"Good, let's go see this Canghuang Origin."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Senior, we'll leave quietly and act alone," Ye Yunfei sent a sound transmission to the grey-robed elder.
"Act alone? Won't we follow Master Huangshi to find the Canghuang Origin?" The grey-robed elder was stunned.
"Senior, don't ask for now. You'll understand when the time comes," Ye Yunfei replied.
"Alright."
The grey-robed elder nodded. After spending time with Ye Yunfei, he knew the young man had mysterious origins and astonishing methods, so he trusted him implicitly.
Thus, Ye Yunfei, the grey-robed elder, and the Ice Demon deliberately fell to the back of the group. Then, while no one was paying attention, Ye Yunfei utilized his spatial movement technique and took the two with him, instantly teleporting away.
The attention of the Canghuang Alliance members was entirely focused on Master Huangshi; they didn't pay any heed to Ye Yunfei's trio.
A short while later.
Guided by Hun Lao, Ye Yunfei arrived in front of a massive city on the land below.
"The Canghuang Origin is inside this city. It's currently taking the form of a little human girl," Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.
"Good, let's go in and take a look."
Ye Yunfei nodded. He had seen the Origins of many worlds before and knew that World Origins liked to transform into the appearance of various living beings. Many world origins took human forms and lived within human society.
Ye Yunfei led the grey-robed elder and the Ice Demon into the city, walking along a bustling main street.
The street was bustling and lively, packed with people. Shops and stalls of all kinds lining both sides were crowded with patrons.
"Ye Yunfei, what are we doing here?" The grey-robed elder finally couldn't hold back his questions. His mind was focused on the Canghuang Origin, yet Ye Yunfei had brought him here to stroll through the streets.
"We've come here to see the Canghuang Origin," Ye Yunfei told him truthfully.
"What? The Canghuang Origin is here? Is that true?" The grey-robed elder was utterly dumbfounded.
"Rest assured, Senior. I'm not lying to you. The Canghuang Origin is right here. We'll see her very soon." Ye Yunfei nodded.
Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, the grey-robed elder had no choice but to follow behind him, filled with doubts. The Ice Demon, on the other hand, didn't care about any Canghuang Origin; wherever Ye Yunfei went, he followed.
A moment later.
Ye Yunfei suddenly stopped, his gaze shifting to a spot not far away by the roadside. There, a vendor was selling candied hawberries, surrounded by a dozen or so children.
Among them was a little girl around five or six years old, with two braids sticking up, doll-like features, and clear, limpid eyes fixed on the candied haws in the vendor's hands.
"That little girl is the Canghuang Origin," Hun Lao sent a sound transmission to Ye Yunfei. "Most World Origins are extremely vigilant. They can instantly sense and then flee from living beings with ill intent towards them. So, you absolutely must control your emotional fluctuations. Don't let her detect anything."
"I know. I mean her no harm," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Then, Ye Yunfei walked over and stopped beside the vendor. "I'll buy all these candied haws." He took out a Spirit Crystal and handed it to the vendor.
"Excellent!" The vendor was overjoyed; to him, the value of this Spirit Crystal far exceeded that of his candied haws.
"Bully! If you buy all the candied haws, there won't be any left for us!" The surrounding children were all displeased.
"Don't worry, everyone. I bought all these candied haws precisely to treat you. Here, two sticks for each of you!" Ye Yunfei distributed the freshly purchased candied haws among the children.
"Thank you, Mister!" Now the children were delighted, grabbing the candied haws and starting to eat.
"These two sticks are for you." Ye Yunfei handed two sticks of candied haws to the little girl with the two standing braids.
The girl hesitated for a moment, then accepted the candied haws and began eating as well.
"Ye Yunfei, what are you doing?" The grey-robed elder was somewhat speechless at Ye Yunfei's actions. Something as serious and important as searching for the Canghuang Origin, yet Ye Yunfei was here buying candied haws to amuse children.
However, Ye Yunfei didn't answer. The moment the grey-robed elder knew the little girl in front of him *was* the Canghuang Origin, his emotions would undoubtedly fluctuate violently. At that point, the Canghuang Origin would immediately become alarmed and flee.
"Do you want to control her?" Hun Lao said. "Strictly speaking, she isn't the true origin energy of the Canghuang Realm. The true origin energy is hidden deep within the time and space of the realm, unreachable by ordinary martial artists. The Canghuang Origin before us is a sliver of consciousness born from that origin energy. Over a long time, it has transformed into a Soul Body. This Canghuang Origin seems to have the intellectual development equivalent to a five or six-year-old child — not yet mature. So, she probably doesn't actively use the Canghuang Realm's origin energy to attack others. The danger is minimal.
I know a secret space-time technique that could easily help you deal with her. By controlling this Soul Body, you could then control the true origin energy of the Canghuang Realm. When that happens, you would be the master of this entire realm."
Hun Lao was a branch that had fallen from the Chaos World Tree, possessing a portion of his race's inherited memories and thus having deep knowledge regarding World Origins.
"I'm not interested."
Ye Yunfei shook his head. Among the 3,000 major and minor worlds, the Canghuang Realm was merely an insignificant world, unworthy of his notice.
Although controlling this Canghuang Origin would allow one to dominate the Canghuang Realm... this was not the path Ye Yunfei pursued!
Controlling a world's origin to rapidly gain power far exceeding one's own would affect a martial artist's martial heart, weaken their will to cultivate, and could even leave hidden dangers within the Soul Body!
What Ye Yunfei sought was his own power!
"Thank you, Mister."
Suddenly, the little girl's gaze towards Ye Yunfei turned wary. After thanking him, she turned and walked away.
"What sharp perception," Ye Yunfei shook his head with a wry smile, realizing the Canghuang Origin had finally sensed something amiss about him.
Soon, the girl had moved far from Ye Yunfei, reaching the other end of the street.
Ye Yunfei didn't pursue her, merely watching quietly as she walked away.
"Ye Yunfei, didn't you say the Canghuang Origin is in this city? Let's hurry and find it," the grey-robed elder urged.
"There's no need. We've already seen the Canghuang Origin just now." Ye Yunfei watched the little girl disappear into the crowded mass of people.
"We've seen it? That little girl! Ye Yunfei, are you saying... that little girl from before was the Canghuang Origin?!" The grey-robed elder was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed in shock.
"Yes."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"So that's it. That little girl was the Canghuang Origin! An ancient divination master once said that the Canghuang Origin favored taking human form. I never imagined it would still be like that now!" the grey-robed elder said.
At that very moment.
*BOOM! BOOM!...*
Wave after wave of terrifying energy abruptly descended from the sky, instantly suppressing the entire city.
Everyone within the city was instantly pressed flat against the ground, vomiting blood continuously. Many weak individuals, particularly those ordinary mortals who had never cultivated, were directly killed by the shockwave, their flesh and blood splattering everywhere.
Four figures with terrifying auras appeared almost instantly above the city.
All four were Dao Molding Realm experts!
Immediately afterwards, more and more figures appeared. In less than a breath's time, a large group of Dao Entry Realm experts surrounded the entire city.
Master Huangshi had arrived with the Canghuang Alliance!
Grand Tutor Pang had also arrived with the forces from the Other Realm!