Chapter 372: Secret
As one fragmentary star mark after another flew into the pagodas within the bellies of the three lofty mountain peaks, the grand spell formation left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace was finally activated.
As the initiator, Nie Tian actually didn’t need to do much. After he sent out the fragmentary star marks, the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s profound spell formation started to activate on its own.
Sitting on the mountaintop, he reopened his eyes to observe the battle between Ling Dong and Auden.
However, he discovered that the battle scene he saw with his naked eyes varied greatly from the battle scene he had seen with his soul power via his seven Heaven Eyes.
After thinking for a brief moment, he suddenly came to a realization.
The battle between Ling Dong and Auden was not only a tangle between their spiritual power, but their souls were also contending against each other in mysterious ways.
As he closed his eyes again to observe with his Heaven Eyes that contained soul power, he was convinced that the terrifying demonic shadow he was seeing was none other than the incarnation of Auden’s soul!
The cage-like spell formation formed by numerous frozen, prism-like mountain peaks was the crystallization of the profound combination of Ling Dong’s frost power and soul power.
Their battle on the soul level seemed far fiercer and more critical than their battle on the spiritual power level.
Only extremely powerful beings like Ling Dong and Auden could battle on such an advanced and profound level, which Nie Tian could only observe via his Heaven Eyes.
“The incarnations of their souls are fighting at close quarters!” Nie Tian grew excited inwardly.
With a deep breath, he continued to observe the battle between Ling Dong and Auden with immense interest.
It wasn’t long before he noticed that wherever the gigantic, two-headed python’s black and purple flames covered, everything would immediately burst into flames, including the surrounding mountain peaks, the earth, and even the air.
Furthermore, Nie Tian sensed the changes in the vicinity with rapt attention, and discovered that the two kinds of flames were rapidly burning the spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth which Ling Dong had released into the air away, giving rise to loud crackles.
Wherever the purple and black flames spread to, everything would soon be reduced to ashes.
As the flames set everything in the vicinity ablaze, the originally diluted demon Qi once again became rich and thick.
In the meantime, the arrival of the few members of the Astarte Clan caught Nie Tian’s attention. With a confused expression on his face, he looked at the few figures who had previously been forced to stop their army in the spatial tunnel due to the interdiction of the demon Qi rivers. “Caro, Zelia…”
Huang Fan snorted disdainfully. “More high-tier Demons.”
“They should have appeared in the Realm of Flame Heaven,” Nie Tian said in a soft voice. “They are from the Astarte Clan. You’ve met the Rotspirit Ox. These high-tier Demons almost marched their army into the Realm of Flame Heaven. If I hadn’t sealed the spatial rift in the Realm of Flame Heaven, they would have succeeded already.”
“You’ve seen them before?” Huang Fan asked, greatly surprised.
“Yeah, I sensed their actions through the spell formation left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace,” Nie Tian explained. “But the weird part is why they would come here.”
FIZZ! FIZZ!
One after another, clusters of blazing purple flames shot out of the two-headed python’s foul mouth and flew towards Nie Tian.
Eyebrows furrowed, a Profound realm expert from the Heaven Palace Sect, who was standing next to Huang Fan, waved his hand disgustedly, sending out gusts of fierce wind through his cuff.
As they traveled at an extremely fast speed in the air, ear-piercingly sharp sounds were created. In the next moment, they crushed the clusters of demonic flames and reduced them to tiny, scattered purple sparks.
“You brought Nie Tian here from the Realm of Flame Heaven, you keep him safe.”
After saying these words to Huang Fan, the man rose to his feet from his previous lotus position and flew down the mountaintop towards the central valley.
It was also at that moment that all the other Heaven Palace Sect experts that had been scattered on top of the surrounding mountain peaks flew down, including Zhao Luofeng.
Moments later, the most powerful experts from the Heaven Palace Sect arrived by the spatial rift, with Zhao Luofeng standing in the middle.
In front of them was Auden from the Fourth Demon Realm, who was sitting on his black warhorse and holding his long spear up high.
Next to him stood Nolante, Caro, Zelia, and the Rotspirit Ox from the Astarte Clan.
SHEW! SHEW! SHEW!
Beams of dazzling starlight penetrated the thick, almost-black demon Qi as they poured down from the highest heavens after being attracted by the grand spell formation left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.
As the rivers of starlight continued to purge the heaven-blocking demon Qi, the vast, starry sky could be seen again, which had never seemed more mysterious.
Countless stars shone brightly and mystically.
“The Astarte Clan.” Auden retracted his black spear, ending his battle against Ling Dong. Then, he glanced at Nolante and said, “Wasn’t the Realm of Flame Heaven one of your rangelands?” Confusion could be seen in his purple eyes, the only things revealed by his mask.
“The spatial rift in the Realm of Flame Heaven has already been sealed.” Nolante said.
“Why did you come here?” Auden asked, his voice deep and profound.
“I’m here to help you,” Nolante replied.
Adorned in heavy armor, Auden let out a cold harrumph and turned his eyes away. His gaze shifted back and forth between Zhao Luofeng and Ling Dong, who had flown down after their battle had come to a stalemate.
Nie Tian, who remained on the mountaintop with Huang Fan, felt that the atmosphere was growing increasingly strange.
The arrival of Nolante and the other members of the Astarte Clan didn’t seemed to be pleasing to Auden in the slightest. On the contrary, he seemed a bit disgusted by it.
Zhao Luofeng, Ling Dong, and all the other powerful experts from the Heaven Palace Sect descended and stood face to face with Auden and the other Demons after the confrontation between Ling Dong and Auden came to a standstill. From their stance, Nie Tian could tell that they had things to discuss.
“Senior Huang, what in the world is your sect up to?” Eyebrows knitted, Nie Tian couldn’t make heads or tails of the current situation, since he hadn’t expected any of what was happening.
“Well…” Huang Fan wished to speak, but stopped on second thought.
“People from the Astarte Clan are here, but why doesn’t Auden seem happy about that at all?” Nie Tian asked another question.
Huang Fan sighed. “Well… Have you noticed anything special here, that makes this place different from the Realm of Flame Heaven?”
“No, nothing unusual,” Nie Tian said, shaking his head. “My perception will grow keener after the grand spell formation is fully activated and the three fragmentary star marks return to me.”
“Something is sealed in this realm,” Huang Fan said after a moment of hesitation, “Something very important to the Demons in the Fourth Demon Realm. I guess the reason why they chose our realm to invade was that they wanted to get that thing back.”
“What is it!?” Nie Tian was taken aback.
Huang Fan shook his head slightly. “I don’t know for sure. It could be a magical item or maybe even a powerful Demon that has been imprisoned here by the restrictive spell left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace for many, many years. There are three Soul realm experts in the Heaven Palace Sect. As you know, after the Soul realm are the three domains, starting with the Void domain.
“In order to break through into the Void domain, one needs to collect some extremely precious and rare materials, many of which can’t be found throughout the Domain of the Falling Stars.
“However, the Demons have rare resources in their realms which can be very useful for those Soul realm experts who wish to build their inner domains.
“I’m guessing the sectmaster and grand elder are going to trade whatever has been sealed here by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace for those precious materials with the Demons.”
“What?!” Nie Tian’s expression flickered dramatically. “They want to work a deal with the Demons?!”
Huang Fan smiled bitterly. “In order to enter the Void domain, they have no choice but to collect those rare materials. They can either go to the Demons’ realms and get them personally, or they can make a deal with them. There is no other way. After all, only Demons have the things they need.”
