Beastmaster of the Ages

Above Plunderlord Palace, one man rose into the air alone. Yet, he made the thousand primocosmic gods tremble, instinctively withdrawing their oppressive auras.

That man was none other than Imperator Skyplunder, Li Muyang.

When he appeared, both Emperor Jian and Yueling Xiao looked at him with openly hostility.

“Li Muyang!” Yueling Xiao’s tone and manner were identical to his father’s: cold and condescending. His icy gaze locked onto Li Muyang. “We have descended upon Nullity today for one purpose only!”

“Let’s hear it,” Li Muyang said calmly.

Yueling Xiao gave a cold laugh, his voice booming like thunder. “Immediately release our clansmen from the Violetmoon Fortress, withdraw from Violetmoon, and surrender the war criminal Li Tianming, who brazenly provoked this war, to the Yueling Starcage!”

He glared at Li Muyang and continued, “This is the joint resolution reached by all parties. It already represents the greatest leniency we can offer your Nullity. This calamity began because of you, and we’ve made great concessions in order to preserve peace. Do not test our limits any further!”

Given the arrogance of Yueling, this was indeed a major concession. They had lost nearly seventy million cosmic gods and were, for the moment, not seeking vengeance for those deaths.

“Li Muyang,” said Imperator Jian solemnly, “there were indeed some misunderstandings regarding the Primospirit Ancestral Tree. Fortunately, your people only suffered some hardships; few actually died. However, this time, our two starcages lost over sixty million cosmic gods. If you are willing to cooperate, for the sake of maintaining peace in the Realm of Chaos, we can choose not to pursue the matter further.”

“Anything else?” Li Muyang asked.

Yueling Xiao sneered. “After all these years, you should know how this works. Quit while you’re ahead. Otherwise, if all parties pursue this case, it will surely be judged as excessive defense. Do you truly think a few sky plunderers can save your regressing world from annihilation?”

“Li Muyang, take the chance and acknowledge reality,” Imperator Jian warned.

Li Muyang chuckled softly, then looked at Yueling Xiao and asked, “You just said ‘all parties.’ Which ones are those?”

“Every imperial-class starcage except yours,” Yueling Xiao mocked.

“Is that so?” Li Muyang turned and said mildly, “What a coincidence. Two of those ‘friends’ are currently my guests in Plunderlord Palace. It seems they’ve been represented without their consent.”

As his words fell, the ceiling of Plunderlord Palace split open. Two exalted cosmic gods sat within, calmly playing a game of chess.

One was Li Yanfeng, also known as Imperator Feng of Violetblitz.

The other, with his graceful bearing and effortlessly elegant air, was over ninety thousand meters tall. Had Tianming been here, he would have instantly recognized him. This was Sage Chen of Vermilion Bird Starcage.

Sage Chen gave a friendly smile. “Now, now, let’s not get heated. Speaking fairly, this time the fault indeed lies with you. By the rules, if you make a mistake and get taught a lesson, you ought to accept it. What I mean to say is that Vermilion Bird has never made any statements. We’re neutral, and we stand by reason.”

“You, Lin Tianjian, do not represent Violetblitz either,” Li Yanfeng said casually as he placed a black piece down.

Seeing the two of them, both Yueling Xiao and Imperator Jian frowned deeply. The thousand primocosmic gods behind them also wore dark, sullen expressions.

“So, the two of you have decided to stand with Nullity and oppose us?” Yueling Xiao asked in an icy tone.

Sage Chen quickly waved his hand. “Don’t put it that way, please! I only spoke for myself. I simply believe that whoever is at fault should be held accountable. To do wrong and still shout the loudest, is very inappropriate.”

“Enough sophistry.” Yueling Xiao sneered coldly, sweeping his gaze across the three men. “I won’t waste any more words. Li Muyang, you have two options. Either release our people, withdraw your forces and hand over Li Tianming, or be prepared to lose every foothold your Nullity has in the Inverse Battlefield!”

“Understood,” Li Muyang said simply, pointing outward. “I won’t see you off.”

His blunt dismissal caught them completely off guard.

“Are you certain?” Yueling Xiao asked coldly.

“Nullity does not provoke others, but if someone dares to trample upon us, I believe our people would rather die than let such lawless tyrants walk away alive,” Li Muyang declared.

Those missing people were no longer fetters for Nullity. Now the tables were turned. The hostages were in his hands, and he held them openly.

Li Muyang’s stance made both Yueling Xiao and Imperator Jian seethe with fury.

“Wonderful!” Yueling Xiao growled. “Since you’ve chosen the second path, remember this—. The blood of every citizen of Nullity who dies will be on your hands! You, Li Muyang, are declaring war upon us!”

“Get out,” Li Muyang said, his tone growing colder.

“Very well. Let’s go!” Yueling Xiao and Lin Tianjian turned away, faces twisted with wrath, leading their vast retinue into retreat.

“Out! Get lost!” Thunderous shouts erupted from every direction, crashing like tidal waves against the backs of the retreating primocosmic gods, darkening their expressions even further.

Li Muyang, Li Yanfeng, and Sage Chen exchanged grave yet resolute looks.

But before any of them could speak further, a dark red radiance suddenly gathered above Skyplunder Capital, coalescing into a massive, blood-hued sphere.

A dreadful silhouette emerged from within that sphere.

When Imperator Jian and Yueling Xiao looked up, their expressions changed instantly to awe and agitation. Despite their exalted status, they bowed deeply and called out with reverence. “We pay our respects to the Adjudicator!”