"Alright, Senior. You should head back."
Ye Yunfei understood Mr. Liu's feelings and replied.
"That Dark Ancestor already has his eye on you. Like me, he only sent an avatar into the Colorless Abyss. His true form is quite formidable. If you stay in this region of spacetime, he will come looking for trouble sooner or later, as he suspects you have already obtained Deity treasures and legacy. Why not come back with me? As long as you stay by my side, you won't have to fear him," Mr. Liu said to Ye Yunfei, his tone laced with concern for the young man's safety.
"Senior, I want to stay here. The Light Faction and the Dark Faction are currently at war. I am a member of the Light Faction and cannot run away. Furthermore, this region of spacetime is my homeland. The Dark Faction now seeks to destroy it. I will not hide and stand idly by," Ye Yunfei contemplated for a moment before answering.
"Hmm. Your character somewhat resembles mine from back in the day," Mr. Liu looked at Ye Yunfei and nodded.
"Alright then, I will employ two methods to assist you. First, I shall use a divine ability to form and implant a technique seal into your Soul Sea. This seal can thoroughly conceal the aura of your Soul Body for six months. Even that Dark Ancestor would find it difficult to sense and lock onto you from a distance unless he arrives right beside you. However, this seal can only protect you for half a year; afterwards, it will automatically dissipate. Second, after I return, I will send someone to deliver three Great Teleportation Ancient Talismans to you. In the future, if you encounter danger, activating one of these talismans will immediately teleport you far away from the perilous area, guaranteeing you three safe escapes. These three Great Teleportation Ancient Talismans are rather precious relics I obtained during my past travels across the myriad worlds. I used to carry them myself to deal with crises," Mr. Liu thought for a while before speaking.
"Three Great Teleportation Ancient Talismans! That's too precious! Mr. Liu, you should keep them for yourself. Using the technique seal to conceal my aura is already a tremendous help," Ye Yunfei exclaimed in surprise upon hearing this and hurriedly replied.
"Better you have them for self-protection. To speak without undue modesty, given my current strength, no being in this region of spacetime can make me feel threatened... for now, at least. Good, I will now form the seal," Mr. Liu stated.
Following that, Mr. Liu utilized his divine ability, clasped his palms together, and moments later condensed an arcane technique seal, which he forcefully implanted into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea. Ye Yunfei immediately felt his own aura thoroughly concealed by this seal.
"There, all set. I shall head back now. Be careful in all matters. Should you face any difficulty, you can seek me out at any time. I will now implant a Soul Power mark into your Soul Sea. In the future, if you wish to enter the hidden realm I reside in, simply go near that realm and activate this mark. I will sense it and bring you inside. Oh, and regarding those three Great Teleportation Talismans, I will have someone deliver them to you a bit later," Mr. Liu pointed a finger and shot a sliver of Soul Power mark into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea.
*Swish!*
Mr. Liu turned and left, eager to return home. Above all else, his wife was his highest priority.
"The conflict between the Light Faction and the Dark Faction is bound to grow increasingly intense going forward. Casualties are likely on both sides. I'm afraid even your own safety won't be guaranteed. You have too many people you wish to protect. Why not entrust a portion of them to this Senior Liu and let him take them back? Your parents and family, in particular. Under his protection, you would have one less worry weighing on your mind," Hun Lao suddenly advised Ye Yunfei via mental transmission.
"That makes sense!" Ye Yunfei felt a stirring in his heart upon hearing Hun Lao's words.
"Want me to help?" Even before Ye Yunfei could speak, Mr. Liu, who had been about to leave, stopped and asked aloud.
"Mr. Liu's perception is terrifying!" Ye Yunfei was startled. His conversation with Hun Lao had been via mental transmission, yet Mr. Liu had sensed it instantly.
Ye Yunfei promptly relayed Hun Lao's suggestion to Mr. Liu.
"I can take a group of your people back to that hidden realm and find a place to settle them," Mr. Liu immediately nodded in agreement upon hearing Ye Yunfei's request. For someone of his power, this was a minor matter.
"Senior, please wait a moment." Ye Yunfei immediately entered the Illusory Shadow Tower, located the inhabitants of worlds like the Primordial Land, Feixian Continent, Vermillion Bird Realm, and Shadow Sky Realm, and gave them a general overview of the current situation in the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. He then proposed they temporarily follow Mr. Liu back to that hidden realm in Tianpo Realm to take refuge.
Not long ago, within the Colorless Abyss, Ye Yunfei had found Elder Di Ming, thereby locating Lü Yugang and the others. Now, all these people were inside the Illusory Shadow Tower.
In the end, Ye Yunfei managed to persuade a portion of them to agree to go with Mr. Liu to Tianpo Realm.
Another group insisted on remaining in the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, wanting to follow Ye Yunfei back to the Light Faction to participate in the war and hone themselves through experience.
"Young Master Ye, the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds are currently in a chaotic era. Such times, while frightening, are also where one is best tempered. They say heroes emerge from turbulent times. People of lowly cultivation like us are already far behind the pace of this era. If we go and hide away somewhere, we will undoubtedly be cast even further adrift by these times. Therefore, I hope to stay within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, witness this chaos, and seize this opportunity to temper myself. Perhaps it can allow me to achieve a breakthrough," Lü Yugang told Ye Yunfei. He adamantly refused to go with Mr. Liu to Tianpo Realm.
"That's right, Young Master Ye! We are not afraid of death! We martial cultivators tread the path of cultivation precisely by defying the heavens! Those who cling to life ignobly are doomed to achieve little on this journey!" Upon hearing Lü Yugang's words, many others immediately echoed his sentiment.
"Alright, Hall Master Lü, I respect your decision," Ye Yunfei nodded. Truthfully, Ye Yunfei understood that Lü Yugang would never agree to seek refuge in hiding, especially since Lü Dandan was still missing. Ye Yunfei knew Lü Yugang had been searching for traces of his daughter in secret all this time, but Ye Yunfei, fearing Lü Yugang would rashly venture into the Dark Realm, had never told him that Lü Dandan might be there.
Those willing to follow Mr. Liu to Tianpo Realm were mostly older, senior figures whose ambitious drives had dimmed with time.
*A pity that my parents and Xiao Fei are all at the Light Faction headquarters. Otherwise, sending them with Mr. Liu would be even safer than leaving them at the headquarters,* Ye Yunfei mused to himself. Before departing for the Colorless Abyss, Ye Yunfei had entrusted Elder Chu and Zen Master Tianwu with a group of people he wished to protect. Elder Chu and Zen Master Tianwu had assured Ye Yunfei they would take those people back to the Light Faction headquarters for safekeeping.
After that, Mr. Liu gathered that group of Ye Yunfei's people into a spatial treasure, bade farewell to Ye Yunfei, turned, and took a single step, vanishing instantly.
"From now on, the war between the Light Faction and the Dark Faction will enter an intense phase!" Ye Yunfei watched Mr. Liu depart before turning around, sweeping his gaze across the distant chaotic void, and slowly declaring.
Ye Yunfei knew very well that the Dark Ancestor's avatar had entered the Divine World within the Colorless Abyss in search of Deity treasures and opportunities but found nothing. That would surely enrage him. Upon emerging from the Colorless Abyss, he would most likely launch a fierce offensive against the Light Faction immediately.
Moreover, having reached this stage in their conflict, it was time for hostilities between the two major factions to enter their most fervent stage. The Dark Ancestor and the Dark Faction would not drag this out indefinitely.