The Zidan Valley was not located within Yan Country's territory, but within the Chuyun Empire.
Yan Country was merely a small kingdom, while Chuyun Empire, both in size and strength, surpassed Yan Country by a great margin.
The Eastern Barrens lands held a great number of countries, large and small.
If sorted by strength, the most powerful nations were the three great ancient kingdoms: the Heavenly Dragon Ancient Kingdom, the Cangxuan Ancient Kingdom, and the Thousand Moon Ancient Kingdom.
Below them were the first-class holy kingdoms, then the second-class empires, followed by third-class kingdoms.
Beneath these third-class kingdoms lay a vast, nearly uncountable number of small countries.
Naturally, among these numerous small countries, there were variations in power as well. For example, Yan Country was one such small country.
Inside the Green Flying Boat, Hu Miao was controlling the vessel's flight, while Ye Yunfei remained inside the Phantom Tower cultivating his Soul Power.
Ye Yunfei had extorted a large batch of Soul Law Crystals from that Soul Race member. Cultivating the Puppet Soul Thread Secret Art had consumed roughly half of them, leaving a portion that Ye Yunfei was now using to enhance his Soul Power.
Sitting cross-legged, Ye Yunfei was surrounded, inside and out, by circles of Law Crystals. From a distance, one could only see heaps of Law Crystals; Ye Yunfei's figure was completely obscured.
The Nurturing Soul Tree hovered above Ye Yunfei's head, casting down numerous root tendrils that latched onto those Law Crystals. Like a whale swallowing the Yangtze, it absorbed the Soul Power contained within the Soul Law Crystals in an unending stream.
After an unknowable length of time, finally, all the Soul Law Crystals had been drained, turning into piles of dregs.
"The intensity of my Soul Power is now greater than most Heavenly Sea Realm experts. With just the Heavenly Soul Sword, I no longer fear Heavenly Sea Realm practitioners."
Ye Yunfei ceased his cultivation, feeling the current strength of his Soul Power and feeling quite satisfied.
"Hey kid, my bloodline has successfully broken through another stage!"
Just then, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm appeared in front of Ye Yunfei, looking rather pleased with itself.
During the recent period, Ye Yunfei had refined a batch of Infant-Grade and Core-Grade elixirs for it, after which it had gone into secluded cultivation. Now, it had finally succeeded in its breakthrough.
Elixirs personally refined by Ye Yunfei were exceptionally effective for it, which was one of the main reasons it had chosen to follow Ye Yunfei in the first place.
As a Master Alchemist, the elixirs personally refined by Ye Yunfei surpassed in efficacy those refined by the vast majority of alchemists under heaven.
"Excellent. Your ability to traverse space must have improved again, I assume?" Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
"Of course! To be frank, my space-traversal ability far surpasses yours now. From now on, concerning space traversal, you'll have to learn from me," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm bragged boastfully.
"So you're saying you're very proficient at traversing space now?" Ye Yunfei was somewhat curious.
"Let's go. I'll show you and let you experience my new space-traversal abilities right now!" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
"Alright."
Seeing the eager Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Ye Yunfei couldn't bear to dampen its spirits and thus nodded.
Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm emerged from the Phantom Tower, and Ye Yunfei stored the Green Flying Boat.
"Kid, don't move. Let me carry you through space," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
Then, with a wave of its small claw, it erupted with a powerful spatial transportation energy that enveloped both it and Ye Yunfei, instantly tore open space, and departed.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm carried Ye Yunfei, streaking through the depths of space as fast as lightning, appearing completely unconstrained by spatial energy and laws.
Whoosh!
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm burst out with Ye Yunfei, appearing in the outside world.
Whoosh!
The next moment, it dove back into the depths of space with Ye Yunfei.
And so it went. The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm carried Ye Yunfei, diving into the depths of space one moment and bursting into the outside world the next, its speed so fast that Ye Yunfei couldn't stop marveling.
"The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm race truly is an ancient remnant beast even rarer than the Primordial Celestial Fox. They can command all insects under heaven and excel at traversing space; the reputation is well-deserved indeed," Hun Lao couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
"Haha... You think this is all I can do? Wrong. I've awakened a new divine ability—I can effortlessly traverse all kinds of Formations and spatial restrictions. Although this divine ability of mine has just awakened, its power is already considerable. In the future, once it's fully mastered, there won't be a place under heaven I can't enter or leave at will, including those dreadful perilous lands and forbidden zones."
Hearing Hun Lao's words, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm became even more proud and laughed heartily.
"Really?" Ye Yunfei was pleasantly surprised.
"Of course it's true. If you don't believe me, I'll find a place with Formations or spatial restrictions right now, and you'll know by trying."
Eager to prove itself, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm grabbed Ye Yunfei and dived into the depths of space, charging forward at full speed.
"Eh? Up ahead, I think there's a fluctuation of a spatial restriction!"
A moment later, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm carried Ye Yunfei as they surged out from the depths of space.
This was a mountainous region, filled with rolling hills and dense forests.
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm and Ye Yunfei now stood before a luxuriant peach blossom grove.
"This peach blossom grove does indeed have spatial restrictions arranged within it," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Come, I'll take you straight through!"
Just as Ye Yunfei was releasing his Soul Power, intending to sense his way into the peach blossom grove, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm erupted with a powerful traversing energy, taking Ye Yunfei and diving back into the depths of space once more.
The next moment.
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm and Ye Yunfei had already appeared right in the middle of that peach blossom grove.
"Well? As I said, ordinary Formations and restrictions can't stop me now. I can come and go as I please," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm raised its golden head high and said triumphantly to Ye Yunfei.
"Who goes there?!"
A young woman's angry cry rang out.
"We seem to have caused trouble. Look where you've brought us."
Ye Yunfei's gaze followed the direction of the voice and he couldn't help but give a bitter smile.
They were now beside a small lake deep within the peach blossom grove.
This lake was nestled among ancient thousand-year-old peach trees along its shore, which were hung with brightly colored clothing and skirts. A light breeze blew, carrying peach blossoms dancing in the air. Crystalline flowers rained down above the lake, some falling into its waters, coloring the entire lake a soft pink.
But that was not the focus.
What truly made Ye Yunfei's scalp tingle was the scene in the lake itself.
Within the lake, over a dozen beautiful maidens were bathing. Now, they had all submerged their bodies in the water, revealing only their heads above the surface. Each of them had furrowed eyebrows like willow leaves and glared with undisguised fury at Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm.
These maidens had hair black as waterfalls, slender arms like lotus roots, and crystalline, flawless skin. Even their figures beneath the water were faintly visible.
It was clear; they were all unmistakably beauties!
"So it's a group of seductress demons, using the essence of this thousand-year peach blossom grove and the waters of this cold lake to refine their physique," Ye Yunfei couldn't help but let out another bitter laugh.
The fact that this peach blossom grove was heavily arrayed with spatial restrictions made forceful entry from outside extremely difficult. Even if an expert attempted to break in, the commotion would surely alert those inside the grove, giving the demons advanced warning.
That's why these demons dared to bathe here with such peace of mind.
They never expected that the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, using its divine ability, would directly carry Ye Yunfei straight through and happen to land right beside the lake.