Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming now knew that, to grand clans with tens of millions of years of history, a few thousand years were nothing much to speak of. Once one reached the Order stage or beyond, thus beginning to walk the path of order, it usually took months, if not years to get over every single obstacle in their cultivation.

Cultivation simply took far too much time. A cultivator of a thousand years old probably only truly experienced less than a hundred years of living if their cultivation time were to be removed from the equation. Had Tianming’s biological grandfather, Wei Tiancang, not spent any time cultivating, he would have about the same amount of life experience as Tianming.

In Ebonia, even if one was past the prime of their youth and their cultivation had started deteriorating, that didn’t mean they would get to enjoy a relaxing retirement. Instead, they would have to work even harder! The more lazy one was, the faster their cultivation would deteriorate. As a result, cultivating past that age was mainly for the sake of pushing back aging and death. Not even high-level lifeforms could live forever, so beings like Archaionfiends that could live for millions of years were truly monsters in their own right.

”I’m about done.” Tianming had gained far too much over the past two months. Even his Grand-Orient-Sword-shaped Imperial Will, which was usually incredibly hard to improve, had been thoroughly reinforced. ”It’s finally time to break through to the twelfth level of the Solar stage.”

Only by finishing that last step could he start preparing to become a sovereign, or a stellaminor as it was known in these parts. He made his way to the Zenith Path, still cultivating on his own as his lifebound beasts still hadn’t awakened. While they remained dormant, he could still use symbiotic cultivation to bring them up to parity with him. Their divine wills had been more advanced than his in the first place, making him the bottleneck to their growth. To them, cultivation was merely a matter of replenishing their energy and converting it to astralforce.

”It’s been five months, so they should be done soon, right?” Tianming felt that their current evolution would be the most transformative one yet. He could feel the powerful pulsing of their bloodlines within the cocoons inside his lifebound space.

Ying Huo had been mocked for being a little chick since it’d hatched, but its bloodline proved to be quite terrifying as time went on. Coupled with Ji Ji’s support capabilities, no other lifebound beast could match up to Ying Huo and the rest. Much of it was thanks to them often fighting enemies six or seven levels stronger than them alongside Tianming.

”Since they’re almost done, let’s make the leap together!” Within the Zenith Way, Tianming absorbed the dense Ebonian nova source into his albi as he monitored the situation in his lifebound space. The albi in the astral discs of the respective lifebound beasts within him expanded and grew in size, with Imperial and Lifesbane Wills both capable of stabilizing them. It didn’t take much longer before Tianming’s astralforce took on a brand new form.

”I’m finally a twelfth-level solarian.” He smiled with satisfaction. ”My recent breakthroughs have been rather fast. I went from eighth to twelfth level without taking too long, and I’ll be able to convert my sacrosuns into minor stellar charts soon as I advance toward the Sovereign stage.” As he had spent more time in the sun and Violetglory, he was more used to calling it the Sovereign stage. He took a deep breath and stabilized his newfound power.

”Even though my lifebound beasts are unavailable and I can’t use my totems or divine wonders, I should be able to easily take down Lin Jianjia in her top form with all six of her lifebound beasts out with my Fiendsky Arm, Grand-Orient Swords, and spacetime sword arts. I should be able to fight sixth-level stellaminors, too.”

Lin Jianjia was a fifth-level stellaminor with six-six talent and was much stronger than her brother, Lin Jianchen. Tianming had only been able to defeat her back then as she’d been injured and hadn’t used her lifebound beasts. The fact that he was still able to fight enemies multiple levels above him was thanks to his talent far outshining those with six-six talent. Not to mention, obtaining the spacetime sword arts had enhanced his reputation as a genius even by Ebonian standards, with none of his peers being able to match.

”It’s still not enough. If the little ones finally wake up, it’ll be even better.” As he expectantly waited for the day they would awaken, Ying Huo’s cocoon suddenly shook.

”It’s finally hatching for a second time!” As lifebound beasts weren’t allowed to roam within the Zenith Way or the Caeli Vault, he rushed back outside to the Infinitum Swordsea. There were quite a lot of people there who were weirded out by the impatient, yet expectant look on his face.

”Lin Feng? What in the world?”

”He looks like someone whose wife is giving birth....”

”Hey, his wives aren’t even thirty yet. They’re still wee children.”

......

In some corner of the Infinitum Swordsea, Tianming focused his full attention on Ying Huo’s giant cocoon, upon which a giant crack had formed. ”It’s finally cracking!” He hadn’t heard it yammering on for a full five months and was finding that he rather missed it.

Infernal Blaze set the gigantic cocoon alight! The crimson and black demonic flames melted the cocoon and a gigantic phoenix emerged out of it, spreading its wings before it... clucked like a chicken?

”Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

Tianming’s expectant expression immediately darkened and his fingers began shuddering. The next instant, a tiny yellow chick appeared on his head, spreading its hairless wings for all to see.

”Ah, how good it is to feel alive again! The world is such a beautiful place! After ages of slumbering, I’ve finally come back transformed and born anew! Tremble in fear, weaklings! Cock-a-doodle-doo!”

”Hey, you white chicken.”

”Who is it? Who’s calling for me?” Ying Huo perked up and quickly scanned its surroundings.

”Stop playing the fool!” Tianming grabbed it and glared at it. ”I’ve waited months for you to evolve, only for you to mess around like this? You’re telling me that you’re a myriadstar beast? How are you any different from when you first hatched?”

”Hahaha! Shallow and foolish human...” Ying Huo comfortably nestled in his palm with a disdainful look. ”Lord Chicken here is a benevolent chicken, you see. I’ll give you a few seconds to restate your words. If they aren’t to my satisfaction, I’ll claim your balls. Your three wives shall weep for the loss of your family jewels and you’ll spend the rest of your life alone.”

”And I’ll stuff you back into your shell and make a boiled egg out of you!” Tianming spat.

”Tsktsktsk, it’s too late for you.” Ying Huo still had the same dastardly expression it had refined over the years. Right after it said that, Tianming felt his hand burning up. Even though he also had the physique of an Aeternal Infernal Phoenix, his flesh still started to char and burn from the immense heat.

”I’m the infernal purgatory! I’m not like the crappy ones like the Swordsoul Purgatory, but a true infernal purgatory of the cosmos!” When it broke out of Tianming’s hand, its feathers turned into a fiery black-and-red color. The chicken looked like it was made from burning coal and had the blazing gaze of an infernal demon.