Outside the Realm of Fragmentary Star.

Ancient starships from the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect and the Shadow Society gathered around the dazzling realm in a formidable formation, like a shoal of sharks waiting for their prey.

In an area in the starry river that was a certain distance from the Realm of Fragmentary Star, starships with various strange appearances quietly gathered.

Floating in front of those starships, Void and Saint domain experts, who were dressed differently and practiced different powers, gazed off at the Realm of Fragmentary Star.

Like Zhang Qiling and Li Wanfa, they were from different human domains, and were leaders of powerful sects and clans.

While some experts from powerful human forces had sailed to the Domain of Jade Heaven to observe Nie Tian’s battles and witness Zu Guangyao’s breakthrough into the God domain, others had sailed to this part of the starry river after learning that the Shadow Society, the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect, and the Jade Heaven Sect were going to storm the Realm of Fragmentary Star together.

Saint domain experts from different domains gathered up as they gazed off at the Realm of Fragmentary Star and whispered to one another.

“Elder Han just left the Domain of Jade Heaven. According to him, Zu Guangyao has condensed his dharma idol with Nie Tian’s help!”

“The vice sectmaster of my sect was also in the Domain of Jade Heaven. Word from him said that Nie Tian has forged his void domain.”

“Nie Tian will be here shortly, right?”

“Ji Yuanquan is there. With his help, I suppose Nie Tian will be able to get here soon.”

Their Saint domain cultivation bases allowed them to see even the slightest changes in the Realm of Fragmentary Star from thousands of kilometers away. They could even see the divine veins generations of Lords of the Stars had fused into the nine energy shields that enveloped the Realm of Fragmentary Star.

“Perhaps this battle will change the future of our race, and determine whether a new great sect will rise.”

“Does the Shadow Society have to rise from the ruins of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace?”

“There’s no other way. There are only so many super-large-scale realms in the human world. And the four great sects control all of the domains that have the richest spiritual Qi and yield the most Earth Cultivated and Heaven Nourished grade treasures. Only if one great sect falls can a new one rise.”

“Is the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace fated to fall?”

“I doubt it. They still have Nie Tian, the Godmaker!” As long as that guy’s alive, even if the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace falls, it’ll rise again as Nie Tian grows stronger and stronger!”

...

Shangguan Zhi, You Qimiao, and Song Chequan all had their eyes fixed on a dark figure as they exclaimed, “Sectmaster Jiang!”

The figure loomed in a sphere of dark gray aura, which made it hard to get a clear view of him.

The sphere exuded a dark, ice-cold, heavy aura, preventing everyone from seeing through its secrets.

Jiang Yuanchi was the current sectmaster of the Shadow Society. He had accumulated at the middle God domain for ages.

Very few had ever seen the face of this mysterious man. Even some of the senior members of the Shadow Society had no idea what he looked like.

Rumor had it he was the one who had the best chance at advancing to the late God domain in ten thousand years.

To deserve the title of ‘great sect’, a sect had to have at least one late God domain expert. That was the case with the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, the Void Spirit Society, the Five Elements Sect, and the Heaven Span Pavilion.

Since the founding of the Shadow Society, countless sectmasters had been stuck at the middle God domain.

Not a single sectmaster in their history had been able to break through this barrier.

However, Jiang Yuanchi, the current sectmaster of the Shadow Society, was believed to be the one who would finally make the breakthrough into the late God domain, and bring the Shadow Society to a new level by not only their own members, but also among the Five Elements Sect, the Heaven Span Pavilion, and the Void Spirit Society.

If he actually managed to break through into the late God domain in ten thousand years, even if the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace didn’t fall, the Shadow Society would most likely rise to be the fifth great sect!

However, Jiang Yuanchi didn’t want to wait that long.

“Sectmaster!” Song Chequan said.

He gazed into the sphere of dark gray aura. Even he felt insecure and uneasy sensing the bleak aura it exuded. “My base, the Realm of Jade Billows, was destroyed by the seventh Son of the Stars, Nie Tian. He also killed countless people that were loyal to me in the Domain of Spirit Sea and the Domain of Dark Marsh. I...”

Song Chequan listed Nie Tian’s recent deeds for Jiang Yuanchi, as if he was telling on him.

“Nie Tian is special indeed.” Jiang Yuanchi’s gentle voice echoed from the vague figure. “Many have told me that this kid has endless potential. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have asked Xuan Guangyu to mediate, or tell you to let go of what happened.”

“I did!” Song Chequan exclaimed with restrained fury.

“I understand your grudge.” Every word Jiang Yuanchi said seemed to have the magic to convince people. “Don’t worry. After we take the Realm of Fragmentary Star and destroy the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, you’ll take back all that you’ve lost and more.”

Shangguan Zhi, who was standing next to Song Chequan, gave a derisive chuckle and said in a more feminine voice, “Sectmaster Song, I suppose what really made your heart ache was the destruction of the Jade Heaven Sect, the Realm of Jade Billows, and the Heaven-sweeping Jade Sea Cannons, right? Did your heart really ache when you learned about the deaths of your older brother and wife?”

Song Chequan’s face dropped. “What do you mean by that?”

With a dry smile, Shangguan Zhi said, “I think you know.”

The Shadow Society was unmatched as far as information went. They had informants in almost every single realm throughout the human world.

As the vice sectmaster, Shangguan Zhi had long since learned that Song Chequan’s relationships with Song Haiqing and Feng Jieling were far less harmonious than they appeared to be.

“Enough.” Jiang Yuanchi cleared his throat and put a stop to their escalating conversation.

An even darker field rapidly spread out with the dark figure’s domain at the center.

WHOOSH!

Jiang Yuanchi activated his dharma idol, which quickly morphed into a humongous grayish-brown bat.

As the bat spread its wings, they seemed large enough to envelop the entire Realm of Fragmentary Star. That was when Jiang Yuanchi’s gentle voice came from the bat.

“Brother Chu. I know you’re back. Could you come out so we can have a talk?”

His resonant voice penetrated the Nine Star Heavens and reached Fragmentary Star City. Every Qi warrior in the city caught every word he had said.

Chu Rui, Wei Lai, Yan Zhan, Dou Tianchen, Fang Yuan, Wang Meijia, Sikong Cuo, and other experts were waiting solemnly on a spacious balcony high up in the grand Fragmentary Star Palace.

Hearing Jiang Yuanchi’s voice, Chu Rui frowned and responded, “Sure!”

Afterwards, he turned to the others and said, “I’ll go talk to him. Stay in the Realm of Fragmentary Star while I’m away. You’ll be protected by the Nine Star Heavens. They won’t be able to touch you, unless they’re joined by late God domain experts or their equivalents. However, once you step out, you’ll lose your protection and have to face the experts from the Shadow Society, the Remote Beginning Heavenly Sect, and the Jade Heaven Sect alone.”

“We understand that,” Wei Lai said.

Chu Rui’s chubby body shook strongly as he prepared to activate his dharma idol.

At this moment, Dou Tianchen exclaimed, “This might be a trap!”

Chu Rui smiled bitterly. “What if this is a trap? This is the Realm of Fragmentary Star. I’m vice sectmaster! Invaders have come to our door. Wouldn’t I lose all of our sect’s face if I didn’t even dare to go face them?”

“But you’re badly injured!” Wang Meijia said anxiously.

Chu Rui took a deep breath. “Even badly injured, I’m still the vice sectmaster, and I’m still at the middle God domain, which is the same as Jiang Yuanchi. As long as I’m in this position, I must do what I have to do, no matter what.”

With these words, he assumed his dharma idol form and charged out of the Realm of Fragmentary Star like a heaven-defying shooting star.

FIZZ!

He easily shot through the Nine Star Heavens and appeared in the starry river outside the Realm of Fragmentary Star.

Facing Chu Rui’s dharma idol, Jiang Yuanchi said in a voice that was as profound and resonant as that of a huge bell, “Long time no see.

“I, Jiang Yuanchi, have traveled great lengths to this place. Now, I challenge Vice Sectmaster Chu Rui of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace to a duel!”

A clamor immediately burst through the Saint domain experts in a place thousands of kilometers away.

“A duel?”

“Jiang Yuanchi is challenging Chu Rui to a duel?!”

“Come on! As far as I know, he entered the middle God domain ten thousand years before Chu Rui did! Both his seniority and status in the human world exceed that of Chu Rui!”

“Even though the two of them have never fought each other before, it’s widely acknowledged that he’s the most powerful human expert under the late God domain!”

“This duel is clearly unfair!”