Chapter 1338: Isolation
“Let’s split up and do this!”
With the help of the disciples and elders of the fire element sect that hadn’t been incited to defection by Pang Chicheng, Peng Yan and the Divine Sons and Daughters went into action without delay.
First, they had to regain control of the teleportation portals that connected the Realm of Fire Spirit to the outside world.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
One after another, they left Nie Tian’s side and flew off in different directions.
Soon, Nie Tian became the only one left at this volcano where Pang Chicheng was holing up and making his attempt to enter the God domain.
He summoned the Star Boat and sat down on it, looking rather exhausted.
At this moment, the five evil gods returned to the Spirit Pearl from different directions.
As the Spirit Pearl flew to him, he put out his hand, then it flew into his palm and vanished into his ring of holding.
With the Star Boat floating right over the mouth of the volcano, Nie Tian gazed down.
As a cultivator who also practiced fire incantations and had a flame power spiritual core, he could sense that pure flame power was converging on this location from every part of the Realm of Fire Spirit.
After being refined to the limit, some of the flame power fused into the volcano in the form of fiery sparks that were visible to the naked eye.
Nie Tian could see that the tremendous amount of flame power was making the volcano increasingly solid, and the numerous fiery spell formations on its rocky inside increasingly powerful.
“Before, the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron in the underground palace channeled flame power from other realms through that curious spatial spell formation, so that the Realm of Fire Spirit would have a continuous supply of flame power, and every part of the realm would be ideal cultivation locations for those who practice flame incantations. Also for that reason, the lava and earthflame in the depths of the earth would grow more and more raging.
“But now, the mechanism has reversed.
“Wisp after wisp of flame power is being channeled to this lava lake from every corner of the Realm of Fire Spirit, as well as other fiery realms.
“The Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron is playing a crucial role in this. It’s making all this happen. Its duty is Pang Bo’s dying wish, which is to help Pang Chicheng enter the God domain.
“Once he enters the God domain, he’ll gain control of this Immortal grade divine tool, and he’ll be able to manipulate the Realm of Fire Spirit with it.”
A train of thought entered Nie Tian’s mind as he sorted things through. After that, he prepared to leave through teleportation portals to get God domain experts to come help them frustrate Pang Chicheng’s breakthrough.
FIZZ!
All of a sudden, he noticed that a streak of blazing fire shot across the heavens of the Realm of Fire Spirit.
A figure enveloped in golden light attempted to penetrate the grand spell formation in the realm barrier, but failed.
The grand fiery spell formation seemed to be stopping him from entering.
He knew that when Shao Tianyang had left, he had activated the grand spell formation in the realm barrier so that those who were unwanted wouldn’t be able to enter the Realm of Fire Spirit while he was away.
Even though that grand spell formation was weaker than the Nine Star Heavens of the Realm of Fragmentary Star, it should still be among the most powerful.
Because of this, the sectmaster of the Nether Spirit Society, Yuan Jiuchuan, and the others had had to enter the Realm of Fire Spirit through teleportation portals with Fu Huan’s help.
The purpose of that grand spell formation was to protect the Realm of Fire Spirit from strangers.
However, that figure enveloped in golden light was clearly a Saint domain expert who practiced metal power, probably a member of the metal element sect. How come the grand spell formation was keeping him out?
With this question in mind, he couldn’t help but gaze into the heavens with rapt attention.
Then, he realized that more and more experts that practiced metal power, wood power, earth power, and water power arrived.
He even spotted Pu Yangbai among them!
However, even he, who had left the Realm of Fire Spirit to inform the other sects, was kept out by the grand spell formation!
WHOOSH!
Elder Peng Yan flew over from the distance, looking grim.
“Strange changes have happened to the Four Manifestations Heaven-sealing Formation. It’s keeping everyone out now.” With these words, he looked down at the boiling lava lake, as if he hoped to see into the underground palace at that Immortal grade divine tool. “The spell formation Pang Chicheng used to deal with you earlier was called the Four Manifestations Heaven-burning Formation, which is used to refine living beings.
“The realm-protecting spell formation that has been built into the realm barrier is called the Four Manifestations Heaven-sealing Formation.
“When it’s activated, those who have its permission can still enter and exit the realm freely. For example, the disciples of the fire element sect, Divine Sons and Daughters of the other four sects, and other experts who had Sectmaster Shao’s permission, will still be able to enter the Realm of Fire Spirit after the grand spell formation is activated.
“But now...”
At this moment, Nie Tian said, “No one, even including Pu Yangbai, can enter through it now, right?”
Peng Yan took a deep breath and sighed. “That’s not all. Even the teleportation portals in the Realm of Fire Spirit have stopped working, isolating us from the outside world. Many spell formations are actually intact and undamaged. The only reason why they can’t operate is because the Four Manifestations Heaven-sealing Formation is stopping them!”
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
As they spoke, Hou Chulan, Huang Jinnan, Lou Hongyan, and Lin Yaoyao returned, along with a few exhausted disciples of the fire element sect who were covered in blood.
“The Four Manifestations Heaven-sealing Formation has been reversed. It’s sealed heaven and earth and tempered with the spatial fluctuations.” With these words, Hou Chulan looked down at the lava lake. “Under such circumstances, even Xuan Guangyu of the Void Spirit Society won’t be able to split open spatial rifts and enter this realm, much less Ji Yuanquan. I suppose only Qu Yi, the sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society, may be able to split the void open with his Void Mirror and get in here.”
“If Qu Yi were available, my master would be too,” Lou Hongyan said.
Everyone had bitter expressions on their faces as they discussed among themselves.
Nie Tian listened for a while, and learned that the great changes in the Four Manifestations Heaven-burning Formation had completely sealed the Realm of Fire Spirit.
“Isn’t the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron doing everything it can to make sure that Pang Chicheng enters the God domain smoothly?” Lou Hongyan said with bitter envy in her tone. “No wonder my master still hasn’t introduced me to it even though I’ve been the Divine Daughter of the fire element sect for a long time.”
The Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron could be viewed as the soul of every grand spell formation in the Realm of Fire Spirit.
Shao Tianyang had mentioned this to her, as had other elders of the sect.
As the Divine Daughter, she should have gained the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron’s acknowledgment and the opportunity to communicate with it long ago.
After all, when Shao Tianyang had died, normally speaking, she would be the one to take his place, and shoulder the responsibility to communicate and work with the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron.
However, she hadn’t had a chance to have any soul communication with the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron.
Only at this point did she realize that the cauldron had been waiting for someone.
However, she wasn’t that someone.
“Nie Tian, I’m afraid your plan to ask God domain experts to come from other realms to frustrate Pang Chicheng’s breakthrough into the God domain is not going to work,” Huang Jinnan said. After a moment of hesitation, he added, “You were able to enter that underground palace earlier. You saw the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron in there, right?”
The others’ eyes lit up as soon as they heard these words.
They all fixed their gazes on Nie Tian.
Nie Tian nodded. “I sure did. It was the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron that attracted the Flame Dragon Armor with the aura of another flame dragon, and lured it down there. And since I’m the owner of the Flame Dragon Armor and there’s something unique about me, it treated me differently, and pulled me into the underground palace.”
“So if it thinks you’re so special, did you two communicate?” Peng Yan asked, looking spirited. “Can you tell it that Pang Chicheng has betrayed the fire element sect, and that Sectmaster Shao ordered that he should never be allowed to return?
“Tell it that it should stop helping him advance to the God domain!”
The Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron was behind all of the great changes in the Realm of Fire Spirit. If it hadn’t made these changes, the teleportation portals would have still been operable, and God domain experts would have been able to come and put a stop to Pang Chicheng’s breakthrough into the God domain.
“Tell it to disobey the dying wish of its master?” Nie Tian shook his head. “That’s impossible. I communicated with it. Pang Bo is the only master he acknowledges. As far as it’s concerned, Shao Tianyang is only a transitional sectmaster of the fire element sect. It doesn’t concern itself with what’s good and what’s evil.
“All it knows is to obey Pang Bo’s order, which is to help Pang Chicheng enter the God domain, and then accept him as its new master.
“It doesn’t matter how many crimes Pang Chicheng has committed. Nothing will sway it.”
Nie Tian answered with decisiveness that could sever nails and chop iron, eliminating Peng Yan, Lou Hongyan, and the others’ hope to solve this through communication.
“So... all we can do is watch him enter the God domain?” Lin Yaoyao asked timidly, “If that man really enters the God domain and gains control of the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron while our masters and martial uncles are still away, he...”