Beastmaster of the Ages

Lin Xiaogui had grown up in the Swordgod Lin Clan. For so many years, all the disciples, regardless of gender, had kept her at a distance. They thought of her as a plague, but she didn’t see a feeling of disgust in Tianming’s eyes. It was the reason she had been shocked when he had said they were the same kind.

”So you don’t want to leave, but you’re afraid of losing to me in a fight. Is this your way of making yourself look better?” Lin Xiaogui retorted.

”You’re too cocky. This is me digging a hole for you to jump in.” Tianming smiled.

”I’ll be straight with you. My father is a specter, so I’m half specter. No one my age can beat me with just their physical strength,” Lin Xiaogui said.

”Well, I can,” Tianming confidently said. He was a little confused though; wasn’t it impossible for specters and humans to produce offspring? However, it wasn’t very polite to ask her that question, so he kept his doubts to himself.

”Okay, you asked for it,” Lin Xiaogui agreed.

”Left, use your left hand!”

Over the cosmic impulse, the two held each other’s left hands. Tianming’s arm was extremely thick, while his opponent’s was much thinner. Their eyes clashed, confronting each other head on.

”Beneath that mask is a pretty face, am I right?” Tianming teased.

”Hideous,” Lin Xiaogui said.

”I don’t believe you.”

”Is this some kind of psychological tactic? How stupid. Let’s go.”

”Okay!”

The two exerted their strength at almost the same time, and Tianming had never expected the girl would be so fierce. Although her left arm appeared weaker than his Fiendsky Arm, she was doing really well. The two fiercely fought amidst the rolling flames.

Tianming’s entire face was contorted in a grimace. The girl was extremely strong. If I hadn’t just absorbed a part of the cosmic impulse, I really wouldn’t be her match! He thought.

The arm wrestling match lasted fifteen minutes. The two went from being silent to roaring their lungs out, completely disregarding how they looked. In the end, Tianming’s Fiendsky Arm had the advantage and he pinned his opponent’s arm down, winning this duel between “real men”. By that time, both of them were dripping with sweat.

”Damn, you’re strong,” Tianming said, dumbfounded.

”You’re not bad yourself.” Lin Xiaogui let go of his hand. The way she looked at him had slightly changed—the hostility in her gaze had indeed faded. ”I’m not a sore loser. The cosmic impulse is yours.” With that, she turned around and left, without any intention to fight for it.

”Wait, you have a share too!” Tianming laughed.

”Are you serious? I won’t be polite then,” Lin Xiaogui said.

”You don’t have to be polite. It was yours to begin with.” Tianming said. It was clear that the cosmic impulse was quite important to her.

”Okay, but don’t expect me to thank you.” She entered the cosmic impulse once more. In the blink of an eye, her body was submerged in it.

”Keep your hands to yourself, got it?” Lin Xiaogui said.

Tianming awkwardly laughed.

He was actually very curious about how a specter and a human being could give birth to a baby. In fact, he could deduce that a part-specter child would have no status at all among the Swordgod Lin Clan, where bloodline was valued above almost everything else. It was impossible for Lin Xiaogui to live well or have friends.

This time, she remained awake in the cosmic impulse the entire time. Although the result wouldn’t be as good, she could guard against Tianming, who conversed with her as he absorbed the cosmic impulse. During their chat, he couldn’t help but change his mind about her.

Her part-specter physique was merely one of her talents. She had inherited the physical strength of a specter, but not their abilities. However, she was also a beastmaster like her mother. In fact, mixing bloodlines would lead to a decline in talent even on the sun. The child of a beastmaster and totemancer would fail to inherit either of their parents’ talents. And specters were even more different from human beings. Logically speaking, the two species couldn’t have children together, yet Lin Xiaogui was a miracle. Not only did she have lifebound beasts, she was actually a hexa-beastmaster. All of her lifebound beasts were awakened swordbeasts and her swordheart was grade six. Therefore, she was actually a six-six talent with an extraordinary physique.

Her only shortcoming when compared to Lin Xiaopo was that her lifebound beasts weren’t of six different types. However, she was still considerably powerful. Her mother was just an ordinary clansman, with a grade-four swordheart and four swordbeasts. Becoming a fourth-level stellaminor in her thirties under such conditions was an amazing feat; she was certainly an infinitum-class genius.

”If I didn’t have all that, I would’ve died in the Infinitum Swordsea a long time ago,” Lin Xiaogui calmly said.

”Didn’t your parents protect you?”

”They’re dead. I was almost killed as well....”

”Oh, your life’s miserable, drama-level miserable,” Tianming said.

”Still better than you. At least I can live with dignity,” Lin Xiaogui retorted.

”Bullshit! My grandparents are still looking out for me,” Tianming argued.

”That doesn’t change the fact that you’re despised.”

”You’re not much better off either!”

”Are you looking for a beating?”

”Why, are you going to beat me? You already lost to me.”

As time passed, the cosmic impulse grew smaller and smaller.

”How’d you absorb it so quickly?” Lin Xiaogui had only just realized the speed of Tianming’s absorption.

”Why else would I share with you? I’m confident I’ll be able to take most of it of course!” he laughed.

”You’re so shameless....”

”Not really. I’m not the most shameless person in Ebonia, just the third most shameless!”

After several days, the concentration of the cosmic impulse had finally dropped below a certain level and become an ordinary nova source.

”Thank you anyway. After all, I’m the one who lost. I’m going now, we’ll meet again if we’re fated.” Lin Xiaogui said.

”No one’s ever really spoken to you, am I right? Are you bitterly crying on the inside? Is this the moment you begin to open your heart?” Tianming teased.

”Fuck off.” Lin Xiaogui looked at him, speechless. How could there be such a shameless person?

”I think you should stay. Let’s work together. We can look out for each other,” Tianming shouted.

Lin Xiaogui stopped in her tracks. ”Are you serious?” she asked.

”I’m missing a little bro,” Tianming said.

”…Fine.” There’s someone willing to cover me? Now that’s strange, she thought.

”Let’s go!” After absorbing the cosmic impulse, Tianming’s Fiendsky Arm had grown quite strong, to the point where he could kill a flamesoul horned dragon with just a single punch. Lin Xiaogui basically had little to say, so he was the one who ceaselessly chattered along the way. She walked with vigilance, always paying attention to any movement. The two continued to go deeper into the Cinasthana Section.

From an ice storm on their left came an earth-shattering rumble.

”What the hell would make such a loud noise?” Although Tianming had familiarized himself with the rules of the Swordsoul Purgatory, he still lacked experience. That was part of the reason he had brought Lin Xiaogui with him.

”It might be an ancestral guidance stele,” Lin Xiaogui solemnly said.

Just as she finished speaking, the sound grew closer and Tianming felt the entire world violently shaking. Elements like wind, fire, water, and lightning engulfed the entire world. The quakes made him nauseous.

”It’s coming!” Following the direction indicated by Lin Xiaogui, Tianming looked over and saw a black island approaching from a distance at a terrifying speed, smashing everything in its path.

”Hurry up, climb up the ancestral guidance stele. You have to pierce the stele with your sword to stabilize yourself!” Lin Xiaogui shouted. Knowing that Tianming was inexperienced, she reminded him of the process.

”Got it!”

The ancestral guidance stele continuously moved at high speeds and collided with everything in its path. If they wanted to remain on the stele, they would have to endure its underground storm.