In the Nether Realm.

Seeing that they didn’t seem to be persuading the Phantasms, the evil gods stopped trying.

With their fleshly bodies reforged and their soul fragments regathered, all they lacked now was their power as late tenth grade grand monarchs.

All of their memories had returned to them.

While Nie Tian explored the origin of humanity, the five evil gods didn’t just stay in the Nether Realm either. Ignoring the old Phantasms’ questions, they charged into the starry river.

There were some realms in the Nether Realm’s surroundings that also belonged to the Phantasms.

The evil gods flew to those realms and destroyed the teleportation portals on them that might connect to the Mortal World.

The Phantasms on the Nether Realm, however, only knew that the evil gods seemed to be traveling among those realms, but didn’t know what they were up to.

Until...

A Phantasm gazed into the starry river and called out, “Look!”

Immediately afterwards, all of the Phantasms in the Nether Realm looked up and saw that the five realms closest to the Nether Realm were somehow approaching the Nether Realm, as if they were attracted by some sort of power.

After they were close enough to the Nether Realm, streaks of cyan auras flew out of them and stretched towards the Nether Realm like gorgeous ribbons of energy.

Mysterious soul symbols, various soul-nourishing gems, and exquisite spell formations could be seen glittering within the cyan ribbons of auras.

The evil god of bloodlust’s mountainous body suddenly emerged and said in a cold, emotionless voice, “The master made these deployments for you. He made comprehensive preparations since he explored the Nether Realm and decided to make it home to the new species he was going to create. Those five realms weren’t anywhere near the Nether Realm originally. The master moved them here with his divine abilities.”

WHOOSH!

The cyan ribbons connected to the Nether Realm simultaneously.

All the Phantasms were shocked to discover that the dissipating Nether Qi in the Nether Realm suddenly began growing richer and richer.

An old Phantasm was flabbergasted. “I can’t believe those realms were moved here! Is there some kind of connection between them, the Nether Realm, and you?”

Those who were strong could vaguely sense auras from the five realms that corresponded to the five evil gods.

That proved that there was indeed a special connection between the realms and the evil gods.

“We’re all connected by a grand spell formation,” the evil god of bloodlust said. “Activate!”

In the next moment, majestic mountains started shifting and rivers started changing their courses in the Nether Realm and the five realms.

Misty cyan energies started running through the lands like currents of light.

Every Phantasm’s face turned pale as they felt the realm shake violently.

BOOM!

Mountains toppled in the five realms, revealing extremely pure Nether Crystals that had been hidden underneath them.

The power that was being transfused to the Nether Realm came from these sealed-up crystalline veins. They were only there because Grand Monarch Heavenly Spirit had carved wondrous spell formations inside those realms that had channeled power from the starry river and turned it into Nether Qi, which had then gradually condensed into crystals over the years.

Many Phantasms were deeply shocked and couldn’t believe their own eyes. “God! I can’t believe such large numbers of Nether Crystals have been hidden underground in those realms!”

“The master left them for you. He knew that his own kind in the Void World would reach their claws towards this place.” The evil god of bloodlust said with a fierce, icy look in its eyes. “All of you, with prismatic crystals on your foreheads, are his descendants. Each and every one of you carry his soul imprints and bloodline imprints in you!

“No one in the Mortal World, the Spirit World, or the Void World, can ride roughshod over you, not even the Netherspirits!”

BOOM!

Immense, sea-like Nether Qi suddenly poured out of the five realms in an overwhelming manner, enveloping them and the Nether Realm in what seemed like a small domain, one that was isolated from the Spirit World!

...

In the Realm of Middle Continent.

With the help of the Voidspirit Pagoda, Zhao Shanling searched the realm from within and without for unique wonders.

Nie Tian was deeply shocked and plunged into contemplation by his words.

All of a sudden, the Spirit Scepter burst forth with dazzling light.

As soon as a thought entered his mind, he learned what had happened to the Nether Realm through the Spirit Scepter. He learned that the five evil gods, whose strength had recently been boosted, had actually pulled the five realms in the Nether Realm’s surroundings towards it.

“A small, unique, isolated domain filled with rich Nether Qi,” Nie Tian marveled.

Even though his true soul was in the Realm of Middle Continent, which was separated from the Nether Realm by boundless space, he now had a peculiar feeling that he could rule that small domain and control the grand spell formation in it that had been left by Grand Monarch Heavenly Spirit.

“The scepter is the key!”

The unusual changes in the Nether Realm were causing changes to the Spirit Scepter as well. Right now, Nie Tian had a feeling that his perception with his true soul was improving with each passing second.

Suddenly, he sensed the arrival of outsider grand monarchs in areas controlled by the Demons, the Fiends, and the Bonedrudes. “The grand monarchs have returned!”

Thanks to the evil gods’ previous actions, not a single grand monarch returned from the Mortal World to the Phantasm realms.

“A total of six grand monarchs.”

Upon sensing the return of the six grand monarchs, Nie Tian shrewdly discovered that they were all moving towards the same destination: the Realm of Middle Continent.

“As expected, they’re coming for me. They’re smart enough to avoid the Floragrims’ main realm, where my true form is, and come directly to the Realm of Middle Continent to kill my true soul.”

Nie Tian saw right through their plan.

Zhao Shanling somehow sensed the anomalies as well, with the help of his Voidspirit Pagoda. “I’m sensing unusual spatial fluctuations. Powerful outsider experts might have returned to this part of the Spirit World. Nie Tian, you...”

“Six grand monarchs, and they’re coming for me,” Nie Tian said before he could finish.

“Six grand monarchs have returned to kill your true soul?” Zhao Shanling asked in disbelief.

“Exactly!” Nie Tian answered.

A thoughtful expression appeared on Zhao Shanling’s face, and moments later, it was replaced by a dark grin. “Nie Tian, all outsiders and Ancientspirits in the Spirit World have come to a mutual understanding, which is that it’s not hard for them to slip into the Mortal World. However, if humans want to slip into the Spirit World, they’ll have to be hybrids like you. Otherwise, it won’t be possible.”

Nie Tian was puzzled. “What do you mean?”

“Do you think those grand monarchs will expect me to be here?”

“Of course they won’t.”

“That’s it.” Zhao Shanling’s grin grew even darker and nastier. “If I can be here without them expecting it, so can Yin Xingtian, Yu Suying, Zu Guangyao, Dou Tianchen, Ye Wenhan, Ji Yuanquan, and every God domain human expert. What do you think those six outsider grand monarchs will think if they come to the Realm of Middle Continent only to find that all of the most powerful human and Ancientspirit experts are waiting for them?”

Nie Tian was enlightened upon hearing these words. “Nice thinking!”

“I suppose it’d be a heavy blow to the Void World too if those six grand monarchs all die here!” With these words, Zhao Shanling let out a snort. “This is the Realm of Middle Continent, the place where humanity originated. Our people’s second rise will start with the annihilation of those six grand monarchs!”

“Great!”