Dominator Emperor

Chapter 153: Chapter 152: Emergence of the Netherworld Ship (Part 2)

"Not resurrection." Li Qiye gently shook his head. "That Old Ghost was already on his last breath. He had consumed countless Longevity Medicines; anything that could extend his lifespan, he had eaten. He managed to cling to life for a very long time. In the end, no Longevity Medicine or Immortal Herbs worked on him anymore. But he refused to give up. He buried himself in the Ancient Sky Corpse Land, and ultimately, he succeeded. He lived a second life."

"A second life? What does that mean?" Li Shuangyan couldn’t help but ask.

Li Qiye explained, "Living a second life is like being reborn. You’ll have the most youthful Blood Qi and the freshest lifespan, but your Dao Foundation, your cultivation techniques, and your memories will remain completely unchanged. It’s like being born with everything you possessed in your previous life!"

"Can one really live a second life?" Hearing something so incredible, Li Shuangyan’s expression changed. The term "Defying Heaven" wasn’t even enough to describe it. This was a grand rebellion against the will of the heavens, a strike against the Celestial Principles. It was something the heavens simply would not permit.

"It’s possible, but the probability is so minuscule it’s negligible. You could say that anyone who manages to live a second life is both extremely fortunate and, in a way, unfortunate," Li Qiye said leisurely.

Li Shuangyan was dazed for a moment. ’For a heaven-defying figure, what would it mean to live a second life? Perhaps they failed to carry the Celestial Mandate in their previous life but could succeed in this one. With a second life, they could start all over again, and with an unparalleled advantage!’

At that moment, Li Shuangyan finally understood why so many great figures on the verge of death flocked to the Ancient Sky Corpse Land.

"Will you take this deal?" Li Shuangyan finally asked. By this point, she didn’t even bother asking how Li Qiye knew about this.

"I want to see your master." That was Li Qiye’s only reply. Without another word, Li Shuangyan immediately went to make the arrangements for him.

The next day, Li Shuangyan activated a Dao Platform for Li Qiye, opening a Daoist Door that led directly to the Nine Saints Demon Gate. Li Qiye and Li Shuangyan stepped through the Daoist Door and were teleported to the Nine Saints Demon Gate.

This time, the Great Elder of the Nine Saints Demon Gate personally welcomed Li Qiye. Moreover, Li Qiye’s visit was low-key; he met only with the Sun Demon Emperor of the Nine Saints Demon Gate and no one else.

The Sun Demon Emperor, Demon Emperor of the Ancient Ox Territory and Sect Leader of the Nine Saints Demon Gate! He was even hailed as the most accomplished Emperor in the Great Middle Realm! Among the previous generation of cultivators, many had called him the most talented and promising genius.

During the Tough Dao Era, the Sun Demon Emperor had stepped into the True Realm at a very young age—an extremely remarkable achievement. As for his current level of Dao Practice, it was a mystery to the outside world.

The Sun Demon Emperor was waiting for Li Qiye in the Grand Hall. The moment Li Qiye entered, he heard a hearty laugh. The emperor strode out to greet him, smiling. "I have been waiting a long time for Young Master Li’s second visit."

The Sun Demon Emperor looked to be only about forty years old. He was tall and imposing, yet he exuded an air of elegance and refinement, not that of a crude man. It was rumored that the Sun Demon Emperor was a Tiger Demon who had attained the Dao, but there wasn’t the slightest trace of a Fierce Beast’s aura about him. To call him a Demon Emperor was less accurate than calling him a Human Emperor!

The Sun Demon Emperor strode forward, his every step powerful and confident. His bearing was that of a commander of thousands, an air of authority in his every gesture. Yet, as he greeted Li Qiye, he appeared humble and approachable, radiating immense personal charm.

The Sun Demon Emperor welcomed Li Qiye into the Grand Hall, treating him as a guest of honor. As a Demon Emperor, he showed no restraint nor put on airs, sitting with Li Qiye as an equal. This alone was enough to show how highly he regarded Li Qiye.

After everyone else had withdrawn, only Li Qiye and the Sun Demon Emperor remained in the hall. Li Qiye got straight to the point, "I hear the Demon Emperor wants to bury someone from the War God Hall."

"How could I possibly have such ability!" The Sun Demon Emperor shook his head with a bitter smile. "The Ancient Sky Corpse Land is an Ancient Evil Land. For millions of years, how many Great Sages, how many of the invincible generation have been buried there? In every era, countless incredible figures have wanted to be buried in the Netherworld Ship, hoping to extend their lifespan or even be reborn, but the number of successes has been negligible! My meager abilities are insignificant compared to the Elder Sages of the past."

"But you still want to take this deal," Li Qiye said calmly.

The Sun Demon Emperor laughed. He looked at Li Qiye, his tiger-like eyes glinting. "This old man may not have the ability, but I believe Young Master Li does."

"And how does the Demon Emperor know that I can?" Li Qiye’s eyes narrowed slightly as he spoke slowly.

"Intuition!" the Sun Demon Emperor said frankly. "My intuition tells me that Young Master Li can definitely do it. My intuition is rarely wrong!"

"It’s a good thing you’re not a woman," Li Qiye said, shaking his head gently.

The Sun Demon Emperor didn’t take offense and instead burst into loud laughter. After laughing for a long while, he said with great solemnity, "The War God Hall wanted to find someone for this task, but I took the entire job."

"I am curious, though. What did the Nine Saints Demon Gate have to wager to convince the War God Hall to let you handle this? For something the War God Hall themselves aren’t confident in, they must have basically given up hope on anyone else," Li Qiye said with a leisurely smile.

The War God Hall... what a powerful existence. Legend has it that it was founded in the Desolate Era, and countless Elder Sages of the Human Race originated from there. It was no exaggeration to say that the strength of the Human Race was significantly tied to the War God Hall!

In the Great Middle Realm, and even the entire Human Emperor Realm, the War God Hall’s status was utterly transcendent. In the Great Middle Realm, even an existence as powerful as the Qingxuan Ancient Country would have to tread carefully if the War God Hall were to intervene.

If even the War God Hall had no confidence regarding the matter of the Netherworld Ship, for them to hand it over to an outsider meant they were pinning their minuscule hopes on a miracle.

"The War God Hall has made many attempts, but all have failed. So, this time, they decided to take a gamble and hand the matter over to an expert outsider," the Sun Demon Emperor said. He didn’t elaborate on how he had secured the deal.

In truth, this was easier said than done. For a behemoth like the War God Hall to entrust such a matter to an outsider, that outsider must have possessed credentials that could absolutely convince them.

Although it was called a deal, for a sect like the Nine Saints Demon Gate to even be considered, they would have likely had to wager their own treasures first as a show of confidence in their success.

Just imagine, given the War God Hall’s stature, for the Nine Saints Demon Gate to secure such a deal, they must have wagered astonishing treasures and immortal objects, perhaps even an Emperor Artifact!

"Ever since Muzhan God, the War God Hall has been trying to get a few of their old ghosts to live a second life," Li Qiye chuckled. He didn’t press the Sun Demon Emperor on how he had secured the deal.

"Young Master Li knows about Muzhan God as well?" The Sun Demon Emperor was visibly moved. Muzhan God had once been one of the most powerful existences in the War God Hall, an unchallengeable titan of his era!

Muzhan God was the one who had successfully lived a second life in the Ancient Sky Corpse Land. Because of this, the War God Hall had always been hoping for a second miracle, but they had never succeeded.

Li Qiye just smiled and didn’t answer the Sun Demon Emperor’s question. ’Muzhan God being reborn to live a second life... how could he possibly not know about that?’

Although Li Qiye didn’t answer, the Sun Demon Emperor’s spirits soared. He knew he had finally found the right person.

"Young Master Li, this great figure from the War God Hall is extremely important to them, and also to my Nine Saints Demon Gate. The current external elder of the War God Hall is his disciple from a later generation. If this deal succeeds, the implications for my Nine Saints Demon Gate, and for the Xiyan Ancient Sect, will be extraordinary," the Sun Demon Emperor said with grave sincerity.

"It seems the Demon Emperor has received quite a bit of support from the War God Hall," Li Qiye said with a smile.

The Sun Demon Emperor didn’t hide it, nodding solemnly. "When I was young, I was fortunate enough to be appreciated by the War God Hall’s external elder, which truly opened my eyes. It was precisely because of his support that I was able to trade for the "Yuqing Sacred Heart Skill" from the War God Hall for Shuang’Er."

Li Shuangyan’s Body Techniques came from the War God Hall. As Body Techniques for a Sacred Body, they were a priceless treasure. For the Nine Saints Demon Gate to be able to trade for such techniques from the War God Hall, it meant they not only had to offer something world-shaking in return, but also that not just anyone could make such a deal. The fact that the Sun Demon Emperor could complete this transaction was proof enough of the trust he had earned from the War God Hall.

"What kind of agreement did the Demon Emperor make with the War God Hall?" Li Qiye asked.

The Sun Demon Emperor gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "The specific agreement hasn’t been set. I’m waiting for your word, Young Master Li! For this transaction, the Nine Saints Demon Gate will take no benefits. All proceeds will go to you!"

"And you get the support of the War God Hall in return." Li Qiye smiled; he could see the stakes at a glance.

The Sun Demon Emperor gave another bitter smile. "Young Master Li should understand. The Human Emperor of the Holy Heaven Sect and I are ’old friends,’ so to speak. If the Holy Heaven Sect really manages to ally with the Qingxuan Ancient Country, my Nine Saints Demon Gate will be under a lot of pressure."

The "old friends" the Sun Demon Emperor spoke of were, in fact, rivals. Rumor had it that in the previous generation, the Human Emperor of the Holy Heaven Sect and the Sun Demon Emperor were the two most brilliant geniuses in the Great Middle Realm, true equals and evenly matched opponents.

"What is the condition of the great figure from the War God Hall who is to be buried?" Li Qiye asked.

The Sun Demon Emperor said, "I hear that Elder Ancestor has been in a state of sealed blood and suspended life for a long time. He has very little lifespan left and cannot come out into the world. This time, the War God Hall needs to have him buried directly in the Netherworld Ship."

"Sealed blood and suspended life," to put it simply, meant stopping one’s Blood Qi and entering a deep slumber, sometimes even being sealed away like a corpse. However, the cost of this process was extremely high; not just anyone could afford it. Only a powerful existence from a Great Teaching Territory would have the resources and strength to undergo it.