Dominator Emperor

Chapter 477: Chapter 475: Celestial Realm

When Li Qiye took out the object, the lake’s glow became incomparably brilliant. Streaks of Immortal Light were cast into the air, making it seem as though a true Immortal Object was being born.

“Th-this is the legendary Key of the First Evil Tomb!” A young cultivator from the Stone Race, who hailed from an Ancient Family, recognized the object in Li Qiye’s hand. He was so shocked that his eyes went wide.

“What? The Key of the First Evil Tomb!” The young cultivators following from afar were also greatly shocked to hear this; some couldn’t even believe it.

The Key of the First Evil Tomb had always been a legendary item; very few people had ever truly seen it. According to legend, the only way to open the First Evil Tomb was with this key.

Many people assumed the Key of the First Evil Tomb was a literal key, the kind used for opening locks. But who would have thought that in truth, it wasn’t a key in the traditional sense, but a secret decree?

Everyone knew what opening the First Evil Tomb implied. If one could enter and obtain the legendary Longevity Immortality Technique, it would be a prize even greater than becoming an Immortal Emperor.

Qiu Rong Wanxue was also shaken. She now understood that Li Qiye had obtained the Key of the First Evil Tomb from the Flow Ancestor Master.

“Open!” Holding the key, Li Qiye uttered a True Word. The Key of the First Evil Tomb immediately radiated light that shone down upon the lake, causing ripples to spread across its surface.

Within the brilliant light emanating from the lake, a reflection suddenly appeared—that of a vast kingdom. It was filled with Divine Halls and immortal pavilions, like a realm of the gods.

“Isn’t… isn’t that the kingdom in the sky?” someone couldn’t help but exclaim.

Spurred by this remark, the crowd looked up towards the sky Above the Nine Heavens. After making a quick mental comparison, they confirmed that the kingdom reflected in the lake was an exact match.

Ever since arriving on this continent, many had attempted to ascend to the mysterious kingdom Above the Nine Heavens, but every attempt had ended in failure. In fact, even geniuses like Saint Child Ji Que had tried, yet not a single person had succeeded in reaching that kingdom.

For some time, many people had been puzzled and curious. What exactly was this kingdom Above the Nine Heavens? What was inside? Was it inhabited by gods?

Some even suspected it was an Illusion. However, many had opened their Celestial Eyes to observe it, and they discovered it was not an Illusion but a real, tangible place.

This led many to wonder: since the kingdom Above the Nine Heavens was real, how could one possibly get up there?

With the kingdom Above the Nine Heavens now reflected on the lake’s surface, a realization dawned on many of the young cultivators.

“Could it be… that this lake is the key to entering the kingdom Above the Nine Heavens!” a young cultivator guessed aloud.

RUMBLE, RUMBLE, RUMBLE— Just as the young cultivators were reeling in shock, a Dao Platform emerged from the lake, followed by the opening of a massive Daoist Door.

At the same time, runes surfaced on the Key of the First Evil Tomb in Li Qiye’s hand. He immediately pulled Qiu Rong Wanxue close and yelled, “Let’s go!” Before his voice had even faded, the Daoist Door sucked both of them inside.

The onlookers behind them were shaken. One person with lightning-fast reflexes charged forward, hoping to follow the pair through the Daoist Door and seize the chance to ascend to the kingdom Above the Nine Heavens.

However, he was thrown back by the Dao Platform, completely unable to get near it.

By the time the others rushed over, the Dao Platform was already sinking back into the lake, and the Daoist Door had vanished completely.

“What a pity!” Everyone stamped their feet, filled with immense regret. A once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity had just been missed right before their very eyes.

“Maybe that kingdom Above the Nine Heavens is where the Mountain Treasure of Fengdu City is hidden,” someone muttered.

Many people thought this made sense. Legends of Fengdu City’s Mountain Treasure had been passed down for eras, yet no one had ever seen it. They began to suspect the Mountain Treasure was hidden in the Celestial Realm, and they couldn’t help but envy Li Qiye.

By the time Qiu Rong Wanxue’s vision cleared, they had already been transported to another place. Standing here, she felt as if she were floating like an immortal, her body having undergone apotheosis, suddenly becoming much, much lighter.

Qiu Rong Wanxue couldn’t help but look around. She found herself in what appeared to be a Golden Ancient Country. Everything, as far as the eye could see, was shrouded in a wondrous light. This world was incredibly vast, and within it stood numerous Ancient Halls. Each Ancient Hall was immense, even larger than an entire Ancient City.

Right now, the two of them were standing in the plaza before a giant Ancient Hall. The plaza was so open and vast that it made one feel as insignificant as an ant, as small as a speck of dust.

The Ancient Hall before them was so massive that its full form couldn’t be seen in a single glance. It was like a colossal city entrenched in this place.

Li Qiye led Qiu Rong Wanxue toward the massive Ancient Hall. After they had been walking for quite some time, and as they drew near, Qiu Rong Wanxue finally noticed a giant formation arrayed before it.

Rather than a giant formation, it looked more like a colossal ritual. A huge Dao Platform was set up, inlaid with numerous treasures.

As Qiu Rong Wanxue looked closer, she realized some of the treasures inlaid on the Dao Platform were very familiar. She had seen them back when the Little Ghost was patting the coffin; they were the exact treasures people had traded to him.

Indeed, the Little Ghost was sitting cross-legged in the center of the Dao Platform, seemingly in a state of Divine Travel in the Void.

From all the treasures inlaid on the Dao Platform, wisps of seemingly tangible Immortal Light emerged. As if alive, they coursed through the innumerable patterned channels on the Dao Platform, eventually converging upon the Little Ghost and drilling into his body.

And as the Immortal Light streamed out, the glow of the treasures dimmed one by one, as if they were losing their Divinity.

Qiu Rong Wanxue now understood. The Little Ghost’s trading of treasures for treasures, his collection of all artifacts related to Fengdu City—it was all for a purpose unknown to the outside world.

“What is he doing?” she couldn’t help but whisper to Li Qiye, who was beside her.

Li Qiye pointed to the giant Ancient Hall ahead. “He wants to open that portal and go inside,” he said. “He spent a vast amount of time collecting the Ancient Treasures of Fengdu City for the Divinity nurtured within them. Only by absorbing a massive quantity of Divinity does he have a chance to communicate with what’s inside, and only then does he have a chance to open that portal.”

Qiu Rong Wanxue looked toward the Ancient Hall ahead and saw that its doors were immense, even larger than a city’s main gate. In truth, the massive doors were not closed but were blocked by a shimmering membrane of light, apparently sealed by some supreme technique.

But that wasn’t what truly shocked her. What truly left her stunned was the scene inside the Ancient Hall, visible through the light membrane.

Inside the Ancient Hall was a boundless expanse, like an endless, starry sky—a Great Thousand Worlds.

But this was a crumbling Great Thousand Worlds. Stars were obliterated, the Void was utterly ruined. It was like an apocalyptic world where an endless sea of lightning drowned everything, terrifying thunderbolts ripped everything apart, and the Wan Dao shattered. It seemed as if something was trying to tear everything within into smithereens.

That wasn’t even the most terrifying part. Inside, it was as if the sky was raining corpses. Countless bodies plummeted from above—all sorts of corpses. There were giant Fierce Beasts, human-sized ancient corpses, and even bodies as tiny as ants…

In short, an endless stream of corpses fell, a truly staggering sight.

And high Above the Nine Heavens, at the very source of the falling corpses, was a massive, open portal. The power that was tearing this world apart seemed to be surging from within it.

Qiu Rong Wanxue vaguely saw a figure standing within the portal Above the Nine Heavens. It appeared to be a person, seemingly holding back the world-rending power and sealing away the endlessly falling corpses.

The figure’s appearance was impossible to make out clearly; only a blurry silhouette was visible, as if it were just an Illusion, not entirely real.

“Wh-what is that?” Qiu Rong Wanxue felt a chill run through her body. The terrifying scene inside the Ancient Hall was like the coming of the apocalypse. The world-rending power and the countless corpses falling from the Celestial Vault filled her with a sense of foreboding.

Li Qiye fell silent. After a long while, he shook his head and sighed softly, “A catastrophe, a curse, and a heavenly tribulation.”

“Is… is that an illusion?” Qiu Rong Wanxue asked again, her eyes fixed on the figure in the portal who seemed to be desperately trying to turn the tide.

Li Qiye was also staring at the figure, but he did not answer Qiu Rong Wanxue’s question.

After a good while, Qiu Rong Wanxue tore her gaze away and looked back at the Little Ghost on the Dao Platform. He had now absorbed nearly all the Immortal Light from the treasures on the platform.

“How did he get in?” Qiu Rong Wanxue asked curiously. “Does he also have a Key of the First Evil Tomb?”

“No.” Li Qiye shook his head. “He is different. As long as he meets the right conditions, he has a chance to get in. But this Ancient Hall before us… he definitely won’t be able to enter.”

Qiu Rong Wanxue didn’t know what “the right conditions” referred to, but she recalled Li Qiye saying that the clearing of the Night Sea, the appearance of the Golden Sea, and even the standoff between the Night Sun Fish and the Ferryman were likely all related to the Little Ghost.

VMMMM! At that moment, the Little Ghost’s entire body erupted in a brilliant light. He became like a sun, impossible to look at directly. The treasures, now drained of all their Divinity, shattered into dust.

When the light radiating from him reached its apex, it transformed into endless runes, as if it concealed a Supreme Dao.

“OPEN!” the Little Ghost roared, unleashing an invincible aura without reservation. In that instant, he transformed into a War God, supreme across the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, like an arriving Immortal Emperor.

Even though this pressure was not directed at them, Qiu Rong Wanxue was completely unable to withstand it and nearly collapsed to the ground. Li Qiye raised a hand and placed it on her back. A halo of Divine Light materialized behind him. It was unclear what treasure was producing this Divine Light, but it instantly blocked the invincible aura.