Beastmaster of the Ages

”They’re all dead? If Taihe’s dead as well, Li Fan’s the only one left. Li Tianming must’ve coerced him into taking him to Myriadpath Valley. Li Tianming, you must know that Lin Yin and I cultivated the same art, yet you remained calm and even allowed me to control you! You sure are composed!” Lan Yun scoffed. She never expected to be fooled.

Looking down at the kneeling godshades, she asked, ”What other information do you have? Think carefully.”

The nervous Lin Yue thought hard and said, ”From what I heard, the Infinitum Mundus doesn’t have a stareye relay. They traveled from the relay of a mundus called Skydome.”

”The Skydome Mundus?” Lan Yun kept it in mind.

”Yes.” Lin Yue continued kowtowing.

Lan Yun glanced at Intrepidia. ”There’s two foundationeers causing trouble?”

”Yes.”

”I’ll give you three days to bring them here and I’ll kill them. It’ll be considered the last time I help Lin Yin,” said Lan Yun.

”Thank you, Reverend!”

Lin Yue and the others were overjoyed. The godshades were now in decline, so it was easy for them to draw the foundationeers over as the weaker party. All they had to do was throw out some bait.

A day later, the two foundationeers came as expected. Lan Yun immediately appeared, ripping their bodies apart and crushing them to death. The might of a reverend instantly sent shockwaves throughout Intrepidus, frightening the ordinary folk below.

After slaughtering the two, Lan Yun left majestically while the godshades knelt down and hailed the Ice Reverend. Her strength and magnificence would be recorded in their history books and passed down for thousands of generations. Against the experts of any mundus, it would undoubtedly be a one-sided victory for a myriadpath saint.

”Li Tianming, this is how you’ll be, an ant in my hands once I have your weakness.” The light of the relay bounced off her snowy skin. Lan Yun’s cold laughter echoed throughout Intrepidus till the Myriadpath Celestial Formation pulled her back to Myriadpath Valley. More than ten days later, Lan Yun arrived at her destination; Myriadpath Valley was right in front of her.

”The name of his mundus will be enough to make him bow. I don’t have to visit the Skydome or Infinitum Mundus in person.”

Most importantly, her senior sister was running out of time. It would take more than a month to travel back and forth, which was why Lan Yun chose to return.

***

”Li Tianming!”

An entire month had passed before Lan Yun contacted Tianming again. It was useless even if he returned to Skydome; all he could do was wait. Perhaps Lan Yun hadn’t visited Intrepidus.

His heart trembled the moment the transmission stone lit up. Lan Yun’s bright red lips were a stark contrast to her blue eyes and cold smile. She seemed to scrutinize him before parting her lips and saying, ”Keep your transmission stone lit from now on. I’ll pick you up at the entrance of the Grand Myriadpath Ruins. If you turn off your transmission stone or use it to contact anyone else, I’ll turn around and slaughter the people of the Infinitum Mundus!” She stressed the words ’Infinitum Mundus’, her tone harsh.

Tianming was struck by a bolt from the blue—the worst had happened! It was difficult to assess the probability of her going to Intrepidus, since he was unsure of the relationship between Lan Yun, Mister Taihe, and Demoness Yin. However, it was clear that he had lost the bet!

She didn’t have to do anything even if she knew about the Infinitum Mundus. All she had to do was give the information to House Huang. Tianming had begun walking toward his doom from the first time he’d been controlled by his evil impulses and killed Huang Jihuang.

Lan Yun rushed back to Myriadpath Valley as fast as she could and came to the Grand Myriadpath Ruins, watching Tianming’s every move to guard against any tricks.

”Come out!”

Upon arriving outside the ruins, she waited instead of approaching him.

The truth had come to light! Gritting his teeth, Tianming walked up to her. In the mist, Lan Yun, clad in a blue and white dress, turned off her transmission stone and folded her arms, her domineering gaze sweeping over the ’naughty boy’ in front of her.

”You’re good. You killed Taihe, Lin Yin, and a hundred cultivators, then used Li Fan to enter Myriadpath Valley,” she said, sneering.

”I’m still not as good as you, Master. You have sharp eyes that see everything. No matter what I do, I can’t escape your hands.” Tianming put away his transmission stone, helpless under Lan Yun’s watchful eye.

Lan Yun chuckled, moving closer to him. ”You’re a brave one. Will you continue to fool around and play with me? Are you determined to fight a battle of wills?”

”I wouldn’t dare,” Tianming replied.

”That’s what you say, but I know you haven’t given up!” Lan Yun wrapped her hands around his neck, squeezing so tightly it was impossible for him to breathe.

Tianming said nothing, just clenched his fists, his nails almost piercing his own flesh.

”What about now? Are you convinced? You’re just a little brat. What makes you think you can escape from me? You’ve been mine ever since I saved you from Huang Daolie! How dare you seek another master?” Lan Yun laughed.

”It seems you’re jealous,” Tianming laughed.

”That’s bullshit. Why should I be jealous of a little brat like you? You’re mine, but I don’t belong to you. Do you understand our relationship now?” Lan Yun pinched his face, coldly staring at him.

”You don’t have to pretend. I can tell that you’re anxious. Someone must’ve threatened you. You may bully me, but who knows who you have to kneel to? If you’re really so capable, why don’t you keep me for yourself?” Tianming scoffed.

”Shut up!” Lan Yun shouted, shaking with rage. She could crush Tianming with her advantage in strength.

”I’m right, aren’t I? You’re pathetic, haha...!”

”So what? I should thank you. I’d still owe a debt if you weren’t so yummy! Don’t think too highly of yourself! You’re interesting, but you’re just a rootless duckweed. I killed one just like you when I was three thousand years old and he’s still inside of me, keeping me youthful. Tell me, is there anything about you worth cherishing?” Lan Yun retorted.

”Well aren’t you smug! Everything in the cosmos is governed by laws, even life and death! This fiend art can only keep you alive. What’s the point in living a few more years just to be cold and lonely? I look down on you, Lan Yun!” Black mist surged in Tianming’s red eyes.

”Haha! We’re on different paths. Just accept your fate!” Now that she had him under her control, Lan Yun wouldn’t allow Tianming to move again. The words Infinitum Mundus were enough to threaten him.

”You should thank me. At least I won’t destroy your home and loved ones after you die. Doesn’t that make me a decent master?” Lan Yun sneered.

”Of course!” Rage surged in his chest. All Tianming wanted to do was crush her.

Lan Yun was a self-righteous woman who thought she had everything under control, yet her age was the only reason she could suppress him. Tianming had to accept his fate. She was indeed far more terrifying than Demoness Yin.

”Our relationship as master and disciple ends here! Say goodbye to this world!” Lan Yun seized his spatial ring.

”You say it’s over, but I’ve yet to repay you,” mocked Tianming.

”Don’t worry, you’re about to do that....” After tying him up with a long, blue silk-like cosmic artifact, Lan Yun headed directly to Fallengrace Peak. The number of people they encountered dwindled the closer they got. It was even more unlikely for anyone to notice the abnormality between master and disciple.

”I’ll be gentle if you behave. But if you cause any trouble and upset me, I’ll have no choice but to pay your friends and family a visit!” Lan Yun warned.

Tianming laughed.

”Are you still in the mood to laugh?” Lan Yun chuckled.

”I seem to recall that anyone who’s ever spoken such words to me have all miserably died,” said Tianming.

”Oh? That’s because you’ve never been to Myriadpath Valley,” Lan Yun quipped. In her eyes, Tianming was a little boy, a naughty child she was carrying to Fallengrace Peak.

In the blink of an eye, they arrived at their destination.

”My senior sister’s lived for tens of thousands of years. She’s known as the ’Bloodfiend’ and is a real legend in Myriadpath Valley. Don’t you dare wet yourself and embarrass me when you see her!” Lan Yun said, squeezing his cheeks.

”Tens of thousands of years? She must be almost dead. Can she still eat? She might just die at my hands.” Tianming glared at her, his eyes fiery.

”Haha...” Lan Yun’s body trembled with laughter, her eyes filled with contempt. ”In your dreams, brat!”

But soon, her eyes filled with pity as she held Tianming’s face. ”To be honest, I like you very much. You make me feel young again. Perhaps it’s even love. But it’s too bad I have no fate with that emotion. I didn’t hesitate when I was three thousand years old, and I won’t hesitate next time. And as for you... I shouldn’t say it’s a pity. This is your fate and you should accept it!” She pressed against Tianming’s lips, delivering a deep kiss.

She was cold, yet sweet. But when she looked up again, she was still the same woman who held Tianming in her hands. Without another word, she threw him into a hall enveloped in blood mist.

Taking a deep breath, she started laughing, but her eyes filled up with tears. ”How could a mere child shake my belief? But you’re right—it’s depressing to give a man like you to my senior sister. Then again, the cosmos is enormous. There must be tons of interesting people. You’re nothing! Just a so-called ’genius’ who died in his youth! In the end, you’ll be another skeleton on Fallengrace Peak—no, there’ll be nothing left of you!” Lan Yun stretched, feeling a sense of relief.

”Mmm... feels good.” She lay on a blue stone on Fallengrace Peak with her legs slightly bent, her curves visible under the swaying blue dress. Amidst the morning mist, her snowy skin reflected the sunlight.