Chapter 1458: Stranded
In the Domain of Heaven Span.
Controlling the floating continent, the Ripper Behemoth instinctively chased after the powerful outsiders and Ancientspirits, and managed to kill many of them.
Not many Ancientspirits and outsiders had died during their battles against the humans in the Domain of Heaven Span. However, a large number of them ended up being devoured by the Ripper Behemoth.
Gradually, the Ripper Behemoth couldn’t locate any new sources of flesh power that interested it anymore.
It grew more and more famished.
Every time it awakened, it would take control of the floating continent with its flesh aura sea and conduct a session of frenzied feeding.
This time, it had already devoured two outsider grand monarchs, more than a dozen grand patriarchs, and numerous Ancientspirits, yet it was far from being full.
The flesh power it had obtained from them couldn’t meet its need, which led to the awakening of another instinct: devouring realms.
This would spur it to destroy realms, devour the spiritual energy of heaven and earth they contained, and convert it into the power it needed.
Now, it gradually lost its sanity.
The Realm of Common Heaven had been a resourceful realm that belonged to Shang Li.
However, during Pei Qiqi’s battle against Grand Monarch Remote Demon, she had severed a fourth of its land with her Space Boundaries Crystal.
All of Shang Li’s loyal followers that had lived there had long since evacuated.
Now, the floating continent reached the Realm of Common Heaven.
The Ripper Behemoth’s bellow rumbled from the floating continent as a sea of rolling gray mist spread towards the Realm of Common Heaven.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
The spiritual energy that filled every corner of the Realm of Common Heaven was rapidly devoured.
Lands shook and mountains were rocked in every part of the realm.
Due to the drastic loss of energy, mountains toppled, lakes ran dry, and chasms ripped through the earth. Flowers, grass, and trees withered. Large spirit beasts reared by Shang Li’s subordinates wailed in despair before being pulled into the sea of gray mist by a mysterious power.
CRACK!
The Realm of Common Heaven snapped like a cookie.
Pieces of it drifted into the distant starry river.
It wasn’t long before the Realm of Common Heaven, which Chu Yuan had assigned to Shang Li, was drained of its spiritual energy and life force, and all its spirit beasts sucked into the floating continent with the sea of gray mist.
Then, the floating continent slowly flew away from the Realm of Common Heaven, which was now nothing but broken lifeless pieces that drifted in the starry river.
...
In the headquarters of the Heaven Span Pavilion.
Fan Tianze, Chu Rui, Ye Wenhan, and many others frowned in worry after hearing the latest news.
“The... the Realm of Common Heaven was...” One of Shang Li’s subordinates said haltingly, as if he was going to complain.
“Enough,” Fan Tianze said coldly. He waved his hand at the man. “You may leave now. Tell Shang Li that we’ve been informed of the destruction of the Realm of Common Heaven, and tell him not to act rashly before we make our decision.”
“Yes, patriarch.” The man left obediently.
Powerful experts from the four great sects gathered in the great hall, along with Divine Sons and Daughters and Sons of the Stars like Dou Tianchen.
“Where’s Xuan Guangyu?” Chu Rui asked.
Ji Yuanquan, who was also from the Void Spirit Society, smiled bitterly and said, “I don’t know. I thought he would come here after retreating from the floating continent, but clearly, he didn’t. I asked our sect elders, and they said he didn’t return to our sect either. He seems to have disappeared with Shangguan Zhi, Duan Hongwen, and Song Chequan.”
“He did this!” Fan Tianze spat. “Sure, the Ancientspirits and outsider grand monarchs suffered a heavy blow, but so what? Now, all of the Ancientspirit and outsider invaders have pulled out of the Domain of Heaven Span.
“Driven mad by hunger, the Ripper Behemoth has activated another instinct that was branded in its bloodline, and started draining realms of their energy to ease its sense of hunger.
“Who’s going to stop it now?”
The crowd of human experts in the great hall fell silent.
Perhaps they would have harbored the hope of defeating the Ripper Behemoth before witnessing its devastating power. However, now that they had seen it single-handedly crush the invading Ancientspirits and outsiders, they didn’t dare to think that anymore.
Ye Wenhan let out a sigh and said, “I remember that the mere aura of a dead Star Behemoth plunged many races into senseless killing in the Shatter Battlefield. What we’re facing now is a living Star Behemoth... that has entered a frenzied state.”
“Do we abandon the Domain of Heaven Span?” Chu Rui suggested.
“It’s the foundation of our sect we’re talking about!” Ye Wenhan said with determination. “If our sectmaster returns only to find that the Domain of Heaven Span is gone, all of its realms devoured by the Ripper Behemoth, then we...”
“But what if we can’t fend off the Ripper Behemoth?” Ji Yuanquan said with a helpless look on his face.
Fan Tianze’s eyebrows suddenly rose as he asked, “Where’s Nie Tian now? He seems to know how to communicate with that Ripper Behemoth. He hasn’t shown up again since we retreated from the floating continent. Where did he go?”
“It appears that he went to the Seven Stars Realm Sea,” Ye Wenhan answered.
“Go find him, and Pei Qiqi too. See if they have a solution.” Fan Tianze, who was at his wits’ end, finally thought of Nie Tian. “And his mysterious master, Wu Ji. Perhaps he has the answer we need.”
“Wu Ji!” Chu Rui exclaimed.
When Gupi had devastated human domains and made all the experts bite their nails for a solution, it was Wu Ji who had come to their rescue. The river of time had appeared out of nowhere and swept Gupi away.
“Perhaps he does!”
...
In front of the Nether River in the unknown part of the starry river.
“The Four Manifestations Heaven-burning Formation?” Nie Tian laughed and shook his head. “Pang Chicheng, do you think this is the Realm of Fire Spirit? As powerful as the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron is, its might will be greatly reduced once it leaves the Realm of Fire Spirit! You want to use it to reproduce the might of the Four Manifestations Heaven-burning Formation here? Quit dreaming!”
FIZZ!
The Star Behemoth bone suddenly grew longer, like a crimson divine spear.
“Go!”
Like a red lightning bolt, it shot towards the volcano transformed from Pang Chicheng’s dharma idol.
At the same time, the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron burst forth with blinding divine light.
A flame qilin, a flame dragon, a flame phoenix, and a vermilion bird manifested on the four sides of the enormous cauldron simultaneously. Each and every one of them emanated a tremendous amount of light and heat, like gods of fire.
Upon their manifestation, a holy aura that could burn the heavens and destroy the earth came to form.
BOOM!
The crimson bone Nie Tian had cast forward was instantly intercepted by a sea of flames conjured by the volcano and the Four Manifestations Heaven-burning Formation.
However, the bone wasn’t frustrated. Instead, it inched forward.
“Bloodline: Blood Essence Seething!”
Drop after drop of Nie Tian’s Blood Essence was ignited, and started burning violently.
“Life Erosion!”
Another bloodline talent of Nie Tian’s was activated with the bone as its medium.
WHOOSH!
Wisps of life aura flew out of the bone to hover around the volcano.
“Hmm?!” Pang Chicheng exclaimed in astonishment. “What a strange feeling! My lifespan seems to be slowly shortening!”
After going blank for a brief moment, he spat, “Burn!”
With a cunning laugh, he said, “Nie Tian, your bloodline is wondrous indeed. But you don’t seem to have thought things through. Are you sure that bloodline magic is going to work on me? Should I remind you that I also carry a unique bloodline?
“You and I are both hybrids. You should understand how long my lifespan is!”
BOOM! RUMBLE!
Fluctuations that seemed to be caused by a volcanic eruption came from Pang Chicheng’s heart as his lava-related bloodline suddenly burst forth.
Like boiling lava, his flesh aura fused into the volcano transformed from his dharma idol, magnifying the might of the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron.
Pang Chicheng let out a cold snort and continued, “You’re right. I can only display the might of the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron to the fullest in the Realm of Fire Spirit. But you’ve got to know that when we met in the Realm of Fire Spirit, I hadn’t entered the God domain or gained the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron’s acknowledgement!
“Even though this isn’t the Realm of Fire Spirit, I’m at the God domain now, and I’ve gained full control of the Four Manifestations Flame Soul Cauldron. The damage I can cause you now is bound to be much greater than that time!”
“Life Erosion doesn’t fare well with him indeed.” Nie Tian quickly opened his eyes to the truth and switched to another bloodline magic. “Lifeblood Wheel!”