Beastmaster of the Ages

In a certain location within the Outer Yin, a giant black tortoise as large as a landmass let out a series of tragic howls.

On its back, a black ferocious beast of comparable size had dug its long, sharp teeth into the tortoise’s outstretched neck. Threads of black light flowed into the tortoise’s body, twining around its internal organs like countless vines.

The black beast, resembling a wolf covered in dragon scales, had extremely sharp claws and fangs. Its eyes, which were much like the depths of the underworld, were filled with countless stars. Additionally, eight beast face tattoos adorned its body, each of which were also dotted with more than eight million stars.

The black beast was none other than Qitian Muchen’s lifebound beast. The ninesource beast’s total stars exceeded seventy-five million, making it the highest among all the disciples of Myriadpath Valley. Tianming’s lifebound beasts combined only had sixty million stars. Moreover, all of the ninesource beast’s stars were concentrated in a single body!

“Yazi, drag it near the Lumistar Formation!” Qitian Muchen ordered from beneath the black tortoise. He smiled, clearly pleased with the results of the encounter.

The black tortoise dared not resist while its head was caught in the jaws of the ninesource beast. Wherever Yazi directed it, the tortoise obediently followed.

“I’ve read the records of the Yin-Yang World. This tortoise seems to be a mid-infinitum-class wildbeast known as a lifebearer tortoise,’” said Liu Xinyi, a woman from an august house.

“Why’s it called that?” Qitian Muchen asked.

“Perhaps because of the dense patterns on its underside. Each scale resembles a human face. The name was given by one of our seniors in Myriadpath Valley. After all, there aren’t many places outside of the Yin-Yang World where mid-infinitum-class wildbeasts exist,” Liu Xinyi explained.

“Really? Sister Liu, you’re truly learned. Your husband’s lucky to have such an outstanding wife,” Qitian Muchen said, playfully raising an eyebrow.

“Oh, stop teasing me! If you’d marry me, I’d gladly switch husbands,” Liu Xinyi coyly replied.

“No, no. I wouldn’t want to disrupt your happiness. Let’s just remain friends,” Qitian Muchen responded.

“Hah, friends, or should we say friends with benefits?’” the women around them laughed.

The women accompanying Qitian Muchen had mostly been introduced by Liu Xinyi. Qitian Muchen’s fondness for beauty was no secret in Myriadpath Valley. Once a woman entered his circle, her husband or boyfriend had little say in the matter. The women themselves even considered it an honor and acted accordingly without restraint. It was like being favored by royalty!

But in essence, it was all just for fun.

Qitian Muchen wasn’t entirely selfish, though. Any woman associated with him would receive his protection, and he was usually quite generous. In the high-end circles of Myriadpath Valley’s beauties, he had a good reputation, so women were more than happy to introduce their sisters to him.

This time, Liu Xinyi had brought along several of her sisters to accompany him. Some were meeting him for the first time, but from the relaxed and harmonious atmosphere, it was clear that Qitian Muchen had gotten along well with them over the past two years.

However, at that moment, their attention was still focused on the lifebearer tortoise. The reason was that, while they initially intended to kill the tortoise, Qitian Muchen’s ninesource beast had opened a bloody hole in the tortoise’s abdomen that revealed an ancient bronze door inside. Knocking on the bronze door produced an echo, indicating a vast space within.

They were astonished.

“Someone built a palace inside this tortoise?” How was that possible? They couldn’t figure it out.

“Or perhaps the tortoise swallowed an entire palace?”

“Both are possible.”

“Qitian Muchen, you’re truly lucky to stumble upon such an extraordinary thing.”

“There might be relics from the Yin-Yang World inside the palace. Should we break in and see?”

The women surrounding Qitian Muchen were all buzzing with excitement.

Qitian Muchen made preparations. He ordered Yazi to escort the lifebearer tortoise toward the Lumistar Formation while he personally approached the bronze door to search for a way to open it.

Earlier, he’d tried using his maniverse-class artifact and even had Yazi attack the door, but both attempts had failed. “If I rely on brute force, I won’t succeed. I need to think of another way,” Qitian Muchen mused. He began pondering.

The bronze door was covered in black-and-white celestial patterns that intertwined to form a formation diagram.

“It’s a formation seal!” His eyes lit up.

“Can you open it?” Liu Xinyi and the other women gathered around, their eyes gleaming with admiration.

Qitian Muchen softly chuckled, “Over the past century, I’ve studied a lot of mysteries related to formations. Although I’m still just a beginner, I’ll give it a try!”

The women were all eagerly awaiting the outcome.

Qitian Muchen pulled out a black brush. Though it looked simple and ordinary, it emanated a subtle divine aura. The brush tip, in particular, shimmered with a flowing light. Holding it made Qitian Muchen appear even more refined.

“That’s the Mundane Brush, isn’t it?”

“Yes, it’s a low-maniverse-class artifact gifted to him by the valley lord. Its power is quite formidable.”

“He also has the matching Profound Ocean Records, another low-maniverse-class artifact.”

“In House Qitian, those who are granted these treasures are typically being groomed as the next valley lord. Although Qitian Muchen has an elder brother, it’s clear that the valley lord favors him more.”

“Of course! His elder brother isn’t much stronger than their peers in House Suishen and Yumo, but Qitian Muchen has far outpaced his generation. In Myriadpath Valley, you need strength to suppress the other two families if you want to become the valley lord.”

The women dared not disturb Qitian Muchen as they quietly discussed among themselves, their eyes filled with admiration for him.

“Sisters, now do you understand why I brought you here? One day, when he becomes the valley lord, we’ll all be in his favor,” Liu Xinyi laughed.

“We owe you our thanks, Sister!” they quickly responded.

“Remember, don’t rush into marriage. It’s best to avoid unnecessary burdens. Otherwise you’ll always have to be careful,” Liu Xinyi advised.

“Yes, yes.” They watched in awe as Qitian Muchen, holding the Mundane Brush, intently focused on unlocking the barrier on the bronze door. He carefully tapped the celestial patterns with the brush, seeking a way to dismantle the seal.

The women remained silent, leaving only the sound of the storm and the muffled groans of the lifebearer tortoise in the background.

After about half a day, Qitian Muchen’s eyes suddenly lit up. “Got it!”

He tapped the Mundane Brush dozens of times in succession, finally unraveling the barrier on the bronze door.

“Qitian Muchen, you’re incredible.”

“There’s few in Myriadpath Valley who could match such skill.”

“At such a young age, you’ve already achieved such mastery in the art of formations. In another thousand years, you’ll undoubtedly rank among the top three. Few could rival you even in House Suishen.”

The women were filled with admiration and praise, eager to leave a good impression on him.

“You flatter me. I’m still just a beginner and Myriadpath Valley is full of experts, especially in House Suishen. Take Eminent Jiguang, for example. At two thousand years old, her expertise is formidable,” Qitian Muchen replied with a smile.

“Eminent Jiguang? You mean the so-called goddess of Myriadpath Valley? She’s only revered because of her age,” one woman dismissively said.

“That old woman is nothing compared to you. In a few years, you’ll easily surpass her,” another chimed in.

Qitian Muchen’s expression grew serious. “I hold Eminent Jiguang in great respect.”

The woman who had just called Eminent Jiguang an old woman quickly apologized. “I’m sorry, I misspoke.”

The other women exchanged glances, understanding that they had crossed a line. Now they knew to avoid that topic in the future.

“Qitian Muchen is the ultimate ladykiller of Myriadpath Valley. He’s met countless women, so how could he not have feelings for Eminent Jiguang? However, she possesses the Suishen bloodline. She’s beyond reach even for him, but men are always attracted to what they can’t have. It’s perfectly normal,” they mused.

One sentence from Qitian Muchen was enough to reveal his inner thoughts. Even so, they felt no jealousy. That was because the Three Exalted Houses rarely intermarried, and even if there were secret liaisons, they never became public. Not even Qitian Muchen could use his status to suppress the core bloodlines of another family, especially not a minor zenith expert far beyond his level.

Realizing that, Liu Xinyi quickly changed the subject. “The door’s open. Shall we see what’s inside?”