Beastmaster of the Ages

“You’re too serious, Second Patriarch. Your return to the council hall was the wish of the masses,” Lin Jie calmly said.

“If I may be blunt, our clan is facing a grave situation. It isn’t the time for internal conflict, but for everyone to work together. We need to find the two killers and maintain the clan’s stability,” Lin Changkong said.

“Maintain? The only reason we’re in this situation is because we didn’t ally with the ebons yet! Why would Tianxi be here to avenge his younger brother otherwise?” Lin Ziqing sneered.

“Avenge? You overestimate the purity of Tianxi’s feelings. He’s here for Feng’er’s treasure from the ancestral world. Clearly, the ebons and the alien monster think it’s a good item,” Lin Xiao said.

“Has the second patriarch researched it yet?” Lin Jie asked.

“We haven’t made any headway yet.”

“Alright then, if it really does turn out to be something good, it’ll broaden all our horizons,” Lin Jie said.

“Lin Feng was cultivated by our Swordgod Lin Clan, so whatever he obtained belongs to the clan. We should see if it can be used on the whole clan,” Lin Ziqing added.

“Get lost, you shameless woman. Who’d you cultivate? By the way, weren’t you and Lin Yun supposed to be kneeling in front of the Myriadsword Mausoleum as repentance for your actions? Go back! A few days should test how hard your backbone is.” Lin Xiong was unable to hold back his fury.

“Big talk. When you annoy the ebons, let’s see how you die! My stance remains—we challenge the ebons at our own peril. They’re our only way out. Our goal isn’t to suffer on the verge of death, but to kill Yi Daiyan and retrieve our Ancestral Swordheart! That’s the only thing that would truly please the ancestors.”

“Kill her? Who, you?” Lin Xiong burst out laughing.

“Stop arguing,” Lin Jie said. He looked behind the council hall. “You moved Lin Feng’s group here?”

Lin Xiao nodded.

“It is safer here. Remember to not let them run around.”

“Do you think Tianxi will appear?” Lin Xiao suddenly asked.

“I don’t know.”

“Don’t you have his transmission stone? Just ask.”

“I already tried, but he didn’t respond,” Lin Jie replied.

“Just keep asking until he replies then.”

“I just fear we’ll bother him if he’s actually far away.” Lin Jie chuckled.

……

“Seems like those idiots can’t let go of the ebons.” Tianming could tell that they were definitely displeased to lose control of the Lin Clan. Both sides had their own convictions, but Tianming would side with his grandparents.

This time, Lin Jie and the rest could only admit defeat.

“Yin Chen, full surveillance on those seven, especially Lin Yun and Lin Jie.”

“No shit!” After becoming half an astral god, Yin Chen’s concealment ability had improved until it could literally be right next to Lin Jie and the rest and wouldn’t be noticed. Still, some small formations were quite airtight, and getting past them would get the invisible bugs noticed. Still, its surveillance ability was frightening.

“Tell Grandfather as soon as they contact Tianxi or the alien monster.”

“I understand!”

Tianming sank into thought. “Lin Jie isn’t someone who’ll easily accept defeat. And he now knows my Order Relic is important to the ebons. Thus, he might use me as an offering to win their support. The Lin Clan’s fixed now, so if he wants to work with the ebons, he’ll have to kill the council members on Grandfather’s side. That’s how he can ignore the people’s feelings.”

The possibility had to be guarded against. He quickly shared his conjecture with Lin Xiao and the rest.

They were quiet for a while.

“I hope not. If that happens, the Lin Clan’s convictions and unity would really have ended after countless generations.”

“Blergh.”

They were the ones that didn’t want internal conflict the most.

“If that happens, the only way to reset would be to excise the tumor.” Lin Changkong grit his teeth; his stance had become firmer.

Lin Xiao walked into the council hall and looked at Ku’s memorial tablet. He simply looked at it without a word for a very long time.

“Big Brother, this responsibility you left me is really suffocating. I really wish you could’ve lived another thousand years.” Alas, the limit of lifespan was merciless.

……

A month soon passed. Tianxi hadn’t accepted, nor had the alien monster appeared.

It was the most dangerous situation for Tianming’s side. It meant he didn’t wish for a peaceful negotiation, but was firm on killing Tianming for his treasure. As for the alien monster, it remained skulking in the shadows and leaving everyone on edge.

Lin Xiao hadn’t produced any evidence for Tianxi and the alien monster’s presences in the Infinitum Swordsea, leading to a never-ending argument in the council hall.

The long period of lockdown also created many inconveniences. Some Lin Clan disciples were starting to wonder if the alien monster really existed. A month wasn’t that long, but it was easy to imagine what would happen if the inconvenience carried on.

Tianming himself didn’t enjoy wasting the month. It was his critical juncture and without the reges mundi caeli, it would be hard for him to become an astral god. With the bee-headed caeli, though, his cultivation conditions were actually at the top of Ebonia and he could still become an astral god within ten years. However, he didn’t want to wait that long! Who knows how Ebonia would be then?

Tianming was quite anxious to be trapped without access to the Caeli Vault level or Swordsoul Purgatory. Tianxi and the alien monster knew he was in a safe location now, so it was a test of patience. Whoever ran out of it first would lose!

“Cultivation’s never been something that could be rushed anyway,” Xiaoxiao said.

“I’ll smack you!” Tianming pushed her down and began thwacking her.

“Careful, I’ll be an astral god in the next few days.” Xiaoxiao grit her teeth.

“I’ve killed astral gods.” He pinched her cheek.

Without anything else to do, he decided to go to the wondersky realm. “I haven’t seen godfather for a while. I wonder how my friends and family on the sun are doing? I could also go to the Skydome Battlefield. Maybe I can meet some important people from the Mysterium Cluster so I can see the wonderians’ reaction to Etherean Zhaohua’s death and figure out their stance on Little Fish’s situation.”