Lord Empior - Chapter 2

Li Qiye recalled that time, when the Ancient Ming Dynasty ended and the Age of Emperors began, his soul still trapped within Yin Ya's body. It was also the time he temporarily escaped the control of the Immortal Demon Cave after countless years of relentless effort.

That was also when he met the Mingren Immortal Emperor; more precisely, at that time, the Mingren Immortal Emperor was just a young man passionate about martial arts, with no understanding of the Great Dao.

The time elapsed from when Li Qiye led the Mingren Immortal Emperor into this world of cultivators until now has been tens of thousands of years. Countless generations of invincible powerhouses have appeared and disappeared amidst the vast ocean of time.

When he inadvertently glanced at a black, charcoal-like wooden staff lying on the altar, its smoke and flames flickering beside the statue, Li Qiye couldn't help but smile slightly. He truly hadn't expected that after so many years, the wooden staff would still be there.

He had once used it to inflict agonizing pain on those arrogant youngsters, making them cry out for their parents.

At this moment, the six elders of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect had all gathered. Although they were old, their vitality was still as vibrant as a rainbow, and a brilliant aura shone around them.

Although the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect had declined, it was still an Imperial Immortal Sect. If the elders of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect accepted the title bestowed by the Sacred Kingdom, they would all be granted the title of Heroic.

The six elders stared intently at Li Qiye, who remained calmly seated, unconcerned by their scrutinizing gazes and awe-inspiring presence.

"Where is the Cleansing Face Ancient Token?"

Finally, the Great Elder asked in a low voice. The Cleansing Face Ancient Token was very important because it was an artifact left behind by the Mingren Immortal Emperor, the founder of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect.

Li Qiye slowly extended his hand, presenting an ancient-style token. He was very surprised when the Three Ghost Lords brought him to the town at the foot of the mountain of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect and immediately entered the Jade Red Pavilion.

Before leaving, the Three Ghost Lords casually threw a token to Li Qiye. Li Qiye was also surprised that the Three Ghost Lords possessed the Cleansing Face Ancient Token.

In ancient times, when Li Qiye was still trapped in the Dark Crow, the Mingren Immortal Emperor, bearing the Mandate of Heaven, gave him three Cleansing Face Ancient Tokens. Later, Li Qiye bestowed these three ancient tokens upon others.

Hundreds of thousands of years had passed, and Li Qiye felt a profound sense of emotion upon seeing this ancient token. He hadn't needed it back then, yet today he had to use it.

The six great elders took turns examining the Cleansing Face Ancient Token. After confirming that it was genuine, they couldn't help but exchange glances, seeking each other's opinions.

In fact, the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect had long wanted to reclaim this ancient token, but no matter what methods they used, they couldn't seize it from the Three Ghost Lords. The Three Ghost Lords knew this token was equivalent to a protective talisman for them, so they stubbornly refused to return it to the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect. But no one expected that the Three Ghost Lords would give this token to a mere mortal with no reputation whatsoever.

"So where are the Three Ghost Lords?" the Grand Elder coldly inquired. He truly disliked this Three Ghost Lord, who was good at spending money, boasting, and womanizing, regardless of whether he was the illegitimate son of some sect leader.

"He went to the Jade Red Pavilion," Li Qiye calmly replied.

Hearing Li Qiye's reply, the faces of the six elders hardened. Although they disliked the Three Ghost Lords, he was, after all, a legitimate member of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect. They naturally knew where the Three Ghost Lords had gone; the Jade Red Pavilion was the largest and most famous brothel within a thousand miles at the foot of the mountain.

And this wasn't the Three Ghost Lords' first time visiting the Jade Red Pavilion. The six elders were seething with resentment, not knowing how to vent their frustration. They secretly wished the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect didn't have such a notorious patron as a disciple.

"What are your demands?" another elder asked. They didn't know what methods Li Qiye had used to make the Three Ghost Lords give him the ancient token, but the truth was undeniable: the Cleansing Face Ancient Token before them was definitely not fake.

"I heard that the position of chief disciple of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect is vacant, and the Three Ghost Lords have strongly recommended me, so I want this position," Li Qiye replied slowly.

Hearing him say that, the faces of the six elders darkened. What right did that wretched playboy, the Three Ghosts, have to nominate candidates for the position of chief disciple of the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect? This position was extremely important; the Cleansing Face Ancient Sect had to carefully select and screen candidates, otherwise someone else would have already occupied it.

"Don't joke about the chief disciple position!" one elder said coldly.

"I know," Li Qiye calmly replied, "but the person holding the Cleansing Face Ancient Token can request anything from you. This is a rule established by your founding ancestor, Emperor Mingren."

"Perhaps you used underhanded tactics to seize this token."

The Grand Elder

The old man interjected with a threatening remark. The position of chief disciple was not something to be trifled with, something to be bestowed upon one's whim.

Li Qiye, unafraid, calmly continued:
"I understand, the elders fear I might use underhanded tactics to seize it from the Three Ghost Lords. If the elders don't believe me, they can send someone to the Jade Red Pavilion to investigate."

Although the six elders' faces darkened upon hearing the words "Jade Red Pavilion," they still had to send disciples to verify the truth.

A while later, the disciple sent to the Jade Red Pavilion returned, confirming that the Three Ghost Lords had indeed voluntarily given the Cleansing Face Ancient Token to Li Qiye. Of course, this disciple also tried to downplay any information related to the Three Ghost Lords' debauchery at the Jade Red Pavilion, otherwise the six elders' expressions would have become extremely unpleasant.

Although the six elders were unwilling to acknowledge the ancient decree in Li Qiye's hands, they couldn't go against their ancestral teachings. The Cleansing Face Ancient Sect, no matter what, was still an Imperial Immortal Sect; even if it had declined, they couldn't destroy the reputation left by their ancestors.

"Bring out the Mirror of the True Form!"

With no other choice, the Grand Elder had to give the order.

The disciples quickly brought out the Mirror of the True Form and shone it upon Li Qiye. Any mortal wishing to join the sect to cultivate had to be examined by the Mirror of the True Form. This mirror was used to check physical constitution, lifespan, and destiny.

In the Mirror of the True Form, a hazy, indistinct image of Li Qiye appeared, like a flickering candle that could be extinguished at any moment. Behind the head of that image was a faint blood-red light, and above the head, a light flickered, but these two lights were extremely weak and fragile.

- His physique is mortal, his lifespan is mortal, his destiny is mortal.

Finally, the disciple responsible for examining Li Qiye's physique reported back.

Everyone has a physique, lifespan, and destiny. Physique directly affects the strength of the body, lifespan governs the length of one's life, and destiny determines whether one's talent is good or bad.

But Li Qiye's mortal physique, lifespan, and destiny left the six elders speechless. Such an ordinary person is not uncommon in the world; they could easily recruit dozens of disciples like him.

- To become the chief disciple of the Washing Face Ancient Sect, you must at least possess a先天 (Xiantian) physique, let alone a 御体 (Huang) or 圣体 (Sheng) physique, and your lifespan must be equivalent. Your strength is not suitable for this position.

- I know all that.

Li Qiye didn't think much of it, calmly saying, "But I still want to become the chief disciple."

"You…" Hearing Li Qiye's words, the six elders were furious. A mere disciple of the Washing Face Ancient Sect couldn't even be considered an ordinary disciple, let alone the chief disciple? Such a request infuriated them.

"I believe that the descendants of the Mingren Immortal Emperor will not violate the ancestral teachings and commit treason." Li Qiye slowly shook the Washing Face Ancient Token, saying, "If this token falls into the hands of others, the consequences are unimaginable."

Hearing his words, the expressions of the six elders stiffened. The Grand Elder said coldly,
"Even if such a thing were to happen, anyone who wants to be the chief disciple of the Washing Face Ancient Sect must undergo a thorough investigation, from their background to their origins. Otherwise, they cannot become the chief disciple."

"That's your business." Li Qiye looked at the six elders and said,
"If you think there's another sect that wants me to steal the Immortal Emperor's inheritance of the Washing Face Ancient Sect, I can just directly use this ancient token to demand it. Why would I need to demand to be the chief disciple? You understand the power of this ancient token better than anyone else. It wouldn't be difficult for me to use it to harm the Washing Face Ancient Sect if I wanted to."

Li Qiye's words caused the six elders to exchange glances. Although somewhat hesitant, they still didn't completely trust Li Qiye.

"What he said isn't without reason."

Elder Hung, one of the six elders present, said thoughtfully,
"If the Cleansing Face Ancient Token continues to float around outside, wouldn't that be a hidden disaster for our sect? The person holding this token has come to request it; we have no way to refuse. Perhaps we should just decide to grant his request."

"Hmph… this is no laughing matter!" the Grand Elder replied coldly.

"From ancient times, the chief disciple has always been a personal disciple of the sect master. Whether we accept it or not, we can at least briefly inquire about the sect master's opinion before deciding." Another elder said thoughtfully.

"That makes sense. After all, the chief disciple is a personal disciple of the sect master." The other elders chimed in in support.

"Send a letter to the sect master." After the six elders finished their discussion, the Grand Elder...

The old man immediately issued an order.

The letter had only just been sent to the sect master, Su Yonghuang, when the six elders quickly received a reply. The sect master's answer, agreeing to accept Li Qiye as the chief disciple, left them stunned.

"This is absurd! The sect master is being too reckless!" The Grand Elder read the sect master's reply three times, confirming he hadn't misread it, and angrily shouted.

"Brother Gu, if the sect master has agreed, what more can we discuss? After all, the chief disciple is the sect master's personal disciple; the decision rests with the sect master." Elder Xiong tried to dissuade him.

"The sect master's decision is too reckless." Another elder shook his head and sighed.

Elder Xiong gave a bitter smile:

"What other options do we have?" Ultimately, the fact that we were able to recover the Cleansing Face Ancient Decree is already a great act of merit.