Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming turned back and saw the black-haired beauty, Fengqing Yinye, getting off Fengqing Yinguang’s back. They exchanged glances and approached Tianming, holding each other’s hands. Their smile didn’t radiate a hint of hostility.

The encounter between these two groups drew the attention of many in Starting City. Coupled with the fact that their broadcast viewports were forcefully open in Skyhold Bridge, there were countless billions of people paying attention to these young geniuses.

Since they didn’t seem to be up to anything bad, Tianming decided to be cordial. He knew that he had performed far too magnificently in their territory, so it was no surprise they would come to greet him. ”What can I do for the two of you?”

”Brother Li and the two ladies truly are talented. You are one of the future pillars of the Skydome Mundus. We would not have someone of your caliber ’do’ anything for us,” Fengqing Yinguang said.

”That’s right. We’re all friends here, so let’s not let stiff things like ranks and status restrict us,” Fengqing Yinye said, winking with a smile.

”Very well,” Tianming said, offering a smile in return.

Fengqing Yinguang got to the point. ”Well, our Fengqing Clan will be holding the Dreamriver Summit soon. It is held once every thirty years. All sorts of geniuses from all over are invited to participate. We offer everything from wonderful, rare pleasures, myriad conversations, and socializing opportunities. I am extending an invitation to the three of you as well.”

”Dreamriver Summit? Where will it be held? Here in Skyhold Bridge?” Tianming asked.

The other group laughed. Fengqing Yinye said, ”You do have a good sense of humor. How does someone from the Skydome Mundus not know where it is? It’s held in the Dreamriver Ocean of Wondrium, of course.”

So, it was taking place in the real world! There was no point in entertaining that notion, then. Without hesitation, Tianming said, ”I do have to apologize. I am situated in the Mysterium Cluster, which is simply too far from Skydome Wondrium. With my divine astralship, it would take me more than a century to reach Skydome Wondrium, so I am unable to take part. I ask for your understanding on this matter.”

The other two exchanged glances. Fengqing Yinguang asked, ”Brother Li, are you really in the Mysterium Cluster?” Naturally, he didn’t believe that one bit. He was the son of the rex mundi, and even he was unable to find out where Tianming was actually located. As his seniors had prevented him from finding out about it, he decided to extend an invitation to see what was going on.

”That is correct.”

”Brother Li really is quite the jokester. Your information states that you’re only forty years old. If a deific-class world can truly produce someone of your age with a combat level of the eighth astral phase, then our whole worldview will truly collapse,” Fengqing Yinguang said, his smile gone in an instant.

”Unless... your true age is around five hundred,” Fengqing Yinye said.

”Even that would be impossible for a deific-class world. Astral gods simply don’t rise from them,” Fengqing Yinguang said.

It was clear to Tianming that they didn’t believe the ages of all three of them, nor did they believe they truly came from deific-class worlds. In fact, Fengqing Yinguang was almost certain that they were at Wondrium, and Tianming’s refusal to show was to be taken as an offense. He could tell that Fengqing Yinguang was starting to feel rather miffed about it. There was no way he would be able to forget how Tianming had ignored him the last time. Yet, what does that have to do with me?

He ignored the awkward questions those two brought up and wore a warmly angry gaze with a smile. ”The universe is huge and filled with endless wonders. For the two of you of high status to have such a shallow and closed-minded view is truly shocking for someone like me to behold. I am honestly thankful for the invitation, but I have to stress again that it’s not that I don’t want to attend, it’s that I can’t attend even if I wanted to.”

Tianming didn’t care about these people who were millions of stars separated from him, regardless of their status. He never had a good impression of divine wonderians from the get-go. After he said that, he walked past Fengqing Yin toward Skyhold Bridge while Feiling and Xiaoxiao followed behind. Their part of the bridge was waiting for them at the edge.

”Embark!” Tianming set off spiritedly into the colorful, dreamlike stream. Fengqing Yinguang and Fengqing Yinye remained unmoving even after he left, probably out of sheer disbelief. It felt rather frustrating for their olive branch to be refused with a smile on his face. Fengqing Yinguang had been about to say that he could fetch Tianming from the Mysterium Cluster to Wondrium through the Xenoworld, but Tianming didn’t even give him that chance.

”Is he right in the head?” Fengqing Yinye said, pointing at her head.

”I don’t think so. There seems to be a method to his madness,” Fengqing Yinguang said.

”I really don’t understand his actions... How could there be anyone in the Skydome Mundus who wouldn’t give us any face?” The more she thought about it, the more unhappy she became. Far too many people had witnessed that humiliating exchange. They were the children of the rex mundi, and their every word represented the dignity of the divine wondersky race. Other people aside, even their companions and the people in Starting City looked at them a little oddly. They had dipped their toes a little too deep and couldn’t quite get out.

As a couple, they could telepathically speak to each other. With a single glance, they knew what each other was thinking.

”We can’t just leave this matter like this, no matter what.”

”So... Skyhold Bridge...”

”The fact that they didn’t even give us any regard in our own territory is the mark of a provocation. We are not going to take this lying down.”

”But their true age could really be around five hundred, double ours. We’d be at a disadvantage.”

”No worries. We’re the children of the rex mundi. If we can’t even defeat a xenorace twice our age, that’d be embarrassing in its own right.”

”Fine. We’ll show those rascals what the discipline and upbringing of the divine wondersky race looks like.”

”They only won once, right?”

”Yeah. We also only won once before we left last time. They only just left, so if we embark with them, there’s a good chance we’ll meet them at the Dreamstream.”

”Then, let’s leave now.” Fengqing Yinguang turned around and looked at their companions. ”Fu Yan, Xu, come with us.”

Those two knew what they were planning right away. Fengqing Yinye came to Fu Yan and held her hand. ”Sis Fu, we’ll be avenging you next.”

”Good. My tertiary simulacrum was destroyed by him the last time. Had that not happened, I wouldn’t have lost. I made a breakthrough lately, and with the two of you here, I wouldn’t even need to use my tertiary simulacrum.” Fu Yan’s eyes burned with rage.