A green flying boat sped through the skies above the Eastern Barrens.
"The Zhao Family will likely make a move against me next. If they want a fight, then so be it.
It's also time for me to gather all of my former subordinates from my previous life here in the Eastern Barrens.
Moreover, I have been in the Eastern Barrens for quite some time now. It's time to properly take control of the situation here, and when the time is right, I should leave."
Inside the flying boat, Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged, speaking to himself.
In his previous life, after roaming the Eastern Barrens for a period, Ye Yunfei had grown to become one of its most formidable experts, amassing a large following of loyal subordinates.
Although he had already tracked down some of them during this life, many others were still reachable.
Ye Yunfei's primary goal upon rebirth was to reascend to the position of Heavenly Emperor. To become a Heavenly Emperor, he could not remain in one place; he had to gradually move towards more expansive worlds.
A Heavenly Emperor was one of the supreme powerhouses among the Three Thousand Greater Worlds. Such a height could not be reached by holing up in one place and cultivating arduously.
One must endure hardships, grow through experiences, and gain insights along the way. Only after accumulating a sufficiently profound foundation could there be the ultimate possibility of achieving the fruition of an Emperor!
This was the lesson Ye Yunfei had learned in his previous life. Retreading this old path in this life, he already had a clear plan in mind.
At the same time.
Zhao Family Headquarters.
After news arrived that the Zhao Family Ancestor and several dozen other Zhao Family experts had perished in the Cangmang Sea, waves of grief swept through the headquarters.
"Second Brother, you and I, two siblings, labored for half a lifetime for the Zhao Family's foundation. We never enjoyed a single day of comfort. I never thought you would meet your end in the Cangmang Sea, with not even a trace of his remains was left."
Inside a magnificent palace hall, a large group of high-ranking Zhao Family members clustered around a red-robed elder.
The Zhao Family had two Ancestors, who were brothers.
The one who died in the Cangmang Sea was the younger brother, and this red-robed elder was the elder brother.
These two Ancestors were the pillars of the Zhao Family, its most crucial combat power.
Who would have thought that now, one of them had fallen!
This was a tremendous loss for the Zhao Family!
And besides an Ancestor, the Zhao Family had also lost several Dao Yuan realm experts and dozens of Life Palace realm experts in the Cangmang Sea.
The Zhao Family members found this news utterly unacceptable.
"Honored Ancestor, the Supreme Grand Elder of the Cangyan Sacred Sect sent someone to deliver this image jade slip."
A Zhao Family elder hurried into the palace hall and addressed the Zhao Family Ancestor.
As he spoke, he took out a jade slip and handed it to the Ancestor.
The Ancestor immediately activated the slip.
Instantly, a series of images floated out from the jade slip, depicting scenes of a vast sea where five ships were being assaulted.
"Look! That's the ship carrying our Zhao Family members at the time! Second Ancestor and the others were all aboard!"
The Zhao Family members quickly identified the ship carrying their experts.
These images recorded the process of those Zhao Family experts, including their Ancestor, being killed.
The Supreme Grand Elder of the Cangyan Sacred Sect had deliberately recorded these to bring back for the Zhao Family.
"Lü Yugang of the Four Directions Trading House, Heavenly Thunder and Tiansha of the Great Thunderclap Monastery, Su Fei of the Purple Palace Sect, and that ancient sea beast!
They were the main ones who killed our Zhao Family members. Second Ancestor also died at their hands!"
The Zhao Family higher-ups saw everything clearly. They gnashed their teeth, wishing they could charge into that sea at once to fight their enemies to the death.
"I never imagined they would possess so many Sentient Treasures. No wonder Second Brother fell at their hands."
After watching for a while, the Zhao Family's Senior Ancestor spoke with a grave expression.
"Those are Sentient Treasures?
No wonder their power was so terrifying!"
Hearing their Ancestor's words, the other Zhao Family higher-ups turned their gazes to the treasures wielded by Ye Yunfei and the others.
"Indeed. Only Sentient Treasures could possess such formidable power.
It's precisely by relying on these Sentient Treasures that they were able to unleash such formidable combat strength. Otherwise, they would have found it extremely difficult to kill Second Brother."
The Zhao Family's Senior Ancestor nodded in agreement.
"With five Sentient Treasures combined, even I would not be their match."
The Zhao Family Ancestor's expression was extremely grave.
"But they have killed so many of our Zhao Family members! This is an enmity as deep as a sea of blood, with no forgiveness! How can we simply let them off!"
Hearing the Ancestor's words, the other higher-ups felt immense indignation.
"This grievance must of course be avenged. Otherwise, the Eastern Barrens will have no place for our Zhao Family henceforth.
But we cannot act recklessly.
Our Zhao Family has suffered a great loss of vitality with the deaths of so many experts.
And that youngster Su Fei has backing from the Great Thunderclap Monastery, the Heavenly Dragon Monastery, the Four Directions Trading House, and the Eastern Barbarian Demonic Tribes—an immensely powerful coalition of forces.
Our Zhao Family alone cannot handle them.
If we wish to take revenge, we must be strategic. We cannot use brute force."
The Zhao Family Ancestor pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"The Honored Ancestor speaks reason. That Su Fei youngster has already made his mark and cannot be underestimated. To seek vengeance against him, we must give careful consideration.
Otherwise, not only will we fail to avenge ourselves, but we might even bring disaster upon our Zhao Family."
The Head of the Zhao Family nodded in agreement.
"Honored Ancestor, Head of the Family, envoys from the Corpse World have arrived."
At that moment, a Zhao Family steward hurried into the palace hall to report.
"Quickly! Show them in!"
Hearing this, the Zhao Family Ancestor felt his spirits lift.
Soon, three figures cloaked entirely in black robes, emanating dense corpse energy that made their true features impossible to discern, walked into the hall.
As these three black-robed figures appeared, the light in the hall abruptly dimmed, while an unfathomable expanse of bone-chilling black mist silently spread.
Seeing them, the Zhao Family Ancestor couldn't help but feel a shiver in his heart.
He could sense that these three were exceptionally frightening powerhouses.
"Are all the people from our Corpse World dead in the Cangmang Sea?"
One of the black-robed figures spoke.
His voice sounded as cold and sinister as though it came from the deepest reaches of the nine Nether Hells.
"Yes. Your Corpse World's people, along with ours from the Zhao Family, have all perished in the Cangmang Sea region. Not a single person returned."
The Zhao Family Ancestor nodded.
"They are the ones responsible.
I believe these should tell the story."
The Zhao Family Ancestor handed the jade slip delivered by the Cangyan Sacred Sect's Supreme Grand Elder to the speaker.
That black-robed figure directly activated the slip and re-watched the images recorded within.
"Very well. For daring to kill our Corpse World's people, they will pay the price."
The black-robed figure spoke again in that cold, sinister voice.
"Respected Envoys, these individuals possess considerable strength, wield Sentient Treasures, and are backed by several major forces. Dealing with them will not be easy."
The Zhao Family Ancestor said.
"What can those mere major forces of the Eastern Barrens amount to?
We are here this time, entrusted by the Corpse Lord, to join forces with your Zhao Family in recruiting all the major forces of the Eastern Barrens. They will all submit to our Corpse World, and simultaneously, we shall reap a batch of corpse sources."
The black-robed figure continued.
Recruit all the major forces of the Eastern Barrens!
Upon hearing these words, the Zhao Family Ancestor and all the higher-ups were shocked, left dumbfounded on the spot.
"R-respected Envoys... this... this matter is far too difficult. It's practically impossible to accomplish."
The Zhao Family Ancestor stared blankly for a moment before composing himself and replying.
"Since our Corpse Lord has issued this order, nothing is impossible.
The origins and the backing power of our Corpse World are absolutely beyond your imagination.
In any case, so long as your Zhao Family loyally follows our Corpse World, we will enable your Zhao Family to become the most powerful force in the Eastern Barrens, even one of the greatest forces across the entire Primordial Continent."
The black-robed figure answered.
The Zhao Family Ancestor and the higher-ups stared back, utterly stunned.
"Honored Ancestor, isn't the Corpse World just an ancient, traditionally transmitted force from our Eastern Barrens' past? Although it has always been mysterious, how could it possibly possess such formidable background and power?
Is he deceiving us?"
The Zhao Family higher-ups couldn't help but send voice transmissions to their Ancestor, asking one after another.
"I don't know.
It's true that the Corpse World is an ancient, traditionally transmitted force in the Eastern Barrens. It's extremely mysterious and has always been spoken of in the same breath as us, the major forces of the Eastern Barrens.
As for whether it possesses some greater background or deeper origins, I genuinely don't know."
The Zhao Family Ancestor shook his head.