Upon spotting a target, Pei Qiqi split open a spatial rift and pulled Nie Tian into it.

In the next moment, they appeared by a flat floating meteor, over which an exceptionally long, narrow spatial rift was glowing and leaking faint Demon qi.

A wrecked Demon starship could be seen scattered on the meteor. Apparently, it had exploded and crashed into the meteor, filling it with debris.

Other than the faint Demon qi, this area of the starry river was also filled with a cold, disturbing corpse power.

Tiny clusters of corpse flames could be seen floating and flickering in the vicinity, the corpse toxins within them gradually dissipating.

The unique aura of corpse power reminded Nie Tian of the ghouls he had encountered in the Bloody Grave Mountain Range.

The flickering, dissipating corpse flames reminded him of the pale flame he had obtained from the Bloody Grave Mountain Range and later given to Li Langfeng.

It was just that, compared to the corpse power that cluster of pale flame contained, the corpse power within these corpse flames wasn’t even worth mentioning.

Not only did that cluster of pale flame contain pure, refined corpse power, but it also had its own awareness, and the ability to drive ghouls. It was either an Earth Cultivated grade or Heaven Nourished grade treasure.

“Corpse power...” Nie Tian’s expression flickered as he suddenly remembered the Heavenly Corpse Sect, which Hua Mu had told him about.

Yu Tong from the Blood Sect had found Hua Mu and given him a message from Master Blood Spirit: Demons had shown up in the area where the Domain of the Falling Stars bordered the Domain of Forbidden Heaven, and they had been killed by the Heavenly Corpse Sect.

Now, Nie Tian was looking at the remains of a Demon starship, yet not a single Demon was in sight, dead or alive. Lingering Demon qi and corpse flames were all there was left.

“A battle took place here not long ago,” Pei Qiqi said, turning to fix the spatial rift with a deep, concerned look. “It’s hard to believe that this spatial rift is large enough for Demon starships to pass through. And a starship at this level must have had a few eighth grade Demons on it.

“Now, the starship has crashed, but not a single Demon can be seen. Don’t tell me that someone killed them and took their bodies away?”

Eyes narrowed, Nie Tian pondered for a while before saying, “Members of the Heavenly Corpse Sect killed a handful of Demons along the border of the Domain of the Falling Stars. And from the look of it, it was also them who killed these Demons who had arrived through this spatial rift.”

Surprised, Pei Qiqi asked, “The Heavenly Corpse Sect? What kind of sect is that? Why did they show up here to kill these Demons?”

Nie Tian shook his head. “I don’t know either. But to be safe, let’s destroy this spatial rift anyways. Who knows whether more Demon starships are coming through it or not.”

“Okay,” Pei Qiqi said in a soft voice.

Her irregularly shaped crystal then flew ethereally towards the slender spatial rift. As a Heaven Nourished grade spatial treasure, the crystal seemed to thrive on the spatial power it absorbed from teleportation portals and spatial rifts.

As the crystal spun, countless spatial blades whizzed out of it like a shoal of fish.

They swam within the spatial rift, strengthening themselves by absorbing its power.

Soon, as the spatial blades that had grown several times thicker flew back into the crystal, the spatial rift that was large enough to allow Demon starships to pass gradually healed.

Eventually, it shrank to a bright spot that was the size of a thumb, and then vanished completely.

“It’s done,” Pei Qiqi said, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of her mouth as she looked at the increasingly bright crystal. “This little thing’s greatest joy is to destroy teleportation portals and spatial rifts. Absorbing their power how it becomes stronger.”

“Okay, let’s look around and see if we can find members of the Heavenly Corpse Sect in the vicinity,” Nie Tian said in a serious voice.

Pei Qiqi nodded.

Then, the two of them got on the Star Boat once again to scan the surroundings of the destroyed spatial rift, hoping to find out what the members of the Heavenly Corpse Sect were up to.

...

In the Second Demon Realm.

Numerous pitch-black stone columns stood towering on a spacious square, where enormous low-tier Demons were howling in raging Demon qi.

Like three huge, purple monsters, three sinister-looking Demon starships were berthed in front of a tall archway in the middle of the square.

Two ninth grade grand patriarchs, Hazlitt, the Flame Maniac, and Feimos, the Controller, were standing before the arched teleportation portal, with their respective clan members swarming behind them.

Hazlitt and Feimos had sent a handful of their eighth grade clan members to the Domain of Forbidden Heaven for investigation.

However, none of them made it back alive.

Therefore, neither of them knew what had happened in the Domain of Forbidden Heaven.

Angered by this, they gathered their forces here, preparing to march into the Domain of Forbidden Heaven to find out what had happened.

However, just as they were about to set out, the teleportation portal jolted violently.

The two of them instantly realized that their secret teleportation portal in the Domain of Forbidden Heaven must have been found and destroyed.

Hazlitt and Feimos’ furious roars shook heaven and earth. The low-tier Demons were so scared that they crouched on the ground and trembled nonstop.

WHOOSH!

A figure arrived like a bolt of lightning.

If Nie Tian had been here, he would have been able to recognize the arriving high-tier Demon at first glance. It was none other than Gutas, who he had encountered in the Shatter Battlefield.

Even though Gutas was only at the seventh grade, both Hazlitt and Feimos stopped roaring upon seeing him.

They stifled their flames of fury and calmed themselves before bowing respectfully towards him. “Young monarch!”

As the son of Grand Monarch Bloodlust, Gutas had a great chance at becoming a grand monarch himself in the future. As arrogant as Hazlitt and Feimos were, they had nothing but respect when facing him.

“Have you obtained any useful information regarding the Domain of the Falling Stars?” Gutas asked.

Both Hazlitt and Feimos shook their heads with guilty expressions.

Looking displeased, Gutas narrowed his eyes and said, “It’s been so long, yet you still can’t find any useful information? What have you been doing all this time?”

Hazlitt, the Flame Maniac, hastily answered, “None of my clan members I sent to the Domain of Forbidden Heaven have returned. And just as we were about to go look into it, the secret teleportation portal we left in the Domain of Forbidden Heaven was discovered and destroyed...”

Gutas was taken aback.

He was aware that both Hazlitt and Feimos had previously fought in the Dead Star Sea.

Only after the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s sound defeat had the two of them returned to the Second Demon Realm to handle the task he had given them personally.

Neither had he expected that the teleportation portal in the Domain of Forbidden Heaven would have been discovered and destroyed within such a short time.

Gutas pondered for a moment and quickly realized what had happened. “It must be someone from the Void Spirit Society who did it. The Domain of the Falling Stars belongs to that Son of the Stars named Nie Tian. I fought him personally in the Shatter Battlefield. He’s not easy to deal with. It’s possible that his subordinates discovered and killed those members of your clan.”

Hazlitt and Feimos listened attentively as he spoke.

With a thoughtful expression, Gutas continued, “As a Son of the Stars, he has three subordinate domains. All of our teleportation portals in the Domain of the Falling Stars and the Domain of Heaven Python have been previously destroyed. Now, our last remaining teleportation portal in the Domain of Forbidden Heaven has also been destroyed. Do we have any teleportation portals left in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries?”

Feimos thought hard before answering, “We do have one left in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries. It’s just that it’s too small for our starships to pass.”

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Gutas nodded. “It doesn’t matter. It’s settled. We’ll enter the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.”

Looking rather hesitant, Hazlitt said, “Young monarch, I met that Son of the Stars on the floating continent. He had three middle Saint domain subordinates with him, which can’t be ignored.”

Gutas smiled coldly. “Lord Cardy was infuriated when he learned that three of our realms were ravaged and plundered by that Son of the Stars. He spread word that he’ll make him pay. I’ll go invite him myself. Perhaps he’ll be happy to join us on our trip to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.”

Upon hearing these words, both Hazlitt and Feimos relaxed.

Cardy was one of the most powerful Demon grand patriarchs. His battle prowess was hardly matched, and definitely not by them.

Perhaps only late Saint domain elders of the four great sects might have a chance at contending against him.

Learning that Cardy might join them, they instantly lost their scruples about entering the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.

“I’ll go see Lord Cardy, while you stay and make preparations,” Gutas instructed. “My father was also furious about what happened to those three realms. That Son of the Stars shall suffer the full extent of our wrath! And since the sectmaster of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace won’t be returning anytime soon, let’s spare no life!”