Beastmaster of the Ages

Feiling’s life was at risk. Even though Tianming had Yin Chen monitoring the situation, he wanted to do everything he could to stack the odds. The Ninedragon Imperial Tomb rose into the air rapidly, traveling much faster than cosmic gods in empty space.

”It’s too fast...” Mushan Xue was quite shaken by the might of this flagship. She had personally witnessed it and knew that the elders would know what all this meant if they could see it for themselves. Soon, she saw Tianming’s ’wife’ in the form of the golden crystal star. The sight alone left her flabbergasted. There’s no way anyone can compete with that... she thought.

”Are you going straight to Grand Jiang?” she asked.

”The meeting’s not starting yet, so we have time. I’ll take you to the imperial star first.” As Tianming spoke, the ship passed through the cloaking formation, revealing the pink fireball within it!

”Why is it pink?” Mushan Xue knew that it was five times the standard maniverse-class world, but she had expected the Flameyellow Imperial Star to be so grand and powerful that it would make her tear up at first sight. The pink really took the edge off, however.

”What’s wrong with pink? Go out and feel it,” Tianming said.

”Oh? Well, I can’t really complain either way.” The two of them left the ship, which piloted itself into the Sky Palace Formation. Tianming accompanied Mushan Xue as she descended past the pink flaming clouds. The nova source, enhanced by genesis ancestral nova source, was even more volatile than usual.

”This pink energy is more destructive that it seems...” Mushan Xue’s expression tightened. She could finally feel the awe that moved her to tears.

”Look ahead,” Tianming said, pointing in front of him. Many three-headed, six-armed flameyellow fiends swept past. They were made from the energy in the astralguard formation. The powerful might that they radiated in their numerous ranks strengthened the hope Mushan Xue already had.

”What are these?”

”Flameyellow fiends.”

”Yet another thing from legend!” she exclaimed, ”I want to tell my brother and the others all about what I saw. You’re not against that, right?”

”Of course not! One day, they will come to see all this for themselves too.” Tianming looked ahead and smiled. ”I should introduce someone to you.”

”Oh? Are you talking about the being that you said would help convince all of us?” Mushan Xue’s heart began beating faster.

A thunderclap sounded ahead as a crimson-gold Flameyellow Coffin burst out with full divine might before transforming into an astral giant made of the same material of the coffin, fusing with the astralguard formation to display its full power. Mushan Xue shook and immediately paid her respects. ”Junior Mushan Xue greets you, Old Senior!”

”What old senior? This guy is my godfather in name, but he’s more like my little brother! He’s Li Wudi,” Tianming said. ”Hey, stop showing off! Show your true form!”

”Hehehe...” Li Wudi stepped out of the coffin and turned into a cosmic god that was half Mushan Xue’s height.

”Umm... I didn’t think that the Old Senior would be so... young...”

”Are you saying that he looks old despite his size?” Tianming said with a laugh.

”Shut up, Son.” Li Wudi cleared his throat.

Mushan Xue laughed awkwardly and said, ”I understand now. Senior Wudi is the one who’s in control of the Flameyellow Coffin and the Flameyellow Guard Formation, so that makes him the guardian deity of the imperial star. The Flameyellow Bloodline in you is the purest one among all of us!” This was in stark contrast to Tianming, who didn’t look like a flameyellow descendant at all.

”Welcome,” Wudi said.

”Godfather, host Miss Mushan Xue well for me. I have to go now,” Tianming said.

”Buzz off,” Wudi said, waving Tianming away. ”Miss Mushan Xue, after you.”

Showing her hospitality was part of the package, since she would be relaying her experiences to everyone else, which would probably remove even more obstacles for Tianming.

He didn’t head straight to Grand Jiang and instead entered the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb. The moment he did, he was greeted by the sight of the ink-green-haired girl in her long dress, looking at the thirty million essences before her. ”How’s that? I told you that I’d make sure to keep you well fed. I kept my promise, didn’t I?”

She turned around, though there were tears in her eyes.

”Why are you crying?”

”I don’t know... Maybe I’m just touched...”

”Don’t be. This is just the usual. I’m merely doing what I promised. You’ll get fed more and more until you end up hearty and round!”

”You won’t like me anymore when I puff up,” Moran said with a whisper.

”Nonsense. I like some meat on those bones.”

”You...” After glaring at him for a moment, she said, ”I heard the Tian Jiu Cult has sent a force of ninety million cosmic gods. That’s comparable to the Ten Desolate Starforges’ forces.”

”The Grand Xia Voidback Nation used to be an imperial-class world. Even though the world has collapsed, many legacies still remain, so they have quite a bit of might. Tian Jiu Cult aside, they still have an imperial bloodline with quite a lot of cosmic gods. It’s just that they haven’t chosen to join this conflict for now,” Tianming explained.

”So the cult believes that Ling’er is Tian Jiu and wants to take her away. Do you think that we won’t even need to fight if I show them my unique qualities and clear up the misunderstanding?” Moran asked.

”It’s possible, but I don’t want to do that.”

”Why?”

”So far, only the flameyellow voidkin know about you and they’re rather isolated. It’s unlikely that there’s a spy in their ranks, so this information won’t spread. The others that knew have all died off, and what remains is just unfounded rumors. That’s why I wish to keep you hidden until our position in the Primordial Sands is secure. I don’t want to sow panic among the wonderians and instigate them into interfering with us.”

”The Primordial Sands are isolated from the Eightpart Pantheons, but if they don’t care about casualties, they’ll be able to barge in and pose a threat to us, right?”

”Yeah. There’s one more thing. The Tian Jiu Cult claims to be after the ancient ancestor, but who knows if that’s their real goal? It’s a fact that the Grand Xia Voidback Nation has collapsed, so the sincerity of their beliefs is also in question. That’s why, having you show yourself might not necessarily be the solution to our problems.”