What the experts from the Heaven Palace Sect did next proved Huang Fan’s speculation to be correct.
Surrounded by Ling Dong and other Heaven Palace Sect experts, Zhao Luofeng stood face to face with Auden and the gigantic, two-headed python.
“Once the grand spell formation left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace is started, it can’t be stopped,” Zhao Luofeng said with an expressionless face, his tone so calm and peaceful that it was as if he was only stating a fact. “I guess you didn’t expect us to obtain all three fragmentary star marks during the Heaven Gate trial and unite them within such a short time.
“As you know, once a person successfully merges the three fragmentary star marks with their body, they will be able to seal the spatial rift with the grand spell formation left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.”
As Zhao Luofeng spoke, dazzling starlight continued to pour down from the highest heavens.
As rivers of starlight infused into the spatial rift, brilliant starlight seemed to turn into winding brooks that flowed over the mouth of the bottomless hole and formed complicated, mysterious patterns.
“This spatial rift is destined to be sealed again. Once the sealing process is finished, you and your kind won’t be able to go through the spatial rift anymore.
“So that means even if you send in your entire Demon army, the moment the spatial rift is sealed, their connection with your realm will be cut off.
“Once that happens, your troops will be trapped in the Domain of the Falling Stars and surrounded by us.”
Eyes narrowed, Zhao Luofeng looked at Auden with a composed expression on his face as he continued, “I figure that you understand that the odds will be against you if you have to face all of the powerful human experts in the Domain of the Falling Stars, right? Perhaps that’s why you didn’t bring your entire army through this spatial rift. Instead, it’s just you and that thing...”
Then, Zhao Luofeng laid his eyes on the two-headed python and added, “You’re just here to check things out, aren’t you?”
ROOOAARRRR!!
Eyes glittering with the light of brutality, the two-headed python let out a beastly bellow, as if it wasn’t happy with Zhao Luofeng’s statement.
Sitting on his warhorse and adorned in heavy armor, Auden waved his hand at it, signaling it to settle down.
Meanwhile, every expert from the Heaven Palace Sect remained silent after Zhao Luofeng finished talking.
Ling Dong, who had fought a brief but intense battle against Auden, also stayed silent, but he fixed his ice-cold gaze on the seemingly restless, two-headed python, as if he was preparing for what was to come.
After a moment of silence, Auden turned to Nolante from the Astarte Clan and said in the Demon language, “This has nothing to do with you. I can take it from here. You may leave.”
A hint of grimness appeared on Nolante’s unearthly handsome face as he replied in the Demon language, “Auden, don’t tell me that you actually want to make a deal with these despicable humans!? Don’t you think you should take that thing back from them with the most brutal means possible and kill every human in this place to wash off the disgrace they brought you?”
“I said it’s our business and it has nothing to do with the Astarte Clan!” Auden raised his voice.
“Uncle, as slowly as it is, this spatial rift is being sealed,” Zelia reminded Nolante in a soft voice.
Nolante nodded at her before he turned to look coldly at Auden’s masked face and said, “Alright, you take care then.”
With these words, he and the others from the Astarte Clan turned around and disappeared into the spatial rift, which was glittering with increasingly bright starlight.
After they were gone, Auden and the two-headed python became the only Demons in the valley.
“So what do you want?” Auden asked in fluent human language.
Upon hearing these words, Nie Tian noticed that the eyes of Zhao Luofeng and Ling Dong lit up simultaneously.
“This is a list of the things we want.”
Zhao Luofeng waved his hand, and a piece of yellow oiled paper that had crooked Demon language written on it flew towards Auden.
Auden grabbed it with his empty hand and started reading.
Sitting on the mountaintop, Nie Tian could hear vague, intermittent panting sounds from within the starlight-glittering spatial rift.
Then, he realized that a terrifying Demon army must be gathered in the dim, spooky spatial tunnel.
All kinds of low-tier Demons, as well as powerful high-tier Demons from the Fourth Demon Realm, must be waiting for Auden’s orders in there.
Auden’s original plan had probably been to launch a ma.s.sive invasion right away, sweep across the Realm of Mystic Heaven within the least possible time, and take the thing he had set his mind on.
However, the timely arrival of Nie Tian and Huang Fan and the fact that he had already activated the grand spell formation using the fragmentary star marks seemed to have changed Auden’s mind.
That was probably why Auden and the two-headed python were the only ones that had come out of that spatial rift.
“Making a deal with the Demons...”
With a grim expression on his face, Nie Tian suddenly turned to Huang Fan and asked, “Something that belonged to the Demons is being sealed in the Realm of Mystic Heaven. What about the Realm of Flame Heaven? Is something being sealed in the Realm of Flame Heaven that the Astarte Clan from the Sixth Demon Realm wants?”
“No,” Huang Fan said, shaking his head. “Not that I know of.”
“What about in the Realm of a Thousand Devastations?” Nie Tian asked.
“It appears not,” Huang Fan answered.
At that moment, Auden finished reading the list of things that Zhao Luofeng was demanding. His exposed eyes were filled with edginess as he said, “It’s just as hard for us to get all of these things! Furthermore, it won’t be long before the spell formation left by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace seals the spatial rift completely!
“We can’t possibly collect all these many things and bring them to the Realm of Mystic Heaven within such a short time!”
A subtle smile appeared at the corner of Zhao Luofeng’s mouth for the first time as he said, “It’s alright. As long as you agree to honor this deal, we can finish the transaction inside the spatial tunnel. As you know, even if the spatial rift is fully sealed, we still will be able to go through it unaffected.”
After a brief pause, he added, “Back when the spatial rift first appeared, experts from our sect and I used our divine abilities to temporarily deactivate the restrictive spell deployed by the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace and forcibly took the thing you need.
“I’ll allow you some time to gather all the items on that list. Then, we’ll meet in the spatial tunnel and finish the transaction.
“What do you think?”
ROOOAARRRR!!
As soon as the two-headed python heard that Zhao Luofeng and the other human experts had already obtained that thing they wanted, it grew restless again.
Its two sets of eyes instantly shone with suffocating light as it unleashed an earth-shaking, thrumming aura into the surroundings.
It seemed to be doing this to urge Auden to summon the army they had brought from the Fourth Demon Realm that was waiting within the spatial tunnel, ma.s.sacre these Heaven Palace Sect humans in the most brutal way possible, and s.n.a.t.c.h what they were after.
A tempted look appeared in Auden’s eyes, as if he were torn with indecision.
Ling Dong suddenly let out a cold harrumph.
Upon hearing Ling Dong’s harrumph, Auden snapped out of his thoughts. He shot a glance at the surprisingly poised Zhao Luofeng, and then swept his gaze over the Heaven Palace Sect experts that had been gathered in this place.
Then, he turned his head back to take a look at the gradually sealing spatial rift.
“Alright, I agree.” He said with a deep, penetrating voice.
Both Zhao Luofeng and Ling Dong’s faces twitched slightly after hearing Auden’s consent, as if they were struggling to mask their excitement.
After all, they were both at the Soul realm. In order to advance into the Void domain, they would need certain rare cultivation materials.
The Domain of the Falling Stars was already drained of some of the materials, while the Demons’ realms still had some reserves.
Only if they could obtain all those rare materials by the time they reached the late Soul realm would they have the qualifications and courage to make attempts to advance into the Void domain.
“Seven days!” Zhao Luofeng said. “We’ll finish the transaction inside the spatial tunnel in seven days!”
“I hope you’ll keep your word,” Auden said with a nod. Then, he signaled the two-headed python before leaping into the spatial rift on his pitch-black warhorse.
The two-headed python shot a fierce look at Ling Dong before following Auden into the spatial rift.
The moment they left, Zhao Luofeng and Ling Dong exchanged a glance and secretly let out a sigh of relief.
FIZZ! FIZZ!
Dazzling starlight was still pouring down from the highest heavens, gradually was.h.i.+ng away the demon Qi in this area.
Looking down, Nie Tian discovered that the numerous streams of starlight flowing at the mouth of the spatial rift were glittering increasingly brightly. As they did, a mysterious spell formation became increasingly clear, which gave Nie Tian a sense of eternity and boundlessness.
WHOOs.h.!.+ WHOOs.h.!.+ WHOOs.h.!.+
One after another, the three fragmentary star marks flew back into Nie Tian’s body.
Afterwards, as Nie Tian used his seven Heaven Eyes to scan this special region, he discovered that his perception had improved by dozens of times.