Beastmaster of the Ages

”Marvelous!” Lin Chongyao applauded and sneered, ”The woman is indeed skilled at such things. We were right to not expect anything from her during our breakout from the Infinitum Swordsea!”

”She’s just being practical. If the ebons had wiped us out and returned with a full harvest, she might not even activate Ebonia’s astralguard formation!”

”Right now, she isn’t concerned about the consumption of nova source. She simply used the formation and checkmated Shenxi Xingtian. The situation’s become extremely awkward for the ebons.”

By activating the Ebonia Guard Formation, Yi Daiyan didn’t need a single soldier.

”Shenxi Xingtian colluding with Rex Mundi Meng Ying is the key. In the laws of the Infinitum Bodhimanda, that’s been categorized as the highest level of crime, labeled as treason, with the entire clan held responsible.

”That level of crime is even more severe than our unauthorized occupation of two-thirds of Gladeus’ nova source, as the Infinitum Bodhimanda’s laws don’t explicitly prohibit the internal transfer of stellar sources. As long as we claim that the Sun still belongs to the Infinitum Bodhimanda, our misconduct will be considered less severe than that of the ebons.” Lin Changkong gravely said.

”Right... up until now, Yi Daiyan hasn’t charged us with any crimes, has she? The previous accusations were all declared by Shenxi Xingtian. According to the laws of the Infinitum Bodhimanda, this kind of major issue can have no conclusion until the First Rex Mundi expresses their stance. The Second Rex Mundi’s stance is irrelevant.”

”Shenxi Xingtian’s actions amount to overstepping his authority. Forming an alliance with the five regal clans is even more excessive,” Xiaodao analyzed.

The most significant change in the matter was that the nature of Shenxi Xingtian and the Exterminatus Army had initially been seen as righteous and supported by the entire population. But with the appearance of Rex Mundi Meng Ying, their nature had entirely changed! That collusion, coupled with their miserable defeat, had turned the Exterminatus Army into a joke and the ebons into objects of scorn and judgment.

In short, the facade had crumbled. Everyone was disgusted and wanted to trample them. People were just that pragmatic. Now, the most ’moral’ position in the Infinitum Mundus belonged to Yi Daiyan!

The ebons and Shenxi Xingtian had become criminals who colluded with external enemies. As a result, the situation and classification of the Sun, which stood between the two sides, had become very delicate.

After listening to all that, Tianming thought for a moment and said, ”Elders, with this in mind, isn’t it a good time for us to declare our separation from the Infinitum Bodhimanda and the establishment of the Tianming Dynasty?”

They exchanged glances, then nodded in agreement.

Xiaodao said, ”We’ve achieved an unbelievable victory! But the fact is that we’ve only secured an opportunity for a three-way balance of power. We haven’t truly defeated the ebons or Yi Daiyan. Now, it’s a genuine triangular relationship. In this new triangle, the ones in direct conflict are the ebons and Yi Daiyan. That means this is our chance to shift from being high- to low-profile. While they dare not act against us, we can focus on developing, accumulating wealth, and minding our own business.”

Lin Changkong agreed. ”Exactly! Because the ebons’ reputation and influence have plummeted, they’ve been convicted as a criminal clan. In comparison, our standing has risen.

”But in this triangular relationship, only Yi Daiyan is the absolute representative of the Infinitum Bodhimanda. She’s its protector and assuredly on the righteous side.... If we announce the establishment of the Tianming Dynasty, our degree of betrayal will rise above that of the ebons.”

”That’ll force Yi Daiyan to confront both sides alone. Although it increases the pressure on her, it’ll release the pressure on the ebons. The most crucial point is that we’ve managed to escape the vortex through the nation-founding war and gained an opportunity to observe. There’s no need to engage in further battles.”

Lin Xiao stroked his beard and smiled slightly. ”In fact, whether or not we officially belong to the Infinitum Bodhimanda is something everyone already knows in their hearts. However, officially, we still have to claim our affiliation with it. We should also seize the opportunity to hold fast to the Infinitum Bodhimanda’s banner.

”A true ’empire’ can just exist in our hearts for now. There’s no need to shout it out. After all, we have two infinitum-class astralships, a quasi-infinitum-class world, and four outstanding talents. We can be more patient than Yi Daiyan! Her growth and potential may be higher than the ebons, but they aren’t better than ours!”

”Understood.” Although Tianming understood it in his heart, he couldn’t help but feel upset about delaying his dreams of becoming an emperor, along with his empress and the grand coronation. He had already thought about it. Wudi would be the father of the nation, and Xiaodao its teacher. It sure sounded amazing enough. Lin Xiao and Dongshen Yue would be the grandparents of a nation!

Of course, he was just fantasizing. When he really sorted out his thoughts, he understood it very well. He had won and escaped, so he should just focus on quietly growing, letting Shenxi Xingtian and Yi Daiyan duke it out. The power to develop was in his hands!

“Not only will we not establish a nation, but we will also claim that we are still a part of the Infinitum Bodhimanda. But we won’t assist Yi Daiyan, just as she didn’t help us this time. As for the matter of the two-thirds of Gladeus’ nova source, there’s room for interpretation.

”Honestly, it’s because we have two infinitum-class ships. You need weapons to win people over with virtue,” he said.

......

The elders discussed many future matters as they headed toward the Sun. Aside from the strategy of shifting to a low profile and developing as much as possible, there was another key point: preventing assassinations!

”Leaving aside the ancestral world monster that’s eyeing our Feng’er, we might also face assassination attempts from Shenxi Xingtian, Rex Mundi Meng Ying, or even Yi Daiyan. We lack strong individuals at their level, and our shortcomings lie in our core members.

”After returning to the Sun, we must be extremely cautious in this regard. The Sky Palace Formation and two infinitum-class ships will be our bases. Core members who are vulnerable to threats should stay inside as much as possible over the next century,” Lin Changkong advised.

”No problem, we can endure it. If necessary, you can all stay with me and drink for a hundred thousand years. When my good disciple has the strength to dominate the world and kill Shenxi Xingtian and Yi Daiyan, we can rest easy,” Xiaodao laughed.

”Haha!” Everyone burst into laughter.