Beastmaster of the Ages

Cobaltium, where Skyfiend Hall was situated, was in complete chaos. The streets were filled with cosmic gods who had watched the broadcast and witnessed Tianming taking the Empyrean Yin-Yang Mirror. They’d been laughing and mocking them like the wonderians had until the moment Tianing got his hands on their super weapon.

The great pink explosion had completely stunned everyone across the Ten Desolate Starforges into silence. Moments later, a commotion broke out as they watched Moran wield the mirror and begin turning things around, leading to the deaths of Taiyang Zhao and Taiyin Yuan, along with a thousand genius wonderians!

The minds of everyone across those worlds were blown. Their faces flushed red as they blankly watched, feeling like Tianming’s slash had bisected their heads as well. Curses rang out nonstop, but deep down, they could feel that everything had gone out of control. The elites within Skyfiend Hall were deathly silent.

”The Empyrean Yin-Yang Mirror’s been lost....”

One thousand-meter-tall cosmic god after another looked at the wonderian couple. The two figures, one black, one white, looked like astral vortices. Their bodies seemed to be sucking in everything around them, even to the point that the Cobalt Overfiend himself chose to sit farther away. They were two terrifying existences indeed.

”The natives of the Ancestral World have some rather unique tricks up their sleeves. What do all of you think we should do to wrap things up? We’re on the brink of losing control of the lower ruins,” the Cobalt Overfiend said. They had managed to gain an edge in the upper ruins, but the age limit that applied to the lower ruins had caused them much difficulty.

Initially, they’d indeed had the upper hand, and the Empyrean Yin-Yang Mirror had been meant to seal the deal. Yet, there was no way that the seniors would’ve foreseen that Tianming would be able to turn things around completely. As the ones who had suffered the loss were from Empyrean Yin-Yang, everyone turned to look at them.

The ivory man, who looked like a vortex, pondered in silence for a moment after losing his children. ”I suggest we send the order for all the children to immediately retreat from the lower ruins.”

Everyone’s expressions grew odd after hearing that.

”I am sure that all of you are aware that that’s the only move we can make after this sudden shift. If we retreat, we’ll be able to send people in there again. However, I’m also aware that you all feel that retreating without putting up a fight is worthy of humiliation. That’s why you are hesitating,” the ivory man continued.

The Cobalt Overfiend, God of Original Sin, and others silently accepted his characterization. They all understood it, but they also knew that having their juniors retreat like that while everything was being broadcast would have huge consequences. They would be made the laughingstocks of other worlds, suffering a humiliation that they would never be able to swallow.

”At the end of the day, even when we had the edge in terms of numbers and power, one single variable was enough to force us to fully retreat and give up on the ninelives fruits. Most people wouldn’t understand why we have to make that decision,” the Cobalt Overfiend said.

”The problem is that we don’t even have enough time to order them to retreat. The fighting’s already begun,” the God of Original Sin said. ”Since it’s started, we should fight to the end. Who can say for sure that our loss is already determined just because of a single setback?”

The future was still not set in stone. At the very least, they could hear the howls of anger coming from outside Skyfiend Hall. No doubt, the same raging cries could be heard across the other worlds as well. The Eightpart Pantheons could only vent their anger through a huge victory!

”Then let them fight!” the white vortex-like person said. ”Let’s also fight in the upper ruins.” At the very least, they had a stable foothold there.

”Don’t worry. Losing the Empyrean Yin-Yang Mirror was a fluke. In a real clash, there’s no way that all of our juniors would perish,” the Cobalt Overfiend said. ”After all, they have the most elite bloodlines of the universe! They’re all divine children of the Eightpart Pantheons!”

As far as they were aware, nothing in the endless universe was superior to them.

***

Back in the Ninelives Cave, the youths of the Primordial Sands struggled to hold their ground. They had clearly seen the forces of the enemy marching toward them. The ashuras’ warbeasts made up the vanguard and began fearlessly pouring into the entrances, pushing the defenders deeper and deeper into the cave. There was nothing they could do but fight! Quite a number of battles had already begun and the Eightpart Pantheons’ morale was high!

”They’re attacking from five directions, aiming to push us all here in the end! They have complete knowledge of our movements! There’s nothing we can keep secret from them. We’re going to lose! It’s over!” Pu Lingyi hollered from amidst the crowd.

”We’re thirty thousand against fifty thousand, and we have the advantage of the terrain. It won’t be that easy for them to take us out! Stop spouting nonsense!” Jiang Feifei said, holding strong in one of the entrances and killing many of the countless warbeasts that rampaged before her.

”Spouting nonsense?!” Pu Lingyi manically laughed and angrily glared at her. ”And you have the gall to say that to me!? If it wasn’t for you foolishly trusting that outsider, there’s no way that Lin Chaoge and our dozens of elites would’ve been led away! Without them, we’re facing a huge disadvantage! It’s all your fault!”

”Things aren’t over yet. Don’t go around pinning the blame on me,” Jiang Feifei said.

”Not over? When will you wake up from that daydream of yours? I have no idea why they let a woman like you call the shots. What else do you have, apart from your soft and wavering will that got us killed? How useless! All of us here will have been killed because of you!” Pu Lingyi’s yelling greatly affected the spirits of the defenders, causing things to grow even more chaotic. Many of them couldn’t see the clear truth and were beginning to doubt Jiang Feifei.

”Woman!” Pu Lingyi yelled, unable to stand it. He took a group with him and said, ”Follow me! I’ll lead you all out of here!”

”Yes!” At least half of them followed him into one of the pathways and began to push back against the warbeasts and troops that were flooding in.

”Dugu Meng!” Pu Lingyi and Jiang Feifei immediately spotted someone among the beasts that made them wary. It was a girl shrouded in black mist, clearly a seventh-level ashura.