"Who are they?"
Elder Tang Wu frowned as he asked.
"There are forces from the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty, as well as troops from the Star Nation's Expeditionary Army," the scout reported.
"Send out the order for everyone to pack their belongings. We are preparing to break through the encirclement and leave!" Elder Tang Wu commanded.
"Haha… You won't be able to escape! Who would have thought Ye Yunfei would have left a bunch of his confidants here? Perfect timing to round them all up today! Now, all of you, come out and face your death!"
A maniacal laughter suddenly echoed from outside.
"Come out and face your death!"
Following that, countless voices outside roared in unison, the sound shaking the heavens.
"We are indeed surrounded!" Elder Tang Wu, the Houtu Sect Leader, and a large group of high-level members all had grim expressions.
"Enemies!" Everyone in this underground cave complex was utterly shocked and pale.
"Immediately activate all the formations Lord Ye left behind!" Elder Tang Wu ordered sternly.
Soon, hundreds of formations were activated, protecting each cave. All these formations had been personally laid down by Ye Yunfei and possessed considerable power. Various Earth Formations—defensive and offensive measures harnessing terrestrial energy—appeared alongside five Earth Dragons that manifested to guard the perimeter of the underground cave complex.
A hundred and forty-two Imperial Realm slaves also appeared. These Imperial Realm slaves usually spent their time in seclusion, cultivating in secret chambers, and only emerged now. Before his departure, Ye Yunfei had provided them with a large batch of cultivation resources and left them with many techniques and combat arts, so their strength had all improved.
"Everyone, take the Bloodfusion Vitality Pills," one of the Late Imperial Realm powerhouses commanded gravely. This individual possessed the strongest combat power among them, and Ye Yunfei had specifically designated him to lead these Imperial Realm slaves.
Immediately, all the Imperial Realm slaves swallowed Bloodfusion Vitality Pills, and their strength began to increase continuously!
Outside, on the ground above, swarming troops surrounded them from all directions. At the forefront stood a tall, imposing middle-aged man. This man was a Star Bridge Realm expert! Within the Xuanhuang Star Domain, Star Bridge Realm cultivators already belonged to the top tier! Standing beside this tall man were several other Star Bridge Realm experts and hundreds of Imperial Realm experts!
"Commander Tang, there are hundreds of underground caves here harboring a large group of people. All of them are Ye Yunfei's confidants. I've already dispatched men to investigate in detail. Some of these confidants originate from a Tang Clan from the Northern Wastelands, some from the Houtu Sect of Mu Province in the Northern Wastelands, and others were brought out by Ye Yunfei from a Small World," a man clad entirely in silver armor reported as he approached the tall man.
"Hmph, just a bunch of small fry," the tall man said with a disdainful expression.
"Commander Tang is right. These confidants of Ye Yunfei are little-known figures within our Xuanhuang Star Domain, mere small fry, not worth mentioning. Our Nine Li Imperial Dynasty can easily deal with such minor players," a man in yellow robes flattered him from the side.
"Ye Yunfei caused our Expeditionary Army considerable losses. Since he has already been killed by forces from the Starry Sky Pang Clan, the debt he owes shall be repaid by these confidants of his. Immediately order the troops to attack. Remember, no surrenders are allowed. Kill them all, leave not a single one!" the tall man said casually.
"Commander Tang, please allow our Nine Li Imperial Dynasty's forces to take the vanguard. Grant us this opportunity to earn some merit for the Empire!" the man in yellow hurriedly pleaded, his tone extremely obsequious.
"Fine. Be quick about it. Kill them all. Don't waste too much time on these minor characters," the tall man nodded.
"Yes!" The man in yellow answered respectfully.
"All forces of the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty, follow me in the attack!" The man in yellow turned and let out a great roar. Then, his figure blurred as he charged above the underground cave complex. He retrieved a three-story golden pagoda, activated it, and smashed it violently towards the ground below.
This man in yellow was an Early Star Bridge Realm expert, and that golden pagoda was a mid-grade innate treasure! The power unleashed by a Star Bridge Realm expert wielding an innate treasure was truly terrifying.
"Attack!"
A large group of Nine Li Imperial Dynasty forces followed behind the man in yellow, also unleashing their magic treasures or various techniques and martial arts towards the ground.
For a moment, countless magic treasures and waves of spiritual energy rained down upon the ground, threatening to flatten it completely. Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed as hundreds of great formations emerged from beneath the earth, erupting with vast and mighty formation energy that tightly guarded the area. At the same time, countless thick energy pillars shot skywards, assailing the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty forces.
The formations Ye Yunfei had laid not only included defensive arrays but also a considerable number of offensive ones!
"Ahhh…"
Caught off guard, many of the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty's forces were torn to pieces by those violent energy pillars, their screams rising incessantly.
"Whoosh, whoosh…"
Suddenly, over a hundred figures shot out from underground—one hundred and forty-two Imperial Realm experts in total!
"Form the Eightfold Divine Dragon Formation!" one of the Imperial Realm experts commanded gravely.
Immediately, this group of 142 Imperial Realm experts combined their powers into a great formation and attacked directly.
"Boom! Boom!"
The attack unleashed by 142 Imperial Realm experts working together was astonishingly powerful.
"Ahh…"
Like wheat being harvested, the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty's forces fell in droves. After these two waves of attacks from the formations and the hundred-plus Imperial Realm experts, at least two-thirds of the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty's forces lay dead!
"Fall back! Quickly, fall back!" the man in yellow roared in exasperation.
The remaining Nine Li Imperial Dynasty troops were all terrified out of their wits, desperately retreating.
"Damn you! I'll kill you all!"
Enraged, the man in yellow charged toward the group of Imperial Realm experts. The forces of the Nine Li Imperial Dynasty he had brought were all elites. Losing so many now was simply unacceptable.
With a boom, the 142 Imperial Realm experts coordinated perfectly, striking out simultaneously and bombarding the man in yellow all at once.
"Thump!"
The man in yellow let out a miserable scream as his body was flung backward. When he crashed to the ground, he lay motionless, life or death unknown. With the power of the Eightfold Divine Dragon Formation amplified by the Bloodfusion Vitality Pills, killing an Early Star Bridge Realm expert was effortless!
A collective gasp of shock was heard from everyone witnessing this scene. To kill a Star Bridge Realm expert in a single move—the combat power exhibited by these 142 Imperial Realm experts fighting in unison was truly horrifying!
"Whoosh, whoosh…"
At that moment, three figures simultaneously appeared—three identical young men.
"For invaders, death!" the three young men spoke in unison.
"It's Ye Yunfei!" someone immediately cried out in shock.
These three young men were Ye Yunfei's three clones, specifically left behind to guard this underground cave complex.
"Ye Yunfei. I never thought you would have left three clones here," the tall man from the Star Nation's Expeditionary Army said coldly, his gaze fixed on the clones. During the great battle in the Jiaoxiu Star Domain, Ye Yunfei alone had shattered dozens of the Expeditionary Army's war formations, leaving a deep impression on its soldiers. Every expert in the Expeditionary Army recognized Ye Yunfei!
"Those who don't want to die should leave." One of Ye Yunfei's clones spoke icily.
"Haha… Ye Yunfei, don't think just because you have three clones here it means anything! Even if your true body were here, it would still amount to nothing! For you to dare threaten me? Utterly overestimating yourself." The tall man laughed uproariously.
"Everyone, attack with me!" the tall man suddenly bellowed.
"Yes!" all the people behind him roared in unison.
"Kill!"
Countless troops from all directions, led by the tall man, surged forward to surround and attack Ye Yunfei and the 142 Imperial Realm experts. A total of five Star Bridge Realm experts—including the tall man—hundreds of Imperial Realm experts, and countless other swarming troops rushed forward like a tidal wave.
"Engage the enemy!" one of Ye Yunfei's clones commanded gravely.
Ye Yunfei's three clones, the 142 Imperial Realm experts, and hundreds of formations all erupted into action. Soon, both sides were fiercely engaged. The hundreds of formations played a pivotal role, bearing the brunt of most attacks head-on while simultaneously firing thick beams of formation energy in all directions. The 142 Imperial Realm slaves, utilizing the Eightfold Divine Dragon Formation, exhibited formidable power, simultaneously holding off three Star Bridge Realm experts! As Ye Yunfei's three clones fought, they also controlled the formations. With the clones at the helm, the formations were able to unleash their full potential!
For a moment, the two sides seemed evenly matched, locked in a stalemate.
"Immediately send a message back! Request the Great General to dispatch more troops. We must wipe out this place today! Leave not a single dog or chicken alive!" the Expeditionary Army's tall commander roared furiously.
Immediately, several minor captains from the Expeditionary Army took out messaging jade slips and began sending information.
"Oh? Three of Ye Yunfei's clones and a group of his confidants have been discovered? Excellent. Immediately send reinforcements to annihilate them!"
Soon, the headquarters of the Star Nation's Expeditionary Army received the message, and the Great General issued the order. Immediately, a large group of the Expeditionary Army's experts led a vast army towards the Beihuang Domain.
"Report! We have discovered the Expeditionary Army is dispatching a large force to the Beihuang Domain. Reports indicate they've discovered three of Ye Yunfei's clones and a group of his confidants and are moving to surround them!"
At the same time, within the headquarters of the Five-Domain Coalition, a scout rushed before Chu Ji, loudly reporting.
"Oh? Three of Ye Yunfei's clones?" Chu Ji was taken aback.
"Assemble our forces. Let's go and take a look as well!" Chu Ji considered for a moment before speaking.
"Senior Chu, Ye Yunfei's true body has surely been either killed or captured by the Starry Sky Pang Clan by now. Ye Yunfei holds no further value for our Five-Domain Coalition. Why should we go to rescue his three clones and his confidants?" Immediately, a high-ranking member of the Coalition spoke up from the side.