The man who showed Nie Tian around and introduced the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s rules to him was a Soul realm deacon named Tao Jin.
From him, Nie Tian learned that not every member of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace practiced star power incantations.
As one of the most ancient and powerful human sects, the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace held all kinds of records that included almost everything one might hope to learn.
However, many members of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had chosen their cultivation attributes long before joining them.
The Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace would pass agreeable incantations to them according to their cultivation attributes.
For that reason, as a member of the parliament of elders, Yan Zhan mainly practised flame power incantations.
Even though members of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace practiced a variety of incantations, the Sons of the Stars were required to practice star power incantations.
Each and every one of them needed to channel star power from the depths of the starry river.
After all, the most profound legacies of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace were its star power incantations.
Nie Tian also asked about sun power and moon power.
According to Tao Jin, sun power and moon power had originally been included in the Fragmentary Star Incantation.
Like the countless stars, the sun and the moon were also a part of the boundless starry river.
The incantations to channel power from the sun and the moon and practice cultivation with them had originally been branches of the Fragmentary Star Incantation. Even though they hadn’t been the mainstream, they had been just as unfathomable and powerful.
It was said that when the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had first been established, there had been three main palaces: the Fragmentary Star Palace, the Grand Sun Palace, and the Chilly Moon Palace.
However, the Grand Sun Palace and Chilly Moon Palace had always taken orders from the Fragmentary Star Palace.
The highest position their leaders had ever risen to was vice sectmaster, as if they hadn’t qualified to become the Lord of the Stars.
Now, with the Grand Sun Palace and the Chilly Moon Palace gone, the Fragmentary Star Palace became the only one left of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.
However, the secret magics and incantations of the Grand Sun Palace and Chilly Moon Palace hadn’t vanished. There were still members of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace who practiced them, though very few of them had managed to enter the God domain over the past hundreds of thousands of years.
Xin Qing and Zu Guangyao, who Nie Tian had met earlier, were the experts with the highest attainments in those incantations throughout the entire sect, yet the two of them had been stuck at the late Saint domain for a very long time.
As a Son of the Stars, Nie Tian had to wait for the grand elder to assess him, and issue a special identity medallion to him.
Holding it, he would have access to the sect’s stock of spiritual materials, medicinal pills, and spiritual tools.
However, he would only be allowed to obtain a limited amount of resources at first.
Only after he made significant contributions to the sect and accumulated abundant contribution points would he be able to use them to get more valuable resources.
As long as his contributions were vast and significant enough, he would be able to obtain Spirit Channeling grade spiritual tools, and all kinds of precious medicinal pills and spiritual materials from the sect.
He would even be able to trade the contribution points for realms or domains that would only belong to him.
For hundreds of thousands of years, experts of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had fought outsiders in search of unexplored realms and domains in the depths of the starry river.
Every few years, new realms or domains would be added to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s map.
Some of the realms or even domains would be used to reward those who made great contributions to the sect.
This was rather similar to how the Blood Skull from the Realm of Split Void offered spiritual materials in exchange for contribution points.
“…However, you won’t be able to get any cultivation resources before the grand elder issues an identity medallion to you.” Tao Jin showed Nie Tian to one magnificent palace after another before they came to a stop in front of a lofty establishment that pierced into the clouds. “This is the Records Pavilion. All of the other disciples have to present their identity medallions in order to browse through the ancient records in it.
“However, the Sons of the Stars can enter it freely.
“But since you don’t have an identity medallion yet, you can only read the records in there.
“After the grand elder returns, he’ll give you a comprehensive assessment, issue an identity medallion to you, and give you some advice.
“At that time, you’ll be able to use your identity medallion to obtain medicinal pills, spiritual materials, or spiritual tools that suit your needs in the relevant pavilions.”
As Tao Jin gave him an earnest explanation, Nie Tian felt like an insect standing in front of the towering Records Pavilion, whose top disappeared into the clouds. Gazing skywards, he asked with an overwhelmed expression, “Will I be allowed to browse through any record this Records Pavilion holds?”
Tao Jin nodded and said with a somewhat envious expression, “Yes, any record. Although, our sect’s most valuable legacies are in fact already in your hands. They dwarf every record in the Records Pavilion.”
“The most valuable legacies?” Nie Tian asked, looking confused. “Do you mean the three fragmentary star marks?”
“Exactly,” Tao Jin said. “Those fragmentary star marks carry the most mysterious and powerful incantations of our sect. They’re the reason why our sect stands unwavering in the starry river.”
As the two of them spoke, Nie Tian saw a large number of people entering and exiting the Records Pavilion.
Many of them seemed to recognize Tao Jin and know that he was the one who gave introductions to the new disciples.
However, decades had passed since the last time the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had taken in any new disciples.
Therefore, there shouldn’t be any new disciples for him to show around at this moment.
What surprised them even more was that Tao Jin seemed very respectful as he spoke to Nie Tian.
Some of the smart ones recalled the seven bell tolls, and their expressions instantly flickered.
“He’s that Son of the Stars!”
“He must be the seventh Son of the Stars!”
Immediately afterwards, numerous gazes focused on Nie Tian.
This magnificent ancient city was named Fragmentary Star City, where stood the Fragmentary Star Palace and four main establishments: the Records Pavilion, the Tools Pavilion, the Pills Pavilion, and the Materials Pavilion.
These four pavilions surrounded the Fragmentary Star Palace.
In front of the Fragmentary Star Palace stood a number of large-scale inter-domain teleportation portals, through which disciples of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace would be able to teleport to and from various domains.
Many who had just returned from foreign domains overheard the exclamations at the Records Pavilion, and thus fixed their eyes in Nie Tian’s direction.
All of a sudden, Nie Tian received everyone’s attention.
Nie Tian glanced around, and discovered that several hundred Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace disciples were already gathered in front of the Records Pavilion.
As the clamor grew louder, even more disciples streamed out of the other pavilions and palaces to gather towards him, as if they were all eager to take a look at this new Son of the Stars.
Tao Jin glanced around, and with a disdainful snort, he showed Nie Tian through the enormous gate of the Records Pavilion.
Inside the Records Pavilion, the person who was in charge of checking-in saw Tao Jin, and immediately realized who Nie Tian was.
Without saying a word, he rose to his feet from behind a jade desk and bowed slightly towards Nie Tian to show his respect.
Even though he was at the Void domain, which was much higher than Nie Tian’s cultivation base, he had to drop his arrogance and treat Nie Tian with such respect due to the huge gap between their statuses.
Nie Tian bowed back and asked Tao Jin in a soft voice, “What exactly does the Records Pavilion hold?”
“Everything,” Tao Jin answered, smiling. “All kinds of cultivation techniques, incantations, and spells, as well as maps of the domains our sect has explored through countless battles since the Desolate Antiquity Era. Also, there are records of outsider cultivation methods and magics that we’ve looted from them. Besides that, you can also find records of different human cultivation systems, spell formations, and magical symbols… In a word, you can get anything you need here.”
Deeply amazed, Nie Tian exclaimed, “Even records about different outsider races?”
Tao Jin smiled. “That’s right. Not only do we have records of their bloodline magics, but we also have analyses of their unique traits and how to deal with them in battle. We even have detailed maps of some of their domains.”
“There are records of flame power and wood power incantations too, right?” Nie Tian asked.
Tao Jin nodded. “More than you can count. Records of flame power, wood power, lightning power, frost power, and other powers are stored separately on different floors.”
Nie Tian’s eyes lit up. “Where are flame power incantations stored?”
“On the nineteenth floor,” Tao Jin said. “I’ll take you there if you like.”
“That’d be very kind of you,” Nie Tian said.
Under everyone’s gazes, Tao Jin walked up flights of wide stone stairs until he and Nie Tian came to the nineteenth floor.
As they did, many of those who were browsing through records were alarmed, and gathered to the staircase to fix Nie Tian with curious, measuring gazes.
“The seventh Son of the Stars is only at the early Profound realm. He’s progressed far too slowly, hasn’t he?”
“I heard that he came from the Domain of the Falling Stars, which is apparently our sect’s territory. I’ve been a member of our sect for a hundred years now, but I’ve never heard of such a place.”
“None of those who passed the Heaven Gate trials and became Sons of the Stars were easy to deal with. His name is Nie Tian, but I haven’t really heard anything about him. It seems we need to find out more about him later.”
“Let’s hope this newborn Son of the Stars won’t die prematurely.”
