Beastmaster of the Ages

Just as the two were about to take action personally, a jade pendant appeared in Li Tianming's hand.

"The royal clan's jade pendant! A green Vermilion Bird represents Princess Qing!" Jiang Tao was stunned.Li Tianming had never closely inspected the pendant before this, and gave it a look. Indeed, there was a green Vermilion Bird on it. Supposedly, Vermilion Bird lifebound beasts were a truly noble bloodline, all six-stars at the minimum!

"I'm Princess Qing's subordinate. Is there an issue with me taking this manna?" Li Tianming asked. These people all didn't know who he was, which gave him leeway to play such tricks. It was quite effective. Someone who was 'Princess Qing's subordinate' would have impressive backgrounds themselves, and was definitely not some local bumpkin from around here.

"That explains your combat strength." Jiang Tao gritted his teeth, but his eyes betrayed his uncertainty.

"I've memorised your faces. If you dare fight over this manna with me, would you like to know what will happen when we return to Ignispolis?" Li Tianming asked mildly.

"Young sir, you must be joking. Our Lightning Manor would never dare. However, may I be so rude as to inquire about the identity of your father?" Jiang Tao asked.

"My dad? He's a big shot, you definitely know him."

"Which expert may he be?"

"Take a guess!" Li Tianming waved the jade pendant dismissively and pushed Jiang Yilin out. "Girls shouldn't be so violent, liking to kill and fight so much. Scandalous!"

Jiang Yilin turned white with rage, but she didn't dare voice her discontent. After all, even her father feared that jade pendant.

"Bye bye!" Li Tianming swaggered off with the manna.

"Dad, we can't let him go! What if that jade pendant was something he picked up!" Jiang Yilin said urgently.

"Impossible. Princess Qing would never lose such an item. Only someone she values much would be bestowed the royal clan's pendant! How would that boy have never been afraid of us from start to end if he wasn't secure in his backing?"

"So what? We're going to let him walk away with our manna?" Jiang Yilin said indignantly.

"What else? He was the one who snatched it from the Razor-Backed Colossal Crocodile after all." Although he was angry too, there was no way for him to vent.

……

Soon after Li Tianming left, another three people rushed over to the lake's shore. The two parties exchanged a look.

"You got the manna, Jiang Yilin?" The speaker was a delicate and pretty young man riding on a Lightning Bolt Cheetah, which quickly positioned itself in front of Jiang Tao's group.

"Hello, Uncle Jiang." The newcomer was Liu Qianyang. He blocked Jiang Yilin's path, but didn't forget to greet Jiang Tao.

Along with him was Flamehaven governor Li Yanfeng, as well as his new wife, Liu Qing, holding hands together.

"Why has Uncle Jiang shown himself in the open?" Liu Qianyang asked, slightly dissatisfied. When the younger generations were fighting over manna, the elders shouldn't show their face and instead just protect them from the shadows.

Jiang Tao already wasn't in any good mood after losing the manna. "A variable has appeared. The manna was taken by an outsider."

"How is that possible?" Doubt flashed across Liu Qianyang's eyes.

"An outsider? This is the wild as well as Flamehaven territory. Why would there be an outsider here?" Li Yanfeng asked. They had come over after hearing the Razor-Backed Crocodile as well as Li Yanfeng had been aware that this lake was their destination. However, he hadn't expected to hear such a commotion just as he was about to arrive.

"It was a young man who claimed he was Princess Qing's subordinate. He had obtained the manna from the lake and my daughter couldn't beat him. I was just about to take back the manna before making a final decision on how to handle this when he took out Princess Qing's pendant." Jiang Tao sighed.

The other party had a strong background, and Lightning Manor's test for the younger generation this time round had ended up becoming a giveaway for outsiders. A senior of Lightning Manor had found the manna, but he hadn't taken action, leaving it to the juniors to fight over it.

"How strong is he? What's his lifebound beast?" Liu Qianyang's face was getting uglier by the moment. He had been determined to obtain the manna, and had feared no competitor. However, this conclusion was like a bucket of cold water poured on him.

"He didn't use a lifebound beast. I suppose his cultivation would be roughly mine." Jiang Yilin kept her head lowered as she spoke.

"If you don't believe us, chase in that direction. He just left." Jiang Tao suddenly cut in.

"That so?" Liu Qing and Li Yanfeng gave each other a quick glance. Seeing was believing after all, and the group of three hurriedly made their way in that direction.

"Dad, why did you let them go? It's going to be troublesome if Liu Qianyang gets the manna."

"No choice. We have to let them meet the young man. How else am I going to explain myself after this? If I have no one to back up my testimony, they may even believe I privately stashed away the manna."

"Anyway, if they snatch away the manna, that's offending the princess," said Jiang Yilin's uncle.

Jiang Yilin nodded."I understand."

"How is that young man's strength compared to Liu Qianyang?"

"He's definitely weaker with Liu Qianyang, even if he didn't use his lifebound beast just now. Liu Qianyang has broken through to Spiritsource after all. The person just now relied on that strange armour on his left arm to beat me. His beast ki might have been scary as well, but it wasn't invincible."

……

After leaving the lake, Li Tianming looped around to avoid being followed. Using the mysterious connection he shared with his lifebound beast, he felt the little chick approaching. The link also let them know each other was safe.

The little chick appeared from the thicket, chortling. "So, bro, got the manna? I'm telling you, I led that croc on a wild chicken chase this time. That lumbering thing couldn't even see the feathers on my tail!"

"Pipe down." Li Tianming hurriedly stopped him. He wasn't sure whether anyone was following after all. "How far did you lure the crocodile away?"

"It shouldn't take long to return to the lake. Why?"

"I encountered people from Lightning Manor after obtaining the manna. I managed to get out using the princess' jade pendant." Li Tianming said thoughtfully.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's skedaddle back to Flamehaven!" The little chick was already salivating after seeing the manna.

Li Tianming frowned. "If we leave like this and you refine the manna, we're not going to have a chance to look at that well again. Let's go back to it. Fortune is found amidst danger."

Li Tianming wasn't quite ready to give up on the well despite the circumstances.

He had met up with the little chick, the Razor-Backed Colossal Crocodile had yet to return and Jiang Yilin's group was probably no longer hanging around. All the cards seemed to line up nicely for a chance.

"My third eye has an advantage inside the lake. As long as we go in, I don't think they can find us."

"Then let's go, go, go! This is exciting!" It really didn't know what fear was. It too wanted to see if the manna could open the well.

After making a giant loop back to the lake to avoid being followed, they discovered the crocodile indeed still wasn't back, while no one was around anymore. They quickly dived in. The lake was huge and their entry caused no disturbance.

But just as they entered, Li Tianming noticed a youth riding a Lightning Bolt Cheetah appear at the shore. "Liu Qianyang."

Li Tianming watched him, but he definitely didn't notice Li Tianming.

Then, Li Yanfeng and Liu Qing appeared. The bewitching beauty was dressed in tight fitting clothes that showed off her curvaceous figure. Red Twill Mountain itself already had a hot climate, and her appearance only added to it.

"We didn't find Princess Qing's subordinate. Did Jiang Yilin point us in the wrong direction?" Liu Qianyang said irritably.

"Possibly." They had returned to try and ask Jiang Yilin more questions, but they were no longer around.

Li Tianming thanked the heavens that he had made a loop and made a narrow escape, or else he would have been caught.

Then, something more fun happened. At this moment, on the far side of the lake, the Razor-Backed Colossal Crocodile happened to make its way back at this moment, and it immediately noticed the manna's absence.

Alas, the Lightning Bolt Cheetah Liu Qianyang was riding was both a first-rate and large beast. It instantly aroused the crocodile's ire, which bellowed as it charged into the lake, leaving a spray of foam in its wake as it blitzed towards the cheetah!