Beastmaster of the Ages

The Ebonfiend left a trail of crimson in its tracks as it cruised through space. Only Shenxi Xingtian was left in the ship, having suffered a far worse loss than his son. He had just finished listening to his son’s report from the throne. The moment the transmission stone faded out, the hall completely darkened, mirroring the dark future the ebons were about to face.

There was simply no way to tell how long this dark age would last. The great ruler of the ebons had suffered a terrifying loss, to the point that they wouldn’t be able to claw back from it. It was something that could very well tear them apart, something ten times worse than outright losing to Yi Daiyan. The so-far unquestioned dominance of the ebons in the mundus had been shattered to smithereens! Imagining the snowballing consequences tore his heart apart.

”Hehehe....” A dark laughter rang throughout the hall after some time. Within it were notes of heartbreak and tears. ”Very well.... We’ve lost everything and we’re back at the starting line with them. Completely falling also means that we no longer have burdens to carry.”

He continued to laugh alone. He hadn’t harbored much hope for his son to begin with, so this outcome had been at the back of his mind. But he still hadn’t thought it would be so bad. Even after paying the monster’s ransom to enlist its help, they had still lost! Even worse, they had lost to the people they had believed to be nothing but burdens. How did one even begin to analyze how things came to this point?

Six hours later, his thoughts were interrupted by a glowing transmission stone. It was Meng Ying.

”How do you feel? Hahaha....” Shenxi Xingtian’s skull-like head looked even more sinister when illuminated by nothing other than the light from the transmission stone.

”Excited... truly excited,” said a wrinkled youth.

”Come to think of it, what’s with your faces? Weren’t you infants?” Shenxi Xingtian asked, still sardonically laughing.

The female youth shook her head, but the male pressed her shoulder. ”It isn’t much of a secret. You must’ve guessed that we are not far from the end of our natural lifespan. We’re merely extending our lives until the next rex mundi succeeds us.”

”In fact, we aren’t going against the natural order! We made all those infants ourselves!” the female youth said with a cold tone.

”How? Can human lives be made just like that?” Shenxi Xingtian asked.

”How else would you make children?” the youth said.

”Oh...” Understanding the true extent of that secret was quite the revelation for Shenxi Xingtian. He shook his head and smiled. ”Looks like you really have shown your complete hand to me. Weisheng Moran was your lifeline, then.”

”You lost so thoroughly that there’s no way to turn back,” the male youth said.

”That’s right! That’s right indeed. We’re all pitiful losers. Only by sticking to each other will we be able to survive. You need us just as much as we need you.”

”Agreed. That’s why we’re here to apologize. We lost because our greed got the better of us. If there’s a chance in the future, let’s collaborate again.” For the sake of survival, they wouldn’t give up and would do anything to stay alive.

”Let bygones be bygones. From now on, we’ll look toward the future. All I lost was nearly half of my forces, while the two of you didn’t lose everything, despite your heavy injuries. We still have a chance to fulfill our dreams as fellow old people,” Shenxi Xingtian said, tears flowing.

”The chance will come. We need to have faith. You are right. From now on, we’re together in life and death. No more secrets, no more plots, no more reservations!”

”That’s right, having no reservations is important. We need to do anything that’ll let us win. That’s what made those Star Hunters so fearsome.”

The three of them exchanged glances, deeply understanding each other.

”Let’s talk about what the future holds for us in more concrete terms,” Shenxi Xingtian said.

”It’s pointless to look at our nova source worlds. You don’t have Ebonia, while Wondrium is far away. In terms of ships, it’s been proven that we don’t hold an edge over them at all. There’s only one final thing to compare, and it’s the most fundamental one: elite forces,” the youth said.

Shenxi Xingtian’s gaze darkened. ”Great minds think alike. The ancestral world monster managed to infiltrate them, but even it still failed. Perhaps that monster will keep trailing them to the Sun and blend in there. The only worthwhile fighter they have is Xiaodao. If the monster has a chance to get close, taking Lin Feng’s life will be as easy as blowing out a candle.”

”That’s why looking for that chance will be really important. I’ll send the Dreamchild back to Wondrium for repairs, but as we’ve already crossed the astral boundary, we’ll be able to go to the Sun anytime we want. You should send the Ebonfiend back and switch to a normal ship, which we can use to infiltrate the Sun. If we work together, we’ll be unstoppable,” Meng Ying said.

”Is it possible for you two to reach the Sun directly through the Xenoworld?” Shenxi Xingtian asked.

”We need precise coordinates for that or we’ll risk going straight into the core. And that’s a surefire way to die. To obtain those coordinates, we need to send someone in.”

”Is it that easy?”

”Yes.”

Shenxi Xingtian couldn’t help but laugh. ”If it was so simple to begin with, why’d we have to wait fifteen years and even make such obvious moves like sending a fleet there?”

”Let’s just say that the enemy was far too cautious for that to have been our first option. We didn’t think it would be that easy, either. Besides, it’s always safest to attack with our greatest advantage. Not to mention, all of us are people of high stature. As such, we subconsciously ignore the possibility of going down to carry out assassinations ourselves. Back then, we still had reservations and standards. We didn’t fear our enemies enough.”

”That’s right... but it ended up being the only thing we still have up our sleeves. All that nonsense about stature no longer matters unless we win. Thank you, Meng Ying, for giving me hope at a time like this,” Shenxi Xingtian said, light now restored to his eyes.

”Likewise. We have to count on you for the plan, after all.”

”We can’t lose this time. It’d be far too humiliating.”

”Never again.”

”The three elderly people that had lived full lives as the unquestioned rulers of their kind looked at each other with their ancient, resolute gazes.”

”We will be eager to hear some good news from you,” Meng Ying said before leaving.

”Phew!” Shenxi Xingtian let out a huge breath and the hall gradually brightened. He poured himself some wine and hummed a tune. As he reminisced about his glory days alone in the huge hall, he launched into a slow dance.

”Rex Mundi!” One of the transmission stones suddenly lit up. It was news!

”What is it?” he asked calmly.

”Yi Daiyan declared us ebons and five other regal clans traitors to the Infinitum Bodhimanda using your collusion with Rex Mundi Meng Ying as justification! All six clans are now fugitives!”

Shenxi Xingtian stopped swaying; Yi Daiyan had finally made her move. ”What else?”

”The Ebonian Guard Formation has been activated. You and Rex Mundi Tianxi won’t be able to return home.”

”Ohoho!” Shenxi Xingtian chuckled. ”How exciting.”