Li Tianming entered his training room to cultivate as soon as he returned to Astral General Manor.
âBig Brother, Iâll join you.â Jiang Feiling merged back into her body.
âAlright.â
âBig Brother, remember the soul servants you found in Perpetia City? Why isnât anything happening with them?â
âI donât know. They donât listen to me.â Tianming pulled at his shirt to look at his chest, and the nine embarrassing red dots there.
âTrain first. Iâll look at it another day.â
Tianming continued training in front of the third gate, using the gold heavenly patterns to nourish his Imperial Will. From its growth, it signaled that his thinking and determination were on the right path.
âIf an emperor isnât worthy of respect, sooner or later his people will bite back. Autarch Qianâs defeat today was no coincidence. It was the fruit of all the evil that generations of Theocrats had committed. Today, Little Feng will make them taste retribution!â
Tianming couldnât forget all those corpses, nor the ugly faces of the Theocrats.
Most of all, he couldnât forget the Nebula Emperor Whaleâs death, nor all the brothers and sisters of the dao palace that had perished in battle.
âThe Nineshades Clanâs dao of plundering isnât the imperial dao, but a devilish dao!â Tianmingâs eyes burned bright with passion.
Tianming suddenly recalled the Prime Tower. He summoned it and entered it. The white heavenly patterns on the first floor werenât Imperial Will; however, they contained a heavenly will of never submitting in the face of death, and belonged to a similar type of willpower as the Li Saint Clanâs Lifesbane.
âI suspect one of the gods in Perpetia City is related to the Li Saint Clan.â
Tianming brought the Grand-Orient Sword in as well. He could now simultaneously train in the golden heavenly patterns on the third gate as well as the white heavenly patterns in the Prime Tower.
âIâll merge these two heavenly wills together and form a character that defies the heavens to change my destiny, whilst remaining the most righteous sovereign. Iâll create a path thatâs mine and mine alone.â For the first time, Tianming infused everything he had learned in the Li Saint Clan into his Imperial Will.
âThe Nineshades Clan believes themselves to be monarchs who seize life from the heavens. Unfortunately, to master the heavenly dao, you must first master the human dao. How could such inhuman bastards possibly live for tens of thousands of years?â Tianming sneered. He could see all of that clearly, but the other side staunchly refused to believe it.
âSometimes, itâs not that the problem canât be thought through. Itâs just that you have no choice once you step on a certain path!â
Several days later....
âSecond level Sky Saint!â Tianmingâs Imperial Will had started on a new path, separate from the Grand-Orient Sword, after absorbing the heavenly will of the white heavenly patterns.
Tianming enjoyed huge benefits from his breakthrough. Just his saint ki alone had exploded in quantity. The Grand-Orient Vortex and Imperealm Sword Formation also grew stronger. Now, the formation could reach over thirty meters in size.
âThe dao palaceâs formation-widening stone was prepared for the Evil Suppression Formation. Otherwise, it couldâve been used on mine to make it stronger,â Tianming mused.
A tiny artifact appeared in Tianmingâs hands. It was the Cyclic Map.
Tianming wanted to see where Li Muyang was on the map; he had so many questions to ask.
âGodfather is nearly healed up. Heâs no longer in the Astral General Manor, and has probably gone out to handle things.â That made Tianming able to relax and focus on his cultivation.
âLetâs go find Chong Yang.â Tianming left the manor and went to find Bai Mo, who was in charge of Chong Yangâs imprisonment.
âIâll bring you over,â Bai Mo said after hearing Tianming out.
It didnât take long for Tianming to reach the prison in the Dark Hall, which was under layers of formations. Chong Yang was trussed up in one of the cages, unable to even move a muscle.
âWhat are you here for?â Chong Yang narrowed his eyes.
âTeach me how to use the Cyclic Map.â
âDream on!â Chong Yang sneered.
âI just want to see where my dad is. Itâs just a small thing, so why kick up such a fuss?â
âYouâre the criminal of the Theocracy! You also betrayed our clan! Helping you would be an affront to the ancestors!â Chong Yang roared with laughter.
âHow touching. You can even make helping evil people sound good. Thatâs a skill of its own,â Li Tianming said.
âWhatever. I just need to wait here for all of you to be executed for treason!â
âYou think the Nineshades Clan are the rightful rulers? You really want to serve them?â
âCorrect! The Theocrats are destiny itself. Theyâve ruled for millenia, and theyâll rule for millenia more!â Chong Yang sneered.
âIâll ask you one last time: will you teach me how to use the map?â
âDream on.â
âIf so, you have no more use. I think I should just kill you so we can spare the manpower on guarding you,â Tianming said.
âHow dare you? Do it if you dare! In the past, I was like a father to your father. I was responsible for much of his growth!â
âWell I didnât know that.â Tianmingâs sword stabbed out twice. Once in the heart, and once in the saint palace!
âUnfilial bastard!â Chong Yangâs eyes bulged, filled with disbelief.
âYeah yeah, my father owes you. So?â Tianming turned around and left. Chong Yangâs beast was locked away separately, but its life and death didnât matter.
Bai Mo was waiting for him outside.
âIt was always up to you anyway. Out with the old, and in with the new. If the Ancient Qilin Clan survives, itâll be much better with people like you and your father. Your ancestors used to be impressive before they were brainwashed by the Theocrats.â
Tianming shook his head.
Actually, Tianming really wanted to know why Li Muyang wasnât coming when he was near the city. However, Chong Yang didnât want to help him use the map.
âHe must have his own issues!â Tianming truly believed that. After all, Li Muyang hadnât appeared even after Wei Jing had waited for him for twenty years.
......
Tianming had just returned to his manor when he saw Li Wudi waving at him. He looked very lively, and was obviously mostly recovered. âMy son, Tianming, over here!â
âWhat is it?â
âIâll tell you something. Autarch Qian has made his way to the Grand-Orient Realm. He probably wanted to abduct everyone and threaten us. Vicious, isnât he?â
âYet you can still laugh?â Tianming frowned.
âOf course! I made preparations long ago!â
âI worried that Dongyang Ling or Dongyang Yun might do this when I left. So, I got everyone to leave the sect and scatter everywhere. Theyâre all just faceless mobs to Dongyang Yun. Thereâs too many of them, as well, so thereâs no way heâs catching them,â Li Wudi chuckled.
âNot too shabby. Well done, but why are you telling me this?â
âWell, Autarch Qian isnât here. I was thinking I could go and take a trip while heâs away and kill a few Theocrats. Would you like to join?â
âYes!â Tianmingâs eyes brightened.
âThen letâs go!â
âIf Autarch Qian isnât here, why donât we just bring our whole army over?â
âThe other side has an army too. Engaging them would mean heavy losses on our side too. Weâre not the ones who need to rush this.â Li Wudi rolled his eyes.
âUnderstood. Itâs more convenient for there to be just two people. We can even catch some of them while weâre at it.â
âYes, they may be more lax now that heâs gone. I also have two people I already have my eye on.â Li Wudi sniggered.
âWho?â
âIâll keep it a surprise. If we kill those two, itâll be like the whole Theocracy lost an arm.â Li Wudi smiled.
âLetâs go!â
Tianming brought along Feiling for her Celestial Wings and Temporal Field. They could escape much quicker, if need be.
The three quietly left the dao palace.