With Li Jianjun’s order issued, the Li Family immediately dispatched a large number of men to search everywhere in the Imperial Capital for Ye Yunfei’s whereabouts.
At the same time.
Within the Prime Minister’s residence of the Imperial Capital.
In a study.
"Third Young Master, I have received news. A newcomer named Ye Yunfei has arrived at the Third Prince’s mansion these past two days," a withered-looking old man reported to a tall, elegant youth with a brocade belt tied around his waist.
This youth was precisely Xiao Wuhen.
The third son of the current Prime Minister Xiao.
"Ye Yunfei! Could it be that Ye Yunfei from Yuanyue City?!" Xiao Wuhen exclaimed, a mixture of shock and delight on his face.
"Yes, it is precisely that Ye Yunfei from Yuanyue City. Our spy within the Third Prince’s residence saw him clearly. There is absolutely no mistake," the withered elder said.
"It seems the Third Prince intends to recruit this Ye Yunfei as a trusted confidant. Humph! Having offended me, Xiao Wuhen, it matters not if he is under the Third Prince’s wing. Immediately dispatch men to surveil the Third Prince’s mansion day and night. The moment Ye Yunfei steps out, move to eliminate him!" Xiao Wuhen declared.
"Understood," the withered elder replied.
At the Third Prince’s Mansion.
Inside the small building where Ye Yunfei was staying.
Ye Yunfei was cultivating the Nine-Yang Scripture.
"Young Master Ye Yunfei, the Third Prince requests your presence," a voice suddenly called from outside.
"It seems the demon beasts I need have been prepared for me," Ye Yunfei thought with joy, immediately standing up and walking out of the room.
"This way please, Young Master," a young and beautiful maid stood outside, ready to guide him.
"Lead the way," Ye Yunfei said.
Following the maid’s lead, they soon arrived at the rear gardens of the Third Prince’s mansion.
"Brother Ye, over these past two days, I had people gather a large batch of demon beasts. Now, let me take you to see them," the Third Prince, who had been waiting in the gardens, spoke as soon as he saw Ye Yunfei.
"Good," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Subsequently, under the Third Prince’s personal guidance, they entered an underground palace within the rear garden.
This subterranean palace was located ten meters below ground, extremely well-hidden.
The moment they stepped inside, roars and bellows of demon beasts assaulted their ears, deafeningly loud.
Then.
The Third Prince led Ye Yunfei to a massive hall.
This hall spanned several thousand square meters.
Inside, dense and overlapping clusters of iron cages, large and small, filled the space.
These cages were all forged from the hardest Celestial Frost Profound Iron, with various glowing formation runes inscribed on their exteriors.
Each cage contained a demon beast.
As Ye Yunfei swept his gaze over them, he discovered all these demon beasts were of the seventh, eighth, or ninth tiers!
Their number was close to over eight hundred!
Ye Yunfei felt a surge of excitement.
With this batch of demon beasts, plus the Beast King Inner Core he had obtained at the Tianteng City auction, Ye Yunfei was confident he could successfully cultivate the second layer of the Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Body Art!
"Brother Ye, to capture these demon beasts, I mobilized the empire’s troops stationed near the Imperial Capital, sending them into several mountain ranges. Furthermore, I purchased every high-tier demon beast on sale in the Imperial Capital and a dozen nearby cities," the Third Prince explained.
"My thanks, Third Prince. I will remember this favor," Ye Yunfei said, feeling extremely satisfied.
"Haha, Brother Ye, there’s no need for such formality between us," the Third Prince laughed heartily.
Ye Yunfei’s expression greatly pleased him. After all, no one wanted to help an ungrateful wretch.
"Third Prince, I will need to borrow this underground palace for the next two days," Ye Yunfei said.
"Very well. Brother Ye, I shall not disturb you further," the Third Prince tactfully took his leave, taking all his subordinates with him.
Ye Yunfei was now alone in the hall of the underground palace.
"First, extract the Bloodline Essence from these demon beasts," Ye Yunfei murmured, his gaze falling upon the several hundred demon beasts.
He then walked up to one of the iron cages and opened it.
Roar…!
Inside the cage, an eighth-tier Demon Ape glared with blood-red beastly pupils, radiating ferocious killing intent as it roared at Ye Yunfei.
However, its entire body was bound by specially-made iron chains as thick as a man’s arm, rendering it completely immobile.
"Die!"
Ye Yunfei gave a light shout. A pitch-black dagger abruptly appeared at the Demon Ape’s throat, slicing it open in one swift cut. Blood gushed out.
Ye Yunfei then began to refine the Bloodline Essence from this Demon Ape.
Every demon beast in this hall was not only caged but also heavily shackled with chains. Therefore, Ye Yunfei had little trouble systematically executing them one by one.
One day later.
Finally.
Ye Yunfei had finished collecting the Bloodline Essence from all the demon beasts.
"The most crucial element is still this Beast King Inner Core." Standing beside a massive cauldron over two meters tall placed in the center of the hall, Ye Yunfei took out the Beast King Inner Core obtained from the Tianteng City auction and spoke to himself.
Beside the cauldron were arranged over eight hundred bottles of Bloodline Essence, large and small.
Next.
Ye Yunfei poured all the Bloodline Essence into the cauldron and placed the Beast King Inner Core inside as well.
Then.
He took out a large batch of spiritual herbs and threw them all into the cauldron.
Finally.
Ye Yunfei extended a finger and lightly flicked it.
A flame of alchemy emerged from the tip of his right middle finger, dancing steadily.
"Ignite!" Ye Yunfei uttered softly, flicking the flame into the cauldron.
Immediately.
Boom…
A raging inferno erupted within the cauldron.
Ye Yunfei stripped off all his clothes and jumped into the cauldron.
Ah…
Immediately, agonized screams from Ye Yunfei echoed from within the cauldron.
The Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Body Art was originally an inheritance secret art of the Demon Race. Members of the Demon Race were innately thick-skinned and sturdy, their flesh as hard as millennium-old Profound Iron, unburned by fire, impervious to water.
Ye Yunfei, with his human flesh and blood body, cultivating the inheritance secret art of the Demon Race—the pain he had to endure was unimaginable.
The Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Body Art was akin to treating one’s own body as a spiritual pill, tempering and refining it through scorching flames.
During this tempering process, one’s flesh, bones, meridians, organs... would virtually disintegrate only to be reforged anew.
Without immense willpower, it was impossible to endure this process of disintegration and reconstruction.
Aah… Aah…
The underground palace continuously reverberated with Ye Yunfei’s agonized cries.
These screams lasted for a full day and night.
One day later.
Suddenly.
The entire underground palace fell into utter silence.
The fierce flames that had raged within the cauldron for a full day began to gradually die down.
At a certain moment.
Whoosh!
A radiant figure slowly rose from within the cauldron.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei’s entire body seemed like a massive ruby, shimmering with dazzling crimson light.
With the slightest movement, his skin would ripple and snap with a metallic ringing sound, his entire being brimming with explosive, demon-god-like power.
Ye Yunfei gently clenched his fists. Something miraculous happened!
Endless divine brilliance erupted from the surface of his skin, radiant crimson light transforming into divine flames that enveloped his form.
The crimson divine flames surged like violent waves, accompanied by the rumble of thunderclaps and flashes of lightning erupting with the pulsing of his blood and qi—an utterly terrifying spectacle.
Divine light blazed brilliantly within Ye Yunfei’s pupils, making him seem like a Heavenly God!
At this moment, Ye Yunfei had an illusion: he possessed the terrifying power to rend mountains apart, sever rivers, and even pluck stars from the sky!
"The second layer is finally mastered. I believe I can shatter a Heavenly Boundary Realm martial artist with a single punch. Even Profound Realm martial artists would not dare confront my physical strength head-on."
A confident smile played on Ye Yunfei’s lips.