Beastmaster of the Ages

As the leaders of their clans, the four were on the top of Yi Daiyan’s hit list. Her actions hadn’t just shocked the Sun, but had also completely ruined the confidence of Shenxi Xingtian’s alliance.

”Her wielding the Infinitum Stele was completely out of our expectations. The only thing we can do is to defend and counterattack. I believe that none of you here wish to surrender, right?” Shenxi Xingtian said in a joking tone.

”Definitely not.”

”That’s right! We’ll follow you even in death, Rex Mundi.”

”That fiend will be capable of nothing but the destruction of the Infinitum Mundus.”

At the very least, they were quick to show their loyalties.

”That’s right. All of you should understand her character very well. Surrendering to the likes of her is useless. If you think you’re able to hand over your formation core and destroy your ether-class ships, feel free to surrender. All of you have been publicly against her faction from the very start, however, so I doubt she’ll show you any mercy. Who knows if your surrender will be good for anything?”

”We understand.” Their expressions were interesting, to say the least. Shenxi Xingtian was basically saying that there was nothing they could do, given that they had already stood on the ’wrong’ side. If Yi Daiyan managed to take out the ebons, she wouldn’t give the other clans any chance to rise up to challenge her, either. Once the Infinitum Bodhimanda had culled all of the opposing factions within, it would only serve to secure her rule.

Shenxi Xingtian raised his voice a notch. ”Not to mention, our interests differ from Yi Daiyan’s. She only cares about her own interests, but she’s alone at the end of it all! We, on the other hand, have ships and subterranean wildbeasts. I can promise you that if she decides to move against any of you, I’ll have the wildbeasts attack those that side with her. Let’s see who can slaughter more when it comes to that.”

Shuntian Bohan seemed a little worried. He asked, ”Rex Mundi, is the beast wave likely to wipe out other minor clans that stand on her side?”

”Who knows? The beast wave isn’t exactly that finely controllable. There’s no saying what collateral damage will come from it.”

”True! Well, she’s the one who’ll be attacking first anyway, so she’ll have to bear the blame for any disasters that will result from her actions. Let’s see how she can rule as the first rex mundi when she’s blamed for all the blood that’s spilled in this war.”

”That’s right! Yi Daiyan might be unsurpassed in single combat, but there’s something we can rival her on: cruelty!” Shenxi Tianxi excitedly said.

”Very well.” Some semblance of confidence returned to the other four.

”Remember. Even she has a line that she won’t be willing to cross. Even if you encounter her, don’t panic. Wait for my return,” Shenxi Xingtian said.

”Understood!” The transmission stones then dimmed, much to Shenxi Xingtian’s relief.

”Looks like the lives of those fifty million luxdaemons were of use after all. Otherwise, those four jokes would’ve betrayed me long ago,” Shenxi Xingtian said.

”But Father, we have to ensure we’ve got the upper hand in the next fight,” Shenxi Tianxi said.

”That’s why we have to be proactive. We can’t let her set the pace of battle any longer.”

”Let everyone on Ebonia die! The toll of war will be blamed on her, the one who started it! Of the hundreds of billions of people on Ebonia, let ten billion die! Let’s see who’ll bear the judgment of the heavens!”

”Yes!” Shenxi Tianxi’s eyes brightened. He knew that his father had been driven to act in desperation, but it was still a refreshing resolution to have.

”You should talk to our divine wonderian allies about the details. They appear to have new help,” Shenxi Xingtian said.

”Understood. I’ll take my leave.”

......

Tianming and the others surrounded a crimson and gold coffin within the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb. Xiaodao was bathing within the Flameyellow Coffin’s Flameyellow Bloodsoul in an attempt to make a breakthrough. According to Wudi, a large amount of Flameyellow Bloodsoul was entering his body through every single astron, fundamentally changing them. As the soul was located in the astral brain, the purity of flameyellow divinity bloodline in Xiaodao began rising. Naturally, it would still be lower than Wudi’s, but the Flameyellow Bloodsoul itself seemed like it wouldn’t run out.

When they came to check on him, Xiaodao had cut off all contact with them, a sign that he stood a good chance of succeeding. The Sun’s next moves would be heavily dependent on his success. There had to be someone capable of countering Yi Daiyan and limiting the extent of her actions. Otherwise, she would be able to do anything she pleased, like she had done to the sanctlighters. Xiaodao was crucial in that respect.

As for the ebons, Tianming wasn’t too worried about them. Shenxi Xingtian didn’t possess the absolute indomitability of Yi Daiyan, and neither were their astralships stronger than the Sun’s. Shenxi Xingtian’s advantage mainly lay with his subterranean wildbeasts, but Tianming wasn’t threatened by those at all. Once Xiaodao made his breakthrough, the Sun would achieve parity and patch up all of its weaknesses.

They nervously waited as each moment passed. With Ebonia’s astralguard formation activated, Yin Chen wasn’t able to send more bodies inside. All it could rely on were the bodies that had been left behind, which weren’t enough to surveil everything. They still had to rely on the information network of the Swordgod Lin Clan that had been left behind. Around two days later, both Yin Chen and the clan’s informants reported that wildbeasts were rampaging all over Ebonia, killing many innocents. More and more territories were being emptied out from the depopulation.

”The main narrative spreading among the populace now is that Yi Daiyan’s massacre of the sanctlighters triggered a reaction from the ebons, but the beast wave went out of control and began appearing on the surface,” Dongshen Zhuojun said.

”The ebons are the ones spreading that narrative, right?” Lin Xiao said, his eyes rolling.

”Of course. They have enough people to control the narrative, after all. They’re pinning everything on Yi Daiyan, even though they know that she doesn’t care about it at all, and that she won’t do anything that underhanded,” Lin Changkong said.

”The calculus is indeed different,” Tianming said. Yi Daiyan was a lonesome, powerful despot that only trusted in her absolute combat ability. Shenxi Xingtian, on the other hand, would stoop to every low to achieve his goals.

”Once word spreads, the entirety of Ebonia will start blaming Yi Daiyan for the disaster. I believe the ebons will change their story even more then, killing more people themselves and blaming it all on her,” Lin Xiong said. Even though they weren’t on Yi Daiyan’s side, it didn’t mean they could tolerate Shenxi Xingtian’s actions.

”At the end of the day, the ones who suffer are the common folk.” None of it strictly had anything at all to do with Tianming; Yi Daiyan and Shenxi Xingtian would have come into conflict whether or not he was there. But without him, Shenxi Xingtian would’ve been in a stronger position and wouldn’t have had to resort to such desperate measures.

”Looks like the Infinitum Mundus can only have true peace if there’s an absolute power ruling it.” But that said, there was no telling who would emerge as the new superpower.

As they were discussing the matter, the Flameyellow Coffin suddenly rumbled and a phantasmagoric fortress filled with reaper sword ki appeared before their eyes.