Chapter 898: Heavenhoof Ravineâs 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 goddess.
âHow did it feel?â Li Qiye looked at the painting and asked.
With unrivaled grace, Ming Yexue gently nodded in her immortal nature: âI was the heavenly dao in accordance with nature. Before I knew it, I became the ruler of a grand world, but unfortunately, it didnât stay that way.â
Ming Yexue managed to break through and could directly reach the origin. However, Ye Qingchengâs sudden mobilization of the cityâs power stopped her enlightenment.
Li Qiye smiled and said: âVery good, even Immortal Emperor Bi Shi couldnât do so back then. You will definitely become the supreme ruler of the beastworld.â
Ming Yexue slightly tilted her head and asked: âYou cultivated me for millions of years, was it for you or for me?â
Li Qiye smiled in response to this inquiry: âWhat do you think? I wonât deny it if you think that I was being selfish and it was all for me. However, would you rather be a stone for all of eternity, or would you rather become a supreme ruler?â
Ming Yexue contemplated this issue. She became privy to more information after going inside.
âThis is fate, I only expedited the process.â Li Qiye smiled: âIn the end, whichever path you take is still up to you. Nothing is more important than being true to your heart â this is as true for you as for any other cultivator! For example, why did your Immortal Emperor Bi Shi fail? It is because this was not his true goal! But you can be successful because this is your aspiration!â
âTo tread with caution for eternal moons, to calculate across the ages, donât you think you are burdened with responsibilities?â 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.
âThis is my true desire and my fate as well as my final destination.â Li Qiye chuckled: âThose below the high heavens⦠how many have actually been able to jump out of this restraint? How many would be able to surpass it?â He gently stroked her hair and said: âYou 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.â
âImmortal Emperor 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 scene unavailable to the rest of the world. At that point, you will naturally understand that invincibility is not the end but merely the beginning.â Li Qiye spoke with a rare tender voice.
âI understand.â Ming Yexue nodded. She was resolute at this moment as she spoke: âI will keep treading on until the very end.â
âGo, leave the troubles outside to me, thereâs no need for you to worry about them. Remember this, follow your heart. The grand daoâs vastness is the same as your heartâs expanse.â
It was rare to see the overbearing Li Qiye in such a gentle state!
Ming Yexue nodded one more time while looking at the painting. She stepped towards it and turned around to softly speak: âYoung Noble, thank you for always being my friend all this time. Without you, I wouldnât be here today.â
âNo, I should be thanking you for keeping me company for so long. Go.â Li Qiye smiled and nodded in response.
Ming Yexue eventually stepped into the painting and disappeared in an instant 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: âAfter millions of years, I will give your beastworld a future. It is up to all of you to assist her and see how far you can go together. Do not let me down.â
In a corner of the hall, the Guard Commander came and prostrated before Li Qiye: âYour Excellency, please donât 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.â
Li Qiye slowly exclaimed: âGood, the road ahead is still very long. All of you need to have the determination to fight till the end!â
âYes, our beastworld will enter a new era. We will definitely not waste your millions of years of effort.â 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 ravineâs main chamber because of the ravine master.
Ravine Master Miao, who had resigned, came back. He reconvened this meeting with many ancestors and elders present.
âMy personal opinion is that we should surrender!â 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 have they not weathered before? They still had living ancestors of the Godking level, so surrendering was out of the question to them.
Because of this, Ravine Master Miaoâs suggestion was met with great hostility. One of the ancestors even scolded: âIs your head fried or something? Our ravine surrendering to a junior? Donât even think about it!â
âSurrendering is the best way to save our ravine. As long as the verdant hills remain, there is no lack of firewood!â Ravine Master Miao deepened his tone: âMiao 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 come out in the future.â
The father and daughter left the ravine. However, Ravine Master Miao still thought of himself as a disciple from the ravine, so when this disaster was looming over the sect, he still chose to run back from far away without Miao Chan.
âMiao Chan is young and inexperienced. Virtuous Nephewâs death was a big blow to her confidence.â An ancestor shook his head: âOur ravine has stood strong for millions of years. We will never surrender to a junior!â
âThe Stony Edge Kingdom also stood strong for millions of years, but it was still annihilated in the end.â Ravine Master Miao spoke in a serious tone: âThis 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 thingâ¦â
âEven an invincible Godking 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?â 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.
âLi Qiye is indeed extraordinary, but we should not belittle ourselves! Our true power is many times stronger than the Stony Edge Kingdom. They canât compare to us!â A different ancestor shook his head: âWe have the protection of our emperors. No matter how strong he is and how many annihilations he throws out, we can do the same. The victor has yet to be determined.â
âIt is not that simple.â Ravine Master Miao shook his head: âEven an imperial lineage like the Beastmaster Citadel is willing to work for Li Qiye. He is not as simple as we think. Perhaps he is even related to that legendary existence. Why canât 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!â
The ravine was established after the destruction of the Divine Beast Realm. They did not experience the hell that is the war of the past, so they naturally didnât understand just how terrifying the legion was. They knew even less about an existence like the Dark Crow.
The new ravine master sneered: âWhat 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!â 1
He continued on: âBrother Miao, your attitude 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 onâ¦â
âBullshit! Lin, if I didnât resign, it wouldnât be your turn to become the new ravine master. Donât judge a gentleman with the mindset of a wretch!â Ravine Master Miao immediately yelled: âIf I had any other plans, that Golden Crow brat wouldnât have been in the position to become the future ravine master! My daughter would have become the descendant and my seat would be solidified! A junior like you thinks you are qualified to be ravine masterâ¦â
This time, Ravine Master Miao was furious and didnât care about his own status. He began to curse loudly.
âOkay, Little Miao, I know that you only want whatâs best.â Eventually, a Godking level ancestor from the ravine appeared. His languid voice came about: âSurrendering is out of the question. We cannot shame our ancestorsâ 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 canât go against Li Qiye, then at least leave behind some of our seeds! Leave the war to protect the ravine in the hands of old bones like us!â
Juniors didnât dare to say anything else after this godking had spoken. Ravine Master Miao couldnât do anything as well and had to accept this decision in the end.
1. I know Imperial Queen is redundant, but Iâll make this distinction for now so that people know it is the wife of an Immortal Emperor.