Beastmaster of the Ages

Chapter 3006 - Tainted Beastmaster

Even the children of the valley lord would have to leave their home, though it would be a great misfortune and shame if that happened. Tianming could imagine how much pressure the cultivators of Myriadpath Valley were under.

"That’s the reason Myriadpath Valley has gathered the best of the best for tens of millions of years! If you aren’t an expert, you’ll be expelled, and expulsion doesn't happen only once. You’ll also be kicked out if you’re still not a foundationeer by the age of two thousand. Anyone in the Million Mundi who reaches the Foundation stage before that age will also have a chance to enter Myriadpath Valley,” Li Fan said.

Five hundred and two thousand years were two critical points.

"So Myriadpath Valley is the ‘imperial capital’ of the Million Mundi, and the valley lord is the ‘supreme ruler’ of the astralscape of order?" Tianming's heart trembled at the realization that he had little knowledge of Myriadpath Valley. Most of what he knew came from Li Fan.

"What do you think?" Li Fan shrugged.

No wonder he’d had such a sense of superiority when he arrived in Skydome. Even Meng Ying was polite to him, a visitor from the ‘capital.’

"But it’s best if you don’t mention the words ‘supreme ruler’ or ‘imperial capital.’ Myriadpath Valley considers itself the holy land of cultivation. It doesn’t rule over or interfere with the Million Mundi. Cultivation and transcending the limits of life is its true objective, and the duty of every valley lord has always been to challenge the limits of human cultivation, not to dominate the astralscape of order," Li Fan solemnly explained.

"Got it." Tianming nodded. It didn’t matter what their cause was, the supremacy of Myriadpath Valley was a fact. Its status and privilege were also facts. Whether or not the valley lord was the supreme ruler of the astralscape of order was merely a matter of title. As he saw it, Myriadpath Valley was the imperial city and the valley lord the ultimate ruler of the Million Mundi.

"I might be the ruler of the Infinitum Mundus, but here I’m just a lowly ‘county official’," Tianming muttered to himself. And he controlled millions of nova source worlds!

"Four months should be enough time for Ji Ji to regain consciousness. It can absorb midsky essence to restore its body after it awakens. Maybe the First Aeonic Ancestral Star can even grow stronger. Now that Ying Huo and the rest have been fused with my body, Ji Ji could also do the same and channel genesis ancestral nova source toward me so we’re all stronger."

His lifebound beasts were no different from country bumpkins as they stared wide-eyed at their new surroundings, but Lan Huang was the worst of them all. It repeatedly tore holes in Tianming’s trouser leg, just to expose its eyes, and Tianming was wearing a cosmic artifact with defensive functions! They were excitedly discussing among themselves.

Tianming was just about to send Yin Chen out to monitor the other participants on the platform when Li Fan said, "I know those insects of yours are strong but you must be careful when you use them in Myriadpath Valley, unless you don’t plan on using them in battle. There are so many powerful experts here. If they find out that you’re spying on them, you’re dead." Li Fan sounded anxious; he definitely didn’t want to die.

"You’re right."

Myradpath Valley gathered the cream of the crop. No matter how powerful Yin Chen was, it would eventually be discovered. Tianming wasn’t sure if he would use Yin Chen’s congregate form in battle, but as long as he wasn’t sure, he couldn’t use it for surveillance.

At that point, he recalled something important. There was still time, so he asked, "My body is similar to the Yishker Clan on Ebonia. Will that make me particularly conspicuous in Myriadpath Valley? Will they think I’m super talented? I want to keep a low profile."

Li Fan burst out laughing,

"What’s so funny?" Tianming was stunned.

Afraid that he would be angry, Li Fan quickly put away his smile and said, "I’ll be honest, your physique isn’t common here, but...."

"But what?" Tianming asked.

"I’ve seen the Yishker Clan. They have two small snakes on their ears, right? It’s special, in a way, but it isn’t uncommon in the Million Mundi. Myriadpath Valley isn’t interested in it. There's even a specific name for people with your condition."

"What's it called?" Tianming asked.

Tianming’s lifebound beasts were Primordial Chaos Beasts, so he didn't want them to be too conspicuous. Although Ying Huo and the rest had failed to evolve, it was also an opportunity. Otherwise, Tianming wouldn't have brought lifebound beasts with nine million nine hundred and ninety-nine thousand stars. On the other hand, Yin Chen’s star count wasn’t as obvious. Tianming left the four remaining ordered manna in the Ninedragon Imperial Tomb for the same reason. Anyway, he would be able to instantly return in about two weeks.

Li Fan hesitated for a moment.

"Speak," Tianming urged.

Li Fan sighed. "Don’t get upset when you hear what I’m about to say."

"Spit it out," Tianming said.

"They’re called ‘tainted beastmasters’," Li Fan replied.

"What? Painted?" Tianming was puzzled.

"Tainted," Li Fan repeated.

Tianming's mind buzzed. "Why tainted? Aren’t they powerful? They have both abilities and combat power like specters," he said in disbelief.

Li Fan rolled his eyes at him. "It isn’t the same. Physically, human and beast are one, but they have more than one mind and their bloodlines can never fuse. Tainted beastmasters have fewer combat units and poor coordination, while specters are powerful individuals through and through. So that kind of beastmaster is inferior to both specters and regular beastmasters. They’re weak and seen as deformed freaks."

"Deformed?" Tianming was speechless. He thought he would be seen as a talented genius, not deformed.

"What’s weird about that? Human and beast joined together, yet neither fully human nor specter. What else could it be if it isn’t a deformity? You can’t pick up a girl in Myriadpath Valley looking like that. In fact...." Li Fan seemed embarrassed to continue talking.

"Go on,” Tianming said.

"I’ll tell the truth, but don’t be mad."

"Enough with the bullshit. Keep talking."

"I’m just telling you what the general opinion is!" Li Fan emphasized. "Tainted beastmasters are discriminated against, just like how society treats disabled people. You might be handsome, but most people still won’t accept it. You’ll be despised and have no friends even if you enter Myriadpath Valley. People will be ashamed to associate with you and they’re going to look at you like a freak.... You can hide your arms and legs under your clothes and you’ve got a good body and face, but you can’t change your physique. Girls don’t like others watching when you’re being intimate....”

Tianming was too shocked to speak.

"Yay! I did something good for Ling’er!" Xian Xian was excited.

Ying Huo, Meow Meow, and Lan Huang were stupefied.