Emperor’s Domination

The trio imagined the old street flourishing in the past with carriages and passersby brushing shoulders. They could hear the peddling merchants. Now, a single footstep couldn't be found anywhere.

There was something creepy about this street. They had the feeling that it wasn't a gradual decline throughout the years.

It seemed as if everyone disappeared in the blink of an eye. There were still some stalls, tables, and carts to the side. Daily essentials were still seen inside the houses. Bowls and cups were placed on tables as if the families were about to have a meal.

In front of the street was the neighborhood sign. They looked up and saw three ancient words covered in dust. They were worn down and difficult to read.

Dong Ling looked up and tried his best. He was an expert in this field but couldn't figure out all three: "Revival… something…"

"Revival Emperor City." Li Qiye only needed one glance. [1]

Dong Ling clapped and said: "You're right, it's Revival Emperor City! You're really something else, I spent several years learning the ancient language but can't hold a candle to you…"

However, something flashed in his head and he realized something: "What?! Revival Emperor City?!"

"Isn't, isn't this the famous ghost city in the legends? Shit! How unlucky is this?! I thought that we would be finding a fortune through the portal, not this hellish place!"

"Yes, many never returned after visiting this city, quite perilous." Lu Qi's expression soured as well.

"Perilous is putting it lightly." Dong Ling shuddered with fear: "So many brilliant characters were finished here. I heard that an ancestor from Sea Emperor Sword Kingdom thought that he was strong enough to be unbeatable. When this city appeared in Eastern Sword Sea, he entered alone and no one saw him since."

"A ghost city, I see." Li Qiye couldn't help but smile after listening.

"Yes, people always disappear after coming inside." Dong Ling paused for a bit; his face became pale: "We should leave now, there's nothing good awaiting us here, only death."

He wasn't a coward. This place was just too famous for its bizarre nature. No one knew what was inside so there were rumors of ghosts and evil entities.

Only one thing was for certain - whenever this city appeared, no visitors ever returned. It moved location continuously and without any warning in Sword Continent.

Thus, Revival Emperor City eventually became known as a ghost city. Nonetheless, people were still curious and some always took the risk whenever it appeared again.

Dong Ling was being logical in wanting to leave. Even powerful ancestors have disappeared, let alone them.

"Let's just take things as they come." Li Qiye smiled and sauntered forward.

Lu Qi didn't say a word and followed him.

Dong Ling was left in a tough position. Leaving alone could be dangerous so he made up his mind: "Fine, I'll risk my life and accompany you two. However, let it be known that I might not be able to save you if it gets too dangerous."

Li Qiye glanced at him and remarked: "Your forefathers were more courageous than you."

"You heard about our forefathers?" Dong Ling found this strange.

"A bit, a group of heroes who worked together and created an impressive technique. They were brilliant geniuses." Li Qiye stared ahead while speaking.

"Wow, you know this too? How?" Dong Ling's astonishment only increased.

Their Heaven Silkworm School was mighty in Sword Continent but unlike others, they never had a dao lord.

Moreover, they didn't focus on the sword dao either. They had a vast repertoire of cultivation knowledge since they had a rich history. Some actually believed that they were older than any other power in Sword Continent.

Strangely enough, it never produced a dao lord. Normally, even sects with dao lords might fall after enough time had passed. This wasn't the case for Heaven Silkworm.

Its disciples themselves also lacked knowledge regarding the true origin of their sect. Dong Ling was a top disciple there who had taken in ample knowledge. He knew a few things about the tales of their progenitor as well.

Thus, he was surprised to see an outsider like Li Qiye know so much about his sect.

"Just read and you'll learn a lot." Li Qiye looked back at him and said.

"Can't argue with that." Dong Ling scratched his head.

"Your cultivation isn't that exceptional among the young generation. However, your actual battle potential is impressive. Your imperial dao is wonderful and can pull a fast one on your opponents too." Li Qiye changed the conversation.

"How do you know all of this?!" Dong Ling staggered backward and took a deep breath.

His imperial dao was magical. It might not be the strongest but had plenty of applications in battle. The problem here was that he had never used it before in public.

Few in the sects had knowledge of his training, hence his shock at Li Qiye being privy to this.

"Read more and you'll know everything." Li Qiye chuckled and continued onward.

There was no refuting the logic in this response but it didn't apply here. The tales on their forefathers might be recorded but his personal training? Impossible.

He shuddered and thought that Li Qiye was something else, only needing one glance to see through him. In the beginning, he only paid attention to Lu Qi.

As they traveled together, she appeared to be Li Qiye's maid. It became obvious that Li Qiye was the real monster here. He eventually regained his wits and caught up to the duo.

A while later on the path, they heard cracks and movements.

"Come out here!" Dong Ling was creeped out.

The street started shaking and all of the items came back to life - the broken buildings, the vendors' stands, the carts, and tables…

These non-living things became animated and turned into monsters.

For example, the door of a building became a mouth; the windows turned into eyes, and the flagpole in front became a tail.

1. The character is Su. Su can be a last name or it can mean revive, need more context