“Nie Tian, that spatial rift hasn’t stabilized yet, right?” Fan Kai asked respectfully.
Nie Tian nodded slightly. “Yeah, that’s a bit strange. Normally speaking, it should have been stabilized and accessible long ago.”
Gazing in the direction of the spatial rift, Lei Zhenyu asked, “What’s going on over there?”
“A man named Yuan Jiuchuan is waiting there by that spatial rift. He’s a reborn cultivator, who people referred to as the Thunder Devil...” Nie Tian went on and explained the situation to them.
Lei Zhenyu’s expression flickered after he learned about Yuan Jiuchuan and his intention to visit the Realm of Maelstrom as soon as the spatial rift stabilized.
“He can actually absorb the lightning power others have spent their whole lives accumulating? It’s hard to believe freaks like him even exist!” That was when he suddenly realized how lucky he was.
He had been so lucky to have run into Nie Tian on their way to the spatial rift. The fact that they had been apprehensive of Nie Tian, and had thus come over to greet him, worked out for them.
Otherwise, if they had encountered Yuan Jiuchuan at the spatial rift, Fan Kai and the other experts might have been able to escape, but not him.
“If that’s the case, let’s wait here for the time being.” Fan Kai didn’t dare to make any rash moves either.
According to Nie Tian, Yuan Jiuchuan had killed five Soul realm experts effortlessly, and he was able to wield the power of a domain.
Therefore, even Fan Kai’s face was filled with apprehension as he thought of fighting this Thunder Devil. Engaging in a fight against him over Lei Zhenyu was the last thing he wanted.
With a faint smile, Nie Tian said, “Right now, our best choice is to wait and see what’s going to happen. But don’t worry. I believe Yuan Jiuchuan will leave as soon as that spatial rift stabilizes and becomes accessible. Then, we’ll be able to return to the Realm of Maelstrom safely.”
Zhao Luofeng, the current sectmaster of the Heaven Palace Sect, looked deeply worried. His eyebrows knitted as he said with a somber voice, “I just hope it’ll stabilize sooner. Great changes are taking place in the depths of the Shatter Battlefield. All of the spatial rifts and teleportation portals that connect the powerful domains to the Shatter Battlefield seem to have vanished or collapsed.”
Hua Mu’s expression flickered. “What!?”
Nie Tian also gasped with astonishment. “What happened?”
Zhao Luofeng smiled bitterly. “We ran into Qi warriors from other domains on our way home, and they told us about this. We don’t know what happened either. All we know is that all those spatial rifts and teleportation portals that have been around for thousands of years either exploded or vanished.
“From the look of it, unstable spatial rifts are all that have survived.
“Not only humans, but many Demons, Phantasms, and other outsiders are now also stranded in the depths of the Shatter Battlefield.
“Many powerful experts of different races are searching for spatial tunnels, through which they’ll be able to leave the Shatter Battlefield. I have a feeling that something big is happening in the depths of the Shatter Battlefield.”
At this moment, Zong Zheng’s expression flickered as he said, “That Yuan Jiuchuan has been waiting by that spatial rift ever since he learned that he’ll be able to enter the Realm of Maelstrom through it. I’m afraid he’s only waiting over there for so long without being distracted because he learned about the changes taking place in the depths of the Shatter Battlefield.
“I guess it won’t be long before Qi warriors from other domains also discover and gather by that spatial rift.”
“If that’s the case, we need to pay close attention to that spatial rift, and leave through it as quickly as possible,” Nie Tian said with a grim expression.
Hua Mu chimed in, “We’re a bit too far from that spatial rift. It’s hard for us to keep watch on what’s happening over there.”
Light flashed across Fan Kai’s eyes as he said, “My soul awareness can reach that area.”
“Then would you please keep a close watch on the situation over there?” Nie Tian asked. “We’ll march over there as soon as you see someone enter that spatial rift.”
“Sure,” Fan Kai answered.
Then, he sat down and closed his eyes. His immense soul awareness suddenly flew whooshing out his mind.
Shortly afterwards, he opened his eyes and said, “There are already a few dozen Profound realm, Soul realm, and Void domain Qi warriors gathered by that spatial rift. Many of them don’t seem to be from the Domain of Heaven Python.”
Nie Tian was taken aback. “Dozens of people have arrived there already? Are Yue Yanxi from the Divine Flame Sect and Jiang Feng from the Bliss Mountain Sect among them?”
Fan Kai shook his head. “No.”
“I can’t believe they still haven’t returned,” Nie Tian said, looking somewhat frustrated.
Yue Yanxi, Jiang Feng, Guan Fu, and Jian Tong were all Void domain experts with outstanding strength.
Nie Tian believed that, if they had arrived by that spatial rift, Yuan Jiuchuan wouldn’t dare to make any moves against them if they joined them there.
Considering Yuan Jiuchuan’s current battle prowess and the fact that he still had yet to return to his peak state, he most likely wouldn’t be able to defeat Yue Yanxi and the other experts single-handedly.
But since Yue Yanxi and the others hadn’t returned yet and he wasn’t close to the other Qi warriors from the Domain of Heaven Python, he had to give up on the idea of returning to the spatial rift right away.
Thus, they sat and waited in silence.
Two weeks passed...
During this time, they saw more foreign Qi warriors gathering to that spatial rift successively.
Therefore, Nie Tian was convinced that what Fan Kai had said was true. Great changes were indeed taking place in the depths of the Shatter Battlefield.
The powerful experts that had poured into the Shatter Battlefield seemed to have sensed danger after seeing their retreat cut off, and thus had to search for other ways to return.
Many of them discovered the unstable spatial rift that led to the Realm of Maelstrom, and made it their new choice.
As time passed bit by bit, more and more foreign Qi warriors gathered by the spatial rift. Fan Kai, who kept a close watch on the situation over there, fed the others pieces of news that were increasingly depressing.
“Another group of people has arrived. They have Void domain cultivators among them.
“That Yuan Jiuchuan you talked about is still there, but even he seems to have become careful, and stopped killing new arrivals who practice lightning incantations.
“Now, there are close to a hundred people there, all of whom are human Qi warriors from various domains.
“Some outsiders seem to have also discovered that spatial rift, but they decided to leave after sniffing out the auras in that area.”
Another day passed...
Fan Kai’s expression flickered drastically as he exclaimed, “Yue Yanxi has returned!”
Upon hearing this, Nie Tian also suddenly become refreshed, and asked hastily, “Anyone with him?”
“He and Jiang Feng are following an old man I’ve never seen before. But he seems to be at the peak of the Void domain, just one step from entering the Saint domain.” Fan Kai went on and briefly described the old man’s appearance.
“Patriarch Pure Heaven!” Yin Yanan and Mu Biqiong exclaimed simultaneously.
Nie Tian was surprised as well. “Patriarch Pure Heaven?!”
Patriarch Pure Heaven was the sectmaster of the Pure Heaven Sect, and the most powerful Qi warrior in the entire Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries. Earlier, he had gone after the Stone Golems and vanished into the depths of the starry river.
The fact that he had now shown up in the Shatter Battlefield probably had something to do with the Stone Golems as well.
Yin Yanan suddenly seemed spirited again as she said, “Now that Patriarch Pure Heaven is there, we can go join them no problem! Even though Patriarch Pure Heaven acts in a domineering way in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, we’re from the same domain after all. He’ll surely protect us in a foreign place like the Shatter Battlefield.”
After a moment of pondering, Nie Tian nodded. “As long as senior Yue is there, we should be safe to go join him.”
Soon, everyone reached a consensus.
The Star Boat shot out at full speed, while Fan Kai and the other Void domain and Soul realm experts traveled through the sky by themselves.
Considering their speed, the distance between them and the spatial didn’t seem as far.
Before long, Nie Tian and the others arrived at the place where numerous spatial rifts interwove in the sky.
Nie Tian looked around with rapt attention, and discovered that many Qi warriors from different domains were sitting in groups under the interweaving spatial rifts.
Most of them were strangers who seemed to be at the Soul realm and Void domain.
Only a few of them looked familiar, as he had entered the Shatter Battlefield with them from the Domain of Heaven Python.
Yuan Jiuchuan was sitting by himself on a sand dune, looking harmless and unexceptional.
As Nie Tian’s Star Boat arrived, he slowly lifted his chin to look at him, and Lei Zhenyu immediately caught his eyes.
Thanks to Nie Tian’s description, Lei Zhenyu recognized him. A mere exchange of glances sent a cold chill down his spine.
However, now that the situation had changed, Yuan Jiuchuan quickly gave up on the idea of killing Lei Zhenyu, and lowered his head again to focus on his cultivation.
“Nie Tian!” Overjoyed, Yue Yanxi waved repeatedly at Nie Tian, beckoning for him to join him.
“Little Qiong!” Jiang Feng was also overjoyed to see Mu Biqiong.
The tension on Nie Tian’s face eased up as he led everyone to Yue Yanxi’s location.