Chapter 898: Heavenhoof Ravine’s Plan
After giving orders to the group, Li Qiye and Ming Yexue went back to the master mansion in the city. They stood before the painting at the end of the hall. Ming Yexue had a transcendent and ancient aura. Her whole body was radiant as if she had become a true G.o.ddess.
“How did it feel?” Li Qiye looked at the painting and asked.
With unrivaled grace, Ming Yexue gently nodded with her immortal nature: “I was the heavenly dao in accordance with nature. Before I knew it, I became the ruler of a grand world, but unfortunately, it didn’t stay that way.”
Ming Yexue managed to break through and could directly reach the origin. However, Ye Qingcheng’s sudden mobilization of the city’s power stopped her enlightenment.
Li Qiye smiled and said: “Very good, even Immortal Emperor Bi s.h.i.+ couldn’t do so back then. You will definitely become the supreme ruler of the beastworld.”
Ming Yexue slightly tilted her head and asked: “You cultivated me for millions of years, was it for you or for me?”
Li Qiye smiled in response to this inquiry: “What do you think? I won’t deny it if you think that I was being selfish and it was all for myself. However, would you rather be a stone for all of eternity, or would you rather become a supreme ruler?”
Ming Yexue contemplated this issue. She became privy to more information after going inside.
“This is fate, I only expedited the process.” Li Qiye smiled: “In the end, whichever path you take is still up to you. Nothing is more important than being true to your heart — this is as true for you as for any other cultivator! For example, why did your Immortal Emperor Bi s.h.i.+ fail? It is because this was not his true goal! But you can be successful because this is your aspiration!”
“To tread cautiously for eternal moons, to calculate across the ages, don’t you think you are burdened with responsibilities?” Ming Yexue sighed and recalled the past when he brought her around the nine worlds to strengthen her. The world would never be able to imagine the experiences they had gone through.
“This is my true desire and my fate as well as my final destination.” Li Qiye chuckled: “Those below the high heavens… how many have actually been able to jump out of this restraint? How many will be able to surpa.s.s it?” He gently stroked her hair and said: “You were born here, so you should stay at this place. It has been a very long time and the beastworld needs a master. This is not a desolate land, it is a great world with many mysterious locations. In the future, you will lead the beastworld to a brighter era.”
“The Path of the Heavens is not the only way. In the future, you will come to learn that this world is much bigger than you can imagine. At the apex, there will be a scenery unavailable to the rest of the world. At that point, you will naturally understand that invincibility is not the end but merely the beginning.” Li Qiye spoke with a rare tender voice.
“I understand.” Ming Yexue nodded. She was resolute at this moment as she spoke: “I will keep treading on until the very end.”
“Go, leave the troubles outside to me, there’s no need for you to worry about them. Remember this, follow your heart. The grand dao is as vast as your heart’s expanse.”
It was rare to see the overbearing Li Qiye so gentle!
Ming Yexue nodded one more time while looking at the painting. She stepped towards it and turned around to softly speak: “Young n.o.ble, thank you for always being my friend all this time. Without you, I wouldn’t be here today.”
“No, I should be thanking you for keeping me company for so long. Go.” Li Qiye smiled and nodded in response.
Ming Yexue eventually stepped into the painting and instantly disappeared into the endless world within.
After a long time, Li Qiye finally looked away with a tinge of emotion in his heart. This was the feeling of seeing a daughter growing up and leaving.
Li Qiye noticed the many golems in the hall and insipidly said: “After millions of years, I gave your beastworld a future. It is up to all of you to a.s.sist her and see how far you can go together. Do not let me down.”
In a corner of the hall, the Guard Commander came and prostrated before Li Qiye: “Your Excellency, please don’t worry. Miss Ming is our hope. If she succeeds, she will be our master. We will definitely do our best to support her in the future.”
Li Qiye slowly exclaimed: “Good, the road ahead is still very long. All of you need to have the determination to fight till the end!”
“Yes, our beastworld will enter a new era. We will definitely not waste your millions of years of effort.” The Guard Commander solemnly promised.
Li Qiye gently nodded and eventually left the hall without turning back.
***
In the Heavenhoof Ravine, the atmosphere was heavy to the extreme. There was a huge debate going on in the ravine’s main chamber because of the ravine master.
Ravine Master Miao, who had resigned, came back. He convened this meeting with many ancestors and elders present.
“My personal opinion is that we should surrender!” Ravine Master Miao stated his opinion.
This was immediately met with the opposition of the elders. They would never accept such a thing. Surrendering was a great humiliation!
They were a sect with two emperors, what kind of storms had they not weathered before? They still had living ancestors of the G.o.dking level, so surrendering was out of the question to them.
Because of this, Ravine Master Miao’s suggestion was met with great hostility. One of the ancestors even scolded: “Is your head fried or something? Our ravine surrendering to a junior? Don’t even think about it!”
“Surrendering is the best way to save our ravine. As long as the verdant hills remain, there is no lack of firewood!” Ravine Master Miao deepened his tone: “Miao Chan said so as well. We just need to lay low this generation. As long as we stay alive, there is still a chance to emerge in the future.”
The father and daughter left the ravine. However, Ravine Master Miao still thought of himself as a disciple of the ravine, so when this disaster was looming over the sect, he still chose to run back from far away without Miao Chan.
“Miao Chan is young and inexperienced. Virtuous Nephew’s death was a big blow to her confidence.” An ancestor shook his head: “Our ravine has stood strong for millions of years. We will never surrender to a junior!”
“The Stony Edge Kingdom also stood strong for millions of years, but it was still annihilated in the end.” Ravine Master Miao spoke seriously: “This is not the time to save face. Plus, surrendering is not a shameful thing at all. Li Qiye is the only one to have thirteen palaces in all of history. No one else will become Immortal Emperor besides him. Surrendering to the future emperor is not a shameful thing…”
“Even an invincible G.o.dking like the Allpine Treefather pledged allegiance to Li Qiye, so it is no big deal that we surrender. As long as we can save the ravine, there is still hope and a future. If not, a calamity will befall us just because we wanted to save some face, this thing called prestige and dignity. What will be left if our ravine is destroyed?” Ravine Master Miao let go of past grievances and came back to persuade the ancestors to save the ravine. He was running out of breath from his efforts.
“Li Qiye is indeed extraordinary, but we should not belittle ourselves! Our true power is many times stronger than the Stony Edge Kingdom. They can’t compare to us!” A different ancestor shook his head: “We have the protection of our emperors. No matter how strong he is or how many annihilations he throws out, we can do the same. The victor has yet to be determined.”
“It is not that simple.” Ravine Master Miao shook his head: “Even an imperial lineage like the Beastmaster Citadel is willing to work for Li Qiye. He is not as simple as we think. He might even be related to that legendary existence. Why can’t we surrender when even the citadel is willing to do so? We should sacrifice a bit and exchange it for great benefits and peace. This is not an outrageous thing to consider at all!”
The ravine was established after the destruction of the Divine Beast Realm. They did not experience the h.e.l.l that is the war of the past, so they naturally didn’t understand just how terrifying the legion was. They knew even less about an existence like the Dark Crow.
The new ravine master sneered: “What is this legendary existence? It is only a rumor. The Beastmaster Citadel simply values Li Qiye and believes that he will become the Immortal Emperor. Its monarch wants to marry his daughter to Li Qiye and hopes that she will become the Imperial Queen!” [1. I know Imperial Queen is redundant, but I’ll make this distinction for now so that people know it is the wife of an Immortal Emperor.]
He continued on: “Brother Miao, your att.i.tude towards Li Qiye is very suspicious. You keep on helping him, praising his prestige and lowering our morale. This makes people wonder if there is something else going on…”
“Bulls.h.i.+t! Lin, if I didn’t resign, it wouldn’t be your turn to become the new ravine master. Don’t judge a gentleman with the mindset of a wretch!” Ravine Master Miao immediately yelled: “If I had any other plans, that Golden Crow brat wouldn’t have been in a position to become the future ravine master! My daughter would have become the descendant and my seat would have been solidified! A junior like you thinks you are qualified to be ravine master…”
This time, Ravine Master Miao was furious and didn’t care about his own status. He began to curse loudly.
“Okay, Little Miao, I know that you only want what’s best.” Eventually, a G.o.dking level ancestor from the ravine appeared. His languid voice came about: “Surrendering is out of the question. We cannot shame our ancestors’ prestige in our generation. However, we must prepare for the worst as well. Let our younger generation go with Little Miao along with a portion of our treasures! If we truly can’t go against Li Qiye, then at least we will have left behind some of our seeds! Leave the war to protect the ravine in the hands of old bones like us!”
Juniors didn’t dare to say anything else after this G.o.dking had spoken. Ravine Master Miao couldn’t do anything as well and had to accept this decision in the end.