"You young folk have troubled yourselves to brave such peril entering this battlefield. Knowing the Light Faction has descendants like you brings me great comfort."
Daoist Wufa looked at Ye Yunfei and the others, nodded, and spoke words of praise.
"Elder, can you tell us where your true body is?" Yan Xiaoquan asked.
"Back then, I only dispatched a clone to this battlefield. My true body was on another battlefield; I came here to reinforce our lines. Therefore, I have no idea what happened to my true body. The person presiding over this battlefield for our Light Faction was my junior brother, Daoist Zhenfa. Let's do this: I'll take you to find him, and find the other high-level members of our Light Faction within this battlefield," Daoist Wufa replied.
"Young man, I suppose you have a way to take me and move around this battlefield," Daoist Wufa said, turning to Ye Yunfei with a smile. Having seen Ye Yunfei moving Tan Feng around, he had guessed as much.
"Elder, the power of your Remnant Soul is exceptionally strong. All it needs is a slight boost in Soul Force Energy, and then if I help you set up a Soul Matrix within your soul sea, you'll be able to move freely around this battlefield yourself," Ye Yunfei said, sensing Daoist Wufa's aura before speaking. Although Daoist Wufa was also fused with this battlefield, becoming a War Remnant Soul, his power far exceeded Tan Feng's, making it much easier for him to break free from the battlefield's constraints.
"Is that true? Young man, it seems you are deeply knowledgeable in matters of the soul. As an Earth Immortal, even my understanding of Soul Force Energy may not surpass yours. So, in this state, how can I enhance my Soul Force Energy?" Daoist Wufa asked.
"Elder, allow me to assist you," Ye Yunfei said. Having just successfully boosted Tan Feng's Soul Force Energy using one of the Soul Race's core heritage secret arts was not a difficult task for him.
Ye Yunfei waved his hand and took out a batch of Spatial Immortal Crystals, preparing to help Daoist Wufa.
"Haha, young man, as an elder, how can I waste your cultivation resources? I have some immortal crystals here; use mine. Moreover, after using what you need, you can keep all that remains in this spatial ring," Daoist Wufa said, taking out a spatial ring and sending it floating before Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei probed it with his Soul Power and found the ring contained a vast quantity of immortal crystals, many of which were Immortal Grade Soul Crystals. Without standing on ceremony, Ye Yunfei took out a large portion of the Immortal Grade Soul Crystals and began using the Soul Race's heritage secret art to help Daoist Wufa increase his Soul Force Energy.
"It truly works!" Daoist Wufa exclaimed with some surprise, feeling his Soul Force Energy begin to rise continuously. Moments later, it had grown by a significant margin, brimming with an intense power.
"We're both from the younger generation, yet I feel I fall far short of Brother Ye. Being with him is quite a blow to my self-esteem," Wu Wang sighed helplessly as he watched Ye Yunfei's methods from the side.
"You only needed to know it in your heart; must you say it out loud!" Yan Xiaoquan glared at Wu Wang.
Then Ye Yunfei proceeded to construct a Soul Matrix within Daoist Wufa's soul sea.
"This is Soul Race technique!" Daoist Wufa exclaimed, feeling his soul sea become at least ten times more robust, and he shot a startled look at Ye Yunfei. However, he didn't press the matter; as an elder, he wouldn't pry into a junior's secrets.
"Elder, from now on, you can remain conscious and move freely within this battlefield. And, elder, you'll also be able to leave this battlefield with us when the time comes," Ye Yunfei told Daoist Wufa.
"Really? Ye Yunfei! Can Elder Daoist Wufa really leave this battlefield with us? That's fantastic! It means we've found a powerful master, completing one of our tasks!" Yan Xiaoquan was overjoyed upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words. As the team leader, she was constantly mindful of their mission.
"Of course it's true," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Now, I'll take you all around this battlefield first, to look for other masters from our Light Faction," Daoist Wufa said.
"Then we must trouble you, Elder," Yan Xiaoquan said excitedly.
Next, Ye Yunfei, Hun Lao, and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm worked together again, continuing to move the patch of space on which everyone stood, traveling across the battlefield.
"Let's only look for those with strength at the Initial True Immortal level or higher. There are too many Heavenly Emperors and Profound Immortals; they don't count as masters," Daoist Wufa said.
"Yan Hu! It's him!" Shortly after, Tan Feng pointed at a burly man in the distance locked in combat with Dark Faction forces and shouted.
At a glance, Ye Yunfei deduced that this Yan Hu's power in life was at the Perfected True Immortal level, the same as Tan Feng!
"Yan Hu was the sect master of the Black Tiger Sect from the Thousand Origins Realm back then, a man of great renown in that world. In the previous World-Destroying War, he led the entire Black Tiger Sect to participate. Look, most of the War Remnant Souls around Yan Hu are members of the Black Tiger Sect. But it seems that in this battle, the entire Black Tiger Sect was annihilated. Their lineage is likely severed... a pity," Tan Feng said sorrowfully as he watched Yan Hu in the distance.
"Young man, if you don't want the Black Tiger Sect's legacy to be lost forever, you can go communicate with Yan Hu now and ask him to entrust you with it. The two of us can accompany you to plead your case," Daoist Wufa said to Ye Yunfei with a smile.
"A good idea! We should try it!" Tan Feng immediately agreed after hearing Ye Yunfei's intention.
Thus, under the strong suggestion of Daoist Wufa and Tan Feng, Ye Yunfei repeated his earlier technique. Working with Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, he walked over and cleaved out the patch of space where Yan Hu stood. Yan Hu regained his awareness immediately.
As Tan Feng and Yan Hu were already acquainted, communication was smooth, and Yan Hu soon gave his approval to Ye Yunfei and the others. Then, at Daoist Wufa and Tan Feng's urging, Yan Hu agreed to pass on the legacy of the Black Tiger Sect to Ye Yunfei, also giving him all the treasures still in his possession, as they held no use for a mere War Remnant Soul like him.
Ye Yunfei used the Soul Race's heritage secret art to enhance Yan Hu's Soul Force Energy and also constructed a Soul Matrix within his soul sea. This way, Yan Hu's Remnant Soul would not weaken over time but might actually grow stronger! This was the unique power of Soul Race secret arts!
Among the treasures Yan Hu gifted Ye Yunfei were a batch of Immortal Grade Soul Crystals, all of which Ye Yunfei returned to him, taking the other treasures away.
"Yan Hu... fell in battle on this battlefield," Yan Xiaoquan quietly took out a jade slip and recorded Yan Hu's name.
Afterward, guided by Daoist Wufa, they quickly found one high-level expert after another who belonged to the Light Faction. Unfortunately, they discovered all these experts had perished!
For every True Immortal expert they encountered, Daoist Wufa and Tan Feng urged Ye Yunfei to make contact, help enhance their Soul Force Energy, and set up a Soul Matrix. Most of these True Immortal experts chose to pass on the martial techniques and methods they cultivated to Ye Yunfei, gifting him the treasures they still possessed as well. Only a small minority of True Immortal experts refused to pass on their legacies to Ye Yunfei, as they came from major forces with heritage spanning long epochs, which they assumed would survive the World-Destroying War. Naturally, they were unwilling to casually transmit their forces' legacies.
Overall, having Daoist Wufa and Tan Feng present made interactions with the Light Faction experts proceed quite smoothly. And so, as the number of discovered Light Faction masters increased, so did Ye Yunfei's collected legacies and treasures. Any warrior heading to battle would stockpile various resources and treasures, which would become ownerless property upon their death on the battlefield.
Of course, Ye Yunfei didn't hoard these legacies and treasures alone but made it clear to Yan Xiaoquan and the other four that they would distribute everything equitably later. Unbeknownst to them, Ye Yunfei's group had already made contact with over a hundred True Immortal experts' War Remnant Souls.
"A War Remnant Soul of an Earth Immortal expert!" Ye Yunfei suddenly called out.
In the distance, a white-robed man, wielding a longsword, cleaved out razor-sharp sword radiances, slaying one Dark Faction expert after another.
"Yes. His name is Hu Feng, a truly renowned powerhouse in the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds back in his day. Let's go," Daoist Wufa said with a smile.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei's group successfully made contact with this Earth Immortal expert's Remnant Soul and restored his consciousness. Through conversation, they learned that this Earth Immortal expert named Hu Feng had fallen on the battlefield long ago, leaving only a Remnant Soul.
Finally, Hu Feng gave his heritage and remaining treasures to Ye Yunfei. In return, Ye Yunfei boosted his Soul Force Energy and built a Soul Matrix in his soul sea.
"This is Soul Race technique... Before long, I should be able to break free from the constraints of this battlefield completely," Hu Feng said with a hint of pleasant surprise.
"Elder, would you wish to leave this battlefield and return with me?" Ye Yunfei ventured to ask.
"No. I'll stay here. However, when the next World-Destroying War comes, this Remnant Soul of mine will still participate. Young man, remember to come fetch me then, to take me to the true battlefield!" Hu Feng thought for a moment upon hearing Ye Yunfei's question, then spoke.
"Hu Feng, what you said... is also what I intended. I, too, wish for this Remnant Soul of mine to participate in the next World-Destroying War," Daoist Wufa said after a slight pause, nodding firmly.
"Elders, not just you two. My Remnant Soul also yearns to participate in the next World-Destroying War! It's just a pity that my Remnant Soul is far weaker than yours and likely cannot truly escape this battlefield. Young man, you seem proficient in soul arts. Could you perhaps help me? If possible, when the next World-Destroying War begins, please come back here and bring me out, take me to the real battlefield! I still thirst for battle!" Following Hu Feng's and Daoist Wufa's statements, Tan Feng also spoke up, casting an expectant gaze toward Ye Yunfei.
"To come back and bring you out..." Ye Yunfei was taken aback by Tan Feng's words.
Daoist Wufa and Hu Feng were Earth Immortal experts whose Remnant Souls were relatively strong, making it easier to escape this battlefield. But Tan Feng's Remnant Soul was comparatively weaker, making escape considerably more difficult.
"Elder, if the power of this Remnant Soul keeps increasing, there is hope you can break free from this battlefield," Ye Yunfei said after thinking.
"Here's the thing, elder. I will return to this battlefield when the time comes and find a way to bring you out. Once my strength is sufficient, it shouldn't pose a great difficulty," Ye Yunfei added.
"Young man, I think... in this entire battlefield, every War Remnant Soul belonging to the Light Faction yearns to return to the true battlefield. So, when the next World-Destroying War arrives, why don't you try and bring as many of our Light Faction's War Remnant Souls from this battlefield as possible? Let them contribute their remaining heat and light," Daoist Wufa spoke slowly, listening to Ye Yunfei and Tan Feng's exchange.
"Yes. I agree with this. I understand better than anyone the thoughts of our Light Faction's War Remnant Souls here in this battlefield. Their greatest desire is to fight the Dark Faction!" Hu Feng nodded heavily.
"Alright! When the time comes, I will exert my utmost to bring as many of our Light Faction's War Remnant Souls from this battlefield as possible," Ye Yunfei nodded and agreed.
In the following time, under Daoist Wufa's guidance, Ye Yunfei's group continued moving across the vast battlefield, searching for Light Faction masters.
Ultimately, they found War Remnant Souls of over two hundred and thirty True Immortal experts and eleven Earth Immortal experts—including Daoist Wufa and Hu Feng, as well as Daoist Wufa's junior brother, Daoist Zhenfa!
Among them, one hundred and ninety True Immortal experts were confirmed to have perished on the battlefield, and nine Earth Immortal experts were confirmed dead.
For over forty True Immortal experts and two Earth Immortal experts, the fates of their true bodies remained unknown, whereabouts lost. However, through communication with the Remnant Souls they had left behind on this battlefield, Ye Yunfei learned some clues about the possible whereabouts of their true bodies.
At the same time, Ye Yunfei had harvested a sea of cultivation resources and treasures! Along with a huge batch of legacy techniques! His haul was immense!
"Elder Daoist Wufa, we are preparing to leave this battlefield now. Will you come with us?" Ye Yunfei asked Daoist Wufa.
"I think I'll remain here for now. I'll leave when the timing is right," Daoist Wufa said, looking around the 'bustling' battlefield for a moment and then speaking softly.
"Very well," Ye Yunfei knew not to force the issue.
"Ah, yes. If possible, continue searching for clues about my junior brother Daoist Zhenfa's whereabouts. I suspect he isn't truly dead," Daoist Wufa said to Ye Yunfei.
"Elder, rest assured. Our mission is precisely to find those missing experts. We will do our best to seek them out, even if there's only a thread of possibility," Ye Yunfei replied.
***
"Finally found this battlefield. Good. Now, let's capture all the Remnant Souls here and take them back as... nourishment. These War Remnant Souls are all premium essences of spiritual bodies." As Ye Yunfei and the others were roaming this battlefield, seeking out Light Faction True Immortal experts, several black-clad figures stealthily entered the area. One of them looked at the densely packed War Remnant Souls covering the battlefield and spoke with indifference.
"Yes, let's begin. But be careful. This ancient battlefield has formed its own unique laws. Every time we come here, we can only collect a portion of the War Remnant Souls. Taking too many at once would destabilize this ancient battlefield's law balance, triggering violent energy and law upheavals. We wouldn't be able to leave then. We must rely on long intervals, multiple trips, slowly weakening this battlefield before we can finally take all the War Remnant Souls," another black-clad figure said.
"Enough talk. Let's start. We must hurry; we still have to head to the other ancient battlefields. Recently, the other resource collectors have been achieving good results. We few can't fall behind, or we'll face punishment and be doomed," a third black-clad figure stated.