Beastmaster of the Ages

Tianming was immersed in the joy of beheading Hei An, and the powerhouses of the Archaion Sect were just as pleased.

The Nonahall Ghost Sect possessed great power. In the past hundred thousand years, even the disciples of the various major sects who had dominated the Flameyellow continent were hardly able to contend with them, what more defeat Hei An. Liferot toxin was something that all of them had heard of, so they knew what a terrible weapon it was. Once it spread, it would effortlessly destroy any armies that encountered it.

Although Hei An had possessed liferot toxin, he'd been killed by Tianming. Thus, the source was destroyed. After all, not just anyone could become the host of liferot toxin and help it flourish. Because he possessed a poison body, Hei An was undoubtedly an important part of the Nonahall Ghost Sect's future and his death had made the entire Nonahall Divine Realm uncomfortable.

At this moment, there was killing intent breeding in the Specter Mountains. As the current overlord of the Flameyellow continent, the people of the Nonahall Divine Realm were known as the Supernatural Legion. Wherever they went, not even a blade of grass would grow.

In making them feel uncomfortable, dejected, and even humiliated, Tianming had once again shown the continent the strength of the Archaion Sect.

However, something happened to upset Tianming and the powerhouses of the Archaion Sect at a time like this.

"There's been an assassination attempt on Her Eminence?!"

What a bolt from the blue! As soon as they heard the news, the powerhouses rushed toward Xuanyuan Lake. They were all top figures in the continent. Fang Taiqing, Xuanyuan Dao, and Jian Wuyi disappeared in the blink of an eye.

There was hardly anyone left; the sect descended into chaos.

Tianming suddenly felt a stabbing sensation in his skull, the kind of pain that was beyond words. The thing he least wanted to happen had happened again, and at such an unexpected moment!

It was extremely difficult for him and Ling'er to survive in the cracks between these major forces. Tianming had always been cautious as he walked on thin ice, but there was still disaster. The only thing he could do was trust that Xuanyuan Dao and the others could protect her.

Unfortunately, during this decisive battle, Xuanyuan Dao was also present on the Dimensional Battlefield. Without him, the assailant might have been successful. After all, who would dare make such an attempt if they weren't certain of success?

"The powerhouses of the other sects are all present on the battlefield. Who could it be?" Tianming breathed heavily, his eyes turning red.

He couldn't stay here.

"Tianming!"

Ouyang Jianwang appeared, solemnly guarding him.

"Brother Ouyang."

"It's rather chaotic, stay close," said Ouyang Jianwang.

"I want to go to Soulburn Hall." Tianming grit his teeth.

He felt like a volcano was bubbling in his chest. All sorts of terrible thoughts appeared in his head, making him irritable. The volcano erupted, manifesting as throbbing veins that were visible in his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. His bloodshot eyes made him appear extremely ferocious.

"Are you sure?" Ouyang Jianwang asked.

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll take you there."

Ouyang Jianwang and the other third-origin tribulation elders exchanged a look. The elders would remain here while he brought Tianming with him. Right now, tens of thousands of tribulation sword ki strands burst from within Ouyang Jianwang and condensed into a solid form before him. As soon as he brought Tianming up, Ouyang Jianfeng mobilized his tribulation sword ki and the two flew toward Soulburn Hall at a terrifying speed.

The fighting on the Dimensional Battlefield immediately stopped with the disturbance at Xuanyuan Lake. The powerhouses of the major sects remained seated for the time being. After all, there were still a number of Archaion Sect powerhouses monitoring them.

As soon as Tianming left the battlefield, there was an enormous tremor in Xuanyuan Lake. Nine gigantic dragons measuring a thousand meters long suddenly soared into the sky, releasing deafening roars that shook the earth. The dragons devoured the clouds, spewing wind and fire that swirled to form a spherical shield covered in dense dragon patterns that enveloped the entire lake. These weren't actual dragons, but a combination of spirit hazards and the power of heavenly patterns.

"They've activated the Nine Dragon Formation. It should be fine, so don't worry," said Ouyang Jianwang.

In fact, the formation had always been activated, though concealed. However, it restricted outsiders. If the battle had taken place at Xuanyuan Lake, the perpetrator was most likely someone from the sect.

Ouyang Jianwang sped up and soon arrived near the lake. At the moment, the Nine Dragon Formation was completely sealed so he couldn't enter, either. Both men could only watch anxiously.

A terrifying battle was taking place on Xuanyuan Lake. There were too many people attacking for Tianming to tell who was who, and most of the buildings had collapsed. There was an explosion and ice and water splattered across the sky.

"It's him!" There was disbelief in Ouyang Jianwang's cold eyes.

"Who?" Tianming asked.

"Dugu Jin, the first tribulation elder of Tribulation Peak!"

Tianming had heard about the man; it was rumored that he was very powerful. Although he wasn't a sect master, he ranked among the top three in the entire Archaion Divine Realm. Outside the three great clans of the sect, he was the strongest. Ouyang Jianwang and Yi Xingyin weren't nearly as powerful as him.

"Ling—is Her Eminence alright?" Tianming asked.

"I don't know. I can't see into the interior of Soulburn Hall, but the place is half destroyed. It seems that the formation was broken." Ouyang Jianwang frowned.

"Is Dugu Jin working for the Nonahall Ghost Sect, the Yinyang Demon Sect, or the Hexapath Sword Sect? Could he be the one who attempted to assassinate Her Eminence last time?" Tianming asked anxiously.

Now that the Nine Dragon Formation was sealed, Ouyang Jianwang couldn't enter. Although Tianming was able to break through the formation, he might be attacked by the formation itself if he entered in such a manner. Not being able to do anything felt extremely uncomfortable.

"The last attempted assassination must've been Dugu Jin's doing. After all, he has the strength. In fact, we're very close with him, and even consider him our guide. Based on my understanding of him, he has nothing to do with the other sects. Assassinating Her Eminence could be his own decision," said Ouyang Jianwang.

"Why do you say that?"

"This matter might be a bit complicated for you," said Ouyang Jianwang.

"It's alright. I'd like to know!"

"Then I'll make a long story short. Tianming, we can see from the Number One Summit that the goal of the five divine realms headed by the Nonahall Ghost Sect isn't purely Her Eminence. She's just their excuse. The Nonahall Ghost Sect and the other four sects want to use this to divide the Flameyellow continent between them and destroy part of our divine realm. They have rapacious ambitions. It was previously rumored that they were going to kill the disciples of the Archaion Sect and force us to surrender Her Eminence. In fact, the rumors are all untrue. They don't want to deal with Her Eminence during the Number One Summit, because once she's dead, they won't have an excuse. What they want is the Kilostar Domain, and at the same, to pressure the Triflair, Pentaphase, and Octagram Sects," Ouyang Jianwang replied.

"What does this have to do with Dugu Jin?" Tianming was confused.

As he was speaking, he stretched out his left hand, intending to tear open the Nine Dragon Formation so Ouyang Jianwang could take him in. However, he was worried that not even Ouyang Jianwang would be able to withstand the attack of the formation once they entered.

"Dugu Jin probably wanted to kill Her Eminence so they wouldn't have an excuse to send their troops. He must've started having such thoughts the moment Her Eminence returned. Perhaps he thinks this is the best way forward for Archaion. That's why I don't think he's working for the Nonahall, Biritual, or Sixpath Divine Realm, because those three realms hope Her Eminence lives until they conquer Archaion. You've just defeated Hei An. If you're the victor of the Number One Summit, the entire sect will wholeheartedly prepare for battle. He thinks this may be our last chance." Ouyang Jianwang looked a little uncomfortable when he uttered those words.

It was obvious they were on good terms with Dugu Jin. After all, they all shared the same origins. The oppression from the five divine realms was fuel for Dugu Jin's attack.

However, Tianming didn't understand him. He didn't want to think about the rights and wrongs of his behavior. All he knew was that Dugu Jin wanted to kill Feiling.

The ways of the world were tumultuous. When Tianming had first arrived, there were times he felt uneasy, unsure of whom he could trust. For example, he had always been on good terms with Ouyang Jianwang. However, Dugu Jin, a man from the same faction, had made a move. Would Ouyang Jianwang be the next Dugu Jin, laying dormant by his side just waiting for an opportunity? According to them, the five divine realms wouldn't have an excuse to go to war if Her Eminence died. Wouldn't that preserve the safety of Archaion?

"In truth, they can easily come up with another excuse. Today, their excuse is Her Eminence, and tomorrow it might be something else. As the Nonahall Ghost Sect expands, they'll eventually attack us. Dugu Jin is clearly confused," Ouyang Jianwang said despondently.

They had tried their hardest to win Xuanyuan Dao's trust. But now that Dugu Jin had acted on his own, they must feel very uneasy if they were truly sincere.

"Tianming, we've failed to live up to Her Eminence and Xuanyuan Dao's trust!" Ouyang Jianwang sighed, shaking his head.

"Take me in!" Using his dark arm, Tianming tore the Nine Dragon Formation open.

"How did you do that?" Ouyang Jianwang asked in shock.

"It doesn't matter," Tianming replied.

"Alright then."

Ouyang Jianwang pulled him into the formation. Just then, the rumble of an explosion sounded above the Nine Dragon Formation; someone had forcibly broken the formation and fled.

With his third eye, Tianming could tell the man was Dugu Jin! He and two crimson dragons rushed out of the formation covered in blood. One of the dragons had broken two of its claws. As soon as they returned to Dugu Jin's lifebound space, the man flickered away in a bloody gleam.

He was escaping!