Dominator Emperor

Peng Zhuang became anxious when he heard his companion’s words. He immediately swore, "I really did see it, it’s the absolute truth! Why would I lie to you? A giant hand really did reach out from the tomb."

"Really?" Li Qiye was inwardly delighted. This was the exact news he had come for. Putting on a curious expression, he asked, "What did the giant hand look like? Was it scary? Like a ghost’s hand or something else?"

"It wasn’t a ghost’s hand." Peng Zhuang shook his head. "I think that hand was very strange. And when the darkness disappeared, I think I also saw it retract back into the First Evil Tomb."

"A giant hand just suddenly reached out?" Li Qiye acted like a curious child listening to a legend. "When a huge hand like that reaches out, it must have grabbed something, right? Did you see it grab anything?"

"Well..." Peng Zhuang thought for a moment. "Now that you mention it, I do think it seemed to be holding something."

"Peng Zhuang, stop talking nonsense," Qiu Rong Wanxue said in a low voice. "Get your things ready. We’ll be entering Fengdu City soon."

Peng Zhuang immediately chuckled sheepishly and said no more. He started checking his belongings in preparation for entering Fengdu City.

Li Qiye sighed softly in his heart. ’Clearly, Qiu Rong Wanxue is wary of me.’ Just then, Li Qiye felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked up and saw it was Qiu Rong Wanxue. Her beautiful, limpid eyes were fixed on him.

Li Qiye smiled and bowed to Qiu Rong Wanxue. "This humble one is visiting Fengdu City for the first time," he said cheerfully. "I hope the Clan Leader can offer some guidance on things I don’t understand."

Qiu Rong Wanxue looked at Li Qiye for a moment before finally saying coolly, "Just be careful. Don’t cause any trouble."

Her words seemed to hold a double meaning, serving as both a warning and a hint to Li Qiye.

But Li Qiye acted as if he only understood the surface meaning, replying to Qiu Rong Wanxue with great courtesy, "Then thank you very much, Clan Leader."

He was now almost certain that the Lost Divine Island was related to the First Evil Tomb. Unfortunately, he had no way to speak with Peng Zhuang alone for the time being to ask for more details about what happened that day.

However, now that he could confirm the connection between the Lost Divine Island and the First Evil Tomb, Li Qiye was no longer in a hurry. What he needed to do now was find the key to open the First Evil Tomb.

After Qiu Rong Wanxue and her six young disciples were ready, Elder Zhi spoke. "Clan Leader, we will stay here to provide support. If anything happens, send a signal immediately, and we will come in to get you."

"Alright. You be careful as well, Elder Zhi," Qiu Rong Wanxue nodded and said gravely.

Although Fengdu City had always been a place people longed to visit, and the Fengdu Ghost City held a great allure for countless individuals, only the young could enter. Of course, the middle-aged and elderly could also go in—so long as they weren’t afraid to die.

Fengdu City contained an Evil Qi, though no one could say for sure what kind it was. The young were full of vigorous Blood Qi, like a rising sun. Their Blood Qi was brimming with vigorous, youthful energy that could dispel the Evil Qi of Fengdu City.

The middle-aged and elderly, however, could not. No matter how robust a middle-aged person’s Blood Qi was, it was already past its peak and beginning to decline. As for the elderly, their Lifespan was already waning, so there was even less to say. Because of this, the Blood Qi of the middle-aged and elderly would be eroded by Fengdu City’s Evil Qi, causing it to age and decay at an accelerated rate.

For example, a middle-aged Cultivator, based on their Dao Practice, might have been able to live for six or seven thousand years. However, upon entering Fengdu City, their Blood Qi would be eroded by the Evil Qi, accelerating their aging. They might then only live for three or four thousand years. Moreover, the longer they stayed in Fengdu City, the faster they would age.

For this very reason, over millions of years, Fengdu City became a paradise for the younger generation. A saying once circulated in the Ghost Sacred Realm: a trip to Fengdu City in your youth is a life well-lived; otherwise, once you’re old, the opportunity is gone forever.

Therefore, for millions of years, no matter how powerful a being was, they would be unwilling to set foot in Fengdu City once they were no longer young, unless they had absolutely no other choice.

"Are you ready?" Qiu Rong Wanxue glanced at Li Qiye and asked in a low voice.

In truth, as the leader of her clan, she did not welcome an outsider like Li Qiye. To her, having a Human Race member of unknown origin mixed in with their group was a risk. But Li Qiye had shamelessly tagged along, and Qiu Rong Wanxue felt it wasn’t appropriate to drive him away unless he showed clear signs of acting against their interests.

Li Qiye flashed a grin, revealing his pearly white teeth. "Don’t worry, Clan Leader," he said cheerfully. "I’m all set and ready to go at any time."

"Let’s go. We’re entering the city." Qiu Rong Wanxue took a deep breath and then led the way.

The six youths of the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan couldn’t help but feel excited. How could they not be? It was their first time visiting Fengdu City. The outspoken Peng Zhuang was so thrilled he shouted, "Fengdu City, here we come!"

Peng Zhuang and the other five were the most promising young disciples of the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan. Qiu Rong Wanxue had brought them this time not only for her other objectives but also to give them some real-world experience and broaden their horizons.

After stepping into Fengdu City, they didn’t have to walk far before Qiu Rong Wanxue led them into a large town. The moment they entered, a bustling atmosphere washed over them.

The town was vast, with wide, bright streets. People bustled to and fro. Cultivators flew through the sky, while others rode Exotic Beasts at a gallop. There were even common folk and peddlers shouting, hawking their wares.

"Fengdu Stones! They can reveal the ghost road! Only one left, come and get it!" a peddler shouted from the street.

"Three Creeks Water! Can nourish your qi, can be used for Alchemy! One bottle for a Three-tailed Fish! Come and buy! Don’t miss out on this amazing offer!"

"A Fengdu Ghost Artifact! The number one choice for the Ghost Race! Selling, selling! Only three thousand fish! The only one in the city, come and get it!"

...

The city was extraordinarily lively, with countless peddlers shouting and crowds of people coming and going. Standing in such a town, anyone who didn’t know better would think they were in some Ancient City. Who would ever imagine this was a Ghost City?

The moment Peng Zhuang and the other five youths stepped into the town, they were captivated by the lively scene. Like Granny Liu stepping into the Grand View Garden for the first time, they looked around in all directions, filled with curiosity about everything.

"Is this really a Ghost City?" one of the youths asked doubtfully. The town before them didn’t look like a Ghost City at all. When one spoke of a Ghost City, everyone imagined a place shrouded in a gloomy, sinister Ghost Qi.

But there was no Ghost Qi here at all. Instead, it felt more like a major town in the mortal world, filled with liveliness and the press of humanity everywhere.

Standing in the town, Li Qiye couldn’t help but sigh softly in his heart. ’Fengdu City... I’m here again. This place is full of mysteries, a place only ghosts can inhabit. To be precise, it’s a gathering place for lingering obsessions, not real ghosts.’

"Open your Celestial Eyes, and you will know whether they are human or ghost—or rather, whether they are lingering obsessions," said Qiu Rong Wanxue.

Hearing their Clan Leader’s words, the six youths all opened their Celestial Eyes. When they did, the sight of the town made their blood run cold.

If this were truly a bustling, major town, the area would be a boundless, surging sea of Blood Qi. An endless torrent of Blood Qi would nourish the very world!

But with their Celestial Eyes open, they could see that this place was filled with a yin aura. The people coming and going before them had no Blood Qi at all. Even the street peddlers looked like mere phantoms.

For such a massive city to be almost completely devoid of Blood Qi—how could that not be terrifying? It was just like a City of Death.

"How come some of them look like real people?" a disciple asked in surprise. Among those walking the streets, some appeared as phantoms, while others looked incredibly real. If not for their lack of Blood Qi, you wouldn’t be able to tell they were ghosts at all.

"In Fengdu City, there are strong and weak ones. A strong lingering obsession looks no different from an ordinary Cultivator, aside from the lack of Blood Qi. A weak lingering obsession, however, can be seen through with the Celestial Eye; they are just phantoms," Qiu Rong Wanxue patiently explained, intending to broaden Peng Zhuang and the others’ horizons.

"Look! That group of ghosts actually has Blood Qi!" Peng Zhuang suddenly said, pointing at a group of young people approaching in the distance.

Qiu Rong Wanxue quickly chided him in a low voice, "Don’t be rude! Like you, they are Cultivators who have come from the outside."

Hearing this, Peng Zhuang gave an embarrassed laugh, quickly retracting his finger, not daring to be so brazen again.

In fact, many young Cultivators entered Fengdu City every day. Some came to watch the excitement, some came for the legendary treasures of Fengdu City, and others came for the rumored key to the First Evil Tomb.

"Selling Stone Talismans! Ancient Talismans from a great ancient clan! Come and get ’em!" As Qiu Rong Wanxue led the group through a street, many peddlers were shouting their pitches.

At that moment, Peng Zhuang’s eyes landed on a Stone Talisman in a peddler’s hand. He couldn’t resist leaning in to ask, "How much for your Stone Talisman?"

"Cheap, cheap! Just a Six-tailed Fish!" Seeing a potential customer, the peddler immediately grinned and said enthusiastically.

"A Six-tailed Fish? What’s a Six-tailed Fish?" another young disciple asked, his curiosity piqued by the price.

"A Six-tailed Fish is a type of Night Sun Fish. Inside Fengdu City, the common currency isn’t Essence Jade, but Night Sun Fish," Qiu Rong Wanxue explained, shaking her head at Peng Zhuang.

Hearing this, Peng Zhuang had no choice but to give up. He didn’t have any Night Sun Fish at all.