Beastmaster of the Ages

In Myriadpath Valley, reverends were eligible for a large palace, which was a symbol of status and glory. After a cursory glance, Tianming realized that Lan Yun’s was a magnificent blue palace of ice and snow built above the sea, beautiful and cold like her temperament and figure. Compared to her lofty sense of detachment, Demoness Yin seemed like the cheap version.

The ice-blue palace was suspended above the waves.

Lan Huang would like this place a lot. It’s perfect for its shenanigans. What a pity! Tianming followed his new master into the Grandblue Palace. The ice-blue interior was covered in precious gems to a degree of grandiosity that was stifling.

”Greetings, Master!”

As soon as he stepped into the palace, Tianming came face-to-face with three men with black myriadpath rings. They walked up to Lan Yun and dropped to one knee.

”Damn, they’re all so good-looking.”

The men were all tall and full of vigor, with sharp eyebrows, starry eyes, and exquisite features that seemed to have been carved from jade. Their majestic temperament was even more impressive than Li Fan’s. They were essentially flawless from head to toe. If these pretty boys were to visit anywhere in the Million Mundi, their exceptional looks and talent would make millions swoon. If an exotic beauty like Fengqing Youmeng had met them earlier, she would have had nothing to do with that hideous monster, Lin Ke. There were at least a million women as beautiful as Fengqing Youmeng in the Million Mundi.

In comparison, Tianming had an imposing manner but wasn’t as pure. Although the three came across as peerless gentlemen, they were each a different sort of handsome.

All Tianming could do was sigh. It’s just as I expected of Reverend Lan Yun. She’s pretty good at picking astralkilns.

Lan Yun glanced at them and coldly asked, ”Where are the others?”

Only three of her eight disciples were present.

”They might’ve gone into retreat.”

”It looks like Third Brother has left Myriadpath Valley.”

”We’re the only ones here.”

The three replied one after another. Although they were all well behaved in front of Lan Yun, they didn’t appear to be in awe of her either. Lan Yun didn’t like them too playful or too humble. Tianming glanced at their black myriadpath rings and quickly memorized their names.

Lan Yun told them to get up, then pointed at Tianming and said, ”This is your junior brother, Li Tianming. He just passed the Skyward Grandpath today. Introduce yourselves.”

”Yes,” they chorused.

Respectfully nodding, the young man in the middle dressed in white smiled and said, ”Hello, Junior Brother. I’m your fifth brother. My name is Gongsun Yan.”

The young man in green robes on the left said, ”I’m your seventh brother, Dao Yan.”

The younger-looking boy in purple on the right said, ”I’m your eighth brother, Gong Xuan. Before you came, I was the junior brother, but now it’s you.”

Tianming nodded. ”Hello, Senior Brothers. I’m new here and there’s a lot I still don’t understand so I would appreciate your guidance.” He would be polite and reassess first; that was his usual style of doing things.

”Junior Brother, you’re too polite. It’s our duty,” Fifth Brother Gongsun Yan said with a smile.

”Yes.” Eighth Brother Gong Xuan smiled as well.

Their big white grins were like a breath of fresh air. Tianming didn’t say much, merely smiling in return. He noticed that his senior brothers glanced at his neck and cuffs, their furrowed brows and shifting eyes revealing a trace of doubt. However, they soon regained their composure and recovered their smiles. It was obvious they saw the hexagonal scales on Tianming’s palm and the sword-shaped feathers on his right arm, but they didn’t say anything in front of Lan Yun.

Now that her disciples had been acquainted with each other, Lan Yun gestured for the three of them to leave and asked Tianming to follow her. Past a long hallway and over a sea of clouds, they arrived at a courtyard large enough for even top-tier lifebound beasts to run around. Lan Yun opened the gates, took Tianming in, and sat down in a pavilion, her delicate curves extremely stirring.

Are these women who practice this fiendart just filled with pent-up energy from only being with the opposite sex once every few thousand years? Although Lan Yun’s eyes were cold, Tianming sensed a fire deep within her, which explained her desire to control him.

She looked him up and down and said, ”This is where you’ll live and cultivate for the rest of your life.”

”Thank you, Master,” Tianming solemnly said.

”Not everyone can be my disciple. Those under my protection have to follow my rules. I’ll begin with the first one,” she said, her cold gaze sweeping across Tianming gold and black eyes and body.

”Master, please speak.” Tianming nodded.

”Before you reach the age of two thousand, you aren’t allowed to have a lover, let alone get married. You’ll die if you bring a woman into the Grandblue Palace.” Her cold, sweet breath brushed Tianming’s ears.

Tianming froze and pursed his lips, feigning ignorance despite being aware of the actual reason. ”I’d like to know why.”

Lan Yun’s aura was contained within her body and a layer of frost enveloped her red lips. ”Romantic relationships affect cultivation. Wait until you’ve succeeded if you want children, or they’ll just be trash. Are you convinced?”

”Yes, Master. I can’t thank you enough. The only reason I survived is because of you. I’ll never forget your benevolence,” he said through clenched teeth.

Lan Yun finally revealed a faint smile. She narrowed her eyes and her frosty eyelashes slightly trembled. ”If you really wanted to express your gratitude, you should’ve immediately said so. You aren’t going to move me by waiting for so long to thank me.”

”Yes! I’ll do that next time!” Tianming said.

”Will there be a next time?” Lan Yun arched an eyebrow. ”And I thought you were a taciturn one. You were so quiet the entire way, but now I see that you’re quite interesting.”

”Mmm hmm.” Tianming foolishly smiled, trying to appear as innocent as possible.

”Stop pretending.” Lightly rapping the stone table, she stared straight into his eyes. ”You weren’t afraid to fight the top twenty internal valley disciples and slaughter the children of an ancient house. You’re alive, despite the fact that Huang Daolie wants you dead. You’re a ruthless man, that much I know.”

”Master, I had no choice,” Tianming protested.

”Save it! I’ve seen many like you. You’re so arrogant and think so highly of yourself before you enter Myriadpath Valley. But you’re special because you killed them and got away with it. Others would be dead by now.” Lan Yun’s aloof tone made it impossible to decipher her mood.

”You’re the reason I’m alive, Master. Without your help, I’d be dead,” Tianming said, taking a deep breath. ”Master, I’ve learned my lesson. I understand how it works here now and I won’t cause you any trouble.”

”Remember what you said. I don’t like disciples who cause trouble.”

”Yes!” Tianming nodded.

Lan Yun sat up straight and crossed her legs, her slender calves peeking out from under her dress. Her gaze met his once more. ”Come, tell me—why are you in Myriadpath Valley? What is it that you want?”

After a moment’s contemplation, Tianming said, ”Strength, status, and beauti—a beautiful master.”