A Green Flying Boat sped swiftly through the starry void, heading in the direction of the Qianyou Star Sea.
Ye Yunfei, the grey-robed elder, and the Ice Demon were all inside the flying boat.
"Ye Yunfei, are you alright physically?" The grey-robed elder glanced at Ye Yunfei's hair, now completely white, and asked.
"I'm fine. Some rest and recuperation will return me to normal," Ye Yunfei replied.
"That's good then." The grey-robed elder nodded, relieved.
After all, he had seen Ye Yunfei wield the Time Blade before and knew what it entailed.
"Ye Yunfei, they will guess that the Canghuang Origin is in your hands. From now on, they will hunt you down frantically. Moreover, once the news spreads, I estimate many more Dao Molding Realm masters will come looking for you. Your situation will be very dangerous." The grey-robed elder was somewhat worried.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Since we chose to protect the Canghuang Origin, we must bear these consequences. Besides, I'm not afraid of them. Let them come." Ye Yunfei thought for a moment before speaking.
"True. Once we chose to protect the Canghuang Origin, it was fated we would have many, many enemies! It was the same back then, and it's the same now." The grey-robed elder sighed.
"Uncle, did I cause trouble for you?" At that moment, the little girl suddenly emerged from the Heavenly Dao Tower and stood in front of Ye Yunfei, looking up at him with her small face.
"No, Princess of Canghuang, you haven't caused us trouble. Protecting you is what we should do." Before Ye Yunfei could answer, the grey-robed elder spoke to the little girl respectfully.
"Princess of Canghuang?" Ye Yunfei couldn't help but be taken aback.
"Back in the day, our faction referred to the Canghuang Origin as the Princess of Canghuang," the grey-robed elder explained to Ye Yunfei via Sound Transmission.
"I see." Understanding dawned on Ye Yunfei.
"Old Grandpa, are you one of the humans who protected me back then?" The little girl was also startled and looked at the grey-robed elder.
"Yes. Princess of Canghuang, I am one of the humans who protected you in those days," the grey-robed elder hastily replied.
"What about the others? So many humans protected me back then. Why are you the only one left now?" The little girl frowned.
"They all died. Now only I remain." The grey-robed elder's eyes reddened involuntarily as he sighed. He thought of his master, his fellow disciples, all those comrades he had fought alongside in those years, the passionate era of battles they had shared, but now, he alone remained.
"So many humans protected me back then, but now there are only a few of you. Am I no good? Does everyone dislike me more and more?" The little girl sounded somewhat aggrieved.
"It's not that you are no good. It's that they are too wicked," Ye Yunfei shook his head and said.
"Uncle, Old Grandpa, will you dislike me?" the little girl asked. Although her intellect was only equivalent to a five- or six-year-old's, her perception was very sharp. She could clearly feel that Ye Yunfei and the grey-robed elder were genuinely good to her, and so she felt reliant on them, afraid of losing them.
"We will always like you and protect you," the grey-robed elder said.
"Wonderful!" The little girl was overjoyed.
Following this, Ye Yunfei asked the little girl to re-enter the Heavenly Dao Tower. This would conceal her aura and prevent divination.
Half a day later, the Green Flying Boat returned to the Qianyou Star Sea.
"You've finally returned!" No sooner had the flying boat entered the Qianyou Star Sea than Shangguan Han came forward to greet them.
"The Canghuang Alliance has already issued a traitor-hunting decree against you, urging all martial artists in the Canghuang Realm to act and deal with you together. The situation is somewhat troublesome. Now, not only do the invaders from The Other Realm want to deal with you, but the Canghuang Alliance also considers you an enemy. Now, people from two worlds are after you!" Shangguan Han said.
"I expected that. If they want to come for me, let them." Ye Yunfei answered.
Both the grey-robed elder and Ye Yunfei had anticipated this situation. After all, the allure of the Canghuang Origin was far too great!
"Now there are rumors everywhere that the Canghuang Origin has fallen into your hands. Is it true?" Shangguan Han suddenly asked softly.
"Oh? What's your interest in inquiring about that? Could it be that you, too, harbor ideas about the Canghuang Origin?" Ye Yunfei looked at Shangguan Han, wearing a half-smile.
"If I hadn't met you, I'd surely have ideas about the Canghuang Origin. After all, fusing with it allows one to become the master of this world, commanding everyone. Who wouldn't be tempted? But having spent so much time with you, I've been influenced by you. Now I truly have no ideas about the Canghuang Origin. Ye Yunfei, I know your ambitions definitely aren't confined to the Canghuang Realm. One day, you'll leave the Canghuang Realm to explore the wider world outside and pursue martial arts higher than those of the Canghuang Realm. In your eyes, the Canghuang Realm is just a small pond. Even a fellow like you can have such grand ambitions. How could I fall behind you? Rest assured, I don't even care to be the master of a mere Canghuang Realm." Shangguan Han pounded his chest and declared loftily. Actually, the main reason was Ye Yunfei himself. He knew Ye Yunfei and the grey-robed elder wanted to protect the Canghuang Origin, so he had long ago dismissed any thoughts of seizing it.
"Fine," Ye Yunfei said.
"We pay our respects to the Lord of the Palace!" Liu Deming, Mao Wanli, and Gao Hui arrived simultaneously before Ye Yunfei and bowed.
"Lord of the Palace, I've just received a message from the Canghuang Alliance," Liu Deming said.
"Oh? What message did the Canghuang Alliance send?" Ye Yunfei was startled and asked.
"This message shows great disrespect towards you, Lord of the Palace…" Liu Deming seemed hesitant.
"Speak directly," Ye Yunfei said.
"The main point of the message from the Canghuang Alliance is that you, Lord of the Palace, have betrayed the Canghuang Realm and are no longer qualified to serve as the leader of the Qingyun Grand Army. They order our entire Qingyun Grand Army to immediately report to the headquarters of the Canghuang Alliance, thereby becoming part of the Canghuang Alliance from now on." Liu Deming reported.
"How preposterous! The true traitors of our realm are precisely those people in the Canghuang Alliance! They are cruel and heartless. Not only did they fail in their responsibility to protect the Canghuang Origin, they were completely focused on seizing it for themselves! And now they dare to slander us!" The grey-robed elder was furious.
"Spread the order: let everyone choose for themselves. Those who wish to join the Canghuang Alliance may go. I will not stop them, nor will I make things difficult for them. The same goes for the three of you," Ye Yunfei said, sweeping his gaze over Liu Deming, Mao Wanli, and Gao Hui.
"Lord of the Palace, the grace you have shown me is like recreating me anew. I long ago decided to follow you. Moreover, I believe Lord of the Palace absolutely could not betray the Canghuang Realm!" Liu Deming immediately declared.
"We also decided long ago to follow you, Lord of the Palace!" Mao Wanli and Gao Hui also said without hesitation, speaking in unison.
"You need to think this through clearly. The invaders from The Other Realm now detest me to the bone, and the people of the Canghuang Alliance also see me as an enemy. If you follow me, it means you become enemies of two worlds," Ye Yunfei said.
"We have already thought it through! No matter what, we choose to follow you, Lord of the Palace!" Liu Deming, Mao Wanli, and Gao Hui exchanged a glance and spoke simultaneously.