Beastmaster of the Ages

“Chi Hun… is on… an astralship… in pursuit… but he… can’t find… Dongshen Zhuojun!” At such a tense moment, Yin Chen’s halting speech was truly aggravating.

“Quickly notify Dongshen Yang and get him to activate the Dongshen Scorching Sun Guard Formation to its maximum! Put their clan on full alert to welcome Zhuojun back!” Lin Xiao tensely said.

“No shit… Of course… I told… him already… old man!” Yin Chen said with displeasure.

“My god.” Tianming wanted to pinch Yin Chen. It had become so cocky that it was even starting to disrespect the elderly.

For now, they could only anxiously await updates.

“We can’t stay here anymore, let’s return to the council hall,” Lin Xiao said.

Tianming felt helpless, but there was no choice. It hadn’t been easy to come to the Caeli Vault, but now they were immediately rushing back. Still, the Dongshen Clan’s fate was about to be decided, so he had no mood to lock himself in to cultivate anyway.

The Phantomvoid soon reached the council hall.

“I think we should report this to the first rex mundi and the Mundus Enforcers. The ebons aren’t going to let it go,” Lin Xiao said.

“I’ll handle it, Second Patriarch,” Li Chongyao said. The first rex mundi was Yi Daiyan, so it was inappropriate for Lin Xiao to do the talking.

They returned to the council hall, where Dongshen Yue was anxiously pacing around and nervously sweating. Her cane constantly tapped on the ground. “Lin Lao’er, come with me.”

“Zhuojun is almost back to the formation,” Lin Xiao said.

“That’s exactly why we need to go. If he really takes the relic back, Chi Hun’s temper means he may very well use his astralship to attack!” Dongshen Yue said.

“That isn’t likely. This is just a normal resource conflict and they lost the relic due to carelessness. If Chi Hun goes too far, he’ll be punished by the Infinitum Bodhimanda’s rules!” There was no division between the ebons and Grandnorth Dongshen Clan to the Infinitum Bodhimanda. All of Ebonia were members of the supersect.

“I’m just afraid he’ll disregard the rules and wantonly kill.”

“Hold on!” Yin Chen suddenly spoke up, making everyone shut up. “Zhuojun is… back inside! Safe now! The clan… is celebrating! All formations… are active… they are… ready for... battle battle!”

“What about the ebons? Are they still pursuing?”

“Is he safe now?”

The barrage of questions was endless.

Yin Chen seemed to freeze in place, before it revealed an incredulous look.

“Yin Chen, is Chi Hun still chasing?” Tianming asked.

“Very strange!” Yin Chen said.

“How so?”

“Chi Hun… chased halfway… then his… astralship suddenly… dropped three…. Thousand corpses… where Zhuojun… just fought!” Yin Chen said with exertion.

“Whose corpses?” Tianming was confused.

“Half ebons… half allies. None of… Zhuojun’s people,” Yin Chen said.

“Huh?”

“Three thousand corpses? Who killed them?” Lin Xiong was shocked.

“It has to be Chi Hun! Why’d he kill his allies and clansmen?” Lin Chongyao shook his head.

“That’s going to be trouble!” Lin Xiao and Dongshen Yue suddenly shouted.

Tianming also reacted. “It’s a trap! He made an opening for Zhuojun so that he’d steal the relic. Then he’ll pin those three thousand lives on him! His goal is to use revenge as an excuse to attack the entire Grandnorth Dongshen Clan!”

When Lin Xiao explained, everyone’s heart sank.

“Notify my brother!” Dongshen Yue shrieked.

“I have,” Yin Chen said.

Lin Xiao quickly took out a golden transmission stone and connected to Dongshen Yang.

“Three thousand dead?” Dongshen Yang had also just received the news.

“Right! They’ll use that as an excuse to attack your formation! The warbeasts they infiltrated underground are probably ready as well. Get ready!” Lin Xiao urgently said.

“Throwing out the relic now is useless. It was originally from their pocket. Their true goal is your lives! Hold on, Brother, Lao’er and I are coming over now!” Dongshen Yue said.

“They want our lives? Sure! I’ve already been angered almost to death by these people long ago. Let’s see which side has more die in them!” Dongshen Yang had always been an irascible fellow, and he immediately cut off the golden transmission stone. However, the sounds of battle filtered through before the connection stopped.

It was proof that the Grandnorth Dongshen Clan had always cared a lot about the ancient relic. The ebons seizing it, and even blocking their home’s entrance pissed them off every day. Mount Taia was a holy land to them and the ebons’ presence there only dirtied it. Many had attacked Mount Taia throughout history, but generations of Dongshen martyrs had used their bodies as a steel wall.

“If the ebons planned this, they’ll be able to quickly breach our formation. If we set out now, we can still save some people,” Dongshen Yue said to Lin Xiao.

“Yes!” Lin Xiao was already summoning the second branch’s ether-class astralship. A massive black sword flew over and stabbed into the ground next to council hall.

“Chongyao, notify the rex mundi. Explain Chi Hun’s plan!” Lin Xiao said.

“I’ll do it right away,” Lin Chongyao said.

Lin Xiao was about to board when he turned and saw Tianming. “I’ll have to trouble you to protect my grandson and granddaughters-in-law. Don’t leave the council hall unless absolutely necessary!”

“Understood!”

“Leave it to us, Brother Hu!”

The Dongshen Clan was Dongshen Yue’s home. If they hesitated for a moment, the entire clan may perish and their bloodline would go extinct. Lin Xiao had no choices left. The ebons’ plan had been very precise. Lin Xiao’s reaction was only natural, considering his loyal nature.

Tianming watched as the black sword shot into the sky and headed north. He exhaled. “Two consecutive events, two conspiracies. Why do I feel that it was to lure away my bodyguards? Do the ebons really care about me so much? Or do they know what the Order Relic does? Is that their greatest goal?”

He’d had that thought since returning from the Caeli Vault, but he hadn’t dared voice it.