Dominator Emperor

Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Displaying Divine Power (Part 1)

Chapter 61: A Display of Divine Power (Part 1)

After teaching He Yingjian a lesson, Li Qiye thought he would have some peace and quiet for a while. However, not many days passed before trouble came knocking.

"Prime Disciple, Prime Disciple, something’s wrong! This is bad!" While Li Qiye was quietly cultivating in his small courtyard, Luo Fenghua and a few other disciples rushed in, panicking.

Luo Fenghua and the other disciples looked miserable, covered in bruises. A single glance was enough to tell they had been beaten up.

Seeing their condition, Li Qiye frowned and asked, "What happened?"

"Master Zhou returned to Washing Stone Valley. He... he’s looking for trouble, and he’s been beating us," another disciple chimed in, quickly explaining the situation in a few sentences.

It turned out that early this morning, Master Zhou, who no longer taught at Washing Stone Peak, had suddenly returned to Washing Stone Valley. He abruptly summoned all three hundred disciples of the valley to inspect their cultivation progress.

Master Zhou used to be the Hall Master responsible for teaching the three hundred disciples of Washing Stone Valley. The disciples didn’t feel particularly good or bad about him. Usually, Master Zhou would just come to give his scheduled lectures and then leave in a hurry as soon as they were over. Outside of class, it was very difficult for the disciples of Washing Stone Valley to find him.

Moreover, there was nothing special about his teaching, and he never showed any particular favoritism to any disciple. To him, teaching was just another sect mission.

Because of this, the three hundred disciples of Washing Stone Valley had a neutral opinion of Master Zhou. They simply saw him as an elder and a Hall Master.

So, when Master Zhou suddenly came to Washing Stone Valley today to test the cultivation of the three hundred disciples, no one thought much of it at first. After all, he used to be their teacher, so it seemed normal for him to test them.

However, as soon as Master Zhou began inspecting the disciples’ cultivation, his attitude completely changed. One moment, he would claim a disciple’s Heart Technique cultivation had Misfired. The next, he would say another disciple’s practiced Techniques were completely distorted. Then he’d scold yet another for being presumptuous in their choice of Cultivation Technique...

The one who got the worst of it was Zhang Yu. Zhang Yu had destroyed his previous Dao Foundation to re-cultivate the Biluo Heart Method, and for this, Master Zhou even gave him a harsh beating.

Zhang Yu was far from the only one beaten by Master Zhou. Many other disciples, including Luo Fenghua who had dared to voice a few objections, were also beaten severely.

The principles Li Qiye taught were far more profound and mysterious than Master Zhou’s, a fact unanimously recognized by the three hundred disciples of Washing Stone Valley. After receiving Li Qiye’s guidance, many disciples saw great progress in their cultivation, some even advancing by leaps and bounds. Even those whose cultivation had stagnated found their Dao Practice flowing naturally after Li Qiye’s instruction.

It could be said that the disciples of Washing Stone Valley were thoroughly convinced by Li Qiye’s teachings. The more talented ones, like Luo Fenghua, especially knew what was truly good.

Therefore, when Master Zhou dismissed the principles taught by Li Qiye as worthless, Luo Fenghua and the others couldn’t help but raise a few objections, which resulted in them getting a harsh beating from Master Zhou.

This outcome immediately made the smarter disciples, like Luo Fenghua, realize something was wrong. The old Master Zhou couldn’t have been bothered to discipline them. Now, he was suddenly flying into a rage, acting indiscriminately. At that moment, they knew Master Zhou wasn’t there to test them, but to pick a fight. Moreover, his target wasn’t them, but their Prime Disciple, Li Qiye. They were just cannon fodder.

So, while Master Zhou was raging and not paying attention, Luo Fenghua and a few others snuck away to report to Li Qiye. Or perhaps, Master Zhou had intentionally let them go.

After hearing their account, Li Qiye’s eyes narrowed. The corners of his mouth curled into a cold smile.

’I have no grievance or enmity with Master Zhou. Logically, there’s no reason for him to pick a fight with me. Besides, testing the cultivation of the Washing Stone Valley disciples isn’t his responsibility! More importantly, with the impending marriage alliance between the Xiyan Ancient Sect and the Nine Saints Demon Gate, I, Li Qiye, am a key figure. Within the Xiyan Ancient Sect, let alone a mere Hall Master, even an ordinary Guardian wouldn’t want to cause trouble for me.’

’For Master Zhou to suddenly jump out and cause trouble now... if he wasn’t instructed by someone from behind the scenes, if he didn’t have a powerful backer, I doubt he’d dare to do this even if he had ten times the courage.’

"Come on, let’s go see what kind of trouble our great Master Zhou can stir up," Li Qiye said with a grin, stretching lazily.

Luo Fenghua and the others didn’t dare to delay and hurriedly followed Li Qiye to Washing Stone Valley. Beside him was Li Shuangyan!

Although Li Qiye was all smiles along the way, Luo Fenghua and the others felt their hearts pounding in their chests. They weren’t stupid. They could faintly smell the scent of a high-level power struggle within the Xiyan Ancient Sect.

When Li Qiye’s group arrived at Washing Stone Valley, they found Master Zhou raging, just as described. The disciples of Washing Stone Valley didn’t dare to make a sound, and many of them had minor injuries. As Li Qiye’s party approached, Master Zhou was still in the middle of furiously scolding other disciples.

Upon Li Qiye’s arrival, the other disciples couldn’t help but turn their gazes toward him, silently pleading for help.

"Li Qiye, what is this trash you’ve been teaching!" Before Li Qiye even had a chance to speak, Master Zhou cursed him to his face, shouting, "As their teaching senior, you actually taught these ignorant disciples unorthodox methods, leading them down the path of Evil Sects and the Demon Dao! What are your intentions? Corrupting your fellow disciples like this is an unforgivable crime!"

Before Li Qiye had even opened his mouth, Master Zhou had already slapped him with a heavy accusation.

"Master Zhou, who the hell do you think you are?" Li Qiye didn’t even bother to give Master Zhou a second glance as he was being cursed at. He replied slowly, "If you know what’s good for you, get lost. This is my territory. It’s not your place to point fingers. Who do you think you are?"

Li Qiye’s very first words were brutally arrogant curses. Master Zhou, who had mentally prepared himself, was stunned for a moment. He had expected Li Qiye to argue back and had prepared numerous rebuttals. His goal today was to pin the crime of consorting with Evil Sects and the Demon Dao on Li Qiye, no matter what. He never imagined Li Qiye’s first response would be such a crude and arrogant tirade.

"Insolence—" Master Zhou snapped back to his senses and roared, "As a disciple of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, you are treacherous and rebellious, defying your superiors, betraying your masters, and turning against the sect—"

"You talk too much—" Before Master Zhou could finish his tirade, Li Qiye whipped out the Snake-Beating Staff and swung it viciously.

"You court death!" Seeing Li Qiye attack him, Master Zhou flew into a rage. With a sharp cry, he reached a large hand out to grab Li Qiye. For him, Li Qiye making the first move couldn’t be more perfect.

At the same time, Master Zhou didn’t take Li Qiye seriously at all. ’He’s just a useless disciple,’ he thought. ’Once I make my move, capturing him will be effortless.’

THWACK—THWACK—THWACK— However, the result was something Master Zhou could never have imagined. In the blink of an eye, Li Qiye had knocked him to the ground. The Snake-Beating Staff descended in a ferocious barrage, striking his head and face until he was covered in blood.

Among the thirty-six Hall Masters of the Xiyan Ancient Sect, Master Zhou’s aptitude and Dao Practice were both average. He was merely a Cultivator at the Canopy Realm.

Against the Snake-Beating Staff, any Cultivator below the Heavenly Essence Realm was fated only to be beaten.

"AHHH—" Even a prominent figure like Master Zhou couldn’t endure the pain from the Snake-Beating Staff’s vicious assault and let out a miserable scream. At this moment, Master Zhou was a pathetic sight. He lay on the ground, curled up and covered in blood. His face, in particular, was a mangled mess from Li Qiye’s blows.

This domineering scene stunned all the disciples of Washing Stone Valley. Master Zhou was one of the thirty-six Hall Masters of the Xiyan Ancient Sect! As a second-generation disciple, he was a master to the third-generation disciples!

Moreover, Master Zhou was an expert at the Canopy Realm, yet Li Qiye had beaten him until he was rolling on the ground. By the end of the thrashing from the Snake-Beating Staff, Master Zhou had completely lost the will to resist.

At this moment, the disciples of Washing Stone Valley couldn’t help but shudder. ’We were beaten so miserably by the Snake-Beating Staff,’ they thought, ’but looking at this now, we really can’t complain. Even an expert like Master Zhou was beaten into looking like a dead snake!’

"Guardian Hu, save me—" Finally, Master Zhou cried out for help.

"Insolence! What is going on!" An instant after Master Zhou’s cry, a sharp roar echoed as a sizable group stormed into Washing Stone Valley, their arrival menacing!

The group that suddenly burst into Washing Stone Valley was quite large. Along with ordinary disciples, there were three Hall Masters and one Guardian. On top of that, He Yingjian was also among them.

For a Xiyan Ancient Sect’s patroling Law Enforcement Team to suddenly appear in Washing Stone Valley... it was indeed "perfect timing"!

Moreover, for the Xiyan Ancient Sect, this patroling Law Enforcement Team was far too extravagant. Besides the ordinary law enforcement disciples, it included three Hall Masters, was led by a Guardian, and even had He Yingjian, the top leader of the younger generation, in its ranks.

If a disciple were found committing some "unlawful" act and caught on the spot by such a group—three Hall Masters, a Guardian, and a genius like He Yingjian—the matter would be set in stone. No matter what the "unlawful" conduct was, the evidence would be considered solid and irrefutable. Proving one’s innocence would be impossible!

"Guardian, Li... Li Qiye... he defied his superior, tried to kill his elder, and murder me! He... he... he’s trying to betray the sect, to turn on his own masters..." Master Zhou wailed from the ground where he lay.

Seeing this, Luo Fenghua and the others, though young, were not stupid. The smarter ones, especially, understood everything in an instant.

Instantly, a chill ran down their spines, and cold sweat beaded on their foreheads. Master Zhou was lying on the ground covered in blood, and Li Qiye had been caught in the act by Guardian Hu and his Law Enforcement Team...