Beastmaster of the Ages

House Yumo, one of the Three Exalted Houses, represented the ultimate skyghoul bloodline in Myriadpath Valley. If they found out about Zi Zhen, they would no doubt swarm the Xenoabyss like wasps.

Zi Zhen noticed his serious expression and said, ”Please don’t rush it or take any risks.”

Tianming chuckled, ”Don’t worry, I don’t try to do things that’re way above my league. For now, I’m relatively isolated in Myriadpath Valley, but at least I’m safe. It’s a dangerous place and I’ll only be able to retrieve that thing once I establish a good footing for myself there.”

Even if he could take Zi Zhen to Myriadpath Valley right away, it would be nothing short of a death sentence for her. She would still have to keep living like this for quite a while more. Fortunately, she had been used to it since her childhood.

”I’m already much better off than I was before,” she said, fully satisfied. Back when she’d had grade-ten xeno fatigue, every day felt torturous beyond belief.

”Okay.” Tianming had come to look for order fragments. He believed it wouldn’t be so easy, since there were no auctions like the last one Reverend Daolie had come to attend. As he suspected, most of the order fragments above grade seven were held by the most powerful antiquitean imperials.

”They’re at least seventh-level foundationeers or stronger. We don’t have enough firepower!” Order fragments like those were basically never sold. And even if they were, Tianming couldn’t afford them. Those who possessed them were the most elite figures in the nation, being relatives of the ruler. No doubt, they were constantly surrounded by powerful retainers; there would be no opportunity for Tianming to exploit at all.

He continued waiting underground with Zi Zhen and Chen Tianyong while he left Yin Chen to go seek other opportunities. All the while, he focused on comprehending his orders, mastering his swordsmanship, and chatting with Zi Zhen from time to time. His days were relaxing and hopeful.

Chen Tianyong often left to patrol the area, so Tianming had a lot of time to get along with Zi Zhen. Having a beauty with him made the passing of half a year feel fast. Yin Chen had covered quite a large search area in the capital in that time, but it still hadn’t found anything.

Tianming eventually gave up after all that waiting. ”Looks like I’ve reached the end of the road for order fragments.” He knew the day would come, but didn’t expect it to be so soon.

”Maybe it isn’t over for good. We just need to find a chance. It’s hard, but we can keep waiting,” Chen Tianyong said.

”Alright.” Either way, it wouldn’t be as easy as before.

Tianming decided to return to Myriadpath Valley first. He was in good shape and had time. While he needed to make progress, he couldn’t afford to be hasty. Being too desperate wasn’t mentally good for him either.

***

In a corner of Huang Palace, Huang Daosheng was on top of the sisters, Huang Jiaoyuan and Huang Jiaoyang, as he pondered how he could break through to the Foundation stage. His transmission stone lit up at that moment.

He jumped up with a start and stuck his hand into his sleeve to activate the stone. His father, Reverend Daolie, was on the other end.

”Go to Tiankui Peak right away! The eminent summoned you!” Reverend Daolie said, agitated.

”Okay, Dad!” He immediately got ready and left. He didn’t know why he had been summoned by Eminent Tiankui, but it was usually never a bad thing to be personally summoned by an eminent. If it was bad, his father would have beaten him up himself.

After a while, he reached his destination. Eminents had their own territories in Myriadpath Valley, commonly referred to as the Myriadpath peaks. Tiankui Peak and Fallengrace Peak were two such examples.

Factions like House Huang had their own continents, but that was simply one of the many floating islands. The actual surface area of any of those peaks combined was easily more than ten times the size of the Huang Continent. Fallengrace Peak was even larger than Tiankui Peak; Tianming simply hadn’t noticed its size because it had been shrouded in fog.

Being able to occupy their own peak was the dream of every top elite in the astralscape. It represented a position of superiority over the rest. That was also Huang Daosheng’s dream. He ascended Tiankui Peak as if he was making a pilgrimage. The peak was entirely red, like a mountain covered in blood. It menacingly stood amidst the cloudy fog above.

It was where Eminent Tiankui cultivated. At his level, he no longer needed any ancestral caeli. Once past the growth phase, cultivators mostly focused on maintaining their peak-level cultivation.

”Eminent, I, Huang Daosheng, have come!” the Little Lion King roared.

”Get in right now!” Eminent Tiankui said, his voice echoing through the whole peak.

”Yes!” Huang Daosheng lowered his head, his golden hair fluttering in the wind. He flew against the wind toward a vast hall with specter architecture. When the door opened, he hurriedly entered.

”Greetings, Your Eminence!” The first thing he did was kneel and kowtow.

”Raise your head and look at the one beside you,” Eminent Tiankui said, seemingly dissatisfied.

Huang Daosheng felt a jolt. He couldn’t imagine there being some other person of high status there with them and messed up. He immediately looked up and saw that Eminent Tiankui, the host, was actually standing to the side, while his throne was occupied by someone else!

It was a youth with black hair, surrounded by a fiendish, black mist. He looked like a fiend that had come straight from hell. Though he seemed young, a single look from him was enough to terrify Huang Daosheng.

He couldn’t get a clear look at the youth’s expression, as he was wearing a red fiend mask. The mask had green fangs and a sinister expression. Each eye on the mask had three blood-red irises. Even though they were painted on, they possessed enough power to cause Huang Daosheng’s heart to skip a beat.

He repeatedly kowtowed as he said, ”Huang Daosheng greets you, Minor Pathkeeper! I was too blind to not notice your esteemed presence! Please forgive me for my transgression!” He slammed his head on the ground so hard that golden astral blood began flowing.

”Very well. Rise,” the black-haired youth calmly said.

”Yes!” Huang Daosheng stiffly stood up. He was ten times more nervous toward this youth compared to how he reacted to Eminent Tiankui.

The youth observed him through his mask before turning to Eminent Tiankui. ”Old man, tell him about it.”

”Yes!” Even the amazing eminent had to bow down before the youth like a slave. He turned to Huang Daosheng and adopted a stern voice. ”Huang Daosheng.”

”Yes!” Cold sweat and blood mixed together on his forehead.

”The Prehistoric Path will soon open. The minor pathkeeper wants a twelfth-level cosmic cartographer who’s a specter to join him and embark on the path. I suggested that you go with him.” In other words, the eminent had granted him a great opportunity and boon!

If Huang Daosheng could properly grasp it, his future and that of the entire House Huang would benefit from it! He was overjoyed and respectfully knelt once more. ”Minor Pathkeeper, Your Eminence, I’ll do my absolute best at the Prehistoric Path and achieve worthy results!”

The youth and eminent were quite satisfied with his attitude. The youth clapped his hands and said, ”I’ve seen him fight. The brilliant goldlion bloodline is indeed capable. You should be able to become an eminent in the future. I’ll be counting on you at the Prehistoric Path.”

Huang Daosheng was absolutely elated. If it hadn’t been for Eminent Tiankui using his connections, he would never even be allowed to talk to the minor pathkeeper at his age, much less have a chance to serve him. ”Minor Pathkeeper, I’ll give it everything I can till I draw my last breath. This is the ultimate honor a skyghoul can ever receive! I’m willing to die for you, Minor Pathkeeper!”

”Enough.” The youth waved and continued, ”You don’t have to say all that. I’m not a fan of flattery and pleasantries. I’ll observe your performance myself.”

”Understood!”

”Additionally, the ones who really benefit from the opening of the Prehistoric Path are those who have high ranks on the Fortuna and Maniverse Rankings. I’m not old enough, so you can consider me someone who’s going there just to get a grasp of what it’s like. Forget things like glory and pride. You’re still quite far off from the top ten in the Fortuna Ranking, so I’m sure you understand what it’s like. All I want is to have fun, no stress. But make it stunning, got it?”

Fun, no stress, but stunning? Huang Daosheng was rather troubled at how difficult this seemed. He was stronger than many people of his age, but definitely far off from the top ten. Even though the minor pathkeeper was also a monster in his own right, he was far too young at just over two hundred. He would only truly start to shine in another hundred years. Thus, all he could do at the Prehistoric Path was to mess around without any pressure. Whether he could stand out and stun others depended on luck.

However, it was precisely because of his immaturity that he needed a loyal friend of a higher cultivation level who wasn’t from the Three Exalted Houses. Otherwise, he would have gotten together with people from his own house, the actual ’seeded players’ of the upcoming matches. Right now, the minor pathkeeper was just exploring the trial with Huang Daosheng as a guide.

It might be stressful, but as long as I do well, it’ll be a great boon to House Huang. I’ll use the connection to join his inner circle. That’s our ticket to prominence! In his eyes, this minor pathkeeper was comparable to Suishen Zhao, but in fact, he was older and more powerful.