Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming had discovered the right approach to fusing the Silverdragon Flashkill and Blooddragon Sacrifice. With that, tempering, merging, and synchronizing the moves would be much easier. The new Dualdragon Tribulation was fast and fierce, imperceptible as it slaughtered. As soon as Weisheng Moran left, Yu Ziqian walked over, staring at Tianming with a suggestive smile on his face.

“Not feeling well? I can give you a slap if your face is twitching.” Tianming wanted to pull out the Grand-Orient Sword and continue working on his sword art.

“Is there something between you and Weisheng Moran?” Yu Ziqian chuckled.

“We’re fine.”

Yu Ziqian clicked his tongue.

“What the hell are you laughing at!” As Tianming strangled him, Yu Ziqian almost went into shock, his eyes rolling to the back of his head. After having gotten along for some time, Tianming had realized that Yu Ziqian wasn’t bothered by trivial matters and was someone he could fool around with.

“Mercy, Bro!” Yu Ziqian quickly changed the subject. “I watched you integrate the two sword arts in just a month’s time. That’s a grade-eight battle art. Your talent continues to astound me.” Not only was Tianming more talented, he worked harder as well. That was why he admired him.

“What’re you trying to say?” Sensing there was more to his words, Tianming put Yu Ziqian down.

“Come sit down. Let’s talk.” Hooking his arm around Tianming’s shoulders, Yu Ziqian sat down, looking like some scoundrel.

“Cut the crap. What is it?” Tianming asked.

“Are you certain you can deal with Zhan Yuance?” Yu Ziqian asked in all seriousness.

“Not at all. He also has more than two hundred people protecting him. We wouldn’t be able to take him on even if he was alone,” Tianming replied. He knew that in his heart the first time he fought against Zhan Yuance. The eight-eared wargodean genius was a fifth-level constellier. Born a god of war, the guy grew up fighting life and death battles. There was no way they could fight him head on. After all, there was quite a gap between their cultivation levels. Not only that, the young man had extremely sensitive hearing. If his ability was used in battle, his senses would be unimaginable. He could easily lock on to his opponent’s position from the sound of their breath, and even the changes in Tianming’s sword. With his ears, he could control the battlefield.

“If that’s the case, no matter how long we try and drag it out, we’ll be at a disadvantage when we compete for the treasure within the Imperialdragon Palace. This palace is the key to the imperial star ranking. If Zhan Yuance gets his hands on it, he might just win, causing us to completely lose the opportunity for a place in the Sky Palace,” Yu Ziqian analyzed.

“Yes, we already know that.” Tianming rolled his eyes. If that weren’t the case, would he have to race against time to strengthen himself? After more than a month, he was still stuck at the same cultivation level, which was Tianming’s biggest worry. Completing the final two steps of his Lifesbane Will wasn’t going as smoothly as Tianming had expected.

“Brother, I have a way to help you. If you manage to break through your current cultivation level, will you be able to fight him?” Yu Ziqian asked.

“What do you think? Are you joking? If you really have a way, then why don’t you attempt a breakthrough?” Tianming was dumbfounded.

“I’m not joking. Don’t you know my situation is special? I’ll be straightforward with you, I still have four myriad dao pills in my hand!” Yu Ziqian leaned in close, grinning mysteriously. He had actually plucked up a lot of courage to say this.

“What’re those?” Tianming was startled.

“My portable grandpa has kept the pills for thousands of years. I originally planned to use it after my pill recession so that I can take the opportunity to break through one or two levels and consolidate my foundation. The myriad dao pill is the most gentle divine pill. It’s refined from the myriad dao tree and contains grade-six divine patterns. If you take it, you can accumulate countless daos. The pill can be taken by most people. The sweetmist white clouds and sea anemone spirit are both mild divine hazards that went into the creation of the pills. Although the myriad dao pill is a grade-six divine pill, it’s as valuable as a grade-seven one because of its usefulness. It’ll help you guys achieve a breakthrough if you’re currently stuck!” Yu Ziqian’s mouth moved as fast as Tianming’s sword.

Tianming took a moment to respond. “You really have them?”

“Yes! These are the only divine pills my portable grandpa left behind. It took me tremendous strength to look for them, though. I’ve kept them for twenty years because I couldn’t bear to use them. I was preparing to use them for the Voidsky Skirmish,” said Yu Ziqian.

“Then why offer them to me? Why don’t you use them when the time comes?” Tianming asked.

Upon hearing that, Yu Ziqian appeared so moved he was about to tear up.

“What’s the matter? Is there an insect in your eyes?” Tianming laughed.

“I’m even more convinced that you really are my friend. Your first reaction to the pills wasn’t to ask for them, but to get me to use them. If it were anyone else, they might even kill me just to get their hands on them.”

“I’m not like that at all. Since it’s important to you, keep it,” Tianming said.

“No.” Yu Ziqian said firmly.

“Why?” Tianming asked.

“I’ve figured it out. My original goal was to be in the top ten of the imperial star ranking and raise the Azuresoul Palace’s place on the myriad sect ranking. In truth, I never even considered getting a place in the Sky Palace, because it’s too difficult. But now, everything has deviated from what I imagined. The three of you acquired a number of treasures and are most likely in the top ten on the imperial star ranking. I’m almost certain that you’ve helped me complete the goal of raising the Azuresoul Palace’s rank. To be honest, I’m really grateful. At this point, whether or not I make the top ten or break through one or two levels isn’t so important. On the other hand, the battle for the Imperialdragon Palace is most likely related to the spot in the Sky Palace. You’ve seized several precious treasures, so the Azuresoul Palace might not be able to keep you. Perhaps the Sky Palace is your only hope. It’d be great if the myriad dao pill can offer you a glimmer of hope at this time. That’s why I decided to give them to you to support you and repay you for your help to the Azuresoul Palace!” Having revealed his true thoughts, Yu Ziqian felt a sense of relief. In fact, he had long wanted to give Tianming the pills, but he just didn’t know how to bring them up.

After listening to Yu Ziqian, Tianming was silent for some time. Despite the fact that Tianming had never relied on pills to make a breakthrough, he couldn’t help but feel a little hopeful if the myriad dao pill truly had the effect Yu Ziqian claimed. He knew very well that their current strength was nothing in the face of geniuses like Zhan Yuance.

Tianming was lucky to have seized the grandpath fiend pill and Lifesteal Silverdragon earlier. But now that Zhan Yuance was the first to seize the opportunity in the Imperialdragon Palace, their hopes were slim. It was impossible to give up the treasure. Tianming could never shy away from the battle.

“Tianming, in fact… I have another reason for doing so. It’s quite direct so I don’t know if you’d like to hear it or not.” Yu Ziqian smiled awkwardly.

“Spit it out.” Tianming said calmly.

“My grandpa could tell that you’re all extraordinary, so he persuaded me to join you. He even said that you’re distinguished people. In fact, after obtaining his legacy, I thought of myself as the glorious son of heaven. I was certainly proud of myself. During this period of time, through my interactions with you, I understand that there’s always someone better than me. I think fate brought us together. That being the case, I don’t intend to hide anything. I’ll be honest, the myriad dao pills are my pledge of allegiance. I’ll follow you when the Voidsky Skirmish ends, no matter what happens.” There was embarrassment in his eyes. Although he was thick-skinned, he felt a little awkward when expressing himself.

“You’re being really direct. It’s not at all like you.” Tianming laughed.

“I don’t have another choice. So will you accept them or not? Give me an answer!” Yu Ziqian frowned.

“Dude, being my younger brother will cost you,” said Tianming.

“Fuck, you’re so demanding! Aren’t the myriad dao pills enough?” Yu Ziqian grit his teeth.

“They’re alright, but if you pay up now, you can join the group as soon as possible.” Tianming patted him on the shoulder.

“Here you go, Boss! This is a show of my sincerity. Please accept the pills as well as a kiss from me” Yu Ziqian’s eyes lit up as he pulled out a treasure box from his spatial ring. The treasure box was a grade-two divine artifact, and its only function was to keep divine pills sealed. It was obvious the pills were of great quality.

“I accept your pledge of loyalty. As for the kiss, you can give that to your grandpa.” Having received the treasure box, Tianming was in a good mood. As far as he was concerned, Yu Ziqian’s pledge of loyalty solved his urgent need. If the circumstances remained unchanged, he would definitely treat Yu Ziqian well. After all, the man helped him when he needed it most.

Tianming was well aware that Yu Ziqian was different from Lingfeng. He had met Lingfeng by coincidence, saved his life twice, and watched him grow from a blank sheet of paper to the strong man he was today. Lingfeng was like his own brother. The intense emotions between them were irreplaceable; there was no gap between them. On the other hand, Yu Ziqian was someone he had met halfway through, so he didn’t know him inside and out. Yu Ziqian might consider himself a little brother, but Tianming treated him as a friend. In fact, Yu Ziqian was a complicated man. He had an ego, and whether or not this friendship was pure remained to be seen.

Tianming’s principle when it came to making friends was naturally to help each other and grow together. If they respected him, he would reciprocate in kind. Tianming would certainly remember Yu Ziqian’s valuable gift. He had also contributed a good deal when they were fighting for the Lifesteal Silverdragon. Thus, Tianming was rather fond of this friend. Although a friend could never reach Lingfeng’s position in his heart, friends could also fight side by side and treat each other well.

In the darkness, a fragrance wafted through the passage as Tianming opened the treasure box.