Beastmaster of the Ages

The battle that should have lasted three hundred bouts didn't take place. Instead, it wasn't even on the same level as the exchange of blows they'd had in the wondersky realm. From the very start, Ye Chen had been dominated nonstop. Even after using his Chaos Deity, he was still hopelessly crushed! This was completely mind-crushing for someone as confident as he was. It wasn't just Ye Chen that suffered the feelings of defeat, half of the audience felt like Tianming's providence swords had pierced them in the heart, whether they were watching it live in the Observatorium or through broadcasts. Their eyes were about to pop out as they speechlessly watched the scene unfold, clutching their hands tight.

Tianming took a deep breath and looked ahead at the countless people from the Divineglory Alliance staring at him. There were too many despairing, awkward, and aghast stares being sent in his direction. Not a single one of them could hide the look of defeat on their faces. Their conceptions of Tianming and Ye Chen were immediately distinguished from one another. The two used to be on the same level, like binary stars orbiting each other. Yet now one was clearly below the other. The draw between them was old news!

The silence continued for a little longer before the spectators in the Violecloud Alliance broke it with booming cheers, cheers so loud that the violetstar clouds above shook. Even Tianming's hair and robes fluttered from the sheer sound of his name being chanted by billions of people. Waves of fog swarmed toward him; it was faith he had received from the Violetglorians for the very first time. Though it was minuscule, it was still a start. Once it began, the rest of the way would be much easier! This marked the first step he had taken to become a world god of a foreign world. The only thing he lacked was people kneeling at his feet to outright worship him.

"This feeling is amazing! It almost makes me want to experience it for life!" He instantly felt a wave of relaxation wash over him. Even though they had won the battle of Myriaddragon Mountain, the sun emperor was still far too powerful. Tianming's presence was only a minor inconvenience for him, even to the point that he had to escape and come to the Violetglory Star. But when he finally triumphed over Ye Chen, he had finally paved a way for his own rise. Looking at his defeated rival and the dispirited onlookers, he felt his passion burn. His ambitions began growing to a new peak.

Facing those from the Divineglory Alliance, he thumped his chest and yelled, "There was only one draw! In the future, none of you will be able to look at me with your heads raised!"

This was a provocation that shook the entire world. Even many on the Violetcloud Alliance's side were shocked by his wild arrogance, but that was his right as the undisputed victor! So many immediately cheered even louder. There were few, if any, who could make such bold proclamations! The ones on the opposing side began grimacing even more.

"Don't get too cocky! The arrogant shall fall!" But before many of them got their words out, Tianming had already turned away and left to join the elites of the Violetcloud Imperium with his lifebound beasts. They afforded him the best protection anyone could ever have. Only the sovereign and his direct subordinates could be allowed to go near Tianming.

"We return victorious!" Shengui spiritedly said with his thumb raised in praise. The people made way for their cohort, watching them with excited gazes of admiration as the millions from the imperium left. It hadn't felt like a fight between juniors at all, but one between sovereigns, and it was a fight that wasn't even close. There was a clear winner and loser.

Amidst the sea of despair was Princess Shen Yu in her violet and white dress that was so long it dragged along the ground. People began turning to her and saw her destitute expression. She clutched her dress with both hands, as if her pride had been completely trampled on and let out an ear-piercing sigh. This single loss had wiped out all the prestige Ye Chen had obtained, causing his reputation to fall by leagues. It was something that would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Those of the dynasty retrieved Ye Chen. Even as he regained consciousness, he didn't get to see Tianming again, but based on the looks of the people around him, it was clear that he had completely lost. He took a deep breath as waves of pain, despair and feelings of hardship washed over him. He had never imagined that such a day would come to him since he got the Desolate Chaos Progenibeasts.

......

In a long, dark corridor lit only at the end by starlight, Ye Chen dragged his feet along, holding his body up against the wall. He was covered in sword wounds and there were still remnants of sword ki left in his body, making it hard for him to even move. Looking up, he saw a long, floor-touching dress covered in violet stars. Her silhouette seemed to stand out in the darkness. Though it was a familiar sight, some part of it looked distant and foreign to him. It was as if it was hard for him to approach as she walked faster and faster away.

"Can't you help me along?" Ye Chen said with a dry cough.

"Oh, alright. I thought you wouldn't need it." Princess Shen Yu stopped and turned back, her eyes narrowing just the slightest bit when she saw him. The Ye Chen she had always known was a shining figure of brilliance. This desolate, haggard look was something that made him look really foreign. The two of them now seemed like strangers to one another. She held him up and said, "Come on, we're almost there."

"Wanwan, I only lost once. It isn't a big deal, right? Do you need to be so obvious about it?" Ye Chen said, his eyes reddening.

"I'm not! What part of me is obvious? Don't be so sensitive," she said with a helpless tone.

"I'm sensitive, eh.... It's one thing for people to change the way they look at me, but if you're doing that too, I don't think there's a point anymore...."

"But I'm not! You... forget it. I'm not here to argue with you. Calm down, I'll weather this hardship together with you."

"Alright... let's go." He didn't want to say any more. Things that he had no rightful claim to would always be lost once problems arose, even if he'd defied fate to obtain them. Nothing was as ideal as he had imagined it to be.