“Wait!” Zhao Shanling’s resounding voice echoed out from the depths of the heavens.

SHEW!

In the next moment, his figure appeared in front of the gate to the stone pavilion where the inter-domain teleportation portal was located.

He seemed vigorous and energetic, and his eyes glittered brightly, giving him an ethereal look, as if he were an immortal who had descended to this world.

Countless spatial blades constantly entered and exited the Voidspirit Pagoda that floated over his head.

The Voidspirit Pagoda was only the size of a hand, yet it seemed to be able to rip open a spatial rift at any time.

Nie Tian’s expression flickered with excitement as he exclaimed, “Have you made your breakthrough?”

Delight and anticipation also filled Duan Shihu and Jing Rou’s eyes.

As far as they saw it, Zhao Shanling from the Domain of the Falling Stars was quite a character.

He had managed to break through into the middle Void domain within the very short period of time he had spent in the Realm of Maelstrom. Then, he had eliminated the obstacles that stood between the Realm of Maelstrom and the Realm of Split Void, and vested that teleportation portal with the function to teleport between domains.

Even for many spatial power experts in the Domain of Heaven Python, such an ability was desirable, and yet unreachable.

Zhao Shanling sighed. “It turned out to be a lot harder to make that breakthrough. I misestimated it. I thought I would be able to make the breakthrough within a short time, but after I got down to it, I gradually realized that my accumulation was still not enough. I cultivated for quite some time, but all I did was recover strength and derive enlightenment of the profound mysteries of spatial power. As hard as I tried, I couldn’t find an opportunity to make the breakthrough.”

“So no breakthrough...” Duan Shihu went blank briefly before asking, “Then what about Xing Lifeng?”

Xing Lifeng was at the late Void domain. Even though Zhao Shanling had the mighty Voidspirit Pagoda at his disposal, it was unrealistic for him to kill him when he was only at the early Void domain.

“I don’t have to enter the middle Void domain to kill Xing Lifeng,” Zhao Shanling said arrogantly. “I’ve already come up with a plan to kill him!

“But before that, I need to take you back to the Realm of Split Void first.”

Looking confused, Nie Tian said, “I’ll be able to teleport back to the Realm of Split Void just fine. You don’t have to go with me.”

Zhao Shanling snorted. “You’re wrong.” 

SHEW!

The Voidspirit Pagoda that floated over his head suddenly flew into the stone pavilion, and the teleportation portal he had set up.

Numerous spatial blades flew out of the Voidspirit Pagoda. Like small knives, they carved out new details to the spell formation that connected to the details Pei Qiqi had added seamlessly.

Nie Tian was puzzled. “Senior Zhao, you...”

Eyes narrowed, Zhao Shanling stared at the bottom of the portal and said, “I wonder how that kid practiced cultivation that allowed her understanding of spatial power to rise to such a high level. Her attainments in spatial spell formations are simply shocking. I only saw through the profound changes she made to this spell formation thanks to the enlightenment I recently came to.”

“What do you mean?" Nie Tian asked curiously.

“She wanted you to return to the Domain of the Falling Stars, but at the same time, she didn’t want you to come back again,” Zhao Shanling explained.

Nie Tian still didn’t understand what she had done.

Zhao Shanling let out a snort and said, “It’s a complicated matter to set up inter-domain teleportation portals. I set up this teleportation portal, as well as the one in the Realm of Split Void. Qiqi only adjusted the spell formation of this teleportation portal, but not the one in the Realm of Split Void, so the changes are one-way.”

Nie Tian instantly realized what he meant. “You mean people can only teleport from the Realm of Maelstrom to the Realm of Split Void, but not the other way around?”

Zhao Shanling nodded. “Exactly. Only if she made adjustments to the spell formation of the other teleportation portal would they work both ways.

“Besides, this teleportation portal has been set to be unstable, and it has changed through time without you knowing it.

“That means if I didn’t adjust it just now, you wouldn’t be able to teleport back to the Realm of Split Void through it.”

Nie Tian was taken aback.

Zhao Shanling went on and explained, “This was how she intended it. She made such changes so that you’d be able to return to the Realm of Split Void, but wouldn’t be able to return to the Domain of Heaven Python anytime soon. She didn’t want you to be involved in the turmoils in the Domain of Heaven Python.

“Furthermore, she was worried that if this teleportation portal stayed operable for a long period of time, people from the Domain of Heaven Python or outsider invaders might also swarm into the Realm of Split Void.”

Only now did Nie Tian fully understand what was going on, and thus muttered, “So that’s how it is.”

Pei Qiqi had made such an arrangement because she hadn’t wanted the calamity in the Domain of Heaven Python to spread to the Domain of the Falling Stars.

She had intended for Nie Tian and the others to make a one-way trip back to the Domain of the Falling Stars, but for people from the Domain of Heaven Python to be unable to enter the Domain of the Falling Stars through the same teleportation portal.

If the Domain of Heaven Python fell, the human Qi warriors would definitely look for places to evacuate to.

By that time, the Divine Seal Sect and the Golden Vast Sect would most likely set their minds on the teleportation portal that connected to the Domain of the Falling Stars.

In fact, some from the Divine Seal Sect, who had learned that the teleportation portal was working again, were already considering this.

If the joint army of Demons and Phantasms actually sacked the Divine Seal Sect’s headquarters, it would be a nice way out to hide out this calamity in the Domain of the Falling Stars.

Zhao Shanling shot Duan Shihu a sideways glance and said coldly, “I’ll take Nie Tian back first, but you’d better guard this teleportation portal well while I’m gone. If anyone from the Divine Seal Sect or the Golden Vast Sect, or any outsiders enter the Domain of the Falling Stars through it, I’ll destroy the teleportation portal on the other side to cut off our connection!”

Duan Shihu’s expression flickered slightly as he said nervously, “I will.” 

“Rest assured, senior,” Jing Rou chimed in. “We won’t allow anyone to enter it while you’re gone.” 

Zhao Shanling nodded, looking satisfied. Only then did he enter the spell formation with Nie Tian.

Immediately afterwards, the spell formation was activated.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

In the dazzling light, Nie Tian and Zhao Shanling’s figures gradually grew blurry, and then vanished into thin air.

In the Realm of Split Void...

Nie Tian and Zhao Shanling appeared in the teleportation portal beside the grand palace, the gate to which only Nie Tian could open.

Li Langfeng was sitting not far from the portal.

He sprang to his feet upon seeing them, his expression flickering. “Nie Tian! You’re finally back!”

Nie Tian was happy to see Li Langfeng as well. With a hearty smile, he asked, “How’s the situation in the Domain of the Falling Stars?”

“Not much has changed since you left,” Li Langfeng said in a respectful manner. “Not so long ago, Mr. Hua Mu, Zong Zheng from the Ice Pavilion Sect, and Qi Bailu from the Tool Sect returned through this very teleportation portal. Just a few days ago, he sent people over to ask me about your whereabouts. In fact, soon after their return, they decided to go back to the Realm of Maelstrom through this teleportation portal. However, they tried many times, but the spell formation just wouldn’t activate. So they told me to inform them as soon as I receive word of your current situation.”

“I see,” Nie Tian said.

He had wondered why Zong Zheng, Hua Mu, and the others had vanished after returning to the Domain of the Falling Stars.

However, Zhao Shanling’s previous explanation and Li Langfeng’s words made him understand that it wasn’t that they didn’t want to come to his aid, but they simply couldn’t.

“What about Fan Kai and Zhao Luofeng? They should be back by now, right?” Nie Tian asked.

Li Langfeng shook his head. “No, they’re not. Mr. Hua asked me about them too, but they haven’t shown up till now. And they haven’t returned through the teleportation portal the Lei Clan set up.”

Nie Tian frowned. “How is that possible?” 

Duan Shihu had long since arranged for Fan Kai and the others from the Heaven Palace Sect to teleport to a realm that was the closest to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries through the Golden Vast Sect’s teleportation portal, the same way Patriarch Pure Heaven and his people had returned to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.

Judging by the time, they should have been back long ago, if there hadn’t been any mishaps.

“Could it be that something happened to them when they were on their way to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries?” Nie Tian pondered briefly before asking, “Did you talk to the Lei Clan lately? Did Yue Yanxi and Patriarch Pure Heaven return to the Divine Flame Sect?”

“Yue Yanxi has long since returned to the Divine Flame Sect,” Li Langfeng said. “He even told the Lei Clan to inform them as soon as they received word of you.”

Zhao Shanling was also taken aback. “Yue Yanxi has long since returned to the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, but Fan Kai and Zhao Luofeng haven’t?” 

However, he rapidly recovered, and said to Nie Tian, “I’m not going to make any changes to the spell formation of this teleportation portal just yet. I’ll stay in the Domain of the Falling Stars for a little while to gather the spiritual materials I need to forge the tools I’ll use to kill Xing Lifeng.

“Once I’m finished, I’ll come back here to find you, and we’ll return to the Realm of Maelstrom together.

“In the meantime, you should have people guard the teleportation portal. If outsiders or people from the Domain of Heaven Python come through it, slay the arrivals and destroy the teleportation portal.”

With these words, Zhao Shanling opened a spatial rift and vanished into it.