Beastmaster of the Ages

Suishen Yao was truly mad this time around. Soon, Fen Nu arrived from Suishen Cave. That little servant of odd stature was actually an eminent! The fact that the siblings could order him around showed how much status they had.

”Fen Nu, take them to the Ascension Colosseum. If Little Li gets killed, you’re be done for,” Suishen Yao ordered.

”Yes, very well, Minor Pathkeeper.” Fen Nu knew that Suishen Zhao had just been bullied. The few hairs on his head stood up as if they were blazing flames.

”Sis, where are you going?” Suishen Zhao nervously asked.

”We’ll look for Dad!”

”It’s just a spat among youths. Is there a need to get the seniors wrapped up in it?” Suishen Zhao hesitantly asked.

”Little Zhao, this isn’t just a small spat. That animal, Yumo Yuanni, provoked us and insulted all totemancers. It’s something that can be spun as big or small, however we want. When it comes to shameless people, we have to slap them back! Make a big deal out of it! That’s why I need Dad to prepare a stage for us,” Suishen Yao said.

”Don’t add details about how badly I was beaten up—” Before Suishen Zhao finished, his sister was already gone. She was so fast that not even Suishen Shuang would be able to keep up.

”We should go to the Ascension Colosseum,” Suishen Shuang said.

”Okay!” Suishen Zhao turned to look at Tianming. When he saw him being so calm, he couldn’t help but ask, ”Are you really going to challenge him? You’re certain you have fifty-fifty odds of winning?”

”Let’s just do what your elder sister says,” Tianming said, nodding.

”I’m impressed by your courage.” Suishen Zhao simply couldn’t believe it.

Tianming merely chuckled without saying much.

”At the very least, we have a plan. We’ll openly challenge him at the Ascension Colosseum. All someone like him dares to do is to ambush people and assault them,” Suishen Shuang said.

All that was left was waiting to see who would win.

***

A few people shot through the clouds in Myriadpath Valley, Eminent Ranxing being the very foremost. Suishen Cang, Suishen Ling, and other senior eminents were there, along with Major Pathkeepers Suishen Yue and Suishen Yuan. The two young pathkeepers seemed to feel repulsive to each other. If their parents hadn’t been there, they would have been fighting nonstop.

”Yaoyao!” Suishen Yuan turned back and saw a pink beam shoot toward them.

”Dad! Your son got beat up!” Suishen Yao yelled before she even arrived.

”Act with some decorum!” Eminent Ranxing said, looking annoyed the moment he saw her.

”Whatever! Little Zhao got beat up and humiliated!” Suishen Yao went on to explain the whole thing.

”So, a black ring disciple dared to stand out for Little Zhao?” The eminents of House Suishen were quite surprised to hear that.

”He was able to push back against Yumo Yuanni, who recently broke through?” Suishen Yuan couldn’t help but voice his doubts; he didn’t like Tianming very much.

”He did! Not only that, I had him go to the Ascension Colosseum to challenge him,” Suishen Yao mischievously said. All the seniors furrowed their brows.

”You’re messing around again,” Eminent Ranxing said with a deep voice.

”I’m not! My baby brother got beat up and I won’t take this sitting down! The formal challenge has been issued, so they’ll definitely be fighting. I came here to notify you just in case you want to stand up for me and Little Zhao. If you don’t, then forget it!” Suishen Yao immediately left.

Eminent Ranxing didn’t stop her. It was already too late and the formal challenge was an established fact. She was just there to relay the news.

The eminents exchanged looks once she was gone.

”Ranxing, such a thing did happen after I asked around.”

”Yumo Yuanni truly lacks a good upbringing. Little Zhao suffered at his hands. Fortunately, that black ring disciple put a stop to it.”

”Will Yumo Yuanni really be able to take it? He knows he can’t touch Little Zhao, so he’ll definitely try killing that black ring disciple to vent.”

”So Yaoyao means that since he’s going to die for it anyway, we might as well let him go out with a bang at the Ascension Colosseum?”

Eminent Ranxing watched Suishen Yao as she left. ”I think she believes the black ring disciple has a chance of winning. She’s trying to defuse the situation by paving a way for him to survive.”

”How does that work out?” Suishen Cang asked.

”We’ll find out when we go. Since the kids are arguing, we’ll let them. They must learn to deal with their own issues. If they succeed, it’ll be to their credit. If they fail, they have to take the loss. If they end up bullied, it’s their fault for not working hard enough.” Eminent Ranxing began heading toward the Ascension Colosseum.

Suishen Cang and Suishen Ling were husband and wife. They exchanged glances and smiled with resignation, knowing that Eminent Ranxing was merely putting up a calm front. He was actually the most ill-tempered among those of House Suishen. Hearing that his son had been beaten up had no doubt infuriated him. While he wouldn’t take any action because of it, he wouldn’t stop Suishen Yao from trying to get back at them.

”Dad, Li Tianming’s combat capabilities are on Little Zhao’s level. Yumo Yuanni already broke through, so he’ll be able to kill Li Tianming far too easily. Li Tianming’s like a moth drawn to fire! Is he just trying to die in a flashier manner?” Suishen Yuan asked his father in a low voice.

”Can you shut your mouth?” Suishen Cang said as he glared at his son.

”Yes.” Suishen Yuan seemed rather depressed.

”Who wouldn’t beg for mercy when they’re up against a much higher power? People who dare to fight back are either courageous beyond belief and have figured out how to proceed from there, or utter fools. From what we’ve heard of his exploits, the odds of him being a fool are rather low,” Suishen Yue said as he joined the rest.

”If only this youth’s potential won’t run out, and if only he were a pure totemancer!” Suishen Cang lamented.

As Suishen Yao had rushed her explanation, she’d failed to mention that the clearing time of the vitality idol in thirty breaths’ time was because Tianming had broken through. As such, the rest weren’t aware of the full extent of her plans.

***

Tianming had raised his rank to around a thousand at the Ascension Colosseum. Yumo Yuanni was ranked in the nine hundreds. He’d also been in the thousands not too long ago, but when he had returned from the Xenoabyss, he’d challenged someone to rise up in rank.

However, that was his limit. The Prehistoric Path had also opened up at around that time, so he didn’t have time to keep challenging people. Otherwise he would be able to rise to the top three hundred at least. He was definitely stronger than the eleventh-level Gongsun Yan of Grandblue Palace.

”Once I take down Yumo Yuanni, I’ll be able to cultivate in the middle ruins of the Grand Myriadpath Ruins!” The battle was also important for Tianming.

As he was busy raising his rank, Suishen Yao used her connections to spread word of the reason for the formal challenge. She wasn’t worried that it would embarrass Suishen Zhao at all, since any sensible person would know that the age difference between them was incredibly significant, especially at their stage of youth.

While serious fights and killings among disciples were common, that was usually not the case among the Three Exalted Houses. As such, people were gossiping about the matter without end.

Then came the announcement that Tianming had issued a formal challenge to Yumo Yuanni at the Ascension Colosseum. Suishen Yao let the rumors spread after some minor exaggeration to make it sound like Yumo Yuanni had run with his tail between his legs. It made it seem like Tianming was the one trying to chase him down.

”Is that kid really insane?” The sentiment was shared by everyone who didn’t know that Tianming had broken through.

”That’s right! His courage is off the charts! He really doesn’t fear death at all! Is he really fighting for the sake of his friend, or is he trying to get on House Suishen’s good side? Even if that’s the case, I haven’t seen someone take such a huge risk to do so!”

”Yeah. He’s trying to curry favor with one huge faction by pissing off another huge faction. Doesn’t he know that he’s nothing but cannon fodder as far as the Three Exalted Houses are concerned? Spats among children are something the parents can solve by talking and reconciling. Why would he stick himself between them for this reason?”

”Is he brave or just plain foolish?”

”Why don’t we go to the Ascension Colosseum and find out?”

The disciples and myriadpath saints had been waiting to see a good show at the Prehistoric Path. They didn’t expect that they would be able to get what they wanted at the Ascension Colosseum instead. A large number of them immediately headed over there to see what it was all about. It was a truly odd and unprecedented event. The mere thought of a low-status outsider interfering in a spat between the children of the exalted houses was unheard of.

”That Li Tianming’s making himself a protagonist when he used to be some unimportant nobody!”

”Does he really know how much danger he’s in right now?”

”I think he does. Either he dies here in the Ascension Colosseum or in some quiet corner down the line. Since he’s dead either way, if I were him, I’d also choose to go out with a bang at the Ascension Colosseum. At the very least, I’d be able to leave a reputation behind.”

”I heard that Yumo Yuanni has broken through and his current power is around the top hundred of the Fortuna Ranking.”

”That’s a completely different league....”

”I bet that kid will regret his rash actions and cry as he waits for Yumo Yuanni at the colosseum, right?”

”Will Yumo Yuanni really bother with all these antics?”

”I heard that he would!”

”Why?”

”Suishen Yao’s been fanning the flames behind the scenes. She’s been clamoring for Li Tianming with her little brother. It looks like they’re trying to address the humiliation.”

”Huh? Is that really something to be loudly proclaimed like that?”

”I have no idea. Sigh... they’re the representatives of us totemancers! Looks like the specters will be gloating at us again soon.”

A lot of disciples and saints went to the Ascension Colosseum. They were rather shocked at the sight of an unprecedented number of people near the Fortuna Pillar. A duel between two fortuna disciples had actually attracted an unprecedented number of elite cultivators. The spotlight had been completely taken from the Prehistoric Path.

Quite a few reverends and eminents even showed up. For instance, Reverend Daolie laughed when he’d heard what happened from his son and had reported the good news to Reverends Qingyuan and Shujian. They were all too eager to watch Tianming get himself killed.

”I already said that arrogant brat would eventually offend someone he simply can’t afford to offend and lose his life,” Reverend Daolie smugly said.

”It’s well deserved.” Reverend Shujian shook his head in disapproval.

”What’s Minor Pathkeeper Suishen Yao thinking, making such a big deal out of this when that brat’s about to die? She’s even using their humiliation to spread this! Is she trying to use the death of Li Tianming to hold House Yumo accountable or something? Surely, she can’t be that naive,” Reverend Qingyuan chuckled. Quite a few others who had grievances with Tianming joined them in conversation.

”That minor pathkeeper is still clamoring nonstop,” he added when he saw Suishen Yao in the crowd.

”She’s completely destroying House Suishen’s reputation,” Reverend Daolie said.

”Let’s not be hasty with our words,” Reverend Shujian reminded.

”Oh, look at me, I’ve misspoken,” Reverend Daolie awkwardly said. He had let out his true feelings in a moment of careless glee.

”Either way, for a mere black ring disciple to be able to cause three reverends like us so much trouble and rile up such a big crowd, his death will have been worth it,” Reverend Qingyuan said.

”He’s a taint, but he really knows how to make a scene! He’s so desperate to get a backer that he’ll end up paying for it with his life!” Reverend Shujian said.

”It’s just like an overeager dog trying to please its master by biting someone else. He’s so desperate that he’ll lose his life over it! Now, the master has to offer it up to be slaughtered to make amends!” Reverend Daolie began uncontrollably laughing.

”That’s right! What an apt analogy!” Reverend Qingyuan snickered.

Reverend Daolie watched as his son, Huang Daosheng, led Yumo Yuanni through the huge crowd.

”Brother Daolie, your son is truly stellar. Looks like he’s earned the recognition of the minor pathkeeper,” Reverend Shujian said with some envy.

”He’s doing well enough, but he has to work harder to serve the minor pathkeeper better!” Reverend Daolie proudly said. Magically, he had forgotten about the dog analogy completely, when in fact, his son was just another dog with Yumo Yuanni as his master.

***

When Yumo Yuanni saw how many people were at the colosseum, he was stunned. He had never seen such a commotion before! That day, he had been made the main character by someone else’s choice!

His rage returned when he snapped out of it. Tianming’s behavior was an affront to his dignity! Tianming had pushed him back when he was having his fun with Suishen Zhao. He was the one who’d been wronged, yet that brat had actually come to issue him a formal challenge?! The gall!

”Since you’re so eager to die today, I’ll wholeheartedly grant your wish!”