Li Qiye chuckled and told the ancestor: “Neither, I’ll be the one to cut you down.”

Samsara Wild Ancestor looked at him with a profound glare: “In my youthful temperament, I would have tortured and kill you for saying this. Unfortunately, I’m old now, no longer as fiery as before.”

“You are indeed old. But the one to kill me won’t be you. I can’t think of anyone who can outside of the villainous heaven.” Li Qiye smiled.

A ray of light rushed out of the ancestor’s eyes, capable of annihilating everything. Though he had no aura, this flas.h.i.+ng glare of his could frighten the emperors. He certainly could kill them with just his eyes alone.

After staring at Li Qiye for a long time, he solemnly nodded: “Indeed, I in my current state won’t be able to kill you since I lack the same strength as before. However, not being able to kill you isn’t a bad thing since an eternity of torture is much more painful.”

This didn’t have the aggressive and ominous tone of a threat, as if he was simply stating a matter-of-fact. This leisure alone was even scarier than normal. No one could imagine the terrible fate of falling in this dark overlord’s hand.

Li Qiye chuckled and said: “Too many pains in this world, and I have experienced them all. There was someone certainly stronger than you who had imprisoned me. I’m sure, he had already tried whatever you could come up with. Unfortunately for him, the outcome was me tricking him and taking all he had!”

“I can also do the same to you but no need to scheme so hard like in the past. Just suppressing you today will allow me to take them all.” He revealed quite a “gentle” smirk at this point.

The emperors were truly frightened, not because of Samsara, but because of Li Qiye’s smile. Some of them have seen this smile before. Nothing good will come out of it.

“Interesting, I actually want you to try and suppress me. The long years have been monotonous so being suppressed by someone will give me something to do. Alas, no one has been able to do so.” The ancestor shook his head and smiled.

“It’s because you have been lucky.” Li Qiye chuckled: “Along the river of time, you are not the strongest or the most brilliant since if you were truly mighty, you wouldn’t have hid in the darkness from start to finish, not daring to fight against the heaven.”

“Why try despite knowing it’s impossible?” Samsara smiled: “I’m simply starting in an intelligent manner. There has not been any exception - only death or turned into abominations. Why not save strength and wait for the right opportunity to rise?”

Li Qiye disagreed: “This is an issue of dao heart. Fear even before fighting? The outcome will be darkness. So many wise men before us have come up with incredible plans but ultimately, they at least tried. If you think you’re intelligent by doing this, you’re sorely mistaken since you won’t even fight in the future. You have reaped and devoured beings in your epoch for no reason. This is only living a borrowed life as a blood-sucking fiend in the darkness.”

“Who can predict the future?” Samsara didn’t become angry: “The dao is endless, to act without planning is foolish.”

“You can keep thinking that you’re being wise but ultimately, it is an issue of not being able to defend your dao heart.” Li Qiye shook his head.

“How do you define it? Just upholding justice and maintaining the light?” Samsara smiled.

“It requires self-reflection. What do you truly want? Never forgetting your true desire, that’s an indomitable dao heart. It has nothing to do with light and justice. Surely, your initial wish isn’t to devour the world and ma.s.sacre all living beings. Outside of certain races, no one is born with a heart of darkness.”

Samsara pondered for a moment before chuckling: “It’s too early to talk about this. The victor has yet to be decided.”

Li Qiye went on: “In my opinion, it is already settled. It is time for the wildland to change its master. Those who should disappear shall stop lingering in the river of time.”

“Then show me what you got.” Samsara responded while glancing at Li Qiye and the emperors to his left and right: “But in my eyes, not just the bait, all of you are just food for me.” 

The spectating emperors shuddered. Only someone of his level could make this statement. Plus, they were aware that there were other existences like him still around. Reality was quite grim.

“Then come have your fill.” Li Qiye calmly said.

“Boom!” With a loud blast, Samsara actually swallowed the pond of blood. His teeth grinded down on the s.h.i.+ny laws and took everything down his stomach.

His body then lit up and quaked for a bit, able to sever all karmic ties. He was quite pleased with himself: “It would be a waste of your effort if I didn’t eat this delicious bait. Unfortunately, the hook is too weak, it won’t be able to sneak into my body to trap me. I’m afraid you’ll be disappointed.”

Li Qiye had done something to the blood, akin to adding a hook inside. As long as the fish bit the bait, he would be able to capture it.

Alas, Samsara was too strong and instantly severed all karmic ties. The power of the hook inside shattered with haste, unable to hold on to this big fish.

Li Qiye wasn’t surprised at this result, evident by the grin on his face: “Not surprising, still within my expectation.”

“Looks like you’re completely confident.” Samsara naturally became intrigued: “You really think you have what it takes to defeat me? Honestly, I also don’t see what you have that will allow you to think about the final battle.”

“Yes.” Li Qiye chuckled: “Of course you can’t see it because you never had any determination to take on the final battle. If you haven’t done so, how do you know who is capable or not? That’s a war that can change in the blink of an eye. Planning and strategy will all be thrown out of the window.”

Samsara smiled: “How interesting. Whether it be a bluff or if you are really confident, I want to see it either way. Very well, I won’t make it hard for you today. What do you want in my treasury? A supreme weapon or an immortal scroll? As long as I have it, I will lend it to you.”

The emperors in the battle were startled. An existence of his level had no fear of emperors so why was he being so generous? 

“Does the wildland really have a Paragon Artifact?” A Heaven Emperor from the monarch clan couldn’t help but ask. This question has been looming on their mind.

“A Paragon Artifact, huh?” Samsara smiled and shook his head: “I’m afraid not, the Paragon Artifact in my possession has been destroyed during the destruction back then. But I can lend something not inferior to it, if you wish.”

He glanced at Li Qiye after stating this. Clearly, he enjoyed and thought highly of Li Qiye.

Li Qiye smiled and said: “I won’t deny that we are here to kill you for the treasury. However, it is supplementary for me, personally. My goal is to slay you, in order to show the world that there is nothing I, Li Qiye, can’t do. Dark overlords and watchers, be smart before me. This is my world, my era, and my epoch! Those who wish to become the reapers and herald the darkness? I won’t mind hanging their head up in the sky of the thirteen continents!”

The emperors were astonished. This aggressive declaration was threatening an entire epoch. No, it was threatening ancient beings living on the river of time. Its impact stirred the crowd for quite a while.