Beastmaster of the Ages

Yin Chen had managed to infiltrate the Inkwell Sea long before its defensive formation was activated. Thanks to the chaos right now, nobody was paying attention to the invisible cockroaches around them, so it was all too easy for it to spy on the key figures within. While it didn’t approach the triplets too close, it was all too easy to tell what their plan was the moment two of them got off the Rabblefiend. Their plan was fully within Tianming’s expectations; in fact, he had been the one who put the bait out. The hunters had actually been the hunted from the very beginning.

”Once I take out two of the Inkwell Brothers, I’ll be able to crush their troops’ morale even more!” Tianming continued attacking the defensive formation while he waited for his prey to show up.

The battle had reached a climax, with the Black Panther Army’s giant swords crashing down again and again at the black dome beneath them. The retaliatory attacks from within the formation were scarcely able to cause the army any significant harm. In this kind of situation, the fiercer side would win—and without a doubt, that side was the one with the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb and the Fiendclaw. Once more, the Dragonrage Cannon was unleashed, sending a nine-colored fireball crashing down and swallowing up the world beneath in a sea of fire. The people in the Inkwell Sea seemed to see an entire sun crashing down on them. A loud rumble followed as the formation uncontrollably shook, toppling countless people and structures within. The sheer force transferred by the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb’s attack was clearly felt.

”That divine astralship is far too terrifying! Can anyone stop it?”

”Where’s our reinforcements from Daoyun City? Didn’t they leave already? Weren’t they going to launch a pincer attack on the enemy with us?”

”What about the ebons from Tinderscape? Their fleet’s long been ready! Why haven’t they arrived?”

”I heard they were ambushed on the way here and were eliminated!”

”Hey, don’t go around spreading rumors!”

The chaos Tianming sowed had caused those in Inkwell Sea to be unable to properly coordinate.

”You call that a mere rumor? We all know what’s going on! We were plotting to take out the enemy together, but we were the ones that ended up on the chopping block!”

The situation only made them more desperate. It didn’t help that their sky was literally falling.

”Two of our lords went out to capture Lin Feng! Let’s pray they succeed!”

Those in the know had a final sliver of hope thanks to Kunmo Cang and Kunmo Chao. As for where the assassins were, Yin Chen had easily spotted them. They had quietly landed on the surface of the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb. They were microscopic relative to the size of the ship itself, making them usually impossible to detect. Little did they know that even the ship was covered in countless invisible cockroaches.

”Find a weak point and use the Setting War Drill to make an opening in the divine astralship formation!” The Setting War Drill was an ether-class cosmic artifact made of ether ore and infused with ether-class cosmic impulses from Gladeus. It was specifically designed to breach the hulls of divine astralships. Making a small opening in huge ships like that to kill their controllers was a highly effective tactic that would cost far less than taking them on with another divine astralship. Most people from high-class nova source worlds resorted to tactics like those. Taking out the pilot while barely damaging the divine astralship was a good deal, and all it would cost them was a cosmic artifact.

”Over here!” The two cosmic cartographers flew to the abdomen of the nine-headed dragon without a care in the world. Kunmo Chao, the younger, stood guard while Kunmo Cang took out a drill-shaped lance that glowed with the power of cosmic impulse. One look was enough to tell that it was more than met the eye. It was even comparable to Xiaoxiao’s new weapon!

”Lin Feng....” Kunmo Cang gathered his cosmoforce with the cosmic artifact in hand. It began brightly glowing and rumbling with a loud, bestial cry. With a thrust, it managed to make a dent in the abdomen of the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb, shaking the divine astralship formation and dealing some level of damage. With enough time, they would be able to make a proper hole to slip through. Even if the hole itself could be fixed, the damage an enemy could wreak from within the ship would be trouble.

Little Fish, it’s your turn. Tianming had seen them coming way back and knew that Moran was already on site, so he didn’t need to pay it any heed. He continued pummeling away at the formation with the ship.

......

”It’s working!” Kunmo Cang and Kunmo Chao exchanged glances with glee.

”Lin Feng has definitely sensed us. Let’s keep going!”

Kunmo Cang knew what to do even without his brother reminding him. He worked as quickly as he could. ”Relax, he’s just a brat who just became an orderan. His sanctuary-class ship may be impressive, but can he even use it? He definitely won’t be able to shake us off with this heavy hunk of junk!”

The two identical brothers had an understanding of each other that was so deep that they didn’t even need to speak to be understood by one another. Once more, the drill was raised high, but just as Kunmo Cang was about to slam it back down, the two of them felt a chill down their spines.

”Huh?” Kunmo Chao was the first to snap out of it and turn back. ”Who’s that?”

He saw a bright region of pink on the abdomen of the ship where one of the dragon palaces was situated. The nova source energy from within had been drawn out by the divine astralship formation, forming a pink barrier. Within it, a tall figure appeared. She was clad in a long, flowing dress, and sported inky-green hair. In her hand was an ink-colored starry paper umbrella that, when spun, looked like a revolving galaxy. It was her sanctuary-class cosmic artifact, the Inkorchid Starshower, and it only further accentuated her solemn beauty. Yet what truly made the two brothers furrow their brows was how wave-like patterns appeared on her skin, making her look like a watery figure. Gradually, the patterns manifested as ink-colored giant whales that projected out of her person.

”She’s just a mere solarian....” Kunmo Chao was shocked and almost speechless. Though he was surprised by the display, he was stumped when he realized her true cultivation level.

”No! Her divine wonder might be powerful, but there’s no way she can absorb the nova source of the ship to power her divine wonders!” Right as Kunmo Chao cried out, Ji Ji’s nova source flooded into Moran’s divine wonders. The commotion was so huge that the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb stopped in mid-attack.

”What?!” The two of them watched as a realistic ocean fell toward them, enveloping them and even the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb in its entirety! A pink storm kept flooding into Moran’s body and was unleashed through her umbrella. Then she disappeared along with her umbrella as she assimilated into the divine wonders. Her body seemed to have turned into countless evernight whales that were spread all across the ocean. It was a miraculous, godly sight.

”What is that?” Some people on the battlefield saw Tianming’s ship surrounded by liquid ten times its volume. Others within the Inkwell Sea thought that it was being attacked by someone and laughed and jeered.

”Go! Save Lin Feng!” Panic was starting to break out in the ranks of the Black Panther Army.

”There’s no need! Those are divine wonders and they’re on our side! Keep up the attack!” Lin Xiaoxiao ordered, calming her troops. Tianming had informed her about his plan, and coupled with what she had heard from her father, Lin Zhongtian, about what’d happened at the council hall, she had an idea of what was going on. ”That kid even has a top-tier divine wondermancer at his side.... That’s why the etherean dared to let him come. And Kunmo Cang thought he’d be the weak link in the chain.... He deserves his fate!”

Lin Xiaoxiao saw that victory was close. Just as she expected, Kunmo Cang and Kunmo Chao were embroiled in the sudden manifestations of the divine wonders.

”Ether-class divine wonders!” The two cosmic cartographers were completely flabbergasted, being wrung apart by the huge sea and at the mercy of the moving waves.

”How could a solarian have divine wonders like that?!”

”Big Brother, who cares? I’ll deal with her! You should go in!” Kunmo Chao said.

”Alright! Use your warbeasts!” Still, they managed to react and coordinate.

The firmament ocean wonder was a sea that could change its form. As if it was frozen, it took the form of a sphere of water with the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb at its very center. Moran was like an ocean queen, commanding the seas from her throne. The ocean began revolving, forcing the two ebons to endure heavenly forces of nature while countless evernight whales began appearing within the ocean waters!