In a grand hall in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.

With a frustrated frown, Elder Yan Zhan looked at Nie Tian and asked, “Why didn’t you inform the sect of what had recently happened in the Domain of the Falling Stars?”

Instead of answering, Nie Tian asked, “Where’s elder Wei Lai?” 

“He went to investigate the incident in the Domain of the Falling Stars. He should be back any time now.” With these words, Yan Zhan sighed. “Why didn’t I conduct a thorough investigation of those three spatial rifts? I thought that they were no different from the other sealed, one-way spatial rifts. Who would have thought you actually could enter Demon realms through them?”

Nie Tian gave a cold harrumph. “I laid waste to the Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Demon Realms and wiped out numerous Demon clans. Don’t tell me that, instead of rewarding me, you’re going to punish me for it?” 

Yan Zhan smiled bitterly. “That’s not for us to decide. Our two vice sectmasters are rather unhappy about this. They’re fighting fierce battles against the Demons in the Dead Star Sea, but are failing to harm their foundations. And each Son of the Stars has lost a considerable number of subordinates.

“Who would have thought that, as they fought with their lives, you actually marched into the Demon’s homeland and started a massive massacre?

“If Saint and God domain experts of the four great sects went instead of you, we would have been able to destroy the whole foundation of the Demon race, and set the tone with one battle!”  

SHEW!

Wei Lai arrived as they spoke.

Upon seeing him, Yan Zhan stopped and waited for him to talk.

“I just came from the Domain of the Falling Stars, Nie Tian,” Wei Lai said honestly. “I met Pei Qiqi.”

Nie Tian frowned.

After a moment of pondering, Wei Lai said, “Can I have a moment with Nie Tian?”

Yan Zhan nodded and left the grand hall.

Only after Yan Zhan left did Wei Lai say, “Miss Pei claims that she insisted on destroying those spatial rifts, and that it had nothing to do with you.” 

“No!” Nie Tian exclaimed.

Wei Lai waved his hand, signaling him to keep quiet. “Unlike you, she isn’t a member of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace. Besides, the sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society attaches great importance to her. No matter what she does, she’ll be protected. There’s nothing our sect can do to her.”

Nie Tian fell silent.

“Senior Martial Sister Pei...” He thought to himself, rapidly realizing why Pei Qiqi had taken full responsibility for the matter.

Besides, he realized that Wei Lai was telling him this to protect him.

“With her taking responsibility for the matter, you’ll be under much less pressure,” Wei Lai continued.  “Still, you’ll be held accountable for failing to inform us of those spatial rifts. However, since you killed a large number of Demons in those Demon realms, I suppose your contribution negates your mistake.”

Nie Tian pondered briefly, then ventured a question. “So does it mean I won’t be rewarded or punished?”

Wei Lai nodded. “I suppose so, but that’s only my take on the matter. I’ve no idea what will the two vice sectmasters will think.”

With an unburdened smile, Nie Tian said, “Alright, so be it. I came to considerable gains from my trips to the three Demon realms anyways. I guess it won’t be a big deal if I don’t get any of senior martial brother Mou Luo’s realms.”

With these words, he prepared to leave.

“Wait, there’s something else,” Wei Lai said softly.

“What is it?”

Wei Lai took his time to explain, “Our battles in the Dead Star Sea have turned out to be even fiercer than we expected. Our forces can use some help. Originally, you didn’t have a single late Saint domain subordinate, so we deemed that you wouldn’t be able to make a considerable contribution to our battles in the Dead Star Sea. However, we learned that Xie Qian, the sectmaster of the Water Moon Sect in the Domain of Vast Darkness, has entered the late Saint domain recently.

“And he claims that he has sworn his allegiance to you.

“So with him, Jing Feiyang and the other two middle Saint domain subordinates, and the early Saint domain subordinates from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, your strength is already not much weaker than that of the other Sons of the Stars.”

Nie Tian realized what he was trying to say, “So are you telling me to join the battles in the Dead Star Sea?”

“Well, the decision is yours,” Wei Lai explained. “You can choose to join the battles or not. The sect isn’t forcing you. However, by killing Demons in the Dead Star Sea, you’ll be able to gain contribution points and priority when it comes to dividing Mou Luo’s realms. You weren’t strong enough before, but you are now.”

“Okay, let me think about it,” Nie Tian said.

“Sure,” Wei Lai said. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he added, “Remember: you and Miss Pei need to tell the same story when people ask about the three spatial rifts in the Domain of the Falling Stars.”

“I see,” Nie Tian answered.

Xie Qian had only announced that he had joined Nie Tian’s force because both Sikong Cuo and He Lianxiong had seen his strength, and wanted to make him their subordinate.

Who would have thought that the sect would learn about his recent breakthrough and deem him qualified to join the battles in the Dead Star Sea?

Nie Tian had promised Xie Qian that the two of them were only allies, not master and subordinate.

Therefore, he didn’t have the right to demand that Xie Qian and his Water Moon Sect experts march into the Dead Star Sea with him.

Furthermore, after his recent trips in the three Demon realms, he wasn’t particularly interested in joining the fierce battles in the Dead Star Sea.

With a thoughtful expression, Wei Lai added, “There’s one more thing. I detected a few wisps of faint Demon qi around the edge of the Domain of the Falling Stars.  Clearly, your actions in the three Demon realms angered the Demons.

“However, their most powerful experts are currently caught up in battles against us in the Dead Star Sea.

“So they sent a few eighth grade Demons to the Domain of the Falling Stars.

“The forbidden region separating the Domain of the Falling Stars and the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries has already transformed and become accessible. So even without those spatial rifts, they found a way into the Domain of the Falling Stars.

“You’d better watch out, and don’t let Demons swarm into the Domain of the Falling Stars and turn it into hell.”

Nie Tian nodded gratefully and left.

On his way back, he wracked his mind, but still found the fact that a few Demons actually found another way to enter the Domain of the Falling Stars baffling.

“Those Demons...” With that question in mind, he returned to the Realm of Split Void.

He saw Hua Mu as soon as he entered the palace in the Realm of Split Void.

“What are you doing here, Uncle Hua?” Nie Tian asked curiously.

“A girl from the Blood Sect had a message for you,” Hua Mu explained. “Dong Li is currently busy stabilizing her cultivation base, and no longer has time to handle the affairs in the Domain of the Falling Stars. And you sent Li Langfeng off to that remote area, along with the entire Blood Sect, so he’s not available to handle the messy business for you either. I had no choice but to shoulder the responsibility.”

“A girl from the Blood Sect? Who?” Nie Tian asked.

“Yu Tong.”

Nie Tian was even more confused. “Oh, I remember her. What does she want?” 

“She had a message for you from someone named Master Blood Spirit,” Hua Mu answered.

“Master Blood Spirit?” Nie Tian’s expression flickered with surprise.

After he had helped extend his lifespan, Master Blood Spirit had told him that he would leave the Domain of the Falling Stars so that experts like Wei Lai wouldn’t discover him.

His destination was a dead realm in the remote region where Li Langfeng and the Blood Sect disciples were currently holed up.

“According to the message Yu Tong brought, a few mutilated Demon corpses were found in the starry river where the Domain of the Falling Stars borders the forbidden region. From how the corpses looked, Master Blood Spirit suspects that it was the doing of the Heavenly Corpse Sect, which is said to be another sect deemed crooked by the four great sects.

“I haven’t even heard of such a sect. At least it’s not a sect from the Domain of the Falling Stars. I wonder what made Master Blood Spirit think it was the Heavenly Corpse Sect who killed those Demons.”

Hua Mu looked baffled.

“Master Blood Spirit... is on my side,” Nie Tian said. “But I have nothing to do with the Heavenly Corpse Sect. And I don’t know why they killed those Demons.  I suppose those Demons came to the Domain of the Falling Stars through another way to figure out who invaded their realms and what they looted.”

With a confused expression, Hua Mu said, “But the Heavenly Corpse Sect showed up and killed them, which is in our favor. I wonder why they did it.” 

“Beats me.” Nie Tian didn’t seem to attach much importance to the matter.

With these words, he left for the Realm of Shattered Earth via the teleportation portal in the Realm of Split Void.

It had been a long time since he had last seen his grandfather, Nie Donghai, and aunt, Nie Qian. He missed them and wanted to see how his family was doing these years.

In the Realm of Shattered Earth...

Nie Qian was both shocked and overjoyed to see him. “Little Tian, you’re back! I always dream about your and your mother lately. It’s like she’s still with us.”

“I think she’s still alive,” Nie Tian said in a low voice.

A shudder ran through Nie Donghai. “What?! She... She’s still alive?! How is that possible?! I watched her die and buried her myself!”

Nie Qian was also flabbergasted.

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