Beastmaster of the Ages

Lin Xiaodao pulled his clothes open and let Wudi get a good whiff.

”That’s a prime smell right there! No wonder it’s the most precious material for brewing wine!” Wudi said.

Tianming hurriedly left. He hadn’t gone to the legacy room for quite a while. Every time Lin Xiaodao came over, Tianming would use the chance to inspect the foundation of the flameyellow divinities.

A few days later, when they snapped out of their drunkenness, they called out for Tianming. He had thought they were still messing around, but they seemed surprisingly solemn. ”What’s going on?”

”We have to discuss the matter of the Infinitum Swordsea,” Lin Xiaodao said.

”Oh?” That was one of the things that troubled him the most. He had recently moved the Sun near Gladeus, which was probably the best place to hide it. There was also an infinitum-class ship there, so it wouldn’t be much of a problem.

”The ebons’ expeditionary army failed and the Star Hunters are also gone. We also cleared out the entire Myriadstar Zone. Yet, in Ebonia—and I’m including the ebons and Yi Daiyan—nobody seems to have taken any action. It doesn’t feel right when you think about it,” Lin Xiaodao said. He had been saying the same thing since the defeat of the Star Hunters. ”Originally, our agreement with Yi Daiyan was to have her hold back the ebons while she becomes the first rex mundi. In return, she’ll protect the Infinitum Swordsea for us. But with how things have changed, we can’t take that for granted anymore.”

The tenth branch had announced that they would cut off all ties with the Swordgod Lin Clan. Whether people believed that or not, the Swordgod Lin Clan was still a faction under the Infinitum Bodhimanda. If the ebons attacked the clan in an open manner, Yi Daiyan would swoop in to help an ally.

”That’s right. The situation changed, or rather, we did. We got control of another world and even swallowed up the Star Hunters whole. Taking everything in the Myriadstar Zone also greatly increased our might. It used to be that there were two main competing factions in the Infinitum Bodhimanda, but now we’ve become the third.” The Gladean Ruins’ revelation had also had a lot to do with that.

”That’s why it’s hard to say whether Yi Daiyan will really come to our aid in case of an ebon attack. If she chooses to sit on the fence, the Infinitum Swordsea that’s only defended by a high-sanctuary-class defensive formation will be in trouble,” Tianming said.

”Have you two seen her? Is she trustworthy?” Wudi asked.

Lin Xiaodao scratched his head. ”I’ve only seen her a few times. We had fruitful conversations, but I feel that she’s rather unpredictable. You can’t expect her to behave logically or rationally at all times. Not to mention, the Lin Clan bears a huge grudge against her, so she’s bound to be wary of us to some extent. Not to mention, our informant in the Yishker Clan said that Yi Daiyan hasn’t made a single statement about anything we’ve done, as if she doesn’t care about it in the slightest. Putting the safety of the Infinitum Swordsea in her hands is beyond irresponsible.”

Lin Xiaodao had no choice either. Back when he had agreed to work with Yi Daiyan, not even he had thought they would be able to deal such a huge blow to the ebons. The fact that Tianming had the Flameyellow Imperial Star, which could swoop up the entire Myriadstar Zone and even swallow up the Star Hunters, had come completely out of left field as well. Their exploits thus far put them squarely in the seat of a contender for the throne.

”Ever since we dealt with the Star Hunters, I have a growing feeling that Shenxi Xingtian has something else planned. The fact that he didn’t attack us during our battle with the Star Hunters shows that he has an even better plan to deal with us. The ebons should be the ones who are most desperate, as both we and Yi Daiyan are growing in strength by the moment. They must be biding their time for something else.” The only question was what in the world could turn the tables at this juncture. Unknowns were basically impossible to prepare for.

”If what they’re preparing is capable of wiping us out, the ebons will return to Ebonia to wage a final battle with Yi Daiyan. The Infinitum Swordsea might be squarely in their sights at that time. If they can’t defeat us, however, the ebons will be greatly wounded and might be driven to attack the Infinitum Swordsea out of desperation, forcing us to spread our forces thin to defend them,” Wudi said.

The tripolar situation might well drive a wedge between the Swordgod Lin Clan and Yi Daiyan’s alliance. The hate of losing the Ancestral Swordheart wasn’t something that could easily be resolved. The first rex mundi herself was shrouded in countless mysteries.

”Is it impossible to transfer everyone and everything from the Infinitum Swordsea to Gladeus?” Tianming asked, troubled.

”That’d be a gargantuan task!” Lin Xiaodao sighed. ”It isn’t just a matter of moving things. Even if there’s a lot of ancestral caeli and guidance steles in the Swordsoul Purgatory, it’s possible to move them given enough time. The problem lays with the people! Our clan has far too many memories on that piece of land. Those are the roots of our forebears! Myriadsword Mausoleum and the council hall are places steeped in sentimentality for us. Abandoning our ancestral home would be incredibly difficult to do.”

”But the people of Violetglory and Primary managed to do it,” Tianming said.

”That isn’t the same. Our legacy has been passed down for much, much longer. Every single sword in the Infinitum Swordsea itself carries a story. The Lin Clan is one that treasures its home and bloodline. The spirit and remnants of our ancestors are within those lands. What would they do once we’re gone?” Lin Xiaodao said.

”That isn’t really the point either. Ebonia isn’t like Violetglory. Moving so many people like that is bound to be easy to discover, and would take quite a long time. The distance from Ebonia to Gladeus is too far. All the ebons have to do is to send the Ebonfiend to shoot us down mid-move. Destruction is far too big of a risk,” Wudi said.

”That’s true! Not to mention, Ebonia’s an infinitum-class world. No matter what we’re able to move to Gladeus, we’d still end up on a fifth-level world. That isn’t enough to sustain the future of an Infinitum Regal Clan. If we abandon Ebonia, we’ll eventually fade into obscurity!” Lin Xiaodao said. The true strength of the clan came from Ebonia, not Gladeus, so it wasn’t something that could be reconciled. ”Recently, I’ve been in contact with Lin Changkong, the second patriarch, and the rest. They’ve decided to send some youths along with some crucial legacies our way.”

”What about them?” Tianming asked.