Beastmaster of the Ages

At the rear of the palace in Divine Moon Skycity was the harem of Sovereign Xi. Entry was forbidden to anyone but the sovereign herself. There were no servants or guards there, either. Only the sovereign and her concubines lived there.

It was said that the palace was a place of unlimited debauchery where all desires of the flesh could be satisfied without exception. Countless tales and songs spoke about the glamorous lives the concubines and the sovereign lived there. It was a place that all in the Divine Moon Realm yearned to be in.

Word was that the sovereign's beautiful looks could only be appreciated within these grounds. Countless royals lingered around the palace, constantly dreaming of being allowed to enter paradise and being spoiled by their sovereign.

Even though the concubines eventually stopped showing themselves to the public, most people would never get to meet them anyway. Even if there were unpleasant rumors about the place in the Divine Moon Realm, they would always be nipped in the bud. Sometimes, entire families were eradicated for the slightest whisper of the rumors.

The sovereign was the ultimate authority in the Divine Moon Realm, as well as the object of desire of all. It was a small, isolated world. Nobody could ascend to the astralscape of order, nor would anyone dare to ruin the order of the world below. It was the kind of world where Sovereign Xi reigned supreme.

There were many pleasant rumors about the palace as well; however, Tianming noticed immediately that it was nothing like the rumors when he first set foot in it. Sure, the moonlight glowed beautifully, illuminating the intricately fashioned landscape, trees, ponds, fake hills, and so on.

When night fell, the glow from the stellunar source was even more apparent, casting a silvery white light across the whole area. Paradise was the only word fit to describe it. Shades of pink and white adorned the grand residence, and the intoxicating fragrance of flowers made one feel extremely pleasant. It was a place of ultimate bliss that even Tianming could appreciate, one that was so beautiful that time spent in it felt fleeting.

However, the legends spoke of three thousand harem complexes that were endlessly merry and lively. The reality was completely different, with a dead silence encompassing the whole area. Since he had entered, Tianming took a stroll with the sovereign for half an hour and hadn't seen another soul. It was so quiet it was eerie. The only sounds he heard were the rhythmic footfalls of the woman in front of him as she paced along the cobblestone path.

Tianming was indeed stunned when he saw her within the palanquin. Even with the white cat mask she wore that covered her looks, her aura and figure were undoubtedly marks of supreme beauty. The mask only added to her mystery and intrigue, subtly encouraging the imaginations of those who looked at her to go wild as each individual pictured their own perfect face in their minds to take the place of the mask.

Tianming looked up to the night sky. The alluring woman was not more than five meters away from him, swaying her body like a water snake. Her silvery-white hair was waist length and tidy. A little below that was her plentiful waistline that served as yet another eye magnet. Incidentally, the effect of its attraction was stronger from behind, where Tianming was standing. He had been counting how many times she swayed her body since they came in. When it swayed the five thousandth time, that would mean she took five thousand steps.

By now, they were deep within the palace. There wasn't a single soul to be seen within a few kilometers around them. She took her time during the stroll, not talking to Tianming one bit. In fact, since Tianming had entered the palanquin, all she did was leave him standing, staring at him the whole time through the mask. Tianming merely stared back, wanting to understand this woman for any advantage he could get.

They hadn't talked the entire time. It was as if she was trying to whet his appetite. When they finally reached a large building, she finally said, "Have you stared enough?"

Tianming stopped in his tracks without answering. She turned around and looked at him. "You don't seem to have any untoward thoughts. Why force yourself to look?"

"I was under the impression Your Majesty kept walking to give me a good look. I felt it would be impolite to look away if that was the case," Tianming said.

"But you forcing yourself is even more impolite." She didn't sound angry, though, and merely smiled at him.

"I am sorry for my transgressions. Please drive me out of the palace as punishment, Your Majesty."

"That won't do. This merits a death sentence."

"Then I accept my fate," he said expressionlessly.

She looked at him for a good while before covering her mouth and chuckling. "Why do you brats always like to play games with Us whenever you come in for the first time? We might like it more if you surprised Us by leaping into Our bosom and calling Us mommy."

"I'll take that into account, Your Majesty."

"How obedient. However, you're a rather unique one."

"Might I ask in what way?"

"You counted five thousand, yet your little junior didn't so much as twitch. That shows you're not the least bit interested in Us."

"I am still too young, Your Majesty. I haven't gone through puberty yet."

Sovereign Xi broke into laughter. "Very well. Then We shall wait until you finish puberty. It won't do you any good to let you indulge in the pleasures of flesh during your formative years."

Tianming was constantly testing her boundaries to understand her throughout the conversation. He needed to know whether she would help or hinder him. As such, he didn't dare to antagonize her. However, he wouldn't get too intimate with her, either. It now appeared that she wasn't that desperate to drag Tianming into bed with her. Had that been the case, all he could do would be to hide in the Prime Tower.

Sovereign Xi continued intently observing him, so Tianming let her feast her eyes.

"The youngest of Our pets to enter the palace was thirty. You're too young now, so We feel like raising you to our liking."

"A pet? So, like a pet dog?" Tianming asked seriously.

"Of course not. Don't be so sensitive. I meant pet as in... petting... and spoiling you nicely."

"Understood."

"Alright, this will be it for now. Welcome to Our secret garden." She stretched her arms open for a hug, but Tianming didn't move. "Playing hard to get?"

"Yup."

"Child's play, but We'll permit it." She seemed to like him a lot, and didn't force him to do anything. After a moment of silence, she said, "We like to consider Ourselves generous. Since it's your first day here, We shall grant you any gift you desire."

Tianming went straight out and said, "I want manna, as high quality and as many as possible."

She seemed a little taken aback. "What happened to the reservation from before?"

"That childish trick wouldn't work twice on Your Majesty," Tianming said."Hahahaha! Very well. We will permit it."

"Many thanks, Your Majesty."

"Don't be so polite with Us. You're Our pet, so expect to be spoiled."

"Is that so? I have a few other requests. May I voice them?"

"Go ahead. This is a place of freedom. We are generous and tolerant. Speak anything on your mind."

"I want to cultivate at the location with the best concentration of stellunar source."

"This will be it." She pointed at the palace building behind her. "The Grandfowl Water Palace has the highest concentration. We spoil Our concubines there. Do you dare move in here?"

"This place? No problem." Tianming saw a large hall with abundant space. Since he was already in the palace complex anyway, there was no need to fear her.

"Any other requests?"

"I'd like to be able to leave the palace as I please to roam about the Divine Moon Realm."

"That won't do. You're precious to Us, so We can't let you run away. How about this... We'll permit you freedom within Divine Moon Skycity, but not outside."

"That works for me too." It would be hard for him to meet Feiling this way, but the fact that she relented and let him out into the city was a compromise enough. She truly did cherish Tianming. After all, the other men in her harem could only roam about her palace. And peculiarly, they showed up less frequently as time went on.

"Not only can you roam about in the city, you may also cultivate in the Moonnight Patio. If you need anything else, talk to the imperial guide."

Tianming had heard of that place before. It was a sacred cultivation area akin to the Flameyellow Scions Institute in Vermillion Bird. However, it was only for members of the divine moonrace. Huiyue Jie had cultivated there before. The imperial guide was the second most powerful person in the Divine Moon Realm and the administrator of Moonnight Patio, who also has duties similar to a prime minister.

Being able to move as he pleased and cultivate with the best resources showed that the sovereign was intent on cultivating Tianming like precious talent. Her word was law in the Divine Moon Realm. As for whether he should be thankful for that, he reserved that particular judgment for later. Per his principles, he would treat those that treated him kindly just as well. If the sovereign really did render him a great boon, he would do his best to repay her. That wasn't in conflict with his goals at all.