The nine stone statues marched out from the Seven-star Blue Sea like a vast and mighty army.
As they did, the eight stone statues surrounded the largest one like guards and servants.
Soon, they vanished from the Seven-star Blue Sea.
However, they continued to let out deafening calls, which seemed to form some kind of magnetic field that covered a large area around them. “Shatter... Shatter...”
The eight dead juniors’ true souls were still twisting on the eight stone statues’ faces, as if they were still not dead, but suffering incomparable pain.
The stone statue in the middle looked like a G.o.d. It had a human’s figure, but was hundreds of times larger.
Its face was blurry, with countless strands of blood-colored light wiggling on it.
The stone statues gradually approached a dead star.
By the dead star was berthed the Pure Heaven Sect’s ancient stars.h.i.+p, on which quite a few Pure Heaven Sect disciples were stationed.
Those Qi warriors’ expressions flickered drastically upon seeing the stone statues coming near them, and hastily started the ancient stars.h.i.+p and sailed away at full speed.
However, the stone statues didn’t seem to pay any attention to their unusual movements. Instead, they continued to sail in their set direction.
With a speed much faster than most ancient stars.h.i.+ps, they shot past like a streak of lightning.
“Shatter... Shatter...” Carrying a mysterious force, their resounding calls spread to the star, which had been dead for a long time.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The vast dead star seemed to be cut by numerous invisible sharp blades as it fell apart at a rate that was visible to the naked eye.
RUMBLE!
The dead star suddenly exploded into countless pieces of different sizes.
The powerful shockwave sent some of the pieces shooting into the distance, turning them into falling stars that were commonly seen in the void. Who knew where they would fly and eventually crash?
The Pure Heaven Sect Qi warriors on that ancient stars.h.i.+p were overwhelmed with fear as they saw the dead star exploding in such a peculiar manner, as if they had seen ghosts in broad daylight.
Now, they wondered what would happen to them if they hadn’t evacuated at the first possible moment, but been reached by those statues’ blasting calls.
Even if their bodies hadn’t been shattered by the calls, the das.h.i.+ng pieces created by the exploding dead star would have most likely killed them.
They were still in a state of shock as they watched the stone statues fly farther and farther away. They didn’t make a sound long after they vanished from their sight.
The stone statues, however, didn’t pay attention to them at all as they sped away, sending out resounding calls.
After some time, Zhou Shang and the other Void domain experts arrived at the area where the dead star had exploded.
Spinning pieces from the dead star could be seen everywhere.
The Pure Heaven Sect’s ancient stars.h.i.+p was in the distance, s.h.i.+fting between locations to avoid the large pieces.
A hint of blood could be seen at the corner of Yue Yanxi’s reddened face as he said, “From the look of it, they don’t intend to start a ma.s.sacre in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.”
Each and every Void domain expert looked in sore straits, as they all seemed to have suffered injuries to differing extents.
All of their injuries had been caused by the eight stone statues’ call of the word ‘Shatter’ when the ninth stone statue had risen out of the Seven-star Blue Sea.
Their calls seemed to carry the profound truths of the word ‘Shatter’, which were so powerful that they had nearly burst the experts’ private domains.
However, the stone statues hadn’t followed their victory with pursuit, as if they hadn’t been interested in destroying the experts’ private domains and slaughtering them.
Instead, they had only called ‘Shatter’ repeatedly as they flew away in their set direction like they were searching for something.
Dou Tengshan from the Beast-controlling Sect was crouching on the back of a large bird with golden feathers, as if he was healing himself with the bird’s flesh aura.
“The ninth stone statue is far too powerful,” he said. “I think it’s safe to say that no one throughout the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries can beat that ninth stone statue in battle.
“Even if Patriarch Pure Heaven came here himself, he wouldn’t be able to stop it either.”
As an elder of the Pure Heaven Sect, Zhou Shang wouldn’t have allowed anyone to belittle Patriarch Pure Heaven if it were before.
But now, he remained silent after hearing Dou Tengshan’s words.
The eight smaller stone statues’ calls with the word ‘Shatter’ alone had almost shattered their private domains. This was the kind of strength even Patriarchs didn’t have.
The ninth stone statue, which the other eight treated as their leader or master, would be more powerful than Patriarch Pure Heaven. This was beyond doubt.
He knew that everything Dou Tengshan had just said was true.
Yue Yanxi wet his lips, and said with slight pain and difficulty, “Luckily for us, they don’t seem to have any interest in fighting us or taking the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries. Even though we don’t know where those stone statues came from, I have a feeling that they’re heading towards the Shatter Battlefield.
“Those powerful calls they sent out seemed to carry some profound force that can help them find their way.
“The way I see it, they must have their unique method to enter the Shatter Battlefield.”
Taken aback, Zhou Shang asked, “The Shatter Battlefield is their destination?”
Jiang Feng nodded and chimed in, “I have the same feeling. Their repeated calls of the word ‘Shatter’ were like the stones they threw into the dark to find a path.”
None of them knew where these stone statues were from, or why they were going to the Shatter Battlefield.
However, they secretly congratulated themselves after realizing that the stone statues had no intentions to ravage the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.
No matter how reluctant they were to admit it, they knew that those stone statues’ strength was unparalleled in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.
Together, they had the ability to sweep across any realm in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.
If any of the major clans or sects dared to fight them single-handedly, they would end up annihilated within a short time.
Even if the eight major forces joined up against the statues, they wouldn’t necessarily be able to win.
After pondering in silence for a while, Yue Yanxi said, “We’d better let them go wherever they want to. I’ll order disciples of our sect to give way when they come across them, lest they shatter our realms and kill everyone on them.”
With these words, he morphed into a streak of fiery light that shot towards the Divine Flame Sect’s ancient stars.h.i.+p.
The others seemed to be enlightened by his words as they also morphed into streaks of light that shot into the distance.
The stone statues had shattered the dead star with nothing but calls of the word ‘Shatter’ just because it had been too close to them.
The stone statues were currently in the Pure Heaven Sect’s territory, and constantly adjusting their course. It would be very likely for them to run into realms that belonged to the Pure Heaven Sect.
If they actually shattered those realms with their blasting calls, then the consequences...
Every Void domain expert’s heart burned with anxiety as they thought of this.
...
Yue Yanxi returned to the Realm of Divine Flame.
Upon seeing him, Nie Tian and the others let out sighs of relief. The early Void domain Mao Xiuwen hastily stepped forward to ask about the latest situation.
Everyone’s face flickered with fright after learning that the stone statues had left the Seven-star Blue Sea and shattered a dead star with nothing but calls on their way into the boundless starry river.
Without saying much else, Yue Yanxi hastily summoned the Divine Flame Sect’s Soul realm experts and ordered them to inform their subordinate realms to get ready, and evacuate everyone through their teleportation portals if the stone statues came close to their realms.
He no longer cared whether those realms would explode.
Afterwards, instead of leaving, Nie Tian stayed in the Divine Flame Sect.
At the same time, Yin Yanan, Mu Biqiong, and the others returned to their own sects through the Divine Flame Sect’s teleportation portals.
A few days later, word came to the Divine Flame Sect saying that the stone statues had flown out of the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries soon after leaving the Seven-star Blue Sea.
Now, they were flying farther and farther away into the vast starry river.
Meanwhile, rumor had it that Patriarch Pure Heaven had forcibly ended his secluded cultivation after learning about what had happened.
He had followed the stone statues out of the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, as he seemed to want to find out how they would enter the Shatter Battlefield.
After that, days pa.s.sed, and the Divine Flame Sect didn’t receive any word of the stone statues or Patriarch Pure Heaven.
The five major sects and three major clans in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries finally stopped worrying day and night, and put their hearts at ease.
Since Patriarch Pure Heaven still hadn’t returned, the Pure Heaven Sect didn’t dare to march into the Divine Flame Sect or the other sects to demand atonement for leaving without notifying them and causing the deaths of numerous Divine Flame Sect chosen ones.
Peace was restored to the Domain of Heaven Boundaries, temporary as it might be.
The Pure Heaven Sect, the Chu Clan, and the Trisword Mountain Sect had all suffered great losses due to the deaths of their chosen ones.
Even the future of these sects was shaken after the deaths of these juniors with great potential.
On this day...
Nie Tian, who was very curious about the Shatter Battlefield, decided to return to the Domain of the Falling Stars after realizing that there was little to do or see in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.
After learning that he was going to leave, Yue Yanxi came to find him and said, “Nie Tian, since spatial rifts that lead to the Shatter Battlefield will soon open in the Realm of Maelstrom, could we send people to go and take a look? Also, we’d like to try our luck and explore the Shatter Battlefield if it’s possible.”
Nie Tian pondered in silence for a while before saying, “I’ll have to talk to the Divine Seal Sect and see how they feel about this.”
Yue Yanxi nodded. “Okay. As long as the Divine Seal Sect says yes, we’ll be happy to observe their practice and pay the required spirit stones.”
“I’ll let you know after I finish talking to them,” Nie Tian said.
Afterwards, he used the Divine Flame Sect’s teleportation portal, and after a few transits, arrived in front of the palace in the Realm of Split Void in the Domain of the Falling Stars.
Duan s.h.i.+hu, his senior martial brother, and Jing Rou were still standing before the grand palace, deriving enlightenment from the exquisite star formations on the palace walls.
Upon meeting them, Nie Tian explained the upheaval in the Seven-star Blue Sea in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries to them, and then asked, “Senior martial brother, your sect is a major one. Have you heard of a weird race that looks like stone statues?”
Jing Rou’s expression flickered drastically. “What?! Stone Golems actually reappeared in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries?!”