Beastmaster of the Ages

Looking up, Yu Ziqian saw the white-robed woman floating above his head. She didn’t move an inch, apart from stretching her hand out to suppress him without even using the force of her constellation. Hundreds of years of cultivation had widened the distance between them to that extent.

“Is that all you’re capable of?” When she spoke, the powder on her face continued falling, as if it would continue on for eternity.

Nonsense! Yu Ziqian’s divine will had grown considerably during his pill advancement phase to the level of a sixth-level constellier. The myriad dao pill continued unleashing its effects in his body as great amounts of nova source entered his body, making his astralforce stronger and stronger. He began his counterattack, his power rising with his regret and grief. “Come, Divine Worldeater Cauldron!”

The cauldron in his hand suddenly expanded, instantly covering him. He had finally earned the acknowledgment of the cauldron. Though he had only used a slight bit of his power, it was enough for him to stand straight. The moment the cauldron appeared, the woman took a single step backward. The pressure she had applied vanished all of a sudden.

“It feels great!” Even his sunken balls had returned to normal. Power surged through his body, allowing him to support the cauldron and prevent the pressure she was putting on him to not directly affect him. “I can walk now!”

Yu Ziqian was moved to tears the moment the pressure vanished. Sounds of snapping came from his body as things shifted back into place.

“Huh?” He looked up and saw that the woman had returned to the other robed people. The seven of them stood neatly in a single file line, all expressionless with their hands in front of their abdomens.

“Congratulations for passing the trial. You are now a member of the Sky Palace. When you’re five hundred, you’ll be allowed to permanently stay here as one of us. As for the remaining time, you’re free to use that as you wish,” they said in unison.

“I… I passed?” He was absolutely stunned. He was still reeling and sore from controlling the astralforce of a sixth-level constellier. Had it not been for the coincidental pill advancement phase, allowing him to be at his most powerful, coupled with the myriad dao pill and cauldron, he wouldn’t have passed the trial and would have been pressed into a meat patty. He had never thought that he’d be able to achieve something like this and was at a loss.

A Sky Palace stigma formed on his forehead. He took out a mirror and looked at it closely, adjusting his hair as he did so. “I… I joined the Sky Palace….” The stigma was everything. He pinched his leg to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Looking ahead once more, he saw that the seven elders all had the stigma on their foreheads as well. It was almost impossible to miss.

“The Sky Palace!” Yu Ziqian’s mind numbed at the prospect. He knew now that the cauldron was truly his. Now that everything was over, the seven turned and left, not saying anything else. He looked at the cauldron and thought about Tianming. “Please wait!”

He hurried toward them.

“Halt.” The seven turned back, staring daggers at him and causing him to back off from the platform.

“Seniors, is there anything else I need to be briefed on after joining? For instance, if I stay here, where would I cultivate? How do I get resources to do so?”

“All you need to do is leave. You can only start cultivating long term in Sky Palace after the age of a hundred,” the woman from before said.

“I have another question!” he said, seeing as they were about to leave again. When they turned back, he took a deep breath. “Seniors, where’s my friend Li Tianming? Can he leave with me, even if he didn’t pass the trial?”

“You want to take him with you?” she said, her eyes squinting. her eyes looked a little yellow.

“Yes, that’s right!” Now that he was a member, he felt a bit braver.

“You can. But there’s a condition.”

“What might that be?”

“You can trade your status as a member for his life.”

Yu Ziqian blanked out. After a while, he said, “Senior, do you mean I can save him if I give up my place in the Sky Palace?”

“That’s right.” From the sound of it, Tianming was still alive.

“Old man!” Yu Ziqian cried internally.

“What would you choose?” asked the portable grandpa.

“What do you think I should do?”

“Losing your place here means you’ll lose respect for the rest of your life, not to mention your safety. You’ll also lose the Divine Worldeater Cauldron. You’ll go back to the old days, drifting along in mediocrity. None of this has come easily. I suggest that you give up on Li Tianming,” the old man said earnestly.

“You!” He shook his head. “What are you saying? Weren’t you the one who told me to stick with them? And now, you want me to abandon him for my own benefit?”

“What else? Think about it. Your future will be set in stone. You’ll be a member of the Sky Palace and own the cauldron. You don’t need me to tell you this. Most people would know which to pick.”

Yu Ziqian gave it some thought and took a deep breath. “Old man, to be honest, I feel a little disappointed hearing this from you.”

“How so?”

“Throughout the Voidsky Skirmish, my only contributions were helping them get the Lifesteal Silverdragon and giving them the myriad dao pills. The rest of the time, they were the ones that supported me and kept me going. I could’ve been ranked far below one hundred and embarrassed myself, not to mention causing trouble for the Azuresoul Palace.

“But now, I have the cauldron and everyone’s respect. I ranked second, and even became a member of the Sky Palace, bringing the Azuresoul Palace’s name up in the rankings. But all of this is a gift from them! Li Tianming is the one who made me who I am today! I swore to cross fields of fire for him. If I can’t even save his life, am I still a decent human? Surely, I’ll be scorned for such an action, yet you asked me to be this person. You’re far too selfish and there’s no principle you won’t abandon or violate—”

“Think through this properly. What you’re giving up is a safe, stable life.”

“There’s no need to think! Who cares about a stable life?!”