Beastmaster of the Ages

For Skyway Monostar, Bistar, and Tristar, their wondersky realm was linked and combined as one. It was a connected and endless world, a holy land for cultivation to those from other worlds of the Mysterium Cluster. Their wondersky realm was very lively today, bursting to the limits with caeli. Everywhere had throngs of people present.

In that world, Mysterium Central had gathered the most people. Over ten million mysterians had gathered in the plaza, most of them youths. They all lacked faces and lined up in orderly rows without expression, like clones of each other. It made it hard to differentiate between mysterians. If it weren't for the difference in clothing, they would have been similar to Yin Chen.

As they watched the imagery from the Astraldome, their faces started turning green.

The central plaza was quickly filled with clamor.

"Crimsonjade Long!"

"He played with fire!"

"The greatest embarrassment in history?"

All of the mysterians turned toward a stage in the plaza.

"Sweep through the battlefield, he said, but he ended up screwing himself over! He lost to some bumpkin from the sticks in front of the whole world!"

For the mysterians that held great expectations for Crimsonjade Long, this aggravating performance was unacceptable. It didn't matter how shocking Tianming's final attack had been, Crimsonjade Long was their representative. His loss meant the loss of everyone who supported him.

The final siege and eventual defeat of Tianming had brought no honor, either. Every mysterian now felt a vague sort of shame inside. It was a very foreign feeling that easily changed into anger toward Crimsonjade Long.

"He's back!" someone shouted.

A red light fell from the sky, landing on the center stage of the plaza and drawing dissatisfied boos from all around. When the light faded away, a youth with a body like crimson jade slowly stood up. He swept his eyes over the crowd, his gaze clashing with theirs.

It was indeed Crimsonjade Long! After exiting the Astralium Battlefield, he had naturally returned to the wondersky realm belonging to the mysterians.

A flood of censure crashed down on him. With so many voices, it made it chaotic and impossible to pick out any individual's words. However, their disappointment was palpable and all of the faceless specters were trying their best to blame him louder than their peers. Even without features, they were obviously still 'red-faced with anger'.

This was something Long had never before encountered in his twenty-plus years of cultivation. Seeing so much disappointment and rage directed at him tore at his heart.

"This is just an appetizer. The whole mysterian race is cursing your name right now. How do you feel?" Long heard a familiar voice from behind.

He quickly turned around and saw a man that looked exactly like him. "Father!" Long breathed in deeply. "It's fine. I'm a figure that stands at the apex of the cosmos. These people are scolding me because they entrusted their dreams to me. They're just venting their powerlessness at me. I have no responsibility to make them happy every time. And in the end, no matter how much they scold me, won't they entrust their dreams to me again next time?"

Long meant that he stood high enough. These people were mysterians that everyone wanted to be, but to him they were his servants.

"You can say that. Failing once or twice is fine. Even I've failed before. But if you fail again and again, all your radiance will be snuffed out even if you're a Ninelives Crimsonjade," Crimsonjade Qiang said.

"I understand, Father. This was just an accident. I didn't expect him to actually have something that could kill me." Long lowered his head.

"It's good as long as you're not frustrated. There was a lot of pressure on you this time."

"It's fine. I just lost due to a miscalculation. The laughable ones are the ones screeching below." Long paused, and his tone turned chillier. "When I get to the fifth level of the Tranquil Battlefield, I'll find that Li Tianming and get back what I lost today, with interest."

Long had only stayed behind in the fourth level for the Astralium Seeking, or he would have risen long ago.

Just as he said that, Tianming said almost the same thing while being besieged in the spectator viewing above. Long was briefly stunned, then said, "You overestimate yourself."

It immediately ignited a new wave of displeasure.

"It's all your fault, Long! How could a dwarf have a chance to be so arrogant if you weren't careless!" Many people were furious. However, Long had a 'generous' heart and simply ignored all of them. His confidence in himself wasn't shaken. That was the mentality that someone who succeeded the Ninelives Crimsonjade line should have.

Dwarf was the slur that mysterians used for foreign races from elsewhere. It didn't mean they were short. Instead, it referred to how they would bend their waists when they met a mysterian, naturally becoming shorter.

As people continued jeering, Qiang said in a low voice, "Go back and settle your heart. You do indeed need to reflect after failing to get into the top ten. Your life has been too smooth, so some setbacks are good to experience."

"Yes, Father." Long looked at his genius father, feeling some displeasure. He had never liked how Qiang would always use his seniority to lecture him about his life. However, he was used to obeying on the surface and keeping his thoughts inside. He was just too lazy to say it out loud.

"Right, where are you?" Long casually asked.