Beastmaster of the Ages

b to risk themselves, if they weren ’t strong enough.
But this time, they would ’ve sent Chen Jinghong and the other two even if Tianming and Ye Lingfeng hadn’t planned on going.

Even so, the other six halls of the dao palace would be sending quite a number as well, though they would mostly mingle with those bearing the Dongyang name.

”Let ’s go! ”

”Seniors, Tianming and the rest have basically never left the dao palace since arriving at the Divine Capital.
Shouldn’t we travel slower so they can take in the view of the Divine Capital during the Fireworks Festival? ” Situ Yiyi asked.
It was already evening, so the night lights would soon be lit.
The citizens of the capital were looking forward to the beautiful festival sights.

”You ’re the one who wants to see it the most, right? ” Situ Qinghe said.

”Of course. ”

”You ’re already twenty-eight, but you still behave like a child…. ”

”It ’s my fault for not disciplining her well, ” Bai Xiaozhu said.
He was her newlywed husband and they were still lovey dovey with each other.

”I don ’t want to hear that from you.
You ’re even worse.
Look at Tianming and see how mature he is. ”

”Come on, we ’re young at heart! ” Bai Xiaozhu argued.
He then turned to Tianming and sighed.
”Young ’uns these days really take things for granted.
Yiyi and I are getting old and pining for the days of our youth…. ”

”To hell with your old! I ’m already a hundred and fifty-eight and you don ’t hear me complaining! ” Situ Qinghe snapped.

Once they left the dao palace, they looked to the north and saw the spiritual energy springs in the Divine Capital.
They were rather hard to spot in the busy city.

”Tianming, Feng, Yiyi, you three haven ’t reached the sky saint stage yet, so you wouldn ’t be able to get a place to enter the tomb directly.
I expect you’ll have to fight one or two bouts, so be prepared, ” Bai Mo said.

”Understood! ”

The rules of the Fireworks Festival Feast were thus: only thirty would be allowed to enter the Tomb of the Ancients, and every time, the Ancient Theocrats had decreed that only sky saints would be guaranteed spots to enter the tomb.
The remaining spots would be fought over by the earth saints through fair competition.
The Ancient Clans, Saint Martial Manor, Dazzling Pavilion, and other major factions like the Theocrats or the Decimo Dao Palace would send their disciples to fight for the chance.

”This time around there are twenty-one sky saints joining the feast, so there’s nine spots left for the earth saints to fight over.
Based on the invitation list, there are thirty-six earth saints participating.
So they ’ll hold two rounds of elimination matches until only nine are left.
That means you ’ll have to fight at least twice for a spot, ” Bai Mo briefed.

Basically, Chen Jinghong and Bai Xiaozhu, who ranked first and seventh on the sky ranking, would automatically get a spot.
They only went to the feast to enjoy the top delicacies of the Theocracy.
Tianming, Situ Yiyi, and Ye Lingfeng, on the other hand, would have to fight for their place for the viewing pleasure of the rest.

”In other words, the feast is an event where the various factions show off their promising juniors to the rest.
It ’s also where the disciples of the dao palace clash with those of the Ancient Theocrats. ”

”As long as it ’s fair, ” Tianming said.

”The fairness is definitely guaranteed.
This feast is mainly held for the Theocrats ’ amusement.
Everyone there is someone with a reputation they can ’t afford to lose by cheating, ” Bai Mo assured.

……

Soon, night fell, but it only accentuated the festive lights and mood even further.
Despite how busy the streets were, Tianming and the rest managed to walk through them without being noticed by passersby, thanks to some weird technique their seniors used.
Only powerful people spotted them, but they would immediately turn away after a glance.

Though the Divine Capital was large and filled with all kinds of people, Bai Mo and the rest were doubtlessly the strongest walking the streets right now.
Tianming felt that the mood around them was almost like the new year ’s celebrations.
There were those that made merry with song and dance, as well as lifebound beasts that played around on the streets.

Based on the outfits of the citizens, they seemed rather well off.
There were few poor people in the Divine Capital; even the common folk could own treasures with saintly heavenly patterns.
They had never experienced hardship, and as they began cultivating at the age of three, even the ones with worst talent would reach Unity by the age of ten.

”This truly is a land of prosperity.
However, there’s only one Divine Capital, while there are countless small countries like Vermillion Bird.
If they manage to retrieve the Cyclic Mirror, who knows when a country would be wiped out without a single trace…. ”

Only the strongest would survive and climb the ladder to eventually reach the Divine Capital.
There was no way that other “normal” folk would be able to decide their own fates.
The prosperity of the Divine Capital was a deceptive facade for the sins that had been committed to enable their lavish lifestyles.
According to Bai Mo, this was a cesspool of evil.
The stability and prosperity enjoyed by those here over the past thousands of years had been built upon piles of innocent corpses.

It was heaven, bought at the price of hell.
All the children here grew up happily and became powerful cultivators without the slightest hitch, thanks to the riches they had gleaned from the raids of the Ancient Theocrats.

For every laughing child there were thousands of other suffering children elsewhere.
If not for Li Muyang taking away the Cyclic Mirror, there would be even more suffering, as regular bloody raids would be carried out every few years, causing hundreds of thousands of corpses to be dumped into Northvoid River to be carried into the seas while the elites in the Divine Capital continued living in debauchery.

”Is the Divine Capital prosperous? ” Bai Xiaozhu asked.

”It is, ” Tianming said.
But he knew that prosperity had been built upon blood and suffering.