Beastmaster of the Ages

”Perhaps he simply didn’t have a match to use it against. Why use it if he could hide his trump card and use it on a day like this?” Reverend Qingyuan said with a smirk.

”It’s utterly unbelievable. Huang Daosheng, once your dad comes back and hears this, I think he’ll vomit blood from the shock,” Reverend Shujian said.

Huang Daosheng himself already felt the blood-puking impulse before he said that. He hated Tianming from the depths of his body down to his very organs, yet seeing that only seemed to crush him from the inside!

”Wait, no! This is a good thing!” Huang Daosheng suddenly snickered.

”What about this is good?” Reverend Qingyuan asked.

”Suishen Zhao is very prideful and a genius of the Three Exalted Houses. Someone of high status like him has never lost before, yet Li Tianming publicly defeated him like this. It’s nothing short of humiliation! Suishen Zhao will no doubt get mad about it and Li Tianming would be dead for antagonizing someone he never should’ve touched!”

”That’s true! That brat thought that he could just antagonize anyone with abandon. He’s finally found someone that he couldn’t. He was really arrogant to think that he could defeat a minor pathkeeper without serious consequences,” Huang Jiaoyuan said.

”Even if he was capable of defeating him, he could’ve pretended to lose in battle. It isn’t like anybody would’ve known better, but he stubbornly chose to win. Let’s see how badly he has it later on,” Huang Daosheng hissed.

”He’s just a bumpkin from an outer mundus, after all. He doesn’t even know that the Three Exalted Houses aren’t people that anybody can hope to offend,” Huang Jiaoyuan added.

The discussion seemed to make them cope with the whole affair much better. They looked at the Fortuna Arena, expecting an angry response from Suishen Zhao. Similar discussions could be heard all over the colosseum.

”Suishen Zhao is the youngest minor pathkeeper, after all.”

”That’s right. This Li Tianming doesn’t know any humility and keeps showing off. Even though he won, he won’t be able to go far.”

Even people near Lan Yun were echoing these sentiments. At first, people praised her for having such an impressive disciple.

”He isn’t even a hundred, yet he’s made it to the two thousands in the Fortuna Ranking and defeated a genius from the Three Exalted Houses. If he wasn’t a tainted beastmaster, his future potential would be staggering.”

”Even if his potential’s limited, he’s already achieved what most people can only dream of in a lifetime.”

”His prowess is far too amazing. Truly a standout, even among those of Myriadpath Valley!”

But at the mere thought of offending House Suishen, the people around Lan Yun took a few steps back, as if they were worried that they would be dragged into it.

”Reverend Lan Yun, you should stop keeping this disciple under your wing.”

”You might be able to protect him after he offended House Huang, but this is the real deal. If you don’t draw a line between you and him, things will get troublesome.”

They were advising her out of genuine concern. Lan Yun’s expression was so cold that it was like she was asking them to scram. Quite a few people criticized her for being obstinate in hushed voices, but she merely narrowed her eyes and looked at the white-haired youth in the arena.

Even as a tainted beastmaster, your talent has truly shaken me. You aren’t even a hundred years old, but you’re stronger than disciples in Myriadpath Valley who are five or six times your age. It’s a shame that your foolishness doomed you. You’re great at fighting, but ignorant to the ways of the world. You keep causing trouble left and right.

I thought that you’d still have twenty years after you got Suishen Zhao’s invitation, yet you immediately accepted it. That’s one thing, but you even defeated the one who extended an olive branch to you, thoroughly humiliating him. Disciple of mine, even if I don’t send you off to my Senior Sister, you would’ve been killed by somebody else anyway. That would truly be a waste, right?

While Lan Yun might have pitied Tianming at first and found his antics cute, she had found a justification for her future actions, one that made her no longer feel bad about how she would treat him.

Senior Sister, you’ve failed to use that fiendart so many times, and this is your last attempt.... Lan Yun was unable to imagine that ugly, blood-ghoul-like woman would be so hungry and parched to the point that she would say something like not leaving even a single astron behind. The mere thought caused her to shudder.

It was truly unfortunate for someone like you to enter the sights of Senior Sister. You only have yourself to blame! She constantly tried to use autosuggestion to prepare herself for the inevitable at Fallengrace Peak so that she wouldn’t feel apologetic toward Tianming once all of it was over.

In fact, Lan Yun’s senior sister would need her to personally stand guard while she used that fiendart. She knew that Tianming would surely fall into despair after learning about her role, so she couldn’t afford to hesitate when it really counted. She was going to take Tianming to Fallengrace Peak right after the duel, so her heartbeat kept on quickening as she looked at him.

”Nobody will pay it any heed if you quietly disappear after offending House Suishen. It’s just what Myriadpath Valley is like.” Lan Yun pursed her lips and smiled. Though her smile was bright, it was somehow the coldest one she had ever shown.

There were far too many people who shared her sentiment. All of them waited to see how Suishen Zhao would punish Tianming.

Suishen Zhao shook his head, looked up, and grit his teeth. ”That move just now was targeted at my vita. It was as if I died for a single instant. All my senses seemed to vanish as I fell into confusion....”

”That’s right!” Tianming agreed.

”I didn’t think that you’d be an accomplished soul master as well.”

”I wouldn’t consider myself as such.” Tianming’s own divine soul wasn’t that powerful. It just so happened that the Archaionfiend’s power was the right thing to counter the Eternal Tribulation Lotus. Otherwise, he couldn’t be certain that he would have won today, even with Yin Chen’s help.

”Phew!” Suishen Zhao had lost his first ever battle in such public circumstances! If it were any other disciple from one of the Three Exalted Houses, losing to a black ring disciple was nothing short of a joke. They would be unable to raise their heads for the rest of their lives and would mentally suffer as people ceaselessly mocked them.

However, Suishen Zhao knew that he wasn’t weak; his opponent was simply too strong! I’ve only been defeated when it comes to combat power. I can’t yield to him when it comes to my determination and fighting spirit! This kind of rival is one that I’ve always dreamed of having. I should celebrate that I managed to find someone that can drive me forward at such a young age!

He had never imagined that he would be defeated, but he accepted that it was always a possibility. In fact, losing was a privilege granted to those who had room to improve. Only through loss would he learn what he lacked and find new goals to strive for.

He approached Tianming as everyone else anxiously watched, believing that he was dead for sure. However, Suishen Zhao extended a hand to Tianming, who took it after a moment of blanking out.

Suishen Zhao grit his teeth and smiled. ”Li Tianming, thanks!”

The audience had expected the genius youth to lose his temper and be unable to accept his loss, hating Tianming as a result. In fact, many wished for it! Yet Suishen Zhao’s words of gratitude seemed to stupefy them.

”Thanks?” Huang Daosheng, Huang Jiangyuan, Reverend Qingyuan, and others almost bit their tongues in shock. Lan Yun had just been laughing moments ago, only to awkwardly freeze.

Suishen Zhao patted Tianming on the shoulder and said, ”Come to Suishen Cave to visit me any time! I’ll bring you to good cultivation spots. You helped me expand my horizons today. In the future, I’ll be sure to defeat you in a rematch!”

”Very well, Brother,” Tianming said. He smiled, having made the right bet. Suishen Zhao was a reasonable person after all!

Suishen Zhao turned to the crowd and addressed them. ”Li Tianming defeated me in a fair fight! I wholeheartedly accept my loss. I accept that I’ve damaged the pride of House Suishen and hereby promise that I will give it my all, more than that, to improve and overcome him!”

He then turned to Tianming and continued, ”I’ll fight him again in ten years. It is my wish that nobody interrupts his cultivation during that time.”

When Suishen Zhao finished, the colosseum turned even more quiet than before. Huang Daosheng completely blanked out, while Lan Yun felt a painful wince in her heart. All of her plans had been ruined. Suishen Zhao had been referring to people like her and Huang Daosheng, ordering them to not touch his destined rival!

It took people a long time before they reacted.

”Suishen Zhao, as expected of a genius of the Three Exalted Houses.”

”He truly has great sportsmanship!”

”That’s right! Who can possibly live their whole life without suffering even a single loss? We can’t just rely on our bloodlines’ blessings. We have to train hard, accept our losses, and work harder in order to reach the pinnacle!”

”I support Suishen Zhao!”

Suishen Zhao’s actions had salvaged the reputation he’d lost from his defeat, earning him even more praise. People could definitely agree that he wasn’t weak; Tianming was simply just too strong. Nobody had expected things to be resolved this way, but while Lan Yun, Huang Daosheng, and many others were still stunned, things continued developing....