In a stronghold of the Demons in the Dead Star Sea.
It was a vast piece of land that floated in the dark starry river. Dead silent, it didn’t have a single blade of gra.s.s growing on it.
Many Demon stars.h.i.+ps could be seen berthed on it. Numerous huge low-tier Demons were crouching on the ground around solid fortresses, breathing thick Demon qi.
A large amount of debris from exploded ancient stars.h.i.+ps that had carried various kinds of blood-chilling power was scattered around the floating land.
A misty, dark-purple ward enveloped the floating land like huge, semi-transparent eggsh.e.l.l.
In front of the floating land was berthed a stars.h.i.+p from the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.
A man was sitting completely still on the prow, directly facing the floating land.
It was none other than the grand elder of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, Mo Heng.
Standing behind him was Han Wanrong, who was the overseer of the Realm of Remote Heaven. At this moment, she was looking at him, her eyes filled with both reverence and worry.
RUMBLE!
A huge stars.h.i.+p hanging the Void Spirit Society’s banners suddenly appeared like a shark that had been lurking in the depths of the sea.
Ji Yuanquan, a vice sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society, flew from the stars.h.i.+p and landed next to Mo Heng. Glancing down at Mo Heng, he sighed. “Why so eager?”
Mo Heng looked up. Completely calm and composed, he said, “Sorry for ruining your peace, Brother Ji.”
“There’s no need to say that, given our relations.h.i.+p.” Then, after a moment of hesitation, he added with an apologetic tone, “Hong Minghui from our sect didn’t respect the basic principles. Our sectmaster has already scolded him and instructed him to pull all of his people from Mou Luo’s former domains.”
Mo Heng’s expression didn’t change in the slightest.
Ji Yuanquan went on. “Our sectmaster didn’t know about this until it happened. And I was in recovery after the battle in the Domain of Nether Heaven...”
Mo Heng waved his hand gently and said, “It’s all good.”
Ji Yuanquan then said, “Our sectmaster wanted me to tell you that Grand Monarch Primal Demon didn’t sustain any injuries during their recent battle. He merely consumed power.”
“Please thank Sectmaster Qu for me,” Mo Heng said expressionlessly.
“He also said that he’ll come here to support you when your duel against Grand Monarch Primal Demon starts,” Ji Yuanquan added.
Mo Heng’s eyes flickered slightly as he nodded and said, “Sorry to bother him.”
Fixing him with a compa.s.sionate look, Ji Yuanquan continued, “You don’t have to do this, you know. You’ve only lost touch with Sectmaster Ji for the time being. Our sectmaster a.s.sured me that, given Sectmaster Ji’s divine abilities, he couldn’t have perished in some unknown area of the starry river like people said.
“The recent frictions between your sect and the other sects were only caused by some juniors who don’t understand the immensity of heaven and earth.
“As far as our sectmaster and I see it, your sect will always be one of the four great sects. Nothing can change that. You don’t have to challenge the chief of the Demons just to reestablish your mighty image. After all, he entered the late tenth grade long ago, while you just broke through into the middle G.o.d domain.”
Ji Yuanquan earnestly advised against Mo Heng’s duel against Grand Monarch Primal Demon.
“My mind is made up!” Mo Heng said in a deep, determined voice.
Ji Yuanquan let out a deep sigh and fell silent.
A few hours later, another stars.h.i.+p arrived.
Standing on the prow was Ye Wenhan, the grand elder of the Heaven Span Pavilion, who was elegant like a scholar.
He, who was at the early G.o.d domain, flew over to Mo Heng, bowed respectfully and said, “Brother Mo, some juniors of my sect didn’t understand the immensity of heaven and earth. He only attempted to incorporate Fang Zhe’s former domains because he listened to some ill-intentioned instigators. Please accept my apologies.”
He Lianxiong stood silently behind Ye Wenhan as he spoke.
As Mo Heng fixed his eyes on him, he hastily waved his hands and said with a bitter smile, “Please don’t misunderstand, Senior Mo. It wasn’t me!”
He Lianxiong was an arrogant man. Sometimes he even dared to talk back to Ye Wenhan.
However, as his eyes met Mo Heng’s, his temples throbbed, and he hastily explained in a humble manner, “It was my senior martial brother Shang Shuo who was instigated by his subordinates and attempted to seize those domains. Grand Elder Ye has had the instigators executed!”
With a serious face, Ye Wenhan said, “Brother Mo, I informed our sectmaster of your triumph over Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t and your intent to fight a duel against Grand Monarch Primal Demon. He wanted me to tell you that he’ll be here to support you when the time comes.”
“Sorry for the trouble,” Mo Heng said, still expressionless.
Shortly afterwards.
Three of the Five Elements Sect’s ancient stars.h.i.+ps arrived. Three elders of the metal element sect, fire element sect, and wood element sect flew to Mo Heng upon arriving, all of whom were at the late Saint domain.
Hou Chulan, Lou Hongyan, and Huang Jinnan stayed on their stars.h.i.+ps that berthed in a line. Standing behind them were their subordinates.
Huang Jinnan’s voice was filled with reverence as he said, “Who would have thought that, instead of spending years in recovery after his battle against Grand Monarch Withered Bones in the Domain of Nether Heaven, Senior Mo Heng actually broke through into the middle G.o.d domain. As soon as he came out of his secluded cultivation, he defeated the middle tenth grade Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t. And immediately after the battle, he demanded a duel against the strongest Demon alive, Grand Monarch Primal Demon.”
Lou Hongyan frowned. “Senior Mo Heng’s spirit is surely admirable. But it’s a very unwise thing to do.”
A sarcastic look appeared at the corner of Hou Chulan’s mouth as she said, “Isn’t that all because certain people from the Heaven Span Pavilion and the Void Spirit Society secretly encroached on their lands while they were recovering from their defeat in the Dead Star Sea? They lost multiple elders and Sons of the Stars. Both their vice sectmasters suffered injuries. There was no way they could wage another inter-racial war any time soon.
“Senior Mo Heng made such a radical decision because he didn’t have a choice. He had to prove to the outsiders and his own kind that the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace is still one of the four great sects.”
Frowning, Huang Jinnan muttered, “I’m really worried that Senior Mo Heng will die at the hands of Grand Monarch Primal Demon.”
Upon hearing this, both Hou Chulan and Lou Hongyan fell silent.
Huang Jinnan continued to mutter, as if to himself, “I didn’t know Senior Mo Heng had so much faith in that guy. It’s baffling why he would arrange a duel for Nie Tian in addition to his own duel against Grand Monarch Primal Demon.”
“Perhaps he knows that he’ll lose, but if Nie Tian wins his duel, the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace will still be able to win some respect back.” Lou Hongyan suspected.
Hou Chulan jumped in and said, “It’ll be a victory for Senior Mo Heng as long as he doesn’t die in battle. After all, he’s challenging a late tenth grade opponent, while he has just entered the middle G.o.d domain and won a battle against Grand Monarch Bloodl.u.s.t. This duel is ill-matched in the first place. His defeat is almost certain. So he’d be viewed as a winner even if he lost the duel, but secured a wisp of his soul for reincarnation.”
“That’s right,” Huang Jinnan said aloud. “As long as he survives the duel, no one will dare to slight the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace anymore.”
A concerned look appeared in Hou Chulan’s eyes as she said, “But what about Nie Tian? Would he die in battle?”
Huang Jinnan smiled and said optimistically, “That guy won’t die so easily. According to what I know about him, his various uncanny abilities do give him a chance to contend against eighth grade outsiders. Didn’t they say that he killed a grand patriarch from the Bispo Clan named Catie in the Domain of the Falling Stars not long ago?”
Lou Hongyan shook her head. “I don’t think that’s true. I’d rather believe that his Saint domain subordinates worked with him to kill that Demon grand patriarch. I suppose the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace attributed her death to Nie Tian’s sole effort because they needed to raise their plunging morale.”
Hearing her words, both Huang Jinnan and Hou Chulan fell silent, their eyes flickering with thought.
They also found the fact that Nie Tian had single-handedly killed an early ninth grade Demon grand patriarch, while he was only at the early Soul realm, hard to believe.
Perhaps it would be more believable if Nie Tian had been at the Void domain.
The gap between the strength of an early Soul realm cultivator and a ninth grade Demon was simply too great.
The reason why they fell silent was because they realized that Lou Hongyan’s suspicion made sense.
...
Inside the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s stars.h.i.+p.
Nie Tian and Dong Li appeared in the teleportation portal, along with Wei Lai and Yan Zhan.
They saw Sikong Cuo, the sixth Son of the Stars, as soon as they walked out of the portal. Apparently, he had arrived one step ahead of them.
He was just about to go confront Mo Heng when he spotted Nie Tian and the others. His face instantly grew grim as he asked, “Elders, why is Nie Tian the one to fight that duel, but not me?
“He’s only at the Soul realm. Challenging an eighth grade Demon to a duel is nothing but courting death!
“I am our best chance to win that duel!”