After hearing the elder's words, Zhan Yuan immediately turned and scanned the surrounding space with his perception.
"That kid is definitely nearby."
The Intermediate Heavenly Immortal of the Black Wind Group, having received the voice transmission from the elder beside Zhan Yuan, immediately stopped in his tracks and swept his gaze around.
But by this time, Ye Yunfei had already spotted them. He immediately utilized a secret technique to conceal himself, even quickly setting up several stealth formations.
For now, Ye Yunfei didn't want to clash with them. With both Zhan Yuan and the Black Wind Group present, a joint encirclement would be a bit troublesome to deal with.
At this moment, countless living beings were streaming continuously into the entrance/exit of the Void Secret Realm. Yet Zhan Yuan and his subordinates, along with the Black Wind Group members, stood right at the opening, blocking the path.
Very soon, voices urged them to make way. Although Zhan Yuan and the Black Wind Group were accustomed to arrogance, facing such a crowd, they knew better than to incite public wrath.
"Let's enter first," Zhan Yuan transmitted to the elder after a moment's thought. "Since that kid has come here, he will definitely enter the Void Secret Realm. We'll settle accounts with him once we're inside."
Then Zhan Yuan led his people into the Void Secret Realm.
"We'll enter as well." The Black Wind Group's Intermediate Heavenly Immortal waved his hand and led his group through the entrance.
A moment later, Ye Yunfei also slipped in amidst the flood of beings, entering the Void Secret Realm.
Not long after Ye Yunfei entered, a group arrived in a thunderous rush. Among them was a young man of extraordinary appearance who spoke to a young woman beside him.
"Could it really be that Ye kid from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds? But when we left, he was merely an Earth Immortal. Logically, he shouldn't even be qualified to enter the Void Secret Realm."
"Judging by his appearance and Soul Body aura, it's definitely him," the young woman replied. "Even though he was only an Earth Immortal when we left, with his talent, breaking through to Golden Immortal shouldn't be too difficult. So I suspect he's definitely a Golden Immortal now. Also, it's best not to trouble him if we encounter him. Elder Liu seems to think highly of him."
"You might fear Elder Liu, but I don't," the young man laughed. "If I meet him, I'd like to test his true strength."
"Aren't you afraid Elder Liu will settle with you later?" the young woman said.
"I said, I'm not afraid of Elder Liu," the young man emphasized.
Soon after, a man in a white robe also arrived before the Void Secret Realm's entrance. Facing the oceanic flood of beings, his gaze swept around as if searching for something.
"I wonder if Brother Ye has entered yet?" he muttered to himself. "I hope to encounter him during this expedition to the Void Secret Realm."
Then, he walked into the entrance.
Moments later, a vast expanse of black mist rolled forward, concealing figures radiating fierce energy within its swirling depths.
"The Dark Faction has arrived! Everyone, step aside!" Many beings preparing to enter the secret realm quickly moved aside.
Everyone knew that the Dark Faction was not only immensely powerful as a whole, but also brutal in nature. The slightest offense could provoke an attack, and once they acted, they wouldn't stop short of silencing all witnesses. Thus, most beings in the Chaotic Void Sea feared them like venomous snakes and scorpions.
"I truly didn't expect that human youth Ye Yunfei from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds to also come here. Excellent! I was planning to settle accounts with him there after this expedition, but he's come delivered to our door. Everyone, besides exploration and treasure-hunting, we now have an additional mission: locate that Ye Yunfei, capture him, and hand him over to the higher-ups!" one of the Dark Faction members with a particularly fierce aura declared loudly at the entrance.
His body roiled with surging dark energy, as tumultuous as erupting mountains and seas, exuding immense power. The surrounding Dark Faction members stood respectfully around him.
"Lord Lin Hei, are you certain the youth targeted by those two bounty notices is that human kid Ye Yunfei from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds?" one member cautiously inquired. "The Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds is a very remote World Cluster, sealed for an extremely long time. Its inhabitants likely don't even know about the Void Secret Realm. How would that Ye Yunfei come here to explore?"
"No mistake," the one called Lord Lin Hei replied. "That youth's appearance and Soul Body aura are recorded within our Dark Faction. Before coming, I specially made a copy. They match exactly what's on those bounty notices. That kid inflicted such heavy losses on our Dark Faction in the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. We absolutely cannot let him go. Capturing him and bringing him back would be a great merit. So from now on, everyone must be alert for any sign of him."
"Very well! Since Lord Lin Hei is so certain, we will all be on the lookout for that youth from now on," the others nodded in agreement.
More than half of these Dark Faction members were young geniuses of their faction, with a portion being older generation Heavenly Immortals. This time, the Dark Faction had dispatched many members to explore the Void Secret Realm. Lord Lin Hei, though belonging to the younger generation, possessed the power of an Intermediate Heavenly Immortal. His talent was exceptionally high, and his status formidable—even the older Heavenly Immortals followed his orders.
"Let's go, in we go." Lord Lin Hei waved a hand, leading the Dark Faction members into the secret realm.
"The Great Netherworld has arrived!" a hushed voice exclaimed right after the Dark Faction entered.
Many beings turned to see a group radiating vast waves of deathly aura floating and swaying towards them from afar. They seemed to move with the wind, reaching the entrance with extreme speed. In a blink, the Great Netherworld contingent stood at the entrance, and a large crowd automatically yielded way.
The Great Netherworld was an ancient, mysterious power within the Chaotic Void Sea, generally low-profile and rarely interacting with other powers or races. But none dared underestimate them, and under normal circumstances, nobody wanted to provoke them.
"Hehehe… Unexpected. That human youth who obtained the Yin Seed in the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds has also come, and is even wanted with a bounty on his head. Everyone, remember, if you encounter that Ye kid, act immediately to capture and bring him back. He possesses a Yin Seed within his body, which may contain some divine energy, laws, or even Deity-level legacies left behind by ancient Deities of that world cluster. So, capturing and delivering him to the half-Deity seniors of our Great Netherworld would surely earn great merit." A man with a deathly pale face and a sharp, black-and-white hat spoke in a chilling voice.
"We obey the command of Yin Five Prince!" the surrounding Great Netherworld members responded respectfully. Then, they began entering the secret realm.
Soon after, the Demon Race and the Demon Capital's forces arrived simultaneously.
"The experts from the Demon Capital and Demon Race are indeed formidable. Best not provoke them!" Seeing the members of both groups radiating fierce auras and piercing gazes, other beings retreated quietly to make way, inwardly amazed.
The Demon Race and Demon Capital members had also seen the two bounty notices concerning Ye Yunfei and deduced his identity. This was because members from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds had returned to the Demon Capital and Demon Race, bringing tales of Ye Yunfei's deeds. Consequently, Ye Yunfei's name had circulated among the younger generations there.
When the news broke that a Dark Patriarch of the Dark Faction had cultivated a Yin Seed within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, many major powers dispatched forces to seize it. In the end, however, the Yin Seed fell into the hands of an unknown human youth, resulting in heavy losses for those powers.
"That Ye Yunfei from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds... Is he truly so formidable?" sneered a young demon from the Demon Capital, disbelief evident on his face. "Merely an Earth Immortal, yet capable of transcending realms to kill Golden Immortals? And slaying so many of them? That's surely an exaggeration. I'd very much like to see just how strong this kid is." He was covered in palm-sized red and green scales, with a slender and solid physique, exuding arrogant indifference as if overlooking all others. The demonic energy radiating from his body marked him as a young genius.
"Oh? It seems you of the Demon Capital are also aware of that Ye Yunfei from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds," said a tall young demon from the Demon Capital's contingent nearby, having overheard. He snorted contemptuously. "A remote, backward World Cluster, truly capable of producing some extraordinary freak? Those responsible for the mission, having failed, intentionally exaggerated that kid's prowess just to find an excuse. Just wait. If I encounter him, I'll personally test his strength and expose his true nature."
The Demon Race and Demon Capital then entered the secret realm one after the other.
"Just what background does that human kid named Ye Yunfei have, to attract the attention of so many major powers and have their young geniuses seeking trouble with him?"
"Indeed! It seems this fellow is certainly no ordinary figure—not only are there two bounty notices targeting him, but he's also drawn the interest of these young geniuses!"
"According to them, this Ye Yunfei seems to come from a very remote World Cluster called the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds…"
"The Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds... Could it be the legendary, ancient, Deity-bearing yet now-declined mysterious World Cluster? It appears that waning World Cluster has birthed a rather remarkable youngster! At the very least, managing to offend so many young geniuses from major powers is a skill in itself!"
Around the Void Secret Realm's entrance, some beings still waiting to enter overheard the Dark Faction, Great Netherworld, Demon Race, and Demon Capital mentioning Ye Yunfei. Feeling intensely curious, they couldn't help but start discussing him. After all, anyone attracting the notice of so many young geniuses from major powers must be extraordinary!
A little later, another group arrived from afar, led by an old woman—Liu Laolao of the Xiao Family. Xiao Huanhuan and Xiao Yueyue were close behind her.
"Huanhuan Sister, do you think Young Master Ye has entered?" Xiao Yueyue transmitted to Xiao Huanhuan, worry in her voice. "Zhan Yuan and the Black Wind Group are hunting him, even issuing bounties. I wonder how Young Master Ye is now. He won't come to harm, will he?"
"I don't know," Xiao Huanhuan replied. "But Young Master Ye came to the Tiange World Cluster specifically to enter the Void Secret Realm, so he'll definitely go in. He's very strong. He'll be fine."
Mentioning Ye Yunfei evoked a deep-seated confidence within Xiao Huanhuan. Even though both Zhan Yuan and the Black Wind Group were after him, she felt sure he would likely be unharmed.
"Everyone stay close to me. We're entering now!" Liu Laolao announced, waving her hand. Then, looking sternly at Xiao Huanhuan and Xiao Yueyue, she admonished, "Huanhuan, Yueyue, once inside, you two must stick to me. Do not wander off!"
"We understand, Liu Laolao," both girls nodded.
By this time, Ye Yunfei was already inside the Void Secret Realm.
Looking around, he found himself in a space of misty chaos. The energies and laws within seemed somewhat peculiar; many of them were unfamiliar, things Ye Yunfei had never seen or heard of before, saturating the atmosphere in a chaotic fashion.
"The Void Secret Realm is said to be extremely ancient, likely surviving from an epoch in the Chaotic Void Sea," the Remnant Soul explained to Ye Yunfei. "It contains many energies and laws absent in the outside world—unique features of the previous epoch."
"Moreover," the soul continued, "time and space here differ from the external world. Both are constantly shifting. Even though I've entered here before, after such a long time, the spatial structure and positional layout likely differ from ancient times. So, for now, I can't guide you on which direction to take. Why don't you proceed forward first, explore a bit, and see how things go?"
"Very well," Ye Yunfei nodded. "As you advise, Senior."