"Indeed, I gained something from my previous entry into the Colorless Abyss."
Mr. Liu nodded.
"It's astonishing! So many external powerhouses entered the Colorless Abyss and gained nothing, only bringing calamity upon themselves. I reckon only Mr. Liu truly gained anything from entering, and it must have been a massive gain at that! After all, we're talking about Deity-level opportunities!" Hun Lao said, his voice tinged with envy as he communicated via Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei.
"Yes, Mr. Liu's abilities are undoubtedly far more profound than we ever imagined. Earlier in the Colorless Abyss, his aura was the only one I failed to perceive entirely throughout our time there. I suspect he must have been inside some secret realm within the abyss, seizing divine opportunities at the time," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
"Whether you gained anything this time or not, you must have been deeply affected by entering the Colorless Abyss, right?" Mr. Liu looked at Ye Yunfei and suddenly asked.
Hearing Mr. Liu's question, Ye Yunfei was momentarily stunned, then roughly grasped his meaning.
"Yes, Mr. Liu, I was indeed greatly affected. The power displayed by those Demigod-level powerhouses was truly terrifying. Compared to them, I lag far, far behind. And witnessing the deity corpse take action later completely overturned my understanding and imagination of power. Only now do I realize how weak my current strength truly is," Ye Yunfei answered, a hint of despondency in his voice.
"In fact, recognizing your own weakness is a good thing. It serves as a catalyst to spur you on to grow stronger. I believe you now possess renewed and immense motivation to cultivate diligently," Mr. Liu said, looking at Ye Yunfei with a smile, his eyes full of encouragement.
"Yes, Mr. Liu. From now on, I will definitely train even harder, striving to become increasingly powerful. I believe that as long as I am willing to persevere, one day I will catch up to the footsteps of those Demigods," Ye Yunfei replied in a firm tone.
"Very good. With your talent combined with your unwavering willpower in cultivation, I believe catching up to those Demigods shouldn't be too difficult. However, I think your goal should be set higher. Your target should be breaking through to become a Deity. Only by becoming a Deity can one truly stand above the countless beings within the myriad realms. Until you become a Deity, you cannot truly be called a powerhouse within these realms," Mr. Liu nodded, then continued.
"Become a Deity!" Ye Yunfei's spirits instantly lifted upon hearing this, his eyes gleaming.
"Mr. Liu, I understand that ascending to Deityhood is undoubtedly extremely difficult. I don't even know if I will have a chance to breakthrough to that realm in the future," Ye Yunfei thought for a moment before replying in a somewhat uncertain tone.
"You must not entertain such thoughts. What cultivation requires most is the unwavering determination to press forward with unyielding courage. As long as you firmly believe you will become a Deity in the future and strive tirelessly towards that goal, I believe you will have a chance to breakthrough one day! Your talent is definitely not lacking. From here on out, it depends on your diligence and opportunities. Of course, diligence is the most crucial core factor. If you can maintain consistent, relentless cultivation without giving up, combined with suitable opportunities, it's highly possible for you to achieve a breakthrough," Mr. Liu said.
"Mr. Liu, I understand now! I will definitely act according to your words. Thank you for your guidance!" Ye Yunfei replied, his willpower instantly solidified.
In truth, Ye Yunfei's willpower had always been incredibly firm, ever since his arduous journey starting from Tianxuan Continent, all the way to his current realm and power. It was just that encountering the Demigods and the even more terrifying Deity corpse had momentarily shaken his confidence, generating a certain level of pressure. Now, having heard Mr. Liu's words, his confidence was instantly restored, and his fighting spirit was rekindled.
"Very good, Young Master Ye. Not only do you possess excellent talent, but your mental fortitude is also remarkably steadfast. I have great confidence in your future development," Mr. Liu nodded in approval upon seeing the regained confidence and fighting spirit in Ye Yunfei's eyes.
"Young Master Ye, what are your plans from here? How do you intend to develop?" Mr. Liu then asked.
"Mr. Liu, my next steps are not yet clear. However, whatever I decide to do next, I will cultivate diligently, dedicating the majority of my time and effort towards my cultivation," Ye Yunfei considered the question, then answered.
"Young Master Ye, I believe the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds are no longer very suitable for your development. Have you considered exploring the worlds outside? While these realms were a birthplace of Deities in ancient times, they have now fallen somewhat behind. Whether it be energy, laws, or various resources, they can no longer adequately support your growth. Originally, if the Colorless Abyss had not closed, you could have entered to explore and gain experience, possibly making significant gains. However, the Colorless Abyss is now sealed, and I fear even I would find it difficult to re-enter. Therefore, I think you could consider exploring the outside worlds. Perhaps you will find better prospects there," Mr. Liu said.
"Mr. Liu, what you say makes sense. But currently, the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds are too weak and require my protection. In the recent past, I have offended many enemies. If I leave now, and my enemies come seeking revenge in these realms while I am absent, they might take action against the innocent beings residing here. These realms have already endured too many tribulations and cannot withstand further calamity," Ye Yunfei replied after carefully pondering Mr. Liu's words.
"Young Master Ye, you truly are a man with a righteous and benevolent heart. My judgment of you is not mistaken. However, regarding the safety of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, you can rest assured. Last time, many external Demigods and Heavenly Immortals were slain by that deity corpse in the Colorless Abyss. Once this news spreads, it will undoubtedly cause a sensation. From now on, external Heavenly Immortals and Demigods will likely not dare to easily trespass into these realms. Therefore, the strongest cultivators who would dare to enter these worlds moving forward would at most be some Gold Immortals. From this mountain hamlet, simply dispatching a few individuals would be enough to handle the vast majority of Gold Immortals. If you leave these realms to venture in the outside world, I will assign several villagers to patrol and be responsible for maintaining order and safety here. This way, you can be at ease," Mr. Liu responded with a smile.
"Is that so..." Hearing this, Ye Yunfei could not help but feel instantly tempted.
Mr. Liu's reasoning was sound. Last time, many external Demigods and Heavenly Immortal powerhouses had been killed by that deity corpse within the Colorless Abyss. If this news spread, it would undoubtedly cause an immense uproar in the outside realms.
Ye Yunfei believed that while the overall strength of external realms might far surpass that of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, Demigods were likely considered top-tier powerhouses even out there. The fact that so many Demigod-level experts perished within these realms would presumably deter other Demigods and Heavenly Immortals from casually venturing here again.
"I feel that the Void Secret Realm would suit you well. You might consider venturing there," Mr. Liu added.
"Thank you for your kind suggestions and help, Mr. Liu. I will consider it first," Ye Yunfei replied after some thought.
"I know what's on your mind. You must be unable to let go of Su Qingluo. You still wish to remain within these realms to continue searching for her, correct?" Mr. Liu seemed to have discerned Ye Yunfei's preoccupation with a single glance.
Mr. Liu was already aware of Su Qingluo's disappearance.
"Mr. Liu, you are right. I indeed cannot let go of Qingluo. It has been so long since she vanished, and there is still no trace of her. I cannot give up the search," Ye Yunfei said.
"Actually, I have previously divined Su Qingluo's whereabouts for you. Aside from the Colorless Abyss, I searched carefully across every other space within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. I could not find any trace of her aura. I have pondered it, and there are two possible situations. First, she might still be within some unique space inside these realms, a space that might not belong to our Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds but is instead an independent dimension, rendering it undetectable by my senses. The second possibility is that she might have already left the domain of these realms and ventured into other external spacetimes," Mr. Liu explained to Ye Yunfei.
"Mr. Liu, you performed divinations to find Qingluo's whereabouts?" Ye Yunfei was both surprised and delighted to hear this.
He knew that Mr. Liu was, at the very least, a Heavenly Immortal-level powerhouse. Her divination results would undoubtedly be more reliable than his own or those performed by the masters within the Reincarnation Palace.
"Yes, after learning of her disappearance, I personally undertook to divine her location," Mr. Liu nodded.
"However, there is one point I believe you can be assured of: it is highly likely that Su Qingluo is still alive," Mr. Liu then continued.
"Thank you for performing the divinations, Mr. Liu! I will consider your suggestion. I still want to search for Qingluo once more. If I still cannot find her, then I will consider leaving the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds to venture outside," Ye Yunfei declared after a moment of contemplation.
"Very well. This is merely a suggestion. The final decision rests with you. Act in accordance with your heart and your own inner thoughts. Do not force yourself," Mr. Liu nodded after hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
After speaking, Mr. Liu suddenly stared intently at Ye Yunfei's body, seeming to focus on something within him.
Just as Ye Yunfei was feeling puzzled, a voice suddenly spoke beside him. "Don't bother staring. I know you've already sensed me. You can relax, I bear no malice towards this boy. In fact, I've already bestowed quite a few benefits upon him."
Ye Yunfei then understood that Mr. Liu had been observing the Remnant Soul.
"In truth, I sensed your presence long ago. I know you harbor no ill intent towards Young Master Ye, otherwise I would have acted sooner. Your original reason for arriving in this spacetime was to enter the Reincarnation Passage, correct? To use it for rebirth through Samsara?" Mr. Liu inquired.
"That's right. I came to this spacetime specifically to borrow that damnable Reincarnation Passage for rebirth. But I was deceived! That worthless passage is completely useless, long since abandoned! I was trapped within it for endless eons! So don't mention that Reincarnation Passage to me anymore! Even thinking about it fills me with fury – I want to return and destroy it immediately!" the Remnant Soul exclaimed angrily.
"You likely arrived in this spacetime even earlier than I did. When I came to this realm to live in seclusion, I had already heard that the Reincarnation Passage of this spacetime was defunct, and the true Reincarnation Palace had vanished without a trace. What passes for the Reincarnation Palace now is merely a tiny branch left behind by the true, ancient Reincarnation Palace of old. The real Reincarnation Palace and Reincarnation Passage have long since disappeared," Mr. Liu stated.
"Otherwise, I would have long explored the Reincarnation Passage myself," Mr. Liu added.
"Enough! I don't wish to speak of that passage any longer! It has forever become a source of pain within my heart!" the Remnant Soul cried out, then directly vanished.
"Young Master Ye, I will now focus on closed-door cultivation. If you decide to leave the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds to explore the outside world, just inform the village chief directly. I have already instructed him, and he will dispatch people to ensure the safety and order of these realms," Mr. Liu said to Ye Yunfei.
Then, Mr. Liu's voice abruptly disappeared. This figure of Mr. Liu had merely been a Clone. His true body was actually still in secluded cultivation.
Ye Yunfei left the mountain hamlet, then departed the Tianpo Realm to return to the chaotic void of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. He began searching, world by world, through each realm.
During the search, Ye Yunfei also divided into over a dozen Doppelgangers, each moving separately.
For the next month, Ye Yunfei's true body and his many clones thoroughly searched most of the worlds within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. Yet, to his disappointment, they could not locate even a single trace of Su Qingluo.
Ye Yunfei returned once more to the headquarters of the Reincarnation Palace within Reincarnation Realm.
After inquiring, he learned that the Reincarnation Palace had dispatched nearly their entire force during this period to search for Su Qingluo and the Old Ancestor's whereabouts far and wide, but to no avail, finding no clues whatsoever.
Subsequently, Ye Yunfei entered the Reincarnation Passage once more together with several elders and masters from the Reincarnation Palace.
He and the Palace's high-level members traveled back and forth within the passage, carefully combing through it over a dozen times. Yet again, Ye Yunfei was disappointed, as their thorough search yielded no results.
"Qingluo, where on earth are you?" Ye Yunfei thought, his heart aching, repeatedly asking the same question.
"It seems Mr. Liu's speculation might be right. Qingluo may have indeed left the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds for another external spacetime," Ye Yunfei finally concluded, reluctantly giving up his continued search for Su Qingluo.
"Hun Lao, I've decided to leave the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds and explore the outside. Mr. Liu is correct; remaining in this spacetime offers no further benefit for my growth anymore." Finally, Ye Yunfei made his decision, preparing to venture into the world beyond.
"I have no objections. Do as you will," Hun Lao replied.
"Yes, you make the decisions. We'll follow you regardless," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm chirped.
"Master, whatever decision you make, wherever you go, I will accompany you," Hu Miao declared.