Beastmaster of the Ages

If I think about it, Zi Zhen’s probably the most talented person I know apart from myself and Ling’er. She’s much stronger than Li Fan, too, Tianming thought. Someone like her had talent on the same level as Violetglory’s Ye Chen, but Ye Chen’s true potential was greatly limited by where he was born. Even then, he was still making great strides on the Sun, improving faster than everyone else but Wudi. It was said that he was growing incredibly close to becoming an astral god.

While Ye Chen didn’t grow as quickly as Xiaoxiao, his cultivation was much more stable. At the same level, he would be stronger than her. While their capabilities were far apart for now, given a few centuries to a millennium, it would be hard to say which of them would be stronger.

Tianming believed that both Zi Zhen and Ye Chen were talented people he could nurture. As a ruler, being able to utilize talented people was a crucial skill. He put his trust in Zi Zhen, giving her time to process the xeno source from the soulstones. Her formerly dim cosmic charts glowed brighter than anyone else’s and the ghostly faces on them made the purple honeycomb order in the center look even more sinister. While she didn’t actually grow in terms of cultivation level, she was much more powerful than before.

”As expected, she’s much stronger than a normal fifth-level cosmic cartographer after recovering from xeno fatigue.” That was the reason Tianming had dared to target the nascent mediums. Helping Zi Zhen would make her an invaluable asset in his arsenal. At the very least, she would be able to help him while he was still weak before reaching the fifth level. ”The stronger she is, the more order fragments I’ll get. I won’t have to fear people anymore—things will only get easier from here!”

Hiding and sneaking around didn’t feel good in the least. There was a chance he could lose his life at any moment, and things were getting more and more dangerous. Custodian Demonpiece, Lord Guang Ling, and Li Fan were all threats that he would still have to be wary of, but his faith was strong.

As for how Zi Zhen was doing, he would find out in short order. Tianming looked at her with his black and gold eyes. Once the purple light faded, a wild, long-haired maiden with a cougar-like, athletic build landed before him. Her muscles weren’t huge, but they were well toned; the lines they drew on her physique were rather striking. There wasn’t the slightest bit of soft flesh on her; even her abdomen was chiseled. Tianming felt an intense rush just by looking at her.

”How are you doing, girl?” he asked.

Zi Zhen looked deeply into his eyes. ”You’re... not afraid of me?”

”We’re buddies. Why would I be?” Tianming asked.

”Since when were we buddies?!”

”Since the moment I met you.”

She stayed silent.

”Hey, I’m talking to you. So? How are you feeling?”

”I....” She looked at her body and arms while biting her lip. She didn’t want to appear weak at all, so she said, ”I’m finally released. Living without pain feels much better than I imagined. I don’t think you expected me to cry or give meaningless words of gratitude. I’ve decided on doing only one thing.”

”What’s that?”

”Let’s go. It’s time to act.” She avoided the question and changed the subject.

”Alright!” Tianming didn’t push her. All he cared about was that she had been recruited to his cause! He hoped that her potential was much greater than this. Yu Ziqian, for instance, was one of his favorites as well, but his potential was greatly limited. Not even Flameyellow Bloodsoul could change that.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, seemed much more talented, despite the rough beginning he’d had with Tianming.

”Are you confident?” Tianming asked, standing by her side.

”Let me try taking all five of them at once.”

”Badass!” Tianming shot her a thumbs-up. ”I’ll be counting on you, then.”

”Okay. At the very least, I’ll help you break through five times. There’s four left,” she resolutely said. Even though she wasn’t able to leave the Xenoabyss, Tianming was still thankful for having a friend that would look after him there. He didn’t regret helping her at all. She was worth it.

Though it was the first time Zi Zhen had experienced what life was like for a normal person, no doubt something that was greatly emotional, she forced it down. To her, words of gratitude and tears were useless to Tianming. What he needed was for her to go out and fight.

......

The subterranean world of the Ninth District boasted incredibly complicated terrain with sparse xeno source. Wildbeasts roamed the area that was littered with the remains of beast and giant alike.

Six white-robed people waited within a derelict cave, at the center of which burned a white flame. They sat around the flame, waiting, their faces pale and dark from the flickers of embers.

In the corners of the cave were a few phantasmic beasts with ill-defined forms. They hovered around, almost like spirits or totems, though they weren’t connected to anything resembling bane-rings on their cultivators. They seemed to move with their own will, and none of them noticed the invisible cockroaches that skittered around the cave.

The leader of the group appeared to be a youth with snow-white makeup. He closed his eyes and rested as he waited for his grade-three order fragment to arrive.

”It should be here soon. Once the transaction’s a success, we won’t have any issues in this primitive society with limited information spread,” the youth said. He was none other than Yuan Yu, the scion of the Nascentis Mundus.

”That’s right.” The other four elders smiled and congratulated him. The only one that stayed silent was the beautiful, white-robed lady sitting opposite the youth.

”Etherean Yuan Yin, do you have anything against my plans?” Yuan Yu asked.

”I wouldn’t dare.” Yuan Yin was probably the ruler of an ether-class world. A fifth-level cosmic cartographer at her level was far from the likes of Lin Xiaodao, but there were also ethereans at her level of power in the Infinitum Mundus.

Yuan Yu stood and walked to the lady’s side, bending down and putting his palm on her shoulder, placing his mouth near her ears. ”If you wouldn’t dare, then why’re you acting so grumpy?”

”I am not!” she insisted, her body and expression tensing up. From Yuan Yu’s point of view, he could get a good view of all the features that made her pleasing to the eye.

”If that’s the case, good.” Yuan Yu pressed his hand down on her shoulder as he gently continued, ”By the way, when are you going to come to Nastus? Your precious daughter must be missing you....”

”Skytone still needs me.”

”Nonsense! The Nascentis Mundus is now united under one rule! You have nothing to do with that ether-class world anymore.” He lightly patted on her shoulder with dissatisfaction. ”Be good. Come to Nastus and look for me. Don’t come to regret after all the warnings I’ve given you. The fact that I’ve arranged for you to be my guard on this trip is a sign that I’m giving you a chance, understood?”

”But, Young Master... I... I’m not even of the same generation as you are.... I’m also a married woman—”

”Shhh!” Yuan Yu pinched her cheeks and said, ”Compared to your daughter, I like women like you much more. Naturally, I more than welcome you waiting on me together with your daughter. Come to Nastus and enjoy riches and glory!”