"The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Alright, I'll save you all then," Ye Yunfei said after a moment's thought.
As his words fell, Ye Yunfei pointed a finger, and the five spirit swords swept out in a churning whirlwind of blades.
Clang! Clang!...
The five spirit swords passed through, shattering every massive iron cage in their path.
Then, Ye Yunfei sucked in a breath, using his power to draw all the prisoners in the underground palace towards him, piling them up in front of him like a small mountain.
"I'll remove your seals now. You can escape on your own afterwards," Ye Yunfei said. With a wave of his hand, a powerful surge of spiritual energy shot towards the prisoners, dispelling the sealing techniques within each one.
None of the prisoners held here were weak; otherwise, they wouldn't have warranted confinement in this Western Heaven Prison. Some even possessed cultivation at the Heavenly Boundary Realm completion stage!
Hong! Hong!...
Ye Yunfei sensed terrifying auras descending rapidly into the underground palace from above.
"I'll open a passage now. You can follow me up to the surface through it," Ye Yunfei announced.
His voice faded as over two thousand Earth Dragons, including several hundred Black Dragons, were sent out from the Phantom Tower.
Rumble...
The mass of Earth Dragons formed a massive Earth Formation and charged towards a corner of the underground palace.
Boom!
The entire earth shook violently, causing the ground where the underground palace was located to begin collapsing, splitting open into wide, kilometer-deep fissures.
"Let's get out!" Ye Yunfei took the lead, rushing up through one of the fissures. He had already transferred all members of the Mao Clan into the Phantom Tower. Having rescued them, Ye Yunfei felt a weight lift off his shoulders. Half his objective for coming to the Sword Emperor Pavilion headquarters was complete. Now, the remaining task was to wreak havoc.
"Everyone, hurry! Follow this young master!" A disheveled elder, covered in bloodstains and tattered clothing, shouted loudly. "With such a huge commotion, the Sword Emperor Pavilion forces are sure to be upon us! Our only chance to escape this headquarters is likely by sticking with him!"
"But... this young master's realm appears to be only at the World Fusion Realm," a middle-aged man nearby frowned. "Within the Sword Emperor Pavilion headquarters, he probably can't even protect himself. How can he have the strength to protect us?"
The elder sneered, "Do you think a young man at the World Fusion Realm, no matter how skilled, could storm into the Western Heaven Prison at the Sword Emperor Pavilion's headquarters, stage a rescue, and destroy the entire prison? Your cultivation is at the early-stage Heavenly Boundary Realm. Your level is indeed higher than this young master's on paper. But could you do what he just did?"
"I couldn't," the man paused, then said in realization. "Let alone the rest, with my strength, even entering the Sword Emperor Pavilion headquarters would be a thousand times impossible, not to mention infiltrating this prison for a rescue. I understand your point. His true strength is nothing like it appears on the surface, is it?"
"Regardless, I'm following him. You can do as you please," the elder declared. His figure flashed as he sped after Ye Yunfei's retreating back.
Swoosh! Swoosh!...
A large group of prisoners immediately followed suit.
However, some prisoners hesitated, not fully believing the elder's words, as they had clearly sensed Ye Yunfei's cultivation was only at the World Fusion Realm.
"Let them go out first to draw the Sword Emperor Pavilion's attention," someone whispered. "We'll escape from another direction later. Perhaps our chances of survival will be greater that way!"
At least several hundred prisoners chose to remain in the underground palace, intending to escape from another exit later.
But just then...
Hong! Hong!...
Figures exuding fearsome auras poured into the underground palace. They were the Sword Emperor Pavilion's high-ranking experts.
These Sword Emperor Pavilion leaders rushed down through the underground passage. Ye Yunfei was shooting upwards through a freshly created fissure, so the two parties did not cross paths. Because Ye Yunfei's rescue operation was executed so swiftly, these Pavilion experts hadn't yet descended into the underground palace before Ye Yunfei began his upward escape.
"Damn it! All the prisoners in this prison have been released!" Seeing the scene in the palace, every one of the arriving experts grew furious.
"Oh no!" The prisoners still in the palace paled with fright at the sudden arrival of the Sword Emperor Pavilion high command.
Swoosh! Swoosh!...
One by one, the prisoners desperately threw themselves towards the ground fissure Ye Yunfei's group had just used.
But it was too late.
"Die! All of you!" An elder extended a hand that continuously expanded, reaching towards the prisoners.
Puff! Puff!...
The prisoners discovered to their horror that they were immobilized. Then, their bodies began exploding one after another, turning into clouds of blood mist. In the blink of an eye, all the remaining prisoners were slain!
Hong! Hong!...
Immediately after, the Sword Emperor Pavilion high-level experts shot up towards the surface.
High in the air above the surface, Ye Yunfei stood calmly, hands clasped behind his back, a cold smile on his face as he watched the Pavilion experts surge up from below.
"Ye Yunfei!" The Pavilion Master of the Sword Emperor Pavilion rose into the air, his furious gaze fixed on Ye Yunfei, his teeth clenched.
Dozens of high-ranking Pavilion members flanked the Pavilion Master, their gazes sharp as swords, all fixed on Ye Yunfei. Additionally, large numbers of Sword Emperor Pavilion members surged over from all directions, surrounding Ye Yunfei until he was utterly encircled.
Rumble...
The oppressive energy released by the Sword Emperor Pavilion high command felt like a boundless ocean, overwhelmingly surging towards Ye Yunfei's position. The skies darkened, heaven and earth trembled, as the entire world seemed to boil with turmoil.
Ye Yunfei stood calmly, hands behind his back, as if he did not consider the Sword Emperor Pavilion forces before him worth the slightest concern.
Around a thousand rescued prisoners huddled behind Ye Yunfei. Faced with the terrifying pressure, their faces turned ashen, their limbs weakened, and they nearly collapsed to the ground.
"We're doomed! Look! Those are Half-Emperor experts of the Sword Emperor Pavilion!"
"With so many Half-Emperor experts here, we are finished today. There's no escape!"
"If I'd known I'd encounter so many Half-Emperors, I'd have chosen to stay in that prison! At least there, I could still cling to life!"
Many prisoners trembled uncontrollably, babbling incoherently.
"Silence!" The bloodstained, tattered elder turned sharply and shouted fiercely at the complainers. "Can't you see Young Master is confronting the Sword Emperor Pavilion forces? If you wish to return to that prison, go by yourselves! Don't stand here distracting him while he faces the enemy!"
"He's right! If you're afraid, then get lost on your own! Don't hinder Young Master's battle!" Encouraged by Ye Yunfei's imperturbable composure, many prisoners also found themselves filled with hope. They instinctively moved closer to Ye Yunfei, preparing to stand with him against the enemy.
The Pavilion Master's gaze locked onto Ye Yunfei as he spoke slowly, each word dripping with cold intent. "Ye Yunfei, you have sheer audacity. Since the founding of our Sword Emperor Pavilion, no one has ever dared barge into our headquarters and wreak havoc like you. Since you have come today, don't even think about leaving alive! I shall show the world what awaits those who dare provoke the Sword Emperor Pavilion!"