Beastmaster of the Ages

The four Specter Kings grew tense when they saw Imperator Yin’s body begin to break down. They all knew that slaying Imperator Ming had exhausted him completely.

Taking advantage of that, the enemy unleashed their full power, which even Imperator Yin could no longer withstand.

An explosive wave of cheers erupted from the allied forces of the Eightpart Divinities.

They had been unable to believe their eyes when they saw Imperator Ming slain.

But now they rejoiced, because the unmatched and towering Imperator Yin had finally been brought down.

He was torn in half and his body collapsed into a sphere! The war against the devas had reached a critical point. The remaining devas had no hope to withstand the remaining imperatores.

“Yin... I’m sorry. I wasn’t strong enough.” A trace of pain appeared in Compassionate Ksitigarbha’s eyes. Its connection to the hell-ring had been cut off, and it began to dissipate.

“We did our best. Killing one was worth it!” Even as a cosmic-god essence, Imperator Yin still sneered.

Yet, his heart filled with sorrow and grief. Were the devas truly to be wiped out today?

The remaining imperatores stepped forward with cold smiles and began to act. Imperator Lan and Imperator Yan moved to seize their astralship, the Imperial Specter, while Imperator Yinne went for the Eightworld Wargod Blades!

“Hear my command! Now that Imperator Yin has fallen, today we exterminate the devas!” Imperator Mo sneered as he issued the order.

The command caused an uproar, as many had thought today’s goal was merely to defeat them, not to genocide them.

This confirmed Imperator Yin’s earlier words: the Heavenly Dao was no longer what it once was.

If it had not been altered, how could the Eightpart Divinities slaughter one another?

Imperator Mo himself controlled his ninety-nine accursed beasts to finish off Imperator Yin.

But then a red-clad specter woman appeared to protect Imperator Yin. Yingsang Daiqiong’s eyes were frosty. “Imperator Mo, the Imperial Specter and the Eightworld Wargod Blades are yours. Our entire race will surrender—is that enough?”

Imperator Mo only sneered. “A mere imperial consort dares block me? Let me tell you plainly. Once you chose to follow Li Tianming, your fate was sealed: extermination. Understand?”

Yingsang Daiqiong fell silent. She realised Imperator Yin had been right all along.

The devas had only ever had one chance to choose. Even if they had surrendered before the battle, they would still have been exterminated.

The only difference was that surrender would have turned them into lambs for slaughter.

Despair appeared on her beautiful face. With the Imperial Specter and the Eightworld Wargod Blades seized, control of the astralguard formation had fallen to the enemy. Its support had helped the specters kill many foes, and its loss immediately turned the battle one-sided.

Though the extermination order filled the deva warriors with fury, morale meant little before absolute power, especially when the alliance was also invigorated by Imperator Yin’s defeat. Countless devas met their end.

Tears fell from Yingsang Daiqiong’s eyes, but she staunchly remained.

“Qiong... I’ll stall him. You go...” Imperator Yin’s deep voice sounded.

“There’s no escape. Better to die in battle,” she shook her head, resolute. She would never abandon her people. There was nowhere to go either; Deva Imperius was her home for life.

She gave a beautiful and forlorn smile. “We’ll die together, that’s not so bad either.”

Scarlet power erupted from her as ninety-nine beasts lunged at her, her lone crimson figure seeming like a fragile boat in a raging storm, on the verge of capsizing.

Yet, Imperator Mo did not kill her immediately.

Instead, an eagle unleashed curse power from its eyes, forming black-red chains connected to its claws that bound her.

Imperator Mo laughed coldly. “Don’t be so eager to die. Better to let Imperator Yin watch his wife die in style.”

The crimson eagle lifted her up.

Then, imperator Mo proclaimed, “Witness this! Your imperator and his consort are in my grasp. This is the price of betraying the Eightpart Divinities, and betraying the Heavenly Dao! This day next year will be the anniversary of the devas’ end!”

Imperator Mo prepared to kill both Yingsang Daiqiong and Imperator Yin.

But at that moment of despair, a purple-haired girl appeared calmly in the void.

“Did no one ever teach you that talking too much gets villains killed?” The purple-haired girl spoke coldly. She seemed unhurried, yet her speed was terrifying. It took her only an instant to arrive before Imperator Yin and the others.