In a remote corner of the Eastern Barrens, within a primeval forest.
A streak of golden light flashed, and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm appeared, taking stock of the vast wilderness before it. Towering trees dominated the landscape everywhere; thick vines snaked through the woods like dragons, and from the depths of the dense jungle came ferocious beast roars and piercing bird cries that stirred the soul, accompanied by terrifying bestial auras soaring into the sky.
"This place is untouched by man. Here will do; no need to look further," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm spoke.
"Alright, here it is." Ye Yunfei appeared beside the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, gave a nod as he surveyed this boundless primeval jungle, and then flashed down into a grassy, verdant valley. He sat cross-legged and began circulating the Greenwood Emperor Body.
Whoosh… One after another, azure-green talismans flew out from within his flesh, permeating in all directions. Soon, every plant in the vicinity reacted, releasing vast amounts of green mist that howled towards the valley where Ye Yunfei sat, converging like multiple green rivers before pouring into his body.
When cultivated to the transcendent realm, the Greenwood Emperor Body births a supernatural ability: it can absorb the life force of surrounding plants in the world to replenish one's own vitality.
Thus, to Ye Yunfei, this vast, boundless primeval forest was an exceptional natural place for recovery and healing.
Hu… Hu… Ye Yunfei continuously circulated the Greenwood Emperor Body, the suction force generated within him growing stronger and stronger. Before long, all plants within a several-mile radius began to wither, yellowed leaves falling through the air. Their life force had been completely drained by Ye Yunfei!
Ye Yunfei moved, arriving at another spot a few miles away, then continued unleashing the Greenwood Emperor Body to absorb the life force of the surrounding vegetation.
And so it went, Ye Yunfei shifting his location every so often. Wherever he went, the plants around him were quickly drained of life force, withering and wilting into dead branches and fallen leaves.
As he absorbed more and more life force, Ye Yunfei's physical condition began to gradually improve. His snow-white hair slowly started to darken. The wrinkles on his face also began to gradually smooth out.
Several days later, nearly half of the primeval forest spanning thousands of miles had withered. Those gigantic trees that once scraped the sky, their life force drained, were left as nothing but charred, dead wood.
While Ye Yunfei recovered in the primeval forest…
At Zhao Family Headquarters.
In the main hall.
"Report! According to reliable information, a terrifying battle took place in Shuyue City two days ago, destroying half the city. These past two days, Shuyue City has been under reconstruction," a scout reported as he entered the hall.
Patriarch Zhao, Beast Taming Sect Leader Ba Dong, Patriarch Gan, Patriarch Meng, and Patriarch Lü, along with some other core members of these five powers, were all present. Upon hearing the scout's report, each wore a look of deep anxiety.
"Skip the rambling! What was the outcome of the battle! Spit it out! Did Su Fei die or not!" Patriarch Zhao roared, as all eyes in the hall bore into the scout. The leadership of these five factions had spent the last two days waiting in this hall for news, nearly frantic with impatience.
"The outcome... Su Fei... didn't seem to die…" the scout hesitated, stammering as he spoke.
Hearing this, everyone in the hall felt as if their heads had exploded, struck by a thunderclap, nearly collapsing on the spot.
"Impossible! With the five ancestor masters, plus Primordial Chaos Realm assassins from Tianyou Tomb, how could they possibly fail to kill that Su Fei brat! He should be dead without a doubt! Are you sure you saw clearly?!" In his agitation, Patriarch Zhao grabbed the scout's collar, shouting furiously.
Pu! The energy pressure Patriarch Zhao released was too terrifying; in his rage, he directly injured the scout severely on the spot, causing fresh blood to bubble from the scout's mouth.
"Mercy, Family Head!" the scout pleaded in fright.
"Patriarch Zhao, release him. Let him speak clearly," Ba Dong said.
"Speak! What exactly happened!" Patriarch Zhao let go of the scout, shouting his demand.
"Family Head, when that battle occurred, I was nearby, watching the entire time. Su Fei truly did not die…" the scout sprawled on the floor, speaking cautiously. Of course he knew what result the leadership of these five powers wanted to hear, but he also knew he could only tell the truth. If he dared deceive them, he would die even more horribly.
Hearing the scout's words, everyone in the hall turned pale as ghosts, the heavy atmosphere thickening to an intolerable point.
"And what of the five ancestor masters!" Patriarch Zhao asked after a long silence.
"The five ancestor masters... have all fallen... and the six Tianyou Tomb assassins... were also all killed by Su Fei. Due to the immense energy fluctuations at the battle site, I couldn't clearly see the specifics of the fight, but I saw the outcome clearly…" the scout said carefully.
"How could it turn out like this… It's over. With Su Fei alive, we are finished…" Expressions of utter despair and bitter resentment clouded the faces of the core members from the five great powers.
In Shuyue City.
Inside the Council Hall.
Despite having been half-destroyed during the intense battle, the city had now been restored to its former state.
"What do you all think… how is Young Master Su faring now?" a high-ranking officer of the Tianxuan Army spoke up.
After Ye Yunfei's departure, the Tianxuan Army had remained stationed in Shuyue City, anxiously awaiting news.
One day later, the Demon Race Ancestor also rushed to Shuyue City upon receiving the report. Learning that Ye Yunfei, fighting single-handedly, had slain five ancestor-level cultivators and six Primordial Chaos Realm assassins left the Patriarch utterly speechless on the spot. He then hurriedly departed, stating he would try to find Young Master Su to see if he could offer any assistance.
"Young Master Su possesses extraordinary means, and fortunes favor the blessed. He shouldn't be in peril," another high-ranking officer answered.
After the battle two days prior, Ye Yunfei's prestige within the Tianxuan Army skyrocketed once more. Every member revered him to the extreme. Slaying five ancestor masters and six assassins of Primordial Chaos Realm strength from Tianyou Tomb, all by himself—such combat power was nothing short of earth-shattering to the martial artists of the Eastern Barrens!
And this was a youth with the cultivation level of a mere Life Palace Realm! Such a dazzling performance couldn't even be fully described as monstrous!
"If Young Master Su can pull through this, he will undoubtedly become one of the supreme powerhouses of the entire Primordial World in the future!" a high-ranking officer declared.
"Correct! That is beyond doubt!" others in the hall nodded in agreement.
"Everyone! The ancestor masters of the five great powers—the Zhao Family, Beast Taming Sect, Gan Family, Meng Family, and Lu Family—personally came to deal with Young Master Su. It goes without saying, the six Tianyou Tomb assassins were certainly hired by these five powers to assassinate him! From this moment forward, these five powers are mortal enemies, absolutely irreconcilable with our Tianxuan Army! We must settle accounts with them and avenge Young Master Su!" Suddenly, a Tianxuan Army high-ranking officer stood up, his voice sharp.
"Well said! We must settle accounts with them! Let's go! We will engage these five powers in a decisive, life-or-death battle!" Other officers roared in response, the group's emotions boiling over.