Chapter 1042: The Mortal Monarch
Li Qiye continued this embroidery process for two days and three nights before finally doing a good job of sewing the laws together. Looking at the flashing totems in his hand, Li Qiye couldn’t help but chuckle. After struggling for so many years, an unknown era had disappeared without anyone knowing.
Even though Sikong Toutian was a carefree fella, he didn’t dare to do a sloppy job on a task given by Li Qiye. On the third day, he finally returned. However, he was obediently standing behind someone at this time.
The person entered Li Qiye’s abode and instantly began inspecting him from top to bottom carefully. It was more accurate to call this person an iron statue, other than his head, the rest of his body was made out of an unknown material.
His body emitted a faint silver luster and the cold air of metal. Even though there were all type of races in this world such as golems and demons, this iron man might be one of a kind.
He was not cast from a particular piece of metal. To be precise, his body was formed from the combination of many exquisite parts.
For example, Li Qiye’s Brave Tiger Legion was formed by pouring metal into the same mold. However, this iron man was not created by that process but rather assembled in a sophisticated process beyond imagination.
However, his head was clearly that of a normal person. Judging from his gray hair and beard, he was a man whose age was too old to be determined. Even though his eyes were muddled, there were flashing starry glimmers in their depths with wavy nebulae. Anyone who stared in his eyes would definitely be shocked, for they would come to realize his terrifying power.
“Your Excellency...” After taking a good look, the iron man prostrated on the ground with great emotion: “Your Excellency, it really is you!” Excitement was plastered all over his face.
Even though his iron body had turned cold, at this very second, he couldn’t control his emotions.
His actions frightened the soul out of Sikong Toutian. He was an obedient child before the iron man and didn’t even know where to put his hands.
However, this untouchable Mortal Ancestor in his mind was actually calling Li Qiye “Your Excellency”, so how could he not be scared out of his mind?
The iron man was the oldest ancestor in the Mortal King Palace of their Heaven’s Secret Valley. He was a supreme existence; many disciples never even had the chance to see him. But now, their valley’s ancestor actually prostrated before Li Qiye, leaving Sikong Toutian in complete astonishment.
Li Qiye propped the Mortal Monarch up and smiled: “I’m very happy to be able to see you.”
The Mortal Monarch stood up. His decrepit face revealed a touching smile. At this time, he gently waved his sleeve. Sikong Toutian didn’t say anything and quietly left.
“I didn’t think I would be able to meet Your Excellency again. I thought I would die of old age at the Mortal King Palace.” He smiled.
Li Qiye laughed in response: “With your advantages, as long as the valley has sufficient Blood Era Stones, you will be able to live for a long time. I didn’t want to disturb you in this generation. After all, it isn’t easy to seal you once more...”
“What are you saying, Your Excellency?” He quickly interjected: “My life was given to me by you. Without you, I would only be a pile of scrap iron in the darkness, trying to hold onto my last breath. If you didn’t defy the heavens to prolong my life, the me of today wouldn’t exist, and neither would the Heaven’s Secret Valley.”
Very few people in the present times knew about an existence like the Mortal Monarch, and even fewer knew about a lineage like the valley.
A very long time ago, the monarch was a man made out of iron. During that period, he was broken into little tiny pieces. As he put it, a pile of scrap metal with feeble vitality. Later on, he met Li Qiye. Li Qiye spent countless efforts and finally saved his life and prolonged it.
He was not a human or a demon, not even any of the other races of this world. His origin traced back to a very archaic era. However, the monarch himself knew very little about his own era because he was exiled into the shadows in his youth and had always been sealed. It wasn’t until later when he met Li Qiye that he able to see the light of day!
As for that distant era, it had been annihilated long ago and no longer existed.
“No matter what, you have managed to pass down your craft.” Li Qiye patted his shoulder and smiled: “Your valley’s mechanical prowess can be considered the best in the nine worlds.”
The monarch shook his head and said: “Your Excellency is teasing me, it is only a minor trick, it’s not enough to get into your eyes.”
“No, I actually do need this skill of yours this time.” Li Qiye smiled: “I have an item. If I do it myself, I will need a very long time to finish, but time does not wait for me, which is why I specifically called for you.”
With that, Li Qiye took out the old box and handed it to him. Inside were the scattered parts that were extremely delicate.
The monarch was instantly attracted like a master-level artist immersing himself in an unparalleled work of art.
After a good look, he lifted his head in shock: “Your Excellency, this is...”
With that, he took a deep breath to calm himself: “This, this can only be from that era.”
“Yes, only in that era can you find this. To be precise, I want to go to a certain place in the Lesser Imperial Devil World.” Li Qiye nodded.
“Your Excellency has finally found it?” Even an existence that had lived for so long like him became emotional.
“I’m not sure how I will face it. I have thought about this matter for a very long time, so I am fairly confident.” Li Qiye told the monarch: “Do you want to go take a look? Perhaps this will let you understand that era better.”
The monarch pondered for a long time. Eventually, he smiled wryly and said: “I know very little about that era. Some of the things I know were taught by you and the legends from your tales. That era has vanished. I belong in the present, not that destroyed past.”
“Really, I have so many children and grandchildren now, what is there in the past for me to yearn for?” He smiled and shook his head: “Just let the past go. I won’t try to search for it since I am very satisfied with the present. Tracing my origin is no longer a priority of mine.”
“I understand.” Li Qiye gently patted his shoulder again. He watched over the Mortal Monarch all this time, how could he not understand him?
At this time, the monarch took another look at the item inside the box before speaking: “Your Excellency, this thing is not complete, it must be missing another half.”
“I know, the other half is with the Eternal River School. They should have it here within the next two days.” Li Qiye said: “I want you to get it ready as soon as possible. In my opinion, Nalanda will release the Lesser Imperial Devil World in the next several days.”
The lesser world had always been sealed by Nalanda. Although they would open it in each generation their Buddhist gates opened, they would normally wait for a very long time before doing so.
However, Li Qiye came to Spirit Mountain this time and asked the Radiant Bodhisattva to open it early since there was something he needed inside!
“Hmm, I’m afraid this is difficult for me as well.” The monarch stared at the item and said: “Your Excellency, this thing is of the utmost importance and relates to the totems of that era. I can’t prepare it well in a short amount of time, I have to understand these totems first before knowing their derivations and transformations.”
“I don’t have many memories about these totems, so if I wanted to complete it, I would need a very long time.” The monarch was ashamed to say: “I’m afraid you will be disappointed.”
“You don’t have to worry about that.” Li Qiye smiled: “I have prepared the totems for you.”
With that, he took out the totems that he had been sewing for the last two days.
Seeing the animated totems before him, the monarch became startled and stared at them in disbelief: “Your Excellency, this, where did you get them from?”
“I made it.” Li Qiye smiled: “I didn’t live all of these years for nothing. After reading many ancient scrolls, I finally understood a few things from that era. Later on, I went through numerous images so I was able to derive them into these totems. Because there isn’t a real one in our possession right now, I had to make them myself.”
“Everything should be easy with this.” The monarch became excited and spoke: “Don’t worry, Your Excellency, I will prepare this for you to the best of my ability!”
“I believe in your ability.” Li Qiye gently nodded: “As long as the Eternal River School brings the other half here, we’ll have plenty of time.”
In the end, the monarch had to ask: “Your Excellency is entering the Lesser Imperial Devil World for that item in the legends?”
“Not just for that item.” Li Qiye gently shook his head: “I want to know exactly what went on at the very end of time, it will be a good reference point for me. Of course, if that item is still there, then nothing could be better. But if it’s not, I won’t force the issue.”
The monarch softly sighed and didn’t say anything else. He began his task.
Li Qiye didn’t bother him and left the room.
Outside, Sikong Toutian stood on guard. After seeing Li Qiye, he felt quite awkward and didn’t know what to do with his hands.
“My relationship with the monarch is separate from my relationship with you.” Li Qiye laughed: “Just act like before.”
After hearing this, Sikong Toutian finally heaved a sigh of relief.