In a hall in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.

After arriving in Tao Jin’s company, Nie Tian discovered to his surprise that all four elders, including Wei Lai, Yan Zhan, Wei Qing, and Zu Guangyao, were all waiting for him.

The Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had a total of twelve elders. Normally speaking, they would keep four elders in Fragmentary Star City at all times.

The other elders would be given other important tasks.

The two vice sectmasters and the sectmaster usually spent most of their time traveling around. They would only return to their headquarters if they were summoned for urgent business.

Aside from the four elders, there was also a middle Saint domain old woman, who was exuding a flame aura.

Wei Lai made an introduction. “Nie Tian, this is Zhu Yun, our sect’s best equipment forger.”

Nie Tian hastily bowed in a respectful manner.

Even facing a Son of the Stars, Zhu Yun seemed rather haughty, as she only nodded slightly.

“I heard that you obtained a bone while exploring a new domain with a Divine Son and a Divine Daughter of the Five Elements Sect,” Zhu Yun said with an expressionless face. “Let me take a look at it.”

Wei Lai nodded slightly towards Nie Tian.

Without giving it any thought, Nie Tian put the bone that was more than ten meters long into Zhu Yun’s hands.

Zhu Yun was wearing semi-transparent silver gloves.

As soon as the thin bone with pointy ends touched her hands, countless fine rays of light appeared in the gloves and vanished into the bone in a flash.

Wei Lai and the other elders, who were standing to the side, all moved closer to examine the bone with blazing eyes.

After the light flew into the bone, it seemed to activate the blood-colored patterns. The Bloodline Crystal Chains in the deepest parts of the bone suddenly burst forth with dazzling light as a frenzied, bloodthirsty aura spread from within it, causing everyone present to shudder slightly.

Zhu Yun’s eyes lit up as she suddenly grew excited. “This is the bone of a Star Behemoth! And apparently, this Star Behemoth branded all of its bloodline mysteries within this bone before it died.”

Nie Tian was shocked. “A Star Behemoth?” 

After he had described the images that had entered his mind to Huang Jinnan and Lou Hongyan, they had only been able to tell that it might have belonged to an unidentified species from the Primal Era.

However, neither of them had been able to determine its actual origin.

Yang Fan was at the late Saint domain. Even he had said that it didn’t belong to any species that he knew of after spending quite a while studying it.

This old woman, however, determined the what the bone belonged to at first sight, which surprised Nie Tian deeply.

With a serious face, Wei Lai explained to Nie Tian, “Star Behemoths lived in the Primal Era. They’re probably the most ancient species there is. Compared to the other three great human powers, our understanding of them is probably the deepest. Star Behemoths were the overlords of the Primal Era. They lived in the depths of the starry river, and were born with the ability to travel across the starry river by themselves.”

“Since this bone is branded with the bloodline mysteries of a Star Behemoth...” With these words, Zhu Yun’s expression suddenly flickered. “I can’t believe there’s still vigorous life power flowing within it! This means, given enough time and more life power, it might actually have a chance at regeneration!”

Nie Tian was taken aback. “Regeneration?!” 

“Exactly,” Zhu Yun said. “When life force builds up to a certain point, the Bloodline Crystal Chains within it will allow this bone to regenerate flesh, internal organs, and other bones, eventually regenerating this Star Behemoth. But that’s a worry for another day. Who knows how many years it’ll take to eventually regenerate?

“Unlike other outsiders, the preconditions of their regeneration are so rigorous that they’re next to impossible.

“Most tenth grade outsider grand monarchs can regenerate themselves with a drop of their Blood Essence. But Star Behemoths were far larger in size. Their flesh power was as immense as the sea. Regenerating them is even harder than climbing the clouds.” (idiom: extremely difficult) Zhu Yun calmed down and continued, “Part of the reason why they gradually died out at the end of Primal Era was because they were far too enormous, and the resources they needed were so great that the domains they lived in couldn’t even sustain them.

“Any realm that was full of vitality would be reduced to a dead realm soon after they got to it. Failing to find fresh realms to devour, they either died or entered long-term dormancy.”

Nie Tian went blank briefly before asking, “Are there still any Star Behemoths in this starry river now?”

“There are,” Wei Lai said, smiling.

A flash of lightning exploded within Nie Tian’s mind as he suddenly remembered the mysterious dimension he had visited years ago through the spatial rifts in the Realm of Split Void.

It consisted of two parallel continents.

Demons, Phantasms, Fiends, Floragrims, and other powerful outsiders had once lived on the top continent, while the bottom continent used to be home to enormous creatures such as Ancientbeasts.

An ultimate war had broken out between the two continents.

As a result, the outsider alliance had been defeated and forced to leave their home, as the top continent had fallen apart and become numerous floating lands that drifted around.

On the bottom continent, he had been to an island surrounded by a black sea, where he had communicated with a mysterious soul awareness that seemed to have come from the depths of the black sea.

That soul awareness had told him that it had some sort of agreement with the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace...

“Elder Wei, I accidentally entered a mysterious dimension through a spatial rift in the Realm of Split Void years ago,” Nie Tian said with a thoughtful expression. “It was made up of two parallel continents. On the bottom continent, I received help from and had a brief communication with an ancient awareness.

“It told me that it had some kind of agreement with the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.”

After hearing Nie Tian’s words, the four elders in the hall exchanged a glance, meaningful expressions appearing on their faces.

Wei Lai nodded and said with a faint smile, “Hmm. I didn’t know that you’d been there. It’s exactly what you’re thinking. In the depths of that black sea resides a Star Behemoth, and it has made a deal with our sect.”

Nie Tian gasped with astonishment. “It was a living Star Behemoth?!”

“Yes, it’s alive, but it’s usually dormant and won’t move around.” Wei Lai’s expression suddenly grew stern. “But this is top secret. You can’t tell anyone about it.”

“I understand,” Nie Tian said.

Then, Wei Lai turned to Zhu Yun and said, “Why don’t you run some tests on this bone to determine if you can forge it into an Immortal grade artifact weapon?”

Zhu Yun nodded and left with the bone.

Wei Lai pondered for a moment before saying, “I want to have a few words with Nie Tian.”

The other three elders then walked out of the spacious hall as well.

Then, Wei Lai asked, “What’s your relationship with that Pei Qiqi, who’s also from the Domain of the Falling Stars?” 

Instead of answering, Nie Tian asked a series of questions. “Senior Martial Sister Pei? Why do you ask? Is she okay?” 

“She’s fine,” Wei Lai said. “The sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society found her and took her back to their sect. Like you, she’s also a hybrid. Her bloodline carries the profound truths of spatial power. Now that she has gained a Heaven Nourished grade spatial treasure, the sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society has decided to take her in as a legacy disciple.

“Not many people know about this, even among disciples of the Void Spirit Society.”

“What about Zhao Shanling then?” Nie Tian asked. “Did they find him too?”

“Zhao Shanling turned down the Void Spirit Society’s offer and vanished,” Wei Lai said. “The sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society wasn’t as interested in him. Zhao Shanling’s only connection with the Void Spirit Society is that Voidspirit Pagoda. Neither his cultivation talent nor his potential match Pei Qiqi’s. The sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society didn’t even feel the need to get into a fight with him, so he just let him be.”

Nie Tian felt genuinely happy for Pei Qiqi. “I can’t believe my senior martial sister has already become a legacy disciple of the sectmaster of the Void Spirit Society. This is exciting news.” 

A complicated expression appeared on Wei Lai’s face as he fixed his eyes on Nie Tian. “But unlike you, your senior martial sister has focused on spatial power. Adding in the fact that her bloodline carries the profound truths of spatial power, I’m afraid no one throughout the Void Spirit Society can match her potential. As far as I know, she entered the Soul realm soon after joining the Void Spirit Society, and her cultivation is progressing rapidly with each passing day.” 

“My senior martial sister and I went through thick and thin together. We’re very close.” Nie Tian finally answered Wei Lai’s question.

“That’s for the best,” Wei Lai said. “Perhaps she’ll be of great help when you compete for the position of Lord of the Stars in the future.”

Afterwards, Wei Lai told Nie Tian that Zhu Yun would go find him after she finished examining that bone from a Star Behemoth.

The results of her examination would be recorded in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s knowledge vault. Nie Tian would also be rewarded with a fitting amount of contribution points.

“Alright, you may go back and resume cultivation now. Our sect may have a task for you soon, so be prepared.”

“Okay.”

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