Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming was chatting and laughing, while Jin Lin stood far away, lonely, acting as a security guard. ”By the way....” He glanced at Jin Lin, an idea forming in his mind.

He walked over and asked, ”Brother, may I ask, after reaching the Overflow stage, do humans or specters experience extreme physical expansion?”

”Of course! In the Overflow stage, both humans and specters experience a massive increase in their number of astrons. For example, I’m a first-level overflower, and I’m ten meters tall even in my compressed state!” Jin Lin impatiently replied. He no longer felt nervous after seeing that it was Zi Zhen absorbing the overflow fragment.

His explanation excluded the Xenoabyss’ specters with a low density of astrons, as well as the lifebound beasts and nova source wildbeasts of the astralscape.

Both Jin Lin and Zhoutian Shenhai were first-level overflowers.

”Then do you hit twenty meters in the second level?” Tianming asked with a headache.

”Obviously!”

”Is there anything like a super zenith for the Overflow stage?”

”There is, but it’s called a ‘half-step cosmic god.’ Their body is 120 meters tall. Their astrons have reached their limit and are just one step away from transforming into a cosmic god!” Jin Lin said with admiration.

”Can you shrink your size further?” Tianming asked.

Jin Lin glared at him and said, ”Are you looking down on me? My astrons are far more numerous than those of humans. They’re already squeezed together—how can I shrink further?”

Tianming understood. It was the key difference between him and Chen Tianyong. Chen Tianyong typically stood over a kilometer tall, but he could also shrink to about two meters tall.

Jin Lin, however, could expand to ten thousand meters at the cost of his body and speed weakening, but he couldn’t shrink below ten meters. It was because his astrons were already tightly packed together with no room to compress further.

Such terrifying astron density showed his overwhelming power over foundationeers.

”What about humans? Can they shrink below ten meters after reaching the first level of the Overflow stage?” Tianming continued.

”Humans have far fewer astrons than we do, but each of their particles contains more astral cosmoforce. Wonderians especially engrave their wonders on their astrons, which makes them appear ten or even a hundred times larger. So human cultivators will still be at least five or six meters tall even in their most compressed state.” Jin Lin’s willingness to answer came from his desire to mock Tianming.

”Feeling inferior, kid? Let me tell you, when my goddess reaches the Overflow stage, your little thing won’t even compare to a strand of her hair.... Ah, forget it. Pretend I didn’t say that.” Jin Lin shook his head with a grimace, internally chastising himself. How could he compare this brat to the goddess? It was blasphemy!

Tianming was speechless.

In truth, Jin Lin was spot-on. Tianming had asked so many questions because he was concerned about this issue.

”The first level brings you to ten meters, the second to twenty, and a half-step cosmic god will be 120 meters tall....”

First of all, Zi Zhen’s growth in cultivation was faster than his own, which meant she would become taller and taller. Then, the situation Jin Lin described... cough, cough... might actually happen! One day, Zi Zhen might hold him in her palm...!

Second, the cultivation speed of Jiguang, Moran, and the rest was slower than his. Especially Jiguang. Tianming still had fond memories of his time in the capital; thus, his mind started cracking a little.

”Dammit. If I’m dozens of meters tall when I return, won’t Auntie cry when she sees me?” How would the logistics even work? It was over. Completely over. ”This damned Overflow stage!” Why did physical expansion have to happen? Why did astrons have to multiply so much? Who designed this stupid power system?

And just when he had finally gotten Moran to become an astral god, there was a new mismatch! This time, it wasn’t a difference between a god and an astral god, but a size problem!

”Forget it! Celibacy it is! When I become invincible, I’ll make them all cosmic gods! Our battles will be the stuff of myth, a galactic war!” When one person ascended, everyone ascended! That had always been Tianming’s philosophy. So would Auntie remain stuck as a foundationeer?

Even Moran, a minor talent from a heliacal-class world, had been pushed to become an eleventh-level cosmic cartographer by Tianming. How could Auntie not become a cosmic god?

”Dammit! For a happy life, I’ll conquer the Ancient Oldgod Domain, too!” Although his goal after rescuing Qingyu was to go to the Upper Star Ruin to find Ling’er and Lingfeng, the Ancient Oldgod Domain was already laid out on his future path. After all, it would always be available for a visit.

The Ancient Oldgod Domain would never expect that it had quickly been marked as a target to protect Tianming’s sex life.

Soon, Zi Zhen frantically absorbed xeno source and her order exponentially grew.

”The super zenith.” A grade-one overflow fragment had only a 50% chance of allowing someone to ascend from super zenith to the Overflow stage. It was already quite effective for Zi Zhen to jump from the tenth level to the twelfth.

”Is there any issue with your order’s growth?” Tianming asked.

”It’s recovering well. No problems,” Zi Zhen replied.

”I really am so envious!” There was no helping it. He consoled himself, I’m still the most stable one!

”Although I’m just a hair away from the Overflow stage, it would’ve been great to reach it,” Zi Zhen said, slightly disappointed.

”Not so great,” Tianming muttered under his breath. If you enter the Overflow stage, you’ll be ten meters tall! Jin Lin’s words echoed in his mind, an unacceptable humiliation.

”What isn’t great?” Zi Zhen and Moran were both confused.

”I misspoke. It’s fantastic,” Tianming awkwardly said, then whispered a few words in Zi Zhen’s ear.

Zi Zhen nodded repeatedly, her eyes lighting up as she looked at Jin Lin.

”Jin Lin!” She casually beckoned.

”Your subordinate is here! Please give your orders, goddess!” Jin Lin jogged over. When he arrived, he intentionally shoved Tianming aside and stood in front of Zi Zhen.

”Do you have any more overflow fragments?” Zi Zhen asked.

”None!” Jin Lin hesitated, then sheepishly smiled.

”Then who around you has them?” Zi Zhen pressed.

”That....”

”Don’t you want me to grow stronger, lead your aurumites, and overthrow the rule of the orderlies? Don’t you want to free us specters from slavery?” Zi Zhen solemnly asked.

”I do!” Jin Lin replied.

”Then tell me, who has the overflow fragments?” Zi Zhen demanded.

”My father. He has some...” Jin Lin reluctantly said.

”Good. Then let’s scam—no, recruit him into our cause! Want to hear about our absolutely incredible revenge plan?” Zi Zhen asked.

”I do!”

”Great. Then bring your father over here alone. Remember, alone!”

Jin Lin was speechless.