Chapter 787: Slaying God-Monarchs
However, Li Qiye was not anxious at all in this situation; it was as if he was enjoying himself. He smilingly said: "In order to achieve your goal, your kingdom is really going all out this time."
This was indeed the case. Imperial blood was priceless and would be gone after a single use! The kingdom's expenditure this time was more than enough to show their determination.
Nevertheless, capturing Li Qiye and obtaining the Phoenix was still worth it for the kingdom even if they had to spend imperial blood!
"I am merciful and will give you one last chance." Li Qiye looked at the monarchs and dismissively said: "Surrender now or suffer the consequences!"
"Stop blustering, I will take you down, brat!" The monarch who fought against Li Qiye last time grimaced. With great murderous intent, his giant hand came grasping at Li Qiye.
Without the Phoenix, Li Qiye was only a junior to him. Even if he was strong, he would only be an ant at best — he couldn't reach the apex.
Li Qiye's eyes turned cold after seeing the oncoming palm. In a split second, Li Qiye's forehead opened. A seal emerged from his sea of memories and instantly lit up the surroundings.
Right when the monarch's hand was about to catch Li Qiye, space suddenly trembled. A fair hand flew out from the deepest location of the Alchemy Kingdom's ancestral ground. It lingered in the sky and flicked one finger.
"Pluff!" This monarch couldn't even react. He was instantly obliterated into a bloody mist.
This white hand continued to press forward and unleashed a strike onto the cage. One could only see the five slender, jade-like fingers crushing down on it. "Pop!" The cage that was trapping the Phoenix was instantly shattered. Even the imperial chains could not stop the hand from breaking the cage.
"Impossible…" This sudden development frightened everyone. Those who saw it with their own eyes lost their minds!
A monarch was rendered into mist with the flick of a finger. The cage strengthened by imperial blood mouldered after just one touch. What a horrifying twist of events!
Before people could recover, this white hand disappeared. No one knew where it came from or who it belonged to.
"Little animal, you used an evil art!" As the crowd was still trembling, the two God-Monarchs regained their sanity. With a dignified battle cry, they used their fastest speed to try to kill Li Qiye.
"Screech!" The two monarchs simply had no chance to get close to him. The Phoenix immolated myriad realms and instantly engulfed the two!
"Ahh!" Miserable screams filled the air. The two monarchs couldn't block the flames of the Phoenix. In a short period of time, this flame burned them into ashes!
They were too arrogant and certain of their victory, so they didn't bring imperial true treasures from their ancestral ground. Because of this, they were no match for the Phoenix!
"Let us begin!" Li Qiye stood there calmly. The seal from his sea of memories grew even more radiant and dazzling!
"Rumble!" A horrifying event occurred as if something was tearing apart the ancestral ground. The grand vein sealed underground instantly appeared.
In just a moment, a series of immortal sounds echoed. An endless immortal energy soared to the sky like a geyser. Moreover, boundless worldly essence rushed out. There were images of True Dragons, auras of Godkings, and figures of immortal medicines…
Everyone was aghast after seeing this. One of them calmed down with drool dripping down and commented: "This is the best essence of the kingdom's ancestral ground!"
This was the best thing this world had to offer. Just one jar was enough for a lifetime!
The flying Phoenix opened its mouth and sucked in the immortal energy and worldly essence. All the different images were swallowed as well. After the best essence of this world was devoured by the bird, its flame grew even hotter and illuminated the entire sky dome!
No one knew what was going on. The kingdom's ancestral ground suddenly split open by itself and revealed the ancestral vein. This was simply impossible to fathom.
The ancestral ground of any nation was definitely protected by countless seals and fortifications, let alone a behemoth like the Alchemy Kingdom! But at this minute, it seemed as if all of its fortifications lost their functionality.
"Boom!" At this moment, three stalwart and unrivaled figures appeared inside the kingdom. The moment these three figures appeared, myriad realms lost their brilliance. The entire Stone Medicine World seemed to be a tiny boat among turbulent waves.
Everyone in the world, even the most ancient existences sealed underground, was jolted into awareness. This aura was truly terrifying.
Above the sky were invincible Immortal Emperors. They loomed over the world and swept across time. The three figures emerged and caused all living beings in the Alchemy Kingdom to drop to the ground. Even the Alchemy Realm and perhaps all of the Stone Medicine World had their inhabitants worshiping fearfully.
"Immortal Emperors! The Alchemy Kingdom's three emperors!" A pale ancestor exclaimed in horror.
Three emperors came out at the same time. This was beyond everyone's imagination! Immortal Emperor Yao Zu, Immortal Emperor Bi Shi, and Immortal Emperor Zhuo Huo shocked the realms. Any existence would be trembling with trepidation! 1
Of course, these were not the real emperors but only avatars they left behind. Unless there was no other choice, their avatars would not appear.
The three of them worked together to stop the essence escaping from the ancestral vein! To the Alchemy Kingdom, this was their truest foundation. As long as the vein continued to exist, so would the kingdom!
"Buzz!" It seemed that time-space had been reversed. In the deepest parts of the kingdom infinitely close to the Alchemy Vein's source, a location beyond the ancestral ground, one transcendent figure could be found standing there.
This was a lady with her face hidden! Step by step, she headed into the kingdom's ancestral ground. The moment she arrived, myriad realms prostrated.
Images of the nine worlds and myriad realms emerged with her appearance. The heavenly grand dao were all beneath her feet. It seemed that since the start of time, she was the sole sovereign!
"It is her…" Even the most ancient existences sleeping underground were horrified to see this lady; it was as if they were back in that old era.
Back during that time, the nine worlds trembled and all the races worshiped her. No matter how strong one might be or how invincible their lineage was, they couldn't reach the apex in her presence. A flick of her finger was enough to destroy the eternal river of time!
The inhabitants of this world kneeled in great reverence. Her appearance made the situation even more terrifying. Three emperors and one lady forced everyone to kneel on the ground.
The lady was about to tear the ancestral ground to pieces, but the three unrivaled figures took action to suppress her. This level of pressure was unbelievably daunting and was capable of destroying stars or shattering the Stone Medicine World itself.
The lady remained unafraid against this pressure. She flipped her palm, causing myriad laws to bow down! There were only two words in this world that could describe her invincibility with the flip of her palm — Emperor Suppression!
Even if the emperors were in this world, this lady would still be able to suppress them. It was as if no one had ever been able to block her path!
The three figures didn't dare to take the initiative against this imperial suppression. They lifted their hands as three true treasures from the kingdom flew out into their grasp.
With the true treasures under their control, the might of these emperors reached the highest level. The entire world shook before their power as if it could collapse at any time.
"This is insane! Are they trying to destroy the entire world?!" Even the oldest existences were scared out of their wits while the rest of the world quivered.
"Is this a fight between emperors?" The people prostrating on the ground started to pray for this battle to not start. Its inception would result in the destruction of not just the Alchemy Kingdom, but the entire Alchemy Realm or even the whole world.
The lady flipped her palm once more and instantly grasped the entire ancestral vein. The endless worldly energy and essences all flowed towards her, allowing her to reach her peak state!
Despite having their true treasures, the three figures didn't dare to attack. The reason was very simple, the moment they attacked with their weapons, it wouldn't only hit the lady, but also destroy the ancestral vein! That would signal the end of the kingdom. Once it escalated to this level, what was the point of winning or losing?
"Please spare the Alchemy Kingdom, my lord…" As the kingdom's fate was hanging by a thread, an old figure appeared inside the endless light of the kingdom.
This old figure called towards Li Qiye, shaking Li Qiye to the core.
"My lord, please spare the Alchemy Kingdom." This old figure continued to cry out and raised an item while kneeling on the ground.
Li Qiye's expression relaxed after seeing the kneeling old figure and the item in his hands. Eventually, he softly sighed. Li Qiye felt a bit down; the seal inside his sea of memories slowly withdrew as his forehead closed.
"Nevermind, forgive them." Li Qiye felt a bit emotional at this moment.
The lady in the far distance glanced at Li Qiye. He also looked back at her. When the two gazes met, it seemed that time itself traveled to the ancient past!
However, after tens of millions of years, everything had changed and all were gone!
787 TeaserHowever, Li Qiye was not anxious at all in this situation; it was as if he was enjoying himself. He smilingly said: "In order to achieve your goal, your kingdom is really going all out this time."
This was indeed the case. Imperial blood was priceless and would be gone after a single use! The kingdom's expenditure this time was more than enough to show their determination.
Nevertheless, capturing Li Qiye and obtaining the Phoenix was still worth it for the kingdom even if they had to spend imperial blood!
"I am merciful and will give you one last chance." Li Qiye looked at the monarchs and dismissively said: "Surrender now or suffer the consequences!"
"Stop blustering, I will take you down, brat!" The monarch who fought against Li Qiye last time grimaced. With great murderous intent, his giant hand came grasping at Li Qiye.
Without the Phoenix, Li Qiye was only a junior to him. Even if he was strong, he would only be an ant at best — he couldn't reach the apex.
Li Qiye's eyes turned cold after seeing the oncoming palm. In a split second, Li Qiye's forehead opened. A seal emerged from his sea of memories and instantly lit up the surroundings.
Right when the monarch's hand was about to catch Li Qiye, space suddenly trembled. A fair hand from the deepest location of the Alchemy Kingdom's ancestral ground flew out. It lingered in the sky and flicked one finger.
[collapse] Alchemy Ancestor, Stone Prison, Brightflame. ↩Chapter 788: The Kingdom's Surrender
One glance as long as an eternity; millions of years passed in just a moment. The blue sea had turned into mulberry fields, and all were gone like dispersing smoke.
Back in those days, crying and smiling, losing in dark times yet still persistently treading forward, never admitting defeat until the apex, eternal invincibility… All of this had become meaningless.
Back in those days, during her moments of tears, he silently stood by her side. When she swept through myriad realms, he was a quiet companion.
Then one day when they stood at the peak with no opposition, the two of them broke apart the firmament and went their separate ways to never see each other again.
While gazing at the woman in the distance that was capable of causing the nine worlds to give birth to strange phenomena by materializing realms, Li Qiye was at a loss for words. The past was so far away and this world was a source of so much pain…
Regardless of the reason of how they became strangers from then on, Li Qiye tried not to pay it any mind. To him, time could grind away all things! Eventually, he gently sighed. There was no need for words; all was gone with the wind!
Inside Alchemy City were countless cultivators kneeling on the ground. Under the invincible auras, all were fearful. However, many were still shocked to see the old figure kneeling inside the ancestral ground.
"He is…" A great existence from the distance saw the figure and murmured. Many disciples and masters from the kingdoms as well as ancestors were shaken while they continued to prostrate on the ground.
Eventually, Li Qiye gently nodded towards the woman as a greeting. No one could see her face, but it seemed that they were able to hear a soft sigh from the distant past.
The woman raised her palm to the sky. Before everyone could calm down, they were instantly transported out of Alchemy City. Both young cultivators and current ancestors lost control of their bodies in this process.
Such a development shocked everyone. Even Virtuous Paragons couldn't resist this forceful transfer. There were no portals, yet her slight gesture was enough to move all of them away.
The spectators in the city were not the only ones sent away, even Madam Zi Yan and Yuan Caihe were gone as well.
The woman disappeared at this time along with the three unrivaled figures from the ancestral ground.
Inside the ancestral ground, all echelons of disciples quietly stepped away. On the mountain was only an old, prostrating figure.
Li Qiye stepped inside the ancestral ground and went towards the mountain where this old figure was located. This was an old man on the verge of death. It could be said that his lifespan was nearly depleted, having almost no time left.
He knelt there while raising something with both hands. It was a cauldron with an ordinary appearance. It resembled stone and metal but was made from neither.
"Hundred-Life, oh Hundred-Life, you keep on using this trick over and over again." Sentiments rose in Li Qiye's heart as he gently sighed while looking at the kneeling old man.
"My lord, you can call me Shi Qian." The old man spoke sincerely. He acted as a junior before Li Qiye.
"It's fine, I would rather call you Hundred-Life." Li Qiye gently shook his head: "If my memory serves me correctly, you did this before back then when I wanted to destroy your kingdom."
"I know." The old man nodded earnestly: "My lord bestowed this cauldron to me and showed me great kindness. I have never forgotten this."
"Okay, rise. You are old now, so there is no need to kneel." Li Qiye sighed again: "I didn't forgive your kingdom in the past because I gave you this cauldron. Today, I shall forgive your kingdom once more, but it's also unrelated to this cauldron."
"Although I am one who cherishes old sentiments, this cauldron alone is not enough for me to value them this highly!" Li Qiye dismissively said: "I forgave the kingdom in the past and I shall do so again this time not because of this cauldron, but because of you! Because I trust and think highly of you."
The old man stood up and candidly spoke: "I will never forget my lord's kindness. If my lord didn't teach me back then, I would have no future."
"There is no need for this." Li Qiye waved his sleeve: "Gold will always shine no matter the location. I simply noticed that you were teachable, so I casually taught you a thing or two, that was all." Li Qiye looked at the old man and continued: "How much longer do you think you can live for? One or ten years? Or rather, how much longer can you be buried underground? Another generation, ten more, or one hundred more?"
The old man remained silent for a long time with no response.
Li Qiye lightly said: "You can protect the Alchemy Kingdom for one generation, but will you be able to protect it forever? For a million years, you struggled on in this manner! Yes, your kingdom is a behemoth so its group of geezers has become restless! Honestly, I don't mind, but do you really think that someone from this group of senile old men would be able to start a reform like Immortal Emperor Bi Shi?"
The old man eventually composed himself and gently sighed to say: "My lord, in the end, I am old with not much time left. Being buried underground is the only method for me to survive, so after many generations, I have not been able to contribute to my people."
"So you didn't mind wasting an incalculable amount of essences and treasures of the kingdom to allow Ming Yexue to come into being?" Li Qiye smiled.
The old man wryly smiled: "Whether or not Yexue can become an Immortal Emperor is not important to me. I only hope for her to be like Forefather Bi Shi and bring about change to the Alchemy Kingdom, another reformation!"
"Yexue belongs to me. I always had confidence in her. If I was not here in this generation, then she would surely become the Immortal Emperor. However, I am here, so I shall take her away to the place where Immortal Emperors should go!" Li Qiye uttered.
"I'm too old and won't have the chance to go take a look." The old man was dejected and sighed in disappointment.
Li Qiye shook his head and smiled: "I hold you in high regard even now. You had the ability to become the Immortal Emperor back then. Alas, you were born in the wrong era. To be in the same generation as Hong Tian is a predestined tragedy. Even someone with peerless talents back then didn't have a chance."
"No one could do anything during the overwhelming era of the Empress." The old man said: "Although I competed for the Heaven's Will with the Empress, I lost convincingly. Even if the Empress didn't claim the throne to suppress myriad realms, no one would have been able to overcome her during that era anyway." His expression turned into one of admiration after saying this.
"Unfortunately, the Alchemy Kingdom did not have the same thoughts as you!" Li Qiye commented: "Otherwise, I wouldn't have let Hong Tian suppress your kingdom for an eternity!"
The old man smiled bitterly, and a long silence ensued. If Li Qiye didn't show mercy back then, the kingdom would have ceased to exist. This was something he would always remember.
Li Qiye looked at the ancestral ground and slowly said: "I have not set foot on this land for a long time, let us take a look."
The old man did not object and immediately went with Li Qiye to enjoy the beautiful sceneries.
This place had been split apart earlier, but it was perfect once more without any signs of damage. Even the shattered earth had recovered in just a short period of time.
This was the magical property of this land that hid the Alchemy Vein. Although the kingdom's ancestral ground was not the source of the vein, Immortal Emperor Yao Zu used a great method to connect this place to the Alchemy Vein so that the kingdom could enjoy the focused essence of this world.
Although it was far from being comparable to the source, it was already incredible. It was difficult for the kingdom to not become powerful when it occupied such a location!
Sacred Springs were overflowing as they walked throughout this land. One could see treasure grasses in every corner and spirit birds soaring in the sky. One could be sure that there were divine turtles diving to the bottom of the rivers…
It was a peaceful and holy land. Anyone would be overwhelmed with greed after seeing this priceless earth. Treasures were everywhere along with bountiful spirit medicines. Herbs that eluded the world were abundant in this land!
The old man took Li Qiye everywhere to view the ancestral ground's beauty while the kingdom's disciples quickly hid without daring to come out. Even its ancestors didn't dare to breathe loudly at this moment.
No one was stronger than this old man before them. The majority of the ancestors in the kingdom were only juniors to him! All of them held him with reverence. Even Ancestor Wushuang, who was older than this old man, was very respectful to him.
Only the ancestor level characters knew about this old man's earth-shattering identity. Very few people in this world even knew that he was still alive.
If outsiders knew about his identity, they would be frightened breathless or even scared to death.
The other ancestors were trembling in fear. When even their forefather kneeled down, they wouldn't dare to oppose Li Qiye any longer. Among them, only two of the oldest ones knew what was going on.
They thought about the past and grew even more fearful. They commanded that no one bother the forefather and Li Qiye. Any who watched or listened without permission was to be killed without exception. They understood that their kingdom had finally provoked a legendary taboo just like back then when the kingdom faced complete destruction!
Chapter 789: Hundred-Life Alchemy Emperor
After knowing Li Qiye's real identity, the two old ancestors were distressed. They secretly prayed and hoped that Li Qiye would forgive the Alchemy Kingdom out of consideration for their forefather. Otherwise, the kingdom would have to face an existential crisis…
The old man and Li Qiye continued to appreciate the ancestral ground in tranquility. Only the two of them were slowly strolling across this land.
In the Alchemy Kingdom, this old man was the strongest existence, and only Ancestor Wushuang was older than him.
No one knew his real name, but the title Hundred-Life Alchemy Emperor absolutely reverberated across the entire Stone Medicine World and even all nine worlds.
In that era, the Hundred Life Alchemy Emperor was considered an existence that could become the second Immortal Emperor Yao Zu, a person who was both an Immortal Emperor and an Alchemy Emperor!
Alas, he was born in the same generation as Empress Hong Tian. The tragedy was predestined, so he ultimately couldn't become the Immortal Emperor.
Back in that era, many viewed him with high chances of becoming the emperor. However, in the battle for the Heaven's Will, he was utterly defeated by Empress Hong Tian and lost his chance from then on.
Of course, the world did not know that at an even earlier time when he was a very young teen, he had met Li Qiye in his Dark Crow form!
The Dark Crow at that time truly valued the alchemy emperor. He had the highest aptitude regarding the dao of alchemy, as if he was born for this path. Li Qiye gifted him a cauldron and taught him some alchemy as well. Later on, for a plethora of reasons, Li Qiye left the Stone Medicine World.
By chance, the Hundred-Life Alchemy Emperor joined the Alchemy Kingdom and became its disciple. His cultivation soared after this, and he eventually became its main descendant. During this period, he enjoyed illustrious fame as a genius.
Later on, he became an Emperor Candidate and fought against Hong Tian. The rest of the story was already told.
This defeat perhaps was not a bad thing for the alchemy emperor. After leaving the battle for the Heaven's Will, he focused on the dao of alchemy to eventually become an extraordinary alchemy emperor. Some even said that in the dao of alchemy, he was definitely comparable to the Alchemy Kingdom's progenitor, Immortal Emperor Yao Zu.
He created many miracles for the dao of alchemy as an emperor and was praised by the nine worlds as its supreme alchemist. A very long time later, he disappeared from the world.
Future generations all thought that he had died, but a very few knew that he was still alive and was buried in the deepest parts of the kingdom, never to show himself again. Even the kingdom's disciples didn't know that they still had a living alchemy emperor.
Only ancestor-level characters knew that they still had an Alchemy Emperor who was also an Emperor Candidate!
An Emperor Candidate was an existence recognized by the Heaven's Will. The path of the grand era had Godkings while the equivalent of this on the path of the heavens were Emperor Candidates!
Eventually, the Hundred-Life Alchemy Emperor and Li Qiye climbed to the highest peak of the ancestral ground to gaze at a distant location. However, that area was engulfed in worldly essence and endless laws, so no one could see through it.
After a looking at it for a while, Li Qiye emotionally uttered: "The three vein sources… Numerous invincible existences had wanted to understand their origins and mysteries throughout the years, but how many were successful?"
"My lord knows more about the three sources than anyone else in this world." The Hundred-Life Alchemy Emperor replied. This was not mere flattery but the simple truth.
Li Qiye only smiled and didn't deny this claim: "I will definitely take a trip there in this generation!" His eyes narrowed after saying this.
"My lord has regained your body in this generation, so you will be able to create an eternal legend." The alchemy emperor sighed disappointedly: "Alas, I am old and won't be able to go, or else I would follow you by your side."
Someone as capable as the emperor had used all kinds of means to increase his lifespan, including immortal medicines. To increase the longevity of someone of his level was harder than reaching for the heavens.
Li Qiye continued to gaze at the farthest area and was lost in silence as if immersed in old memories.
After a while, the alchemy emperor softly said: "My lord, you will definitely go to that place in the future."
"Yes, I will go there again!" Li Qiye spoke solemnly: "The Black Dragon King paid a huge price for me to regain this bag of skin. If I don't go to that place, then it would all be for naught. I will sweep through that place in this generation and suppress the heavens!"
The alchemy emperor dejectedly sighed once more: "The Black Dragon King suddenly headed for battle and invaded the Immortal Demon Grotto back then. The battle came too suddenly. Once I found out about it, it was already over so I couldn't lend him a hand."
"After going to that place, I will personally visit the grotto. All things should come to an end." Li Qiye awe-inspiringly spoke.
"On the day of my lord's assault on the grotto, just send the command and I shall answer your call!" The emperor spoke sonorously.
He always kept his debt to Li Qiye in his mind. He was never given the chance to repay it, so he was determined to do so in this generation.
"If necessary, I will let you know." Li Qiye gently nodded.
After a long silence, the emperor asked: "Back then when you two went your separate ways, the empress once came back to the Stone Medicine World. My lord should know as well; although the empress is very proud, she still never forgot about you."
Only the Hundred-Life Alchemy Emperor would dare to say something like this in front of Li Qiye. Ordinary people wouldn't have the courage, but of course, ordinary people wouldn't have the opportunity to know this inside story either.
"I know, I didn't come back to the Stone Medicine World later on because I didn't want to see her." Sadness filled his heart as Li Qiye gently sighed: "Hong Tian wanted to see me before departing, but she…"
He couldn't help but become melancholic. This memory had been covered in dust for many years now: "She is a stubborn child. She didn't give up even at the very end…"
"My lord has laboriously worked for the nine worlds." The emperor became wistful as well. Others didn't know about Li Qiye's tales, but he knew quite a few things.
"This is still a world under my protection." Li Qiye said with a hint of forlorn in his voice: "Hong Tian was not going to give in, and I would never nod my head either. A meeting would just result in another fight, so what's the point? For me, Min Ren, Hong Tian, and even Qian Li and Lil' Blacky, they were all disciples personally groomed by me. They were talented with unique personalities and emotions. I trained them for my sake, but I also hoped that they could grow up to become invincible…"
"If I was there by his side, I wouldn't want Lil' Blacky to do as he did." Li Qiye's expression dimmed.
"Those in this world who know about my lord all think that you are the dark hand across the eons, but who actually knows about your sacrifices and what you’ve abandoned after millions of years?" The emperor lamented.
"The world's view of me is not important." Li Qiye nonchalantly said: "I want those by my side to walk on an extraordinary path. The world thinks that becoming an Immortal Emperor is the final destination, but in my eyes, it is only the beginning of the journey."
"My lord must have considered this issue when you didn’t meet the Empress back then as well." The emperor responded.
"Hong Tian had always been stubborn, so I hope that she has given up on that idea." Li Qiye smiled bitterly: "Although I didn't see her journey with my own eyes, I know that she will keep on being amazing. She's an incomparable girl!"
The emperor didn't say anything back and only stood there by Li Qiye's side.
Li Qiye glanced over the land that so many coveted and dismissively said: "Your Alchemy Kingdom occupies such a good place. It is understandable that pride and arrogance eventually surfaced."
The emperor wryly smiled in response: "The younger generation does not know the immensity of the heaven and earth. They think that the moment they show themselves, they would be able to sweep through the nine worlds. Regarding our kingdom violating the oath of past, I will give my lord an acceptable answer."
"Hundred-Life." Li Qiye smiled and shook his head: "To be blunt, do I really care about their mischief? At best, it is only a pebble in the river of time that continues to flow. For me, those who block my path shall be killed without mercy!
"If your kingdom continues to choose not to comply with the oath of past, then how long do you think it can last? Bing Yu, Ming Du, Qian Li and the others… The moment your kingdom tried to do anything back then, it would have met one of them! At that point, it would be completely annihilated! Even if you continue to live, Hundred-Life, how many more times can you plead to me, and how many more times will I choose to forgive your Alchemy Kingdom?"
Li Qiye looked at the Alchemy Emperor at his side before continuing: "This land has made many people drool in greed for countless years now! These words might be difficult to hear right now, but I did want to let my people build an eternal foundation on this land. However, I didn't carry this thought out. The first reason is back then, your group of old geezers was a bit sensible. The other was out of consideration for you, so I didn't attack your kingdom."
"My lord, I understand." The emperor smiled bitterly: "After a long period of reclusion, the juniors felt that they had accumulated sufficient strength to sweep through the nine worlds. They have never seen your hallowed aura engulfing the nine worlds or your god-slaying miracles."
"Hundred-Life." Li Qiye wistfully responded: "I won't bother with dealing the punishment this time. You don't have much time left, so use it wisely to reform your kingdom. Otherwise, I won't be so considerate the next time the kingdom gets in my way."
Chapter 790: The Curtain Falls
The alchemy emperor consented: "I will pass the lineage down to Yexue and hope that she will be able to grasp the kingdom to bring about a new administration. Perhaps in the future, it will be a brand new Alchemy Kingdom."
"I can give you time." Li Qiye glanced at the alchemy emperor: "But in the future when I pave the way, I will take Yexue with me. Because of this, you must be decisive lest internal turmoil become a problem. When that time comes, don't blame me for not giving you sufficient time."
The alchemy emperor breathed in deeply and gently nodded: "My life is nearly over. I won't be able to hold on for much longer, so I will pass on my legacy to Yexue in this generation. I have already planned to reform the kingdom. Recently, during my previous meditation session, I have solved some mysteries and was able to recover some vitality, thus I have decided to come into being for this generation!"
"Do a good job of preparing for the future." Li Qiye gently sighed as well. If the alchemy emperor chose to not be buried in this generation, then this meant that he would die from old age. It was difficult to say how much longer he would live for. This came down to his own willpower.
His acquaintances and those who stood by his side left one by one under the merciless flow of time. Nevertheless, time was able to grind away all pain. Li Qiye had grown accustomed to the numbness. No one was truly immortal in the endless river of time.
The alchemy emperor went silent as well. As an Alchemy Emperor, he was able to increase his own lifespan many times. However, a person must eventually taste death; there is no chance for rebirth. He couldn't elude death, no one could. However, he was prepared to face his own mortality when the time comes. It was just a matter of time.
"There is one thing that you need to prepare for. I want to enter the Drystone Courtyard to reach the land of origin." Li Qiye spoke after a moment of silence. He glanced towards the far depths of the Alchemy Vein once more. That place was full of mysteries and unknowns.
"My lord has that item now?" The alchemy emperor followed his gaze as well.
Li Qiye gently shook his head: "I'm only going there to take a look. It is only to test a theory of mine and requires me to personally go there for verification. As for entering the origins of the three veins, I'll come up with a way when the time comes."
The Alchemy Vein's land of origin was also known the three veins' origin. This was because there were three ancestral veins in the Stone Medicine World: the Alchemy Vein, the Beast Vein, and the Stone Vein. They were the reason why this world turned into three realms.
Rumor has it that the mysticisms and amazing essences from the three veins all came from the same location. However, this location had remained a mystery all the way until now.
For millions of years, powerful existences had tried to find it by rigorously searching the three veins. However, few were successful. Even Immortal Emperors were not necessarily able to enter the origin of the three veins. No one knew where this land full of mysteries and surprises was located or what was waiting within.
"I will make preparations, my lord." The alchemy emperor nodded: "However, my lord should be aware that although we have a shortcut straight to the Drystone Courtyard, its success rate is very low even for our Immortal Emperors. I can't guarantee anything either, so my lord should be prepared for failure."
"I know, but it is still worth a shot. Failure doesn't matter, I still have other methods." Li Qiye agreed.
Outside of the ancestral ground were spectators shocked from the forceful teleportation. Many people realized that it was an incredible technique that belonged only to Immortal Emperors.
However, one didn't exist in present times. The majority of them speculated that this was something an emperor left behind during their own era. Of course, no one knew the exact details.
One day passed. Those who were more daring returned to Alchemy City. People were still anxious with trepidation because one misstep could result in death.
The first arrivals heaved sighs of relief. Nothing had happened and the city looked the same. When they gazed towards the ancestral ground in the far distance, it remained tranquil and still; there were no signs of a big event occurring.
The crowd grew curious as to what the ending of this storm was. How would Li Qiye and the kingdom's feud conclude?
Although everyone wanted an answer, it remained a mystery. No one dared to pry into it for fear of both the kingdom and Li Qiye. They didn't want to get in trouble with either party.
Another big question was Li Qiye's background. Why was it that he had such methods and incredible techniques?!
With the conclusion of this battle, he was the reason why people quivered; he was the one who left many questions in their minds. Who knew how he had such heaven-defying means? The world didn't even know of his true strength.
Ever since his first appearance, no one had seen him personally take action. Until now, he was able to smilingly destroy all his enemies without even lifting a finger.
And so, numerous discussions rose around this focal point. Many sects wondered about his cultivation. Some speculated that it had reached an unfathomable level.
There were also those who thought that Li Qiye's cultivation was ordinary and that he relied on a supreme dao of alchemy to control all things, including the heaven and earth. This allowed him to have many different methods, such as wood mastery and insect mastery… Many had witnessed these two wondrous techniques with their own eyes.
This speculation was very popular since the techniques from the dao of alchemy exceeded their imagination.
Both his admirers and even some haters, especially the alchemists, hoped that Li Qiye would reach the peak and become an Alchemy Emperor. Many alchemists considered Li Qiye to be their pride, their aspiration!
Although alchemists had always been well-respected in the Stone Medicine World, there was a notion that alchemists had inferior battle capabilities. This made many alchemists quite unhappy.
Despite having many techniques, an alchemist's true power could only be exerted once they were at the legendary level! However, once they reached this level, there was no need for the alchemist to personally take action since their words were able to rally great support! To the chagrin of this group, this only further exacerbated the misconception of weak alchemists. However, Li Qiye's showing of his supreme alchemy techniques before the world proved that alchemists could sweep through all things.
The alchemists became excited because of this, so they viewed Li Qiye as their pride and hoped that he could become an emperor. They hope to see their new Alchemy Emperor rampaging through the nine worlds in the future! This would be the most glorious event for all alchemists.
Many people in the present felt that Li Qiye was definitely going to become an Alchemy Emperor. Although the time it took him to rise to fame had been short, they held him in high regard.
In this world, the best candidates for this position were the four prodigies. However, Cao Guoyao and the White Hair Alchemy God had lost to Li Qiye and died in the end. As for the other two, Yuan Caihe did not compete with the world and had no ambition for the throne while the Alchemy Kingdom's Mu Qiao was even more reclusive. Plus, rumor has it that he was only good at physique paste refinement.
Thus, the new consensus was that Li Qiye was the new Alchemy Emperor of this generation. After the conflict, Li Qiye had become the newest star in the Alchemy Kingdom in just one night. His quick ascent allowed him to directly catch up to the number one in the Stone Medicine World — Ye Qingcheng!
"If Ye Qingcheng is to become the Immortal Emperor of this generation, then Li Qiye will surely become the Alchemy Emperor!" Someone made this claim regarding Li Qiye's future. This made his fame even more prominent and widespread!
Others from different areas also came for questions after Alchemy City calmed. However, the ancestral ground remained quiet. Li Qiye did not show himself, so no one dared to inquire about the end of this conflict.
However, there was finally good news after just a few short days. The kingdom's people finally showed themselves. The anticipated alchemy conference had finally begun!
The conference's organizers consisted of the kingdom's nobles with the Observant Monarch as the chief executive. Besides the judges from the great powers, the Alchemy Kingdom also sent an elder to preside over the conference.
This news was a breath of relief. The issue between Li Qiye and the kingdom was no longer important; the start of the conference meant that at the very least, this conflict was finally over.
Although some people wanted to see even more excitement, they recalled the time when the auras of Immortal Emperors erupted. Their ferocious battle caused them to jitter in fear. After personally experiencing that destructive peril, no one wanted another battle to take place. If it did come down to another battle of this caliber, the entire kingdom might sink and cause the Alchemy Realm to collapse. Should this happen, the entire world would be affected as well. No one wished to see such a catastrophe.