Chapter 938: Heavenguard Sec (2/2)
“Buzz!” The wordless monolith suddenly lit up with golden light.
“Clank!” The two universal laws actually turned into two words — Emperor. 2
The word “Emperor” was dazzling with a majestic and carefree aura. Next, the word disappeared and the monolith opened. A golden crown emerged; it was also formed from the two universal laws.
Li Qiye took it and solemnly placed it atop his head. While being on top of his head, golden tassels emerged and dropped down in front of his face. He immediately began emitting an awe-inspiring aura that made it seem like he was an Immortal Monarch! 3
Ye Chuyun was moved by Li Qiye’s current appearance. Anyone would be awestruck by him at this moment.
The disciples guarding that gate were shocked as well. This monolith had been standing here for so many years, but they never knew about this magical effect.
Li Qiye told the guards at the entrance: “Go, ring the bell, the Emperor has returned.”
“The Emperor has returned…” The disciples shook once in shock. They calmed down and quickly ran inside without questioning him.
Li Qiye wore his golden crown and headed inside the Heavenguard Sect! There was an unspeakable burden in his heart as he stepped into this all too familiar land.
“Clangg—” A sonorous bell rang for miles and miles. Even the ancestors sleeping in the deepest depths of the sect could hear it.
“The bell! The Emperor is back!” These hibernating ancestors were woken up by the sound of the bell. One of them murmured in astonishment: “Is this real?!”
Li Qiye entered a temple and sat in the highest position before commanding the disciples: “Tell your ancestors or sect master to come see me.”
The guards were startled, but they didn’t dare to show any disrespect and quickly carried out the order.
A moment later, a middle-aged man hastily rushed in. After coming inside, he saw Li Qiye sitting in that place and was shocked. He carefully looked at Li Qiye, his gaze pausing on the golden crown above his head for a long time.
“All of you, leave.” After confirming his thoughts, the middle-aged man commanded the guards. All of them obeyed and left.
Li Qiye looked at this man. He was a pudgy fella who looked a bit like a shopkeeper in the mortal world.
However, do not be fooled by his obese appearance since he was very famous in the Barren Earth! He was the Heavenguard Sect Master with the title of Forheaven. He forcibly reached Virtuous Paragon during the Difficult Dao Era, causing his awe-inspiring prestige to echo far and wide.
Forheaven bowed towards Li Qiye and spoke with reverence: “May I ask for your name?”
“Emperor, Li Qiye!” Li Qiye emotionlessly spoke: “What is your purpose?”
“Protect the Emperor and guard the heaven’s prestige…” Forheaven quickly shouted and prostrated on the ground: “The sect did not greet Emperor’s return with the proper welcoming ceremony, this was my mistake.”
Li Qiye gently motioned with his hand and said: “There’s no need for the troublesome formalities of the past, we are not strangers.”
Forheaven stood up with great excitement. There was a legend in their sect stating that the mission of all future disciples was to wait for the Emperor’s return.
It was their purpose — to protect the Emperor and guard the heaven’s prestige! This creed had been passed down from generation to generation!
However, so many years had passed and the Emperor did not return. Although Immortal Emperor Zhen Yu and Immortal Emperor Mu Tian had news of the Emperor, he never came back.
The sect stayed hidden for many generations while awaiting their Emperor. Only with the presence of their Emperor could the Heavenguard truly be itself!
1. Zhen Yu is Hell Suppressing and Mu Tian is Heaven’s Shepherd.
2. This can be a bit confusing because it is two words in CN — 天子. I kept it as two instead of changing it to one because there were two universal laws forming two words. The second part is that this is not the traditional word or the common word that we use for “Emperor”. Strictly speaking, this is more of a historical/political/cultural usage of “Emperor”. It literally means Son of Heaven, which is what ancient kings were called in order to justify their claim to the throne. In terms of accuracy, I would use Son of Heaven rather than Emperor here, but Emperor fits the context better when translated into English with regards to the novel’s plot.
3. I do think the particular usage for Immortal Monarch sometimes in ED is not the cultivation title and is referring to a great deity, just like the Golden Immortal of the Great Firmament. This is a type of immortal in traditional daoist mythos — extremely powerful. Authors often used this as an expressive idiom; it has been used in ED before as well. This can lead to confusion in an English translation since it seems out of place in the beginning. Back to the Immortal Monarch’s case, yes, it could just be a general description of someone looking like a heavenly king. Just keep both possibilities in mind.