Normally speaking, minor breakthroughs in cultivation wouldn’t cause fundamental changes.

However, Nie Tian was surprised by how smooth this breakthrough was. It was as if his state of mind matched his new cultivation base perfectly. Therefore, he didn’t encounter any difficulties during the whole process. As soon as the refinement of his spiritual cores reached the required level, he advanced into the middle Profound realm naturally.

Then, as a large number of spirit jades and spiritual materials of different attributes were drained of their power and cracked, Nie Tian stabilized his newly-achieved cultivation base.

After that, he walked out of his cabin. Standing on the deck, he gazed off into the distance, and was soon carried away by a curious feeling that his soul was going to leave his body, and that he was going to transcend into an immortal state.

Xie Qian and Jing Feiyang remained in their cabins.

The two of them had gleaned brand new knowledge from Nie Tian’s aura while he had been deriving enlightenment from what he had learned from the Divine Flame.

The profound knowledge regarding the changes in heaven and earth, the evolution of domains, and the truths of life seemed to have touched them deeply, allowing their understanding of these profound subjects to rise to a whole new level.

As they combined this new enlightenment with the spiritual incantations they practiced, the development of their domains benefited a great deal from it.

“Hmm?”

Two new ancient starships suddenly entered Nie Tian’s sight as he gazed off into the distance.

One of them was hanging the Golden Vast Sect’s banner, while the other was hanging the Thousandsword Mountain Sect’s banner.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

One figure after another flashed into appearance on the decks of Nie Tian’s and the Water Moon Sect’s ancient starships.

Xie Qian and Jing Feiyang also surfaced. They examined the rapidly-approaching ancient starships with surprised looks on their faces.

“Why are they here?” Jing Feiyang muttered, looking puzzled. “From the look of it, they’ve been waiting here for some time.”

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Quan Zixuan from the Thousandsword Mountain Sect and Qu Mingde from the Golden Vast Sect enveloped themselves in protective wards as they flew off their ancient starships towards Nie Tian’s.

As they did, many Void domain experts quietly appeared on the decks of their ancient starships.

Those powerful experts from the Thousandsword Mountain Sect and the Golden Vast Sect fixed their gazes on Nie Tian, a mixture of apprehension and reverence filling their faces.

Nie Tian was taken aback. “You...”

Quan Zixuan and Qu Mingde came to a stop a few dozen meters from him. Floating in the void, they bowed slightly towards Nie Tian, and said, “Greetings, seventh Son of the Stars.”

Their attitude was completely different from the last time they had met in the Divine Seal Sect’s palace in the Realm of Maelstrom.

Back then, they had been indifferent and discontent. They had used Pei Qiqi and Zhao Shanling as the reasons why they had to make a clean break with Nie Tian.

This time, however, they had brought their subordinates and waited here for him. After he had appeared, they had flown up to him at the first possible moment.

It didn’t matter it was their manners or their actions, they had humbled themselves in front of Nie Tian.

Jing Feiyang, Xie Qian, Duan Shihu, Jing Rou, and the others were all confused after seeing this. None of them knew what the two of them were up to.

Quan Zixuan was the first to express their intent. Sagging his head, he said, “After serious consideration, I’ve made a new decision, and the Thousandsword Mountain Sect hopes to become your subordinate sect.”

Qu Mingde chimed in, “We, the Golden Vast Sect, have made the same decision.”

As soon as the two of then finished speaking, a clamor burst out among everyone that was gathered around Nie Tian.

Just very recently, a talk among them had ended rather unpleasantly. Quan Zixuan had adopted a tough stance, and Qu Mingde had left in indignation.

Who would have thought now that Nie Tian had just crossed the border into the Domain of Heaven Python, these two had approached him to express that they had changed their minds, and that they were willing to follow him from now on?

The fact that the two of them had given in meant that no one from the Domain of Heaven Python would oppose Nie Tian anymore.

The Divine Seal Sect, the Thousandsword Mountain Sect, and the Golden Vast Sect had controlled the Domain of Heaven Python for thousands of years. Now that they had all chosen to join Nie Tian, how could the other minor sects still oppose him?

“Why?” Nie Tian asked.

Qu Mingde smiled bitterly. “To be completely honest, we learned what happened, and we’re scared.”

Looking baffled, Nie Tian asked, “You’re scared?” 

Though reluctant, Qu Mingde explained, “Patriarch Snowy Peak has already spread word to the nearby domains.” “If we had known that you had a God domain expert at your back, we wouldn’t have dared to refuse your offer in the first place. The reason we made that misjudgment was because someone with an unknown identity approached us earlier and explained the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s common practices to us in detail.

“It was also from him that we learned that Zhao Shanling offended the Void Spirit Society, which then isolated the Domain of Heaven Python in that outsider invasion.

“And it was him who told us that Pei Qiqi seemed to have gained a Heaven Nourished grade spatial treasure from the Shatter Battlefield, which attracted the outsiders’ attention to our domain.

“We learned all of this from that person.”

Nie Tian had long since suspected this. After hearing these two’s explanation, he fully understood what had happened. “It’s him again.”

It was him who had employed the White Rose and instigated Patriarch Icy Crystal to trap him in the Realm of Crystal Snow.

It was also him who had spread word that the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace had determined that he practiced three different types of power simultaneously, and that he would have a slim chance at rising to a lofty position in the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.

If he hadn’t done so many things under the table, the Thousandsword Mountain Sect and the Golden Vast Sect might have joined him long ago, and the Guan Clan, the Jian Clan, and the Chu Clan wouldn’t have stood on the fence till now.

However, now that Patriarch Snowy Peak had spread word that Nie Tian had a God domain expert at his back, his scheme had finally fallen apart.

Word had it that the God domain expert practiced flame power incantations, and had nothing to do with the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace.

Knowing that Nie Tian had such a formidable figure helping him, how would anyone from domains like the Domain of Heaven Python and the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries dare to refuse him?

The Heavenly Ice Sect from the Domain of Endless Snow was more powerful than any sect in the Domain of Heaven Python and the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries. However, after Nie Tian had entered the Domain of Endless Snow to demand his people back, eight of its realms had gone through devastating upheavals. Even the Realm of Crystal Snow had almost been destroyed.

Even Patriarch Snowy Peak had been forced to end his secluded cultivation ahead of time, go apologize to Nie Tian in person outside the Realm of Falling Snow, and offer him lavish gifts as compensation.

Seeing that even the Heavenly Ice Sect showed apprehension, the other sects naturally knew what to do.

CHING!

At this moment, a crisp sound came from within Jing Feiyang’s cuff.

Eyes narrowed, he sensed it briefly before saying with a relieved smile. “Good news, Nie Tian. I just got word from our sect that the clanmasters of the Guan Clan, the Jian Clan, and the Chu Clan from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries are all waiting for you in the Realm of Maelstrom now. They’re all ready to become your subordinate forces, just as they’ve promised.”

“The Trisword Sect from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries has also decided to join you,” Quan Zixuan said. “They’re otherwise occupied, but entrusted us to deliver their message.”

The Thousandsword Mountain Sect from the Domain of Heaven Python had a profound connection with the Trisword Sect from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries.

Xing Lifeng, a previous chosen one from the Thousandsword Mountain Sect, had offended Duan Shihu, and thus been forced to leave the Domain of Heaven Python. Immediately after that, he had become a core disciple of the Trisword Sect in the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries. This was enough evidence of the close connection between the two sects.

Now that even Quan Zixuan had caved, it was only natural that the Trisword Sect, which didn’t have a single Saint domain expert, followed suit.

Just like this, by taking a trip to the Domain of Endless Snow and bringing Fan Kai and the others back, Nie Tian had solved the problems that had troubled him deeply.

“That means, aside from Patriarch Pure Heaven from the Pure Heaven Sect, powerful experts from all the other sects from these two domains have decided to follow you,” Jing Feiyang said.

“So what did Patriarch Pure Heaven say?” Nie Tian asked.

“He hasn’t said anything yet, and the Pure Heaven Sect still remains neutral,” Jing Feiyang said. “He seems to be trying to break through into the Saint domain, and there’s a good chance that he’ll succeed. He seems to have gained something very helpful in the Shatter Battlefield, and went into secluded cultivation with confidence upon his return.

“The fact that he hasn’t come out of his secluded cultivation is probably the reason why the Pure Heaven Sect still hasn’t made their stance clear.”

Brow furrowed, Xie Qian from the Water Moon Sect said, “That old man will be a hard nut to crack. He doesn’t really care about his sect. If it weren’t for the fact that the Pure Heaven Sect helps him get his hands on a tremendous amount of cultivation resources from the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries every year, I doubt that he’d even care what happens to it.

“I’ve met him before. All he cares about is his own cultivation, not his wife nor children, and not his sect. He puts all his heart to cultivating and strengthening himself.”

Jing Feiyang nodded. “It’s indeed a bit tricky with him. Even if you threaten him with the Pure Heaven Sect, I doubt that it’ll work.”

Nie Tian had met Patriarch Pure Heaven once. He also felt a headache after recalling what kind of person he was.

Now, after his trip to the Domain of Endless Snow, he was confident that all the other sects from the Domain of Heaven Python, the Domain of Heaven’s Boundaries, and the Domain of the Falling Stars would follow him without looking back.

However, he had yet to bring Patriarch Pure Heaven and the Pure Heaven Sect to heel to gain full control of the three domains.

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