"Young human man, how goes it? Can you crack this restriction?"
One of the elders immediately transmitted this question to Ye Yunfei via the altar before him.
"I can.
I'll start breaking it now," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Excellent!
We finally have hope of escaping our confinement!"
Hearing Ye Yunfei's voice, the five elders of the Celestial Gold Race were utterly delighted.
"Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hun Lao, I need both of you to lend your strength as well. We'll channel spatial energy to crack the restriction within this altar," Ye Yunfei said to the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm and Hun Lao.
"You need our help too?" Hun Lao asked in surprise.
"This restriction is extremely sophisticated, and it contains an extremely violent spatial energy. At my current level of spatial mastery, I'm afraid I alone might not be able to suppress it," Ye Yunfei replied.
"In that case," Hun Lao mused, "the being who set up this restriction long ago was likely a highly skilled formation master, or perhaps a particularly formidable expert, maybe even a Heavenly Emperor."
"This restriction is infused with Gengjin Metal energy and laws; it was most likely set up by a high-ranking member of the Celestial Gold Race. No matter, let's not concern ourselves with who made it. We'll work together to crack it," Ye Yunfei stated.
Thus, Ye Yunfei began instructing Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm. The three of them acted in concert, releasing streams of spatial energy that rushed to collide with the restriction within the altar.
Since Ye Yunfei had already thoroughly studied this restriction and knew exactly how to dismantle it, the process proceeded very smoothly.
Boom…
Guided by Ye Yunfei, a mighty torrent of spatial energy accurately struck a single point on the restriction, bombarding it continuously.
Approximately half an hour later.
Pop!
With a light sound, the restriction inside the Teleportation Altar was directly shattered, vanishing completely.
"Splendid!
The restriction has truly been broken!"
Inside the ancestral temple within the Small World, the five elders of the Celestial Gold Race cheered in unison, their excitement reaching a peak.
"From this moment forward, we can venture into the outside world!" one elder exclaimed.
"I shall immediately gather our clansmen; we shall all leave this Small World together!" another elder declared.
"Wait.
We do not need to depart this Small World immediately.
We have resided here for an immeasurable span of years, ignorant of how the outside world has now developed.
If we abruptly leave this Small World and try to settle in the outside world, we cannot be certain we would adapt.
Let it be thus: this Small World shall remain our headquarters. We shall first dispatch a portion of our people to the outside world to gradually establish outposts, familiarize ourselves slowly with the outside world, and make further plans later," the most senior elder suggested.
"Mm, that is wise indeed.
We shall follow the Great Elder's idea," the other four elders, hearing his words, all nodded in agreement.
"Then it's settled. Let the five of us go out and take a look right away," the Great Elder said.
These five elders were the Celestial Gold Race's five chief elders, ranked from First Elder (Great Elder) down to Fifth Elder.
"Agreed!"
The other four elders were in full agreement, filled with anticipation.
"Young human man, we are preparing to teleport over.
Since this Teleportation Altar has not been used for a very long time, we do not know the current state of stability of the altar on your end. We beseech you to please aid us by inserting a batch of spatial crystals to activate it and facilitate our passage," the Great Elder transmitted to Ye Yunfei through the altar.
"Very well," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
He then took out a large number of Primordial Chaos spatial crystals and inserted them into the altar. With a wave of his hand, he directly activated the altar.
On the other side, the five Celestial Gold Race elders also activated the altar in their ancestral temple and then stepped onto it with palpable excitement.
Rumble…
The Teleportation Altar trembled gently, tearing open a spatial passageway. A teleportation beam enveloped and whisked away the five elders.
A short moment later.
Inside the underground palace.
A spatial tunnel appeared on the surface of the altar before Ye Yunfei. The figures of the five elders stepped out from within the passageway, standing upon the altar.
"They truly are members of the Celestial Gold Race," Ye Yunfei thought inwardly as he observed the five tall elders whose bodies shimmered with a golden light.
"Be careful! All five of them are Half-Emperors! I've already activated the Heavenly Dao Tower. If there's the slightest sign of trouble, we leave immediately," Hun Lao warned Ye Yunfei.
"Understood," Ye Yunfei acknowledged silently, retreating a short distance without drawing attention.
"Haha…
We are finally out!"
The five elders stood upon the altar, each one overjoyed to the point of tears.
Boom…
A terrifying, oppressive energy pressure radiated from their bodies, shaking the entire underground palace so violently it seemed rocked by successive tidal waves.
The golden coffins within the underground palace rattled and banged.
However, this underground palace was fortified with a large number of highly sophisticated defensive formations, which neutralized the majority of the energy pressure released by the five elders, preventing the palace from outright crumbling.
"These five old fellows are powerful, all of them seasoned Half-Emperors!" Hun Lao commented again to Ye Yunfei.
Eventually, after venting their agitated emotions for a while, one of the elders turned his gaze towards Ye Yunfei and spoke.
"Young human man, thank you for your assistance."
"No need for gratitude.
You provided sufficient payment. Naturally, I would act to help you," Ye Yunfei replied.
"Regardless, for you to come here and possess the ability to crack that restriction indicates a karmic connection between you and our race. It may have been predestined long ago that you would be the one to free us.
Young man, no matter what, you are a great benefactor to our race!" the Great Elder of the Celestial Gold Race proclaimed.
"Actually, that restriction was likely also set up by a high-ranking member of your Celestial Gold Race. Why would it trap all of you Celestial Gold Race members inside?" Ye Yunfei suddenly inquired.
This point intrigued him somewhat.
"Correct.
This restriction was indeed personally established by our Grand Elder Mage long ago," the Great Elder explained. "Our race underwent a great upheaval back then. We collectively fled into this Small World. To prevent pursuit and annihilation by the enemy, the Grand Elder Mage personally laid down this restriction, preparing to detonate it when necessary to destroy the entrance/exit of the Small World and bar the enemy from entering.
After setting this restriction, the Grand Elder Mage led a portion of the clan members to set a trap, ultimately perishing together with the enemy.
After the Grand Elder Mage fell, there was no one left capable of cracking this restriction.
Heaven has shown us pity, sending you here to aid us in breaking it!"
"So that's what happened," Ye Yunfei nodded in understanding.
"Young man, this underground palace still holds many treasures our race concealed here in ancient times. If you desire them, you may take some more," the Great Elder offered Ye Yunfei.
It was evident he felt immensely grateful to Ye Yunfei.
"That won't be necessary.
If possible, I would prefer some Bloodline Essence of the Celestial Gold Race. That is what I need most," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought.
"My race's Bloodline Essence?"
The five elders were all taken aback.
"Yes," Ye Yunfei confirmed.
"Young man, if I may ask, for what purpose do you need our race's Bloodline Essence?" the Great Elder inquired.
"To cultivate the 'Transform Body into Artifact' secret technique," Ye Yunfei replied frankly, without concealment.
Previously, as payment for breaking the restriction, these five elders had gifted Ye Yunfei one of the Celestial Gold Race's body-refining techniques: precisely the 'Transform Body into Artifact' secret art!
However, cultivating this art required possessing the racial bloodline of the Celestial Gold Race.
"Young man, are you implying that if we give you Celestial Gold Race Bloodline Essence, you can use it to cultivate the 'Transform Body into Artifact' secret art?"
Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, the five elders couldn't help but be astounded. The very reason they had so generously transmitted this secret art to Ye Yunfei was their belief that, as a human lacking Celestial Gold Race blood, he would be unable to cultivate it.
"How can this be?
Young man, even if we give you our race's Bloodline Essence, it is useless. Within your body flows a human's bloodline; you cannot cultivate a bloodline inheritance technique unique to our race.
As compensation, we are willing to bestow upon you a greater quantity of treasures," the Second Elder stated.
"I require no other things.
If possible, bestow upon me some Celestial Gold Race Bloodline Essence, and that will suffice," Ye Yunfei shook his head.
"Very well.
Young man, I agree," the Great Elder said to Ye Yunfei after the five elders exchanged glances and held a brief sound transmission discussion amongst themselves, reaching a decision.
The Great Elder raised his hand and lightly gestured, extracting a portion of bloodline essence from within his own body, sending it floating to appear before Ye Yunfei.
"My thanks to the five esteemed Seniors."
Ye Yunfei produced a jade vial and carefully stored the Bloodline Essence within it.