Just as all the members of the Zhan Family were wondering why their family's Fourth Patriarch was so furious, a gaunt old man wearing a loose gray robe suddenly soared up from the depths of the family's compound.
"Look, it really is the Fourth Patriarch!"
The members of the Zhan Family were all astonished to see the gray-robed elder.
Everyone knew that the family's several patriarchs had been in closed-door cultivation during this period. Under normal circumstances, even the Clan Leader and the various Elders found it difficult to meet them, let alone witness their public appearance.
Thus, everyone understood in their hearts: now that the Fourth Patriarch had suddenly appeared before the crowd, something truly momentous must have occurred.
"Dispatch someone immediately to investigate the identity and origins of this brat! Capture him and bring him to me!"
The gray-robed elder roared angrily. His voice reverberated throughout the Zhan Family headquarters, like peals of thunder exploding continuously, deafening to the ear.
"We pay our respects to the Fourth Patriarch! What has happened, Fourth Patriarch?"
At this moment, the Zhan Family Clan Leader, accompanied by six of its core Elders, appeared and approached the Fourth Patriarch with both reverence and fear, asking humbly.
"See for yourselves what has happened!"
With a wave of his hand, the gray-robed elder sent a jade slip flying to land before the Clan Leader. He spoke in rage.
Having said that, the gray-robed elder turned and took a single step, vanishing without a trace.
"We respectfully bid farewell to the Fourth Patriarch!"
Knowing the Fourth Patriarch was returning to his closed-door cultivation, the high-ranking Zhan Family members hurriedly chorused their farewells.
Next, the Clan Leader took that jade slip and probed it with his spiritual sense.
"Damn it! Someone actually dared to intercept and rob the Fourth Patriarch's Soul Clone midway? Are they intending to go to war with our Zhan Family?"
Upon sensing the contents of the jade slip, the Zhan Family Clan Leader instantly flew into a towering rage.
"What happened?"
Seeing the Clan Leader react this way, the other Elders were shocked and hurriedly stepped forward one after another to probe the contents of the jade slip. Afterwards, these few Zhan Family Elders also became utterly furious, letting out roars of anger.
"What's going on? Even the Clan Leader and the Elders seem to have become furious."
At this point, the other Zhan Family members watching from afar were deeply puzzled, unsure what grand event could have provoked such anger from their family's leaders.
"Who is this brat? He's too damn insolent! To dare intercept our Zhan Family experts and snatch the Fourth Patriarch's Soul Clone? Does he not place our Zhan Family in his eyes at all?"
The six Zhan Family Elders were all fuming with rage. They saw the various images sent back by the Fourth Patriarch's Soul Clone before it was destroyed by Ye Yunfei in the jade slip.
"Launch a thorough investigation into this brat's identity and origins immediately. Regardless of which great power, ancient clan, or forbidden land he hails from, since he has committed such an act, our Zhan Family absolutely cannot let it slide. We must seek him out and settle this account."
The Zhan Family Clan Leader now calmed down slightly and spoke gravely.
He thought to himself that a young junior daring enough to pull off something like this while possessing such terrifying strength at a young age was most likely from some superpower of astonishing heritage. After all, only a young junior emerging from those kinds of superpowers could possibly possess such power and such boldness.
However, the Zhan Family was also a major power with a time-honored heritage and deep reserves. They did not shy away from trouble!
"Clan Leader, I know who this brat is."
Right at this moment, one of the six Elders suddenly spoke up.
"Who?"
The Clan Leader and the other five Elders looked over.
"Ye Yunfei. Ye Yunfei from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds."
The Elder said slowly.
"I had only just received news not long ago. It is this very Ye Yunfei who has inflicted great losses upon our Zhan Family. He has already killed several of our Zhan Family's Demigod experts. I was just about to inform you all of this matter. I never expected he would run off and intercept our people to rob the Fourth Patriarch's Soul Clone."
The Elder continued.
"So it's that Ye Yunfei from the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds! He even killed several of our Zhan Family's Demigod experts! Despicable!"
Upon hearing this Elder's words, the Clan Leader and the other Elders gnashed their teeth in fury, filled with boundless anger.
For every great power, Demigod experts formed a core, key strength. To lose several Demigods was a massive blow to the Zhan Family!
"Clan Leader, I've heard this Ye Yunfei established a force called the Alliance Army. Many people from world clusters that have already been invaded have flocked to join him. Moreover, Ye Yunfei's combat prowess is somewhat peculiar. Even though he is only a Heavenly Immortal, he has already killed quite a few Demigods."
The Zhan Family's First Elder said to the Clan Leader with a frown.
"By the way, how did our Zhan Family come into conflict with Ye Yunfei in the first place? Why did he attack our people?"
The Clan Leader asked.
"The reason for that is probably quite complex."
The First Elder hesitated for a moment, his gaze flicking to the Second Elder.
In truth, he already knew long ago that the primary reason the Zhan Family had a grudge against Ye Yunfei was because of the Second Elder's biological grandson, Zhan Yuan.
"First Elder, let me explain. Clan Leader, the reason Ye Yunfei has a grudge with our Zhan Family starts with my grandson, Zhan Yuan. My grandson Zhan Yuan had a feud with the two girls from the Xiao Family. Ye Yunfei, captivated by the beauty of those Xiao Family girls, voluntarily stepped forward to confront Zhan Yuan on their behalf, even killing quite a few of our Zhan Family's men at that time. From that moment, our Zhan Family developed a feud with Ye Yunfei."
The Second Elder spoke up.
"So that's how it is. Hmph! It seems this Ye Yunfei truly does not place our Zhan Family in his eyes. Otherwise, he wouldn't have intercepted and robbed the Fourth Patriarch's Soul Clone. Regardless, our Zhan Family must demand justice for this."
The Zhan Family Clan Leader stated grimly.
"Clan Leader, even though Ye Yunfei is only at the peak of Heavenly Immortality, he could actually kill our Zhan Family's Advanced Demigod experts. His strength is too bizarre; we cannot underestimate him. To deal with him, we will likely need to send out a Complete Demigod, or perhaps even mobilize our family's Divine-level hidden strengths. If we just send ordinary experts after him, I'm afraid he'll be hard to capture. It might instead cause even greater losses for our family."
An Elder voiced his opinion.
"This Ye Yunfei is indeed freakishly talented. Second Brother, since Ye Yunfei's conflict with our Zhan Family originated because of your grandson, here is the plan. You go and deal with him. Bring some of the family's hidden strengths with you to minimize casualties."
The Clan Leader thought for a moment, then looked at the Second Elder and spoke.
"Very well. I'll go deal with this brat."
The Second Elder nodded. He then turned and departed.
Not long after, the Second Elder, leading a group of Zhan Family experts, left the headquarters and set off to find Ye Yunfei.
"Send a few men to the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. Infiltrate secretly to see if Ye Yunfei has returned. Avoid exposure if at all possible before locating Ye Yunfei."
After leaving the headquarters, the Second Elder instructed an Intermediate Demigod of the Zhan Family.
This Intermediate Demigod immediately led a portion of the Zhan Family members towards the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds.
The Second Elder, meanwhile, led the rest of the party towards the location where the Fourth Patriarch's Soul Clone had been stolen.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei had already entered the Qiancang World Group.
According to the intelligence, the Reincarnation Passage was located within one of the worlds in this cluster. Ye Yunfei changed his appearance to that of an unfamiliar youth, inquired around a bit within the Qiancang World Group, learned the specific location of that world, and entered it.
Before long, Ye Yunfei finally located the entrance-exit of that Reincarnation Passage.
It was at the northernmost edge of this world's continent.
A spatial entry point radiating a dense aura of Samsara hovered above the land. Peering inside, all one saw was a jet-black darkness, revealing nothing. Even probing inside with Soul Force Energy yielded no information, as if something inside was devouring soul energy.
Ye Yunfei discovered a large crowd of creatures gathered around that spatial portal, all watching it intently.
"Indeed, it is a Reincarnation Passage."
Sensing the energy emanating from that spatial portal, Ye Yunfei found its aura identical to that of the Reincarnation Passage in the Main World of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. He knew he had found the right place. Of course, the Samsara energy aura radiating from this Reincarnation Passage seemed even denser, even more profound.
"These people gathered here must be waiting to venture inside for exploration or treasure hunting."
Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.
"Ignore them. We will go inside now and take a look."
Ye Yunfei stated, then soared into the air and walked towards that spatial portal.
"Hey, you! What do you think you're doing? This Reincarnation Passage is extremely dangerous. To ensure everyone's safety, this area is now sealed off. You can't just walk in. Get lost, now!"
Suddenly, a tall and brawny man appeared, blocking Ye Yunfei's path.
"How outrageous! When this Reincarnation Passage was first discovered, it was unclaimed territory. Anyone could enter to explore or seek treasure. But over the past few days, these major powers sent guards to monopolize it, forbidding anyone without background or strength from entering!"
"What choice do we have? Our own strength is too weak to resist."
...
Seeing this scene, some people in the surroundings couldn't help but mutter quietly.
So that's it.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Force Energy was immensely potent. Hearing the quiet mutterings around him, he immediately understood why this burly man was blocking him.
"Move!"
Ye Yunfei said coldly, simultaneously utilizing Heartforce Locks and the formless Heartforce Swords.
"Ah!" the brawny man screamed, his body suddenly immobilized, wracked with immense pain.
The formless Heartforce Swords unleashed by Ye Yunfei's current heartforce level were unbearable for a Heavenly Immortal.
Ye Yunfei slapped out with his palm.
The brawny man was sent flying like a cannonball launched from its barrel, vanishing into the distance in an instant.
"Kid, you dare attack our man? You're asking for death!"
Immediately, five or six people nearby charged over ferociously, intending to attack Ye Yunfei.
Without even looking at them, Ye Yunfei dealt them each a backhand slap, sending them all scattering.
"This kid is too strong!"
Witnessing this, everyone present was rather shocked. All of those who charged to attack Ye Yunfei were Advanced or complete Heavenly Immortals!
"Kid, this place has been sealed off!"
Just as Ye Yunfei was about to step into the spatial passage, an old man suddenly appeared, standing before Ye Yunfei, his tone frigid.
Simultaneously, several Demigod experts appeared around this old man. Having witnessed Ye Yunfei's moves, these Demigod experts realized this unremarkable-looking young man possessed somewhat frightening strength, and so they revealed themselves.
It turned out that this Reincarnation Passage had been sealed off by major powers not long ago. Only people from powerful major forces were permitted entry; ordinary individuals were barred. These major powers wanted to monopolize this Reincarnation Passage, as many legends about Reincarnation Passages existed throughout the Chaotic Void Sea.
It was said that Reincarnation Passages were relics left behind by an extremely mysterious ancient power—the Reincarnation Palace. In a certain prolonged epoch of antiquity, the Reincarnation Palace once reigned supreme over the Chaotic Void Sea, possessing immense overall strength. During that era, countless world clusters, forces, and races had to bow their heads and submit to the Reincarnation Palace. Even the order governing the entire Chaotic Void Sea was established and enforced by them. In other words, the order and operation of the entire Chaotic Void Sea proceeded according to the will of the Reincarnation Palace. One could only imagine the supreme might of the Reincarnation Palace in its prime. Naturally, the remains left behind by such an immensely powerful ancient organization piqued everyone's interest. Many yearned to venture inside these passages to see if they contained any legacies or treasures from the ancient Reincarnation Palace.
"Get out of my way!"
Ye Yunfei swept his gaze over them, noting that these Demigod experts blocking his path included both Primary and Intermediate Demigods. He sneered coldly and threw a punch forward.
Boom...
A torrent of physical strength cascaded from Ye Yunfei's body, converging onto his fist as it shot forward, instantly shattering the space ahead.
"How is this possible?!"
Facing Ye Yunfei's fist imbued with terrifying power, the several Demigod experts standing at the forefront paled in fright, scrambling to dodge.
"Kid, be careful! You'll destroy this entrance!"
One Intermediate Demigod, afraid that Ye Yunfei's violent physical strength would shatter the spatial portal behind them, angrily shouted out a warning.
"Step aside unless you want to die."
Ye Yunfei gave a great roar and strode forward aggressively.
Confronted by such overwhelming physical force, the Demigod experts ahead dared not stand their ground. In the end, Ye Yunfei took a single step into the spatial passage, disappearing from sight.
"Too incredible! That young man charged in all by himself. These major power blockades only work against ordinary folks. When faced with true powerhouses, they're useless."
Many people in the surrounding crowd cheered inwardly.
"When did such a monstrously talented young man appear in the Chaotic Void Sea? I've never heard of him before. Could he be from an ancient clan that recently made its presence known? Or did he emerge from some mysterious forbidden land?"
Many others began to speculate about Ye Yunfei's identity and origins.
However, Ye Yunfei, upon entering the Qiancang World Group, had long since altered his physical appearance and soul body aura, utilizing a soul star to simulate an unfamiliar aura. Thus, no one could discern Ye Yunfei's true identity. They could only grasp at shadows, conjecturing wildly.
"Kid! You dared to lay hands on us. This isn't over! Come, we're going after him!"
The few Demigod experts who had been forced back by Ye Yunfei's punch now felt intensely angry, as many eyes were watching. Being forced back by a single punch from a young junior, witnessed by all and sundry, would become a laughingstock if word spread.
"That kid's greatest asset is his physical strength. If we're careful, we might not necessarily fear him."
One Demigod expert called out loudly.
At this point, Ye Yunfei had long since entered the Reincarnation Passage.
Inside was a mysterious passageway saturated with an aura of Samsara energy.
Countless mysterious inscriptions related to Samsara were carved along the passage walls. These ancient runes formed mysterious, archaic totem-like patterns.
Walking along this mysterious Samsara passage, Ye Yunfei soon discovered the reach of his Soul Force Energy probing ahead was limited to only several thousand meters.
For Ye Yunfei, such a limited sensory range was inconceivable. Given his current level of Soul Power, he could instantly scan most of a medium-sized world, let alone a mere passage.
"I find this Reincarnation Passage is much more advanced than the one in the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. The space here is saturated with dense Samsara energy and profound Samsara laws. Despite my current mastery over spatial energy, I cannot lock down the space here."
Hun Lao exclaimed in surprise.
"That's right. This space is utterly mysterious, as if it was specially modified. Even I can't be sure of smoothly traversing space here. In short, this place is very strange. We must tread carefully."
Even the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm sounded extremely cautious.
For a Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm to speak with such wariness indicated the extraordinary nature of this Reincarnation Passage.
Ye Yunfei advanced step by step, traversing this ancient and mysterious passageway. The environment was eerily quiet and empty; the only sound was his own clear footsteps.
However, not long after, movement came from behind.
"It's those fellows from before. They've caught up."
Hun Lao informed Ye Yunfei.
"Ignore them."
Ye Yunfei had no interest in dealing with those obstructionist Demigod experts from earlier. If they were truly foolish enough to pursue and attack, they would be courting death.
"That guy seems to be just ahead. I can sense his aura."
In the passage behind, three or four Demigod experts were searching for Ye Yunfei. One among them with particularly acute perception called out and increased his speed, leading the charge forward.
Ye Yunfei pressed on.
Soon, he suddenly saw the space ahead broaden out into a hazy, indistinct expanse. The spatial passage was behind him.
"What place is this?"
Ye Yunfei was somewhat surprised.
"It seems this Reincarnation Passage is different from the one in the Main World of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds."
Hun Lao remarked.
The Reincarnation Passage within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds did not contain such a hazy expanse.