Netherspirits had a strong and deep-rooted fear towards their superiors.
Every Netherspirit had heard stories about the five evil G.o.ds and their tremendous contributions to their people since they had been little, and knew by heart every detail of the great battles they had fought alongside their mightiest leader before they had perished, and their souls had scattered across two worlds.
All of them knew how mighty and formidable they had been.
Their legendary deeds hung high in the heavens of the Netherspirits’ history like bright, ever-s.h.i.+ning stars that guided their people generation after generation.
“Lords!”
The Netherspirits, who commanded countless evil spirits and vicious souls, couldn’t summon even the slightest will to fight them.
As soon as a slight wisp of fighting will rose in their hearts, it was forcibly scattered by some mysterious power.
The Netherspirits exchanged glances, and saw helplessness and uneasiness in each other’s eyes.
Wisps of soul will flashed across their minds like invisible lightning bolts.
They soon reached a mutual understanding.
FIZZ!
Like plumes of smoke, they flew off and vanished into the distant starry river.
Since they didn’t dare to fight the evil G.o.ds, they could only leave.
However, as they flew away, they let out calls in peculiar soul voices, as if to send out messages.
The five evil G.o.ds, which had been born in the Spirit Pearl and took orders from Nie Tian, seemed to be attracted by their soul calls, as they spread out to chase after them.
“Master, this doesn’t seem good...” The Spirit Pearl’s soul secretly reminded Nie Tian. “This is their ancestral land. By staying here, they’ll be able to gather their scattered soul and memory fragments. If they stay by your side the whole time, you may still be able to restrain and control them.
“However, if they get too far away from you and me, your profound connection with them may break. Then, after they gather all of their soul fragments and recover their memories fully, perhaps they’ll be able to break free from your flesh aura restrictions completely, and regain their freedom with the help of other Netherspirits.”
By saying these words, the Spirit Pear’s soul wanted Nie Tian to issue another order to call the five evil G.o.ds back.
Nie Tian’s expression gradually changed as he sensed his soul and flesh aura connection with the evil G.o.ds.
As the distance between him and the five evil G.o.ds grew greater and greater, his soul connection with them and his flesh aura constraints on them became weaker and weaker.
At the same time, they gathered more and more memory and soul fragments.
As time pa.s.sed, he came to the shocking realization that he had to maintain his control of the five evil G.o.ds by keeping them from getting too far away from him!
Without any delay, he focused his soul awareness and sent out orders.
Seconds later, with a deeply grim expression, he sent the Spirit Pearl’s soul a soul message. “It seems I was too late.”
The Spirit Pearl’s soul let out a soft sigh from within the cyan pearl, and then fell silent.
Pei Qiqi and Mo Heng didn’t know any of this. They still looked around with calm expressions, a.s.suming that the five evil G.o.ds would soon return after chasing the Netherspirits away.
“No wonder they’re considered the five most powerful evil G.o.ds in their history,” Mo Heng said, looking impressed. “Netherspirits have an extremely strict hierarchy. Those Netherspirits’ fear and reverence towards the evil G.o.ds are so deeply rooted in their souls and bloodlines that they couldn’t summon even the slightest will to fight them.
“Only after they rise to the evil G.o.ds’ heights will they be able to overcome that fear and reverence.”
Pei Qiqi pondered for a moment before saying, “Senior Mo, it’s said that you went to the Domain of Endless Thunder to help defend the Mo Clan and the Heavenly Thunder Sect against Yuan Jiuchuan and other crooked human forces, but disappeared soon after that. How did you end up here, guarding this portal?
“Also, you said that Sectmaster Ji Cang of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace is also in this world. Is that true?”
WHOOs.h.!.+ WHOOs.h.!.+ WHOOs.h.!.+
As the Netherspirits retreated, the five evil G.o.ds chasing after them and the sea of countless evil spirits and vicious souls they commanded also withdrew like an ebbing tide.
Luo Wanxiang from the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace went with them.
Soon after his battle against Mo Heng had ended, he had secretly backed away and vanished into the sea of swarming evil spirits.
Since Mo Heng had to look after Nie Tian and Pei Qiqi, he didn’t go after him.
Perhaps to Mo Heng, this vice sectmaster of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace was nothing to be feared.
Nie Tian took a deep breath and said, “I can only roughly sense the direction of those five through my flesh aura connection with them now. They should still be able to receive my orders. However, since they’re getting farther and farther away from me and growing stronger by the second, they can defy my orders now.”
Pei Qiqi was astonished.
Mo Heng frowned and said, “If they manage to gather their soul fragments and break your control, they may be able to recover their peak strength with the help of other Netherspirits. Then, they’ll be a real problem.”
He also had a headache over the situation.
“I can only try and see if I can get them back.” With these words, Nie Tian prepared to fly after the five evil G.o.ds by following their flesh auras to see if he could draw them back into the Spirit Pearl.
“Wait a moment.” Pei Qiqi stopped him.
The s.p.a.ce Boundaries Crystal spun in front of her ample b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
Every facet of the crystal had glorious light flowing inside of it, as if they were eyes that were curiously scanning their surroundings in the starry river.
Soon, the glorious light in five of the facets morphed into images.
Images of the five evil G.o.ds were presented in five different facets of the crystal.
They showed that they were being led by the Netherspirits and flying away in different directions.
Their killing intent had been strong and violent at first. However, as they flew farther and farther away, it gradually grew faint, and was replaced by confusion.
During their pursuit, cl.u.s.ters of mysterious light that looked like some sort of imprints. .h.i.t them, and quickly fused into their souls, where they became their deepest soul imprints and started awakening their memories and numerous soul magics they had mastered in their previous life.
Pei Qiqi spun the s.p.a.ce Boundaries Crystal to show the images of the five evil G.o.ds to Nie Tian and Mo Heng. “They’re slowly growing stronger indeed as their souls become more and more complete. This invaluable spatial treasure of mine is now locked onto them. If you want, I can take you to any of them within a breath’s time.”
Nie Tian’s eyes lit up. “So they won’t go beyond its detection range?”
“I don’t think they will anytime soon.” Pei Qiqi gave an affirmative answer. “However, I can’t seem to locate Luo Wanxiang...”
Mo Heng snorted disdainfully. “Luo Wanxiang was charmed by a Netherspirit from this world who’s well-versed in bewitchment. That expert is at the late tenth grade. Together with several other Netherspirit experts, he managed to bewitch our sectmaster, Ji Cang, and trap him in his own mind.”
Taken aback, Nie Tian said, “I heard that the sectmaster was imprisoned by a secret force in some remote part of the starry river.”
Pei Qiqi, Zhao Shanling, and Dong Li had all accompanied Nie Tian to a s.p.a.ce disruption zone, where they had met the Thunder Devil Yuan Jiuchuan and Feng Beiluo, and had many uncanny encounters.
From them, they had learned that there was a hidden force in the human world that absorbed crooked human forces like the Nether Spirit Society and the Death Curse Sect, as well as forsaken outsiders.
They had a.s.sumed that that hidden force was responsible for Ji Cang going missing, and Mo Heng’s sudden disappearance.
A mixed look appeared in Mo Heng’s eyes as he took a glance at Nie Tian and said, “You mean them? It’s not like you think.”
Suddenly remembering something, Nie Tian said, “Grand Elder, I met Senior Mo Qianfan, and he told me that you went to see someone right before your disappearance. Who was it? What did he tell you? Was he the reason why you’re here, guarding a portal that connects to the Seven-star Blue Sea many years after your disappearance?”
Pei Qiqi also waited for Mo Heng’s answers.
As long as Pei Qiqi and the s.p.a.ce Boundaries Crystal were there, Nie Tian would be able to reach the evil G.o.ds within a breath’s time, no matter how far away they flew.
Furthermore, he didn’t think the five evil G.o.ds would be able to gather all of their soul and memory fragments and break away from his control within a short period of time.
On the contrary, he thought it might be a good thing to give the evil G.o.ds some time to recover their memories and complete their souls before he put them back into the Spirit Pearl one by one.
That was why he wasn’t so worried about them, but instead wanted to learn more about this world, Mo Heng’s disappearance, and Ji Cang’s situation.
Mo Heng looked hesitant as he said, “The sectmaster is trapped by the joint efforts of multiple Netherspirit experts. But I’m more worried about the Netherspirits opening this portal behind me and swarming into our world through it. If they do pour into our heaven and earth, our world will definitely be plunged into turmoil.”
Mo Heng avoided answering Nie Tian’s questions regarding who he had met and what they had talked about.
“Who else lives in this world other than Netherspirits?” Pei Qiqi asked. “Those Stone Golems seem to have come from the depths of the Seven-star Blue Sea. If the portal was closed the whole time, then how were they able to come out of the sea? And why didn’t any Netherspirits come out with them?
“Plus, we met Feng Beiluo, Yuan Jiuchuan, and others in the depths of a s.p.a.ce disruption zone.
“There, I discovered and briefly explored another heaven and earth, which is quite different from here. That place was filled with hybrids like me and Nie Tian.
“According to Feng Beiluo, a brand new era is at hand. Does that ‘brand new era’ have anything to do with this world? Also, what kind of relations.h.i.+p does that secret force have with the Netherspirits in this world?”
Pei Qiqi put forth a series of questions in one go, like firing cannonb.a.l.l.s.
“My master, Senior Chu from the Heaven Span Pavilion, and those seniors from the Five Elements Sect have all disappeared recently. They’re not all there, are they?” Pei Qiqi gave voice to another question in her heart.
Mo Heng pondered for a long while before slowly opening his mouth.