“They still haven’t returned,” Qi Lianshan said with a deep frown, concerned about Pei Qiqi’s safety.

“Can you sense the existence of that teleportation portal, Elder Qi?” Lou Hongyan asked.

“No, I can’t,” Qi Lianshan said with a bitter smile. “Unlike me, Miss Pei holds that spatial treasure she obtained from the Shatter Battlefield. With its help, she can shrewdly sense and locate any teleportation portal or spatial rift in her surroundings.

“Also, with that treasure, she should be able to crush all sorts of teleportation portals without effort.

“They’ve been gone for a long time. They should have been back now if there weren’t any mishaps.”

Yang Fan’s expression flickered slightly. “Don’t tell me that there are outsiders garrisoned at that teleportation portal.”

“Even if there were, given Miss Pei’s profound means, it should be an easy thing for her to come back with Nie Tian,” Qi Lianshan said, his face very grim.

Lou Hongyan pondered for a while before issuing an order, “Let’s spread out to conduct a thorough search in the vicinity. Once we find Miss Pei and Nie Tian, provide them with our full support!”

Qi Lianshan clasped his hands. “Many thanks.”

Lou Hongyan nodded. “You’re welcome. We’re now locusts tied to one rope. (Idiom: in the same boat) Only if we work together do we have a chance at crossing the grand monarch’s sea of flesh aura and getting out of the Domain of Nether Heaven.”

“That’s true,” Qi Lianshan chimed in.

...

Han Yu suddenly grew excited. “You’re both hybrids?! The history of humans breeding hybrids is still rather short. As far as I know, not a single hybrid they have manufactured showed exceptional talent or power.

“But you two are clearly hybrids, considering that your flesh power is surprisingly rich and copious!

“That means you’re not humans either!”

Han Yu laughed wildly as the sea of Demon qi caught up to and enveloped Nie Tian and Pei Qiqi.

The huge demonic flower let out sharp screeches again, floating in the middle of the rolling Demon qi.

Each and every screech came from a flower bud that looked like an eyeball.

Nie Tian examined them with his soul awareness, and sensed that all of them seemed to have their own awareness.

At the same time, the numerous independent awarenesses were interconnected in a profound way, as if they were also a whole.

NIe Tian swung the Star Behemoth bone repeatedly, chopping at the branches that reached for them one by one.

However, the severed branches would be reattached seconds after he chopped them off, as if he couldn’t cause any real damage to the demonic plant.

However, the strange aura the demonic plant released started to derange Pei Qiqi and Nie Tian’s soul power. Terrifying illusions kept entering their minds, as if they were being dragged into horrible nightmares.

Even the mysterious soul defense the Spirit Pearl had formed around them failed to ward off such a powerful soul influence.

“The seventh Son of the Stars...” Han Yu muttered in a soft voice. As he came closer and closer, the lower half of his body seemed to have merged with the stems of the demonic plant, which made him look like a monster that was half-man, half-plant.

“Speaking of which, you and I are from the same place. I was born in the Realm of Flame Heaven in the Domain of the Falling Stars too.” With these words, Han Yu wove his hands in the air, and even more branches flew towards Nie Tian and Pei Qiqi.

Meanwhile, Nie Tian continued to fuse flesh power into the Star Behemoth bone and chop at the incoming branches with it. However, upon hearing his words, he gasped with shock. “The Realm of Flame Heaven? You’re from the Realm of Flame Heaven?!”

Han Yu chuckled. “Well, have you heard of Wu Ji?”

Nie Tian was astounded. “He’s my master!”

Pei Qiqi was also dumbstruck.

“What are the chances? He used to be my master too!” Han Yu said, looking surprised as well. “So that makes you my junior martial brother. But unfortunately, I never had a chance to return to the Realm of Flame Heaven after I left. Is that old eccentric still alive?”

Nie Tian gave a cold harrumph. “Is this how you address your own master?”

Han Yu nodded, as if there was nothing wrong with it. “Why not? That’s how I addressed him before I left the Realm of Flame Heaven.”

While they spoke, not only did the bizarre plant not stop, but it even unleashed fiercer attacks on Nie Tian and Pei Qiqi with its branches.

“But don’t get me wrong,” Han Yu added, “I’m not going to let you live even though you’re my junior martial brother.”

Unlike Duan Shihu, this second disciple of Wu Ji’s didn’t even attach the slightest importance to the relationship between fellow disciples.

The flower buds that looked like the devils’ eyeballs suddenly unleashed dark demonic light while letting out ear-piercing screeches.

As soon as the light enveloped Nie Tian and Pei Qiqi, they experienced splitting headaches.

At the same time, fizzing sounds came from the Spirit Pearl that was emanating cyan light, as if it was being corroded by the demonic flower.

In the next moment, numerous branches either lashed at them like whips or pierced towards them like swords.

Standing on the Voidheaven Boat, Nie Tian and Pei Qiqi struggled to fend off the incoming branches. The situation became more and more perilous.

While Pei Qiqi couldn’t cast Void Travel or any escape magics with her soul influenced, Nie Tian could only swing the Star Behemoth bone repeatedly to sever the incoming branches, which didn’t seem to be hurting them at a fundamental level.

He continued to lose his flesh power.

“This isn’t working. If I keep doing this, it’ll only be a matter of time before I drain my flesh power completely.” With this thought, Nie Tian shot a sideways look at Pei Qiqi and said, “I’ve got to fight him at close quarters!”

Even though Han Yu had confirmed that he and Nie Tian were fellow disciples now, not only did he not show any intent to stop, but he attacked even more ruthlessly. Seeing this, Nie Tian didn’t feel the need to hold back anymore.

“Starshift!” Clutching the Star Behemoth bone, Nie Tian cast a short-range Starshift and vanished from the Voidheaven Boat.

In the next moment, he had already gone through the numerous flapping branches, and arrived in front of Han Yu.

The Demon qi was richest in this place.

Not just that, but the moment Nie Tian appeared, he felt a tremendous weight bearing down on him from all directions, as if he now had to summon dozens of times more force to move his arms or legs.

“Go!”

The Star Behemoth bone shot out of his hand towards Han Yu, whose lower body had merged with the demonic flower.

“That bone is very sharp and powerful, but too bad it can’t hurt me.” With these words, Han Yu let out a gruesome laugh, and his body suddenly became blurry, as if it was only a reflection in water.

The Star Behemoth bone pierced through and shattered the illusion without meeting any resistance.

But moments later, the demonic plants’ countless roots and flapping branches appeared again, as if nothing had happened.

Han Yu was still in the middle of the plant, smiling.

Han Yu shook his head, as if he was bored of this ‘game’. “Alright, enough playing. It’s about time I put an end to this. Eccentric Wu helped me find my path of cultivation. If he were here instead of you, I might give him a chance to leave. But as for you, even though you’re his disciple too, I’ve never met you before. So I don’t have any qualms about killing you.

“This Demon Eyes Flower ranks number one amongst the most deadly plants that grow in Demon realms.

“Judging from the power I have gained over the years, its strength should be roughly equal to that of a ninth grade Demon grand patriarch. No matter how high your talent may be, the two of you can’t possibly survive it.

“Despair!”

As Han Yu gave a low chuckle, clusters of purple flames suddenly flew out the eyeball-like flower buds of the enormous Demon Eyes Flower.

Thousands of clusters of purple flames rapidly filled the raging sea of Demon qi.

But immediately afterwards, the purple flames started to absorb the Demon qi at an alarming rate, like sponges absorbing water.

Seconds later, the sea of Demon qi vanished completely.

At the same time, each and every cluster of purple flames expanded vastly, emanating extremely dangerous auras.

“Farewell, my poor junior martial brother.”

With these words, Han Yu pointed forward, and thousands of clusters of purple flames engulfed Nie Tian in the blink of an eye.