The Void Secret Realm was an ancient, vast space containing a multitude of worlds scattered throughout its expanse, varying greatly in size.
Adventurers continuously ventured into these worlds, one after another.
Each world was fraught with all sorts of dangers but also brimming with various treasures and fortuitous opportunities. By now, most who had entered the Void Secret Realm on their treasure-hunting expeditions had secured decent gains. Some, blessed with both good fortune and formidable strength, had even obtained items of immeasurable value and incredible, heaven-defying potency.
Of course, many had also perished in the process of exploration, their lives forever lost within this great secret realm.
Such was the path of martial artists seeking treasures. Fortuitous encounters and crises went hand in hand; it all came down to one's individual strength and luck!
Not long after, Ye Yunfei led Xiao Huanhuan and the other three through several different worlds in succession, acquiring some treasures along the way.
However, these worlds had already been explored by others earlier, so the items Ye Yunfei and his group obtained were not particularly precious.
Ye Yunfei left all the acquired treasures for Xiao Huanhuan and the other four to share. Back in that city, the Xiao sisters and the Peng siblings had gained little, while Ye Yunfei's own harvest had been immense. This act could be seen as his way of compensating them.
"Let's proceed to the next world and take a look," Ye Yunfei said as he and the four companions emerged from one world.
He then took the lead, continuing forward.
"Young Master Ye, we've obtained quite a number of treasures in these worlds. Considering it was mainly due to your presence suppressing the others that we managed to secure so many, your contribution is the greatest. You should receive the largest share of the loot. Why have you refused to take even a single piece, leaving them all for us? It's not fair," Peng Rou spoke up.
"These treasures don't hold much significance for me. You all divide them evenly," Ye Yunfei replied with a smile.
"Young Lady Peng, I've finally found you again!"
At that moment, a voice filled with pleasant surprise rang out from afar.
A young man then soared through the air towards them, followed by several dozen others. Each individual exuded a sharp killing intent, clearly experts of considerable power and well-accustomed to bloodshed.
"Sis, how did we run into this annoying fellow again! The sight of him makes me sick!" Upon seeing the flying man approach, Peng Fang immediately exclaimed.
With a single glance, Ye Yunfei recognized the man as the same Shen Jie they had encountered before—that Shen young master who had tried to attack Ye Yunfei last time.
To think they would meet him again now.
"Young Master Ye, let's hurry away and ignore him!" Seeing Shen Jie, Peng Rou grew somewhat alarmed and immediately sent a sound transmission to Ye Yunfei.
The reason was Shen Jie himself was a Initial Heavenly Immortal. Moreover, two elders followed closely behind him, both also Initial Heavenly Immortals. That made three Initial Heavenly Immortals.
Peng Rou feared Ye Yunfei might not be able to handle them.
"I have no intention of dealing with him, of course. However, if he provokes me, I won't be polite," Ye Yunfei said placidly.
With Ye Yunfei's current comprehensive strength, handling three Initial Heavenly Immortals wasn't a particularly difficult task.
Apart from Shen Jie, all the others behind him were Golden Immortals, whom Ye Yunfei didn't even consider a threat.
"Don't mind them. We'll proceed on our way," Ye Yunfei stated calmly.
Seeing Ye Yunfei behave with such composure, Peng Rou and the other three felt reassured. They followed behind him, continuing forward.
After all, they knew Ye Yunfei's strength and character well and placed great trust in him.
Soon, Shen Jie landed right in front of Peng Rou, blocking her path.
"Young Lady Peng, why are you still together with this lowly scoundrel of unknown origin and dubious intent? You must have been deceived and tricked by him! Someone of your status and position... he is utterly unworthy of your company! Young Lady Peng, after we were separated in that city, I managed to gather over twenty Mental Force tokens. I intended to give you and your brother a few and take you out of that bizarre place, but I couldn't find you later.
To think I have finally found you now! Young Lady Peng, since entering the Void Secret Realm, my harvest has been quite substantial. I've obtained numerous treasures and opportunities, and I am willing to share them with you.
Furthermore, starting from this moment, I will ensure your safety within this secret realm!"
Shen Jie took a step forward, drawing close to Peng Rou with great enthusiasm.
"Young Master Shen, I've told you before I will not follow you. My brother and I will remain with Young Master Ye. Please stop pestering me.
Also, Young Master Ye is our benefactor. I must ask you to show some respect in your speech," Peng Rou, thoroughly fed up with Shen Jie's persistent entanglement, stated bluntly.
"Young Lady Peng, how can you trust this lowly brat over me? Everything I do is for your own good! Regardless, from this moment onward, you will follow me, and I will protect you! As for this fellow, he's like a clay Bodhisattva crossing a river—he can't even ensure his own safety! Because he is about to be killed... by me!" As Shen Jie spoke, his gaze suddenly turned icy cold, glaring at Ye Yunfei with undisguised, intense killing intent.
"Shen Jie, please show some respect! Don't destroy the last shred of pitiful goodwill you maintain in my heart!" Hearing Shen Jie's words, Peng Rou's eyebrows shot up in anger as she sternly rebuked him.
"Young Master Ye, be careful! Shen Jie intends to attack you!" Peng Rou took a swift step forward, positioning herself in front of Ye Yunfei. Though she knew Ye Yunfei was far stronger than her, she felt responsible for bringing this trouble to his doorstep and thus took the initiative to shield him.
"Young Lady Peng, no more words are necessary. From now on, you and your brother must follow me! As for this boy, he dies right now!" Shen Jie declared loudly, his tone growing forceful.
"Shen Jie, what are you saying? Why must my brother and I follow you? Do you intend to use force against us? Have you considered the consequences? If the Patriarchs of our Peng Family were to find out, no one could save you!" Peng Rou was both furious and enraged, reprimanding him harshly.
"No need to waste words on him. Rest assured, such individuals pose no threat to me. If they dare to act against me, they will soon regret it," Ye Yunfei, however, responded with a cold chuckle, a disdainful expression on his face.
"Insolent brat! Kill him!" Hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Shen Jie's face darkened. He then issued the order to the two elders behind him.
"Young Master Shen, fear not. This scoundrel will not survive the day! He will soon learn the severe consequences of boasting without the strength to back it up," one of the elders said slowly as both stepped forward simultaneously.
As Initial Heavenly Immortals, how could they regard a mere younger-generation Golden Immortal brat as a threat?
"Dealing with this boy doesn't require both of us. Allow me to slay him alone," the same elder offered.
"Very well, you handle it. I shall enjoy the leisure," the other elder nodded.
*RUMBLE...*
The first elder began walking forward. His steps appeared slow, but they contained profound Space-Time Laws. Each step traversed a vast spatial distance, bringing him rapidly closer to Ye Yunfei.
A black spear materialized in the elder's hand, emanating an eerie energy aura. He thrust it forward, releasing a torrent of black spear-shadows that filled the sky, carrying terrifying power along with various strangely shaped black symbols. In an instant, a large expanse of space was engulfed, transforming into a zone of darkness.
As a Initial Heavenly Immortal, and an older-generation one at that, who had immersed himself in this realm for a long time, this elder indeed possessed notable strength.
"Kill him! Grind him to dust, leaving nothing to bury!" Standing to the side, Shen Jie stared at Ye Yunfei with venomous eyes, yelling loudly. In his mind, Ye Yunfei was a rival trying to steal the woman he fancied, poaching right before his eyes. His killing intent towards Ye Yunfei burned fiercely.
"Young Master Shen, be at ease. If I cannot even kill this whelp, I would have no face remaining by your side. There'd be no point in continuing!" The elder gripping the spear, as his powerful combat aura erupted, replied with a laugh.
However, right at that moment, Ye Yunfei suddenly unleashed the Heart Force Lock technique he had mastered just a short while ago.
At Ye Yunfei's thought, an invisible shackle materialized, clamping around the elder's neck and instantly restricting his body. The intangible lock was immensely heavy, pressing down on the elder until he could barely bear it. His head and torso were forced into a deep bend, as if performing an exaggerated, submissive bow towards Ye Yunfei.
"How can this be?!" The elder was both shocked and infuriated. He desperately unleashed all the energy within his body, attempting to shatter the invisible shackle around his neck. Simultaneously, his hands clawed at the ethereal restraint, striving to tear it apart.
But this invisible shackle was formed from potent Mental Force energy and profound Mental Force Laws. For the moment, it firmly confined the elder's physical form and his Soul Body, even tightly sealing away his energy, making movement extremely difficult.
"Agh!" Filled with a mixture of rage and terror, the elder couldn't help but cry out. As he screamed, all his energy and laws began to seethe violently. Wisps of flame even appeared on the surface of his body—he was attempting to burn his Origin Essence to break free from the invisible shackle.
"The power of the Heart Force Lock is truly commendable, capable of suppressing a Initial Heavenly Immortal," Ye Yunfei thought to himself with great satisfaction, nodding slightly.
"What in the world is happening?" Seeing the elder's strange predicament, Shen Jie, the other elder, and their followers were all utterly bewildered.
They hadn't witnessed Ye Yunfei take any visible action, nor sensed him release any energy or law fluctuations. Yet, the elder's attack had abruptly halted mid-way, and he was now emitting roars of fury.
"Did you truly believe you could kill me? You overestimate yourself." Ye Yunfei let out a cold laugh.
At this point, Ye Yunfei activated another Mental Force-type combat skill—the Formless Heart Sword.
"AHH!" Already firmly bound by the Heart Force Lock, the elder suddenly suffered an attack from the Formless Heart Sword. This added insult to injury was simply unbearable, forcing a wretched shriek from his lips.
"Not good! Assist him!" Seeing this scene, Shen Jie's expression turned grim, realizing the situation had taken a bad turn. He shouted the order.
By then, Ye Yunfei had already closed in, standing right before the restrained elder, his gaze icy.
"Now, you may die." Ye Yunfei's voice was cold and pitiless.
With a wave of his hand, Ye Yunfei sent forth over a dozen thick, bright sword beams howling through the air. They instantly slashed the elder's body into pieces. His Soul Body was also shredded to nothingness.
Just like that, a Heavenly Immortal expert had fallen!
*HISS!*
The others witnessing this couldn't help but collectively draw a sharp, cold breath, a chill running down their spines.
Effortlessly slaughtering a Initial Heavenly Immortal... the impact was too staggering!
A deep sense of dread rose from within Shen Jie and the other Heavenly Immortal elder. Both involuntarily took a step back, eyeing Ye Yunfei warily.
"You... you dare kill someone from our Shen Family!" Shen Jie asked angrily.
"Kid, what sinister art did you just employ?! Who exactly are you? Why do you possess such bizarre combat strength?!" The other elder pointed a trembling finger at Ye Yunfei, his voice slightly shaking.
Shen Jie and his subordinates had been busy exploring and treasure-hunting throughout this period and hadn't heard the various rumors circulating about Ye Yunfei. Thus, they still didn't recognize him.
"Originally, we had no grudges between us, and I had no desire for conflict. But since you've chosen to provoke me first, fine—I'll just kill you all." Ye Yunfei swept his cold gaze over Shen Jie and his subordinates as he spoke.
As his words fell, Ye Yunfei unleashed the Formless Heart Sword, attacking Shen Jie's Golden Immortal-level followers.
Recently, Ye Yunfei had been constantly cultivating Mental Force energy using one of his Soul Bodies, leading to continuous improvements in his mental power. Furthermore, shortly before, to practice the Heart Force Lock, he had refined and absorbed a large batch of resources specifically for nurturing Mental Force energy, causing another significant leap in potency.
Therefore, the Formless Heart Sword Ye Yunfei now unleashed was even more powerful!
"AAH! AHH!"
As Ye Yunfei activated the Formless Heart Sword, screams began to erupt among Shen Jie's followers. They were flung through the air like kites with severed strings. Some exploded mid-flight into clouds of blood mist; others crashed into the ground in the distance, their heads lolling as they breathed their last.
Within less than two breaths of time, everyone aside from Shen Jie and the remaining elder was dead!
*How is this possible?!*
Though Shen Jie and the elder both possessed the strength of Initial Heavenly Immortals and considered themselves experts, their faces were now pale. Their gazes towards Ye Yunfei grew cautious.
They understood that even if both of them attacked simultaneously, they wouldn't necessarily be able to kill so many Golden Immortals in such a short time!
"Young Master Shen, if we truly engage in combat... we may not be his match," the elder sent a sound transmission to Shen Jie.
"Find a chance to retreat. We'll settle this debt with him later!" Though Shen Jie typically thought highly of himself, he was also a cunning and cautious individual who had no desire for a life-and-death struggle with Ye Yunfei.
The next moment...
*BOOM! BOOM!*
With a wave of his hand, Shen Jie threw out over a hundred formation flags. Each flag contained a grand formation. Simultaneously unleashed, multiple formations rapidly took shape, erecting a series of barriers between him and Ye Yunfei.
"You'll see, kid! I will settle the score with you sooner or later!" Shen Jie and the elder turned and fled at full speed. Once they had put some distance between them, Shen Jie's voice, filled with resentment and poison, echoed back.