Beastmaster of the Ages

The battle had drawn the attention of a large number of cultivators of Myriadpath Valley, whether they be from august or sacred houses, or even independent cultivators. They stared wide eyed at the bloody battlefield, at a loss for what to say.

House Qitian had really been badly beaten up. House Yumo wanted to vent their rage and frustration and no longer cared that House Suishen ended up on top of all of them. As for House Suishen, many among them were rather excited. However, they had been used to being in third place for so long, so they didn’t quite know how to react after rising to the top.

They didn’t know what to do and turned to Suishen Jiguang, who had been the one to orchestrate everything, even killing Suishen Hongtian and the tensource beast. Suishen Ranxing and Yumo Diyan didn’t share that honor; nobody expected her to really do much until now. With most of the battle finished, they looked to her to see how she would end it.

”I....” Suishen Jiguang seemed rather speechless.

Suishen Xiyue nudged her and whispered, ”Just say something to rile up the crowd and talk down on Qitian Xiao. Avoid saying anything about House Yumo for now.”

”Alright....” She turned and addressed the crowd. ”House Qitian lied to us all. Qitian Xiao, the valley lord, broke the Myriadpath Sacred Code and tried taking over the entire valley and enslaving us all. As such, I was forced to render judgment on the tensource beast... wait, not forced to... it was my destined calling!”

She was on the brink of tears. After using all she’d had to fight, she was left with a hollow sensation and didn’t quite know how to end things. She took a deep breath with a worried look.

”Even now, the chaos in Myriadpath Valley hasn’t truly ended. All of us still have to be careful. House Qitian might not be able to oppress others any longer, but it’ll still take a while for Myriadpath Valley to recover. I hope all of you here will let go of your prejudices and consider the future we want to grasp for Myriadpath Valley!” Her words were practical and reflected what most others were thinking.

Suishen Xiyue, however, almost lost it. She couldn’t hold it any longer and loudly proclaimed, ”Suishen Jiguang executed the will of the heavens on this day! Not only has she manifested her tenth simulacrum, Peak Immortal, she achieved the major zenith in only two thousand years of cultivation! With such talent, she’ll definitely reach the super zenith!

”Qitian Xiao, on the other hand, chose the path of bloodshed despite being the valley lord. He’s no longer fitting to serve as our valley lord! I suggest we let Suishen Jiguang take over as acting valley lord to guide Myriadpath Valley back to the right path!”

Suishen Xiyue had said that without first consulting Suishen Ranxing or the old patriarch. Suishen Ranxing’s expression was truly ugly to behold. Yumo Diyan and the rest of House Yumo also seemed rather surprised at Suishen Xiyue’s boldness, echoing everyone’s sentiment that the current valley lord should be made to step down.

Even though nobody had any thoughts about who would be the next valley lord, they knew that Qitian Xiao was deemed no longer fitting of the role by everyone else outside Qitian Cave. What Suishen Ranxing and Yumo Diyan hadn’t expected, however, was how Suishen Xiyue’s suggestion resonated with many people.

”I think that’s fine! The next valley lord will be Suishen Jiguang anyway!”

”She slew the tensource beast, an amazing omen! It’s a historical crowning achievement!”

”Valley lords have always formally passed down their title to their successors, like how the previous one passed his role on to Qitian Xiao. However, look at how Qitian Xiao repaid his master! He’s the first one to act so dastardly!”

”She’s only two thousand years old.... But Myriadpath Valley hasn’t had a female valley lord for a long time. She’s also so pretty!”

”Hey, keep that part to yourself!”

”Hahaha!”

It didn’t matter what those of House Suishen and House Yumo thought. Most cultivators in Myriadpath Valley were happy to see Suishen Jiguang take up the mantle of valley lord. With House Qitian now seen as pariahs, the only other candidates for the role were Suishen Ranxing and Yumo Diyan, the latter of whom had the taint of starblood, which no doubt gave him the kind of reputation that wouldn’t inspire support outside of House Yumo.

As for Suishen Ranxing, he hadn’t rendered any significant merit in the battle. People had the impression that Suishen Jiguang had surpassed him. Not to mention, she was his younger sister, so they didn’t even think that he would discourage her from taking the role.

As Suishen Xiyue had planned, Suishen Jiguang had suddenly gained the protection and support of many people. Having the public mandate was far more important than the support of Houses Suishen and Yumo. After all, the Three Exalted Houses were no longer united, so the two million cultivators of Myriadpath Valley could assert their own interests.

”You should pretend to deny the role for now,” Suishen Xiyue whispered into Suishen Jiguang’s ear.

But why? Aren’t you the one who nominated me in the first place? she thought.

Suishen Xiyue continued, ”House Yumo is still out for blood and House Qitian will be planning their vengeance. Becoming the valley lord now will make you a target. The office is a hot potato. I’m only trying to set the tone, but let’s not commit or it’ll get troublesome.”

”I see!” It finally clicked in Suishen Jiguang’s mind. She really didn’t dare to rise to the role in the first place anyway, especially given the volatile situation.

Myriadpath Valley was bound to be more fractured after this battle, and she would require the strength of a super-zenith foundationeer to get everyone in order. Otherwise, taking the role would only lead to negative consequences.

Suishen Jiguang turned to the cheering crowd and said, ”Everyone, I’m still lacking in strength and experience, so I can’t properly serve in the role as a valley lord. I will be focusing more on improving myself. Thank you all for seeing me so highly.

”If I achieve the super zenith one day, I won’t let you all down! Rest assured, however, that House Suishen and I will do everything to maintain peace in Myriadpath Valley!”

Even though many people found it a bit of a shame that she hadn’t become the valley lord, they still held hope that one day she would. Either way, her nomination and refusal of the role had left a deep impression in the crowd. She represented a beacon of future hope that the cultivators of Myriadpath Valley could cling to.

It was only after her refusal that the tension among House Yumo and House Suishen faded. Everyone could tell that the struggle for power hadn’t ended yet; it still wasn’t certain who would take House Qitian’s place at the top.

All of a sudden, somebody asked, ”Eminent Jiguang, I just received word that Suishen Hongtian tried to capture some juniors of House Suishen for House Qitian to take as hostages.”

Suishen Jiguang nodded. ”That’s why House Suishen decided to deal with him then and there. Even though he was my own elder brother, he committed an unforgivable sin!”

With Suishen Hongtian’s might excluded from House Suishen, nobody knew the true extent of House Suishen’s power, especially Suishen Jiguang’s. It was a clear sign that there were internal struggles in House Suishen.

The one who had asked the question before said, ”I also heard that the ninth-level Eminent Jinxuan, who tried to kidnap those juniors, was killed by Pathkeeper Li. Is that true?!”

Everyone seemed shaken at hearing that.