"That day when I fought the Heavenly God Palace Master, our battle carried all the way into the depths of the firmament. Though he was just a clone, his strength was no weaker than mine. I gained no advantage whatsoever, though of course, defeating me was also a tall order for him. We were evenly matched.
That fight took us to the very deepest part of the firmament. Later, by chance, our attacks landed on the same spot, tearing open a spatial rift. What lay beyond seemed to be another world.
Curious, the two of us temporarily ceased fighting and passed through the rift together, and thus we ended up entering that old battlefield.
That battlefield was far too dangerous. In order to deal with the attacks of the war remnant souls within it, I and the Palace Master had no choice but to join forces to resist them. Later, driven by curiosity, we ventured deep into that battlefield and accidentally stumbled into that valley.
Young Master Ye, you probably know most of what happened after that." The Demon Ancestor narrated to Ye Yunfei how he had mistakenly entered that ancient battlefield.
"I see.
You two were quite lucky to make it that far within that ancient battlefield," Ye Yunfei nodded with a smile.
"Indeed. Looking back now, that ancient battlefield was truly perilous. With my strength, I could have encountered dangers beyond my ability to handle at any moment.
Moreover, if Young Master Ye hadn't entered that battlefield and found me, I estimate I would never have been able to leave that valley," the Demon Ancestor nodded, a lingering fear in his heart.
"In any case, you are safe now," Ye Yunfei said.
"You should rest and recuperate properly within the Longevity Palace for now.
Return to the Eastern Barrens after a while.
I'll refine some pills for you that can boost your strength in a short time," Ye Yunfei told the Demon Ancestor.
Now that Ye Yunfei possessed a large batch of Jí, Niè, Jié, and even È-grade medicinal herbs, he could refine all sorts of high-level pills to help the Demon Ancestor advance rapidly. The reason he hadn't done so before was the lack of these high-grade materials and Heavenly Treasures and Earthly Elixirs, but now the conditions were finally met.
"Excellent!
Young Master Ye, I'll do exactly as you say!" Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, the Demon Ancestor couldn't help but perk up.
He knew Ye Yunfei wasn't one for exaggeration. If he said it, he was surely confident, and the Demon Ancestor was already looking forward to it.
Next, the Demon Ancestor began secluded cultivation to rest, while Ye Yunfei started pill refining.
Meanwhile, at the Heavenly God Palace headquarters...
The Heavenly God Palace on Primordial Continent had long since been eradicated. The vast majority of its forces had been slaughtered. Individual members who had escaped by chance had long since found places to hide.
Deep within the headquarters, inside a resplendent, golden-hued temple.
This temple was the Ancestral Temple of the Heavenly God Palace. Inside, row upon row of spirit tablets were arranged—the memorial tablets of the successive generations of the Heavenly God Palace's ancestors.
Among these tablets in the temple, about a dozen were embedded with soul imprints, representing over a dozen ancestors of the Heavenly God Palace.
The Heavenly God Palace on Primordial Continent was merely a branch, so of course it couldn't possibly house the actual spirit tablets of all the successive ancestors. These tablets were merely copies, brought here from the main headquarters, each infused with a faint trace of the respective ancestor's soul power, receiving the incense offerings and prayers of descendants here. This collection of willpower allowed the true remnant souls of these ancestors housed in the main headquarters' Ancestral Temple to absorb energy, enabling them to exist in the world for a longer time.
Every branch of the Heavenly God Palace offered such memorial tablets for these ancestors. It was a custom passed down from ancient times in the Heavenly God Palace.
In the center of this temple stood an ancient altar. It was a transmission altar, connecting to the Heavenly God Palace's main headquarters.
For a period of time now, a large force from the Longevity Palace had been guarding the surroundings of this temple. However, these Longevity Palace personnel maintained a distance from the temple, not daring to approach even half a step. This was under the direct orders of the Longevity Palace Master himself.
Suddenly, the transmission altar at the temple's center trembled faintly, then began radiating beams of brilliant, dazzling light as if it had been activated.
Moments later, the space above the altar suddenly split open, a transmission channel appearing as concentrated spatial energy wafted out.
Then, clear and dense footsteps echoed from within the transmission channel.
"Ahead is the exit!
We've finally arrived at Primordial Continent!" A voice filled with delight rang out from the channel. Then, rank upon rank of neatly arrayed forces were seen marching out from the channel.
The one at the lead was none other than the Heavenly God Palace Master!
Behind him trailed a large group of Star-Gazing Realm and higher realm experts, each radiating a powerful aura of energy that shook the space within the temple so violently it seemed barely able to endure.
"What exactly is going on?
Palace Master, is this really our Heavenly God Palace's branch on Primordial Continent? It looks so empty, so sparse in numbers," a Star-Gazing Realm expert sent out his soul power to scan outside the temple, discovering that the entire Heavenly God Palace headquarters was utterly empty save for a few patrolling personnel. It didn't look like the headquarters of a major force at all, and he couldn't help but voice his doubt.
"Indeed, Palace Master. Wasn't it said that our Heavenly God Palace branch on Primordial Continent was the strongest major power within this world?
How could it be so desolate?" Other Star-Gazing Realm and higher realm experts also perceived the situation, each feeling quite puzzled.
"It seems... our Heavenly God Palace branch has already been eradicated. Those patrolling outside are not our Heavenly God Palace's people," the Heavenly God Palace Master scanned the entire headquarters with his perception, his expression darkening considerably. He could more or less guess what had happened.
He often communicated with his own clone on Primordial Continent and was quite familiar with the situation of this branch.
"What?
This branch was eradicated?
Who would dare to be so bold as to touch our Heavenly God Palace's branch!" Upon hearing this, the Star-Gazing Realm and other experts were both shocked and enraged, torrents of fury soaring skyward, nearly blowing the roof off the temple.
"Everyone, calm down for now!
Let us inquire with our ancestors!" the Heavenly God Palace Master thought for a moment, then said in a clear voice.
"We pay our respects to our ancestors!" Then he walked before the memorial tablets of the Heavenly God Palace's successive ancestors, respectfully bowing and performing rites.
"We pay our respects to our ancestors!" All other Heavenly God Palace personnel behind him also bowed respectfully.
"For what reason do you disturb our peace?" Moments later, from one of the tablets emerged an elderly figure—one of the Heavenly God Palace's ancient ancestors.
"Your humble descendant Gu Feng pays respects to our ancestor!
Ancestor, our branch here has been destroyed. I wished to ask if our ancestors know what happened?
Who exactly was responsible?" The Heavenly God Palace Master respectfully asked.
"Oh?
This branch was destroyed?" The elderly figure was startled, immediately sending his perception out around the temple.
"What happened?" At this moment, from the tablets surrounding them, figures also emerged one after another.
Normally, the soul imprints of these Heavenly God Palace ancestors resided within their tablets, paying no mind to outside affairs at all unless high-ranking members of the Heavenly God Palace personally came here to awaken them; only then would they take note of external events.
It was precisely for this reason that Ye Yunfei had specifically instructed the Longevity Palace Master that during the assault on the Heavenly God Palace, they absolutely must not approach this Ancestral Temple, and even more so, must not enter the temple. Once these ancestors' soul imprints were awakened, it would invite many unnecessary complications.
Thus, these ancestors of the Heavenly God Palace only now learned that the branch had been wiped out!
"So it is!
For such a major event to occur, and we were indeed wholly unaware."
"It seems that when this branch was destroyed, our Heavenly God Palace's members simply had no time to come in here to inform us."
"How preposterous!
Our Heavenly God Palace belongs to the traditions of the Heavenly Emperor, renowned throughout the Three Thousand Worlds. And now, someone actually dared to eradicate our branch! This is an extremely grave provocation. If this news spreads, I'm afraid our Heavenly God Palace will become a laughingstock across the entire Three Thousand Worlds!
Retribution is absolutely necessary!" These ancestors of the Heavenly God Palace all flew into a rage.
"I know who did it!
It must be Ye Yunfei, the Eastern Barrens Army, and the Longevity Palace!
Gu Feng, you go and seek revenge on them, you won't be mistaken!
Especially that youngster Ye Yunfei—it must be he who led it!" Suddenly, one of the Heavenly God Palace ancestors angrily declared.
"Indeed, it must be inextricably linked to that youngster Ye Yunfei!" The other ancestors also nodded in agreement.
"Ye Yunfei?
That Ye Yunfei who possesses the Heavenly Dao Tower?" The Heavenly God Palace Master's expression sank as he asked.
"Correct, that's the youngster!
Gu Feng, directly seek him out—that is the right course!
Also, both the Eastern Barrens Army and the Longevity Palace are forces that follow him. They must both be eradicated as well to prevent future troubles!" one of the ancestors stated.
"Very well!
I understand. I will go and find Ye Yunfei immediately!
Our ancestors, please rest assured. I will certainly eradicate Ye Yunfei, the Eastern Barrens Army, and the Longevity Palace, and then rebuild this branch.
In not long, our Heavenly God Palace's branch here will once more become the most powerful force on this continent," Gu Feng (the Palace Master) nodded.
The primary purpose of his clone traversing to Primordial Continent was precisely to find Ye Yunfei and seize the Heavenly Dao Tower!
"Let's go!" The Heavenly God Palace Master waved a hand, leading the Heavenly God Palace forces as they marched out from the Ancestral Temple in a grand procession.
"Look, everyone!
A group has come out from the Heavenly God Palace's Ancestral Temple!" The Longevity Palace personnel patrolling the temple's vicinity noticed immediately, all of them quite shocked.
"Attention!
They are likely surviving remnants of the Heavenly God Palace, hidden within that temple all this time only to emerge now!
No wonder the Palace Master ordered us to guard here!
Move, surround them, don't let them escape!
And notify the Palace Master and all elders immediately!" A Longevity Palace captain waved his hand, commanding the Longevity Palace forces to encircle the area.
"Get over here!" As soon as that captain finished speaking, the Heavenly God Palace Master extended a hand, making a grasping motion from afar. In a flash, he seized the captain along with several hundred people beside him and dragged them over.
The Heavenly God Palace Master then proceeded to interrogate these Longevity Palace men.
At first, these Longevity Palace personnel showed backbone and refused to speak, but ultimately, unable to endure the Palace Master's cruel torture, they answered each question one by one.
Thus, the Heavenly God Palace Master learned the details of how this branch had been eradicated.
"Longevity Palace!" The Heavenly God Palace Master said coldly, his eyes icy. He slapped his hand, exploding the several hundred Longevity Palace personnel into clouds of blood mist. Then he unleashed a terrifying wave of energy pressure that crushed outwards in all directions, shaking all the Longevity Palace personnel patrolling both inside and outside the Heavenly God Palace headquarters to death.
The force stationed at the Heavenly God Palace headquarters and assigned to guard patrols by the Longevity Palace numbered about a thousand people. All of them were instantly annihilated by the Heavenly God Palace Master!
"Go!
We head for the Longevity Palace headquarters, and exterminate the Longevity Palace!" The Heavenly God Palace Master waved a hand, leading his Heavenly God Palace forces towards the Longevity Palace headquarters.