Beastmaster of the Ages

Even if the clan had lost Lin Jie, Lin Yun, and Lin Ziqing, the rest would merely consider it excising the cancer from their ranks. While they might not be as strong as they would like, their future was filled with potential.

”Looks like we’re fully against the ebons now! So why don’t I feel afraid? Not only that, it feels liberating! This is how we should be! Lin Jie and the other traitors were completely off base!”

”The legacy of the Swordgod Lin Clan is one of independence! We don’t need to rely on others!”

”If we fall, we’ll get back up on our own!”

”There’s no need for us to submit to anyone or become serfs! Today’s proof that we’re also a top-tier clan that still has a role to play in the Infinitum Mundus!”

The divide between the reformists and traditionalists had vanished without a trace and all the voices across the entire Infinitum Swordsea were of the same mind. From then on, they were a united family! The waves of willpower continued rushing into Tianming’s body while he was unconscious. The Infinitum Swordsea resembled a giant swordheart that pumped the will and intent of the entire clan through its members. It was like Tianming was laying on that heart itself, absorbing the lifeblood of one billion people pump after pump. Once more, he burned bright and fought from the heart. He laughed and cried tears of joy. The dark clouds of yesterday had scattered, revealing the bright skies of tomorrow.

”It’s time I settled things with Huang Qi.” This time around, everyone had witnessed Tianming transforming into a black star and killing Lin Yun and Lin Ziqing before rebuffing Tianxi and the monster from the ancestral world. All that time, there was a close shave in his struggle to control the Order Relic.

”Whether I can regain my freedom depends solely on this!” The victories on both fronts had sharpened his will to fight.

......

Deep within the waters of the Infinitum Swordsea, Tianxi coldly watched as a billion people above him cheered.

”Father,” he said, taking out his gold transmission stone.

”We failed this time around, and got messed with by Yi Daiyan. I didn’t think she’d be on the same path as Lin Xiaodao. Nor did I think the Lin Clan could produce someone so powerful. As for what happened on your end, it couldn’t be helped. It looks like the treasure from the ancestral world is far more significant than we’d imagined,” the figure calmly said.

”Do we continue? That being from the ancestral world might be hurt,” Tianxi said.

”Let’s temporarily cease. Lin Jie is already out, after all, and we have to calmly assess our mistakes. We won’t underestimate our enemies’ capabilities any longer.”

”Understood.” Tianxi lowered his head with an even more sinister look.

”Making mistakes early on and learning from them is a good thing. Don’t let that affect your mindset and outlook. All I’ll say is that it’s getting more and more fun,” the figure said with a chuckle.

”Your teachings are impeccable as always, Father,” Tianxi said. ”It’s getting more fun indeed.”

......

The two incidents shook the Infinitum Bodhimanda even more than Tianming defeating Shenxi Shang. Whether it be the internal conflict of the Swordgod Lin Clan, or the Infinitum Duel at Mount Taia, those two events had completely changed the state of things in the Infinitum Mundus. The ebons’ true nature had been revealed for all to see, and they’d lost the battles on both fronts. The deaths of the traitors of the Lin Clan also meant that the clan would have a united front moving forward.

Most shocking to all was Lin Xiaodao’s rise to eighth rank on the reges mundi ranking. Before, five of the top ten ranks had been occupied by ebons, but with Chi Hun killed, only four remained. Lin Xiaodao’s reputation had spread far and wide after the duel, just as he’d desired. It was only then that the masses realized there was no way someone who could control the two grand formations of a fifth-class nova source world—like the etherean—could be that simple. Not to mention, all of the Lin Clan’s businesses had experienced a great boom thanks to him as well.

Alas, those who knew the ebons well also understood that this wouldn’t be the end of it. The united Swordgod Lin Clan had properly antagonized the ebons this time around, and the true fight was yet to come! The question now was whether the thirteen divine astralships would press their assault to avenge the allegedly massacred eighty thousand ebons. Everyone’s attention turned back to Mount Taia after the shocking news of Lin Xiaodao’s rise.

......

Mount Taia was once more in the spotlight of all of Ebonia, and even the mundus itself. The Grandnorth Dongshen Clan had been ignited by the shocking duel. Seeing a top-tier elite being killed just like that felt unreal. It was swift and decisive. Sword ki had burst throughout, clashing against bestial instinct. There had been no pointless banter. Once the Infinitum Battlefield had enclosed the duelists, they’d immediately gone for the kill.

Chi Hun had a nova wildbeast army, so he never had to worry about being outnumbered. However, he had never expected that Lin Xiaodao would fight alone against him, someone acknowledged to be one of the strongest fighters in the entire mundus! Yet when the fight had begun in earnest, he’d learned how terrifying Lin Xiaodao could truly be.

Some had tried to grasp at words to describe the battle, but all had failed. It was simply too dumbfounding. Etherean Gladeus’s swordsmanship was like a manifestation of death, conducting an orchestral performance using the beasts’ cries of agony as instruments. The battle itself wasn’t completely one sided, either. Chi Hun didn’t think that Lin Xiaodao would be his match, only to be completely flabbergasted.

The thing that had truly turned the tables was the green drinking gourd Lin Xiaodao carried on his back, something completely separate from his swordsmanship. That was the thing that had ended Chi Hun’s life! Etherean Gladeus didn’t give the ebon a chance to beg for mercy at all, having eradicated all seven of the astral organs in one strike. Holding back in the slightest would allow the enemy a chance to rise again, after all.

The moment the Infinitum Battlefield had faded away, Lin Xiaodao turned to look at everyone else, completely covered in blood, and shot a thumbs-up. ”So that’s all the tenth rex mundi of the ebons amounted to.”

Everyone at Mount Taia went mad for him, and those within the thirteen divine astralships were deathly silent, still in a stupor over the shocking outcome; they didn’t even know if they should continue the attack.

The three hundred million people of the Dongshen Clan, however, cheered for his victory, and eventually, two other ether-class ships arrived before the ebons’ fleet could do more damage. Those ships belonged to the Yishker Clan and the Greenhill Yushan Clan, respectively. Yishker Sayedi and Yushan Taifeng emerged and announced, ”We come bearing the decree of the Infinitum Rex Mundi! Everyone kneel to receive the decree!”