Beastmaster of the Ages

“I do. The Myriad Solar Sects have always had the scales tipped against them because of the Sun Palace, which is basically a superweapon that only the celestial orderians can use. Not only can it be used to transport an army of ten million without leaving any trace, it’s a mobile fortress that can be used to ram directly against defensive formation,” Tianming said.

“That’s right. That’s why you have to look into what the tomb can do. At the very least, if we lose, escape to the astralscape is still an option. The astralscape is far too large, and wandering it to discover its secrets is a dream of every cultivator. No matter how large Orderia is, it’s nothing but an isolated island in the vast sea of stars. Having a divine astralship is like having a ship that spares you from being stranded on that island, allowing you to sail toward unlimited possibility and hope,” Long Wanying said.

“Got it!” That was why Tianming was in such a rush to send the saplings over. He had a feeling he would be going against the sun emperor, one day. If he wanted to bring Qingyu away with him, he couldn’t escape to the nearby mortal worlds, for they were still in the sun emperor’s sphere of influence. The only way would be to plunge into the unlimited depths of the astralscape.

He closed Ninedragon Imperial Tomb, then the dirt around the area buried the tunnel, removing all traces of the entrance. Nova source from the fusion formation continued pouring into the tomb and being stored by the saplings.

“Now, the saplings are in place. All that remains is my mastery of the Ninedragon Tribulation!” Tianming went back with Long Wanying and joined the rest, thinking about the day his family and friends would be able to roam the astralscape. “Xuanyuan Dragon Sect, we’re coming.” It had been a few months, but they would head to that destination all the same. And now, Tianming wasn’t just the top ranker of the imperial star ranking.

……

The worldcleanse whitesoul dragon flew high in the sky where the flaming sunstorm was rather powerful as a result of the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect’s territory being located close to the Voidsky Realm. The flaming embers that endlessly fell caused the air itself to feel like it was burning. Conversely, cultivating there felt far more efficient thanks to the density of nova source, especially after staying at the Azurecloud Continent for an extended period of time.

This was a place that belonged to dragons, with draconic lifebound beasts on every corner, ranging from every shape to every size. Some were even as small as snakes that could wrap around one’s body. The variety of bloodlines of the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect was many times more diverse than that of the Flameyellow Continent. Though the place seemed bustling and busy, it still couldn’t nearly compare to how it was before the Veildragon Palace’s return.

“We’ll arrive at the Myriaddragon Mountains soon,” Long Wanying said, standing at the head of her dragon. The mountains were the base of the sect, just like how the Azuresoul Palace’s main base was the Azuresoul Sword Mountain. The Myriaddragon Mountains were where the clan of dragon beastmasters originated. The true Archaic House of Xuanyuan had risen and developed over millions of years here to become the only group of beastmasters who could somewhat resist the celestial orderians!

The Myriaddragon Mountains had tens of thousands of dragon-shaped peaks, hence the name. As the second-ranked faction of the Myriad Solar Sects, the territory they occupied had among the top concentration of nova source. Even in its current state, Tianming saw tens of thousands of dragon-shaped storms reaching for the clouds far away in the horizon. Unlike the tranquil Azuresoul Sword Mountain, this place was the complete opposite. The atmosphere was thick, heavy, and grand.

The ten thousand dragons seemed to be rising toward the flaming clouds, almost symbolic of the sect’s will to rise to the top. This was a people that were filled to the brim with fighting spirit. Even before they were close, the spicy odor of conflict coming from the place overwhelmed Tianming’s sense of smell. This was where the tensions between the Myriad Solar Sects and the celestial orderians were at their highest, making the conflicts of the Azurecloud Continent seem petty in comparison. The only difference was that an all-out battle hadn’t taken place here yet. If it did, the Myriaddragon Mountains would be sure to end up as complete ruins.

……

When they drew closer, Long Wanying had her dragon return to her lifebound space for discretion, lest they reveal that they had Li Wushuang with them. They made their approach with a low profile, ostensibly to avoid the informants the celestial orderians had no doubt planted around the sect they were trying to take over.

“We must use Li Wushuang as a hostage at a crucial moment.” Tianming felt an odd sense of order since he arrived. “Aunt Ying, Yang Ce!”

They were traveling on foot. Not long after he called out, two elders suddenly showed up. They were the Greendragon Emperor and Violetdragon Empress. Tianming had seen them at the Voidsky Realm.

“Over here,” they waved, urging Yang Ce and Long Wanying to carry the unconscious Li Wushuang to them.

“Is she still out cold?” the Greendragon Emperor asked, somewhat surprised.

“Yes. Her bane-rings and totems seemed to have some kind of problem, resulting in some kind of internal conflict,” Yang Ce said.

“It’s a good opportunity for us either way. We have to hurry up,” said the Violetdragon Empress.

“That’s right. Let’s increase her bindings to make sure she can’t move at all. Then we’ll immediately head back. The Saintdragon Emperor has prepared everything in advance,” the Greendragon Emperor said.

“Alright.”

They were planning to exchange Li Wushuang for the three Dragon Imperials on their side who had been captured. Currently, it wasn’t even known if they were still alive, and they were the crux of the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect. Any time the enemy threatened the rest of the sect with their safety, there was nothing the sect could do. If they could be rescued, the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect would be in a much better position even if their side held fewer dragonsprings. The two elders used two kinds of top-grade divine artifacts to bind Li Wushuang, ensuring that she couldn’t move at all.

“Let’s go!” Apart from Yang Ce, who took Li Wushuang with him, the other seniors there each had a junior with them. They traveled so quickly that Tianming could barely open his eyes against the wind.

“Wanying, why’d you bring these kids here? The Myriaddragon Mountains are far too dangerous, especially when we’re about to start fighting back. There might be a large-scale conflict,” the Greendragon Emperor said.

“Uncle, there’s nobody else at Azurecloud Continent, so I don’t feel that it’s safe for them to remain there. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to take care of them,” Long Wanying said.

“Good.”

The two elders seemed really receptive and kind. They only gave Tianming and the rest a few words of warning before leaving them to their own devices. Even though they were a couple, they were completely different from the Wind and Rain Swordlords.

Despite only being a spectator to the grand conflict that was to come, Tianming was curious to know if the troops at the Myriaddragon Mountains were prepared to fight. “Aunt Ying, can you give me a brief explanation of the troop placements?”

“Of course.” Long Wanying was pacing about with her head held high and proud. Looking at the mountains, her expression grew cold. “Initially, the sun emperor destroyed our defensive formation and sent ten million Veildragon palace warriors and five million celestial orderians to us. Those fifteen million people now control the three thousand Skydragon peaks, while those on our side retreated to the seven thousand outer Earthdragon peaks.”