Standing on the Star Boat, Nie Tian gazed down at the vast earth.
Mountains and lakes stretched as far as the eye could see, along with overgrown ancient trees and fresh green spirit grass.
Herb gardens could be seen almost everywhere, with all kinds of rare spirit grass that could be used to make high-grade medicinal pills growing in them.
Crude wooden residences sat in mountain valleys, where Qi warriors that exuded rich wood auras were practicing cultivation.
Red-crowned cranes and other rare birds flew around clear lakes, where fish were swimming happily and freely.
Powerful Qi warriors dwelt in the cyan mountains. Void and Saint domain experts could be seen everywhere.
A wide array of exotic flowers and rare herbs grew in the Realm of Wood Spirit, filling the entire realm with soothing wood power, which made it a blessed land for those who practiced wood power incantations.
Nie Tian even sensed pleasure in the Godspirit Tree sapling in his wood power core.
This made him realize that this realm was an ideal place for Godspirit Trees to grow in.
Then, he examined his surroundings with rapt attention, and discovered that the wood power in the Realm of Wood Spirit seemed to be growing by itself, as if it would never run dry.
After wondering for a while, he couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Ruan, is there a Heaven Nourished grade treasure like the Godspirit Tree in the Realm of Wood Spirit? As far as I know, only a Heaven Nourished grade wood-attributed treasure can change a realm this way.”
The Divine Flame had reached the Domain of Flame’s End from the depths of the starry river.
It had left flame sparks in all of its realms, causing them to go through changes and vesting them with the ability to channel flame power from the starry river. By doing that, it had turned all of the realms in the Domain of Flame’s End into fiery heaven and earths.
That was when Nie Tian had first realized that certain rare treasures could cause changes in realms.
The way he saw it, the dark stone Dong Li had acquired from the Sixth Demon Realm was such a rare treasure. Its existence had enveloped the Sixth Demon Realm in darkness, and even created a forbidden place like the Dark Forest.
“There was a treasure like that, but that was a long time ago.” Ruan Qingliu seemed careful with her choice of words. “But I’m still not a member of the Five Elements Sect, even though I practice wood power. So I don’t know much about the wood element sect’s secrets.”
She was only Hou Chulan’s subordinate.
In this sense, she was like Jing Feiyang, Quan Zixuan, and the other experts who followed Nie Tian, who were Nie Tian’s subordinates, but not members of Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.
For that reason, it was understandable that she didn’t know much about the Realm of Wood Spirit.
“So there was such a treasure… But what about now?” Nie Tian asked curiously.
“I suppose it’s no longer here,” Ruan Qingliu said, looking rather uncertain about her answer.
Huang Jinnan chuckled. “Why ask her, but not me? The Realm of Wood Spirit, the Realm of Gold Spirit, and the Realm of Fire Spirit were originally regular heaven and earths with nothing special about them. They were made special later.”
Nie Tian looked at him attentively, waiting for him to carry on.
After a moment of hesitation, Huang Jinnan said, “Well, this is kind of a secret of my sect. I shouldn’t tell you too much about it… Heaven Nourished grade treasures have existed in the Realm of Water Spirit and the Realm of Earth Spirit since the very beginning. But that’s not the case with the Realm of Wood Spirit, the Realm of Gold Spirit, and the Realm of Fire Spirit. Later, my sect vested each of them with a Heaven Nourished grade treasure, allowing them to automatically transform into blessed lands for those who cultivate wood power, metal power, and flame power.
“But now, the Realm of Wood Spirit already no longer needs that Heaven Nourished treasure to channel wood power from the starry river.”
Surprised, Nie Tian asked, “Why?”
Huang Jinnan smiled and said, “As long as the head of the wood element sect is still around, the Realm of Wood Spirit will be able to channel power from the starry river and infuse itself with endless wood power.”
Just as Nie Tian was about to ask another question, Lou Hongyan from the fire element sect interrupted him. “Nie Tian, I reported to my master that you’re currently holding the Flame Dragon Armor.”
“What did he say?” Nie Tian’s expression changed.
The ownership of the Flame Dragon Armor remained an unsolved issue. By stimulating it with his Blood Essence, he had awakened its Blood Core, vesting it with unprecedented vitality. It had already become one of his most important possessions.
Of course he wouldn’t want to give it to the fire element sect.
Lou Hongyan seemed ill-at-ease as she said, “My master said that you can keep the Flame Dragon Armor, but he hopes that you’ll lend it to him when he needs it. That suit of armor itself isn’t very important. However, it carries a mystery, which even my master hasn’t figured out completely. So…”
Nie Tian thought briefly and said, “Alright, he can borrow it. But I want to know what secret that suit of armor holds. I hope he’ll share it with me.”
“Well, let’s talk about that when he needs to borrow the suit of armor.” Lou Hongyan seemed distressed whenever she talked about the Flame Dragon Armor.
After all, she was the one who had lost it to another in the first place. Otherwise, Nie Tian wouldn’t have gained it.
Besides, Nie Tian had triggered brand new changes in it, and he had helped the Five Elements Sect repeatedly. She couldn’t simply take it back.
They flew past mountain after mountain as they spoke.
“There,” Ruan Qingliu said, pointing at a cyan mountain peak in front of them. Several bamboo pavilions could be seen at the mountaintop.
Hou Chulan was standing in front of one of them, waving at Nie Tian with a smile on her face.
Puzzled, Nie Tian asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you set up a teleportation portal in these mountains? That would save you the trouble of traveling back and forth between here and the teleportation portal.”
“The Realm of Wood Spirit is different from the other main realms,” Huang Jinnan explained. “It’s an important herb garden for not only my sect, but for all of humanity. And that’s because many exotic flowers and rare grass can only be cultivated here. However, unusual spatial fluctuations would take a toll on the growth of those herbs.
“For that reason, the inter-domain teleportation portal was set up in a remote area, so that its operation won’t undermine the medicinal properties of the herbs.”
Enlightened by his words, Nie Tian nodded. “So that’s how it is.”
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Five figures flashed out of the bamboo pavilion one after another.
They were old men and women. However, each and every one of them was at the late Saint domain, and exuded a shockingly strong aura.
After landing, Lou Hongyan and Huang Jinnan bowed respectfully towards the five elders.
“Greetings, Elder Wang.”
“Greetings, Elder Li…”
Then, Huang Jinnan turned to Nie Tian and introduced, “These are our respected elders of the wood element sect. Some of them are well-versed in alchemy. Some are brilliant fighters. Some specialize in healing, while others are in charge of cultivating spirit plants and medicinal grass.
“They’re all experts of the same generation as the current head of the wood element sect.”
Hearing this, Nie Tian also bowed respectfully towards the five of them, as Huang Jinnan and Lou Hongyan had.
With a faint smile, Hou Chulan said, “Don’t be nervous, Nie Tian. I only asked the elders to be here because I want to make sure that everything goes well when I attempt to break through into the Saint domain. This is Nie Tian, the seventh Son of the Stars of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace. Senior Lu Jiefeng only managed to secure a wisp of his soul because he and Pei Qiqi had broken free from the Domain of Nether Heaven in time, and spread word of what had happened in there.
“And if it weren’t for him, I might have been trapped and killed by Phantasms and Fiends in the Domain of Heaven’s Origin not long ago, and suffered the same fate as Mou Luo.”
Even though the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace didn’t know much about what had happened during their trip in the Domain of Heaven’s Origin, these elders of the wood element sect knew it all.
Being reminded that Lu Jiefeng had secured his chance at reincarnation because of Nie Tian, they all fixed him with warm, approving looks.
“Chulan!” A deafening voice that sounded like a thunderclap echoed out from the distant sky. “You trying to break through into the Saint domain is such a paramount matter. How come you didn’t tell me about it?”
In the next moment, everyone spotted He Lianxiong, who was burly like a mountain, even though he was still a significant distance from them.
“That guy again…” Hou Chulan frowned and muttered, before giving Ruan Qingliu a hard look.
Ruan Qingliu hastily explained, “I have nothing to do with this, Divine Daughter! I swear that I didn’t tell him anything this time! I don’t know how he learned about this!”
He Lianxiong arrived with a loud whoosh. Without greeting anyone, he set his eyes on Nie Tian. “Nie Tian! What are you doing here?”
Nie Tian gave a cold harrumph. “Unlike you, the Divine Daughter of the wood element sect sent for me. So I cleared my schedule and came here.”
He Lianxiong curled his lips. “Hmm? You’ve entered the Soul realm. Not bad. But still, Chulan is attempting to break through into the Saint domain. How can you help her?”
“What can you do to help?” Nie Tian countered.
“I found her several treasures that will increase her chance at a successful breakthrough,” He Lianxiong said arrogantly.
Upon hearing these words, all five elders of the wood element sect turned their heads towards him as their eyes lit up.
He Lianxiong was a stepson of the sectmaster of the Heaven Span Pavilion. The treasures he brought must be extraordinary.
As far as they were concerned, Hou Chulan needed all the help she could get to smoothen her breakthrough into the Saint domain.
