Beastmaster of the Ages

“Dumb question. After getting you to do the grunt work of exterminating that Mayfly Brainlord, of course I’d run the first chance I got.” Sixth’s vita glared at Tianming coldly.

“The Ancient Oldgod Domain is the only exit. And once I conquer the Sea of Aeternity, you’ll have nowhere to go, ever again,” Tianming replied calmly.

“You really think that specter you brought can defeat Huang Qi?” Sixth’s vita sneered. “Li Tianming, in my masterplan, you’re already dead. That specter can prolong your life, but your fate isn’t changing.”

“If I die, what benefit do you get? Huang Qi is even harder to deal with than the Mayfly Brainlord. She’ll never let you go. And you don’t have a symbiotic cultivation system, so you’ll always have limits. You could have been stronger than your two brothers, yet you choose to live like a beaten dog. Why?” Tianming was calm.

“Hey hey, keep those lies out of you mouth. How could the third runt ever surpass me, the big brother? Its mental issues are a terminal case. Bigger biceps won’t help an empty head!” Bai Ye shouted.

“Big brother your ass. I’m the eldest. The terra is the foundation of the soul!” Bai Ling snorted.

“Foundation? You’re right, you’re below us!” Bai Ye mocked.

“Bastard!” The two were supposed to trap Sixth’s vita, but instead they started fighting each other, tumbling into a brawl.

“Look at your lifebound beasts. They’re like two brainless and witless clowns. That’s what your taming achieved. No matter how big they get, they’re just muscle-bound idiots,” Sixth’s vita said in disgust.

Bai Ling and Bai Ye froze at that, then immediately stopped and closed in around it.

“What are you doing?” Sixth’s vita snapped.

Bai Ye snickered. “You used to lord over the Ancient Oldgod Domain and look down on me. But you’re still yapping now as a homeless mutt? I’m gonna enjoy bullying you.”

“Get him!” Bai Ling growled, unable to hold back anymore.

The two wrapped it up instantly.

Sixth’s vita had just barely escaped being parasited by the Mayfly Brainlord. It was at its weakest, losing the foundation of the Ancient Oldgod Domain and left with only its meager forty-five infant souls.

Bai Ling and Bai Ye “serviced” it thoroughly. It howled nonstop, cursing as loud as it could. The little rebel who’d been arrogant for years finally got a taste of misery.

“Arghhh! I’ll kill you two! I swear I’ll kill you!!” Sixth’s vita roared.

“Kill us? With what? Forty-five infant souls isn’t even enough to wipe my ass,” Bai Ye cackled, pressing it down.

“Get him!” Bai Ling cheered.

The two went wild.

“Hey Little Third, when are you going to start killing us!” Bai Ye mocked mercilessly.

“So useless and so foul-mouthed. You think you’re the only genius awake in a confused world? Free? You became that Mayfly Brainlord’s puppet, you dumb clown!” Ying Huo spat, furious with the little traitor.

“Maybe go easier? Don’t break its mind,” Xian Xian whispered sympathetically to Tianming.

“The timing isn’t right yet,” Tianming rejected the idea.

So Bai Ling and Bai Ye continued stripping Sixth’s vita of every shred of dignity.

“That’s enough,” Tianming coughed.

“You say stop and we stop? Who the hell are you, Trash Little Li?” Bai Ye was so worked up he even started insulting Tianming.

“Alright, alright, calm down,” Meow Meow interrupted with a cough. “You’re too loud. I’m trying to sleep.”

Only then did Bai Ye harrumph. “Fine. Today I’ll give Brother Meow some face. You get a break!”

“Go die!!!” Sixth’s vita screamed, eyes glowing blood-red with hatred.

“Heh. Garbage,” Bai Ye scoffed.

They finally backed off, and Tianming stepped in to separate the triplets.

He looked at Sixth’s vita, and gently placed a hand on the white mist. “I know you’ve suffered a lot in the Sea of Aeternity over the years. I’m sorry I came late.”

“Spare me the act. I’ll never forgive a thief like you. You ruined everything in the universe!” Sixth’s vita said. Its voice was cracking, so frustrated it had actually started crying...

Tianming sighed. “Actually, you’ve seen yourself that I’m nothing like the tyrant you imagined. Everyone fights beside me because they want to. They’re all high-maintenance, and I’m just their poop-scooper. That Bai Ye just roasted me earlier and I can’t even do anything about it. Tragic, really.”

“What are you trying to say?” the small white mist child glared at him.

Tianming locked eyes with him. “I know you don’t really hate us. You care about your siblings. You’re just... too sensitive.”

“I am not!” Sixth’s vita denied sharply.

“What I mean is: what you see isn’t always the truth. The future of the Primordial Chaos Beasts is something for us to discover together. Rather than being cornered here.”

“No point talking,” Sixth’s vita muttered, defeated.

“In fact...” Tianming softened his voice. “You’ve wanted to come back for a long time, right? Just now, when the Mayfly Brainlord controlled you, your body formed the word ‘Home.’ I knew then you wanted to come home. That’s why I risked everything and released Huang Qi to free you.”

“I only did that to trick you! To get you killed by her!” Sixth’s vita snapped.

“Then why did the Mayfly Brainlord call you Bai Feng? If you hadn’t told it that name, how would it know it?” Tianming suddenly pressed.

“I was manipulating you! Lying to you! I never wanted to come home! I’m fine alone—”

“Home? So you admit this is your home. You watched everything from inside the egg long before you were born. You know exactly what our relationships are like. You just think too much!” Tianming said firmly.

He spoke with heartfelt conviction. “Let’s discover our destinies together, whether its thieves or anything else. Today, I risked my life for you. Give me a chance... okay?”

“Pah!” Bai Ye suddenly popped up. “We don’t need him! If he comes back, I’m running away from home!”

“I don’t want to stay another second in this crappy home! Damn Li Tianming, give me freedom!” Bai Ling barked.

“You pathetic little weakling. Stop acting like a sad puppy. There’s no place for you here, shoo!” Bai Ye jeered.

“You all—!” Sixth’s vita’s face contorted with rage, its head practically steaming. It glared at them, then roared at Tianming, “What are you standing there for?! Start the symbiotic cultivation already! I’m going to kill these two vile wenches!!!”