"Is this what you call a great Central Continent force?
They were utterly crushed!"
One of the Elders from the Primordial Heterogeneous Race sneered, shaking his head as he watched the remnants of the Central Continent Army fleeing for their lives in the distance.
The Central Divine Land martial artists watching from afar blushed with shame upon hearing the Elder's words.
All along, it had been the warriors of the Central Continent who looked down upon the Eastern Barrens. Never did they imagine the tables would turn today.
In less than a day, news of the Eastern Wasteland Army's crushing victory over the Central Continent Army spread with astonishing speed throughout the entire Central Divine Land.
The entire region was instantly sent into a frenzy.
"What?
An army composed of a dozen great Central Continent forces was routed and forced to flee in a mere moment, with more than half dead or wounded?
I don't believe it! Someone must be spreading nonsense!
Don't believe rumors, don't spread rumors!"
"Four Shattered Star Realm experts from the Central Continent and dozens of Mind Star Realm experts were killed?
How is that possible?
Could it be that Su Fei killed them all?
That young man Su Fei is too terrifying. It seems we underestimated his true power!"
"I heard Su Fei didn't participate in this battle at all!
Those Central Continent experts weren't killed by Su Fei!
They say the Eastern Wasteland Army has its own batch of Mind Star Realm and Shattered Star Realm experts!"
...
At first, everyone who heard the news refused to believe it, dismissing it as false information. But soon, various details of the great battle spread. Many witnesses who had been watching nearby swore testimonies, and even some surviving members of the Central Continent Army personally confirmed it. Finally, everyone had to believe.
"Good heavens!
I always thought the Eastern Barrens was a weak, backwards place. How wrong I was! The Eastern Barrens is actually this powerful!"
"From now on, whenever we encounter people from the Eastern Barrens, we can no longer treat them as we did in the past. We must be careful and try not to provoke them!"
...
Many martial artists across the Central Divine Land began to change their long-held views of the Eastern Barrens.
It could be said that the strength displayed by the Eastern Wasteland Army instantly elevated the status of the Eastern Barrens within the Primordial Continent!
"How could this be!"
Roars of unwillingness echoed from within the Central Continent Army's headquarters.
Inside one of the larger command tents, almost all the high-ranking officers of the Central Continent Army had gathered, each with a somber expression.
Among them were three elders covered in wounds, their auras feeble and weak. They hung their heads dejectedly, sighing repeatedly.
These three elders were none other than the Star Shattering Realm experts who had suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the Eastern Wasteland Army's high command and fled not long ago.
The Central Continent Army had dispatched seven Star Shattering Realm experts to deal with the Eastern Wasteland Army, believing they could easily annihilate them. Never did they expect casualties would be so severe.
"So, the forces of the four factions—the Eastern Wasteland Demon Race, Earth Kill, the Heavenly Dragon Ancient Monastery, and the Primordial Heterogeneous Race—all came?"
An elder in cyan robes standing nearby asked.
This cyan-robed elder was also a Shattered Star Realm expert.
"Yes.
I had heard of these four factions before, but I always thought that, being factions from the Eastern Barrens, their strength was limited at best.
I never imagined their power would surpass even the legends.
You could say none of these four factions are weaker than our great powers in the Central Divine Land.
Especially that Superior Master from the Heavenly Dragon Ancient Monastery. I simply did not dare face him head-on.
"
As he spoke of the recent battle, one of the elders who had escaped back shuddered with lingering fear and sighed.
"Everyone, so long as the Eastern Wasteland Army remains undefeated, there will be no peace for our Central Divine Land!
However, with the strength of our Central Continent Army as it stands, we are no match for the Eastern Wasteland Army.
Therefore, I urge you all to immediately send messages back to your respective factions. Request that more experts, more troops be dispatched to strengthen the overall combat power of our Central Continent Army!
Then, we shall go and exterminate the Eastern Wasteland Army!"
A high-ranking officer of the Central Continent Army declared.
"Quite right. With our Central Continent Army's current strength, it is impossible to continue the fight against the Eastern Wasteland Army.
The only method is to request reinforcements."
An elder lamented.
Following this, these high-ranking officers all sent sound transmissions back to their respective factions, reporting the specifics of the situation.
In truth, the twelve factions making up the Central Continent Army had already received news of the crushing defeat. Anguished roars echoed from within each faction's headquarters.
Originally, these twelve factions believed that, given the power of them being great factions of the Central Divine Land, dealing with an army hailing from the Eastern Barrens would be as easy as turning over one's hand.
The only person these twelve factions feared was Ye Yunfei.
They never expected the Eastern Wasteland Army to suddenly produce so many Shattered Star Realm and Mind Star Realm experts, leaving them caught completely off guard.
In particular, when these factions heard that the Ancestor of the Donghuang Demon Race was one of the leaders of the Eastern Wasteland Army, their expressions grew especially grave.
For, in a bygone era of the Primordial Continent's history, the Ancestor of the Donghuang Demon Race had once shaken the entire continent with his might!
During that era, the various superpowers of the Central Divine Land had to lower their heads, not daring to encroach upon the Eastern Barrens in the slightest, solely because the Demon Ancestor was there!
Later, the Ancestor of the Donghuang Demon Race suddenly went into seclusion. Over the long passage of time, he never appeared again. Gradually, the superpowers of the Central Divine Land began to forget about him, thinking that the old Demon Ancestor had likely grown weak with age, or might even have passed away.
Only a select few top-tier experts knew that the Ancestor of the Donghuang Demon Race had encountered some issues with his physical body and had been in deep slumber within the Heavenly Demon Forest.
Who could have imagined he would suddenly emerge in the Central Divine Land now!
"Immediately dispatch reinforcements to deal with the Eastern Wasteland Army!
No matter what, we must exterminate them!
If we don't, they will surely come looking for us to settle accounts!
That brat Su Fei holds grudges against the smallest slights; he will never let this go easily!"
Finally, after discussions, the high command of the twelve factions agreed unanimously to send more experts and more troops to deal with the Eastern Wasteland Army.
Soon, experts from the twelve factions brought large contingents of troops, flowing ceaselessly toward the Central Continent Army's camp to assemble there.
Meanwhile.
Within the camp of the Eastern Wasteland Army.
Inside one of the tents.
"Young Master Su, what about Dandan…?
Did you rescue her?"
Lü Yugang looked at Ye Yunfei, his tone filled with anticipation.
As soon as Ye Yunfei had returned, all the high-ranking experts of the Eastern Wasteland Army had gathered. The moment Lü Yugang saw Ye Yunfei, the first thing he asked about was Lü Dandan.
"Council Master Lü, I… did not bring Miss Lü back..."
Ye Yunfei hesitated for a moment, forcing himself to say the words.
Originally, Ye Yunfei had promised Lü Yugang he would definitely rescue Lü Dandan. But now, he hadn't brought her back.
"What?
Then… something has happened to Dandan?"
Upon hearing this, Lü Yugang's face instantly turned ashen. He staggered back a step, strength leaving him.
He had cherished this daughter like the apple of his eye since she was little, doting on her immensely. He couldn't bear the news that something had befallen her.
"Council Master Lü, Miss Lü is still alive. But her situation is quite… complicated. Please, let me explain first."
Ye Yunfei said.