Beastmaster of the Ages

Silence blanketed Skyplunder Capital once the guests had entered Plunderlord Palace. The chaotic cosmic gods watched the palace from their doorsteps and the streets, their apprehension growing as they waited for an outcome. They noticed Tianming as he flew by, and their anxiety deepened.

”Enter through the front,” Mu Qingqing said, guiding Tianming to Plunderlord Palace’s magnificent doors. The sealed million-meter-tall bronze doors swung open when he arrived, kicking up a cloud of dust.

”Enter.”

Li Muyang’s solemn voice echoed from within. As it washed over Tianming, it mellowed into a gentle presence that enveloped him, as though laying a path for him. Tianming’s gold and black eyes peered inside before he advanced boldly into the palace. In an instant, the gazes of tens of thousands of cosmic gods fell upon him like molten iron igniting every middlekin astron in his body.

At that moment, he felt like a baby entering the hunting grounds of a pack of ferocious wolves. The immense power gap pressed down on him. However, Tianming acted as if he hadn’t seen them. He had experienced countless similar situations, allowing him to face this with a calmness that no one else possessed.

Under the weight of countless watching eyes, he advanced along this magnificent path towards his parents. At the end, Li Muyang sat in the highest position, smiling warmly at his youngest son. His wife was on his left, and his eldest son stood behind him. The identities behind the thousands of scrutinizing gazes on either side no longer mattered to Tianming.

”What great skypole stars!”

”The two ancestors are wise and far-seeing.”

”Who can stand in the way of this imperial son’s rise? He’s destined to bring everlasting prosperity to the skyplunderers, and with two skypole stars by his side!”

Praises filled the room, though their words didn’t necessarily reflect their true thoughts.

”Tianming,” Li Muyang waved to him.

Tianming walked up to his father.

”Greet the elders,” Li Muyang said.

Turning around, Tianming came face-to-face with these colossal cosmic gods, who towered like shimmering mountains of dazzling color.

”Hello everyone,” Tianming said briefly.

The cosmic gods merely smiled at his insincere words, though it was unclear what they were thinking.

”Yes, it’s the Skyplunder imperial son of a hundred thousand years ago, whose brilliance held us in awe for a millennium.” A faint voice echoed from the side.

Tianming looked to the speaker, an imposing fire cosmic god. It was Imperator Feng, Li Yanfeng.

”Imperator Feng has confirmed it. He interacted extensively with Li Tianming a hundred thousand years ago, so there shouldn’t be a problem.”

The others began to discuss the matter.

”Why are we jumping to conclusions? Let’s wait and watch. For all we know, Imperator Skyplunder is so desperate he’s made a fake to scare us,” said a lightning cosmic god across from Imperator Feng. It was none other than Imperator Jian.

”Tianming.” In response to these words, Li Muyang looked down and said to Tianming, ”You may leave.”

As soon as he said this, Tianming knew his mission was accomplished. All he had to do was stand up and reveal his return. Whether they believed him or not was entirely up to them.

”Yes.”

Just as Tianming reached the entrance, he suddenly turned around and said to Imperator Jian, “Your son and I have an agreement. We’ll fight in Violetblitz after a thousand years. How about that?”

The cosmic gods of Violetblitz burst out laughing.

”Sure, you can choose where.” Lin Xiaoting smiled.

”How about the place your grandfather died?” Tianming replied.

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire palace fell silent. They could barely believe their ears. How could he have said that?

”Haha...” Out of nowhere, a man’s laughter echoed. It was Imperator Feng. ”I’ve said before, you need certain traits to be the Skyplunder imperial son!” He said.

What a scoundrel... Tianming felt that he hadn’t misjudged the man.

Without another word, he turned to leave. The door slammed shut behind him, but not before a towering, shadowy figure emerged from within, almost crushing him with his foot.

”What are you doing?” Tianming looked up at the black-haired Li Tianzi.

”You’re very stubborn, aren’t you?” Crouching down, Li Tianzi stared at him with a strange expression.

”You’re not much better,” Tianming said.

Li Tianzi laughed. He sat comfortably on the steps outside the palace, looking pleased as he said, ”Before, I was the wicked one and you were the righteous one, so no one liked me. But now it seems you’ve got a little devil in you after all... What comes around goes around.”

”Knock it off. I’m annoyed just looking at you.” Tianming pursed his lips.

”Get lost, you idiot.” Li Tianzi glared at him.

”Why aren’t you in there negotiating with them?” Tianming asked.

Li Tianxi gritted his teeth. ”To be honest, today’s meeting is wishful thinking on our father’s part. Things are different now than they were a hundred thousand years ago. Every imperator and race have their own interests. It’s impossible to secure peace through non-violent means. The fact that not a single imperator from Yueling Starcage showed up proves my suspicions. We’ll have to fight, and people will die.”

“Yueling Starcage?” Tianming froze.

Although the Yueling clan had been to Vermilion Bird and were a major opponent in the Sanctum Replacement Challenge, the “plot” seemed to have extended from the Realm of Chaos to the Grand-Orient Realm!

”Just watch, it’ll end badly soon.” Li Tianzi glanced at Tianming. ”Let’s not waste any time. As soon as this banquet is over, we’ll head to the Inverse Battlefield. Are you ready?”