Clutching his Sound Stone in his hand, Meng Li said with furrowed brows, “Our speculation was correct. The outsiders were indeed collecting dead phoenixes.

“The outsiders that were searching areas close to the seventh spatial tunnel seem to have found six ice mountains with dead phoenixes sealed within them. At that moment, they had already carved the phoenixes out, and were about to take them back to their domains through the seventh spatial tunnel.

“Since there won’t be any external assistance this time, our sectmaster and the other two sectmasters are prepared to strike now.”

At the same time, Void domain experts from the Thousandsword Mountain Sect and the Golden Vast Sect also communicated with Quan Zixuan and Qu Mingde via Sound Stones, and informed Nie Tian of the newest situation.

Nie Tian seemed somewhat frustrated as he said, “If they strike now, there’s a good chance that things will go wrong. We’ll have to kill the eighth grade Demon and Phantasm as fast as possible. Otherwise, they might be able to spread word of our arrival. Once we’re exposed, we might not be facing just one ninth grade outsider expert at the last spatial tunnel.

“If it comes down to that, we’ll find ourselves in a hard-fought battle. Casualties will be inevitable.”

The teleportation portal that connected this floating continent to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace was located in the middle of the black sea, which was very far from their current location.

If they ran into strong resistance, one of their options would be to seek help from the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace. However, it was possible that they would be badly injured or even killed before their reinforcements arrived.

Meng Li also had a headache over the tough situation. “What should we do then?”

“Nie Tian!” Dong Li suddenly exclaimed, looking excited. “This lazy little thing seems to be able to seal those outsiders! It’s just that since it’s only at the seventh grade now, it’s not very confident about it.”

Nie Tian was taken aback. “The black tortoise?”

Dong Li nodded repeatedly. “I communicated with it, and it told me that it has a certain bloodline talent that can achieve a similar effect.”

With a skeptical tone, Nie Tian said, “There’s an eighth grade Demon and an eighth grade Phantasm over there at the seventh spatial tunnel. And it’s only at the seventh grade. Is it sure that it’ll be able to stop them from sending out word of our arrival?”

“No, it isn’t. It only says it might be able to do it.” Dong Li said with a wry smile.

“So the problem is that its grade is not high enough...” Nie Tian pondered for a while before suddenly exclaiming, “I might be able to help!”

Dong Li was puzzled. “How?”

Instead of answering her, Nie Tian immediately told Meng Li to inform Jing Feiyang and the other two to hold until he got there.

Meng Li sent out the message without delay.

Seconds later, Meng Li said to Nie Tian, “They got the message.”

After confirming the direction with him, Nie Tian activated his Star Boat.

The Star Boat then shot into the distance, giving rise to a loud whoosh.

The Void domain experts exchanged a glance, and rapidly followed along.

A few minutes later, the Star Boat came to a stop atop a short snow-capped mountain peak.

Jing Feiyang and the other two had been waiting.

Quan Zixuan lifted his hand and pointed at three ice mountains that could be vaguely seen in the distance. “Over there! The seventh spatial tunnel is located in a valley surrounded by those three ice mountains. More than a dozen outsiders are gathered there, all of which are at the seventh or eighth grade. From this distance, we can sense their soul auras, but they can’t sense ours.”

Seeing that the Void domain experts and Dong Li had followed them to this place, Jing Feiyang frowned. “You need to stop there! If you come any nearer, the eighth grade Demon and Phantasm will be able to sense your flesh aura and soul aura.”

Somewhat embarrassed, Dong Li said, “Got it.”

Nie Tian had his unique method to mask his aura completely. The Void domain experts could also trick the outsiders by hiding their auras.

She was the only one who couldn’t hide her aura. Besides, her cultivation base was the lowest. She started to feel like a third wheel.

“Nie Tian, you had Meng Li inform us that you can create something that will have a similar effect to the black mist. Is it true?” Qu Mingde asked curiously.

“I can only say that there’s a chance, but I can’t guarantee that it’ll work,” Nie Tian answered truthfully.

Jing Feiyang’s eyes lit up. “Still, it’s better than nothing.”

The more time he spent with Nie Tian, the more mysterious Nie Tian seemed to him. Sometimes, even he couldn’t understand why Nie Tian was so incredibly resourceful.

“We’re stopping here. Don’t go any closer.” With these words, Nie Tian turned to the black tortoise and said, “You’re coming with me.”

The black tortoise’s beady eyes shone with the light of excitement, as if it enjoyed being giving an important task.

“Are you sure?” Quan Zixuan asked with a disbelieving expression.

As learned Saint domain experts, they couldn’t tell what origin the black tortoise had come from, but they were certain that it was only at the seventh grade.

What could a seventh grade beast do to an eighth grade Demon and an eighth grade Phantasm?

“It came from a mysterious origin. And it’s got very special talents.” After giving a brief explanation, Nie Tian flew to Jing Feiyang’s side. Surrounded by Jing Feiyang’s divine seals, he left the main group with the three Saint domain experts, heading towards the seventh spatial tunnel that was surrounded by three mountains of ice.

Wu Yun from the Golden Vast Sect sighed emotionally, gazing off in the direction Nie Tian had disappeared in. “No wonder they made him the seventh Son of the Stars. Often when we’re at our wit’s end, he’s the one who can find a way out.”

Everyone nodded, agreeing with her.

This trip to the floating continent was the first time they had fought alongside Nie Tian after swearing allegiance to him.

It was Nie Tian who had communicated with an unidentified being in the depths of the black sea and persuaded it to help them seal the outsiders.

It was also Nie Tian who had dealt Yuna, who had escaped from Jing Feiyang’s hands, a fatal strike, stopping her from escaping and spreading word of their arrival.

This time, while they were at a loss, Nie Tian once again stepped up and came up with a solution.

Even though this trip hadn’t ended yet, Nie Tian’s strange resourcefulness had already left a deep impression on them.

They suddenly realized that they had made a wise decision to follow him and become his subordinate forces.

WHOOSH!

The three Saint domain experts approached the spatial tunnel’s location.

Countless divine seals were hovering around Nie Tian. Jing Feiyang’s soul shadow loomed in each and every one of them. In a profound way, they masked Nie Tian and Jing Feiyang’s soul auras.

The three experts all fixed their eyes on Nie Tian, waiting for him to make his move.

“Bloodline talent: Life Blend!”

Nie Tian put out his right hand and placed it on the black tortoise’s shell. In the next moment, countless blood strings shot out of his palm.

Without meeting any resistance, the blood strings went through the black tortoise’s shell, its flesh and blood, before eventually connecting to its resilient meridians.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

The black tortoise’s heartbeat magically synced with his.

His torrential flesh power then poured through the blood strings into the black tortoise, carrying the profound mysteries of his bloodline power.

All of a sudden, a few drops of Blood Essence exploded within Nie Tian’s heart.

“Life Strengthening! Blood Essence Seething!”

Another two bloodline talents were activated almost simultaneously.

Under the three Saint domain experts’ gazes, his body transformed. His muscles bulged as solid scales formed over his skin, covering him like full body armor.

As Blood Essence Seething was activated, life aura that was even more concentrated and pure went pouring into the black tortoise like a waterfall.

The black tortoise couldn’t stop trembling.

Nie Tian was struck by a feeling that, even though he couldn’t see them with his eyes, the Bloodline Crystal Chains within the black tortoise’s small heart were now activated.

Numerous patterns on the black tortoise’s shell that were simple and unsophisticated started to squirm, as if to answer Nie Tian’s bloodline talents.

As this happened, their surroundings suddenly grew dim, as if the light around them was being gradually devoured by darkness.

Under the magical effects of the black tortoise’s bloodline talent, the area around them soon grew completely dark, as if heaven and earth had been painted black by the purest ink.

“Dark power: Evernight!”

A strange voice that seemed to have come from ancient times echoed from the black tortoise’s heart, a voice that only Nie Tian could hear.

Like a verse sung by the god of darkness, it shook his heart.

Even though it was in a language that Nie Tian had never learned before, his Life Blend bloodline talent somehow allow him to understand it.

The darkness continued to spread, enveloping heaven and earth. Wherever it spread, everything fell into complete darkness that could never be expelled.

Within a short time, the entire mountain valley where the outsiders were garrisoned was covered in darkness.

Before, when Nie Tian and the experts had been enveloped in the Star Behemoth’s black mist, they had had limited vision. At least, they had been able to see those who stayed next to them. However, in this complete darkness, even Jing Feiyang and the other experts couldn’t see a thing.

They all felt as if they were trapped in a huge, pitch-black prison cell, which they could never break out of.