By the time Ye Yunfei entered the base of the Thirty-Sixth Battalion, the air in that world was already filled with roars of battle, and the fighting had reached an intensely fierce level.
Not long before, forces from the Dark Faction had launched a massive assault on the Thirty-Sixth Battalion, annihilating two of its bases in succession. A few high-ranking members of the battalion, along with their troops, were desperately holding out, defending their last remaining base.
However, the Dark Faction forces had arrived ferociously and with overwhelming strength. The Thirty-Sixth Battalion's power was simply no match, so their situation was extremely perilous, teetering on the brink of total annihilation.
At that critical moment, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Huang Shang, and the five elders of the Thirty-Fifth Battalion, leading a massive contingent of troops and a veritable ocean of poisonous creatures and insects, descended upon the scene as if sent from the heavens. Surging in majestically from the outside, they immediately set about slaughtering any Dark Faction member they saw. In the very first clash, they killed a vast number of Dark Faction members.
The primary factor was the sheer, overwhelming number of those venomous creatures and insects. They swept in like successive cosmic tides. Before the Dark Faction troops could even comprehend what was happening, they were being slain in droves.
Moreover, these poisonous creatures and insects continuously spewed forth vast amounts of poisonous gases and toxic mists, creating waves of foul-smelling, blood-stained winds. Wherever they advanced, the Dark Faction troops found themselves dizzy and disoriented, their combat effectiveness halved!
"What in the world are those?"
This spectacle even left the members of the Thirty-Sixth Battalion somewhat baffled, unsure of what was transpiring.
"Brothers of the Thirty-Sixth Battalion! The Thirty-Fifth Battalion has come to reinforce you! Kill them! Wipe out all these Dark Faction scum!"
The five elders of the Thirty-Fifth Battalion shouted at the top of their lungs as they charged and fought.
"It's the Thirty-Fifth Battalion!"
Only after hearing the elders' yells did the people of the Thirty-Sixth Battalion understand that it was indeed forces from the Thirty-Fifth Battalion coming to their aid.
"Those things look like all kinds of poisonous beasts and insects. It seems reminiscent of the Five Immortals Sect's methods from the main world. How come the Thirty-Fifth Battalion can also command such things for battle?"
The higher-ups of the Thirty-Sixth Battalion, seeing the seas of various poisonous creatures and insects, were both startled and overjoyed, yet also filled with puzzlement.
This battle held little suspense. Before long, the Dark Faction forces began to suffer a crushing defeat with heavy casualties. Their eighteen leading Earth Immortal experts were swarmed by several dozen poisonous crocodiles under Huang Shang's command, finding themselves encircled and trapped.
Huang Shang, being a Ghost Cultivator master himself, and having now cultivated the Gu Arts and poison techniques left behind by the Five Immortals Poison King, was even more terrifying in combat. Opening his mouth, he spewed forth a surge of dense poisonous mist that instantly corroded three Initial Earth Immortals from the Dark Faction, leaving only three eerie sets of white bones. The Soul Bodies of these three Initial Earth Immortals were also directly devoured by Huang Shang.
"Huang Lao's combat strength is already greater than an ordinary Advanced Earth Immortal.
With his three main techniques—Ghost Cultivator arts, Gu Arts, and Poison Arts—even if he encounters a Perfected Earth Immortal, he can engage them in prolonged combat.
Add to that all those venomous creatures, a Perfected Earth Immortal would likely find encountering Huang Lao quite the headache.
Furthermore, Huang Lao still has over ten thousand slaves he hasn't yet deployed.
Ah, I almost forgot. Huang Lao also obtained three Gu Puppets from the Five Immortals Poison King. I wonder how things are with them now. Has he refined them?"
As Ye Yunfei watched Huang Shang ceaselessly slaughtering the Dark Faction members, he assessed Huang Shang's overall combat power and realized that even facing a Perfected Earth Immortal, Huang Lao had nothing to fear. He couldn't help but feel both shocked and delighted.
This level of strength was starting to approach Ye Yunfei's own!
More importantly, those three Gu Puppets were treasures meticulously crafted by the Five Immortals Poison King. Their true combat power was terrifying. Once Huang Shang could truly control them for combat, they would undoubtedly unleash fearsome might.
"Huang Lao can truly be said to have come into his own."
Ye Yunfei sighed emotionally.
"The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm and Hu Miao are also quite impressive. Both can contend with Advanced Earth Immortals now."
Ye Yunfei then glanced at the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm and Hu Miao, commenting softly.
"The progress of those three has been rapid. Only I haven't made much improvement during this period,"
Hun Lao suddenly spoke up.
"Hun Lao, besides needing spatial energy crystals for your cultivation, what else do you require?"
Hearing Hun Lao's words, Ye Yunfei furrowed his brow slightly and then asked.
Hun Lao's improvement in strength was indeed not significant, lagging behind Huang Shang, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, and Hu Miao.
"I'm not sure myself. In truth, a true Chaos World Tree is able to root itself deep into the chaotic void, employing great supernatural powers to absorb the essence of boundless spacetime energy from across vast distances.
I am merely a branch of the Chaos World Tree. It seems I lack such divine abilities. For now, only various energy crystals are useful for my cultivation. Absorbing a large quantity of spatial energy crystals might allow me to keep progressing."
Hun Lao thought for a moment and sighed.
"If that's the case, don't worry, Hun Lao. I will find a large amount of spatial energy crystals for you to refine and absorb.
I gave you a batch of spatial energy crystals not long ago. Have you used them up?"
Ye Yunfei asked.
"Not yet..."
"I wonder what the Blood Clan Clone's combat strength is like now. Let's test it out."
Ye Yunfei suddenly thought of his Blood Clan Clone and directly sent it out.
Swoosh!
The Blood Clan Clone transformed into a streak of bloody light and instantly arrived before an Advanced Earth Immortal from the Dark Faction.
Rumble...
The Blood Clan Clone unleashed its full power, releasing vast billowing mists of blood that condensed into a sea of blood, directly sealing off a section of space.
"A Blood Clan expert!"
Feeling the energy aura of the Blood Clan Clone, that Advanced Earth Immortal from the Dark Faction couldn't help but turn pale with fright, retreating repeatedly.
Roar...
The Blood Clan Clone raised its head and let out a heaven-shaking roar that caused the entire world to tremble. Then, a crimson long blade appeared in its hand. With a single slash forward, towering waves of blood surged ahead, the momentum intimidating.
Next, the Blood Clan Clone began fighting with that Advanced Earth Immortal from the Dark Faction.
This particular Advanced Earth Immortal from the Dark Faction was also exceptionally powerful, unleashing various strange and sinister Dark Faction inherited techniques, with both offense and defense.
However, the Blood Clan Clone had already devoured the bloodline essence of many Advanced Earth Immortals, including even a Perfected Earth Immortal's. The energy it possessed surpassed that of this Dark Faction expert.
Rumble...
At the peak of their intense clash, a crimson deity exuding an aura of ancient eras suddenly materialized behind the Blood Clan Clone. A massive crimson fist shot forward, punching the Dark Faction's Advanced Earth Immortal and sending him flying horizontally.
"This Deity... could it be a forebear of the Blood Clan?"
Ye Yunfei watched, his heart slightly trembling.
Ye Yunfei understood that this deity was a phenomenon activated by the high-speed circulation of the Blood Clone's bloodline—a kind of bloodline divine ability.
Generally, races with relatively high-level bloodlines would automatically give birth to various bloodline divine abilities once cultivated to a certain level.
"Form battle formations!
Form battle formations immediately!"
An Advanced Earth Immortal from the Dark Faction roared.
Soon, under the organization of this Dark Faction Advanced Earth Immortal, a group of originally fleeing Dark Faction troops formed a battle formation. They condensed a gigantic black scythe that spun toward the Light Faction forces, hacking at them.
"Hmph. Flaunting battle formations in front of me? Useless."
Seeing this, Ye Yunfei snorted coldly.
Boom! Boom!
The next moment, Ye Yunfei waved his hand, throwing out numerous formation flags. He directly set up dozens of formations that rumbled down, surrounding the black scythe and sealing it right there, rendering it completely immobile.
Kill!
In the next instant, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm directed massive sea-like waves of poisonous insects to flap their wings and surge over. They inundated this group of Dark Faction troops that had formed the battle formation, immediately breaking their formation.
"Retreat!"
At this point, the remaining Earth Immortal experts of the Dark Faction realized that if they continued fighting, their side would inevitably be completely annihilated. They thus roared out in succession, their will to fight gone, and turned to flee one after another.
"This battle is over."
Ye Yunfei watched the Dark Faction deserters and sneered.
In this grand battle, Ye Yunfei had hardly taken any action himself, merely watching from the sidelines the entire time.
Looking at Huang Shang, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, Hu Miao, and the Blood Clan Clone wreaking havoc across the battlefield, Ye Yunfei felt deeply gratified.
Not only Ye Yunfei himself but each and every person following him had truly matured!
They had all become experts capable of holding their own ground!
"Hmph!
The Thirty-Fifth Battalion of the Light Faction again. They've killed so many of our Dark Faction members.
Though we are but Resource Collectors, encountering such matters, we have no choice but to act.
Let's go. We'll go in and deal with the Light Faction's Thirty-Fifth Battalion. Otherwise, our Dark Faction will have even more forces annihilated by this Thirty-Fifth Battalion.
This will affect the overall progress and outcome of the War of Extermination."
Right at this moment, outside this world, over a dozen figures clad in black robes abruptly appeared, their eyes cold and gloomy. One of them spoke.