Beastmaster of the Ages

Tian Nu’s face revealed a look of concern. ”Young Master, what you said might actually be true! There could be a group within the Yin-Yang World specifically targeting House Yumo. To be able to kill so many of them in such a chaotic environment means the enemy has large numbers, and they likely move even more freely than we do here!”

At the thought of that, Qitian Muchen growled, ”You go chase! Cang Yuan, come back and carry me!”

”Yes!” Tian Nu also understood the importance of the man in the purple mist. One of the eighth-level foundationeer reverends at the front quickly returned, carrying Qitian Muchen to keep up with the rest of the group, allowing the white-haired eminent to pursue Tianming.

”If my guess is correct, the man in purple mist is incredibly important! He must be captured and brought back to Myriadpath Valley!” As the youngest son of the valley lord, Qitian Muchen knew his duty when such a terrifying enemy appeared, even if they were currently only targeting House Yumo.

Tian Nu accelerated in pursuit and the figure cloaked in purple mist continued flickering in the darkness. Every time Tian Nu seemed close to catching up, the figure would slip away with unpredictable movements.

The yin-yang essence storm was also a significant obstacle to Tian Nu. The mixed purple and black mist required sharp vision, and even the white-haired eminent was chasing until he was out of breath.

”Dammit! Another patch of distorted space!” As Tian Nu collided with some distorted space and his direction was forcibly twisted. The storm blew him back, and within the whirlwind, the man in purple mist disappeared from sight.

Qitian Muchen, who had caught up with the other reverends, coldly asked, ”Did you lose him?”

Tian Nu was sweating with embarrassment as he replied, ”This person is unpredictable, and he might not even be human! Maybe he’s some other kind of creature. If it weren’t for the storm and distorted space, I would have caught him.”

”Alright!” Qitian Muchen stared ahead with clenched teeth. ”If he isn’t human, are you suggesting there’s natives in the Yin-Yang World, similar to the prehistoric inhabitants of a fortuna-class world like our Three Exalted Houses?”

”It’s very possible,” one of the reverends exclaimed in shock.

”After all, the Yin-Yang World is also a fallen fortuna-class world, just that its state of collapse is even more advanced. But that doesn’t rule out the possibility of natives...” another reverend added.

The third reverend, however, shook his head. ”Unlikely. The Yin-Yang World has existed as long as Myriadpath Valley, and our ancestors have explored it countless times. There’s never been any records of natives—how could we suddenly discover them now?”

The first reverend countered, ”Then how do you explain the half-shattered subsoul of Eminent Ranxing’s wife?”

”Stop arguing. The Yin-Yang World does indeed have natives,” Qitian Muchen coldly said.

”How can you be so sure?” the others asked.

”The nova source wildbeasts here are the original inhabitants of this world. We just haven’t confirmed if there’s other beings, like humans or similar races that survived,” Qitian Muchen explained.

”That makes sense. After all, we’ve never found the lair of these wildbeasts. Even they can’t even survive the stormy season and only come out during the calm season to search for baleflame...” Tian Nu trailed off, feeling guilty as he raised his head. ”Young Master, we lost the man in purple mist. What should we do now?”

Qitian Muchen immediately replied, ”Return to Myriadpath Valley and report everything we’ve seen, heard, and thought to my father. If there’s an emergency, he can activate the Lumistar Formation to signal all reverends and eminents to withdraw from the Yin-Yang World.”

”Yes!” The four of them nodded in agreement and immediately began their return.

On the way back, Tian Nu thought for a moment and said, ”When we get back, let’s not spread this around right away. We should go directly to the valley lord, first.”

”What do you mean?” Qitian Muchen asked.

”Right now, it’s House Yumo members who are dying. As long as our House Qitian’s subsouls remain stable, maybe more of them will die if we delay,” Tian Nu explained.

”That makes sense! Over the years, House Yumo has relied on starblood to continually increase their strength, growing more and more arrogant. Letting them suffer more losses could push them below House Suishen, making them no threat to us for the next few thousand years,” another reverend agreed.

”House Suishen isn’t a concern. They’re naturally weak and can’t rise. House Yumo, though, is a nuisance!”

Qitian Muchen shot them a cold glare and said, ”In the future, don’t speak like that in front of me again.”

”Yes!” The reverends and eminent knew they had angered him and were startled.

Qitian Muchen turned and looked at the storm in the depths of the Yin-Yang World and said, ”Only with Myriadpath Valley is there House Qitian! If a great enemy is truly upon us, scheming against our own people will only lead to our destruction.”

”Young Master is wise!”

”We were shortsighted.”

”If there really is an enemy in this astralscape, they may indeed be hiding in the depths of the Yin-Yang World.”

”That unknown existence in the Infinitum Mundus might very well be connected to the Yin-Yang World!”

***

”They’ve gone... straight back... to Myriadpath... Valley Valley,” Yin Chen reported.

”It seems the deaths of thirty-three House Yumo members has led them to make assumptions. They might even tie it to the destruction of the Hellfiend,” Tianming said.

”Is there a problem?” Ying Huo asked.

”No worries. With the purple mask, they can take their time guessing who the killer is!” Who would have thought that the biggest cases in Myriadpath Valley and the Yin-Yang World were both caused by a low-key fortuna disciple trying hard to break through to the Foundation stage?

If his identity were to be revealed, it would terrify everyone in Myriadpath Valley.

But luckily, no one would ever think to connect the events to Tianming.

”Continue treasure hunting and slaughtering until House Yumo dares not enter again!” Tianming’s path of slaughter hadn’t stopped. He reckoned that, soon, the legend of the man in purple mist who specifically targeted House Yumo members would spread. Once rumors began, the man in purple mist would surely become infamous, instilling fear in many.

But Tianming remained unaffected, continuing his journey. Whenever he found baleflame, he took it. Whenever he found a House Yumo specter, he killed them.

Another two months passed and Yin Chen suddenly urged, ”Return now!”

Its anxious tone could only mean that Eminent Jiguang was en route to Myriadpath Valley.

”I must return before her!” Otherwise he would have to face her scrutiny again. This time, Yin Chen had detected her movements early enough, and Tianming was fast enough. He rushed back through the Lumistar Formation just ahead of her. Yin Chen had already found him a hiding spot and he quietly entered the stareye.