Inside the pit, Du Fan was sitting cross-legged, seemingly having entered a state of zen-like meditation.
In front of him, sitting upright, was a snow-white human skeleton.
"What are you doing, Du Fan? Coming to such a dangerous place—do you not want to live?" Ye Yunfei spoke as he started stepping forward, intending to enter the ancient pit.
However, as soon as Ye Yunfei's foot was about to cross into the pit, a fearsome force of energy burst forth from within, sharp as an extraordinary divine sword, slashing towards him.
Surprised, Ye Yunfei raised the longsword in his hand to block.
A loud clang resounded, and Ye Yunfei was forced to stumble back several steps, the sword nearly flying out of his grasp.
"How terrifying! What on earth is inside this pit? Even a Half-Emperor level sword almost couldn't block it!" Ye Yunfei was inwardly shocked, gripping his sword tightly, ready to counterattack at any moment.
However, that dreadful force of energy did not reappear.
"Wait! That energy that attacked me just now—it felt like a Geomancer's technique!" Ye Yunfei sensed a familiar aura, that of a Geomancer, as if one hidden in the shadows had made a move. Yet, this method of attacking using intangible energy was something Ye Yunfei was encountering for the first time.
"Brother Ye, you should go back. I'm fine. I am in seclusion cultivation here and won't leave for at least a few years. This underground world is extremely dangerous, an ominous place. You should leave quickly," Ye Yunfei received Du Fan's voice transmission at that moment.
"Seclusion cultivation? Du Fan, what exactly are you up to? If this place is so ominous, why did you come here to cultivate?" Ye Yunfei asked curiously.
"It's a long story. After I left the Eastern Barrens, I wandered and adventured across various regions of the Primordial Continent. I first went to the Central Divine Land, then the Northern Desert and the Western Plains, and finally came to the Southern Ridge. While traveling here, I accidentally obtained an ancient compass at an underground market specializing in antiques. That ancient compass held an imprint of Soul Power, one left behind by an ancient Geomancer. Following the guidance of that Soul Power imprint, I eventually came here. The human skeleton before me now is the owner of that imprint—an ancient Geomancer. He has accepted me as his disciple and is currently imparting his lineage to me. Brother Ye, don't worry about me; I'm perfectly fine. You'd better hurry back. This place is very dangerous. If not for my Master's help, I would never have been able to come here," Du Fan replied.
"Ah, so that's how it is." Hearing Du Fan's words, Ye Yunfei suddenly understood. It seemed Du Fan had stumbled upon a stroke of luck!
Ye Yunfei's gaze fell upon the snow-white human skeleton, and indeed, he could sense the aura of a Geomancer. It appeared the owner of these bones had indeed been a Geomancer in life. The energy attack from earlier must have been his doing.
"This Geomancer must have possessed overwhelming power in life! It seems the pinnacle the Geomancer lineage can reach far surpasses my imagination!" Ye Yunfei looked at the skeleton, somewhat astonished.
"Alright then, I'll head back. Be careful," Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said to Du Fan. Since Du Fan was cultivating here in seclusion, Ye Yunfei couldn't very well stay and keep him company.
"Don't worry. My Master, though deceased, still has the power to ensure my safety. This pit may seem inconspicuous, but my Master has made many arrangements here. It's not easy for anyone to force their way in," Du Fan replied.
"True enough." Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement. Given his own strength, even wielding a Half-Emperor longsword, he had failed to enter. Probably no expert in the entire Primordial Continent could step half a foot into that pit.
"Soon, I may be leaving the Primordial Continent. By the time you finish your seclusion and emerge, I should already be in another world, the Feixian Continent," Ye Yunfei informed Du Fan of his imminent departure.
"Oh? Brother Ye, you plan to leave the Primordial Continent? Well, I've long known you wouldn't stay in one world forever. From the Tianxuan Continent, to the Canghuang Realm, to the Primordial Continent, and now the Feixian Continent..." Du Fan was first taken aback, then shook his head with a bitter smile.
"Alright then, go ahead and leave. When my strength is sufficient in the future, perhaps I will also visit the Feixian Continent," Du Fan said.
"Don't worry, I'm leaving, but I will return. I will definitely come back to the Primordial Continent. If you want to go to Feixian, I can take you there anytime," Ye Yunfei said with a laugh.
"By the way, has your Master told you about the origins of this underground world? Why are there so many terrifying, mysterious entities here?" Ye Yunfei suddenly thought to ask.
"I haven't asked him that yet. As soon as I arrived, my Master had me begin cultivation. I'll ask him about it later," Du Fan shook his head and replied.
"Alright then, I won't disturb your cultivation any further." Hearing this, Ye Yunfei decided not to interrupt Du Fan further and took his leave, for he suddenly sensed a faint wave of displeasure emanating from the skeleton in front of Du Fan, seeming to urge him to depart promptly.
After ascending from the abyss, Ye Yunfei led Elder Ruan and the other Longevity Palace members away from the eerie mountain range.
Once out of the mountains, Ye Yunfei bid farewell to Elder Ruan and returned to the Eastern Barrens.
Half a day later, moving at astonishing speed, Ye Yunfei returned to the headquarters of the Ziwei Sect in the Eastern Barrens.
"Ye Yunfei, you're back so soon! Did you find Du Fan?" Seeing Ye Yunfei return after only a day and a bit, Sect Leader Liu found it hard to believe.
"I did. He's safe. He is in seclusion cultivation; no need to worry about him," Ye Yunfei replied.
"What about the others? Have you managed to find all the people I asked you to locate?" Ye Yunfei asked. Besides Du Fan, he had also asked Sect Leader Liu to help find all his old friends and relatives.
"Apart from Du Guhuan, everyone else has already returned to the Ziwei Sect headquarters," Sect Leader Liu replied.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei met up with Ji Yue, Situ Kong'er, Ji Yan, Murong Pei, Princess Zhuque, Jiang Yanran, Wu Heishan, Xiao Hui, Yuan Dayong, Wen Zi, and even old friends from the Tianxuan Continent like Zhou Mu.
Furthermore, high-ranking members from the Ye Family, the Guardian Academy, the Qingyun Palace, and many others were all present.
Ye Yunfei had returned to the Canghuang Realm several times, bringing nearly all those closely connected to him to cultivate in the Primordial Continent from now on.
Now, as the undisputed number one figure in the Primordial Continent, Ye Yunfei could suppress the entire continent. The sole superpower of the Central Divine Land, the Longevity Palace, was essentially Ye Yunfei's faction as well. Therefore, Ye Yunfei could rest assured letting all those close to him reside and cultivate in the Primordial Continent.