"The lad has done well indeed! He truly hasn't disappointed us!" After receiving the news, Old Man Chu and Chan Master Tianwu were both extremely pleased.
"It's just that Ye Yunfei has stirred up such a ruckus that the Dark Faction will likely want to kill him with even greater intensity. The Dark Faction will undoubtedly focus on dealing with him next. So, it's possible he's already in danger." Chan Master Tianwu suddenly said with a hint of worry.
"Yes, the Dark Faction will certainly devise ways to deal with Ye Yunfei. We should stay vigilant; if we discover he's in danger, we'll dispatch help immediately." Old Man Chu nodded.
"I've sensed several powerful auras during this time, faint yet discernible, in the north. Could it be that those few old fellows from the Dark Faction are finally about to reveal themselves? We must maintain constant vigilance. The moment those old fellows appear, it will likely signal the true moment of decisive battle." Old Man Chu gazed northward, his expression grave.
"Indeed." Chan Master Tianwu also looked toward the north and nodded.
Both Old Man Chu and Chan Master Tianwu understood clearly in their hearts that what they were experiencing was merely the initial phase of the World-Destroying War. So far, the forces on both sides were engaged in scattered skirmishes, wearing each other down with victories and losses on both sides. The truly great, decisive battle had yet to begin.
"Our true selves... it's about time for us to return as well," Chan Master Tianwu murmured to himself.
"Also, during this period, more and more experts from the Demon Realm, the Demon World, the Underworld, the Dark Realm, and quite a few Special Worlds have been quietly traversing the Three Thousand Worlds. These Special Worlds have not declared support for either faction, or support neither. In any case, we must also regularly keep an eye on the denizens of these Special Worlds to prevent them from stirring up trouble." Old Man Chu stated.
"Actually, what we truly need to worry about is that legendary Dark Ancestor. Although this Dark Ancestor has never appeared during any of the previous World-Destroying Wars, I have heard this title mentioned many times from the mouths of Dark Faction experts. If this Dark Ancestor is the true founding ancestor of the Dark Faction, wouldn't he be even stronger than those few old fellows? If such a Dark Ancestor truly exists, can our Light Faction handle him?" Chan Master Tianwu spoke with deep anxiety.
"We will do our utmost. If the few most ancient experts of our Light Faction return, perhaps they could deal with this legendary Dark Ancestor." Old Man Chu said.
*
"Haha... Commander Ye! Another bountiful harvest! Let's continue!" Inside a Dark Faction nest, after purging the Dark Faction members there, the five Elders of the 35th Battalion led their troops in scouring the world. Their plunder was exceedingly rich. They laughed heartily as they approached Ye Yunfei, with Elder Chi speaking first.
During this period, following Ye Yunfei to annihilate one Dark Faction nest after another had been truly exhilarating for these five Elders!
The forces of the 35th Battalion all clustered around Ye Yunfei at this moment.
Destroying over a dozen Dark Faction nests had not only killed a large number of Dark Faction personnel but also yielded a sea of various resources and treasures!
Ye Yunfei had ordered that the resources and treasures acquired during this period be allocated based on need for the cultivation of the 35th Battalion. Having experienced a series of battles and now possessing sufficient cultivation resources and treasures, most members of the 35th Battalion had seen tremendous improvements in their strength.
"Right! Commander Ye, let's press on!" Elder Zhuo also spoke up.
All the others gazed at Ye Yunfei with fervent eyes, awaiting his order.
During this period, Ye Yunfei had completely solidified his position as the absolute core of the entire 35th Battalion, even becoming its spiritual pillar!
"No. We'll head back temporarily for now, to rest and recuperate." After thinking for a moment, Ye Yunfei spoke.
For some reason, Ye Yunfei had begun to feel a sense of unease.
"Why?"
The five Elders had assumed Ye Yunfei would, as before, lead them to continue targeting other Dark Faction nests. They hadn't expected him to say this. Elder Qi couldn't help but ask.
"Our operations over this period have destroyed thirteen nests. We've definitely attracted the attention of the Dark Faction's higher-ups. It's possible they've already sent people to investigate our 35th Battalion, perhaps even dispatched a major force to deal with us. Under these circumstances, our battalion should first lay low, return, and rest for a while." Ye Yunfei explained slowly.
"Hmm... Commander Ye makes a valid point. Our 35th Battalion annihilating over a dozen Dark Faction nests in one go must have certainly drawn the attention of their higher-ups." After hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Elder Qi nodded in agreement.
"Commander Ye, even if our 35th Battalion has attracted the Dark Faction's attention, so what? We aren't fighting alone. They have armies, but our Light Faction has Thirty-Six Battalions. At most, we can join forces with other battalions to form an army and go toe-to-toe with them!" Elder Qian stated.
"That's right! Commander Ye, we've slain so many Earth Immortal experts of the Dark Faction during this time, even wounding their Advanced Earth Immortals one after another, forcing them to flee in disgrace! So far, the Dark Faction's strength appears nothing special. We need not fear them!" Elder Zhao also spoke up.
The 35th Battalion's battles had gone so smoothly recently that these five Elders held little fear toward the Dark Faction. They hoped to press on with their momentum and destroy even more Dark Faction nests.
"No, we'd best not underestimate the Dark Faction. Their overall strength is formidable. I don't believe it's suitable to confront them head-on yet. Doing so would only result in unnecessary casualties on our side. Besides, after this period of combat, many in our 35th Battalion have accumulated sufficient experience and resources. Let's return first and have everyone go into seclusion to cultivate and enhance their strength. We'll wait for an opportunity before continuing our operations." Ye Yunfei shook his head and stated firmly.
"This... Well, alright. Since Commander Ye says so, we'll do as he says."
The five Elders of the 35th Battalion hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded one after another, agreeing with Ye Yunfei's decision.
*
Just at this moment, outside the nest, tall, black-robed figures began appearing one after another, silent as ghosts.
"All our clansmen within this nest have been killed. It was likely the work of the Light Faction's 35th Battalion. Today, we've finally tracked them down!" one of the black-robed men said in a deep voice.
"I've already ascertained that the leader of the Light Faction's 35th Battalion is called Ye Yunfei! A young human lad!" another black-robed man added, his voice equally heavy.
"So, it's that kid Ye Yunfei!"
"Good. Today, we'll settle both old and new scores!"
...
The other black-robed men all spoke up, their hatred toward Ye Yunfei intense. Moreover, all these black-robed men had heard of Ye Yunfei.
"We'll split into two groups. Part of us will stay outside to prevent his escape. The rest will enter this nest and surround and kill Ye Yunfei! This brat has thwarted our Dark Faction's major plans on multiple occasions. He must not be allowed to live!" the first speaker continued.
"It's said this Ye Yunfei possesses a highly formidable teleportation treasure that allows for long-distance transmission. That's somewhat troublesome. We must encircle and suppress him quickly. Once he escapes, catching him will likely be very difficult." a black-robed man beside him said.
"I've brought one of our Dark Faction's teleportation treasures this time: a Teleportation Altar. It can also perform long-distance teleportation. Heh, in matters of magic treasures within this spacetime, our Dark Faction definitely doesn't lag behind others." The one who spoke first let out a cold laugh. With a wave of his hand, a black altar appeared before him, emanating powerful spatial energy.
"Let's go. We'll use this Teleportation Altar to enter now, catching that brat completely off guard."
The black-robed man stepped directly onto the altar. The others also quickly stepped onto it.
With a soft hum, the black altar trembled lightly and vanished.
The next moment, this black altar appeared inside the world ahead.