Beastmaster of the Ages

”That discovery was so important that we had to sacrifice a few of our own to defend it...” someone said tragically.

Mu Qingqing consoled them and said, ”You have been really brave. Nullity will remember all your contributions. Now, what was the discovery?”

”Great Grandmother, we found the entrance to a Chaos Star Ruin!” Mu Ziyan took out a sigil and said, ”These are the coordinates we marked down. There’s nobody in there, so it’s unclaimed!”

Mu Qingqing’s expression turned serious. ”Are you certain?”

”Yes! It’s huge inside! Many chaos middlekin stars are forming within!” Mu Ziyan said. ”Great Grandmother, I saw it with my own eyes!”

”Did anyone else learn about this place?”

”Nobody else, and only I have the marker!” The fact that she had managed to keep the marker hidden was impressive indeed.

”Then why did Lin Wanjun confine all of you over this? Was he trying to force you to reveal the location?”

”I don’t know... Someone among us probably leaked it. There aren’t many left who know about it, but even if they do, they only know about its existence. I’m the only one who knows the exact location!”

Tianming asked, ”Is it hard to find a specific place in the Inverse Battlefield?”

”The terrain here constantly changes, so we need markers. Otherwise, it’d be much more difficult. Some Chaos Star Ruins’ entrances even shut on their own,” Mu Qingqing said.

”I see.” Tianming had learned that the basis of conflict in the Realm of Chaos was the same as that of the Realm of Order: astral wars. The Realm of Chaos seemed to have even higher demand for their version of middlekin stars as even imperial-class worlds would degrade without a constant stream of supply. Decay and destruction were constantly on the brink.

The fortresses within the Inverse Battlefield were constructed to defend nearby Chaos Star Ruins. The discovery of a new one was also something that could fundamentally alter the fate of a faction. These youth were rather inexperienced, so had Tianming come a bit later than he did, Lin Wanjun might’ve been able to force Mu Ziyan to reveal the location once his seniors arrived.

Tianming took the marker and announced, ”I know that the one who sold out your own people is among you. I’ve seen many of your ilk. Feel free to spread word that I have the marker. I extend an open invitation to anyone with a death wish to try to take this from me.”

The battlefield was absolutely silent.

”Let’s go back,” Mu Qingqing said.

”Okay!” They nodded, still somewhat scared by Tianming’s words.

Mu Ziyan shuffled next to him and asked, ”Great Grandfather, are you looking for dazzling radiance?”

”Yes.” Yin Chen had been waiting near one, so Tianming would go to claim it once the kids were on their way and absorb it later on. He had skypole stars, so he didn’t have to worry.

”Umm... I even saw a few red glows at the bottom of the Chaos Star Ruin. I didn’t see it well as I was in a rush, but it might be what you need,” Mu Ziyan nervously said.

”Really?” Tianming’s eyes brightened.

”Check it out if you’re free. We’ll be leaving now, so stay safe, my blissful ancestors!” Mu Ziyan looked at the two enviously. ”This love story that spans a hundred millennia truly is romantic.”

Tianming cleared his throat awkwardly. ”Alright, shoo.”

”Haha, Great Grandfather is so cute... He’s shy!” The rest of them joined in the laugh, almost making Tianming cough out blood. I am young... I am young... He chanted that to himself nonstop to remind himself that he was no old fart!

Once the youths were gone, only the two of them were left in the fortress. Mu Qingqing asked, ”What do you plan to do next?”

”Will they be able to find the Chaos Star Ruin without this marker?” Tianming asked.

”If they’re lucky. It’s not likely to be the case.”

”Then there’s no rush. I’ll absorb dazzling radiance first to power up.”

”Are you worried that you’ll run into someone’s great grandson and embarrass yourself if you can’t defeat them?” Mu Qingqing tried to hide a smirk.

”Shut up.” Tianming glared at her before heading deeper into the fortress. He saw a red glow deep within the dark depths beyond a screen. Disappointed, he said, ”It’s rather small. Li Tianzi gave me a much larger one.”

”This is their normal size. The one your brother gave you was on the larger side,” Mu Qingqing said.

”It seems that breaking through rapidly to reach a hundred thousand meters won’t be as easy as I thought.”

”Why’d you even think that? That’s some insane ambition right there.” Mu Qingqing didn’t quite know how to react to that.

Tianming looked at the marker in his hand. ”Still, I’ve always been a lucky person. Perhaps I’ll find many big red treasures within the Chaos Star Ruin!”