Emperor's Domination

Li Qiye still stared at him.

“I did really lose and got taken over, it’s just that I happened to have a special method, that’s how I survived and latched onto his body.” Coiling Moon hurriedly added.

“So he took over but you’re the one here. How did you get this technique? I know you didn’t create it.” Li Qiye said.

“I…” The embarrassed emperor lowered his head.

“Where did you find it?” Li Qiye repeated.

“I came across it by chance.” He smiled wryly.

“Is that so?” Li Qiye continued.

“Yes, that is indeed the truth.” His knees trembled as he waved his hand.

“Where was the location?” Li Qiye said.

“Answer as you please.” Li Qiye said.

“We have to start with Fire Ancestor’s expedition, I’m not aware of this cultivator’s full story but there was a battle after the expedition, one of the immortals’ level.” He said.

“Pursued by the three immortals.” Li Qiye said.

“That must be it, I didn’t know who the three immortals were or what happened later, I was just a young cultivator then. Curiosity and desire took me to the ocean.” He said.

“Uncrossable Expanse.” Li Qiye understood.

“That’s it.” Coiling Moon nodded: “And that’s when the battle happened. Of course, a lowly character such as myself was not involved.”

“You went to the battlefield.” Li Qiye became interested.

“I heard a blood-curdling screech but didn’t dare to get close. Suddenly, a body part soared through the horizon like a meteor. I wanted it but given my power, I waited patiently.” He nodded.

He shuddered as he recalled the long-lost memory: “I can’t describe in words how terrifying the screams were.”

“So not necessarily a battle.” Li Qiye said.

“When silence took over, I finally dared to get close. There was nothing there, only a few broken continents.” He said.

“And you found something.” Li Qiye said.

“Yes, I thought it was worthless then, just a strange white string, so I brought it with me.” He said.

“I kept on looking at it and found it bizarre. It wasn’t a worm or a treasure, but within were laws.” He continued: “As time went on, I learned something and my dao soared, culminating in the imperial realm.”

“You relied on absorption.” Li Qiye said.

“Sir, my inadequate talent and grand dao couldn’t do that. Moreover, I wouldn’t have become an emperor if that’s the case.” He protested.

“Nonsense, it’s all due to this thing, and you started liking the absorption process.” Li Qiye said.

“When I used my dao to gestate it, it divided into more and could secretly attach to the others.” He continued: “It doesn’t matter how strong they are, ten, a hundred times stronger, I can replace them in time.”

“But, Sir, I swear, my merit laws didn’t have anything like this, it wasn’t my original intent.” He swore.

“Let’s have a look.” Li Qiye said.

He didn’t dare to refuse and summoned a fate palace. He removed several seals and took out something.

He was awfully careful during the removal, not wanting to make a single mistake.

“Can’t avoid being burned when playing with fire.” Li Qiye said.

“Sir, the truth is that in the beginning, this thing seemed to be dead. As I gestated it, it became stronger so I worried about not being able to control it. That’s why I sealed the main body and only used the replicated strings to absorb others.”

He carefully handed it to Li Qiye who took a closer look. It looked like a white string but larger than the others seen thus far.

Li Qiye activated his heavenly gaze and saw a cut - this thing was not whole, only a tiny piece from something larger. Spiral patterns could be seen as well, adding to its enigmatic nature.

“You did more than just study its mysteries.” Li Qiye’s eyes turned cold.

“I also wanted to know where it fell from.” Coiling Moon told the truth: “Someone must have created it so I traced the source.”

“What did you find out?” Li Qiye asked.

“I speculated that it came from Evil Transformation, but I haven’t seen this being nor done any transaction.” He said.

“You were afraid.” Li Qiye said.

“Yes, because I thought it came from Evil Transformation. During my research, I verified this but Evil Transformation was not the one who released it, someone else performed a transaction.” He said.

“You are half right. A part of it belonged to Evil Transformation, the other part was created by someone else.” Li Qiye said.

“That would make sense since it has laws that I just couldn’t comprehend.” He said.

“Immortal Corpseworm.” Li Qiye said its name.

“So is it a parasite?” Coiling Moon stared at it and became afraid.

“It’s more than that, someone fused their grand dao with it. It is exceedingly rare, few have been spotted in all the epochs. Only when beings powerful enough to be called immortals by regular cultivators die would one show up to absorb the corpse, but not always.” Li Qiye said.

That only made Coiling Moon more afraid since that could be him one day.

“You’re not worth its time.” Li Qiye said: “Normally, it only absorbs corpses.”

“It can absorb living people now too.” He said.

“Yes, due to the infused dao created specifically for it. They are one now, the dao and the worm.” Li Qiye said.

“So similar to refining a dao into a weapon.” He commented.