Beastmaster of the Ages

“This isn’t just a small deal. The Divine Worldeater Cauldron could make the Dreamless Celestial Nation much more prosperous and long lasting, allowing them to dominate the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect and Voidword Shrine and remain at the very top of the ranking!”

“That’s right. Even the dreamless celestial emperor would want this….”

“Perhaps he might kill Weisheng Moran over this. She is his disciple, after all.”

“Why in the world did she do that? Was there some other circumstance?”

Countless disciples shook their heads, knowing that no amount of scrutinizing would get them closer to the truth. How could they know, if Tianming himself didn’t?

“Either way, Weisheng Moran has done something that’ll completely shake the various factions.”

“Quickly, we have to report back! We might yet gain something from this news.”

“That’s right!”

“The Dreamless Celestial Nation might just blow up over this. They might demand the cauldron back from Li Tianming.”

“There’s no way the Azuresoul Palace would dare to keep it, either. Even if Tianming assimilates the exalted blood, it wouldn’t matter. It’s a divine artifact to begin with, and someone like the dreamless celestial emperor should be able to overpower the artifact soul of the cauldron.”

“Yeah, exalted blood only benefits youths.”

“Don’t speculate too much. It’s one thing whether the Azuresoul Palace can keep it or not… but Weisheng Moran basically gave the cauldron away.”

“Owning such a precious treasure with everyone knowing about it wouldn’t be a good thing either way. It’s just a bomb waiting to blow up.”

The discussions in the Imperialdragon Palace were incessant. Everyone was trying to make sense of what had just happened.

“How shortsighted of the Azuresoul Palace’s disciples to claim such a treasure….”

“Well, they already did the same to many other treasures, so they’re hardly in a worse position now. I believe their treasures will be robbed immediately once they leave, especially this cauldron.”

“While the exalted blood will raise their ranking, there’s no way they can keep the treasures by relying on their own power in the long term.”

“That’s right. Surely they aren’t that stupid.”

“You’re right. That must be why Li Tianming had Yu Ziqian assimilate the exalted blood. If he had plans of his own, he would’ve assimilated it himself.”

They could tell that Tianming was the leader of the party based on how they interacted with each other. Everyone watched as Yu Ziqian stood in front of the drop of exalted blood.

“Are you really sure you want me to do this?” Yu Ziqian asked for the third time.

“Hurry up and stop wasting time,” Tianming said.

“No, but… it’s like I’m dreaming….”

“Don’t be too happy about it. Everyone knows you got the cauldron. No doubt the dreamless celestials will come slaughtering your way to demand you return it. You’ll only get to touch it for a bit, so make sure you get the most out of it.”

“You’re right. Was that Weisheng Moran’s true goal? But there’s no need. She could just take it and nobody would rob it from her, thanks to her background.”

That was also something Tianming doubted.

“Whatever, I’ll assimilate the exalted blood first. The Lifesteal Silverdragon is one thing, but the Divine Worldeater Cauldron is a disaster magnet. The Azuresoul Palace might not be able to hold on to it, but maybe I’ll rise in the ranking! That’s what I should focus on now. Not to mention, my life will have been worthwhile if someone as young as me got to touch the cauldron once!” Yu Ziqian muttered.

“It’s good that you’re aware of it. However, there is a way we can keep it for good,” Tianming said.

“What is it?”

“The Sky Palace.”

“Whoa… but that’s too difficult!” Though he said that, there was still a light of hope in his eyes. Who would want to lose such a treasure if they could help it? He took a breath and touched the drop of blood, which turned into a spike that shot into his palm, tearing through his flesh.

He clutched his arm as the black drop of blood spread throughout his body. His blood underwent a complete change, causing his hair, eyes, and lips to turn dark purple. The air around him was completely different. He looked a little dark and broody compared to before.

“It feels good… yet sore at the same time!” As he jumped around, the cauldron itself shook.

Tianming finally saw the artifact soul. It was a gigantic black toad that blocked out the light from the sky. Its dark, green eyes were like skies in themselves, and its huge, red mouth was like an abyss.

“A toad? It kind of suits you,” Tianming joked, almost thankful that he wasn’t the one to assimilate it. The artifact soul had appeared for only the slightest moment, but its presence was far more terrifying than the Lifesteal Silverdragon and Dragonblood Desecration’s artifact souls combined. The artifact itself seemed to be the embodiment of a dark abyss.

“Hey, don’t judge a book by its cover!” Yu Ziqian said.

“Eww… you’re purple. You’re looking more and more like that artifact soul,” Tianming and Ying Huo mocked.

“Damn you!” Yu Ziqian took out a mirror and furrowed his brow at his new look. “My handsome features… they’re gone…” He didn’t even have the tears to cry.

Seeing him like that, Tianming doubled down on it. “If my lips turned purple, Ling’er would get a heart attack when she wakes up.”

“It sure is a sight,” Lingfeng said.

“Yeah, it looks rather wild. But I think it suits him,” Xiaoxiao said.

All the while, Yu Ziqian agonized over the changes, though the disciples watching from below could only curse and envy him.

……

The change in the ranking caused another commotion outside, which spread like wildfire. All the sects watching from afar were completely overwhelmed.

“Yu Ziqian got four hundred thousand points!”

Word of the cauldron’s appearance had just reached the many sects, so they immediately knew where the points had come from. The new ranking was as follows:

First Place, Li Tianming (Azuresoul Palace), 780000

Second Place, Weisheng Moran (Dreamless Celestial Nation), 550000

Third Place, Yu Ziqian (Azuresoul Palace), 480000

Fourth Place, Zhan Yuance (Wargodean), 390000

Fifth Place, Feng (Azuresoul Palace), 360000

Sixth Place, Kong (Voidword Shrine), 360000

Seventh Place, Long Longlong (Xuanyuan Dragon Sect), 350000

Eighth Place, Lin Xiaoxiao (Azuresoul Palace), 340000

…

With Zhan Yuance out for the count, his points would no longer rise. Kong and Long Longlong had defeated many dragon golems, causing their points to soar above Xiaoxiao’s. As for the points from the treasures within the tomb, they were given to the top eight. Tianming got four hundred thousand from the Lifesteal Silverdragon and Ninedragon Tribulation. Yu Ziqian got four hundred thousand from the cauldron alone, marking it as the premier treasure. Half of the top eight places of the ranking were taken up by the Azuresoul Palace.

“Not even a first-rate sect has ever achieved something like this….”

The commotion the cauldron had generated was far greater than the Ninedragon Imperius’s. After all, the sword was Long Longlong’s ancestral legacy, so it only felt right. However, nobody had heard that the cauldron had had anything to do with the Ninedragon Emperor.

“Compared to the cauldron, the Lifesteal Silverdragon and Dragonblood Desecration don’t really count for much….”

“Azuresoul Palace, huh….”

Following the change in the ranking, the disciples within the tomb were ejected from it. They fell like rain into the Voidsky Flame Pillar.

“The fact that they’re still within the pillar means that the match is continuing….”

“That’s right. Looks like the tomb was only there for the treasures. There could be a fight to end it all.”

“Of course there’ll be one. We couldn’t even see anything inside as there were no skyward eyes within. It was kind of pointless.”

“Yeah. What kind of Voidsky Skirmish is this if the youths aren’t allowed to show off before an audience?”

The descent of the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb didn’t mean the end of the competition, as many had guessed. Either way, everyone was certain that the competition would only get tighter from now on.

“That’s right, does anyone know how Yu Ziqian obtained the cauldron?”

“I heard it was supposed to be a fight between four groups. Did the Azuresoul Palace’s disciples really take out Weisheng Moran, Zhan Yuance, and Long Longlong?”

That question was on everyone’s mind, and they were itching for an answer. The tomb had been a mystery since it appeared.

“The only thing we can be sure about is that after the match, the Azuresoul Palace will be completely smashed if they don’t hand the cauldron over.”

……

Within the Imperialdragon Palace, Yu Ziqian was still testing out the Divine Worldeater Cauldron. Countless cries were heard as more and more disciples were being ejected from the tomb; it would be closing soon. However, Tianming noticed that the four black war drums were still fused and present.

“Why are the drums still here with me now that the cauldron has already been claimed?” Tianming wondered. So far, no other drum had appeared either. “Don’t tell me there’s still secrets to be discovered in the tomb….” If there were, they must have something to do with the Sky Palace.