Beastmaster of the Ages

The three of them went deep underground. Chen Tianyong shot Zi Zhen an odd look before turning back to Tianming. He didn’t think that the original form of the fiend from before was a dainty girl like her. ”You’re called Li Tianming, eh? What about her?”

”Zi Zhen,” Tianming said.

”Got it.” Chen Tianyong nodded. ”Tianming, don’t call me ’Senior’. I’m only your elder in superficial years. If you don’t mind, call me Uncle Yong.”

”Haha, alright. How are you feeling now?” Tianming was more than willing to form relationships of mutual trust with people, Chen Tianyong included.

”I’ve never felt better! It’s like I’ve been reborn. I feel like I’m still dreaming. What I’m most afraid of now is waking up from this sweet dream only to see that everything was nothing but an illusion.”

”That’s impossible. If you were dreaming, your caelum would be in the xenomemory space, but it’s there above your head right now.”

”That’s true.” Along the way, Chen Tianyong breathed deep, jumped around, and cultivated, fully relishing the sensation of being alive. ”Tianming, are you a disciple of Myriadpath Valley?”

”That’s right.”

”Then you definitely shouldn’t reveal your identity. The Xenoabyss has many hidden dangers. What you’re doing right now is right—you can’t let anyone know you’re able to heal xeno fatigue.”

”That’s true.” Tianming smiled in bitter resignation. ”Actually, I want to save as many people as I can. Xeno fatigue is too much for anyone to bear. It’d be even better if I got compensated for it. However, this world isn’t that simple. To save people, I have to do it the right way, step by step and in hiding.”

”I’m impressed that you want to do all that. To be frank, many people wouldn’t even bat an eye at the suffering of others even if they had your capabilities. The fact that you’re able to see both sides of the issue at your age is nothing to scoff at,” Chen Tianyong praised. Like a real bull, the minotaur was direct and didn’t hold anything back. Folk like him were generally easy to befriend and to fool, but Tianming liked them all the same.

”What do you think about it, Uncle Yong?”

”I want to help more people, too, especially after having suffered through it myself. However, I agree with you in that we need to do it the right way. We can’t afford to rush things. We have to carefully use your impressive information-gathering capabilities to plan our moves until the day we’re powerful enough that we no longer fear others dominating you.

”Then you can save people to your heart’s content! I also believe that it’s perfectly reasonable for you to be compensated for it. There’s nothing inherently wrong in making profit as long as it’s done the right way, right?”

”Looks like we’re in agreement then.”

”That’s great! That’s why you shouldn’t hesitate to tell me how I can be of help. I’ll recover my full power as a sixth-level foundationeer soon. The upper limit of our group’s capabilities should be much higher than before.”

”That’s right. However, the higher-grade order fragments are mostly in the hands of the antiquitean imperials. We have to be really careful if we’re going to mess with them.”

”Of course! Whatever you say goes!” Chen Tianyong said.

Once they found a private spot, Tianming had Zi Zhen take some rest before he brought the grade-six order fragment out. Chen Tianyong was their lookout; he planned to absorb xeno source to recover his energy. When he saw the fragment, he couldn’t help but ask, ”Brother Tianming, forgive my curiosity, but do you need a lot of order fragments?”

”I do. The more the better,” Tianming said.

”Are you using them for your own cultivation?”

”If they’re high grade, yes. If they’re lower grade, I’ll give them to family and friends.”

”You look quite young, but powerful beyond your age. You seem to be a sixth-level cosmic cartographer or stronger, right?” Chen Tianyong had judged that based on the trace amounts of cosmoforce that leaked from Tianming’s body.

”I’m not even a hundred years old,” Tianming said with a chuckle.

”Not even a hundred?” Chen Tianyong was shocked beyond comprehension. He didn’t have any prejudice against tainted beastmasters, and by the standards of Antiquitas Mortis, the ones who reached the middle phase of the Cosmic Cartography stage before a hundred years old were definitely powerful.

”You seem even more impressive than the antiquitean imperials’ most talented people. You must be seen as quite an elite in Myriadpath Valley, eh? Are your parents eminents or valley lords?” Chen Tianyong asked, still shaken.

”Haha, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I’m just a nameless pawn in Myriadpath Valley,” Tianming said.

”I really doubt that.” The minotaur widened his eyes in doubt.

”I’m serious. If I was actually a big shot, I wouldn’t have bothered taking the risk to ask for your help,” Tianming earnestly explained.

”That only makes you even more terrifying. Uncle Yong is even more impressed!”

”You always find a way to argue, eh? Hahaha....” Tianming’s mood turned solemn once more. ”I need order fragments to quickly grow more powerful so I can find a firm footing in both the Xenoabyss and Myriadpath Valley. I need to earn respect. As such, I won’t carelessly go out to save people unless they have high-grade order fragments. When I’m finally able to stand tall on my own two feet, I’ll start saving people on a larger scale. What do you think about that plan, Uncle Yong?”

Chen Tianyong applauded. ”Of course, we’ll do as you say! There aren’t many people we can save with just the three of us right now anyway, even if we do it at no cost. Since you’re such a terrifying genius, it’d be worth it for the denizens of Antiquitas Mortis to wait for your arrival even if it takes a few thousand years. If you naively go out to save people before you’re ready and give others the chance to do you harm, it’ll be a loss for all of us.”

”I’m happy that you understand, Uncle Yong.” Even though Chen Tianyong was under Zi Zhen’s control, Tianming genuinely wanted to convince him to willingly join their cause, hence why he bothered talking to him about it. Fortunately, Chen Tianyong didn’t resort to morally blackmailing Tianming to heal others.

”You should recover while I cultivate,” Tianming said with the order fragment in hand. Zi Zhen had somewhat recovered and was quietly watching from afar without a word. Chen Tianyong kept watch for them at the entrance of the cavern, not knowing that Tianming already had countless Yin Chens watching the whole place. The little bugs were still spreading out.

”How’re you doing?” Tianming asked Zi Zhen as he came to her side.