Nie Tian looked down at the pitch-black turtle that exuded dark power, and asked with a puzzled face, “What do you know about this black tortoise?”
The smile gradually faded from Dong Li’s face as she said, “Actually, I don’t know much about it either. I only learned its name after a soul connection formed between us. I’ve spent quite a long time studying in the Beast-controlling Sect, reading records of all kinds of spirit beasts, but I’ve never read about this black tortoise.”
Nie Tian was taken aback.
After a moment of pondering, he cast his gaze towards the open stone gate and asked, “What happened to that stone gate?”
“It opened by itself not long ago,” Dong Li answered.
“It opened by itself…?” Nie Tian went blank briefly, suspecting Yan Zhan had opened it earlier when he had come to investigate him. “Have you seen anyone while you were here?”
Dong Li shook her head. “No.”
Before he could ask another question, Dong Li asked, “Did you make it to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s headquarters?”
Nie Tian grinned. “I did. I’ve already won their acknowledgment and become the seventh Son of the Stars.”
Overjoyed, Dong Li exclaimed, “That’s terrific!”
As the two of them spoke, Nie Tian walked out through the open stone gate.
Qi Bailu, Zong Zheng, and many other experts of the Domain of the Falling Stars were still gathered by the teleportation portal that led to the Realm of Maelstrom.
Even Lei Tianqi was among them.
Everyone’s gazes converged on Nie Tian as soon as he walked through the stone gate.
Qi Bailu was both nervous and excited as he exclaimed, “Nie Tian! Has the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace confirmed your status?”
Only if the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace confirmed Nie Tian’s status as a Son of the Stars would an actual connection form between the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace and the Domain of the Falling Stars.
Once they attached themselves to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, the outsiders and powerful experts from the neighboring domains would have to think twice before they made any moves against the Domain of the Falling Stars.
The Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace would become their strongest reliance, and they wouldn’t have to worry about being invaded from time to time.
With a smile, Nie Tian said, “Everything went well.”
Upon hearing these words, everyone looked ecstatic, as if they suddenly saw a secure and bright future.
“Grand Elder Yue Yanxi wishes to see you,” Lei Tianqi said.
Nie Tian nodded. “I’ll pay a visit to the Domain of Heaven Python first, and learn the situation there. After that, I’ll go meet him in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.”
“Sure.” Lei Tianqi bowed and left, as if he was eager to inform the Divine Flame Sect of Nie Tian’s return, and that he had become the seventh Son of the Stars.
“The Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries…” Nie Tian muttered with a concerned look in his eyes. “I suppose everyone else won’t be a problem. But Patriarch Pure Heaven may not be so easy to easy to persuade. He’s currently at the peak of the Void domain, only a step away from the Saint domain. And he’s always been an arrogant and unruly man. I doubt that he’ll agree to become my subordinate.”
Qi Bailu, Zong Zheng, and the other experts heard every word he said.
Qi Bailu couldn’t help but ask, “Nie Tian, are you saying that you want to make Patriarch Pure Heaven your subordinate?”
With a faint smile, Nie Tian said, “The Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace has already put the Domain of the Falling Stars, the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, and the Domain of Heaven Python under my name. However, they won’t make any arrangements for me. I’ll have to persuade them to become my subordinate domains by myself.”
Upon hearing this, every expert gasped in shock.
Zong Zheng’s expression flickered as he asked, “You’ve just become a Son of the Stars and they gave you three domains?!”
The other experts also exclaimed in disbelief.
“Three whole domains!”
“Including their numerous realms and countless cultivation resources?! I can’t believe a Son of the Stars enjoys such a transcendent status in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace!”
“No wonder they’re one of the most ancient human powers!”
Nie Tian decided to get to business, and thus asked, “Do you know where Zhao Shanling is?”
“He came back soon after you left,” Qi Bailu said. “He teleported to the Domain of Heaven Python through this very portal and killed Xing Lifeng from the Xing Clan. He made adjustments to this teleportation portal so that people could teleport to the Realm of Maelstrom through it.
“He also told us to keep guarding this portal and destroy it if outsiders or Qi warriors from the Domain of Heaven Python invade through it, lest the Domain of the Falling Stars descend into turmoil.”
Nie Tian’s expression flickered slightly. “So he went there anyways.”
He knew that people from the Void Spirit Society must have already arrived in the Domain of Heaven Python.
The main purpose of their trip to the Domain of Heaven Python was to capture Zhao Shanling and bring him back to the Void Spirit Society’s headquarters.
Since Zhao Shanling had returned to the Domain of Heaven Python and killed Xing Lifeng there, he must have caught the attention of those from the Void Spirit Society.
With this thought in mind, he entered the teleportation portal and said without any hesitation, “Teleport me to the Domain of Heaven Python.”
Qi Bailu and the other experts expressed their desire to go with him.
“There’s no need for that,” Nie Tian said with a pacifying tone. “This trip to the Domain of Heaven Python should be a safe one. I’m only going there to have a talk with those from the Void Spirit Society. If there are no mishaps, the outsiders will soon withdraw their forces, putting an end to the crisis in the Domain of Heaven Python.”
Confusion spread across everyone’s faces.
They didn’t know that the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had already communicated with the Void Spirit Society.
Since they had put the Domain of Heaven Python under Nie Tian’s name, it was only natural that they wouldn’t allow outsiders to create havoc and leave it a scar that would take a very long time to heal.
Without giving them a detailed explanation, Nie Tian entered the teleportation portal, and the spell formation was activated.
The time it took to teleport him from the Realm of Split Void to the Realm of Maelstrom was much shorter.
Soon, Nie Tian appeared on the bottom floor of the stone pavilion the Divine Seal Sect had assigned to him in the Realm of Maelstrom.
As soon as he did, he shrewdly sensed that there were quite a few flesh auras in the Realm of Maelstrom now.
Since the flesh auras were all rather weak, it meant human cultivators were returning to the Realm of Maelstrom, which had previously been abandoned.
A Profound realm Qi warrior dressed in Divine Seal Sect garments seemed to be waiting by the portal. Upon seeing Nie Tian, his eyes lit up as he hastily asked, “Are you Nie Tian?”
“I am,” Nie Tian answered.
Overjoyed, the man shouted at the top of his lungs, “Nie Tian is here!”
In the next moment, Meng Li flew out of the highest stone pavilion that belonged to the Divine Seal Sect.
Wild with joy, Meng Li exclaimed, “You’re finally here, Nie Tian! How did it go? Did you make it to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s headquarters?”
Nie Tian smiled. “Luckily, I did. I’m officially the seventh Son of the Stars now.”
“That’s terrific!” Meng Li exclaimed in high spirits. “That Zhao Shanling, who, like you, is also from the Domain of the Falling Stars, killed Xing Lifeng in the Realm of Brown Clouds seven days ago with the help of his peculiar spatial spiritual tool and spell formation.
“But after that, some foreign Qi warriors had their eyes on him.
“They seem to be spatial power experts as well, and they’re now searching for Zhao Shanling everywhere.”
Upon hearing this, Nie Tian realized that the foreign Qi warriors Meng Li was talking about were disciples of the Void Spirit Society.
What surprised him was that Zhao Shanling had actually managed to kill Xing Lifeng.
“What’s the situation in the Domain of Heaven Python?” Nie Tian asked.
Zhao Shanling was well-versed in all kinds of spatial magics and had the Voidspirit Pagoda in his hand. If he drifted about in the starry river, those from the Voidspirit Pagoda would have a hard time finding him.
What he worried about was that the outsiders might continue to devastate the Domain of Heaven Python.
The Domain of Heaven Python was now his to take. Since the Divine Seal Sect, the most powerful local sect, had expressed their desire to become his subordinate, the Domain of Heaven Python could be considered a part of his map already.
If the outsiders continued to sack its realms and massacre its people, it would be a great loss to him as well.
“The outsiders somehow withdrew their forces not long ago,” Meng Li said. “Their ancient starships sailed out of our domain soon after those foreign Qi warriors arrived. Before that, our headquarters in the Realm of Divine Seal had been on the verge of being breached under the Demons and Phantasms’ joint attack. But just as we were about to give up, they simply retreated.”
Nie Tian went on to ask about the exact time of the outsiders’ retreat, and realized that it happened soon after his talk with Wei Lai in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s headquarters.
Therefore, he was convinced that the outsiders’ retreat was the result of Wei Lai’s communication with the Void Spirit Society.
“What’s the situation with the Golden Vast Sect and the Thousandsword Mountain Sect?” Nie Tian asked.
Meng Li sighed. “The Thousandsword Mountain Sect suffered terrible losses. They’re the biggest victims of this outsider invasion. But like us, the Golden Vast Sect only lost a few of their subordinate realms to the outsiders. Their headquarters didn’t fall in waves of fierce attacks. They’ve tided the crisis over and preserved their power.”
“Is there any word of my senior martial sister?” Nie Tian asked.
“Yes, there is. She appeared in the Realm of Brown Clouds when Zhao Shanling killed Xing Lifeng.” With these words, Meng Li suddenly lowered his voice. “I received word that the foreign Qi warriors are paying close attention to her as well. However, she’s even harder to trace than Zhao Shanling. None of them seem to have found any trace of her.”
Nie Tian let out a sigh of relief.
“Would you wait a moment while I inform our sectmaster of your arrival?” Meng Li asked solemnly. “The Golden Vast Sect will come to see you as well. We suspected that the outsiders’ withdrawal had something to do with you. Is that correct?”
“Yes.” Nie Tian didn’t deny it.
Then, Meng Li left in a hurry to deliver the information.
A few hours later, the sectmasters of the Divine Seal Sect and the Golden Vast Sect arrived in the Realm of Maelstrom, along with the Saint domain expert from the Thousandsword Mountain Sect who had been severely injured by a Bonebrute grand patriarch.
