Beastmaster of the Ages

Chapter 3327 - You're the Best

With Tianming gone, the Ascension Colosseum wasn’t nearly as popular as it had been before. Things had returned to their former state, with fortuna disciples challenging each other without much fanfare. There were only tens of thousands of them in total. Some of them chatted about Tianming and what a shame it had been.

"Pathkeeper Li's name has already been removed from the Fortuna Ranking. The red-and-black name is gone." Every day, people looked at the top ten and shook their heads in resignation.

"It's such a shame."

"I really don't get why House Suishen would be so stubborn, considering the level of talent Pathkeeper Li had. Even if something like that actually happened, the two of them were lovers. It was willing and consensual. All they had to do was go with the flow! Is reputation really that important? Even if they really had to maintain their reputation, they didn't have to be that harsh on the punishment. Was there a need to go so far as to label him a top fugitive and put a bounty on him?"

"Hey, watch what you’re saying. You'll be killed on the spot if anyone from House Suishen hears you."

"Oh!"

There was a chilling effect when it came to matters concerning Tianming. On the ranking, Yumo Xue's name was bright and piercing. People couldn't help but feel awe at the sight of it, the symbol of his strength. However, when someone looked up at the ranking again, they were shocked by what they saw and rubbed their eyes, thinking that they were seeing things.

"Wait, why’s Yumo Xue's name gone?"

Not only that, Suishen Yao's name had risen to the top, making her the first ranker, something she’d desired all along.

"I must be seeing things. It surely can't be. I think I'm just too stressed from the girls here in Myriadpath Valley not giving me the time of day," said the youth that had first spotted the discrepancy. He really thought that he had been mistaken until he heard the voices of doubt around him.

"Where's Yumo Xue's name?"

"Do you guys see that?"

"It's gone. What the hell?"

"Maybe the Fortuna Ranking’s faulty. It says Suishen Yao is ranked first."

"The ranking's formation core is the Myriadpath Celestial Formation. How could it be mistaken? Only the valley lord can change it, but he couldn't possibly mess with the ranking in this manner, could he?"

People were stunned and speechless.

"Hey, friend, there's only two possibilities that can lead to one's name being removed from the ranking, right?"

"Yes! The first is just like what happened to Pathkeeper Li. His name was removed after he was excommunicated from Myriadpath Valley. The other possibility is if the bearer of the name is dead, just like when Huang Daosheng was killed by Pathkeeper Li. His name was automatically removed."

People couldn't even fathom that possibility.

"A minor pathkeeper of the Three Exalted Houses is always protected by eminents, even while they're away from Myriadpath Valley. How could Yumo Xue be dead?"

"That's right! It's even less likely if he didn't leave."

"Something must be up. It's a mistake."

"That must be it!"

People didn't care and went about their own business until news spread from Yumo Cave some time later, shocking the entire valley. All the fortuna disciples looked back at the ranking, stunned.

"Suishen Yao really rose to the top...."

"She must be so torn that this didn't happen a few days earlier. If it had, she could've united with Pathkeeper Li without anyone stopping her...."

"Sigh...."

Apart from the deaths of twenty eminents, the Hellfiend and the Yumo Blood Crucible appeared in the public consciousness for the first time ever. But since no one knew what they were for, nobody paid too much attention to them. Comparatively, the deaths of Yumo Xue, Yumo Yuanni, and Yumo Lingyue were more relevant to the fortuna disciples.

News like that was on a whole other level compared to news of Tianming receiving two great Suishen legacies, or his scandal with Suishen Yao. It concerned the reputation and might of Myriadpath Valley itself, not just one person’s personal achievements and affairs. Little did everyone know that Tianming was behind this incident as well!

The Three Exalted Houses were on high alert. All two-hundred-odd eminents from all three houses assembled for a meeting to hunt down any trace that could lead them to the culprit.

"I heard they've decided to notify the valley lord that’s been in seclusion for the past few years about the matter."

"The valley lord must be notified about an incident like this."

"The astralscape of order is no longer like it used to be. I wonder if there could really be a monster as powerful as the valley lord that's hiding within the Million Mundi, watching us like prey."

"Just because nothing like this has happened before doesn't mean it can't ever happen."

There was another matter that drew even more attention. The Three Exalted Houses publicized another bounty for information about the Infinitum Mundus' location. There was a reward of five million merit points and five kegs of springwater for it. Unlike Tianming's case, finding a mundus like that was like looking for a needle in a haystack!

"Wait, don't be rash. The Three Exalted Houses said that we won't be allowed to aimlessly scramble around to search. There’s around 1.8 million mundi with stareyes that're registered with Myriadpath Valley. The Three Exalted Houses will assign mundi investigation missions to each of us. We'll go to our assigned mundus and look into the mundi in their vicinity until we find Infinitum."

Before the destruction of the Hellfiend, there was no information about Infinitum apart from its name. House Yumo didn't care about anything else concerning the mundus. All they cared about was the starblood that could be refined there.

"Everyone, be careful. You must make sure to return. If you don’t, that mundus will be considered a high-priority target."

"The fact that the Three Exalted Houses have banded together over this means it's a deep blood grudge. All of us cultivators of Myriadpath Valley are also involved! It is our opportunity to contribute to Myriadpath Valley. Do not take it lightly!"

"Yes!"

A storm brewed in Myriadpath Valley.

***

Suishen Yao had never left the Jiguang Sea since the incident. She aimlessly floated on the surface of the water all day.

Eminent Jiguang came to visit her and looked at her with a pity-filled gaze. "Yaoyao, you can go anywhere you want in Suishen Cave. You don't have to shut yourself in here."

"It's pointless. Apart from you, my brother, and Shuangshuang, I don't want to see anyone else," Suishen Yao calmly said.

"Alright." Eminent Jiguang came to her side. "You do know that you're first on the Fortuna Ranking now, right?"

"I know."

"How’d you find out without seeing anyone?" Eminent Jiguang asked, surprised.

"Look." Suishen Yao raised her myriadpath ring. "I just have to look at how much merit and springwater I'm getting every day."

"Aren't you curious what happened to Yumo Xue?"

"It's just an error with the ranking, right?"

"No. He's dead."

"What?" Suishen Yao jumped with excitement. "How’d that bastard die?!"

"And there I thought you were calm and unperturbed."

"Spare me the rest. Tell me now!" Suishen Yao angrily said.

"Don't rush. Let me tell you a very interesting story that starts with something called 'starblood'," Eminent Jiguang said.

"What the hell’s that?" Suishen Yao asked.

"Something I've hated for countless years. Something the heavens shouldn’t allow to exist!" Eminent Jiguang relished in the news she had heard and told Suishen Yao everything about starblood. The two of them raged at the atrocity, then the eminent went on to tell her about the disaster that befell House Yumo.

"That's amazing! I feel amazing! I'm going to rise. I'm going to cultivate!" Suishen Yao could finally stand up on her own two feet after hearing about House Yumo's huge setback.

"There's more good news," Eminent Jiguang said.

"What is it?"

"I've been currying some favor with your grandfather and it's been working. He seems intent on bringing Li Tianming back to Myriadpath Valley."

Suishen Yao froze, then cheered and leapt into her aunt's embrace. "Auntie, I love you so much! You're the best! Long live Eminent Jiguang! Ha! Ha! Haha!"