"Where do we go now? Back to the Southern Dipper World Cluster?" Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked.
"No, I plan to return to the Three Thousand Big and Small Worlds," Ye Yunfei answered after some thought.
"The Golden Dragon Merchant House will suspend its operations for now. All members should keep a low profile and go into hiding. The Myriad Methods and Eternal Fortune Merchant Houses will definitely launch a frenzied attack against our house because those two factions already suspect I've taken the items left behind by their ancestors. Besides, we've seized quite a few of their branch strongholds recently and gained considerable spoils. Temporarily halting our business won't cause any losses. We'll reopen after we eventually destroy those two merchant houses," Ye Yunfei added.
"You plan to destroy them? Both the Myriad Methods and Eternal Fortune Merchant Houses have solid foundations and significant strength. They possess quite a few Demigod experts, including Perfected Demigods," Hun Lao interjected after hearing Ye Yunfei's words.
"If we don't eliminate them, the Golden Dragon Merchant House can't continue operating. I will destroy those two merchant houses sooner or later," Ye Yunfei replied.
"Given your current strength, dealing with ordinary Advanced Demigods shouldn't be a problem, but whether you can fight a Perfected Demigod remains unknown. Moreover, these two merchant houses must have hidden reserves, especially within their headquarters. They might even have Deity-level hidden cards. With your current power, destroying them would be extremely difficult. However, it might become possible as your strength continuously improves in the future," Hun Lao advised.
"Given Master's talent and effort, he will definitely grow even stronger. I firmly believe that!" Hu Miao declared.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei was already teleporting toward the direction of the Three Thousand Big and Small Worlds. Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, meanwhile, continuously sent out orders via communication tokens, instructing all Golden Dragon Merchant House members to maintain a low profile, preferably find places to hide, and close all branch strongholds.
Suddenly, Ye Yunfei stopped, his brow slightly furrowed as he turned to look back.
"What's wrong?" Seeing Ye Yunfei's actions, Hun Lao immediately extended his perception into the space behind them and asked.
"Seems like nothing..." Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm also probed the rear area but detected nothing.
"It appears we're being followed," Ye Yunfei stated solemnly.
While using Soul Power for perception, Ye Yunfei began performing divinations using the Chaos Heavenly Secrets Art.
"Strange. I don't seem to perceive anything," Hun Lao said with confusion after a moment's observation.
"We are definitely being followed!" Ye Yunfei announced, his expression grave after a period of divination.
"If even the three of us cannot detect it, it means the other party is most likely a Perfected Demigod, and not an ordinary one at that. Probably an exceptionally powerful Perfected Demigod. From now on, we must remain vigilant at all times, ready to handle a sudden enemy attack," Hun Lao said.
"The enemy is hidden, we are exposed. This puts us in a very passive position. Since we can't detect anything, we have no idea if it's a single Perfected Demigod or multiple ones," Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm voiced.
"The number of enemies is small, no more than three at most. It could even be just one," Ye Yunfei shook his head and replied.
"Instead of being tracked like this, I might as well take the initiative and wait for them. I want to see who's following me," Ye Yunfei said slowly after some contemplation.
"You'll wait for them here?" Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked.
"No. I'll find a continent first, then wait for the enemy to reveal themselves," Ye Yunfei answered.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei found a world cluster nearby and entered the largest world within it. The continent there was also the largest in the entire cluster. Ye Yunfei landed on the continent and immediately used his Geomancy Technique to teleport thousands of Earth Dragons from the Illusory Pagoda into the ground below.
Having cultivated the Chaos Burial Method, Ye Yunfei could now set up Earth Formations within space. Doing so on a continent was even easier.
Ye Yunfei communicated with the earth energies and swiftly set up one large Earth Formation after another.
"What's this guy doing?" Shortly after Ye Yunfei entered this world, a faint, almost imperceptible figure followed him in, watching from afar.
When the figure entered, Ye Yunfei immediately sensed it.
"The person tracking us has arrived!" Ye Yunfei sent a mental message to Hun Lao, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, and Hu Miao.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei was still darting around beneath the continent's surface, setting up even more formations. The continent was vast, with abundant earth energy and a large number of Earth Dragons. While laying down formations, Ye Yunfei also collected a batch of Earth Dragons from this continent. In fact, it had become his habit to gather Earth Dragons of various grades from every continent he visited.
"Alright, now let's see exactly who's chasing me," Ye Yunfei stood beneath the continent's surface, surrounded by densely packed Earth Formations, and spoke coldly.
Then, Ye Yunfei activated all the surrounding Earth Formations. Surging earth energies billowed up, with large numbers of Earth Dragons swimming about. The energy aura released by so many formations instantly engulfed Ye Yunfei completely, thoroughly isolating his own aura.
"That guy's aura vanished in an instant. Even the mark I placed on him earlier has been cut off," a faintly visible figure appeared in the sky above the continent, examining the land below with puzzlement.
"Show yourself at last," Ye Yunfei, now on the continent's surface, saw the faint figure and couldn't help but frown.
"This person... is only a Heavenly Immortal?" The next moment, a look of surprise crossed Ye Yunfei's face. The energy aura emanating from the figure standing in the sky was actually that of an Advanced Heavenly Immortal—a lower realm than Ye Yunfei himself!
"This guy is very strange!" Ye Yunfei frowned. A Heavenly Immortal was tracking him, yet he hadn't been able to sense this person's presence before. This indicated the Heavenly Immortal was far from ordinary.
"It seems this individual is like you. Although only a Heavenly Immortal, his true strength must be formidable," Hun Lao said in a grave tone.
"Correct. The lower his realm, the stranger and more dangerous he is. He's likely another one of those 'hiding a tiger's strength behind a pig's disguise' types," Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm added.
"It appears that fellow used some earth technique to cut off the mark I placed on him. What profound Geomancy Technique!" Up in the sky, the faint figure gradually solidified, finally transforming into a man of ordinary appearance who looked down at the continent, searching for traces of Ye Yunfei.
At the same time, Ye Yunfei locked onto this man, perceiving his aura.
"This person's movement speed is terrifyingly fast. I was constantly teleporting using Space Teleportation Tokens earlier. Even Advanced or Perfected Demigods might not have been able to follow me accurately. Furthermore, I employed aura-isolation secret techniques throughout the whole process, yet he still managed to track me precisely without my knowing. I have no idea when he even started following me," Ye Yunfei gazed at the man, feeling a pang of alarm.
"Still, I don't need to fear him. Even if he possesses the strength of a Perfected Demigod, he may not necessarily be able to defeat me. Only if he were a Deity would I be powerless. However, if he were a Deity, he would have already subdued me long ago, rather than resorting to tracking like this." Ye Yunfei observed the man for a moment before speaking.
Then, Ye Yunfei slowly rose from beneath the ground, emerging onto the surface.
"So you're here. Seems you've discovered my pursuit. Your perception ability is quite good," the man in the sky above the continent spotted Ye Yunfei immediately and began descending step by step, speaking as he approached.
"Why are you following me?" Ye Yunfei regarded the man warily and asked.
"Your luck is good. I know you must have obtained the treasures and legacies left by the ancestors of the Myriad Methods and Eternal Fortune Merchant Houses. Although your strength is decent, I believe you are unworthy of possessing Deity-level treasures and legacies. Hand over the items left by the ancestors of those two merchant houses. Let me keep them. That would be a wise course of action for you. Otherwise, you'll face endless troubles in the future," the man replied.
"So that's it." Hearing the man's words, Ye Yunfei finally understood his intention. He had come to seize the items after realizing Ye Yunfei had obtained them.
"I suspect that among the treasures left by those ancestors are quite a few Divine Crystals, something I need right now. However, since we have no grudge, I don't wish to make things difficult for you. Therefore, you should proactively hand over their possessions. Save me the trouble of forcing you, as that would only create discord." By now, the man had landed on the continent and stood facing Ye Yunfei.
"Why should I hand over my things to you? Who do you think you are?" Ye Yunfei's expression gradually turned icy as he listened, and then he spoke.
"Young man, don't be impulsive. Impulsiveness is a devil. The world has never lacked geniuses; what's truly lacking are geniuses who can survive and grow. With your talent, as long as you grow properly and accumulate enough time and experience, you will eventually become a notable figure in this Chaotic Void Sea. Why invite disaster prematurely now?" The man's tone remained rather indifferent.
"Enough nonsense. Leave immediately if you don't wish to die, or don't blame me for being ruthless," Ye Yunfei had no desire to listen to such talk.
"So, you refuse to willingly surrender those ancestral items?" The man's expression darkened.
Ye Yunfei did not speak further, simply gazing coldly at him.
"Very well. It seems you're forcing me to act. In that case, there's nothing more to be said." As the man's voice grew increasingly chilling, the aura of his energy surged violently, shaking the heavens and earth. Ultimately, the space where he stood began to churn violently.
Simultaneously, the man's appearance started to change. His previously ordinary features transformed into those of a youth with long golden hair that cascaded down to his waist, giving him an ethereal, transcendent handsomeness. A pair of golden wings unfurled from his back, gently fluttering like a great golden bird poised to take flight, projecting an indescribable sense of otherworldly grace.
"What race is this?" Ye Yunfei looked at the golden-haired man with some surprise and immediately asked Hun Lao. Hun Lao possessed the memories of the Chaos World Tree and knew many things about the world.
"Young man, I must admit, you are a rare young genius in this era. But you have encountered me and defied me. Therefore, your path ends today," the golden-haired man spoke slowly, his voice possessing a peculiar magnetism that sounded pleasant and soothing.
Then the golden-haired man made his move. His body suddenly erupted with dense, dazzling golden light. Each strand of golden radiance transformed into a golden sword ray, appearing in countless numbers. Thousands upon thousands of golden sword rays roared together like a thunderstorm, piercing the surrounding space full of holes.
Boom!
The golden-haired man took a step forward and threw a punch toward Ye Yunfei. His fist was a dazzling golden, as if forged from gold, expanding continuously like a golden sacred mountain slowly pressing down upon Ye Yunfei.
"Be careful. This fellow's strength is indeed formidable!" Sensing the terrifying force behind the punch, Hun Lao immediately warned Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei directly executed the Yin-Yang Divine Fist, punching forward to meet it. The space ahead immediately split into two halves—one side bright as day, the other dark as night. The daylight side blazed with roaring flames, while the night side floated with countless frigid, jet-black shards of ice.
"So it truly is the Legacy of the Yin-Yang Elder!" Seeing this scene and sensing the energy aura of Ye Yunfei's fist art, the golden-haired man couldn't help but exclaim.
"Legacy of the Yin-Yang Elder?" Hearing the man's words, Ye Yunfei was momentarily stunned.
"The Yin-Yang Divine Fist you're using is an ancient fist technique. This fellow can actually recognize its origins. It seems he has a good understanding of ancient matters," Hun Lao quickly sent a mental message.
Boom!
Their fists collided, both sensing the terrifying force of the other, and simultaneously retreated a step. The space at the point of impact instantly collapsed.
"The power of the Yin-Yang Elder's Legacy is indeed extraordinary," the golden-haired man commented.
"Again!" Ye Yunfei took a step forward and unleashed the Yin-Yang Divine Fist once more. The space ahead split, one side a rolling sea of fire, the other a frozen wasteland of ice and snow with fluttering flakes stretching for thousands of miles.
Boom!
The terrifying, extreme fist force caused both the sky and the land to continuously explode.
Heavens and earth shattered, rocks piercing through the clouds!
The vast, torrential fist force surged like an ocean toward the golden-haired man.
"The Yin-Yang Divine Fist is formidable, but I am not afraid," the golden-haired man declared coldly.