Imperial God Emperor

White clouds, waterfalls. 

Ten thousand kilometers of rivers and mountains were as beautiful as jade. 

Ye Qingyu was bare from the waist up as he sat cross-legged under the waterfall, like a jade sculpted statue. His body was extremely perfect, scarless and flawless. 

He closed his eyes and began to feel this world. 

Here was the Immortal Domain. 

The place that everyone in the Dark Realm dreamt of coming. It was rumored that the reason that there were Martial Emperors in the Dark Realm, and more than one, which far exceed the number in the Vast Thousand Domains, was because of the existence of this Immortal Domain. 

On the third day after the agreement was reached with the Sun clan, Ye Qingyu, under the personal escort of Chief Commander Sun Yi, entered the Immortal Domain, and to this day, it had already been ten days and ten nights. 

This Immortal Domain was not particularly big. 

In the past tten days, Ye Qingyu learned that the Immortal Domain only had an area which was less than one hundred thousand kilometers, and that this world was most likely the piece of remaining fragment of the Immortal world. 

And in this Immortal world fragment, there was a rich spiritual qi that Ye Qingyu had never seen before. If the laws of heaven and earth that Ye Qingyu had sensed in the Vast Thousand Domains and the Dark Realm were similar to seeing flowers through mist, then this layer of fog had now completely vanished. All the laws of heaven and earth, all mysterious qi, like a peerless beauty was unclothed, revealing the most naked and clear body, were seen at a glance.  

Ye Qingyu finally chose to understand the Dao in the center of the Immortal Domain, that is, under this huge waterfall. He wanted to feel the true mystery of heaven and earth and to obtain its most perfect and the purest power.

Moreover, Ye Qingyu was surprised to find that the nameless breathing technique, which his father passed onto him, fitted incomparably well with this world, as if he had already fused with the heaven and earth of the Immortal Domain and has quickly entered into a strange state. 

Between confusion and puzzlement, Ye Qingyu could clearly perceive that there was a great change taking place in his body, which was an indescribably wonderful feeling. It was an ascension of his strength and cultivation base.  

“As expected of the Immortal Domain, it unexpectedly has such a wonderful effect.” 

Ye Qingyu opened his eyes and slowly got up, standing in the emerald green water, like duckweed. Floating with the water ripples, it seemed as though he was drifting in the turbid waves of the earthly world, there was an unconcealable Dao rhythm flowing around him. 

He could feel that every minute and every second that passed, his strength and cultivation base were ascending, and that his body was like a bottomless abyss, devouring, accommodating, digesting, transforming, and absorbing the power in the Immortal world.

This mysterious effect greatly astonished Ye Qingyu.  

“No wonder the outside world said that the Immortal Domain could give rise to a Martial Emperor. It is indeed true. Given this degree of ascension, it will not be long before I can strike the boundary of Martial Emperor.” 

Ye Qingyu marvelled. 

But he did not know that not every expert who enters the Immortal Domain would have such an effect——In fact, if the other powerful heaven’s pridellings, who had entered the Immortal Domain for training, were to see his ascension process and speed, their jaw would certainly drop. This change was too unbelievable, and had never happened before. 

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!  

Dozens of glowing fist-sized light balls, buzzing like mosquitoes, flashed before Ye Qingyu, and shot out a colourful brilliance that formed into a light screen, where [The Beginning’s] figure appeared on.  

“This is really a very strange world, I made a huge discovery. In this world, there is an Immortal material that contains a strange and indescribable force. I cannot determine the specific composition of it for the time being. But I guess the so-called Emperor opportunity is very likely related to this Immortal material.” 

[The Beginning’s] voice sounded.  

These fist-sized light balls were some quirky gadgets that [The Beginning] gifted to him before he left the Luoshen Ridge. According to [The Beginning], these things can survey the heaven and earth, conduct out energy spectrum, and glimpse into the physical laws and energy laws of the world.

At first, because some constructions in the Luoshen Ridge had not yet been completed, it was not possible to control these gadgets over long distances. Now, the various infrastructures of the earth civilization within the Luoshen Ridge had been built and tested, thus these things finally came to use at the Immortal Domain.

While Ye Qingyu sat cross-legged, these light balls were wandering between the heaven and earth, analyzing the original components of the Immortal Domain. Now, there were some results on [The Beginning’s] theory, but these data needed to be constantly analyzed in order to reach a final conclusion.  

“Then you analyze it slowly. Right, send a copy of the image and the result to [Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] once done,” Ye Qingyu said. 

His Dao lay in his heart. The results of the earth's civilization may offer some enlightenment, but he did not intend to understand formation martial arts in full according to the way of earth civilization, but to only use it as a reference. 

He hoped to obtain some of the images and analysis results, which were also useful for [Quasi-emperor Xiaofei]. From their previous conversation he learned that [Quasi-emperor Xiaofei] was only one step away from the Emperor realm.

The real reason that Ye Qingyu told [Taoichu] to analyze the Immortal Domain was in the hope that the earth civilization can be used to equip a large number of dark citizens and the ordinary citizens of the Vast Thousand Domains, enhance their overall strength, so that if there were invaders in the future they can reverse the fate of the cycle of civilization. 

[The Beginning] agreed, and then remotely controlled the light balls for further analysis and sampling. Now there were tens of thousands of light balls spread across the entire Immortal Domain. The dozens in front of him were only a small part of it.

The means of the earth civilization greatly astonished Ye Qingyu. 

[The Beginning], who was far away in Luoshen Ridge, was able to unbelievably, through time and space, control the light balls in the Immortal Domain. A Martial Emperor might not even be able to do this.

He let out a sigh, and then left the pool. 

In the Immortal Domain, there were mountains and rivers, medicinal herbs, divine plants and many shocking materials, but there was not a single intelligent living creature. 

According to some of Ye Qingyu’s previous observations, he found that, although the medicinal herbs here were from an ancient era and possess unbelievable medicinal properties, strangely none have evolved into intelligent living beings. This was incredibly bizarre, because medicinal herbs and divine plants from the same year, if placed in the Vast Thousand Domains, would have long become a spiritual being and possess power and intelligence. 

Ye Qingyu did not pick the medicinal herbs, nor did he extract the mineral resources. 

No amount of divine medicine and hidden treasures was useful anymore to improve his present strength and cultivation base. 

One month of time passed by. 

Ye Qingyu constantly changed the cultivation site, as though touring the scenic spots, and seemed extremely relaxed. Through pines the bright moon glows, upon the stones the clear spring flows. Ye Qingyu, like an animal listening to his instincts, drank the mountain spring water of the Immortal Domain, and ate the fruits on the tree. He had completely cleared his mind, like drifting clouds and wild crane, understanding the world.

Three thousand red dusts refine my heart.

Three thousand great Dao cleanses my body. 

He even forgot time and forgotten himself. 

One month later, he was awakened from a deep sleep by a strange force permeating his body, like a dam had burst in his body. A mysterious force was fusing with all the cells in his body, including muscles, blood, and bones, and eventually became part of his body...

At this moment, Ye Qingyu felt that he was ascending and becoming an Immortal.

He felt that his body was as light as a cloud of smoke, like he was going to drift with a gust of wind. It was as though he had completely fused with the world.  

“This feeling... this... I seem to have reached a peak, the ultimate, this is the end of the Quasi-emperor road. If I move a little further, even an inch, it will be the realm of the Martial Emperor.”

Ye Qingyu mumbled with an astonished face.

His mind had been opened, a divine light flowing in his heart, as he became aware of his limits. 

There were nine steps of the Quasi-emperor realm, and it was only after completing these steps that one would truly enter the realm of Martial Emperor. Each step was extremely difficult, in defiance of the natural order, and full of all sorts of danger. Since ancient times it was unknown how many exceptional heaven’s pridelings failed to go through these nine steps. Previously, Ye Qingyu played all his cards to fight against an eighth step Quasi-emperor, but now, he had only been in the Immortal Domain for one month, yet he had already reached the ninth step. Such progress was incredibly frightening.

“The entry is too fast, it's just too fast... it is inevitable that the foundation is unstable, and there may be flaws.” 

Ye Qingyu was not happy but somewhat worry. 

He began to examine his body, reflecting, in order to find the weaknesses and flaws of his martial arts foundation. 

Another half a month of time passed by. 

“There is no flaw, the foundation is solid, as if hammered and refined for thousands of years... strange, how could this happen?” After half a month of reflection, Ye Qingyu was surprised to find that, unlike what he had feared, his foundation and cultivation base were extremely solid, and there was not the slightest flaw as he had expected.

This really was a strange phenomenon.

“Since I entered the Quasi-emperor realm, all progress and improvement seem particularly easy. Countless heaven’s pridelings are trapped in the first step of the Quasi-emperor realm and unable to progress in their life. But I... why would this be?” 

Ye Qingyu couldn't figure it out

Looking back on his road of martial arts, the beginning was the most arduous and it got easier along the way. Although he had repeatedly fought many battles, the danger was always turned to safety and without mishap. His strength had been ascending all along, faster every time. It was completely different to other martial artists, where the path was most difficult in the end. In particular, after entering the Quasi-emperor realm, everything was achieved without extra effort. And now, in the process of training in the Immortal Domain, he was more like a cocoon becoming a butterfly, reaching the peak of the Quasi-emperor road without much effort. 

Why was it so smooth? 

He was surprised that he couldn’t solve it. 

For the next half month, Ye Qingyu was still reflecting on this. 

He wanted to find the reason. Lying back between the mountain rocks, clear spring, meadows, and trees, he thought back to his childhood, thought of when he started cultivation in White Deer Academy, thought about his time in Youyan Pass, and all the things he had experienced along the way. He reflected on his every ascension opportunity in martial arts.

He originally had an astonishing memory, and by deliberately recalling the past, he felt everything he had experienced in the past were reappearing in his mind one scene after another. It was as if he was re-walking the road he had taken, repeating the things he had done.

A qualitative change, while he was recalling the past, was quietly sprouting and began to show up. 

Three days later. 

“I can feel that the opportunity to achieve Martial Emperor is right in front of my eyes, like a thin paper, I can puncture through with a gentle poke. The opportunity to become Emperor is right in front of my eyes,” Ye Qingyu muttered.

This was not an illusion, but a realization. 

As long as he wanted to, Ye Qingyu felt that he could become Emperor at any time. 

This was the state that countless supreme martial artists dream of. 

Even Ye Qingyu was not clear how long he can maintain this state. 

But he was hesitant.

Am I going to become Emperor in the Immortal Domain?  

Or wait till I get back to the Dark Realm and try again?