Beastmaster of the Ages

Below them, countless characters of the word prison gathered and formed a barrier beneath them, which meant the marshals and Empress Xia were angrily pursuing. The barrier’s ability to stall them was limited and they would soon break into here.

They had to leave quickly.

“You three came to find me!” Tianming’s magnificent voice reverberated in the ears of the three.

Lord Yue did not say a word. He lowered his head and dove deep into the astralguard formation.

At the exact same moment they left, Empress Xia and the marshals all poured into the astralguard formation in hot pursuit. Their expressions changed drastically.

Empress Xia especially, was furious and full of grievance.

After the screw-up with the astralguard formation, they could no longer stay in the Grand Xia. They desperately needed the Feng-Yue-Meng trio of worlds as forts! They would be in real trouble if they lost those maniverse-class worlds.

Even if they fought their way out of Grand Xia, they would become vagabonds without even astralships. The gathered army would simply be target practice for the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb.

“Yue Xiao, come back! This is all a misunderstanding, don’t stray down the wrong path!” Empress Xia shouted toward the blazing furnace.

“Tell him the Eightpart Pantheons promise them equal status to Grand Xia! If they return now, we will let bygones be bygones and even swear oaths to the Heavenly Dao,” Mi Shen Alpha said coldly.

Even so, his gaze betrayed his fury.

When Empress Xia received that message, she rejoiced inwardly and quickly relayed Mi Shen Alpha’s words. It was clear just how important the Feng-Yue-Meng worlds had become as a lifeline.

If Lord Yue and the others didn’t run away, they would not receive such a lofty treatment.

For the Eightpart Pantheons, swearing to the Heavenly Dao was an almost unimaginable guarantee that Empress Xia didn’t even dare covet.

“Yue Xiao, this is your best chance. If you come back, there may still be a future for you. But if you go your own way and choose a path of death, every primalwinger of yours and your ancestors will curse you...” Empress Xia’s voice was heavy and sincere as she stared at the vast sea of fire.

She and the marshals were confident in the attractiveness of a Heavenly Dao oath.

They all knew what those three feared. They had never taken these three seriously before, but now things had gone from bad to worse.

“Come back! Us ashuras can shelter you and mediate your conflict with the Sin Pantheon,” An Shen personally offered.

Hearing this, even some members of the Tian Jiu Cult became anxious, for the temptation the Eightpart Pantheons dangled was enormous. Would these three fence-sitters agree?

Time passed.

After a hundred breaths or so, both the marshals and Empress Xia had grown impatient, their lofty positions making the wait humiliating.

When their patience reached its limit, Tianming’s voice rang out from within the astralguard formation.

He sneered and said with mock politeness, “Empress Xia, Lord Yue asked me to pass on a message.”

“Let him say it himself!” Empress Xia cried.

Tianming ignored her. “He said that love can be sustained for ten thousand years. When that love ends, a single moment of pain is enough.”

Hearing that, Empress Xia was struck as if by lightning and stood frozen.

“Yue Xiao, you come out here right now!” she shouted, frost in her expression.

No one answered.

She turned and found the marshals’ expressions were ice-cold. They turned and descended without a moment’s hesitation.

“This is bad......” Empress Xia trembled. She could only turn and follow.

As soon as she stepped out of the furnace of flame, a military order spread across Grand Xia. “All Eightpart Pantheons forces, listen. In fifteen minutes, the entire army will carve our way out to freedom!”

***

Inside the astralguard formation, Tianming faced the three.

Lord Yue, Feng Linxue, and a sheepish-looking Meng Yao stood before him.

“You got those terms and still didn’t turn back? Color me surprised,” Tianming sneered. “To be honest, this is the only time you’ve genuinely surprised me.”

“Spell it out. How will you deal with us?” Feng Linxue asked through gritted teeth.

“I, as well as many primalwingers, have not forgiven you,” Tianming said. “I believe the best course for you is to take up arms and go to the battlefield. Truly wield the blade against the Eightpart Pantheons so your clanspeople can see that these seemingly exalted parasites can die and be defeated.”

“Is that all?” Feng Linxue demanded.

“I will seize your worldcores to ensure you cannot betray us again. Of course, those cores will be kept by Jiang Tianzhou. He is your main line. He will decide if and when to return them to you,” Tianming said.

The three fell silent at Tianming’s words.

They did not oppose him, which meant they had accepted his terms.

“Li Tianming, I have only one question,” Lord Yue said, looking up.

“Speak.”

“What will you do with your hostages?” Lord Yue ground out.

“They behaved far more sensibly than you three!” Tianming laughed. “After I secured the astralguard formation and word spread about disabling the stareye, they found the courage to fight. Ninelives fruit are being used to restore those among them who can rejoin the fight. They will muster about one hundred million. Add the Jiang-Lin-Chen’s hundred million, and the primalwingers will field two hundred million troops for this battle... that is your race’s true power and the attitude appropriate for defending your homeland.”

“You took one hundred and fifty million hostages. What about the rest?” Feng Linxue frowned.

“That remaining fifty million are of lower combat power. I didn’t draft them,” Tianming said coldly. “Let me be blunt: if you dare to betray us again, I will throw those remaining fifty million captives into the heart of the Imperial Star as firewood.”

“How vicious!” Meng Yao said.

Tianming gave a small smile and shook his head. “If not for your ancestor, I wouldn’t give three of you even a single chance. From now on, your fate will depend on your military merits. I never show mercy, but I never betray our own. Always remember that.”

At that moment, the Eightpart Pantheons gathered and launched themselves at the formation.

The five hundred million flameyellow voidkin and the two hundred million primalwingers had not yet arrived.

Tianming had to use the power at his command to hold back the nine hundred million soldiers who were determined to break out.

Indeed, the Eightpart Pantheons had abandoned the wounded in Grand Xia.

“This is your chance to prove yourselves,” Tianming said to them. His expression was solemn as he stepped onto the battlefield.