Nie Tian’s expression flickered. “Elder Yan Zhan went to the Domain of the Falling Stars?! And he was there to investigate my birth?”

Huang Jinnan nodded. “It might have something to do with your uniqueness.”

Eyebrows furrowed, Nie Tian asked, “What do you mean?” 

With a serious expression, Huang Jinnan answered, “There are far too few hybrids. Very few people know the secret methods of mixing outsider bloodlines with human ones. Right now, the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, the Five Elements Sect, the Void Spirit Society, and the Heaven Span Pavilion are the only human sects that have been making such experiments in secret. Many other sects have also made attempts, but none of them have ever succeeded.

“Even we four ancient sects haven’t developed a reliable method of stealing outsider bloodlines yet after thousands of years of research.

“Even our blood-mixing attempts have rarely succeeded.”

Nie Tian was taken aback.

In a low voice, Huang Jinnan continued, “Most of the hybrids from our experiments died soon after birth. Those who survived usually had cultivation talents that were even lower than regular humans. They would struggle while cultivating with human incantations, and at the same time, have trouble upgrading their outsider bloodlines.

“It was as difficult as climbing the heavens to merge the merits of both human and outsider bloodlines.

“You, however, turned out to be a blood-mixing success, and you came from a remote corner like the Domain of the Falling Stars. How can the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace not be shocked?”

Huang Jinnan’s explanation suddenly made Nie Tian realize that Wei Lai and the other elders must have long since noticed his unique bloodline.

Even though they hadn’t pointed it out to him, they had actually attached great importance to the matter, and had secretly arranged for Yan Zhan to investigate everything about him.

“As far as I know, the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace has never gone through so much trouble to investigate the origins of their Sons of the Stars before you, no matter where they had been born or what they had done,” Huang Jinnan continued. “The fact that Yan Zhan did this must have a great deal to do with you being a hybrid.”

Nie Tian pondered for a while before saying, “I got my special bloodline from my father, who I’ve never met.  I don’t know anything about him. I don’t know who he is, what his name is, or why he showed up in the Domain of the Falling Stars. And he vanished for good after his very brief stay there. In fact, part of the reason I was eager to come to the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace was because I wanted to find out who he was.”

Even though he had learned from Wu Ji that his mother might still be alive and have left with his father, he decided to not tell Huang Jinnan about it.

“It seems that your father is where the problem is,” Huang Jinnan said, looking somewhat worried. “I hope there isn’t anything unfavorable with his identity. Otherwise, if your grand elder finds something wrong with the origin of your bloodline after running a comprehensive examination on you, you...”

“What?” Nie Tian asked, looking worried as well.

Face grim, Huang Jinnan explained, “If there’s a problem with your father’s bloodline, then it’ll mean there’s a problem with you. The Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace attaches great importance to their Sons of the Stars. They’ll most likely get rid of Sons of the Stars with questionable origins. If they’re merciful, they may just deprive them of their fragmentary star marks and remove their titles as Sons of the Stars; if they aren’t, they may kill them right away.”

A cold feeling suddenly rose in Nie Tian’s heart.

Huang Jinnan’s words alarmed him, and made him realize that the uniqueness of his bloodline might actually stand in the way of him fusing into the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace as a Son of the Stars.

If things went south, he might actually die here instead.

Then, Huang Jinnan went on and told him about the situation in the Domain of Heaven Python. According to him, the outsiders suspected that someone from the Domain of Heaven Python had taken that Heaven Nourished grade spiritual material they had discovered in the Shatter Battlefield.

Aside from plundering valuables, another reason for their mass invasion of the Domain of Heaven Python was because they hadn’t wanted that Heaven Nourished grade treasure to end up in the hands of the Void Spirit Society.

That treasure contained profound spatial power. Once the Void Spirit Society had it, they would be able to forge an Immortal grade divine tool with it.

Just recently, the Void Spirit Society had learned about it, and sent powerful experts to the Domain of Heaven Python.

Wei Lai from the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had communicated with the Void Spirit Society, informing them that the Domain of Heaven Python, where the Divine Seal Sect was located, had become a subordinate domain of the newest Son of the Stars.

Since the Void Spirit Society didn’t have any interest in the Domain of Heaven Python in the first place, they reached a mutual understanding with Wei Lai, and promised that they would back out of the Domain of Heaven Python as soon as they found that Heaven Nourished grade spiritual material.

They had also promised to help drive the outsiders away.

Various expressions flashed across Nie Tian’s face as he muttered to himself, “Heaven Nourished grade spiritual material...”

Of course, he knew that Heaven Nourished grade spiritual material had probably already fused with Pei Qiqi.

If Pei Qiqi was exposed, both the outsiders and the Void Spirit Society might target her simultaneously.

He couldn’t help but start worrying about her safety.

At this moment, Tao Jin’s exclamation suddenly echoed out from outside the courtyard. “Nie Tian!” 

Nie Tian then ended his conversation with Huang Jinnan and walked out of the courtyard. Upon seeing him, Tao Jin said with a grim face, “The grand elder is back.”

Nie Tian was taken aback.

Huang Jinnan nodded at him. “Go ahead. You’ll only know the results after your grand elder runs those tests on you. I’ll stay here for a couple more days, and then leave the Realm of Fragmentary Star after the results are out. Those results will determine whether you’ll keep your status as the seventh Son of the Stars of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.”

Nie Tian nodded, and left with Tao Jin.

In a secret hall of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace in Fragmentary Star City...

Wei Lai was standing beside an old man, whose appearance seemed as warm and gentle as a piece of jade.

Mo Heng was his name. He was none other than the grand elder of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace, whose cultivation base was at the early God domain.

His status in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace was second only to that of the sectmaster and the two vice sectmasters.

Whenever they weren’t around, he would be in total control of the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.

At this moment, he was standing there listening to Yan Zhan.

Yan Zhan was giving him a detailed report of what he had learned about Nie Tian in the Domain of the Falling Stars, not leaving out a single piece of information.

Mo Heng didn’t say a word during the whole time Yan Zhan spoke, nor did his expression change in the slightest.

In contrast, Wei Lai, Xin Qing, and Zu Guangyao gasped from time to time as they heard surprising things about Nie Tian.

After quite a while, Yan Zhan brought out everything he had learned about Nie Tian, and thus came to a stop.

The other elders also fell silent, and turned to look at Mo Heng.

Mo Heng broke the silence. “So his unidentified father is the origin of his special bloodline. It’s quite strange that you traveled across the Domain of the Falling Stars, but still failed to find any information about that man in anyone’s memory.”

Yan Zhan nodded. “That’s strange indeed.”

“If we don’t know his name or what he looks like, then there’s nothing we can do to investigate him,” Mo Heng said with an expressionless face. “From the look of it, we can only try to find answers to our questions from Nie Tian.”

Just as he said these words, Tao Jin reported outside the hall, saying that Nie Tian was here.

In a gentle voice, Mo Heng said, “Tell him to come in.”

Tao Jin answered, “As you wish.”

Moments later, Nie Tian walked into the spacious hall by himself.

“Nie Tian, this is the grand elder of our sect, Mo Heng.” Wei Lai gave him a brief introduction.

Nie Tian bowed respectfully. “Greetings, grand elder.”

Mo Heng nodded and asked without mincing words, “You carry an outsider bloodline. What grade is it at?”

“The sixth grade.” Nie Tian had long since been prepared for this. He knew that these figures, who had abilities that were beyond his imagination, would see right through him. Therefore, there would be no point for him to hide the truth.

Furthermore, he also wanted to find out himself who his father was, and where he was from.

As one of the most ancient human powers, the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace might be able to give him an answer if he cooperated.

Mo Heng seemed somewhat surprised. “The sixth grade… Your bloodline grade matches your cultivation base. Very good. I suppose you’re able to condense Blood Essence now, right?”

“Yes, I have ten drops of Blood Essence in my heart,” Nie Tian answered.

Mo Heng’s eyes widened slightly. “If that’s the case, all I need is a drop of your Blood Essence, and I’ll be able to tell the origin of your bloodline.”

“Okay.” Without any hesitation, Nie Tian separated a drop of Blood Essence from his heart.

Like a blood diamond, it unleashed an extremely pure life aura as soon as it flew out of his heart.

Mo Heng’s expression flickered slightly as he immediately took out a vessel and secured that drop of Blood Essence.

Then, he lifted his hand. “You may go wait outside now.”

Nie Tian as he was told, and walked out of the spacious hall.

He saw that Tao Jin was waiting outside the hall in silence.

The moment he walked through the huge gate, an unknown force sealed the hall, cutting off all sound and soul detection.

There was no way for Nie Tian to know how Mo Heng and the elders would examine that drop of his Blood Essence.

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