Chapter 310: Changes in the Outside World (1/2)

At the back of Cloudsoaring Mountain in the Cloudsoaring Sect, in the Realm of Flame Heaven…

Li Jing, the sectmaster of the Blood Sect, once again flew along riding her Blood Lotus.

It was already the third time she had visited this place.

It was early in the morning. Mist and clouds wreathed the mountaintop. Half-asleep and half-awake, Wu Ji seemed to be drifting in his mind.

Only when Li Jing landed in front of him did he slowly open his eyes. He took a glance at her and asked with an expressionless face, “Why are you here again?”

Li Jing’s face looked grim. “Where is Nie Tian anyway?”

“I’ve told you already. I know nothing of his whereabouts.” Wu Ji’s tone was cold.

After pondering in silence for a short while, Li Jing sighed deeply and said, “The Demon Qi that leaks out of the spatial rift close to the Hell Sect is getting thicker and thicker. And the speed at which it is spreading also far exceeds our expectations. If it goes on like this, the Hell Sect will be forced to move in two years tops.”

“It has nothing to do with me.” Wu Ji sounded impatient.

Li Jing’s beautiful eyebrows knit together. “Perhaps the well-being of the Hell Sect doesn’t concern you, but what about the Realm of Flame Heaven? Considering the speed at which the Demon Qi is spreading, perhaps it won’t even take ten years. In seven to eight years, the entire Realm of Flame Heaven will be covered in dense Demon Qi. If it comes to that, even if the outsiders don’t launch another massive invasion, every Qi warrior and mortal in the Realm of Flame Heaven will have no choice but to leave their homes.”

Wu Ji frowned slightly, but remained silent.

“The same goes for the Realm of Mystic Heaven and the Realm of a Thousand Devastations.” Li Jing seemed very concerned. “When those two realms are also submerged in dense Demon Qi, every Qi warrior and mortal in those two realms will also be forced to leave their homes.

“However, the other seven realms will make room for them. After all, the sects in those two realms are powerful and influential enough. The other realms will have to give them face.

“It won’t be the same for us.

“If the day comes where we’re really forced out of our homeland, it’s hard to say if we’ll be able to find a realm that is willing to accept us. Even if we found shelter somewhere, it would probably be a place where the spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth is the faintest.

“It won’t feel good to live under someone else’s roof. I bet you also don’t want to see every man and woman in the Realm of Flame Heaven live relying on others’ charity, right?”

Anger could be seen on Wu Ji’s face as he said, “I’ve said it already, I don’t know where Nie Tian is!”

Li Jing’s bright eyes rolled about as she said softly, “I know exactly what you are worrying about. I heard that the three fragmentary star marks can only be studied and refined in the right order. Even though that Ning Yang person from the Heaven Palace Sect obtained a fragmentary star mark, he can’t study or receive enlightenment from it.”

Wu Ji’s expression flickered subtly.

Li Jing noticed the change in his expression, and thus rapidly continued, “This means that as long as Nie Tian masters and refines one fragmentary star mark, he won’t need to worry that the Heaven Palace Sect will strip it from him anymore. The mysterious forces from the three fragmentary star marks need to be brought together to seal the three spatial rifts in the Realm of Mystic Heaven, the Realm of Flame Heaven, and the Realm of a Thousand Devastations.

“Hence, once Nie Tian masters one fragmentary star mark, he will already become the most important piece of the whole puzzle.

“No matter whether it’s the Heaven Palace Sect, or the powerful sects in the Realm of a Thousand Devastations, without exception, they will need Nie Tian alive to finish the task.”

Wu Ji still remained silent. However, the light of speculation could be seen in his eyes.

A hearty expression spread out across Li Jing’s face as she said, “If you can get in contact with Nie Tian, please tell him to come back to the Realm of Flame Heaven as soon as he refines the first fragmentary star mark. These three realms need him and his powers. The way I see it, he’ll run into more great fortune if he returns after refining one fragmentary star mark.”

Wu Ji finally opened his mouth and asked, “What great fortune?”

“Well,” Li Jing said with a serious expression, “since Ning Yang can’t refine the third fragmentary star mark without the first two, when the Heaven Palace Sect learns that Nie Tian has refined one of his fragmentary star marks, they’ll probably strip the third fragmentary star mark from Ning Yang and give it to Nie Tian. Only by uniting all three marks will we be able to seal the spatial rifts. If Ning Yang can’t refine his, the Heaven Palace Sect can only put all their hope on Nie Tian.”

Wu Ji’s eyes suddenly lit up.

“I came here especially to tell you this. I hope you can get it through to Nie Tian, and tell him to speed up his refinement of the first fragmentary star mark. After that, he can just come back openly.” After explaining the true intention behind her visit, Li Jing left.

Wu Ji sat there and pondered for a long time before muttering, “I just know that Hua Mu took him, but I really don’t know where he is at this moment…”

In another corner of the Realm of Flame Heaven…

A petite female figure flew to the top of a mountain peak. It was Su Lin from the Heaven Palace Sect, and the mountain was where Ning Yang had been living recently.

“Little martial uncle, where are you?” Su Lin called softly.

Then, she unleashed her psychic awareness to scan the vicinity, but she couldn’t detect Ning Yang’s aura. She couldn’t help but frown as a worried expression appeared on her face.

All of a sudden, as her psychic awareness spread out, a line of words appeared on a giant rock that stood on the mountaintop: “I swear not to return to the Heaven Palace Sect before I find Nie Tian! — Ning Yang.”

SHEW!

Everything became blurry on the mountaintop and, in the next moment, an old man appeared out of nowhere.

Staring at the line of words Ning Yang had left, he said with a grim expression, “Did Ning Yang receive word that I was coming?”

“I don’t know,” Su Lin replied respectfully.

She knew perfectly well that this elder was here to strip Ning Yang of his fragmentary star mark.

The Heaven Palace Sect was aware that the three fragmentary star marks could only be refined in the right sequence.

The fragmentary star mark Ning Yang had obtained was the last one. That meant he would only be able to receive enlightenment from it after obtaining and learning the first two fragmentary star marks from Nie Tian.

However, Nie Tian had disappeared for quite some time now. If there were no mishaps, he should have already begun studying the first two fragmentary star stars.

The speed at which the Demon Qi leaked out of the spatial rift in the Realm of Mystic Heaven was even faster than the one in the Realm of Flame Heaven.

Seeing that the Demon Qi was spreading closer and closer towards their sect every day, a stir occurred within the Heaven Palace Sect. Now, their hearts were burning with anxiety.

Ning Yang, Su Lin, and many other members of the Heaven Palace Sect had failed to locate Nie Tian.

Now that the third fragmentary star mark was useless in Ning Yang’s hands, the Heaven Palace Sect had decided to consider the bigger picture, and take it from him.

Once they did, they would send messages to the nine realms, and have all the Qi warrior sects in the Domain of the Falling Stars spread the word that the Heaven Palace Sect was offering membership to Nie Tian, and the third fragmentary star mark would be given to him as a token of good faith.