Beastmaster of the Ages

"Lan Huang, help me!" Tianming snapped.

"Coming!" Lan Huang then repeated Tianming's words with its booming voice. "Troops of the Myriad Solar Sects, heed your orders! Get into defensive formations and congregate as much as possible! Evacuate our people as we mount a fighting retreat! Hold on to the end! We aren’t dead yet! Any who survive will be the last hope of the Myriad Solar Sects! Don't give up!"

Had the Saintdragon Emperor said those words, they wouldn't have had much of an effect. However, when the people heard Tianming's call, hope sparked again in their hearts. They managed to get back their faith at their lowest point! Nobody doubted his performance that day—he had only lost because the enemy was far more powerful than they had imagined. The fact that Tianming had returned for them after escaping death showed that he hadn't abandoned them and wasn't afraid of death!

"He's still alive!"

Many people teared up as they picked their weapons back up.

"At the very least, we have to ensure that the young ones survive!"

"How can we stop resisting and let the ten billion people here die?!"

"Li Tianming has gone to the front! Follow him!"

A ruler that led his own troops into war would always earn their respect. Those that hid behind their subjects were the ones who always disappointed. Tianming had earned true respect after coming back despite the overwhelming odds.

When the Aeonic Infinidragon Formation crumbled, Tianming had lost many Omnisentient Threads and only had around five billion remaining, but his return allowed the lost ones to reconnect with him. That was the reason he couldn't escape. The Myriad Solar Sects needed him! As long as he didn't give up on his people, they wouldn't give up on him! The surge in the number of threads was so steep that it brought incredible knowledge and insight to him. He would probably never have another burst of understanding like this another time in his life.

He turned to the sun emperor and had Meow Meow charge in that direction. The scathing gaze once more fell on him. He had never disappointed anyone! They all knew that returning meant death; Tianming knew it, too. But his logic was elementary. His death would mean earning his people another moment to escape. He could draw the enemy's ire and save many lives.

"It will be worth it!"

He felt like his body was on fire, as if this was going to be his destiny. All rulers burned for their subjects. If they didn't, they wouldn't be able to obtain more power and rise to the peak. When he reappeared before the sun emperor, he stood straight with his chest puffed out. Pointing the Grand-Orient Sword at the sun emperor, he declared, "Sun Emperor, you haven't seen the last of me yet!"

The Myriad Solar Sects started cheering once more. They knew this last stand probably wouldn't last that long and that things would probably end the same as before. However, they only had one life to live, so they cherished every moment that they were able to feel alive.

Everyone knew what Tianming was trying to do. He was trying to hold the sun emperor back as long as possible so that as many people could escape as possible, trading his life for thousands of others. Even though he was afraid of dying when he faced the coffin, at first, things had completely changed this time.

"Everyone dies, eventually. Some deaths are as heavy as mountains, while others are as light as feathers. I don't wish for a significant death, only one that I won't regret. All I want is for my name to be remembered!" he shouted with all he had, mustering all his courage. His words seemed to give those listening an insight about the nature of life and death.

Last time, Tianming didn't know how he would face Feiling and his parents if he died. He was afraid that they would suffer as a result. However, he imagined that they wouldn't feel too bad about it if they heard that he burned up the last of his life for the sake of others so that they could escape hell. Surely, they would be proud of him and retain the courage to live their best lives. After realizing that, he was no longer afraid.

He stood before the sun emperor, heavily breathing as he glared at him. He intentionally drew the attention of the celestial orderians so that they would stop their attack. The entire battlefield seemed to quiet down at that moment. The celestial orderians that thought Tianming had been killed blindly stared at him, completely stupefied at his suicidal return.

They simply didn't understand him! If he ran, he would be betraying who he was and negating his entire life, his purpose! Only by coming back did he prove that he was fit to be their ruler! The way he returned was the same way he had to walk to grow. Back then, he was just blindly tracing the steps on the path of rulership, but now he chose to walk against the grain the hard way, finding his own path, one that transcended life and death. Even if his future came to an end here, he had already succeeded.

The Greenspark Tower was so powerful that Tianming's basic body structure had been completely restored at this point. Once more, he was fueled by the power of nine billion threads of faith. Choosing the hard path had made his Imperial Will rapidly grow. The Grand-Orient Sword above his five-layered astral discs glowed even brighter, and his power rose in tandem. A wave of even more volatile energy washed over him before being drawn to his sword. His life and death had been irreversibly tangled with those of countless others. The people that were connected to him were once more moved by his shocking decision and resonated with him in their souls.

That was how Tianming differed from Lingfeng. Lingfeng was a lone wolf, while Tianming walked his path with countless others, sharing their fates. No matter the danger, he would forge ahead thanks to the sheer weight of the faith of those following behind him. He wasn't alone—there were nine billion others following him and struggling to survive.

Being beaten down and rising up again, he endured the pain of the wounds that remained in him as he charged toward the sun emperor, his sword reverberating in his hand from the sheer power. The ancient weapon exuded a bloody, destructive power.

Never had Tianming been so close to the Primordial God-Emperor; perhaps not in power, but in will and intent. He was perfectly aligned on that very same path. The giant he had seen in the illusory realm within the sword he held seemed to be guiding him, just like he was guiding the countless others that followed him.

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