Qingxuan Ancient Country?"

Li Shuangyan gently shook her head. "Our Nine Saints Demon Gate only has standard diplomatic ties with the Qingxuan Ancient Country. However, I heard from my master that First Brother’s faction has been growing very close with them recently."

"That’s for the best," Li Qiye said. "If the Qingxuan Ancient Country becomes my enemy one day, I wouldn’t want people to say I showed your master no consideration when I eventually annihilate them."

Li Qiye’s words left Li Shuangyan speechless. She couldn’t help but say, "But that’s an Ancient Country! And the Qingxuan Ancient Country is currently flourishing!"

"And what of it?" Li Qiye replied with a calm smile. "If they know their place, they can continue to exist for millions of years. But if they are foolish enough to stand in my way, then an Ancient Country is nothing to be impressed by."

Li Shuangyan fell silent, staring at Li Qiye. ’He’s not joking.’ she realized. But this was an Ancient Country! Over millions of years, how many had dared to boast of destroying the Qingxuan Ancient Country? Precious few.

"Heh, the Young Master is invincible! What’s so special about the Qingxuan Ancient Country? It’s not like they’re eternal and immortal." Niu Fen chuckled. "Heh, even eternal and immortal existences can be wiped out. There’s a legend in my clan that during the Ancient Nether Era, a lineage that was once eternal and immortal was ultimately destroyed by a great personage. I heard that lineage could have been called gods, but they were utterly slaughtered by that incredible being. Heh, heh, now that the Young Master has appeared, annihilating the Qingxuan Ancient Country is well within your power. Perhaps you’ll even break that invincible being’s record."

Niu Fen’s words made Li Qiye narrow his eyes. ’Those were passionate times.’ He slapped Niu Fen’s giant shell. "Alright, enough with the flattery. Get back to what you were doing."

"Heh..." Niu Fen hurried forward, still muttering under his breath, "Young Master, my ancestor once followed that incredible being. Heh heh, when you achieve such greatness in the future, maybe I can share in the glory, just like my ancestor did."

"Shut up!" Li Qiye’s voice was suddenly a cold, deep command.

Li Qiye’s sudden shout was filled with an infinite, unchallengeable majesty. It made Niu Fen shudder, and his heart trembled. He knew at once that he had misspoken. He fell silent, not daring to utter another word as he sped onward.

Li Qiye rode the snail as it sped along. Based on his understanding of the toad he was hunting, he could tell he was getting closer. His spirits lifted at the thought. The toad had been lost for millions of years; now, he finally had a chance to get it back.

Li Qiye was intent on catching the toad, but right at this critical moment, trouble came looking for him.

Before Li Qiye could even cross into the Dangerous Area, a troop of iron cavalry appeared. They galloped forth, instantly splitting into two wings to surround him completely.

The troop consisted of a thousand experts. In an instant, they had Li Qiye surrounded, sealing him in an impenetrable ring.

Their killing intent soared to the heavens. They were like a pride of lions, fresh from a hundred battles, and their sharp, murderous aura was chilling to the bone.

The sudden appearance of this cavalry alarmed the other cultivators in the area. They all gave the soldiers a wide berth, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire.

Finding himself suddenly surrounded by the iron cavalry, Li Qiye simply narrowed his eyes and then broke into a smile.

"The iron cavalry of the Jiangzuo Family! This is an incredible force," an impressed cultivator remarked upon seeing the troop.

"Although Marquis Jiangzuo has only one foot in the Prince realm and is still a ways from matching the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist, he possesses an ever-victorious iron cavalry. With them, he isn’t necessarily any less formidable than the Sheng Tian Heaven Daoist," another cultivator commented.

"The Worthy King Six Vibration Array, personally commanded by Marquis Jiangzuo, is said to be able to slay even a Prince." A Demon King’s expression changed as he watched Marquis Jiangzuo leisurely approach. "Just a few days ago," he said, "I heard that the Marquis used the Worthy King Six Vibration Array to hunt down a nearly two-hundred-thousand-year-old Longevity Spirit, leaving it with no hope of escape. In the end, it was slain by the divine power of the Worthy King Six Vibration Array."

At this point, many of the traveling cultivators had stopped their journeys, gathering to the side to watch the show.

Marquis Jiangzuo slowly approached. He looked at Li Qiye and Li Shuangyan on the back of the snail and greeted them with a smile. "Li Fairy," he said, "it’s a small world. I never thought we would meet again here."