"Let me refine that Vermilion Bird Skeleton?"
The Vermilion Bird King, upon receiving Ye Yunfei's Sound Transmission, was taken aback for a moment. He then shifted his gaze toward Ye Yunfei.
Prior to this, the Vermilion Bird King hadn't paid much attention to Ye Yunfei, considering him merely an ordinary junior. It was only after receiving the Sound Transmission now that he began to carefully size Ye Yunfei up.
Immediately, an expression of slight change flickered across the Vermilion Bird King's face. Although his current condition was dire, his perception was still incredibly powerful. He discovered that this young human seemed most extraordinary!
"Who is this youth?" the Vermilion Bird King asked the Third Prince.
"He is my daughter Zi Qiong's son. By that count, he is also a descendant of our Miao Clan," the Third Prince replied.
"So that is how it is. Truly, a youth to be reckoned with! One family, mother and two children, each one an elite. Excellent," the Vermilion Bird King remarked, nodding upon hearing this.
"Young man, I appreciate your kind intentions. However, the essence of this Vermilion Bird Skeleton has already..." the Vermilion Bird King transmitted after a moment of thought, intending to decline.
"Don't underestimate this skeleton," Ye Yunfei interjected before the king could finish. "This skeleton has surely been forged through unimaginable trials over millennia. Its intrinsic value might not be any lower than the bloodline and heritage it contains within. If you refine it, you might just get a pleasant surprise."
Listening to Ye Yunfei's words, a stir arose in the Vermilion Bird King's heart. He directed his Soul Power toward the Vermilion Bird Skeleton, probing it. A look of delight surfaced on his face — clearly, he too had recognized the skeleton's extraordinary nature.
"Are you two truly willing to gift me this skeleton?" the Vermilion Bird King immediately transmitted to Miao Ziqiong and Xiao Fei.
He understood that if Miao Ziqiong and Xiao Fei did not consent, he might not be able to approach the Vermilion Bird Skeleton, as that spectral Vermilion Bird was standing guard beside it, protecting them.
"Yes, Vermilion Bird King. My father pleaded on your behalf, and I have agreed. Please come and refine the skeleton," Miao Ziqiong nodded.
"Very well. I never imagined I, the Vermilion Bird King, would owe a favor to two juniors. My thanks!" the king said with genuine gratitude.
"Everyone, this is the famed Vermilion Bird King. Today, we will accomplish a grand feat — slay this Vermilion Bird King together!" At this moment, the old wizard pointed at the Vermilion Bird King and declared to the other Dark Faction experts.
Hundreds of Dark Faction experts focused their gazes on the Vermilion Bird King, brimming with eagerness.
"All clansmen, a critical moment testing our Miao Clan has arrived! Unite and protect Lord Vermilion Bird King together!" a Miao Clan Elder roared.
Following the Elder's words, the majority of the Miao Clan members began to move, clustering protectively around the Vermilion Bird King.
Even the Second Prince made his choice, leading his trusted followers toward the Vermilion Bird King.
After all, the Vermilion Bird King had always been the spiritual pillar of the entire Miao Clan! Now that he had appeared, the normally divided Miao Clan forces began to develop cohesion, to unify.
Only the Da Wangye and a portion of his close followers remained standing where they were, hesitating and indecisive.
"Elder Brother, do not persist in your delusion. No matter what, you are a member of our Miao Clan. In such a moment as this, all members of our clan should unite and face our external foes together," the Third Prince looked toward Da Wangye and gently advised.
"Heh-heh... Da Wangye, do you think if you return to the Miao Clan now, they will still accept you? Will you have a chance to be as glorious as before? More importantly, this time, our Dark Faction will inevitably devour the Miao Clan. The entire Miao Clan will have to submit to our Dark Faction, or face death! Given your relationship with me, I will directly make you the new Vermilion Bird King! So, consider carefully which side you choose!" The old wizard sneered.
Just at that moment.
*Swoosh!*
The Vermilion Bird King's figure flashed, dashing to the side of the Vermilion Bird Skeleton. To everyone's surprise, the spectral Vermilion Bird standing guard did not obstruct him at all.
When the Vermilion Bird King arrived beside the skeleton, Miao Ziqiong and Xiao Fei each took a few steps back, yielding the space to him.
The Vermilion Bird King directly sat cross-legged beside the skeleton and began to refine it, executing some sort of secret art. Having once been an expert at the Heavenly Emperor level, he naturally possessed extremely profound refinement secrets.
One arcane mystical rune after another continuously emerged from his body, flowing inexhaustibly into the Vermilion Bird Skeleton.
"Not good! The Vermilion Bird King is preparing to refine the skeleton! Everyone, attack!" Seeing this, the old wizard was both shocked and enraged. He gave the order.
*Boom! Boom! Boom...*
Several hundred Dark Faction beings erupted simultaneously, like several hundred sacred mountains. The oppressive energy pressure they unleashed nearly overturned the entire palace. Fortunately, this palace seemed to have been specially arranged with mysterious runes reinforcing it, making it incredibly sturdy.
"All Miao Clan members heed this order! Protect Lord Vermilion Bird King with your lives!" the Miao Clan Elders bellowed in unison.
The majority of the Miao Clan members immediately assumed battle stances, preparing for a fight to the death.
"Do we leave now, or do we help this Vermilion Bird King?" Hun Lao transmitted the question to Ye Yunfei.
"According to Emperor Yan, the Dark Faction beings are the common enemy of the entire universe of Three Thousand Worlds. The source of the Cataclysmic War lies with the Dark Faction. Now that we have encountered them, naturally, we must intervene. As for the grudges between me and the Miao Clan, we can set them aside for now," Ye Yunfei replied after a moment's thought.
In fact, Ye Yunfei now understood that the persecution his family had suffered ultimately originated from Da Wangye and the old wizard! Therefore, Ye Yunfei couldn't bring himself to feel too much animosity toward this Vermilion Bird King, especially since the king had just ordered the Miao Clan members to protect Miao Ziqiong and Xiao Fei.
"All men, heed the order! Immediately form the Ancestral Formations! Avoid fighting alone!" At this point, the Third Prince commanded in a grave voice.
*Boom! Boom!...*
Formations rapidly took shape, one after another.
"Deploy the Six Armors Six Guardians Deity-Slaying Formation!" Ye Yunfei released several dozen Half-Emperor experts and shouted commandingly.
These Half-Emperors had already deployed this formation once before. Now, setting it up again was naturally very fast. In the blink of an eye, the Six Armors Six Guardians Deity-Slaying Formation was complete.
"Mother, Xiao Fei, the two of you have just acquired the Vermilion Bird's bloodline and heritage. You are in a weakened period. Immediately enter the Phantom Tower to cultivate in seclusion," Ye Yunfei directly teleported Miao Ziqiong and Xiao Fei into the Phantom Tower, instructing them.
"Kill! Slaughter all who resist! Leave none alive!" By now, the old wizard had already led the charge with several hundred Dark Faction beings. Taking the vanguard, his power was terrifying. With merely one punch, he blasted dozens of Miao Clan members into nothingness.
A Half-Emperor expert from the Miao Clan tried to rush forward to block him, only to be slapped by the old wizard into a bloody mist.
"Frightening. Aside from the Six Armors Six Guardians Deity-Slaying Formation, no one else can confront this old fiend," Ye Yunfei inwardly noted, watching the old wizard whose aura soared to the heavens.
*Rumble...*
The next moment, Ye Yunfei charged forward with the Six Armors Six Guardians Deity-Slaying Formation to meet the old wizard head-on.
The Six Armor Spirits and the Six Guardian Spirits materialized simultaneously, rushing to attack the old wizard.
"Boy, your formation can't stop me!" the old wizard roared.
The old wizard then engaged the two Deities in battle.
Despite fighting two against one, he quickly gained the upper hand.
The dozens of Half-Emperor experts under Ye Yunfei continuously poured their energy into the two Deities, supporting them with all their might.
"If the battle drags on like this, the Dark Faction beings will definitely gain the advantage! I must think of a way," Ye Yunfei surveyed the battlefield and saw that although the Miao Clan forces had formed several Ancestral Formations, they were being steadily pushed back under the assault of hundreds of Dark Faction beings.
The reason was simple — all these Dark Faction beings were at the Half-Emperor level. They were simply too strong.
"You all come out as well. Join the formation and help sustain its operation!" After a thought, Ye Yunfei released another twenty Half-Emperor experts from the Heavenly Dao Tower, integrating them into the Six Armors Six Guardians Deity-Slaying Formation.
Ye Yunfei himself then detached from the formation, turning to charge towards the other Dark Faction beings.
"Dammit! How does this kid have so many Half-Emperor experts following him!" The old wizard was both shocked and furious.
*Swoosh!*
Executing his spatial shifting technique, Ye Yunfei took a single step to appear behind a Dark Faction being.
"Spatial Reversal Technique!" Ye Yunfei directly unleashed this spatial secret art. Vast, mighty waves of temporal energy enveloped that Dark Faction being.
The Dark Faction being was locked in fierce combat with Miao Clan members. Sensing Ye Yunfei suddenly appear behind him, he was horrified. Trying to turn and face the enemy, he found his body paralyzed, an expression of terror spreading across his face.
*Rumble...*
A fist erupting with rolling thunderbolts constantly grew larger, sweeping horizontally.
The next moment, this Dark Faction being was inundated by terrifying arcs of lightning and serpentine electricity. Then, with a *pu* sound, he was struck by Ye Yunfei's fist and exploded, dissolving into a cloud of black mist.
*Whoosh...*
The Blood Clan doppelganger appeared, inhaling forcefully. It devoured this Dark Faction being's origin blood essence and even his Soul Body.
An instant kill!
With Ye Yunfei's current strength, facing an average Half-Emperor expert was sufficient for a one-shot kill!
"Five Elements Immortal-Slaying Sword Formation!" Ye Yunfei pointed with a finger. Five Half-Emperor level long swords appeared simultaneously, forming a sword array that swept forward in a rolling massacre, directly shredding a Dark Faction being into fragments, obliterating half of his body.
*Roar! Roar!...*
A massive wheel rose, majestically rolling and crushing forward. Nine divine beasts stood within the wheel's nine palace grid, combining their strength to push it. Wherever it passed, it directly ground another Dark Faction being into pieces.
Next, seven enormous golden spheres shot out from Ye Yunfei's dantian simultaneously, soaring into the air and radiating billions of golden rays.
Seven Stars Illumination!
Wherever these seven golden spheres shone, the movements of the Dark Faction beings became restricted, as if they were carrying an invisible sacred mountain on their shoulders.
Ye Yunfei was now simultaneously unleashing several ultimate killer moves, their lethality terrifying. Wherever he went, he swiftly dispatched one Dark Faction being after another.
Had he continued to tangle with the old wizard, he wouldn't have achieved such results. He would only have been locked in a stalemate. Hence, Ye Yunfei chose to break away to deal with the other Dark Faction beings.
"Brat, you're seeking death!" Seeing Ye Yunfei slaughtering Dark Faction beings one after another as easily as cutting melons and vegetables, the old wizard flew into a rage.
"This young man's battle prowess is too frightening!" The Miao Clan members witnessing Ye Yunfei display such astonishing combat strength were all thoroughly shocked, barely able to believe it.
"Fortunately, our Miao Clan didn't choose to battle this young man to the death earlier! Given the combat power he's displaying now, I'm afraid even if all the members of our entire Miao Clan attacked him together, they wouldn't be his match!"
Some high-ranking members of the Miao Clan secretly felt relieved, their hearts still trembling with lingering fear.
One had to remember, not long ago, the Miao Clan forces had considered Ye Yunfei their enemy!