The Realm of Fragmentary Star.

Streams of sparkling and crystal-clear light hovered around the realm. Numerous magical laws, spell formations, and talismans enveloped the realm, as if they were protection from gods.

Upon a closer look, one could see that the sparkling and crystal-clear glowing streaks actually hovered around the realm on nine different levels!

“The Nine Star Heavens!” Shangguan Zhi from the Shadow Society exclaimed softly, a grim look filling his beautiful and feminine face.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The ancient starships from the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect and the Shadow Society fired simultaneously, blasting out streaks of blazing energy that bombarded the Realm of Fragmentary Star.

BANG! BANG!

The first layer of protection, which consisted of fine star metal, somehow morphed into a god clad in starry armor.

Like a godly puppet, it swung its enormous fists to smash the incoming massive energy streaks into countless bits of light that filled the void.

Some bits of light touched the second layer of protection, but were instantly annihilated by the innumerable star talismans in it.

The joint strike of several dozen ancient starships from the Shadow Society and the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect barely got through the First Heaven of the Nine Star Heavens.

It failed to even breach the Second Heaven.

You Qimiao from the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect raised his hand high with a grim expression.

The ancient starships from the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect ceased fire. Looking pale and frustrated, Duan Hongwen flew over from one of the ancient starships and said in a sullen voice, “The Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s Nine Star Heavens is far too solid. We have so many starships, yet the damage of their joint strike turned out to be negligible.”

You Qimiao sighed in admiration. “No wonder they’re a powerhouse that’s ruled the human domains for eras.”

“Brother Shangguan, when can Sectmaster Jiang get here?” Duan Hongwen asked, fixing Shangguan Zhi from the Shadow Society with an anxious look. “Perhaps only after he gets here will we find a way to break the Nine Star Heavens that’s protecting the Realm of Fragmentary Star. Otherwise, there doesn’t seem to be anything we can do if the experts from the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace simply hide behind their defenses.”

FZZZ!

Intense spatial fluctuations spread from one of the Shadow Society starships.

Everyone seemed to be greatly spirited.

However, it wasn’t anyone from the Shadow Society that came from that starship. It was Song Chequan and a few Saint domain elders of the Jade Heaven Sect.

“Song Chequan!” Shangguan Zhi, You Qimiao, and Duan Hongwen exclaimed at the same time.

Song Chequan had evacuated from the destroyed Jade Heaven Sect with the help of Hong Minghui from the Void Spirit Society. After passing through many domains, they finally arrived here. Upon the sight of Shangguan Zhi and the others, he yelled, “Where’s Sectmaster Jiang?”

“H-he’ll come,” Shangguan Zhi said in a low, diffident voice.

Of course he had heard about the heaven-shaking changes that had happened in the Domain of Jade Heaven. However, he had deliberately concealed the fact that the Jade Heaven Sect had suffered a disastrous defeat, Song Chequan had escaped, and the Realm of Jade Billows had been destroyed.

Because of this, very few elders of the Shadow Society knew about this recent upheaval, much less the members of the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect.

“What happened to you?” You Qimiao asked curiously. “Nie Tian is running amuck in your domain. Instead of going back to stop him, you came here. Why?”

Many Qi warriors of the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect felt baffled.

Instead of being angered, Song Chequan smiled coldly and said, “Stop him? If he could be stopped, why didn’t you stop him in the Domain of Heaven Python? Did I or did I not send you messages asking you to come and help defend my sect? You refused me with the excuse: Nie Tian is a junior, and doesn’t deserve to be your opponent.

“Now, my realm was destroyed by that ‘junior’!

“And my sect was wiped out! The Domain of Spirit Sea, the Domain of Dark Marsh... Wherever that star of calamities went, countless people were killed!” Song Chequan’s narration turned into snarls.

“What?!” You Qimiao’s expression flickered drastically, and he jerked his head to fix Shangguan Zhi with a nasty stare. “Why didn’t you tell us? Was the Realm of Jade Billows really destroyed by Nie Tian so easily?”

Shangguan Zhi smiled bitterly. “Umm, we also only received the news very recently.”

“Where’s Sectmaster Jiang?! If he doesn’t show up anytime soon, we’ll tear up our agreement too!” Song Chequan bellowed like a madman.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m here.” A gentle voice echoed out from within the teleportation portal in one of the Shadow Society starships.

For some reason, Song Chequan and You Qimiao quieted down as soon as they heard that voice.

The sectmaster of the Shadow Society took his time to walk out and calm the crowd. “Don’t worry. Nothing about our plan has changed. Everything is still under control. What happened with the Jade Heaven Sect was only a small mishap. It wouldn’t be a big deal even if the entire Domain of Jade Heaven had fallen, not to mention it’s just the Realm of Jade Billows. We’ll get many more domains from the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.

“I only spent this long preparing because I’ll shatter the Nine Star Heavens that’s protecting the Realm of Fragmentary Star and tear down this mighty sect that has stood towering for countless years in one attempt.”

...

In Fragmentary Star City.

Wei Lai, Yan Zhan, and Dou Tianchen all had heavy hearts as they waited in the grand hall of a majestic palace.

SHEW!

Vice Sectmaster Chu Rui stepped out of a teleportation portal with Wang Meijia after a bright flash of light.

Wang Meijia was wearing a precious robe that had been vested with numerous mysterious star patterns. However, it was bereft of any radiance at this moment. Upon arriving, she sat down and closed her eyes, her aura drooping.

Chu Rui, who had brought her back, also dropped into a seat and panted nonstop.

With a single glance at them, Dou Tianchen realized the ordeal they must have been through. “Who did you encounter, Vice Sectmaster? It seems that you suffered more injuries on your mission to rescue Junior Martial Sister Wang.”

“Oddly, instead of running into people from the Shadow Society, I ran into Grand Monarch Bloodlust of the Demons,” Chu Rui said, bitterness filling his face.

Wei Lai’s expression instantly flickered. “What?! Wasn’t Grand Monarch Bloodlust badly injured by the grand elder? He hasn’t shown up for a long time after his defeat. How come he’s mixed with the Shadow Society all of a sudden?”

Grand Monarch Bloodlust was at the middle tenth grade, which happened to match Chu Rui’s cultivation base.

Chu Rui, however, had consumed a significant amount of his strength after being trapped in the Domain of Frigid Depths by Grand Monarch Ice Bones for a long time. During his battle against You Qimiao in the Domain of Heaven Python, he had sustained even more injuries.

This time, when he had left to rescue Wang Meijia, who was said to have been seized by the Shadow Society, instead of encountering the sectmaster of the Shadow Society, he had run into Grand Monarch Bloodlust’s ambush. This didn’t make sense.

“Grand Monarch Bloodlust seemed to want to use Meijia to get something from us,” Chu Rui said, frowning. “Perhaps he wants to retake that dark stone they lost, or it could be something else. Fortunately, I arrived in time and rescued Meijia from him.”

“But you sustained new injuries, didn’t you?” Dou Tianchen asked.

Chu Rui nodded. “I’m in bad shape. I’m afraid I can’t even fight You Qimiao one-on-one now, much less the sectmaster of the Shadow Society.”

Wei Lai let out a snort. “It’s okay. Our Nine Star Heavens has been blessed and strengthened by every Lord of the Stars. It won’t break easily.”

Yan Zhan chuckled and said, “I bet you don’t know, Vice Sectmaster. Nie Tian won a series of battles! Even Elder Zu Guangyao broke through into the God domain with Nie Tian’s help! Once his cultivation base stabilizes, he’ll be able to return to us through teleportation!”

“What?!” An exclamation escaped Chu Rui’s mouth.

Even Wang Meijia, who was resting with her eyes closed, snapped her eyes open upon hearing this.

SHEW!

At this moment, Sikong Cuo returned through a secret teleportation portal. Rushing into the grand hall, he asked, “How’s the situation, Vice Sectmaster, Elders?”

He didn’t try to mask his aura as a Saint domain expert in the slightest. Instead, he manifested the entirety of his newly-forged domain, which looked like a glorious nebula.

“Saint domain! You’ve broken through into the Saint domain?!” Fang Yuan exclaimed in shock.

With a lofty smile, Sikong Cuo said, “Pressure makes people advance rapidly in cultivation. Not only did I make a breakthrough myself, but my Heavenly Stellar Stream also merged with my domain completely.”