Emperor’s Domination

Tie Jian also came forward and prostrated before Li Qiye: "We can never pay you back for what you have given us, Young Noble. If you ever need anything, just say the word and Daoist Sword Ground will jump into an inferno for you."

He had given them back their missing heavenly sword, War God. This alone was enough to make up for many generations of regrets.

Many members in history did everything they could in order to search for the sword. Now, their wish has finally come true.

At this point, the crowd was envious of those eligible to have an audience with Li Qiye and show their respect.

He has firmly established himself as the number one cultivator in Sword Continent, possessing the most power and authority.

Thus, being able to speak with him and earning a gift would result in a lifetime of benefits. Daoist Peng was perhaps the best example. He regained Myriad Era and no one would dare to think about opposing his Everlasting Courtyard henceforth.

Some hidden masters regretted their passivity and indecisiveness. When Li Qiye first appeared, they had many chances of befriending or supporting him.

He was just a nobody then so they could have entered his inner circle. This was the case for Xu Yiyun and the others, and they were handsomely rewarded for their choice.

Now, he stood at the apex and it was too late for them to curry favor and climb up the branch.

"What is on your mind?" Li Qiye asked Hallowed City Lord as people came to offer their respect.

"Young Noble, I am old and have no desire other than to live in peace for my remaining years." The lord smiled.

While being just below the overlord level, he disguised himself as A'zhi in order to serve Li Qiye. One must admit that his vision and insight were far above the overlords themselves, not to mention being humble enough to act as a nameless follower.

"No desire is the toughest desire to have." Li Qiye said.

"I see, Young Noble." He bowed towards Li Qiye.

"As long as your heart remains the same, the dao won't be out of reach regardless of the passage of time. Don't give up so early." Li Qiye nodded.

Li Qiye's casual comment carried enough weight to change the lord's perspective. He saw stars illuminating the dark path.

He certainly had desires before but lacked confidence. His cultivation improvement slowed down drastically as well. Given his advanced age, this meant that he was simply waiting for death. However, being with Li Qiye changed his perspective. The ultimate master told him that it wasn't an impossibility.

This made him spirited again and seemingly younger. The future wasn't that grim after all.

"Thank you for your guidance, Young Noble." He bowed again.

With that, he turned towards the group and said: "We'll meet again if it's meant to be." Having said that, he disappeared into the next region of Sword Burial Ground.

The group continued to bow until he was long gone.

"Goodbye, Young Noble." Ning Zhu was emotional since she didn't know if they would be able to meet again. She thought that picking him was the wisest decision in her life.

With his departure, she realized that she was only an insect while he was a true dragon. She couldn't keep up with him and could only watch the dragon soaring in the air, calling for rain and thunder…

Some became curious about Li Qiye's goal.

"Why is he going there?" An expert asked.

"Will he challenge the ominous beings of the burial ground?" A high elder responded.

"It could be the legendary immortal sword too. He already has Finality, maybe he needs a weapon even stronger than the heavenly blades, a better match for all nine dao together." A big shot speculated.

Others exchanged glances and found logic in this. After all, Li Qiye's sword dao was perfect. The immortal sword might add wings to the tiger.

The legends of the immortal sword had been around for many eras. His current search was understandable.

"No, the real question is, who the hell is he?" An ancient ancestor focused on something else instead.

His knowledgeable friends fell into rumination regarding Li Qiye's true identity.

Unfortunately, no one had an answer since Li Qiye was shrouded in fog. They only knew that he wasn't from any of the current lineages in Sword Continent.

What about being a simple vagabond or from an unknown sect? They thought that this was unlikely.

In order to reach the peak as a vagabond, one would need to embark on a bloody path with numerous battles. The path of those with humble beginnings wasn't as smooth. In that scenario, he would have been famous long ago.

Alas, Li Qiye seemingly appeared out of nowhere as if he wasn't one of them.

"A descended immortal?" Another had a bold guess.

They stared at each other again after hearing this insane notion. It sounded ridiculous before no one had seen an immortal before.