Chapter 1039: Seeing Mei Suyao Again
After leaving the temple, Li Qiye went to another part of the city. It seemed to be quite impoverished.
It seemed to be a mortal town without anything special. Li Qiye entered a house with no one trying to stop him.
After taking the first step inside, the scene immediately changed. In this place was a vast realm with bridges and green sceneries that belonged in poems.
His intrusion was met with the eruption of several powerful auras. One of them was even of the God-Monarch level. Without a doubt, this inconspicuous little house had extremely powerful Virtuous Paragons protecting it.
"Immortal Emperor Xiu Shui is truly amazing. Not only did she establish a heavenly grotto here, she also managed to shield it from the Buddhist affinity of the plateau. Such keen insight is truly admirable." He took his time walking through this place to enjoy it fully.
The powerful auras surged; their owners wanting to attack Li Qiye. However, a voice that resembled an immortal hymn resounded: "He is a guest, do not be rude."
Li Qiye only smiled and strolled through the place to reach a particular pavilion. It was built in the middle of a lake with a woman sitting on a stone chair. She was looking at the pretty view of the lake.
Anyone would marvel at the sight of this woman ahead. She was beautiful beyond words. It was not enough to call her a goddess.
Mei Suyao! The woman praised as a goddess in the Mortal Emperor World. She was sitting quietly with an indifferent demeanor, like a fairy detached from this mundane world. She also had this appearance in the past, but the current Mei Suyao was completely different from before.
In the past, her steps were accompanied by visual phenomena like a deity descending to this world. But now, she had returned to the origin and held a simplicity far from striking visuals and hymns of the grand dao. Nevertheless, she was still a goddess removed from the pollution of the world and was about to fuse together with nature.
Her core remained unchanged, but she now used a different attitude to deal with the world, resulting in a different style.
She stood up the moment she saw Li Qiye walk into the pavilion. She looked at him and, with a slightly surprised expression while her forehead flashed with a glimmer, she inquired: "Is it you, Young Noble Li?"
She was not completely sure of this either.
"Not bad, an Immortal Bone is worthy of its prestige. To be able to see the truth and communicate with true gods." Li Qiye nodded his head and praised. He revealed his true form and freely sat down on another stone chair.
After seeing his form, Mei Suyao bowed her head gently with a respectful demeanor: "Please excuse me for not personally greeting you."
He waved his sleeve and interrupted her: "Okay, little girl, there's no need for cumbersome formalities."
Goddess Mei Suyao was always the focus of the show regardless of the time and place. Even peerless geniuses like Jikong Wudi's group would always show their best side in front of her. Only Li Qiye didn't pay her any mind.
She was not angry and sat down. She poured some tea into a jade cup for him while speaking: "Please have this simple cup of tea."
He accepted her jade cup and took a sip before commenting freely: "It seems like you have finally understood, this is Immortal Emperor Xiu Shui's Alaya Heavenly Fragrance Dao."
"This is thanks to you. In recent years, I was enlightened and spent time meditating before understanding the profundities within." She spoke with sincerity: "If you didn't wake me up from my dream, my path would have been even longer."
Li Qiye smiled and enjoyed his tea as well as the charming beauty before him. He was relaxed and carefree; everything else became insignificant.
She didn't speak and only quietly kept him company, pouring more tea for him in a demure and natural manner.
He closed his eyes to feel the calm rhythm. After a while, he gently nodded: "Mmm, it is this feeling. You have truly understood the core of the fragrant dao and will be able to enter the heavenly dao. This will be a grand dao that belongs to you, allowing you to eventually embark on one that is unique to yourself."
Mei Suyao subtly smiled like an apricot bud slowly blossoming. It was quite a scene to behold. 1
She was neither arrogant nor proud; everything was natural and in accordance with her will.
"May I ask the reason for your visit? This little sister is all ears." She softly asked while pouring more tea.
Li Qiye lazily glanced over and spoke: "Girl, can you confirm that you are here for the ascension of your school's senior?"
She answered his inquiry calmly: "I understand your skepticism. The truth is that I am indeed here for my senior's ascension."
"And then what?" He tasted the tea once more while freely looking at her.
"Young Noble must have met Vedas Vajra." She was extremely smart. At birth, she received a soulbone of the immortal level and was capable of seeing through everything directly to their essence. This was amplified after she truly understood the fragrant dao.
"Mmm…" Li Qiye hummed in agreement. He waited for her to continue.
She went on: "I won't hide it from Young Noble. The real reason for me coming to the plateau is for the ascension. Obtaining the treasure from Vedas Vajra was a spur of the moment idea."
"What happens next?" He smiled leisurely.
She replied: "I thought that you would surely come to the plateau, and if that was the case, the Lesser Deva World would open for sure, signaling the appearance of the Nihility Temple. After being guided by my ancestor, I learned the language of this lesser world, so I went to the Vajra to trade for his treasure."
"Kind of interesting." Li Qiye laughed: "It seems like an old geezer from your school has finally appeared. What else do you know besides this?"
Mei Suyao looked at him and spoke: "The truth is that I want to know more about you. Your battle at Godwar Mountain made you famous, so my school's ancestor immediately ran here."
"Among the old geezers in your school, I know very well that only one of them knows the runes from the Godwar Mountain."
He narrowed his eyes to stare at her: "What did he say to you?"
"Not much." She gently shook her head: "I know that the ancestor knows something about you. I am very curious as well, especially about your identity. Unfortunately, the ancestor didn't want to reveal it."
"Is that right?" Li Qiye smiled as if he was at home.
She met his gaze in a straightforward and natural manner and spoke without guilt: "I wouldn't dare to hide it from you."
After looking into the deepest depths of her eyes for a long time, Li Qiye finally nodded satisfyingly.
"Your school's old geezer is still not senile. I suppose this wiseness will last forever." Li Qiye withdrew his gaze and spoke calmly: "Girl, since I am here, I don't need to say more."
Mei Suyao took out an old box and slowly handed it over to him: "One half of the treasure is here, please take a look."
Li Qiye opened it and glanced at the item inside before nodding his head: "Where is the other half?"
"It was taken back by the ancestor." Mei Suyao calmly answered: "My Immortal Bone still has difficulty understanding this thing, so I asked the ancestor to bring back one half so that the other ancestors could take a look. Maybe they will be able to see through its mysticisms."
"I have consulted Vedas Vajra as well about this issue. He didn't know either, the only thing he said was that the item is extremely unfathomable." Mei Suyao told the truth.
"If Vedas Vajra could comprehend it, then he wouldn't be Vedas Vajra." Li Qiye said dismissively: "This thing is connected to an ancient mystery. People who don't know about the ancient legends would never be able to understand the item's secrets."
She asked curiously: "Young Noble is referring to the era before the Desolate Era? The mythical Legendary Era?"
Coming from the Eternal River School, a sect with three emperors, she was an erudite person with few peers. However, she didn't know if the item came from the Legendary Era.
"It may be even older." Li Qiye only smiled without saying much.
Mei Suyao was dazed for a moment. In the minds of common cultivators, the Desolate Era was the oldest. She knew about the existence of the Legendary Era that came before it, but what kind of era was even older?
Li Qiye put away the box and said: "I want the whole thing. Half of it is tantamount to trash."
"Don't worry, Young Noble. I have sent a message to the ancestors and told the school to immediately bring it to you without delay." She was very open and agreed right away.
Li Qiye looked at her and chuckled: "Girl, if I didn't know that you have understood the fragrant dao's essence, I wouldn't believe it either. Such a great change in a short period of time, you can even call it a metamorphosis! Before coming, I expected you to make bargains. It seems like I have underestimated you."
Mei is apricot/plum flower. ↩Chapter 1040: Mei Suyao's Beauty
"Would any attempt at negotiation be useful?" She smiled wryly and slightly shook her head: "Do I have any room to bargain?"
Li Qiye couldn't help but smile while looking at her to leisurely say: "I'm actually curious, what did the old geezer tell you?"
She smiled without responding like a flower bud on the verge of blossoming. It was of transcendent beauty and boundless charm.
Li Qiye stood up and wanted to leave, but Mei Suyao spoke: "If you don't have a place to stay, you can stay here. Our school is willing to offer our humble abode to you."
He looked back at her and smiled before sitting down again to say: "Girl, what ideas are you having? What are your plans?"
Mei Suyao chuckled. She spoke in a playful tone: "It seems like you are still cautious of me. I suppose I can't really blame you. It is my fault for being naive back then and leaving you with a bad impression."
Li Qiye gently shook his head: "Girl, you are a beauty capable of causing disasters. Of course, I understand what the old geezers from your school are thinking. However, I'm even more curious about your thoughts." 1
The alluring beauty smiled in response: "I am not someone who is unduly humble. Of course, I am not saying that I want to marry you and seek the position of Imperial Queen either. In my mind, I am more than happy to be friends with you; whether it be as a close female friend, a friendship without taking age into consideration, or just an acquaintance." 2
Li Qiye stared at her while she directly met his gaze in a frank and natural manner.
"I believe you." Li Qiye slowly said: "However, your old geezers are counting their chickens before they have hatched."
"I don't blame them. As the main descendant, I have the great responsibility to implement a plan of paramount importance for the growth of the school." She spoke in a serious manner: "The ancestors do hope to arrange a marriage between us, regardless of your identity. In short, he values you much more than me."
Li Qiye smiled. He knew the old geezer from the school. After he reclaimed the emperor formation, this old man should have guessed his identity. It was understandable that he would try to curry some favor.
"Do you want to marry me?" He directly asked with a smile towards the peerlessly beautiful Mei Suyao.
Her face flushed. She was already pretty enough, but she now became even more enchanting with this shade of red. People would become intoxicated with a single glance.
She smiled and met his eyes to speak frankly: "I trust that you have no lack of women. If I marry you or if you are willing to marry me, I'm afraid the position of wife is not for me to take, am I right?"
"Smart girl." Li Qiye smiled and didn't say anything else.
She smiled back to say: "No matter what, I don't hope to trouble you with this matter. Let it be up to fate, I'm confident that you will have a different view of me in the future."
"There's no need to wait for the future." He looked at her to say: "I have a new view of you now. If, say, you were a smart woman before, then you are definitely a wise woman now."
"I'm honored to hear such praise." She was graceful and natural as she gave him a feminine blessing. 3
Li Qiye was quite pleased. The past was now gone with the wind. He was not a petty person; since Mei Suyao had maintained a humble posture today, it was more than enough to show her sincerity.
"I think you already know, but the people from the Soaring Immortal Sect are coming." She told him as he was about to leave.
"What level of character?" He nonchalantly asked since he didn't really care.
The Soaring Immortal Sect was a monstrous behemoth to anyone, no matter who they may be. Anyone would be alarmed after hearing about it.
"I don't know what will happen in the future, but right now, it is someone of high status, an emissary." With that, she looked at him with an implicative stare and said: "I heard this emissary has deep ties with the Heavenly God Sect."
"Deep? What do you mean?" He asked with a smile.
Mei Suyao explained: "Rumor has it that this emissary married the saintess of the Heavenly God Sect when he was younger back in the Difficult Dao Era."
"A bit interesting." Li Qiye rubbed his chin amusingly. The Heavenly God Sect and Cleansing Incense used to be mortal enemies. Back then, the Heavenly God Sect defeated Cleansing Incense and took its territory.
Mei Suyao went on: "The current saintess of the Heavenly God Sect is called the Soaring Heavenly Saintess while her aunt is the first wife of this emissary." She looked at him at this point and added: "A while ago, the young king of the Nantian Clan formed a great relationship with the Soaring Heavenly Saintess as well."
"I hear you." Li Qiye smiled and narrowed his eyes: "These old geezers from the Soaring Immortal Sect can't handle the boredom anymore."
"There is a chance that the Soaring Immortal Sect might descend in this generation." She seriously nodded and spoke with gravity: "I heard the sect managed to groom an extremely heaven-defying descendant."
"The descendants from Soaring Immortal have always been extraordinary." Li Qiye did not refute this point. For many generations, the sect's descendants had always been exceptional.
"The ancestors in my sect also received some secret information." Mei Suyao's expression turned austere: "They speculate that this descendant's Immortal Physique is not yet at grand completion, but it might be within a few years."
Grand Completion Immortal Physique — this was a very heavy topic. Rumor has it that at grand completion, its user could assail an Immortal Emperor. If anyone could reach this level in the contemporary times, it would be quite frightening.
"I see, grand completion." Li Qiye only smiled and didn't comment.
Mei Suyao looked at him and continued: "I know Young Noble is unbeatable, but I wonder if I should say one more thing."
"Go for it." He gently nodded.
She maintained her austere demeanor: "It doesn't matter whether you are Evil Buddha or Li Qiye, a few people consider you to be a thorn in their eyes. Some even invited me to join them to eradicate you for a simpler future. I hope you will be careful."
"I can count those who are qualified to work together with you with my fingers. Maybe just two are enough." Li Qiye couldn't help but laugh.
Mei Suyao chuckled in response. She didn't say who it was, but any discerning person could figure it out.
"Girl, I won't take your item without giving something back. Since you have given it to me, I will give you a creation." Before leaving, he told her: "Before entering the lesser world, come find me. I will point you to the right path."
"Thank you, Young Noble." She charmingly bowed: "I speak on behalf of my ancestors when I say: just say the word if you ever need my school for anything. We will assist you at any moment."
"Your old geezers indeed have a little foresight." He laughed and left.
Mei Suyao watched him leave then ordered an elder from the school: "Elder, please go back to the school and bring the other half of the treasure here for Young Noble Li as fast as possible."
The elder acknowledged this command and immediately went to carry it out.
Because Li Shuangyan and the others hadn't come, Li Qiye stayed behind at the Rainflower Terrace again. The moment he arrived, he sent Sikong Toutian a message.
In the shortest amount of time, Sikong Toutian appeared before Li Qiye and immediately spoke: "Boss, you have an order? Is it about the Heavenly God Sect?"
He looked at Sikong Toutian and asked: "Heavenly God Sect? What's going on with them?"
Sikong Toutian answered right away: "Boss, I received a direct message that there has been some friction between Cleansing Incense and Heavenly God. This news has yet to reach the Barren Earth."
"The Heavenly God Sect is quite brave now. They finally can't stay patient anymore." Li Qiye smiled.
"Boss has probably heard about it too. Right now, their backing is even stronger than before. It was the Azure Mysterious Ancient Kingdom back then, and now it’s the Soaring Immortal Sect." Sikong Toutian spoke: "Right now, even the Azure Mysterious Ancient Kingdom has to show the Heavenly God Sect some consideration."
"Not to mention the Soaring Immortal Sect hasn't descended yet, even if they did, I still wouldn't give a damn." Li Qiye freely smiled: "They have already started sharpening their blades before Soaring Immortal is even here. Wait until I return to the Grand Middle Territory, the first thing I will do is destroy their Heavenly God Sect!"
Li Qiye was not worried about Cleansing Incense at this moment. Because of Peng Keng's group, nothing big should happen.
"Just give me the command and I shall be your vanguard, the first to kill my way into the Heavenly God Sect." Sikong Toutian smacked his chest loudly three times.
Li Qiye gave him a look: "Will you be there to kill or to grab the treasures? I definitely believe that you will be the first to charge into the Heavenly God Sect. Their treasury, to be specific."
"Hahaha, Boss, I will be killing and plundering, not stealing!" He didn't blush at all and spoke with incredibly thick skin.
Li Qiye smiled and didn't scold him: "This time, I didn’t call you to tell you to go kill the Heavenly God Sect. I want you to do something else."
"Boss, just say the words. Tell me what you want and I shall carry it out perfectly. You can rest assured when I am the man doing the job." He smacked his chest loudly again and confidently assured Li Qiye.
Femme fatale, Helen of Troy — these would be the localization for this common idiom. ↩ The last line seems really silly in English, but they are all idioms that flow much better in Chinese. Basically, she is saying that she is content to be his friend in a flowery manner. ↩ This will be dependent on the era/dynasty, but women have special gestures that they would perform in China. One example is having both hands placed before their chest then a bow. A lot of examples are shown in the period dramas. ↩Chapter 1041: Soaring Heavenly Saintess
Li Qiye looked at the boasting thief and said: "Okay, stop messing around. This is an important matter."
Sikong Toutian stopped messing around and solemnly stated: "Boss, don't worry, I will definitely successfully carry it out."
Li Qiye asked: "How much time will it take for you to return to the Heaven's Secret Valley?"
Sikong Toutian immediately responded: "How fast do you want, Boss? I can go as fast as you want."
"The fastest." Li Qiye said: "I will give you a deadline of five days, you must return to me. Both ways, got it?"
"Roger, Boss. I'll give you my assurance that I won't need five days to do this, just three for both ways." Sikong Toutian accepted the order.
"Very good, tell the Mortal Monarch to come to me." Li Qiye commanded.
"Uh, that…" Sikong Toutian was jolted: "Boss, call, call for the Mortal Ancestor? This, this might be a bit difficult."
Li Qiye looked at him with one eye and said: "Oh? Didn't you pat your chest and guarantee me earlier?"
The thief smiled wryly and awkwardly spoke: "Boss, you should know that although this little one does have a bit of status at the valley, His Venerable Mortal Ancestor does not come out anymore. He wouldn't answer the call of the other ancestors, let alone a junior like me."
The Mortal Monarch was called the Mortal Ancestor by the disciples in the Heaven's Secret Valley. He was the most ancient ancestor there, completely unfathomable. It could be said that even the disciples there had never seen him before and had only heard of his prestige.
"Take this." Li Qiye took out an item and handed it to him: "Take it to the Mortal Monarch and show it to him. Tell him to come see me right away without error."
He accepted the item that seemed quite normal. However, after hearing Li Qiye, his mind trembled a bit.
The Mortal Monarch was a grand character, yet Li Qiye was speaking with the tone of a commander. How could he not be shocked by this?
He didn't dare to waste words and carefully put away the item. He clasped his fists and said: "Boss, I got it. I shall return within three days." With that, he turned and left.
After his departure, Li Qiye took out the old box he received from Mei Suyao. He took out the item inside for a careful look.
This item was completely fragmented and seemed to have been put together by someone, but the person failed to do so perfectly.
These bits and pieces were only one half of the entire thing. Only when they were perfectly combined with the other half would it be complete again.
In the past, Vedas Vajra obtained it from the Lesser Deva World by complete accident. Li Qiye knew about it a long time ago, but he didn't expect the Vajra to be so lucky to actually get it.
After looking at the pieces, he began to stitch. Of course, he wasn't stitching with fabric and threads but rather extremely tiny strings of universal laws.
It was a meticulous and long process, not to mention being extremely difficult. Each universal law combined and intertwined only to increase the process's difficulty as time went on. It didn't only involve the mysteries of the grand dao but also a secret from the ancient era. There were totems here that the world had never seen before.
Li Qiye locked himself in the room like a seamstress busy at work. Meanwhile, the Buddhist City became quite lively since two pieces of news had spread out.
The first was from an unknown source. Some people believed it came from Spirit Mountain.
"Did you hear? Nalanda wants to open the Evil Den." After this news came out, many people immediately told their friends and seniors.
"Evil Den? Isn't it that fiendish world of the legends? Also known as the Lesser Deva World?" A cultivator heard this from his friend and immediately became excited.
This was a cause for excitement because many people knew that Nalanda opening the Lesser Deva World was a rare opportunity.
"When Nalanda opens its Buddhist gates, the lesser world will be there as well." An old paragon commented: "What's truly interesting is why a powerful existence like Spirit Mountain would allow the Lesser Deva World to exist. Why is it that they want to open the lesser world every generation?"
The older generation that had lived for a long time found it quite strange due to Nalanda's stance on the lesser world.
The second piece of news quietly spread after this one.
"I heard people from the Soaring Immortal Sect are about to enter the Mortal Emperor World." Many sects and cultivators discussed this secret message.
Many people including ancestors quivered after hearing this.
An ancestor couldn't help but murmur: "Is the Soaring Immortal Sect really coming? It's the only giant in the nine worlds that can control each generation."
It was the only sect with five emperors in the nine worlds. Legend states that among the river of time, it had controlled many generations of the nine worlds. It left its mark in history across time itself.
"I heard the sect has not appeared for at least three generations, which is the era of the Black Dragon King. But now, its sudden appearance… don't tell me it wants to groom the next successor to the throne?" A few ancestors discussed it within their group.
In fact, anyone would be alarmed after coming up with this possibility because if the sect truly groomed a successor, no one in the contemporary would be able to compete with them.
"Is a lineage with six emperors about to appear?" An ancestor absent-mindedly mumbled after thinking about it.
"Is it true that the Soaring Immortal Sect is coming to the Mortal Emperor World?" Many people didn't believe this because it hadn't shown itself for three generations.
A well-informed person clarified some points: "It's not certain for now, but an emissary is coming. I heard he went to the Heavenly God Sect already. Also, I heard that the Soaring Heavenly Saintess has arrived at the Buddhist Funeral Plateau."
Sure enough, on the same day, a rainbow swept over the sky. A golden vessel emerged right outside of the Buddhist City and poured down an auspicious light.
It made no effort of containing its overbearing brilliance. It came into the city with great fanfare and zero restraint.
On top of the vessel was a gorgeous woman. She wore a golden robe, making her seem like a golden phoenix perched on a branch. Her brows had an air of arrogance as if she was on top of the world.
Several old men stood right behind her. They emitted a terrifying aura, making it clear that they were paragons that had entered the path of the grand era.
"The Soaring Heavenly Saintess is here." Someone cried out after seeing the woman on the ship.
Many in the city quickly came out to greet her. Among them were leaders and tyrants; there were even Virtuous Paragons from the previous generation.
At this time, even though Jikong Wudi's group of geniuses didn't personally come out for the reception, they still sent their followers to greet her.
"Even Jikong Wudi's group sent disciples to see her, her reputation is quite renowned." Someone was surprised to see this scene.
However, others were full of disdain, especially the young geniuses. One of them sneered: "Hmph, this Soaring Heavenly Saintess, her talents aren't that bad and can even be considered a genius, but she is still far from being a true genius. Just her alone isn't qualified for this grand act. She is simply borrowing the prestige of her backers!"
"Shh, quiet down." His friend immediately stopped him and whispered: "Though the Heavenly God Sect and this saintess might not be all that powerful, no one can mess with her right now. Her aunt married the emissary and she is partially considered a disciple from the Soaring Immortal Sect. Rumor has it that this emissary wants to take her in as a disciple as well! In the future, she will be part of that sect."
"Hmph, then how is she not a fox borrowing the tiger's might?!" The genius saw her pompous attitude while accepting the reception from the sects and big shots. He became very annoyed and sneered.
"We'll just keep this between us." The friend warned him: "I know you're not convinced, but who can provoke the Soaring Immortal Sect? Plus, if she truly joins the sect, she will become a God-Monarch or even a Godking sooner or later with her talents after being taught by the masters there! So, even if you don't like her, don't say it in public lest you offend her. It would be the same as courting death! No one will protect you and risk antagonizing the Soaring Immortal Sect. Your master might be the first one to punish you, got it?"
Despite his grievance and disdain towards the saintess, the genius didn't dare to say anything else.
The saintness that was receiving the grand reception from the other sects and Jikong Wudi's group made many people envious.
Someone spoke with envy: "It's so nice to be able to hug the Soaring Immortal Sect's thighs, just like a carp leaping over the dragon gate and flying to the nine heavens."
Chapter 1042: The Mortal Monarch
Li Qiye continued this embroidery process for two days and three nights before finally doing a good job of sewing the laws together. Looking at the flashing totems in his hand, Li Qiye couldn't help but chuckle. After struggling for so many years, an unknown era had disappeared without anyone knowing.
Even though Sikong Toutian was a carefree fella, he didn't dare to do a sloppy job when it was a task given by Li Qiye. On the third day, he finally returned. However, he was obediently standing behind someone at this time.
The person entered Li Qiye's abode and instantly stared at him from top to bottom carefully. It was more accurate to call this person an iron statue. Other than his head, the rest of his body was made out of an unknown material.
His body emitted a faint silver luster and a cold air found in metal. Even though there were all type of races in this world such as golems and demons, this iron man might be one of a kind.
He was not cast from a particular piece of metal. To be precise, his body was formed from the combination of many exquisite parts.
For example, Li Qiye's Brave Tiger Legion was formed by pouring metal into the same mold. However, this iron man was not created by that process but rather assembled in a sophisticated process beyond imagination.
However, his head was clearly that of a normal person. Judging from his gray hair and beard, he was a man whose age was too old to be determined. Even though his eyes were muddled, there were flashing starry glimmers in their depths with wavy nebulas. Anyone who stared in his eyes would definitely be shocked for they would come to realize his terrifying power.
"Your Excellency…" After taking a good look, the iron man prostrated on the ground with great emotions: "Your Excellency, it really is you!" Excitement was all over his face.
Even though his iron body had turned cold, at this very second, he couldn't control his emotions.
His actions frightened the soul out of Sikong Toutian. He was an obedient child before the iron man and didn't even know where to put his hands.
However, this untouchable Mortal Ancestor in his mind was actually calling Li Qiye "Your Excellency", so how could he not be scared out of his mind?
The iron man was the oldest ancestor in the Mortal King Palace of their Heaven's Secret Valley. He was a supreme existence; many disciples never even had the chance to see him. But now, their valley's ancestor actually prostrated before Li Qiye, leaving Sikong Toutian in complete astonishment.
Li Qiye propped the Mortal Monarch up and smiled: "I'm very happy to be able to see you."
The Mortal Monarch stood up. His decrepit face revealed a touching smile. At this time, he gently waved his sleeve. Sikong Toutian didn't say anything and quietly left.
"I didn't think I would be able to meet Your Excellency again. I thought I would die of old age at the Mortal King Palace." He smiled.
Li Qiye laughed in response: "With your advantages, as long as the valley has sufficient Blood Era Stones, you will be able to live for a long time. I didn't want to disturb you in this generation. After all, it isn't easy to seal you once more…"
"What are you saying, Your Excellency?" He quickly interjected: "My life was given to me by you. Without you, I would only be a pile of scrap iron in the darkness, trying to hold onto my last breath. If you didn't defy the heavens to prolong my life, there would be no me of today or the Heaven's Secret Valley."
Very few people in the present times knew about an existence like the Mortal Monarch, and even fewer knew about a lineage like the valley.
A very long time ago, the monarch was a man made out of iron. During that period, he was broken into little tiny pieces. As he put it, a pile of scrap metal with feeble vitality. Later on, he met Li Qiye. Li Qiye spent countless efforts and finally saved his life and prolonged it.
He was not a human or a demon, not even any of the other races in this world. His origin traces back to a very archaic era. However, the monarch himself knew very little about his own era because he was exiled into the shadows during his youth and had always been sealed. It wasn't until later when he met Li Qiye that he able to see the light of day!
As for that distant era, it had been annihilated long ago and no longer existed.
"No matter what, you have managed to pass down your craft." Li Qiye patted his shoulder and smiled: "Your valley's mechanical prowess can be considered the best in the nine worlds."
The monarch shook his head and said: "Your Excellency is teasing me, it is only a minor trick, it's not enough to get into your eyes."
"No, I actually do need this skill of yours this time." Li Qiye smiled: "I have an item. If I do it myself, I will need a very long time to finish, but time does not wait for me which is why I specifically called for you."
With that, Li Qiye took out the old box and handed it to him. Inside were the scattered parts that were extremely delicate.
The monarch was instantly attracted like a master-level artist immersing himself in an unparalleled work of art.
After a good look, he lifted his head in shock: "Your Excellency, this is…"
With that, he took a deep breath to calm himself: "This, this can only be from that era."
"Yes, only in that era can you find this. To be precise, I want to go to a certain place in the Lesser Deva World." Li Qiye nodded.
"Your Excellency has finally found it?" Even an existence that had lived for so long like him became emotional.
"I'm not sure how I will face it. I have thought about this matter for a very long time, so I am fairly confident." Li Qiye told the monarch: "Do you want to go take a look? Perhaps this will let you understand that era even more."
The monarch pondered for a long time. Eventually, he smiled wryly and said: "I know very little about that era. Some of the things I know were taught by you and the legends from your tales. That era has vanished. I belong in the present, not that destroyed past."
"Really, I have so many children and grandchildren now, what is there in the past for me to yearn for?" He smiled and shook his head: "Just let the past go. I won't try to search for it since I am very satisfied with the present. Tracing the origin is no longer a priority of mine."
"I understand." Li Qiye gently patted his shoulder again. He watched over the Mortal Monarch all this time, how could he not understand him?
At this time, the monarch took another look at the item inside the box before speaking: "Your Excellency, this thing is not complete, it must be missing another half."
"I know, the other half is with the Eternal River School. They should have it here within the next two days." Li Qiye said: "I want you to get it ready as soon as possible. In my opinion, Nalanda will release the Lesser Deva World in the next several days."
The lesser world had always been sealed by Nalanda. Although they would open it in each generation their Buddhist gates opened, they would normally wait for a very long time before doing so.
However, Li Qiye came to Spirit Mountain this time and asked the Radiant Bodhisattva to open it early since there was something he needed inside!
"Hmm, I'm afraid this is difficult for me as well." The monarch stared at the item and said: "Your Excellency, this thing is of the utmost importance and relates to the totems of that era. I can't prepare it well in a short amount of time, I have to understand these totems first before knowing their derivations and transformations."
"I don't have many memories about these totems, so if I wanted to complete it, I will need a very long time." The monarch was ashamed to say: "I'm afraid you will be disappointed."
"You don't have to worry about that." Li Qiye smiled: "I have prepared the totems for you."
With that, he took out the totems that he had been sewing for the last two days.
Seeing the animated totems before him, the monarch became startled and stared at them in disbelief: "Your Excellency, this, where did you get them from?"
"I made it." Li Qiye smiled: "I didn't live all of these years for nothing. After reading many ancient scrolls, I have finally understood a few things from that era. Later on, I went through numerous images so I was able to derive them into these totems. Because there isn't a real one in our possession right now, I had to make them myself."
"Everything should be easy with this." The monarch became excited and spoke: "Don't worry, Your Excellency, I will prepare this for you to the best of my ability!"
"I believe in your ability." Li Qiye gently nodded: "As long as the Eternal River School brings the other half here, we'll have plenty of time."
In the end, the monarch had to ask: "Your Excellency is entering the Lesser Deva World for that item in the legends?"
"Not just for that item." Li Qiye gently shook his head: "I want to know exactly what went on at the very end of time, it would be a good reference point for me. Of course, if that item is still there, then nothing could be better. But if it's not, I won't force the issue."
The monarch softly sighed and didn't say anything else. He began his task.
Li Qiye didn't bother him and left the room.
Outside, Sikong Toutian stood on guard. After seeing Li Qiye, he felt quite awkward and didn't know what to do with his hands.
"My relationship with the monarch is separate from my relationship with you." Li Qiye laughed: "Just act like before."
After hearing this, Sikong Toutian finally heaved a sigh of relief.