Chapter 484: The Bloody Path

Chapter 484: Chapter 482: The Bloody Path

“The reward stands! Whoever kills Li Qiye will receive the protection of the Ten Thousand Bones Throne!” After their long-distance exchange, Shen Ran Phoenix Lady immediately released this news.

The protection of the Ten Thousand Bones Throne… Upon hearing this, the hearts of many who had previously retreated began to stir once more.

In response, Li Qiye immediately released his own message: “If anyone wants to make a move against me, I’ll be ready at any time. No matter who it is, I’ll be more than happy to see it through to the end. As long as you have the strength, you can come and kill me whenever you want. Whether it’s for the key to the First Evil Tomb or for the reward, I will gladly oblige. Don’t worry, as long as you’re strong enough to kill me, the Qianli River will not seek revenge!”

When Li Qiye released this news, everyone was stunned. This was a blatant challenge to the entire world, as if he were afraid the world *wouldn’t* make an enemy of him.

“Has this kid gone mad? He’s actually provoking people himself,” a Sect Leader said, dumbfounded, upon hearing the news.

Faced with this situation, anyone else would have tried to avoid such an unfavorable circumstance. Having the Qianli River as his backer was already enough to make people hesitate. But now, Li Qiye had said something like this. Wasn’t this an announcement to the world that he was a juicy piece of meat, and anyone could come take a bite?

“This kid is either crazy or bursting with confidence. Does he really think he’s invincible?” an older-generation Saint Venerable couldn’t help but murmur.

“The Qianli River won’t retaliate?” Those who were wary of Li Qiye’s status felt like they’d received the best news in the world.

“The path to heaven is open, yet you refuse to walk it; Hell has no gate, yet you insist on barging in! Good, good, good! Such dominance is truly admirable,” a master immediately said with excitement. “Since he’s provoking everyone under the heavens, if we don’t go and kill him, it would be a true disgrace to the prestige of our Ghost Race!”

In an instant, countless people grew excited. The Great Teaching Territories and powerful experts who originally had reservations became thrilled upon hearing Li Qiye’s announcement. They were eager to make their move.

“Go! Gather at the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan’s territory! I don’t believe he can be invincible against the whole world.” An Emperor from a Great Teaching Territory immediately dispatched masters to gather outside the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan’s territory, planning to ambush Li Qiye.

In fact, far more than one Great Teaching Territory was planning to act. In a flash, an unknown number of people swarmed to the area outside the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan. Countless sects and territories gathered innumerable powerful experts and masters.

However, no one made the first move. Everyone was waiting for the right opportunity; they all wanted to reap the benefits without doing the hard work.

Li Qiye’s announcement left Qiu Rong Wanxue and the others dumbfounded. The present disciples of the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan were all wide-eyed and speechless. It was the first time they had ever seen someone so arrogant, someone who would actually come out and challenge the entire world.

Peng Zhuang and the other youths were completely conquered by Li Qiye’s domineering aura. They admired him so much they could only prostrate themselves in worship. In their eyes, Li Qiye was already an existence on par with the Three Heroes. Just his audacity to challenge the world was enough to inspire their lifelong admiration.

“Have you gone mad?” Even Lan Yunzhu was startled. She said, “Don’t you think you have enough enemies already?”

Li Qiye was relaxed and carefree. “This isn’t many at all,” he said. “Besides, for me, the more the merrier. No amount of enemies is too many. This is a perfect chance to sharpen my butcher’s blade. It’s been a long time since I’ve gone on a proper massacre. I feel like I’m getting rusty!”

Qiu Rong Wanxue and the others were speechless. His words were too domineering. Facing Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s vast army was already enough to make one tremble with fear, but now he was provoking the entire world, making an enemy of every cultivator. Such an action was simply insane.

In their eyes, this behavior was courting death. How many people could challenge the world and survive? Unless it was a peerless genius like Emperor’s Throne.

“Rusty, my foot.” Lan Yunzhu shot him a look, a hint of flirtatious charm in her eyes. Annoyed, she said, “Isn’t provoking the Divine Burning Country and the Wan Gu Royal Family enough? Are you trying to declare war on every Ghost Race in the world?”

Li Qiye shrugged, speaking in a slow, deliberate manner, “The decision isn’t in my hands, it’s in theirs. If they want to be my enemy, there’s nothing I can do. When someone sticks their neck out for me to chop, I can’t very well show mercy, can I?”

He paused, then smiled and continued, “Besides, so what if I become an enemy of the world’s Ghost Race? Forget the world’s Ghost Race—even if I had to oppose the Ghost Race of the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, I wouldn’t care!”

Such domineering words made everyone suck in a cold breath. In the past, Elder Zhi and the others might have thought Li Qiye was just spouting arrogant nonsense, that he was boundlessly conceited. But they didn’t feel that way now. Such incomparably domineering words were spoken by him so casually, as if it were a trivial matter. They couldn’t even imagine what level of strength was required to possess such confidence.

Lan Yunzhu glanced at Li Qiye and said irritably, “You’re not crazy for murder, are you? Always talking about slaughtering millions of enemies. Are you a homicidal maniac?”

Of course, Lan Yunzhu understood Li Qiye’s domineering nature, and she knew he was no saint. Back at the Qianli River, he had already wanted to go on a massacre. He would be just as ruthless against the Ghost Race; he wouldn’t hesitate to start a slaughter.

“Kill one, and you are a sinner. Kill a hundred, and you become a hero. Kill ten thousand, and you become a king. Kill ten million, and you become an emperor,” Li Qiye said leisurely. “Since the dawn of time, which Immortal Emperor has not trod upon a mountain of bones to reach the peak? For an Immortal Emperor to be born, from beginning to end, slaughtering tens of millions of powerful foes is a normal affair. If you have the ambition to vie for the throne of an Immortal Emperor, you must have the resolve to slaughter tens of millions.”

Here, Li Qiye glanced at Lan Yunzhu and said, “The road to becoming an emperor is narrow. When powerful enemies meet, it’s either you die or I do! Even if you don’t want to kill, as long as you step onto the emperor’s road, there will be countless people who want to kill you. Rather than sticking your own neck out to be killed, it’s better to slaughter them all by the millions, ascend the throne, and achieve eternal glory! Throughout the long ages, for millions of years, posterity only remembers the Emperor who shouldered the Celestial Mandate and became an Immortal Emperor. No one ever remembers the dead whose corpses were trodden upon! Once you become an Immortal Emperor, even if you’ve slaughtered tens of millions, it will only become a part of your glorious battle record, not the mark of a butcher!”

Lan Yunzhu fell silent for a moment at Li Qiye’s words. As a genius with the aptitude of a dual saint, she had a chance to walk the path of an Immortal Emperor in the future. Of course she understood this reasoning. If one wished to become an Immortal Emperor, even if they didn’t want to kill, countless people would still want to kill them.

“This is a trial,” Li Qiye said to Lan Yunzhu with a smile. “It’s not as simple as just killing. In a great battle, you can temper all your Ultimate Skills. Only through life-and-death experiences, only through a Baptism of blood, can your Cultivation Techniques undergo the ultimate sublimation. Even an ordinary move, after being tempered a thousand times, honed through life and death, and quenched in endless blood, will eventually become the most terrifying killing technique.”

“The path to becoming an Immortal Emperor is not just about comprehension, nor is it as simple as walking over the bones of countless enemies,” Li Qiye said slowly. “Only after a bloody battle can you comprehend more, can you unleash your greater potential, allowing your Cultivation Techniques and your Dao Practice to be tempered and ultimately sublimated in blood.”

Qiu Rong Wanxue couldn’t help but carefully ponder Li Qiye’s words. For her, these were concepts she had never been exposed to before. Hearing Li Qiye’s speech today moved her deeply and she gained much from it.

Compared to Qiu Rong Wanxue, Lan Yunzhu had more profound insight on this matter. She shot Li Qiye a look, intending to take a jab at him, and said petulantly, “Be careful you don’t fall on the road to becoming an Immortal Emperor before you even get there.”

Of course, Lan Yunzhu knew very well that her small counterattack wouldn’t affect Li Qiye in the slightest.

“Don’t worry. In all the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, only I am invincible!” Li Qiye stated calmly and deliberately.

Elder Zhi and the others were dumbfounded. Weren’t these words too exaggerated, too overconfident? Anyone else, no matter who they were, would never dare say such a thing. But coming from Li Qiye’s mouth, it was as if it were a simple, everyday matter.

“Oh, Uncle, you’re bragging again. Careful you don’t burst from all that hot air,” Lan Yunzhu slanted a glance at him and said playfully.

Li Qiye laughed and said leisurely, “Just you wait. Wait for my triumphant return.”

“I know, I’ll wait for your triumphant return.” Lan Yunzhu rolled her eyes at him and said with composure. She was still full of confidence in Li Qiye; she believed he would create a miracle!

Outside the territory of the Snow Shadow Ghost Clan, among the rolling mountains, figures were already packed together, a sea of people.

An unknown number of cultivators had already gathered here. There were cultivators of the older generation and the younger generation, Saint Venerables and Princes, members of the Ghost Race, the Blood Race, the Stone Race, and the Human Race…

The cultivators gathered here were as numerous as the hairs on an ox, a motley crowd. Some floated high in the sky, some stood watch between majestic peaks, and others hid in the darkness…

Every cultivator gathered here had come for Li Qiye. One could say that tens of thousands, or perhaps even more, had assembled.

The cultivators gathered here to kill Li Qiye came from every race and every sect in the world. Among them were Sect Leaders and rulers of nations, and even figures of the Elder generation. As for the handsome geniuses of the younger generation, they were simply countless.

Everyone was here to take Li Qiye’s life. It had to be said, Shen Ran Phoenix Lady’s reward was simply too tempting: a Medicine King, Treasure Manuals, and even a Great Sage Treasure. More importantly, Li Qiye also had the key to the First Evil Tomb.

For some Elders from Great Teaching Territories, they might not necessarily need a Great Sage Treasure, a Medicine King, or Treasure Manuals, but the key to the First Evil Tomb on Li Qiye’s person was absolutely enough to make them drool with desire.

Of course, many young people were also here to make a name for themselves. Li Qiye had killed Qing Jinzi, Ghost Monk, the Hundred Schools’ Sons, and Prince Shen Ran. He was now incredibly famous among the younger generation, a fierce figure of his time. His fearsome reputation was already catching up to Saint Child Ji Que and the Ghost Insect Demon Child, who came from Emperor Immortal Gates.