The old man dressed in the cyan shirt was obviously Ji Cang.
The Magnetic Star Crystal was glowing in his palm.
Ji Cang must have been handsome when he was young, but he was now extremely haggard and gaunt, without any amazing star aura coming out of his body.
The weakness of his soul was also reflected in his eyes, which were dim.
Taking a deep breath. Nie Tian bowed humbly to him. “I’m Nie Tian. Nice to meet you, sectmaster.”
“Do not call me sectmaster. Just call me uncle.” Ji Cang said with a smile. “Everyone thinks I don’t get along with your father, but Mo Heng and a few others know about my real relationship with your father. Your father and I have never really had any bad blood.
“I’ve secretly visited the Doomed Star Sea many times over the years, and I’ve helped your father fight the races of the Void World.
“He and I have been guarding the Mortal World in covert and overt ways. As the sectmaster of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, I suppress the outsider races of the Spirit World, and make sure they don’t march through the Dead Star Sea to invade us on a large scale. He, on the other hand, fights against the three outsider races of the Void World in the Doomed Star Sea.
“We’ve always been in touch. Our connection has never ended.
“A Stargate manifesting in the Domain of the Falling Stars, you becoming a Son of the Stars, and you going to the Domain of Forbidden Heaven. All these were our arrangements for you.”
Ji Cang smiled and told Nie Tian that there was indeed a power behind the scenes that had helped him successfully become a Son of the Stars.
Nie Tian was astonished.
He had thought it had been Qin Yao, his biological father, who had secretly arranged things to happen for him, but he hadn’t expected Ji Cang to be involved.
What made him more surprised was that Ji Cang and his father weren’t sworn enemies as the rumors had said.
Instead, they were bosom friends.
“You..?” Nie Tian wanted to ask something, but suddenly saw Dong Li’s expression change, and the dark power of the Dark Aureole started to surge.
The dark shield of light seemed to be hammered by a variety of invisible energies, causing huge dents to appear in it!
The black tortoise squeaked.
“Here it comes again,” Ji Cang said with a sigh. “The attacks will not stop until the gate of the Dark Abyss is opened.”
He looked up and saw the gorgeous lights sealing the passage. Then he saw that broken bodies fell through and were reduced to blood mists, “It shouldn’t be too long…”
Nie Tian’s pupils shrank as he fixed his eyes on Dong Li. “What is it?”
Speaking, he stepped forward and intended to plunge into Dong Li’s dark shield of light.
He was puzzled. He had been standing here for a while now, with Ji Cang next to him. However, neither he nor Ji Cang had been attacked. Why was Dong Li being attacked?
What puzzled him even more was that he couldn’t perceive the power that was attacking her with his soul or bloodline.
This was very strange!
He had never imagined that there were powers in the three worlds that his soul and bloodline couldn’t perceive.
Even if they were special energies that he had never seen before, as long as they existed and had attacked Dong Li, how could he not perceive them at all?
Dong Li exhaled, her face relaxing a little. “It’s over.”
Nie Tian was even more puzzled. “What on earth is it? Why didn’t I feel anything? Sect… Uncle Ji and I didn’t seem to be attacked!”
Ji Cang answered for her. “It’s something that flies out of the Dark Abyss. It’s called a Void Spirit, the same Void from the Void World. Void Spirits have nothing to do with the Voidspirits. They’re from the Dark Abyss. Every time, before the gate opens, some of them will get out.
“You can’t see or perceive them because they can hide themselves from you.
“It doesn’t attack you because you share the same aura as them.”
Nie Tian was shocked. “What? How is that possible?”
Then, a flash of lightning seemed to streak across his sea of soul awareness. His eyes lit up as he asked, “Is the Divine Flame of the Domain of Flame’s End also a Void Spirit?”
Ji Cang nodded. “Yes, you’re a smart one. The Divine Flame comes from the Dark Abyss, and it is a Void Spirit, but more powerful and mysterious than the one that’s been attacking Dong Li! Because you released its aura, when you flew here, all the devil plants and spirit plants avoided you.”
Nie Tian hurried to ask. “What on earth is a Void Spirit? What’s so special about them?”
He could see that Dong Li, who had been attacked by the Void Spirit, had used up too much of her dark power in a short time.
Dong Li had mastered the Dark Aureole and merged with the dark stone. Plus, the black tortoise that was at the tenth grade; her battle prowess should be no weaker than the Heaven Sha if she was in the Domain of Shadow Devil.
However, she didn’t seem to be able to withstand the Void Spirit’s repeated attacks in this darkness.
“I don’t know either,” Ji Cang answered with a wry smile. “If I could enter the Dark Abyss, I’d be able to fully understand the Void Spirits’ origin, but…”
He shook his head and sighed again. “I’m afraid I won’t have a chance now.”
“Who injured you?” Nie Tian asked.
Ji Cang replied, “Grand Monarch Nether Spirit and Grand Monarch Thousand Spirits of the Netherspirits joined hands and mobilized all their clansmen to besiege me. I knew my own ability. When I was about to be defeated, I rushed to this place. I might be even closer to death here, but it might also give me a chance to survive.”
Nie Tian was taken aback. “I can’t believe you know that Grand Monarch Soul Capturer is actually Grand Monarch Nether Spirit!”
Ji Cang nodded. “It’s not a secret. You can’t threaten him with it. Qin Yao, Grand Monarch Bone Piercer, Grand Monarch Heaven Devil, and Grand Monarch Thousand Spirits all know about his identity. I first came to the Void World trying to figure out how Grand Monarch Nether Spirit died. I wanted to find the truth.
“I even went to the Phantasms’ territory in the Spirit World.”
Nie Tian was astonished. “You’ve been to the Spirit World? How did you get there?”
“I crossed the Dead Star Sea.” Ji Cang answered casually. “Apart from this forbidden land in the Void World, I have explored all of the Mortal World, Spirit World, Dead Star Sea, Doomed Star Sea, and Silent Star Sea.
Nie Tian was shocked. “Ah…”
“One of the things I’ve wanted to figure out all this time is where Grand Monarch Nether Spirit went. I refused to believe he died so easily,” Ji Cang continued. “Another thing is Grand Monarch Lurking Devil of the Devils, who is ranked number ten in the Void World.”
Nie Tian was puzzled. “Grand Monarch Lurking Devil? He’s only ranked tenth. Do you have to try so painstakingly to find him?”
“That Grand Monarch Lurking Devil is quite unusual,” Ji Cang answered with a solemn expression. “I think he’s not any less threatening than Grand Monarch Heaven Devil. Based on my secret explorations, I have come to find that he has been active in the Mortal World and Spirit World this whole time. He has long passed through the Doomed Star Sea, and has been lurking in our world.”
It surprised Nie Tian. “What is his current identity?”
“I have no idea,” Ji Cang said. “The three outsider races of the Void World are clear about the changes in the Mortal World and Spirit World partly because of Grand Monarch Nether Spirit, who is from the Spirit World. Another reason is Grand Monarch Lurking Devil.”
