Beastmaster of the Ages

Looming above, over a hundred astralships and ten thousand cosmic gods exerted a suffocating pressure on Darkjade Haven. Inside the star, a large number of the Virtue Pantheon specters were held captive within various cities. News of the Eightpart Pantheons’ imminent, all-out attack had already reached their ears. Having suppressed their fury for so long, they finally let loose, baring their teeth and pouring out a flood of bitter curses.

”These lowly slaves really think their little spark can start a prairie fire? They’re practically begging for death!”

”The legions of the Virtue Pantheons are closing in! The hour of your total extermination has arrived!”

”This time, it doesn’t matter where you hide.”

”The one commanding this army is none other than our sacred lord, Gui Daoyuan!”

”Kill! Kill! Kill!”

Even as battered, half-dead captives, the nobles of the fortuna-class world still carried the pride of countless generations. Even with knives at their throats, they jeered and laughed wildly, their composure growing strangely relaxed.

”Everyone, the exact moment the sacred lord activates the backup formation core and opens the astralguard formation will be the moment they die!”

”You sewer rats should’ve stayed hidden. Why crawl out to contest the Eightpart Pantheons for territory? You’re practically begging to be slaughtered!”

“Do you even understand what a deep foundation means? You have no one, but behind us stands Ghoulpurge Virtue Star, Virtue Imperius, and the Heavenly Dao!”

Countless curses erupted from the cities, vibrating through Darkjade Haven. More and more of the Virtue Pantheon specters added their voices to the thunderous uproar, demonstrating what it truly meant to possess a deep foundation.

You have no one! These words struck a deep chord with the flameyellow descendants. Indeed, within the Upper Star Ruin, even taking down numerous fortuna-class nova sources was of little use. And at that very moment, they couldn’t reach the Galactic Emperor, who was supreme in their hearts.

Where did he go? The Eightpart Pantheons had already launched a counterattack! What should they do? Naturally, many flameyellow descendants were consumed by anxiety, entirely unable to see a way out of their predicament.

However, every world had its heroes. The moment the Galactic Emperor’s might descended upon Darkjade Haven, numerous flameyellow descendants seized the opportunity. Shattering their heavenly shackles, they broke through to become cosmic gods, steering their entire race toward salvation.

At this moment, three hundred flameyellow cosmic gods gathered at the astralguard formation, leading two million overflowers. Vanishing into the dark tempest of the formation with their lifebound beasts, they formed the Flameyellow Iron Cavalry, the only one of its kind across the Upper Star Ruin. Their eyes were locked fiercely onto their enemies, the Virtue Pantheon and their royal lineage.

Ever since the Eightpart Pantheons ascended to power, their descendants held absolute dominion over the Upper Star Ruin for countless years, hoarding immeasurable resources to grow into the massive force they were today. Crushing them in a single day? That was easier said than done.

”Once they successfully activate the backup core, the formation will be useless, leaving us in an incredibly vulnerable position.”

Clad in white armor, a three-hundred-meter-tall female cosmic god stood at the head of the army. She rode upon a magnificent white dragon that bore thirty-five dragon tattoos, proof that she had long since broken the heavenly shackles. Her totems and lifebound beast had both reached this level!

”Moyu, we can’t reach the emperor! What do we do now?!” Several older cosmic gods stood behind the young woman. Despite their seniority as elders, they all looked to Long Moyu as their core decision-maker. It was clear that this female cosmic god was the very hero responsible for leading Darkjade Haven’s slaves to where they stood today, much like Long Xing from Starmoon Haven.

Across the many fortuna-class worlds of the Upper Star Ruin, there was no shortage of such brilliant talents. They had simply been suppressed by the heavenly shackles. Once their talent was unleashed, no one could stop their meteoric rise!

Now, a historic moment had arrived. Without their emperor, how would the flameyellow descendants of this fortuna-class world survive?

Enveloped by the churning black tempest, Long Moyu stood firm with a resolute and profound gaze. While his cosmic gods and astral gods looked on in confusion, Long Moyu suddenly pointed forward. “There’s only one way to preserve the astralguard formation—stop them from activating the backup core.”

”Charging in blindly strips us of our advantage. No number of astral gods can defeat a cosmic god. Our only option is to trade our lives for time,” said a middle-aged man.

”It’s alright. More children will grow to take our place in Darkjade Haven. We only need to survive this crisis until the emperor returns and brings true salvation!” Long Moyu’s voice thundered like a bell, carrying unshakeable resolve.

”Why are you so sure?” another middle-aged man asked.

Inhaling deeply, Long Moyu said, ”I don’t just believe in the emperor, but in every drop of blood flowing through our people, and in the countless generations that endured shame and torment just to survive to this day. Someone has to lay down their life to forge a path forward! So we can erase the slave brand, so our children never have to suffer...”

Most of the cosmic gods behind her were older; they knew the lifelong agony of the slave race better than anyone. It was a suffering too deep for words.

Why hadn’t the Eightpart Pantheons wiped out the flameyellow descendants? For one, they were entirely certain that under the suppression of the Heavenly Dao, these slaves could never turn the tide. Secondly, they relished torturing them across generations, ensuring every flameyellow descendant was condemned to a tragic existence from birth... This was infinitely more cruel than outright genocide.

Cruel as they were, the Eightpart Pantheons weren’t wrong. Without a miracle like Tianming, the flameyellow descendants would still be trapped in perpetual suffering. How could a chance like this ever come their way?

Nobody knew better than Long Moyu how hard they had fought to get here. She possessed an unshakeable faith, one anchored in the emperor and Flameyellow. One was her guiding light, the other her defining truth.

With a burning gaze, she turned back to look at the others. ”Those who claim the courage to die so Flameyellow may rise again, follow my lead! Let us fight to the bitter end!”

Without pausing to check if a single soul followed, she and her white dragon burst out from the astralguard formation and charged straight into the cosmos. Even if she had to face the enemy entirely alone, she would fight.

Her courage, decisiveness, and sheer greatness of spirit burned like a roaring furnace, setting fire to the blood of everyone present. Flameyellow had never lacked heroes, nor did they lack warriors willing to sacrifice everything. Generations of hardship had hammered their souls into unbreakable iron. In this very moment, every flameyellow descendant across the Upper Star Ruin stood unrivaled as the strongest in character in the universe. True power was their only missing piece. If they possessed that might, they would stand as an invincible force.

”Fight! Fight!”

Following Long Moyu’s lead, every single flameyellow cosmic god and overflower rushed headlong into battle.