Beastmaster of the Ages

Everything that happened between Lin Jianxing and Tianming inside the room had been projected inside the Swordsoul Chamber. As the battle had developed, even the elites who were watching from the council hall from the third and fifth branches could no longer remain seated. They all got up and approached the screen, their expressions shifting as dramatically as the scenes in the projection.

The turnaround had started right after Lin Jianxing summoned his swordbeasts into the Celestial Stardragon. He later completely destroyed Tianming’s divine wonder and killed nearly a billion Yin Chens, which was already a rather strong show of might. However, the sight of his heptastar organs eventually being utterly obliterated had shocked everyone in the chamber into silence.

Lin Yun, who stood closest to the screen, staggered backward as he vomited blood. His aged and weakened body slumped to the ground. ”Jianxing!” His expression was just as twisted as Lin Jianxing’s had been.

After everyone had learned of the identities of the ten within that room, those in the Swordsoul Chamber were ready to watch Lin Jianxing’s performance. The mood had been joyful and relaxed. Even after Lin Changkong had angrily left when he saw Lin Linglin being abandoned, the rest were still in a rather decent mood. They waited for Lin Jianxing to kill the other three and strengthen their relations with the ebons.

Yet when Tianming finally showed his cards after Lin Chankong left, everyone in the chamber grew more and more distraught. When Tianming’s sword pierced Lin Jianxing at the final moment, Lin Yun, Lin Xiaoyun, and Lin Wuyi all felt like their hearts had been pierced. The one that’d betrayed their own clan to curry favor with the ebons had been killed instead. It was a most ironic and laughable turn of events. All of their work had been ruined in a single battle.

While Lin Jianxing hadn’t had many achievements under his belt yet, he’d been heralded as a model for the other disciples of the clan to emulate. Yet now he had been reduced to nothing but a lesson, an object of mockery. No doubt, the ones inside Swordsoul Chamber found it all incredibly hard to stomach. All of them felt light headed and flabbergasted.

”Lin Jianxing!” When Lin Yun was helped up, his eyes were completely red and his limbs trembled. Loud cheers could be heard outside the Swordsoul Chamber. All of them chanted ’Lin Feng’ nonstop; the sound of those cheers hit them like ceaseless waves. Their fragile egos simply couldn’t take it.

”There’s something wrong with all this! How could he possibly be that capable?” Lin Jie didn’t look like he was in a good mood, either. While he didn’t feel as bad about Lin Jianxing’s death as Lin Yun did, the strike Tianming had unleashed felt like a raw slap on his face. The imaginary sting from that slap seemed to cause him some difficulty when he tried to speak. He glared at the white-haired youth on the screen, gripping the handrails so hard they turned to mush.

Lin Feng... Lin Mu’s son! Lin Jie recalled the first time he had seen him. Back then, Tianming had hidden behind Feiling and the others. He had been the joke of Grandsect Mountain. There was no way Lin Jie could have expected that the hundred-year-old trash that Lin Jianxing had picked up would end up killing him during the minor reges mundi ranking event!

Tianming’s reputation had turned into that of a rather dashing figure, but that wasn’t all! The real problem with this was the cheering of the people across the entire Infinitum Swordsea. That was a clear sign of danger. Tianming simply defeating Lin Jianxing alone wouldn’t have had such a result; it had taken Lin Jianxing turning against his own clan and abandoning his lover for the perfect narrative of Tianming slaying the vile traitor to form, resonating with countless others. Lin Jie was all too aware that Tianming’s soaring reputation could bolster his grandfather’s as well!

”Lin Feng!” Lin Jie finally swallowed the bitter pill, acknowledging that he had been underestimating him. It was so bitter that it felt like his organs were burning from the pain. He turned back and looked around, seeing Lin Yun and Lin Xiaoyun losing control of their emotions and wildly hollering about wanting to tear Tianming into pieces. They were in a full mental breakdown.

”Lin Jianxing’s attempt at buttering up the ebons is nothing but a joke now. Those two’s reputations in their clan will no doubt plummet,” someone commented. That was a fact that would be incredibly difficult to change.

”Brother Jie,” Lin Wuyi said, helplessly standing beside him. She breathed a long sigh. ”It feels like we’ve completely dropped the ball.” Attempting to side with the ebons had been a risky move to begin with. Whether they succeeded or not, it would have huge implications.

”Yes. It’s gotten troublesome.” Lin Jie closed his eyes and listened to Lin Yun wildly howling over the death of his precious grandson, losing his mind more and more. ”Lin Changkong also left. The rest of the ninth branch’s members will no doubt change their attitudes as well.” While a fight between juniors was usually harmless and not taken seriously, it was different when the stakes were this high. He had never expected a mere child would be able to completely ruin the plan he had painstakingly put into action. The whole thing was a huge blow to the reformists.

”Brother Jie, they’re saying that the tenth rex mundi of the ebons has returned,” Lin Wuyi said after a pause.

”Chi Hun? Where’s he returning to?” Lin Jie asked.

”Here.”

”Be ready to invite him in.”

Lin Yun heard what they were talking about and quickly regulated his emotions.

After a short while, the entrance to the chamber opened. Lin Wuyi guided a crimson-and-black-robed person with a large hood inside. The parts of his silver hair that peeked out of the hood caught the eye. The moment he came in, the temperature in the entire chamber seemed to plummet. His terrifying soul energy seeped into the astrons of every single person there; it felt like he had claimed Swordsoul Chamber as his own territory.

This person was the tenth rex mundi of the ebons and the leader of the Guchi Clan, Chi Hun. In actuality, the Infinitum Mundus only had one rex mundi, a true ruler of the mundus. However, many people still used the title for the ones within the top ten ranks. The tenth rex mundi was essentially the tenth-ranking person in the entire mundus. Not a single person in the Infinitum Swordsea could match the rank of someone like him. Even in the minor reges mundi ranking, six out of the top ten were ebons, while the strongest of the Lin Clan, Lin Hongchen, ranked around thirtieth.

”Rex Mundi, welcome.” Lin Jie and Lin Yun offered their high seats to him.

It wasn’t the first time Chi Hun had come over. He sat on the high seat and looked at Lin Yun. ”I saw a bit of the fight while I was on the way. Did your grandson lose?”

”Yes, Rex Mundi.” Lin Yun did his utmost to control the outpouring of his emotions.

”That child’s lifebound beasts are rather interesting. When he returns, bring him to me. I wish to study him,” Chi Hun said.