After settling matters within Golden Dragon City, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm brought Ye Yunfei out of the city. Not long after, they entered another world within the Southern Dipper World Cluster and arrived before a Small World.
The entrance to this Small World was extremely well-hidden, and furthermore, over a hundred Formations had been laid down around it, making it difficult to detect.
"This is another branch stronghold of our Golden Dragon Merchant House within the Southern Dipper World Cluster. When I don't need to deal with merchant house affairs, I usually seclude myself here for cultivation," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said to Ye Yunfei as they stood before the entrance to the Small World.
Ye Yunfei recognized at a glance that the over hundred Formations guarding the Small World's entrance were all set up using the formation flags he had refined.
Upon entering the Small World, Ye Yunfei found the Immortal Power energy and laws within to be of excellent quality. No wonder the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm used this place for secluded cultivation.
Many beings originally inhabited this Small World. After the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm led his merchant house members in to establish the branch stronghold, he did not trouble the native inhabitants. Instead, he bestowed many benefits upon them, and they coexisted peacefully. However, without the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm's permission, the native inhabitants generally could not leave freely.
Shortly after entering the Small World, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm led Ye Yunfei to a golden city.
This city was almost identical to the Golden Dragon City they had left earlier.
"This city is also called Golden Dragon City. Consider it my usual lair," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm explained.
"You certainly know how to live in comfort," Ye Yunfei remarked with a chuckle as he walked into the resplendent, grandly scaled city.
"Alright, I need to undergo closed-door cultivation for a while. All of you should rest and recuperate properly as well. This is the Golden Dragon Merchant House headquarters, our own territory."
Ye Yunfei teleported out Gan Changfeng and the other five Demigods, as well as everyone else, and had them find places within Golden Dragon City to recuperate.
Ye Yunfei himself then found a relatively secluded cultivation chamber. After entering the chamber, he went inside the Phantom Tower.
"Next, I'll continue cultivating the Flying Sword Art!"
Ye Yunfei took out the Sword Embryo, then produced a large pile of black iron blocks. He planned to refine and absorb the high-quality Soul Power energy contained within these black iron blocks while simultaneously using one of his Soul Bodies to continue practicing the Flying Sword Art.
"First, I'll strive to successfully fuse my Soul Clone with this Sword Embryo!" Ye Yunfei declared solemnly, looking at the Sword Embryo before him.
While practicing the Flying Sword Art, another of Ye Yunfei's Soul Bodies sat cross-legged within the Heart-Tempering Tower, refining and absorbing the Soul Power energy and soul laws contained within it.
Ye Yunfei had already refined and absorbed roughly two-thirds of the Soul Power energy within the Heart-Tempering Tower.
"I've attained considerable proficiency in the two heart force martial techniques, Heart Force Lock and Invisible Heart Sword. It's time to cultivate a couple more!" Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
Previously, within the Misty Void Secret Realm, Ye Yunfei had obtained a jade slip containing the legacies of the Heart Gate. Since then, his cultivation in heart force had focused primarily on elevating heart force energy and comprehending heart force laws. Regarding heart force martial techniques, he had only cultivated Heart Force Lock and Invisible Heart Sword. He had yet to spend time on the other Heart Gate legacies recorded on that jade slip.
With a thought, Ye Yunfei made a jade slip appear before his Soul Body within the Heart-Tempering Tower. His Soul Power energy probed into it, and he began perusing the Heart Gate legacies recorded on the jade slip. He intended to select a Heart Gate technique suitable for his current stage of cultivation.
"As for the other three Soul Power planets, I'll use them all to comprehend the Great Art of Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One!"
Ye Yunfei had obtained a higher-level manual for the Great Art of Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One before leaving the Three Thousand Worlds for the first time to venture into the vast Chaotic Void Sea. This was a Deity-level sword art, a legacy of the Sword Divine Child.
The Sword Divine Child was a swordsman ranked within the top ten in the Sword Realm. Ye Yunfei was still far from mastering the highest realms of the Great Art of Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One he had passed down.
Thus, Ye Yunfei divided his focus three ways, simultaneously cultivating three techniques: the Flying Sword Art, heart force energy, and the Great Art of Ten Thousand Swords Returning to One.
If news of this cultivation method got out, few would dare believe it. Normally, even when cultivating, Demigods had to concentrate their spirit and time on a single technique to achieve any real results. Cultivating three techniques simultaneously was simply incredible!
Of course, Ye Yunfei possessed two Soul Bodies and three Soul Power planets, allowing him to cultivate a maximum of five techniques at once.
While Ye Yunfei was in secluded cultivation within the Phantom Tower, the various events that had recently transpired in the Jinhua World Cluster had already begun spreading through the Chaotic Void Sea at an astonishing speed.
Particularly shocking was the incident where numerous top experts barged into the Jinhua Divine Hall, only to suffer heavy casualties as a giant hand chased them out, slaying nearly half of those who had entered.
It was said that each of the slain top experts hailed from the major, renowned powers within the Chaotic Void Sea, or from mysterious ancient forces that had only recently re-emerged, or from some enigmatic forbidden zones. Each of these experts stood at the pinnacle of the pyramid in the Chaotic Void Sea, figures whose every step normally made the vast cosmos tremble. Yet now, so many had fallen.
"Has the Jinhua God truly revived?"
Innumerable people across the Chaotic Void Sea were asking this question. At that time, several top experts who had escaped from the Jinhua Divine Hall had shouted that the Jinhua God had revived.
Upon hearing such news, those who learned of it couldn't help but feel a chilling dread, shocked yet finding it hard to believe. The notion of a Deity still living within the Chaotic Void Sea was simply too staggering—especially a Deity as famed among the ancient gods as the Jinhua God.
Subsequently, legends about the Jinhua God and the Jinhua Divine Hall from ancient times were dug up. The glorious feats of the Jinhua God, who once dominated the entire Chaotic Void Sea during an ancient era, were repeatedly brought up, astonishing countless people.
The Jinhua God, an ancient deity who had disappeared for countless ages, suddenly became the focal point of attention in the Chaotic Void Sea.
Although the ancestral founders of both the Myriad Methods Merchant House and Eternal Fortune Merchant House were also Deities, they were considered ordinary ones, far inferior in might to a renowned powerhouse among gods like the Jinhua God.
In short, the Jinhua God and the Jinhua Divine Hall swiftly became the absolute center of attention across the entire Chaotic Void Sea, subjects of frenzied discussion.
Not long after, new news concerning the Jinhua God and the Jinhua Divine Hall circulated. The descendants of the Jinhua God had suddenly appeared, returning to the Jinhua World Cluster and entering the Jinhua Divine Hall.
Afterward, the world containing the Jinhua Divine Hall was taken over and controlled by the Jinhua God's descendants, who declared to the outside world the official return of the Jinhua Clan.
It was said that the descendants of the Jinhua God had collectively left the Jinhua World Cluster a very long time ago, relocating to a certain mysterious forbidden zone. They had lived there for a great length of time and immediately returned upon hearing news related to the Jinhua Divine Hall.
After a period of time, another piece of news spread: the Jinhua God had not truly revived. The top experts who entered the Jinhua Divine Hall had disturbed his corpse. Within that corpse remained a strand of Soul Power imprint left by the Jinhua God himself. It was this Soul Power imprint that had controlled his own corpse to attack the intruding top experts.
A Soul Power imprint left by a Deity, coupled with a godly corpse, unleashed terrifying power. Moreover, the Jinhua Divine Hall was originally the place where the Jinhua God lived and cultivated in ancient times, essentially his territory. Intruders had no choice but to accept their fate.
"To think the Jinhua God left behind descendants. From now on, another major power has been added to the Chaotic Void Sea!" countless people lamented.
The descendants of the Jinhua God had returned from a mysterious forbidden zone and possessed such a terrifying foundation as the Jinhua Divine Hall. No one dared provoke them lightly.
Numerous top experts had barged into the Jinhua Divine Hall, only to be forced into a miserable retreat with many casualties. From now on, absolutely no one would dare to casually intrude upon that hall.
"Damm it!
Our Myriad Methods Merchant House lost a Perfected Demigod within the Jinhua Divine Hall and gained nothing!
And the treasure our Ancestor left behind was taken by someone else!"
"And the leader of the Golden Dragon Merchant House escaped right from under our noses!"
"This outcome is truly hard to accept!"
…
Angry roars echoed within the headquarters of the Myriad Methods Merchant House.
"Our Myriad Methods Merchant House has remained low-key for so long within the Chaotic Void Sea. Now, with the new Deity Era finally dawning, we wanted to find the treasure our Ancestor left behind, gaining an advantageous position at the start of this era. Who would have imagined such an outcome!" The Chief Executive of the Myriad Methods Merchant House, a middle-aged man in scholarly white robes with a refined appearance, sat on a high seat within one of the merchant house's palaces. His expression was extremely grim as he spoke solemnly.
"Ancestral Diviner, can you divine just who stole the treasure left by our Ancestor?" the Chief Executive asked, turning his gaze toward an emaciated elder beside him, whose body was entirely concealed within gray robes.
"Chief Executive, my battle with the Eternal Fortune Merchant House's Diviner Liu was severe, and I sustained relatively serious injuries. I have been in a state of recuperation this entire time. For now, I am still unable to divine who stole our Ancestor's treasure," Ancestral Diviner replied with a shake of his head.
Within that Small World where the two merchant house ancestors had secluded themselves, the forces of both merchant houses engaged in a brutal battle. During the conflict, the diviners of both sides fought fiercely, each suffering heavy injuries.
"Ancestral Diviner, focus on recovering from your injuries first. We will proceed with the divination after your condition improves," the Myriad Methods Chief Executive nodded.
He knew that forcefully performing divination arts while heavily injured easily led to backlash and even mortal danger. Ancestral Diviner was the most skilled diviner within the Myriad Methods Merchant House. Losing him would be a tremendous blow.
"Chief Executive, I suspect the theft of our Ancestor's treasure may be related to the higher-ups of the Golden Dragon Merchant House," suddenly, one of the Myriad Methods Merchant House Elders spoke up.
"Oh? Why do you say that?" The gazes of the other high-level members within the palace immediately turned toward that Elder.
"Has everyone forgotten? The Golden Dragon Merchant House leaders we pursued left traces of their presence just near the entrance of the Small World where our Ancestor secluded himself.
How could that be a mere coincidence?
At the time, I suspected whether the Golden Dragon Merchant House's upper echelons had learned of our Ancestor's situation and thus deliberately sought that place out.
I believe the individual who suddenly appeared and stole our Ancestor's treasure, as well as that tree demon, are likely connected to the Golden Dragon Merchant House's higher-ups. They might even be allies that the Golden Dragon Merchant House invited!" the Elder stated.
"Elder Feng, hearing you say this, that possibility indeed exists. Otherwise, why would it be such a coincidence that the Golden Dragon Merchant House's leaders fled precisely to the world where our Ancestor secluded himself, leaving their presence in the nearby area?" Upon hearing Elder Feng's words, several Myriad Methods Merchant House high-level members nodded, and one of them voiced his agreement.
"Elder Feng, the possibility you mentioned does exist. From now on, spare no effort in tracing the whereabouts of the Golden Dragon Merchant House's upper echelons, especially its leader. Furthermore, utilize all our resources to investigate the tree demon and the identity and origins of the individual who suddenly appeared on the altar. Find them at all costs! Anyone daring to steal our Ancestor's treasure has incurred our undying enmity!" The Chief Executive nodded and then spoke slowly.
"Our Ancestor's skeletal remains have been retrieved! From now on, the Ancestor's remains shall stand as one of the foundational assets of our Myriad Methods Merchant House!" the Chief Executive then added.
After Ye Yunfei departed, the people from both merchant houses took their ancestors' corpses, eventually returning them to their headquarters.
After all, these were the corpses of Deities, possessing fearsome power! Retrieving the ancestors' remains was the only gain either merchant house attained from the incident.
"And one more matter. From this moment on, our Myriad Methods Merchant House is a sworn enemy of the Eternal Fortune Merchant House! All previous business cooperation with Eternal Fortune is hereby nullified! Henceforth, we must spare no expense in competing with them, seeking every opportunity to annihilate the Eternal Fortune Merchant House and avenge our Ancestor!"
At the same time, within a luxurious palace at the headquarters of the Eternal Fortune Merchant House, its high-level members were holding a meeting, discussing the same topics.
"We must employ every means necessary to determine exactly who stole the treasure our Ancestor left behind! Also, continue hunting down the Golden Dragon Merchant House's upper echelon!" Finally, the Eternal Fortune Merchant House Chief Executive declared resoundingly.
"Furthermore, our Eternal Fortune Merchant House is now in an adversarial relationship with the Myriad Methods Merchant House. One day, we shall eradicate them!" the Eternal Fortune Chief Executive added.