Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming met up with Wudi at the entrance of the Fiend Ruins. They were at the exit that Shen Wu had opened and waiting for a signal from Yin Chen.

”Their wormhole expressway’s marker should be near Calabash Windfiend,” Wudi said. ”If they send ships from that world, it’d take quite a bit of time for them to reach the Sun. We’ll have time to prepare.”

That would be correct during typical times. The ashuras, Sin and Virtue Pantheons had used this very route to attack the Sun the last time. Tianming even had time to head to the imperial-class worlds of the Sundown and Starfall Pantheons before they arrived to force their troops to stand down.

This time around, however, Yin Chen discovered something else. ”A new... wormhole expressway... formed near... this place!”

Wudi’s expression turned grim. ”What? Doesn’t this mean they’d be able to leave from that new wormhole and enter this one to reach the Sun? Sounds like we wouldn’t have much time to react and have to prepare in advance! That way, if we send too many people to help the devas, we might not make it back in time even with the Flameyellow Divine Path.”

Tianming also nodded at that assessment with his brow furrowed. ”The wonderians weren’t part of their attack the last time. We’ll be put under even more pressure than before. The wormhole expressway is the exclusive legacy of the wonderians. They must have been preparing for this battle in the past few decades by forming a new marker near the exit of the Primordial Sands.”

Only the wonderians would be capable of such a feat. Initially, the closest wormhole expressway to the Sun was the one near Calabash Windfiend. However, they must’ve made another one that was even nearer!

”There’s no way for us to destroy the marker or the wormhole expressway from the inside either,” Wudi said, scratching his head. ”Is waiting all we can do? Do we just sit and see where they attack first?”

Tianming nodded. ”WIth this new marker, it’ll take about the same time for them to reach us and Deva Imperius. We wouldn’t have much time to react either way.”

”That’s bad news... Perhaps Shen Wu joining the wonderians is a sign that they are ready to take over the Sun. Their army would be able to show up at any time at the other end of this wormhole.”

”Have the warriors be ready, then.” Tianming looked at the deep pathway that was the bridge that connected the Eightpart Pantheons and the Primordial Sands. Since Shen Wu opened it up, the Flameyellow Imperial Star couldn’t move from that location as it had to defend the Primordial Sands where Feiling’s star form was located. Tianming would never back off!

”The good news is that they’re not aware of how we’re stationing our fighters and troops,” Wudi said. ”I hope Zi Zhen will be able to endure the attacks from her end and return safely to us.”

Tianming didn’t say anything, but he was even more confident in her than Wudi was. ”We just have to trust her and defend the Sun!”

***

It was the eve of the war breaking out at Deva Imperius, a world that had activated its imperial-class astralguard formation. Countless specter-like shades howled and surrounded the world.

Imperator Yin that stood near 110 thousand meters tall observed the surroundings with a solemn look. The capital was already drowning in even more chaos than the time Vermillion Bird was being attacked by Aquamarine and Torch Dragon’s forces. Many elite devas raised their flags in protest in the capital and howled their slogans.

”Lord Imperator, it’s time that we admitted our fault to the Eightpart Pantheons for losing faith in them!”

”There’s no hope in following Li Tianming! At the end of the day, we’re still members of the Eightpart Pantheons!”

”We’ve ruled the universe for so long only to be separated from the Eightpart Pantheons by Li Tianming alone! It’s tragic and laughable!”

”How could we give up just because of our hell-rings? Hell-rings are nothing compared to the survival of our kind! Even if we give up on them, it’d only be temporary! Once Li Tianming is dead, our connection to the Ninefold Hell will be restored!”

Faced with the threat of Shen Wu and the Eightpart Pantheons’ army led by the wonderians, countless devas were advising their imperator to turn back. Yin Chen had quite a few bodies there too and could see and hear everything.

The situation was almost like Vermillion Bird back then, save for the fact that Vermillion Bird was the side that tried to protect their homes. They were fully righteous. The devas, on the other hand, had always been members of the side of the Eightpart Pantheons and were forced to compromise with Tianming because of their hell-rings. So, they were the ones who actually betrayed the Eightpart Pantheons and needed to admit their fault to be accepted back!

Almost all of the devas were against Imperator Yin’s choice and tried to get him to change his ways. Some even more radical ones destroyed their own hell-rings to show their dedication to return to the Eightpart Pantheons. Almost none of them wished to fight the army of the Eightpart Pantheons. They used to be on the same side, after all, so it was time for them to turn back!

At that moment, four powerful figures came from afar and landed at the imperial palace. These were the four specter kings that served the imperator directly. The leader was Yingsang Daiqiong, Imperator Yin’s wife. She was dressed in a red robe and embodied the grace and beauty of a ghostly bride, eerie yet irresistible.

She turned her blood-red eyes to her husband, staring with dedication. ”Dear Husband, the Eightpart Pantheons are about to attack. It’s time to make up our minds. There’s only one path available to us, and that’s to return to the Eightpart Pantheons!”