"A mere clone possesses such strength... That Old Jiao is truly formidable. I can't compare to him! No matter how hard I try, I could never surpass him. It was true back then, and it's true now." The Mysterious Turtle couldn't help but sigh.
"You compared yourself to him in ancient times?" Ye Yunfei asked curiously.
"Yes. But it was me comparing myself to him. He has never deigned to compare himself to me. There was a period where surpassing him was my cultivation goal... but even now, I haven't achieved it yet." The Mysterious Turtle nodded.
"Just cultivate diligently. Your future achievements won't be inferior to his," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought.
"Hey, kid, what do you mean by that?" The Mysterious Turtle turned its head, staring at Ye Yunfei.
"Trust me on this," Ye Yunfei smiled.
At that moment, Sect Leader Liu and the other high-ranking members rushed out from within the headquarters and came before Ye Yunfei. "Su Fei, who was that senior just now...?"
"Sect Leader Liu, Ziwei Sect's current crisis has been resolved. I don't believe anyone will dare cause trouble at our sect for some time," Ye Yunfei said, his gaze sweeping into the distance where he detected numerous subtle but powerful auras quietly withdrawing.
"That's good." Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Sect Leader Liu and the elders couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. They held absolute faith in Ye Yunfei's words now. Since Ye Yunfei arrived at Ziwei Sect, the changes had been too immense! From a declining sect that was considered third-rate, they rapidly developed in a short time into a second- or third-tier force in the Eastern Barrens. Even the people from major powers had repeatedly retreated in defeat at Ziwei Sect, unable to gain any advantage!
Thus, Sect Leader Liu ordered that the sect's members could now come and go freely.
Not long after, astonishing news began to spread across the Eastern Barrens. The patriarch of the Eastern Wasteland Demon Race had emerged from the Heavenly Demon Forest, fiercely killed a powerhouse from the Heavenly God Palace, then gone to Ziwei Sect and slain several old antiques who were besieging it!
Once the news spread, the entire Eastern Barrens was thrown into an uproar! One must understand, the Demon Race Patriarch was once a figure who commanded respect across the entire Primordial Continent in his time, a major character who grew up in the same era as the Heavenly God Palace Master.
It was said that in ancient times, this Demon Race Patriarch and the Heavenly God Palace Master were both outstanding members of the Primordial Continent's younger generation, having competed fiercely on the same stage. However, this Demon Race Patriarch suddenly fell into obscurity later, not showing his face for countless years, which sparked endless speculation.
Who could have imagined he would suddenly reveal himself now and stand up for Ziwei Sect so dominantly!
"It seems the Eastern Wasteland Demon Race truly views Ziwei Sect as an ally! Could it be that Ziwei Sect, the supposedly declined Imperial Dao Tradition, is truly destined to rise again?"
"Have you forgotten? Besides the Eastern Wasteland Demon Race, the Four Directions Trade Association and the Great Thunderclap Temple are also Ziwei Sect's allies. So, it's best to avoid provoking Ziwei Sect!" Many people sighed and murmured.
And so, in the following days, when members of Ziwei Sect traveled through the Eastern Barrens, very few dared to provoke them openly. Only disciples from major powers who had feuds with Ziwei Sect occasionally clashed with them. However, they dared not openly harm Ziwei Sect's people either. After all, even the Demon Race Patriarch personally intervened to help Ziwei Sect — the impact of that event was simply too great!
"I truly never imagined that old Jiao would still be alive, and from the looks of it, in decent condition. Pass down the order: our Zhao Clan's people are not to provoke Ziwei Sect or that young man called Su Fei for the time being." A voice emerged from deep within the Zhao Clan's ancestral grounds.
"Yes." The current clan leader of the Zhao Clan stood respectfully before the ancestral ground and answered.
"However, that Su Fei has caused our Zhao Clan substantial losses and stripped us of our dignity. To just let him go like this is... bitter," the Zhao Clan Leader added after a moment of hesitation.
"Just follow my words. That old Jiao is not one to be trifled with. He was notoriously hot-tempered back in the day, capable of anything if provoked. Didn't you see? Even the Heavenly God Palace fears him. Do you think our Zhao Clan's strength can be compared to the Heavenly God Palace?" The voice echoed once more from the ancestral grounds.
"I understand," the Zhao Clan Leader had no choice but to bow his head in agreement.
Deep within the headquarters of the Cangyan Sacred Sect, several figures with deep, unfathomable auras sat cross-legged within an isolated hall.
"This time, our church lost an elder. It seems that old Jiao simply holds no regard for our Cangyan Sacred Sect. He killed our elder without hesitation," one of the figures spoke.
"He also killed the powerhouse from the Heavenly God Palace with a wave of his hand. Do you think he holds the Heavenly God Palace in regard?" another figure remarked.
"How should we deal with this matter?" a third voice questioned.
"We won't deal with it. We'll observe for a while first. No one knows the true condition of that old Jiao right now. It is unwise to act rashly," a fourth figure concluded.
"Very well. We'll observe for a period first," the hall fell silent for a moment before one of the figures whispered in agreement.
Not only the Zhao Clan and the Cangyan Sacred Sect, similar scenes played out within other major forces. A large group of old antiques, who had been eagerly stirring into action to seize the Imperial Dao Inheritance from Ziwei Sect, all fell silent, choosing a stance of watchful waiting.
Inside the ancestral temple of Ziwei Sect:
"Hey, kid, if that old Jiao hadn't come, were you planning to make a move yourself to deal with those fellows?" the Mysterious Turtle asked Ye Yunfei.
"Not myself. I would have mobilized some of Ziwei Sect's latent resources. With my current strength, I'm still no match for those old geezers," Ye Yunfei shook his head.
"You're a strange one. Your familiarity with Ziwei Sect far surpasses even mine. You even reactivated the grand defensive formation. You wouldn't happen to be the long-lost illegitimate child of one of Ziwei Sect's ancient patriarchs or high elders, would you? Or perhaps a secret disciple recruited in the outside world?" The Mysterious Turtle's two eyes fixed on Ye Yunfei, scrutinizing him up and down as if trying to see right through him.
"Don't bother trying to figure me out. It's useless. You won't see through my origins. All you need to know is that my goal is to make Ziwei Sect rise again," Ye Yunfei gave a light smile.
"Alright then." The Mysterious Turtle stared at Ye Yunfei for a while longer but couldn't glean anything. He finally gave up.
"Next, I might leave Ziwei Sect for a while and go traveling. Keeping Ziwei Sect safe will be your responsibility," Ye Yunfei said.
"I'll do my best." The Mysterious Turtle crawled to the entrance of the ancestral temple, lying lazily under the sun just outside the main door as he replied.
Afterward, Ye Yunfei had Sect Leader Liu send people to purchase a large batch of formation materials. Then, he personally took action, once again laying down numerous formations and danger zones both inside and outside the headquarters, fortifying the entire place into a tightly defended stronghold.
"It's time for me to travel outside a bit. It's time to seek out some of the close friends I made in the Eastern Barrens in my last life, re-establish some of the connections I built, and visit the followers I gathered. There are also a few forbidden lands I need to explore. And some of the karmic fortunes I encountered in my previous life should be retrieved." Ye Yunfei stood atop a mountain peak, gazing beyond the headquarters as he murmured softly.
In his previous life, Ye Yunfei had experienced a period of fiery, adventurous wandering in the Eastern Barrens. He made many friends and recruited a large group of loyal followers. It was precisely this chapter of his life that laid the solid foundation for his later growth into a Heavenly Emperor!
Now, Ye Yunfei intended to visit those old acquaintances. Ever since arriving in the Eastern Barrens recently, Ye Yunfei had dedicated most of his energy to Ziwei Sect, focusing intently on how to boost the sect's power.
Now that Ziwei Sect's development was on track, Ye Yunfei felt he finally had time to travel extensively throughout the Eastern Barrens.
"Moreover, throughout the long flow of history, our Ziwei Sect has lost many things. Those things always belonged to Ziwei Sect. I must find an opportunity to reclaim them," Ye Yunfei said softly.
As a heritage left behind by a Heavenly Emperor, Ziwei Sect had always been a target for countless powerhouses across the Primordial Continent. In its history, the sect had been invaded several times by external enemies, losing many valuable artifacts. Ye Yunfei intended to take them all back.
"Also... regarding the Ziwei Great Emperor, is he truly dead or still alive? And where is he now?" Ye Yunfei turned his gaze toward the ancestral temple, speaking to himself.
Ye Yunfei understood... a Great Emperor is incredibly difficult to truly perish! Even if one perished, there might be another way for their existence to continue within the world! He himself was the prime example!
"The Ancient Barrens Great Emperor, the Ziwei Great Emperor, and myself... Originally, Heavenly Emperors were the supreme existence across the Three Thousand Realms. Why have so many Heavenly Emperors encountered misfortune? Was it merely by chance... or is there some mysterious force lurking in the void, targeting Heavenly Emperors specifically?" These thoughts swirled within Ye Yunfei's mind.
"I will eventually investigate this matter thoroughly!" He murmured after pondering for a moment.