Beastmaster of the Ages

The more truths of the astralscape that people in mortal realms learned about, the more crestfallen they would feel. However, Tianming knew what Xuanyuan Muxue was thinking. She believed everything he said without question.

”Muxue, if there’s a chance, I want to move all the living beings of Flameyellow to the sun. That way, our people will have a much better future and won’t have to look up to others any longer. What do you think? Are you willing to go through that?” It was only an idea for now, and he had to ask them whether they even wanted it. Xuanyuan Muxue, being a descendant of the Archaic House of Xuanyuan, had to be consulted as well.

”It sounds fine, but having to leave home and go to other people’s territory.... Will we really be able to call that our new home?”

”Muxue, if you see the astralscape for yourself, you’ll know that Flameyellow is only a short distance away from the sun. The origins of the Archaic House of Xuanyuan stem from the Xuanyuan Dragon Sect in the first place, so there are distant siblings on the sun waiting for you. That’s also not to say that you have to abandon your home after you grow stronger. At that level, you can come and leave as you please. It won’t change the fact that Flameyellow is our home. In fact, if we’re all stronger together, we’ll stand an even better chance of protecting our home.”

”So the sun isn’t a foreign land, then.... Then it doesn’t sound too bad.” She still seemed a little dazed, however.

”There’s something even more important.” He looked up at the sun. ”Since the gods of the Divine Moon Realm descended, we now understand that the astral worlds aren’t that far off from us. The only reason we had more than two hundred thousand years of peace is because those people above couldn’t be bothered to come down. It isn’t as if they aren’t strong enough to come here. Flameyellow is indeed beautiful, but its beauty is far from eternal. Once truly powerful people come down, it’ll wither like a flower being trampled. That’s the bloody law of nature. The strong feast on the weak. We’re only alive because they aren’t hungry enough for now. Only true strength can guarantee true peace.”

”I understand.” Her strong will shone through her eyes. After Tianming pointed her in the right direction, she seemed far more optimistic. ”I don’t know what the others will think about this. But at the very least, I want to go with you to the sun and grow strong enough to protect our home. That’s something our ancestors warned us about two hundred thousand years ago.”

”If I can convince you, I can convince the world,” Tianming said. He was feeling rather confident now. ”From now on, I’ll make that my goal.”

Since the moon fell, Tianming had come to understand that the people of Flameyellow were far too weak. He didn’t want to experience being helplessly held at the throat by others any longer. Being able to migrate to the sun to forge their own lives was what Tianming would aim for from now on, but the sun emperor and the celestial orderians would be huge obstacles to that.

”We must respect strength, but never let it instill fear in us. All people are essentially equal. The only things that set us apart are legacies and bloodlines. Once we’re powerful enough, those with your bloodline will be at the top of the hierarchy as well.”

”Understood.” Xuanyuan Muxue was Tianming’s first true convert.

Tianming was still waiting for Yin Chen to get itself together and find out the situation at the Azurecloud Continent. Since he was touring Flameyellow, he decided to head to the far west to check on the specters, who had settled down over the years. Even without stellunar source, they were still able to lead stable lives. ”Bodhi, I’ve been fair to you, haven’t I?”

He then went to the capital to check on Li Caiwei, who seemed really busy dealing with all of the empire’s matters.

”Hey, Sis.” He descended straight into the city.

Li Caiwei appeared quite haggard with her unkempt pink hair. She was dressed in a loose, relaxing robe that vaguely highlighted her figure, adding a bit of spice. She looked up and couldn’t bother batting an eye. ”I heard you returned quite a while ago. You left me waiting for so long, so cruel.”

”Nonsense. I’m the Human Emperor, you should be the one to come prostrate yourself before me! And yet, you complain.”

”I could put up a better act than you,” she said, rolling her eyes as she stood up and stretched. ”Hey, don’t look so intently. I’m not a loose person. I work for you, but I won’t sell you my body.”

”Tch, I’ve been to other astral worlds with tons of girls who’re more beautiful than you. I can’t even count the number of fangirls I have.”

”Like I’ll believe that. They all have two eyes and one nose, so how much better can they be, anyway? Even if they have superior cultivation, they can’t beat my refined cultural senses.” She was quite confident in that aspect, having seduced her fair share of people. At the very least, Tianming could say that she was prettier than any mysterian.

”Come, let’s chat.” He flew to the tallest point of the imperial complex, overlooking the newly constructed capital. While it wasn’t as grand as the cities in the stars, it was his city and he was filled with pride at the sight of it. He hadn’t felt nightfall for a long time and watched as the lights were lit up across the city, feeling a rare comfort.

”Not bad, right? Are you happy with the fruits of my labor?” Li Caiwei stood with her hands behind her back, the wind fluttering her hair. Her face seemed filled with peace.

”Well, it’s lacking a bit of something.”

”What is it?”

”A red-light district, of course. We can always do with more beauties of the night.”

”Go to hell, you man thing!” she joked. It was a peaceful world, so Tianming never expected it to be the same as the Divine Capital anyway.

”Thank you for this.”

”Just pay me well. I want to rise up to the Solar stage, so carry me all the way up there or I’ll strike! I’ve only gotten one paycheck all these years. It’s a miracle I lasted this long.”

”But of course. Here you go, all the good stuff.” He handed her a spatial ring, expecting her to count the things inside, but she merely put it on. It was a ring with a pink diamond. She held it up in the moonlight and said, ”It looks great. You really gave it some thought, it seems. I won’t mind even if it’s empty.”

”It isn’t empty, of course. There’s something really important inside.”

”What is it?”

”Ten thousand pictures of beautiful men, all suitors I can get you. You aren’t young anymore, so you should get married.”

”No way, men are all useless things.”

Tianming heartily laughed; he hadn’t felt so relaxed in a long time. ”That aside, let’s talk about some serious business.”

”There’s nothing about you that’s serious. I bet you’re just trying to cut my salary,” she said, face suspect.

”I’m serious.” He told her about his plan to move them to the sun.

”I’ll go,” she said without any thought.

”Really? Won’t you miss home? You’ve put so much effort into the empire and even built this city. Don’t you think it’ll be a waste?” He had thought it would take more convincing than that.

”What’s there to consider? Without power, there won’t even be a place to call home. We have to be able to defend it at the very least. Home isn’t the place, but the people in it. Where the people are is where home is. With you having my back, I naturally want to climb higher.”

”Alright.” He was thankful for Li Caiwei and Xuanyuan Muxue, who had more or less similar thoughts as him. It meant that, for the most part, his ambitions were in line with the interests of the people as a whole.

”When I’m more powerful, I can come back and make this place better,” she said.

”Yeah.”

”The question is whether I’ll still be the one you count on if I go to the sun.”

”It’ll still be you, of course. Always.”

”Hmph, at least you have a heart.” While she looked young and behaved no differently from any young girl, nobody else on the continent near the age of hundred had managed to maintain their looks to this degree.

Even though Tianming didn’t seem to be doing much since returning, he did grow much more relieved after his talks, especially with Li Caiwei. She had also given him quite a lot of ideas. After ending his trip, he would have a new goal to strive toward. But for now, he was still outside the chaos skyjail. He met Ye Shaoqing and heard him complain about the tens of children that had come about as a result of his harem. After that, he asked, ”Did you find that old brother of mine?”

”I know where he is. That’s where I’m going next,” Tianming said.

”Good. He’s tough, so take your time. He’s back after fourteen years of being at rock bottom, so another few years won’t be a big deal. Just make sure you’re ready when the time comes,” Ye Shaoqing said. As a senior, he understood Li Wudi far better than Tianming.

”Understood, Master!”

”You’re already a god among gods, yet you still call me master? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

”Fine, Old Ye. Are you happy now?” There were some things that would never change. Even after all he had experienced, this person would always be the first one to be his proper master.

”That’s enough. I have to go back to change a dozen diapers, and at night, a troupe of beauties will line up to beat me up. My plate is full,” he said before he left.

By then, Tianming had seen most of the people he wanted to. Before leaving for Orderia, he had decided to head to the Abyssal Battlefield in search of the chaos worldbangle.