Beastmaster of the Ages

The shackles were inscribed with intricate divine patterns, likely left over from Myriadpath Valley’s prehistoric times. It required exceptional skill that modern techniques would struggle to replicate.

“By the way, you were born in Myriadpath Valley. Why’s your myriadpath ring black?” Tianming asked while carefully unraveling the layers of the shackles.

“This thing? Qitian Xiao casually changed the color for me. Simple as that,” the old man replied, his eyes filled with anger and sorrow at the mention of that name. But at the same time, the passage of time had dulled his fury, leaving only melancholy bitterness.

“Why even bother?” Tianming muttered in exasperation.

“It’s just the kind of person he is. He wanted me to fall from as high as the valley lord to the lowest level, locked here where disciples who don’t know me would despise me. He wanted me to despair over centuries and ultimately surrender, handing over the Grand Myriadpath Ruins to him!”

After saying that, the old man’s somber expression suddenly brightened. With a carefree laugh, he said, “But fortunately, I’m rich in spirit and full of inspiration. I’ve turned my experiences here into imaginative literature, writing a masterpiece of humanity to cultivate my mind. These days, I live freer than ever! Honestly, Qitian Xiao’s plan to outlast me is a joke. By the time he dies of old age, I’ll still be full of life and ready to dance!”

Tianming didn’t say anything.

“I can’t let him succeed. If he manages to eliminate his last weakness, the children of House Qingchuan will have no chance of survival. Their fate will worsen with each generation, forever living as House Qitian’s grass.”

The old man claimed to have no regrets, but how could that be true? House Qingchuan remained his greatest sorrow. If generation after generation were to be treated as mere grass, their destiny would be worse than the livestock farms controlled by House Qitian in the Million Mundi. Tianming hadn’t visited those farms, but he could imagine the horrors.

Qitian Baba’s death had temporarily ceased their operations. However, without reforming Myriadpath Valley, House Qitian would one day restart the slaughterhouses.

The old man was clearly determined to endure against Qitian Xiao. Whether or not he handed over the Grand Myriadpath Ruins, he knew Qitian Xiao would never let House Qingchuan’s descendants live in peace due to their unique ties to the myriadpath source spirit.

He had no such thing as a bottom line.

The old man understood that giving in would strip House Qingchuan of their last bargaining chip, leaving them entirely at Qitian Xiao’s mercy. He and his house had long endured their lonely, painful wait in the dark, waiting for a faint glimmer of hope, no matter how fragile or distant. They never imagined that Tianming’s light would appear, or that it could so quickly illuminate all of Myriadpath Valley.

When the old man still believed Tianming to be merely an ordinary disciple, he had suddenly defeated an eminent and earned the unwavering loyalty of figures like Eminent Jiguang.

“Grandpa, to be honest, I rushed here because of some news I received,” Tianming said.

“What news? Is it about Qinghe and the others?” The old man’s heart sank.

“Yes. Qitian Xiao’s desperate and intends to kill the entire House Qingchuan to force you to hand over the Grand Myriadpath Ruins,” Tianming replied through grit teeth.

The old man sighed, his eyes dimming. “Perhaps death would be a relief. What I fear most is for them to become livestock and live for generation after generation with no control over even their own births.”

“Don’t worry. The one tasked with capturing them is your granddaughter, Qitian Muyue. I’ve already taken control of her,” Tianming assured him.

“Qitian Muyue....” The old man stared at Tianming in disbelief. In his eyes, Tianming was merely a monstrous genius, with much of his strength attributed to Eminents Jiguang and Xiyue. But now he claimed to have gained control of Qitian Muyue?

“Are you certain?”

“Absolutely! If things get too urgent, I may need to expose her. Right now, though, she has the absolute trust of both Qitian Xiao and Qitian Muyu,” Tianming earnestly said.

The revelation showed the value of sparing Qitian Muyue. With House Qingchuan in his hands, Qitian Xiao was bound to play this card. If anyone else had been assigned to transport House Qingchuan, they might already be there by now.

“In that case, I must pass the Grand Myriadpath Ruins on to you,” the old man murmured.

“No take-backs!” Tianming heartily laughed and continued his work on the shackles.

“That’s the former valley lord?”

Many disciples of Myriadpath Valley had gathered around. Most fortuna and maniverse disciples had never seen the former valley lord. Even the topic was taboo, so their elders avoided discussing him. Thus, hearing Suishen Jiguang’s revelation left them utterly shocked.

In their eyes, valley lords had always been noble and supreme, mysterious and untouchable. But the frail old man before their eyes, with his shackles, tattered clothes, and decrepit appearance seemed on the verge of collapse. Even his once-elegant features had withered. The black myriadpath ring on his hand, marking him as an outsider, only added to the dissonance.

“This man... was the former valley lord? And he was imprisoned by the current valley lord, who’s both his disciple and son-in-law?” Recent years had seen rumors circulate, but few believed them. To see the truth in person was earth-shattering for the disciples. Many felt deep guilt, recalling how they had ridiculed or even mistreated the old man.

“Eminent Jiguang spoke the truth?”

“Of course! Look at our current valley lord. Coveting the inheritance of the Yin-Yang World, he sought to monopolize it and killed the senior madame of House Yumo! And after failing to achieve his goals, he still acted like a hero. A man like that wouldn’t hesitate to betray his master and harm his wife!”

“Myriadpath Valley was plunged into darkness under his rule! Thank goodness the tensource beast is dead....”

“Eminent Jiguang and Li Tianming are the valley’s true hope!”

Over the past decade, the reputation of the Three Exalted Houses had plummeted due to countless scandals. Now, Eminent Jiguang’s revelations had further tarnished Qitian Xiao’s name, pushing it further into disgrace.