A Soul Power clone!
Ye Yunfei recognized it at a glance—this old man before him was a clone.
This old man's true form was one of the six seated before the spatial crack, and the Spatial Tracking Beast was nestled in this old man's embrace.
"Senior, why did you all perish here?" Ye Yunfei asked.
"Back then, a great demon crossed over into our Canghuang Realm through this spatial crack, slaughtering over a hundred million lives in a single day.
The beings of our Canghuang Realm rose up to fight back and ultimately killed that great demon.
However, although that great demon was slain, this spatial crack remained—a colossal hidden danger to our Canghuang Realm.
Thus, we old fellows came here to devise a way to seal this spatial crack.
Who knew that before we could act, we discovered another great demon about to cross over through this very crack.
So the six of us old-timers laid an ambush at the exit of this spatial crack—exactly where we are now—launching a surprise attack the moment that great demon had just stepped out.
After a fierce battle, we slew that demon, but we six old fellows also suffered fatal wounds.
We expended our last ounce of strength to damage the interior of this spatial crack before perishing here."
The elder spoke.
Recalling the cause of their deaths all those years ago, the old man gazed at his five companions with a touch of sorrow.
The universe where the Tianluo Star Sea was located was called the Canghuang Realm!
Back then, these six elders were among the Canghuang Realm's supreme top-tier experts. Little did they imagine that they would perish here together, protecting the safety of this cosmos, gradually buried by the dust of time.
As the years passed, the beings of the Canghuang Realm had long forgotten these six top experts who once dominated the cosmic starry skies.
"So that's how it was."
Ye Yunfei nodded upon hearing this.
"To perish here for the peace of the realm, shining like the sun and moon, is truly admirable," Ye Yunfei said.
"Haha…
Young man, your tongue is quite slick."
Just then, from the bodies of the other five elders, a Soul Power clone emerged from each.
Ye Yunfei smiled faintly.
He had already discerned that although these six elders had died, each had left behind a Soul Power clone.
"Six Seniors, although you damaged the interior of this spatial crack back then, it was not thorough enough.
All spaces possess a self-repairing function.
Given time, this spatial crack will gradually stabilize and recover.
When that happens, demons will once again cross over along this fissure."
Ye Yunfei, sensing the aura emanating from that spatial crack, spoke.
"Young man, you are quite right!
Over the years, we've been able to feel that the interior of this spatial crack has grown increasingly stable. If this continues, sooner or later another great demon will cross over!"
The six elders, hearing Ye Yunfei's words, all nodded.
"But the six of us are exhausted, our lamps dry. Even if we see the problem, we are powerless.
In our current state, we old fellows lack the strength to damage this spatial crack again.
Sooner or later, the Canghuang Realm will suffer another demonic invasion.
The strength of those great demons is too terrifying. Back then, if we hadn't been lying in ambush here, launching a surprise attack just as that demon crossed over—before its condition had stabilized—we definitely wouldn't have been its match.
Once another great demon invades, the Canghuang Realm will face another storm of bloodshed!"
One of the elders lamented.
"Yes."
The other five elders all nodded.
"Then let me try damaging it again and see if it has any effect."
Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said.
As part of the Canghuang Realm, Ye Yunfei also wished for no demonic invasion.
The Demon Realm and the Demon World were, relative to the Canghuang Realm, higher-tier worlds. A randomly arriving great demon or monster was not something the beings of the Canghuang Realm could handle.
Never mind how weak the Ancient Demon Race in the Xuanhuang Star Domain seemed—they were merely small, scattered demon remnants, with impure bloodlines and thin demonic power, hardly worth mentioning.
In the true Demon World, there existed many demons with boundless demonic power, not even the Heavenly Emperor could necessarily slay them!
*Whoosh!*
With these words, Ye Yunfei charged towards the spatial crack ahead, from which Demonic Qi continuously billowed.
"Young man, don't go in! It's too dangerous inside!"
The six elders were all startled and hurriedly tried to stop him.
But Ye Yunfei's figure moved with astonishing speed, and in the blink of an eye, he had already plunged into the crack.
"This young man's spatial energy proficiency is actually this high!"
Recalling the spatial energy Ye Yunfei had just released, the six elders couldn't help looking at each other in shock.
"Our Canghuang Realm has produced such a monstrous young man!
Truly, the waves behind drive on those before!"
One elder couldn't help sighing.
"However, this spatial crack is too dangerous. Not only is its space-time structure chaotic, but it's also filled with massive amounts of Demonic Qi. Let's hope he can come out alive.
For such a young genius to perish here would be too great a pity."
Another elder sighed.
*Boom…*
As soon as Ye Yunfei entered the spatial crack, rolling Demonic Qi rushed towards him, along with illusory figures of the Demon Race, ferocious and roaring as they charged to attack.
*Boom…*
The Roc spread its long wings, gave a mighty beat, and swept them out horizontally, shaking this region of space as it clashed with that Demonic Qi.
Having traveled all the way here, this Roc's strength had already improved massively!
"The spatial energy here is so dense!"
Entering this spatial crack, Ye Yunfei delightedly discovered that although the space-time here was chaotic, it contained astonishing spatial energy.
All sorts of spatial laws had even materialized into colorful ribbons of light, dancing wildly.
"Cultivating spatial energy here would be at least a hundred times more effective than outside!"
Ye Yunfei was overjoyed.
*Hoo… Hoo…*
While fighting the Demonic Qi, the Roc rapidly refined and absorbed the spatial energy and spatial laws here.
Ye Yunfei's spatial energy proficiency was skyrocketing!
"So many Space Crystals!"
Ye Yunfei suddenly noticed that far off in a certain area, there existed dense clusters of Space Crystals embedded in space, like a sky full of stars, dazzling and brilliant.
There were hundreds of thousands of Space Crystals!
This sort of chaotic space-time environment was indeed most suitable for birthing Space Crystals!
*Whoosh!*
Ye Yunfei's figure flashed as he charged over, swiftly collecting those Space Crystals.
At the same time.
Tianluo Star Sea, a certain desolate patch of starry space.
A large group of beings with fierce auras had gathered.
This stretch of starry space was precisely where Ye Yunfei had previously activated the Heavenly Dao Tower, releasing its aura.
"There's no mistake, the Heavenly Dao Tower definitely appeared in this starry space not long ago!
I can clearly sense the residual aura of the Heavenly Dao Tower here, right at this location!"
A withered old man wrapped entirely in black robes spoke after forming hand-seals and performing deductions.
"Heavenly Dao Tower's aura!
Too clear, it can't be wrong. The Heavenly Dao Tower once appeared here!
It seems the Heavenly Dao Tower has already fallen into the hands of some being."
A hemp-robed elder sat cross-legged in the starry space. Before him lay a small, low wooden table, upon which rested two turtle shells.
"The Heavenly Dao Tower indeed appeared here, but it has already been taken away…"
A monk wearing a large kasaya and barefoot, holding a jade alms bowl, paced back and forth in this patch of starry space, muttering to himself.
"Investigate!
Investigate thoroughly the whereabouts of all beings that passed through here recently!"
"Mobilize every means to find the Heavenly Dao Tower's whereabouts!"
"Spare no cost. We must find the Heavenly Dao Tower!"
One great personage after another, their auras vast, stood in this starry space, issuing orders.
The Heavenly Dao Tower was known as the most precious treasure in this cosmic starry sky!
Rumors persisted: whoever obtained the Heavenly Dao Tower would have the chance to dominate this universe!
The temptation was far too great!
After the news spread, major forces and experts from across the cosmic starry sky flocked to find clues about the Heavenly Dao Tower.
However, actually locating the Heavenly Dao Tower was no easy feat.
For several days in a row, numerous forces searched everywhere, practically scouring the entire Tianluo Star Sea, yet found nothing.
Those master deducers exerted their full efforts but could no longer deduce any trace of the Heavenly Dao Tower.
Xuanhuang Star Domain, North Barren Territory.
The headquarters of the Heavenly Dao Academy.
The day of Qingyun Palace's inauguration ceremony drew ever closer.
Inside the headquarters, a scene of bustle prevailed.
Expanding the headquarters' area, constructing more buildings, the various halls of Qingyun Palace compiling their personnel lists and establishing their hall grounds.
At the same time, batches of unfamiliar forces quietly entered the North Barren Territory, lurking in the areas surrounding the Heavenly Dao Academy headquarters, faintly forming a surrounding ring.
"Report, Elder Chu! I've received word that many forces intend to strike on the day of our Qingyun Palace's inauguration ceremony, aiming to annihilate our Qingyun Palace."
A steward approached Chu Ji and reported.
This steward was one of the two hundred-plus people Ye Yunfei had rescued from the Miao Clan's Yinsha Star sub-stronghold prison. He possessed early-stage Sea-Separation Realm strength and was specifically tasked with gathering intelligence outside.
"No matter. Let them come. I'll kill as many as come."
The Giant Arm suddenly appeared beside Chu Ji and spoke plainly.
"That's right!
This old man hasn't had a good fight in a long time. My moves have gotten rusty. Let them come and be my sparring partners."
A tree over three meters tall, its branches ancient and gnarled like coiled dragons, emerged from space, yelling.
It was Hun Lao.
The two Supreme Elders of Qingyun Palace!
"We pay our respects to the two Supreme Elders!"
The Qingyun Palace members nearby hurriedly bowed to the Giant Arm and Hun Lao.
Everyone gazed curiously at Hun Lao.
They all knew that the Giant Arm's strength was extremely formidable—it had once stormed Miao Capital together with Ye Yunfei, slaughtering many Domain Realm experts.
But Hun Lao's strength was largely unknown to them.
"What kind of strength could a tree have?
He's probably made a Supreme Elder because he's on good terms with the Palace Lord."
Quite a few Qingyun Palace members even found themselves thinking such thoughts.
However, no one dared to show disrespect to Hun Lao on the surface.
Because Chu Ji personally oversaw Qingyun Palace's Punishment Hall and had established strict regulations—any member who dared disrespect the palace's higher-ups would be severely punished!