Beastmaster of the Ages

Tears streamed down the face of the former valley lord. Nobody felt more hurt than him for having to see his own kind eliminated.

However, he knew that he and his house didn’t have a choice. They couldn’t be an obstacle to the end of all that suffering. As long as Tianming obtained the Grand Myriadpath Ruins and took it away from the Three Exalted Houses, their mission would be complete.

Nobody but House Qingchuan could possibly have determination of that level. Nobody knew pain and suffering like they did. Thus, it was clear to them that there was value in death. There was value in dying for the hope that their nemeses would one day despair! None of them shirked at the last moment.

”Goodbye, living world! Goodbye everyone! Li Tianming....” Jian Qinghe looked up at the Grand Myriadpath Ruins, a tear dripping from the corners of her hopeful eyes. ”Farewell!”

She smiled, causing her veil to shift. It was an even more moving sight than Uncle Hei’s death and House Fenglin’s extermination. The two million cultivators of Myriadpath Valley could feel the significance. If it weren’t for House Qitian’s sick practices, another innocent house wouldn’t have to die with them.

It was staggering, to say the least, even to some of the Qitians. They’d just realized that the Qingchuans weren’t just putting up a brave front, but truly had a clear intent to die and be released from their suffering—as well as to fuel hope for the future. People like that were the most terrifying.

Some Qitians were starting to feel despair. They had wanted to threaten the former valley lord to give in with the lives of his kinsmen, yet those very kin refused to be victims and embraced their fate.

”Stop them!” The Three Exalted Houses snapped out of their stupor and tried preventing the Qingchuans from ending their own lives. They had gone from murderers to rescuers. ”If they die, it’ll all go to waste! They’ll at least be of some use alive!”

Suishen Ranxing breathed out a long sigh and angrily looked at the Grand Myriadpath Ruins. Qitian Xiao felt like thousands of ants were crawling all over his heart. His plan to use House Qingchuan as bargaining chips had failed, and he had no choice but to keep them alive to see if he could find some other use for them.

House Qingchuan had already endured torture for so many years, so they were all too happy for it to end. Threatening to kill them was of no use when their lives weren’t worth living in the first place. Alas, even that was denied to them.

The gazes that fell on the Three Exalted Houses were intense, to say the least. The two million cultivators didn’t seem to view them with any favor at all and were having hushed discussions. The seeds that had been planted in them by the deaths of House Fenglin and Uncle Hei, as well as the threat to wipe out House Qingchuan sprouted in their minds.

”Dad, once Li Tianming escapes, we’ll have real trouble when he grows stronger in a few centuries,” Qitian Muyu said, his head hurting. He wouldn’t be that worried if Tianming didn’t have access to foundation caeli, but there were so many in the Grand Myriadpath Ruins! As long as the threat existed, there would be no peace for Myriadpath Valley.

”There’s only one way!” Qitian Xiao’s eyes sinisterly flashed.

”Dad, what’re you considering?” Qitian Muyue asked, coming closer.

Qitian Xiao coldly looked at the ship and said, ”It’ll take at least decades, or even a century for the Grand Myriadpath Ruins to reach Skydome. I’ve shut down the Myriadpath Celestial Formation, so that’s the only way for them to travel. However, we can warp straight to his home! If we can’t take down the Grand Myriadpath Ruins, we can still go for the copper coffin....”

”That’s a good idea!” Qitian Muyue’s face brightened.

”The Grand Myriadpath Ruins won’t destroy the Myriadpath Celestial Formation, will it?” Suishen Ranxing worriedly asked.

”That isn’t even funny. The Myriadpath Celestial Formation is the number-one formation in the astralscape of order and shares the same source as the Grand Myriadpath Ruins. There’s no way it can destroy the formation. However, it can go for the stareyes,” Yumo Diyan said.

”Don’t worry, he won’t destroy it. He wants to take over Myriadpath Valley and the formation’s the key to controlling the Million Mundi. Myriadpath Valley would be worthless without it,” Qitian Muyue said.

Tianming already knew all that and didn’t seem to be doing anything different. Qitian Muyue didn’t know how he planned to solve the problem of him returning home. All she knew was that any information she could relay to him would count in her favor; she would leave the planning to Tianming himself and wait on his orders.

”I still feel that there’s something odd about that copper coffin secret realm,” Suishen Ranxing suddenly said.

”What’re you suggesting?” Qitian Muyue coldly glared at him.

”Did you go to Skydome to seek out all reports on the secret realm? You mentioned that Li Tianming’s family and friends are in there. What’s your source for that? Is it reliable?”

”Are you trying to say that I’m lying to you?!” she snapped.

”That wasn’t my intention.” Suishen Ranxing shook his head. ”We have to go about things logically. I understand that you couldn’t conduct a thorough investigation with only twenty eminents last time. We need more manpower to not miss any clues. The people you questioned were Li Tianming’s followers, after all. Perhaps they just came up with a cover story together. ”I’m suggesting that we send an advance party of a thousand or ten thousand people to the main world of Skydome, and perhaps other fifth-class nova source worlds, to properly study the history of that secret realm. We’ll make a detailed report so that we’ll be better prepared.”

Suishen Ranxing turned to the rest. ”Nineteen eminents died at once in that place, Yumo Dinai included. Qitian Muyue knows better than anyone how dangerous it is. I’m worried that if we don’t do things properly, we’ll only suffer even more casualties. It’d be truly laughable if that happens.”

Qitian Xiao nodded before his daughter could say anything else. ”We’ll do as Eminent Ranxing says, since time’s on our side! The Myriadpath Celestial Formation will allow us to travel much faster than the Grand Myriadpath Ruins.”

By then, the Grand Myriadpath Ruins was already on course and could no longer turn back. Since going after House Qingchuan didn’t work, they would go after Tianming’s family in the secret realm!

”Even if House Qingchuan’s all too happy about dying, I wonder if it’s the same for Tianming’s loved ones. Even if we can’t find them, we’ll just conquer Skydome and take its denizens hostage while we wait for the Grand Myriadpath Ruins to arrive! The ship is nothing more than a tool for war, but the Myriadpath Celestial Formation is everything!”

For someone like Tianming, who hadn’t been born in Myriadpath Valley, his home was his fatal weakness. Once everything was settled, Qitian Xiao, Suishen Ranxing, Yumo Diyan, Qitian Muyu, and the rest turned around. The two million cultivators merely watched them. It was a rather odd atmosphere.

”Return!” Qitian Xiao ordered, causing people to open up a path to let the Three Exalted Houses’ members through. Nobody dared to make a sound, but they all shared the same thought: they were waiting for that youth to return with vengeance! Perhaps one day, they would fight for his sake!

The seeds of hope and rebellion had been planted and everyone’s hearts beat with anticipation. Even the Qingchuans, who had temporarily been left alive, felt a ray of hope.

Just then, Qitian Muyue stood beside Jian Qinghe and tapped her on the shoulder. ”Don’t worry. With Big Sister around, you won’t die.”

Jian Qinghe was completely flabbergasted. Qitian Muyue was indeed her actual sister, but she had never admitted to that before. It was completely new to her.