All three treasures were in Tianming’s hand!
Yuwen Zhenxing and Gongsun Chi had paid with their life, a result that could only be described with three words: feels damn good! The best recompense was the Prime Tower, which equipped both Ying Huo and Meow Meow with tremendous combat strength and endurance. In the future, all they had to do was return to his lifebound space to recuperate after suffering injuries and they would be back at their peak condition in a matter of minutes. Such a miraculous treasure couldn’t be found in the entire Grand-Orient Realm.
Even generations of the Li Saint Clan ancestors had never obtained the real tower.
“The Grand-Orient Sword must be an unrivalled divine artifact. The prime disciples will participate in the Realm Wars, so perhaps I can, too!" Tianming smiled.
He could see a bright, limitless future ahead.
"Big Brother, although you have the Prime Tower, you killed Yuwen Zhenxing. Won't the Yuwen clan kill you as soon as you leave the tower?" Feiling failed to comprehend.
"If I become a prime disciple before they find Yuwen Zhenxing’s body, they won’t be able to kill me," explained Tianming.
Killing a direct disciple and killing a prime disciple were two completely different things. Since a direct disciple only belonged to one elder, the killer would offend that elder alone. Though Ye Shaoqing might demand a life in return, the council of elders was unlikely to step in during this special period. However, prime disciples belonged to the entire Grand-Orient Sect, which included the council of elders; that is, they belonged to all thirty-three elders. To publicly kill a prime disciple would require the approval of all thirty-three elders.
Tianming understood the delicate balance between the Yuwen Clan and the council of elders. Before the results of the Realm Wars were known, no one would willingly break the balance. Although the Yuwen clan dared to suppress Ye Shaoqing, they would have trouble going against the entire council of elders; especially at this critical moment.
"So if you choose to defeat a prime disciple in three hours instead of a month from now, you won’t die?" asked Feiling.
"Yes, Ling’er. When the time comes, even if they know I killed Yuwen Zhenxing, there’s no evidence. Whether or not I’m the murderer isn’t actually important. All that matters is my position and strength. This time, I’ve finally come to that realization. All along, I didn’t want to offend the Yuwen clan because I was worried about Master. Now, it seems that as long as I give them a headache, they’ll always find reasons and means to kill me. Since that’s how it’s destined to be, I might as well kill a few of them first.”
In fact, Tianming was well aware that the moment Yuwen Zhenxing had died, he’d already stepped into a battlefield of life and death. However, he had a clear line of reasoning. As a genius, he had to win over those in neutral positions by leading the masses and displaying his outstanding talents so they would hate to see him die.
Cowardice was a death warrant. If he proceeded bravely, a magnificent road awaited him! Becoming a prime disciple was his best opportunity to unsettle the council of elders; therefore, killing Yuwen Zhenxing wasn’t a matter of momentary recklessness, but the result of careful planning.
"I see. As long as you’re safe and sound, I’ll be at ease."
"Ling’er, I’m sorry for worrying you," Tianming said.
"It's alright. Nothing untoward will happen if we’re together!" assured Feiling.
Lips curled in a wide grin, Tianming looked up at the passage in the sky.
"Big Brother, won’t it be difficult to defeat Su Wuyou now?” Feiling wondered.
"Yes, which is why I’m not in a hurry to leave."
Tianming wasn’t planning on increasing the difficulty of battle.
"What will you do, then?"
"Cultivate and advance."
Unexpectedly, Tianming actually sat down. Today's struggle had caused numerous breakthroughs in his state of mind. In fact, it had been ten days since he’d advanced to fourth-level Unity. Ying Huo, Meow Meow, and Tianming were stuck on the border of fifth-level Unity, having so far failed to advance.
This time, he perceived a change. All the killing intent from the battle with the black-haired Tianming, as well as Ying Huo and Meow Meow’s distress, had loosened their bottlenecks. At that exact moment, Tianming was enlightened with a deeper comprehension of Unity.
Perhaps that was the sentiment of true brotherhood. Ying Huo and Meow Meow weren’t pets; they were his flesh-and-blood brothers. Tianming was deeply moved after witnessing the bloody battle they had fought to protect him.
Even the lazy Meow Meow, who only ever cared about sleeping, had fought against the gigantic Bloodfiend Taotie and suffered harassment from the Imperial Flame Locust. That was something Tianming would never forget.
His lifebound beasts were indomitable! Perhaps not at first, but Tianming's temperament had wrought a great influence on them. At Unity, the beastmaster and his lifebound beasts were one.
Fighting on the edge of life and death was the key to advancing. Of course, their efforts were built on outstanding talent and solid foundations as well. Those ten days of cultivation had laid a strong foundation for breaking through to the next level.
The three began the final sprint toward fifth-level Unity. Brothers who fought side by side, they had integrated their Unity field, racing toward the next level like an irresistible force. Breaking through to fifth-level Unity had only been a matter of time, and now the time had come.
"A few life and death battles were enough. I can't let the three of them keep taking risks with me. So I must become stronger and crush my opponents. What’s the point in torturing myself?”
Tianming wasn’t that kind of person. He wanted to crush his enemies until they begged for mercy. Hence, he wasn’t in a hurry to leave, and instead stayed to communicate and share with Ying Huo and Meow Meow what he had learned from his battle with the black-haired Tianming and Yuwen Zhenxing.
Most importantly, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth supplied by the Prime Tower had an effect on their cultivation equivalent to that of Li Shenxiao’s tomb.
"Moving forward, us brothers will only grow more united."
"Yes."
"Kill them as they come, bring chaos, and leave nothing behind."
"Protect Ling’er together!" declared Ying Huo.
"Fuck off, that’s my job," Tianming retorted.
"Then I’ll protect my Xiao Yueyue," said Ying Huo.
"Aren't you starting a harem?"
"That's right. I’ll protect Xiao Yueyue, riding the donkey while I search for horses in expansion of my harem."
"How dare you call Shuo Yue a donkey! I’m going to tell Qingyu when she comes back.”
"Tianming, how dare you betray your brother!" roared Ying Huo.
"Um, can we speed things up? This cat is sleepy," interjected Meow Meow.
"Get up!" yelled Tianming.
"Why sleep so much now? You can sleep all you want when you’re dead!" chided Ying Huo.
"But Chicken Bro, I'm afraid I won't die."
That was indeed a valid problem.
Tianming continued leading their cultivation, inspiration pouring out from him. Meanwhile, Feiling helped regulate his breathing. When the conditions were right, success would naturally follow.
"Fifth-level Unity, success!"
Breaking through, a smirk rose to Tianming's lips. He and his two lifebound beasts continued to grow at an unprecedented rate. This was the body of a decabane, the talent of an Aeonic Grandbane.
Perhaps life and death were intertwined and the path ahead was filled with thorns, but one thing remained constant: Tianming’s talent was undoubtedly unparalleled in the entire Flameyellow Continent. Both his talents and his lifebound beasts were perfect.
The recent breakthrough had brought about yet another surge in strength.
"Among those under Heavenly Will, I’m invincible. Even Li Yanfeng, before arriving in Ignispolis, wasn’t my opponent. My progress is astounding.”
It had only been a few months since he moved to Grand-Orient Sect. Despite the pace at which he progressed, he remained stable. And to this, Tianming had only three words to say: feels damn good!
"There are a hundred thousand people outside, thirty-three elders, and the Yuwen clan waiting for the results of the third test. They’re all looking at the top of the tower to see who makes it out."
There was still an hour before the struggle on the third floor would draw to a close and they discovered Yuwen Zhenxing’s death, which was enough for him to become a prime disciple.
Tianming stood up, ending their cultivation.
"I’ve kept you all waiting."
His eyes burning, he leaped off the ground and his Celestial Wings gained momentum. Like a ray of light, he burst out of the tower!
As soon as Tianming stepped out on top of the Prime Tower and faced the sunshine and blue sky, appearing before everyone, he found that all eyes in the First Grand-Orient Sect Battlefield were focused on him. Under the sun, the young man's white hair flew in the wind; he was a magnificent sight to behold.
At that moment, it was as if a god had descended.
Deathly silence pervaded through the First Grand-Orient Battlefield for a whole ten breaths. Then, a sudden roar of cheering swept through like a storm at sea. What a monumental scene indeed!
1. This is a Chinese idiom that means settling for the current option till a better one comes along.