Beastmaster of the Ages

”Weren’t you itching to beat me?” Tianming began injecting the Imperial Sword Prison into the specter’s huge body. Because he had many astrons, it would take a certain amount of time.

”What’d you do to me?” Gu Tianyue shouted in panic.

”As long as you cooperate, you won’t die! Do you understand, son of the Fiendhunt King?” Tianming coldly looked at him.

”You!” Those five words were Gu Tianyue’s most important secret. Although he was unhappy, his father said it was meant to protect him. Yet an outworlder actually knew such a secret! He felt his blood run cold. Despite the urge to fight, he was weak. His astrons had almost collapsed under the power of lightning and fire, as well as Tianming’s totems, and now they were being invaded by the Imperial Sword Prison bit by bit. The big, strong man felt powerless.

”Speak! What do you want from me? If it isn’t something I’m willing to do, I’d rather die than fulfill your wish!” Gu Tianyue said through gritted teeth.

Glancing at him, Tianming said, ”Stop being a drama king. From now on, you’ll be my personal errand boy for procuring. Got it?”

”Procuring? What the hell?” Gu Tianyue was perplexed.

”Go to your father and buy me order fragments,” Tianming said. The man’s physique was rather large, so applying the Imperial Sword Prison would take some time. Tianming could slowly explain it to him.

”Buy? You’re not going to force him to give them to you?” Gu Tianyue asked in disbelief.

”What if I forced him to give them to me?” Tianming said.

Gu Tianyue laughed. ”He wouldn’t agree to that. He can abandon a bastard like me at any moment. If you ask for less, he’ll think I’m even more of a failure for being held hostage over just a few small order fragments.”

”Nevermind then. I’ll buy them,” Tianming said.

”How will you pay for them?” Gu Tianyue asked.

”I have three point eight billion soulstones and I’d like to buy five grade-three order fragments. I’ve asked around and that’s the purchase price. There shouldn’t be a problem, right?” Tianming replied.

Buying them through normal channels would cost more.

”Three point eight billion? How does an orderan like you have so many soulstones?” Gu Tianyue was shocked.

”An orderan like me defeated you. What can’t I do?” Tianming retorted.

Gu Tianyue was speechless.

After infusing the Imperial Sword Prison, Tianming gave Gu Tianyue a taste of his power. The antiquitean knew his life was in Tianming’s hands and that he could die at any moment.

”I can’t bear to kill you. After all, no one’s as useful as you,” Tianming said.

”Got it.” Gu Tianyue lowered his head.

”So do your job well,” Tianming said, taking out 1.8 billion soulstones. After handing them to Gu Tianyue, he said, ”Go to your father. This is a deposit. Get me the order fragments and I’ll pay the rest. I’ll do more business with you in the future, so let’s be courteous with each other. I’ll trust you if you trust me.”

”I can’t guarantee that my father will believe you,” Gu Tianyue said.

”He’ll believe me. I know your secret and your life is in my hands. He’ll have to make it worth my while,” Tianming laughed.

”Fine!”

”I’ll wait for your good news.”

Gu Tianyue returned to Fiendhunt Gorge with 1.8 billion soulstones, while Tianming patiently waited. All of Fiendhunt Gorge, including Gu Tianyue’s every move, was under Yin Chen’s watchful eyes. According to its investigation, Gu Tianyue was important to the Fiendhunt King and far more valuable than those soulstones. There was no way the Fiendhunt King would give up his son’s life for that amount of soulstones. Having children wasn’t easy, even in the Xenoabyss.

Gu Tianyue quickly returned to Fiendhunt Gorge. It was an entire day later when he finally had the opportunity to meet his father alone. Explaining everything to his father, he fell to his knees, his head lowered as he said, ”Father, forgive my incompetence! If you think I’ve become a burden, please grant me death so that I’ll no longer cause you worry.”

The Fiendhunt King remained silent for some time.

When Gu Tianyue looked up again, he was shocked to find his father searching through his spatial ring. Finally, he pulled out five treasure boxes and placed them in front of Gu Tianyue. Then, stretching out his hand, he said, ”Give me the soulstones. We’ll forget about making profit.”

Gu Tianyue was too stunned to respond.

”What’re you doing? Deliver the order fragments at once. I’ll give you a tip if you come back alive,” said the Fiendhunt King.

”Yes, Father!” Gu Tianyue solemnly said, his voice filled with emotion. There was unwillingness in his heart. He wanted the same glory that his siblings had; all along, he had felt like his father treated him differently, but he was now sure that his father loved him.

“Life is filled with setbacks. You’ll grow stronger after this one,” the Fiendhunt King muttered as he watched his son leave. He suddenly smiled. ”Li Tianming? You’re an interesting one! You know my secret, yet you dare risk one point eight billion soulstones. You must be sure that I love my son! Have you read my mind?”

He couldn’t figure it out, but he thought that the young man that was wanted by the New Shrine was fascinating, so he didn’t follow his son. Logically speaking, doing that would be detrimental to his son. The young man had shown enough sincerity.

”In urgent need of order fragments eh?” The Fiendhunt King appeared thoughtful.

......

A while later, Gu Tianyue sent five grade-three order fragments to Tianming, looking serious.

”What’re you looking at? I’ll give you your money.” Pulling out all his soulstones, Tianming handed them to him and said, ”Okay, you can go back. I’ll call you when I need you.”

”When will you remove this thing?” Gu Tianyue asked.

Tianming thought for a moment, then said, ”The day I can stand in front of your father without fear and purchase from him myself.”

”That’ll take thousands of years!” Gu Tianyue moaned.

”Scram!”

Tianming didn’t want to waste another moment while Zi Zhen was still in great danger. After Gu Tianyue left, Tianming quickly returned to the vicinity of the Bloodtower Cult.

”She’s still locked up. Is she still violent? Is she lucid?” Tianming asked Yin Chen.

”No!”

”Alright.” Tianming nodded, pulling out the order fragments. ”Fine, I’ll swallow them all at once!”

Five grade-three order fragments entered his body one after another, heading toward his eight orders. This time, he could feel them taking effect.

”I’ve made so much progress in just a few months in the Xenoabyss....” It would have taken him at least ten years before.