"According to my memories, that's indeed the case," Hun Lao answered.
"Let's not worry about it for now. Perfected Demigods shouldn't be coming after me anytime soon," Ye Yunfei said.
"You can't be certain of that," Hun Lao countered. "Although Perfected Demigods rarely appear, have you forgotten? That Yin Seed inside you should be very useful for them. Who knows, a Perfected Demigod might just come knocking one day."
Ye Yunfei couldn't help but frown after hearing Hun Lao's words. Because he was right. Ye Yunfei already had a general idea why so many experts from powerful forces were seeking him out, and a major objective was undoubtedly the Yin Seed.
That Yin Seed contained energy and laws remnant from ancient deities across the three thousand worlds. It would likely be extremely valuable to Demigods, Perfected Demigods in particular.
"Regardless, my strength is still too weak. It's difficult enough to protect myself at the moment. It seems I must focus on improving my power as soon as possible," Ye Yunfei sighed softly.
He felt immense pressure and a powerful, urgent desire to grow stronger.
"I just made a recent breakthrough in my realm. For the next while, I should concentrate on raising the power of my Mental Force and my swordsmanship," Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
Next, he had one of his Soul Bodies enter the Mind Tempering Pagoda to begin comprehending and cultivating Mental Force energy and its laws. Back in the Xuwu Secret Realm, Ye Yunfei had used the pagoda to absorb most of the Mental Force energy and laws from that city into the tower. Therefore, the Mind Tempering Pagoda now contained vast quantities of these resources.
Through cultivation, Ye Yunfei could gradually absorb and refine the Mental Force energy and laws inside the pagoda, eventually making them his own. Moreover, within that city, he had obtained the legacy of the Mental Gate Sect. However, ever since leaving the Xuwu Secret Realm, Ye Yunfei hadn't found the time to calm his mind and fully dedicate himself to comprehending it. Thus far, he had only grasped and cultivated a portion of that inheritance.
Now Ye Yunfei decided that for the foreseeable future, one of his Soul Bodies must practice Mental Force energy non-stop.
"Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, I want you to carry the Phantom Tower. I'll also give you the Space Teleportation Token to use. You'll be in charge of travel from now on, as I need to enter seclusion to enhance my power," Ye Yunfei said to the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm.
"I'm to travel? Where to? Don't tell me… are you finally heading for the Fire Realm?" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked, appearing beside Ye Yunfei.
"Correct. I plan to go to the Fire Realm to find that Flaming Dragon for cultivating the Nine-Yang Ancient Scripture," Ye Yunfei answered. "When I left the Three Thousand Worlds to enter the Chaotic Void Sea, my goal was to experience and improve myself. Now that I know there's a Flaming Dragon suitable for cultivation in the Fire Realm, of course I must make a trip there. If not now, then when?"
Ever since he learned from Ice Ancestor about the Flaming Dragon in the Fire Realm that could be used to cultivate the Nine-Yang Ancient Scripture, Ye Yunfei had long made up his mind to visit.
"Alright then. I already expected you'd go," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm replied.
Then Ye Yunfei entered the Phantom Tower while the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm began making its way toward the Fire Realm with the tower in tow. Ice Ancestor had already provided Ye Yunfei the Fire Realm's spatial coordinates.
Upon entering the Phantom Tower, Ye Yunfei immediately received sound transmission messages from many Heavenly Immortals of the Qianfang World Cluster.
"Young Master Ye, I've refined the pill you crafted for me, and my injuries are now fully healed!"
"Young Master Ye, I've been cultivating all this time using the pills you refined. I feel I'm about to break through soon!"
Ye Yunfei promptly came before those Heavenly Immortals.
The Heavenly Immortals from the Qianfang World Cluster had been in seclusion ever since—some healing, others cultivating. Roughly a year had passed inside the Phantom Tower compared to the few days in the outside world.
After a year of healing and cultivation, the injuries they suffered in previous battles were more or less recovered, thanks to the remarkably effective pills Ye Yunfei had refined for them. Those Heavenly Immortals who weren't injured used the pills Ye Yunfei gave them for cultivation, and all had experienced a significant increase in power. At least a dozen of them could already feel their breakthrough threshold approaching.
"Young Master Ye, before long we might need to find a place for our breakthrough," one Advanced Heavenly Immortal said to Ye Yunfei.
"Don't worry. When your Lightning Tribulations approach, I will find a safe place outside for your breakthroughs. So set your minds at ease and focus on making your move," Ye Yunfei nodded.
The Phantom Tower was, after all, merely a spatial artifact with incomplete energies and laws within. A breakthrough would require leaving the tower and going to the outside world.
"Here are some Heavenly Immortal-grade pills, all designed to aid cultivation, and they're quite potent. Use them for your training," Ye Yunfei said, taking out over a hundred bottles and delivering one to each Heavenly Immortal. Each bottle contained a substantial number of Heavenly Immortal-grade pills.
Inside the square of the Xuwu Secret Realm, Ye Yunfei had obtained six spatial rings. One of them was filled exclusively with immortal-grade pills—an immense quantity and an extremely comprehensive variety.
The last time he'd refined pills for these Heavenly Immortals, it was mostly to seize the opportunity to gain insights from the alchemical methods and experience contained within that pill cauldron. This time Ye Yunfei had no intention of wasting time refining for them again; giving them ready-made pills would suffice.
"Our thanks, Young Master Ye!" the Heavenly Immortals all exclaimed with excitement upon seeing the pills.
On the previous occasion, Ye Yunfei had said that any pills required for their cultivation would be provided. It seemed his words held true.
"Choosing to follow Young Master Ye was an absolutely correct decision! I feel as long as I stay by Young Master Ye's side, my power will experience a massive leap before long!"
"Of course! Young Master Ye is a skilled alchemist capable of refining Demigod-grade pills! Being near such an alchemist is incredibly fortunate for us!"
Thus did the Heavenly Immortals from the Qianfang World Cluster excitedly share their thoughts through sound transmissions after receiving their pills.
"Alright, enough! Once you have your pills, go cultivate at once!" Ouyang Tao called out loudly. "Young Master Ye's requirement for us is to use every moment possible to cultivate and improve our strength with all speed!"
"Everyone, go cultivate. Inform me if anyone is about to break through, and I'll find you a place," Ye Yunfei said.
The Heavenly Immortals then all turned and departed to find places for continued closed-door cultivation.
Ye Yunfei also found a place within the Phantom Tower. He erected several dozen formations to create a small formation space, then entered it to commence his own seclusion.
Using one Soul Body to practice Mental Force, Ye Yunfei had another Soul Body begin cultivating the Myriad Swords Return Art. Before leaving the Three Thousand Worlds, Ye Yunfei had received the sword dao inheritance from the Sword God Child. However, since entering the Chaotic Void Sea, the amount of time he'd dedicated to sword training was relatively little. Hence, his swordsmanship level had not significantly improved.
Now Ye Yunfei intended to raise his swordsmanship properly.
Meanwhile, outside in the void, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm ceaselessly traversed space on its journey toward the Fire Realm. According to Ice Ancestor, the Fire Realm lay in an extremely remote part of the Chaotic Void Sea.
About five or six days later, as the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm continued speeding forward through spatial jumps, it suddenly came to a halt. Its gaze turned toward one particular direction, and it revealed a curious expression.
"Over there… someone seems to be undergoing a Lightning Tribulation! Although it hasn't officially begun, the scale appears shockingly vast! I've never seen such a terrifying tribulation before," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm murmured, staring in that direction.
"What's going on?" Ye Yunfei asked immediately upon noticing the sudden stop during his cultivation.
"I sense that in that direction, a tremendously powerful individual seems to be undergoing a Lightning Tribulation. Judging by the scale, I suspect it could be an Advanced or even a Perfected Demigod! Even across such a great distance, I can already feel the annihilating aura of the lightning," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm answered.
"Watching someone undergo a tribulation isn't that fascinating. Focus on traveling; let's not meddle in others' business," Ye Yunfei said offhandedly. Having been wholly immersed in cultivation these days, he wasn't particularly concerned with external affairs.
"'Meddling' nothing! Think about it—if it's a Perfected Demigod undergoing a tribulation, what realm could he be trying to advance into?"
At those words, realization dawned upon Ye Yunfei.
"A Perfected Demigod aiming to advance would be attempting to achieve godhood!" Ye Yunfei exclaimed, immediately withdrawing from his cultivation state with an astonished tone.
"This is significant. We definitely cannot miss it—let's go take a look," Ye Yunfei thought for a moment before continuing.
"Someone attempting to ascend to godhood would be a sensation reverberating across the entire Chaotic Void Sea! Of course we can't miss it!"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm promptly turned direction and charged toward the faraway area from which the thunderous aura originated.
Soon, terrifying rumbles of thunder echoed from the void ahead. Looking forward, they saw a vast sea of lightning, churning with countless dread-inducing arcs of lightning and electric snakes.
Each lightning arc was thick, and gathered together by the tens of thousands, they formed a thunder sea. Annihilating lightning energies radiated outwards into the surrounding void from this expanse, instilling a soul-deep fear even from a great distance.
"How can a Lightning Tribulation of such magnitude exist?"
Ye Yunfei appeared beside the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm. Staring into the distance at that ocean-like thunder sea, he was momentarily left speechless with shock.
Ye Yunfei had experienced numerous tribulations himself. Yet, compared to this thunder sea, those he'd endured seemed not even a hundred-thousandth, even a millionth of its scale! Because the expanse before them was truly colossal. If one had to estimate its area, it likely spanned the area of an ordinary World Cluster!
"This should be… a tribulation for Ascension to Godhood!"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm stared, equally dumbfounded by the immense spectacle.
"Without a doubt, this is an Ascension to Godhood Tribulation! To think we would encounter it!" Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Conceal our auras at once, and be discreet! Once news of a Godhood Ascension Tribulation spreads, probably every Demigod across the Chaotic Void Sea will rush here to watch! This is an era where deities no longer appear. Suddenly, someone attempting to undergo the Ascension to Godhood Tribulation is such an earth-shattering event it could shake the entire Chaotic Void Sea!"
Then both Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm promptly suppressed their auras and employed various sophisticated concealment techniques to thoroughly mask their presences. Ye Yunfei also took out a large bundle of formation flags and erected dozens of high-level formations in the surrounding space, forming another small formation space.
With that, even if a Demigod expert passed by, they might not necessarily detect Ye Yunfei and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm. Moreover, any Demigods who dared come here would undoubtedly be focused on watching the tribulation ahead and wouldn't pay attention elsewhere.
Just then, distant figures began approaching.
"So the rumors are true! The Abbot of the Small Measure View really intends to undertake the Ascension Tribulation! We absolutely must watch such a tribulation closely. Whether it succeeds or fails, it holds immense guiding significance for our own future paths!"
Several Demigod experts rapidly approached from the distance, halting before the vast thunder sea. All revealed expressions of excitement as they gazed upon its terrifying scope. An Advanced Demigod among them uttered these words in an animated voice.
"After lying dormant for such a long era, Abbot Xiaoliang could no longer restrain himself and has challenged the Godhood Tribulation! Such courage truly earns admiration! In this Post-Deity Era, our Chaotic Void Sea needs pioneers such as he!"
From another direction, a middle-aged man wearing a tall golden crown and a long golden robe strode forth, stopping at the edge of the thunder sea. His gaze turned toward the center of the vast expanse of lightning and he nodded, commenting in a tone of praise.
"That fellow's power is unbelievably terrifying! I tried probing him just now, but I couldn't sense anything. He's right there, yet despite my strength, the space where he stands feels completely blank to me—like nothing is there," Hun Lao secretly transmitted his voice to Ye Yunfei.
Before Ye Yunfei could respond, the distant golden-robed man glanced—intentionally or not—in Ye Yunfei's direction.
"Stop sensing him! He might have noticed us!"
Ye Yunfei was inwardly startled by the golden-robed man's action. Indeed, Ye Yunfei had also quietly attempted to sense this middle-aged man just now, but he simply couldn't perceive the other's existence, let alone ascertain his exact cultivation level or strength.
Any being whose presence eluded detection by both Hun Lao and Ye Yunfei could only be terrifying beyond measure.
"This individual might be the most powerful existence we've ever encountered!" Hun Lao couldn't help but marvel.
"Amitabha! Abbot Xiaoliang's choice to undergo the Godhood Tribulation in this era is of immense merit for our Chaotic Void Sea. He serves as a model for our generation, one worthy of admiration!"
In the distant void, an elderly monk appeared, clad in a somewhat tattered kasaya, palms pressed together in a pious gesture. His expression placid, he walked forward slowly.
Though his pace looked leisurely, it took less than a breath for him to cross a great stretch of time and space, arriving at the periphery of the thunder sea.
He declared the Buddhist salutation aloud, then spoke.