Dominator Emperor

Chapter 69: Chapter 69: Strategizing (Part 1)

Chapter 69: Masterminding (Part 1)

"Insolence! Abusing your position for personal gain! The sect will absolutely not permit such a thing!" Before the other elders could even respond to Li Qiye’s request, Cao Xiong bellowed.

Emperor Techniques were an exclusive privilege of the elders. Even Guardians were not permitted to practice Core Emperor Techniques. Now, a mere third-generation disciple was demanding to cultivate one. Naturally, Cao Xiong was not pleased.

Li Qiye shot him a sidelong glance and said unhurriedly, "Elder Cao, if you were the one who had recovered the Core Emperor Technique, and if a disciple’s opinion had any say in the matter, I would support not just your disciple, but even your grand-disciple cultivating it. Oh, but I forgot. Elder Cao has no disciples now, let alone grand-disciples."

Li Qiye’s words struck a nerve. Cao Xiong’s expression changed drastically, his face contorting as he shot to his feet. "You little bastard!" he roared. "You’re courting death!"

"Junior Brother Cao—" Great Elder Gu Tieshou’s voice was stern. "Qiye is just a child. There’s no need to stoop to his level!"

Before, Cao Xiong wouldn’t have paid much mind to Great Elder Gu Tieshou. But now, learning that the Great Elder was not just a Prince, but a veteran Prince who had also mastered the Kunpeng Six Transformations, made Cao Xiong extremely wary. He knew he was absolutely no match for Gu Tieshou.

"Senior Brother Gu, you’re being far too lenient with this defiant animal! Sooner or later, he’ll become a blight upon our sect!" Cao Xiong said, his voice dripping with hatred.

"A child’s words are spoken without malice. Junior Brother Cao, you needn’t take it to heart." Gu Tieshou was clearly shielding Li Qiye. At this moment, it wasn’t just Gu Tieshou; the other four elders also made it clear they were protecting him, which made Cao Xiong’s heart burn with resentment.

After discussing Li Qiye’s request, the Great Elder and the others finally came to a decision. The Great Elder announced to Li Qiye, "Since you wish to use your merits to pay for this, the council of elders has agreed to your request. Guardian Mo has served our Xiyan Ancient Sect faithfully for a long time. He may begin cultivating the Purple Sun Ten Days Technique immediately. As for Nan Huairun, he will also be permitted to cultivate it, but not yet. We will observe him for a few more years. If there are no issues, he will be granted permission then."

No one was happier than Elder Sun. Guardian Mo was his disciple and Nan Huairun his grand-disciple. Now, both had earned the right to cultivate the Purple Sun Ten Days Technique. As their master, how could he not be overjoyed?

Cao Xiong was seething with hatred. He was practically isolated now. His disciples, Guardian Hu and He Yingjian, had both died brutally at Li Qiye’s hands. He wished for nothing more than to tear Li Qiye limb from limb. But at this critical moment, Li Qiye had not only performed another great service but had also become a key figure for the Xiyan Ancient Sect to nurture and protect. This made avenging his disciples nearly impossible.

Upon hearing the news, Guardian Mo and Nan Huairun were so overcome with emotion they were speechless. They were both incredibly moved. Not long ago, Li Qiye had promised that he would have them cultivating the Purple Sun Ten Days Technique within a year. They never imagined it would happen so soon; it felt like a dream.

They now felt that choosing to follow Li Qiye had been the wisest decision of their lives. Back then, if anyone had learned of their choice, they would have been laughed at for being insane. A Guardian, pledging allegiance to a third-generation disciple—and one with a Mortal Body and Mortal Fate, no less.

Now, their devotion had finally paid off. Li Qiye had repaid their loyalty with a magnificent reward!

"Senior Brother, how did you do it?" Nan Huairun was ecstatic after receiving the sect’s order. He and his master came to see Li Qiye at once.

"It was a trivial matter. Nothing difficult about it," Li Qiye said with a smile.

Nan Huairun was beside himself with excitement. An Emperor Technique! A Core Emperor Technique! It was the sort of thing that would make anyone green with envy. He asked in disbelief, "Senior Brother, you... how did you find the Emperor Technique? Was it really a dream sent by the Patriarch?"

The news about the Patriarch’s dream had been suppressed by the upper echelons of the Xiyan Ancient Sect. Nan Huairun had only heard about it from his grand-master, Elder Sun.

"What would I gain from lying to you?" Li Qiye said with a laugh.

"I can never repay you for this incredible kindness, First Senior Brother! Just give the word, and I’ll walk through fire and water for you without a moment’s hesitation!" Nan Huairun declared excitedly.

Li Qiye shot him a look. "Sucking up again? If you weren’t loyal, would I have given you an Emperor Technique?"

Nan Huairun didn’t mind being chided by Li Qiye and just grinned sheepishly. As for Guardian Mo, he was a man of few words and not one for pleasantries. He simply gave Li Qiye a deep bow, saying nothing more.

Li Shuangyan, now Li Qiye’s Sword Attendant, had been observing everything coolly from the sidelines. At this point, she was simply at a loss for words. She had watched all the recent events unfold as a mere spectator.

What Li Qiye demonstrated wasn’t astonishing talent or the heaven-sent aptitude of a Cultivator. It was something else entirely: Heaven-Defying methods and breathtaking schemes.

With just a few moves, he had completely turned the tables, instantly becoming the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s most valuable asset. Slaying three Hall Masters, Guardian Hu, and He Yingjian, yet emerging completely unscathed. Effortlessly crushing Cao Xiong’s plot and defusing the crisis. While his actions seemed casual, they were in fact backed by an astounding level of wisdom.

’Such seasoned methods, such decisive and ruthless actions, such flawless planning... Was this really a boy of thirteen or fourteen? Everything he did was simply unbelievable. Killing He Yingjian, cornering Cao Xiong—not a single one of his moves held a trace of childish impulse. It was all so smooth, so natural, so perfectly executed and traceless. This wasn’t a boy at all; he was a sage who saw through everything.’

Li Shuangyan was deeply shaken. ’Before coming to the Xiyan Ancient Sect, I thought my master, the Sun Demon Emperor, valued Li Qiye simply because he knew some secrets. Now, it seems that’s not the case at all!’

’At this moment, a certain saying came to Li Shuangyan’s mind: on the long road of Cultivation, sometimes the most important things aren’t one’s physique, Life Wheel, or Life Palace. It seemed Li Qiye was living proof of that saying.’

Li Shuangyan fell silent. She had been by Li Qiye’s side for a while now, but the longer she stayed, the more unfathomable he seemed.

’As a genius, a Heavenly Pride Girl, she had always been proud of her talent and insight. But now, as she carefully observed Li Qiye of the Mortal Body, Mortal Fate, and Mortal Wheel, even she, a genius, was left speechless. If she were in his shoes, she feared she wouldn’t have possessed such means. To command the entire situation, to checkmate an enemy with a few moves on the board... This wasn’t insight, nor was it talent. It was profound wisdom, the kind that could only be forged by the passage of Time.’

’The truly maddening part was that this wisdom, tempered by Time itself, was manifesting in a boy of thirteen or fourteen. It made even a Heavenly Pride Girl like Li Shuangyan feel helpless.’

’If Li Qiye had been born like her, with an Imperial Body and Holy Mandate... he would have been utterly unstoppable. He probably would have swept through the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands long ago!’

However, the matter was not over. The killing of three Hall Masters, one Guardian, and the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s most outstanding disciple, He Yingjian—an event of this magnitude would be a monumental affair in any sect.

To bring the matter to a conclusion, the Six Great Elders of the Xiyan Ancient Sect held a special meeting. Furthermore, Li Qiye himself was specifically permitted to attend.

Unquestionably, Li Qiye now occupied an extremely important position in the elders’ minds. With the exception of Cao Xiong, all the other elders believed that Li Qiye was the key to the Xiyan Ancient Sect’s revitalization!

"This entire affair was a misunderstanding." This was the conclusion Great Elder Gu Tieshou announced. In truth, he and the other four elders had already reached this decision in a private discussion—one that had pointedly excluded Cao Xiong.

Previously, the other four elders had been disappointed by the Great Elder’s despondency, and their faith in him had wavered. This incident, however, had the opposite effect, causing the four of them to band together and staunchly support him. Moreover, their trust in Cao Xiong was now shaken. His close association with Dong Shenglong in this matter had left the other elders feeling deeply uneasy.

The Xiyan Ancient Sect and the Holy Heaven Sect were mortal enemies. Although the two sects hadn’t gone to war in ten thousand years, the Xiyan Ancient Sect still considered the Holy Heaven Sect a grave threat.

Cao Xiong’s close ties with Dong Shenglong had earned him the other elders’ antipathy.

"Even if it was a misunderstanding, simply letting the matter drop will make it difficult to appease the sect’s disciples. The tragic deaths of three Hall Masters, a Guardian, and the sect’s top genius are a grievous loss for the entire Xiyan Ancient Sect!" Cao Xiong was bleeding internally, but he was helpless. He had lost on all fronts in this affair, and his scheme had completely backfired. He knew now that the other four elders had turned against him.

"Then what would Junior Brother Cao suggest?" Gu Tieshou asked, his dissatisfaction clear.

In truth, by now, even the other elders and guardians suspected Cao Xiong of orchestrating the entire thing. But with no witnesses left to testify, they had no concrete evidence to accuse him and could only call it a misunderstanding.

"For disciples to kill one another is a tragedy for the sect. If Li Qiye receives no punishment at all, I fear it will cause unrest among all the disciples. They will think we acted rashly, with a cavalier disregard for life! Since it was a misunderstanding, we shouldn’t punish him severely. However, a minor punishment is unavoidable. Otherwise, we won’t be able to appease the sect," Cao Xiong said gravely.

Cao Xiong’s words made the five elders exchange a glance. Although they were suspicious of him, they had to admit he had a point. They had thought the same thing. After all, with three Hall Masters, a Guardian, and He Yingjian dead, dismissing it all as a misunderstanding was indeed a bit of a stretch.

Gu Tieshou and the others had already considered giving Li Qiye a token punishment, a slap on the wrist to serve as an explanation to the rest of the sect’s disciples.

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