In the Realm of Maelstrom in the Domain of Heaven Python.
One figure after another flashed out of the spatial rift that hung high in the sky.
Duan Shihu, who had broken through into the late Profound realm, stood by Meng Li’s side with Jing Rou.
In a place not far from them, Wu Yun from the Golden Vast Sect and Du Zheng from the Thousandsword Mountain Sect were also paying close attention to the spatial rift in the sky.
Eyebrows furrowed, Meng Li gazed up at the figures that flashed out of the spatial rift and said, “This time, it took five years for the spatial rift to stabilize again, which is far longer than before. But what baffles me the most is why so many foreign Qi warriors chose to enter the Domain of Heaven Python instead of returning to their own domains.”
Duan Shihu and Jing Rou remained silent.
The first one they saw to fly out of the stabilized spatial rift was Pei Qiqi.
Both Duan Shihu and Jing Rou had heard about Pei Qiqi, and knew that part of the reason why Nie Tian had gone to the Shatter Battlefield was because he had wanted to find her.
Therefore, Duan Shihu had intended to approach her and ask her what had happened upon seeing her.
However, before he could do that, she vanished into the sky that looked like an enormous well over the Realm of Maelstrom under everyone’s gazes.
The ‘well’ connected to the boundless starry river. Normally speaking, only Void domain experts would be able to travel back and forth through it safely.
Those with inferior cultivation bases would have to rely on ancient starships.
Pei Qiqi was far from entering the Void domain, yet she vanished in the blink of an eye.
Even Meng Li failed to locate her with his immense soul awareness.
Only after Pei Qiqi left did Patriarch Pure Heaven appear with Yue Yanxi, Jiang Feng, Yin Yanan, and Mu Biqiong.
Then, they were followed by many strange faces, most of which weren’t Qi warriors from the Domain of Heaven Python.
Those from the Domain of Heaven Python only took up a small part of the arrivals.
Their pouring into the Realm of Maelstrom deeply worried Meng Li. He realized that major changes must have taken place in the Shatter Battlefield.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Finally, Nie Tian flew out of the spatial rift, along with the others from the Domain of the Falling Stars.
Overjoyed, Duan Shihu waved at him. “Over here, Junior Martial Brother!”
Nie Tian said a few words to Hua Mu, telling them to go rest in the residence the Divine Seal Sect had assigned for them in the Realm of Maelstrom.
Hua Mu, Qi Bailu, Fan Kai, and the others nodded and left as they were told.
Then, Nie Tian flew onto Duan Shihu’s air-transportation spiritual tool.
At this moment, small spatial blades suddenly flew out of the spatial rift, and straight up into the starry sky where Pei Qiqi had vanished.
A few seconds after that, the spatial rift became congested and inaccessible again.
Nie Tian switched his gaze between the spatial rift and the direction in which the spatial blades had vanished, a thoughtful look appearing in his eyes.
Now, he was completely convinced that those spatial blades were the reason why the spatial rift had remained accessible for this long, and this was all because Pei Qiqi had been secretly helping them.
“That senior martial sister of mine…” Nie Tian said.
Duan Shihu pointed up at the boundless starry river where the spatial blades had just disappeared. “She left immediately after flying out of that spatial rift. What surprised me the most is that she hasn’t entered the Void domain, and she didn’t travel on an ancient starship. Instead, she simply burst through the natural ward over the Realm of Maelstrom, and flew away.”
“What happened in the Shatter Battlefield, Nie Tian?” Meng Li asked somewhat anxiously.
Upon arriving, Patriarch Pure Heaven left for the Divine Seal Sect’s stronghold in the Realm of Maelstrom with the others, eager to teleport back to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries. Adding in the fact that Meng Li didn’t know him well, he didn’t go ask him about the situation.
“It was said that a Heaven Nourished grade spiritual material appeared…” Nie Tian explained what he had learned to Meng Li and the others.
“Many spatial rifts and teleportation portals have vanished or collapsed because of that Heaven Nourished grade treasure. Saint domain human experts represented by the Void Spirit Society engaged in fierce battles against outsiders and Ancientbeasts over that treasure in the depths of the Shatter Battlefield. Only the unstable spatial rifts like the one through which you have returned remain unaffected…” Meng Li muttered in a low voice as he combed through the information Nie Tian had given him.
Moments later, Meng Li said with a grim face, “This is a matter of great importance. I need to report it to the sectmaster right now!”
With these words, their air-transportation spiritual tool shot out, and soon descended in the Divine Seal Sect’s stronghold in the Realm of Maelstrom. Hua Mu, Fan Kai, and the others were already waiting for them.
Patriarch Pure Heaven and Yue Yanxi were also among those who were gathered there.
Patriarch Pure Heaven looked rather impatient.
With a bitter smile, Yue Yanxi said, “Why hasn’t that Zhao Shanling returned, Nie Tian? That teleportation portal he built connects to the Realm of Split Void, but we can’t operate it without him. If we can’t teleport to the Realm of Split Void and return to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries from there, then we’ll have to spend a much longer time finding another way to return.”
Fan Kai and Hua Mu also seemed frustrated.
Thanks to the teleportation portal Zhao Shanling had set up, they had been able to easily travel to the Realm of Maelstrom. However, that teleportation portal would only be able to teleport people back and forth between the Realm of Maelstrom and the Realm of Split Void with the power of the Voidspirit Pagoda.
Upon entering the Realm of Split Void, Yue Yanxi and the others from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries would be able to return to their home domain through the transit portals the Lei Clan had established between there and the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.
However, since Zhao Shanling wasn’t here, the spell formation wouldn’t start, which became a major problem for them.
“I don’t know,” Nie Tian said helplessly. “Even if he wants to come back, it won’t be an easy thing to do now that the spatial rift connecting the Shatter Battlefield to the Realm of Maelstrom has become congested and inaccessible again. However, Zhao Shanling is an expert of spatial manipulation magics. As long as he’s still alive, he’ll figure out a way to return. It’s just that it’s hard to say how long it’ll take.”
After a moment of hesitation, Jiang Feng turned to Patriarch Pure Heaven and said with an inquiring tone, “Without him, I guess we can only ask for help from the Golden Vast Sect. They have been to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries before, and one of their perimeter realms borders our domain. As long as we can teleport to that realm, then we’ll be able to travel through the void and return to our domain with the help of one of the Golden Vast Sect’s ancient starships, or by relying on our Void domain strength.”
“Alright, I’ll go talk to the Golden Vast Sect,” Patriarch Pure Heaven said indifferently.
Then, Yue Yanxi took a look at Nie Tian and said, “Well, it seems we’re not going to wait for Zhao Shanling.”
Nie Tian nodded. “Yeah."
Afterwards, Patriarch Pure Heaven and the others from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries flew away from the Divine Seal Sect’s stronghold.
As they did, Yin Yanan seemed reluctant to part with Nie Tian. She turned around to take one last glance at him.
Mu Biqiong, however, looked ahead and didn’t say a word.
“They can return to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries with the Golden Vast Sect’s help, but we…” Qi Bailu let out a sigh of frustration. “We face a much tougher task. If Zhao Shanling doesn’t return, it’ll be almost impossible for us to find a way back to the Domain of the Falling Stars.”
“So I guess we’ll wait for Zhao Shanling to return then.” Nie Tian didn’t have a solution either.
Afterwards, Qi Bailu, Fan Kai, and the others settled in in the residence the Divine Seal Sect had assigned for them.
Nie Tian, however, followed Duan Shihu and Jing Rou to a secret room, where he explained their encounters in the Shatter Battlefield in detail.
The couple were surprised after learning that Nie Tian had gained a fortune from his trip to the Shatter Battlefield.
Duan Shihu even regretted not going and fighting side by side with Nie Tian in the Shatter Battlefield.
Aside from that, he expressed his concern for their master, Wu Ji.
“Master will probably find the river of time and spend a long time deriving enlightenment from it,” Nie Tian said with a consoling tone. “Perhaps the next time we meet him, his cultivation base and strength will be so high that he’ll receive attention from across the starry river. The river of time will help him significantly. I doubt that he’ll leave the Shatter Battlefield before solving its profound mysteries.”
Duan Shihu nodded, mixed emotions rising in his heart.
From that day on, Nie Tian stayed in the Realm of Maelstrom and focused on his cultivation, hoping to break through into the Profound realm as soon as possible.
He assumed that after entering the Profound realm, he might be able to activate the spell formation in the Realm of Shattered Earth, and teleport to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s headquarters, finally finishing the path of stars that the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had designed for him.
At that time, perhaps he would even be able to learn more about his father, who had vanished after his birth, and his mother, who he had few memories of, with the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s help.
He might enter a whole new chapter of his life after he finished the path of stars.
