Beastmaster of the Ages

”Lord Yue! Lord Yue’s coming to save us!”

“This is great news!”

”It’s just what you’d expect from our alliance leader! The six factions may operate independently, but we can still depend on him to step up and assist us during critical moments.”

A wave of excitement suddenly washed over Grand Jiang. The good news dispelled their gloom, lifting the hearts of the people.

”With Lord Yue leading us, we won’t have to fear the pope!”

”Empress Xia, the pope, and Lord Yue are the three most powerful cosmic gods of the Primordial Sands. Lord Yue might be ranked last, but the astralguard formation’s support means that he has no reason to fear the pope, doesn’t it?”

”What’s there to fear? Kill that lunatic!”

After months of anxiety and despair, they finally smiled again.

”Why should we be afraid of the Tian Jiu Cult? We have sixty million cosmic god warriors and the astralguard formation!”

”If they dare attack us on Grand Jiang, we’ll kill them all!”

Inspired by a sudden thought, someone else spoke up and asked, ”If we have sixty million troops, can we leave the astralguard formation to protect the ancient ancestor?”

”Don’t be naive. Lord Yue ignored our starlord because he thinks the living are more important and sees no value in protecting the ancient ancestor.”

”Honestly, our starlord is confused! What could he possibly be thinking? He has no self-awareness and doesn’t seem to value our lives!”

”Forget about Jiang Tianzhou! If we pull through this, one of the Pu clan should be our starlord instead. They have everyone’s best interests at heart.”

Following Lord Yue’s declaration, powerful undercurrents stirred across Grand Jiang. Even after Lord Yue’s transmission stone dimmed, excitement lingered among those in the Jiang Royal Palace.

”Our ancestors are watching over us!” Granny Pu broke into a smile as she settled into her seat, all worry visibly melting away.

In the corner, Lin Shenjian and Chen Qing exchanged a look.

”Lord Yue will lead ten million cosmic gods into battle. Isn’t he worried the Grand Xia imperials will attack Grand Yue?” Chen Qing asked, his expression puzzled.

”With the collapse of the Grand Xia Voidback Hole, the Grand Xia imperials need a new home more urgently than the Tian Jiu Sect.” Lin Shenjian frowned as well.

Considering their relationship with Jiang Tianzhou, five million reinforcements was the maximum they would send. It made no sense for Grand Yue to go to such lengths for Grand Jiang. After all, they were looking forward to the main lineage’s decline so they could legitimately seize power. However, Grand Jiang was so swept up in excitement that expressing any doubt at this time would be met with mockery.

”Perhaps we shouldn’t project our own cynicism onto those with good intentions!”

***

Grand Yue was a magnificent and dreamlike maniverse-class star that resembled a piece of flawless jade. Above a universe city, an assembly of 10 million cosmic god troops began to form as numerous starships converged in the sky. The breathtaking world of astral giants, with its sweeping vortex of power and starlight, aroused eagerness and excitement.

”The troops have gathered. Where’s Lord Yue?”

”I don’t know. Let’s wait a little longer.”

***

Behind the universe city, an enormous chasm split the white ground, revealing an endless abyss. Clouds of nova source rose from below, creating a dreamy atmosphere. Hidden deep beneath the earth, at the very bottom of the abyss, was a vast palace that stood millions of meters tall.

At this moment, a cosmic god of unparalleled beauty and an exquisitely sculpted body appeared before the palace. Though he was almost ten thousand meters tall, his white robes trailed behind him in a brilliant cascade of light.

”Little Yue, you’re here.” A hypnotic, melancholic female voice reverberated from within the palace.

”Yes.” The cosmic god nodded, entering the palace.

A majestic throne with phoenix wings as its backrest stood solemnly in the palace, as if poised for a skyward ascent. Upon this throne sat a colossal woman of over ten thousand meters. She appeared even more majestic than the white-robed cosmic god.

She was a vision of nobility and grandeur, clad in a stunning crimson phoenix dress and a hundred-meter-tall phoenix crown, with vibrant red lips and nova source-like eyes. However, there was no sense of superiority in her eyes, only calmness and deep affection.

”Xia, I’ve kept you waiting.” The white-robed cosmic god looked at her, his eyes flickering.

Shaking her head, the female cosmic god smiled and whispered, ”Do you know what I was just thinking of?”

The white-robed cosmic god shook his head.

”I was thinking of our youth and our perilous journey in the Kunlan Realm. Time flies! A hundred thousand years have passed in the blink of an eye. You and I are now the people we set out to be,” said the female cosmic god.

”Time flies indeed.” The white-robed cosmic god closed his eyes, his lips curving into a gentle smile. ”Do you remember the promise I made?”

The female cosmic god looked at him intently, tears welling in her eyes.

”I said that even if the world ends and you lose your home, I’ll do everything in my power to find you a new one.” The white-robed cosmic god drew a deep breath and looked at her with a smile. ”It’s been a hundred thousand years and I’ve come to fulfill my promise.”