Boom…
A huge hand appeared, erupting with torrential Deity power, energy surging sky-high. With a single punch, it blasted apart the massive energy hand extended by the Third Ancestor of the Heavenly God Hall.
Then, with a flick of its finger, it sent the few high-ranking officials who had pursued Ye Yunfei flying backwards, propelling them back into the world where the Heavenly God Hall's headquarters was located.
"Alright, Young Master Ye, you may go. You are safe now."
The voice of the Master of Xiaoliang Temple rang in Ye Yunfei's ears once more.
"Many thanks for your assistance, Senior Temple Master!" Ye Yunfei hurriedly replied.
"No need for such formality. You have also helped me before," the Master of Xiaoliang Temple said.
"Senior Temple Master, I make bold to ask... have you succeeded in becoming a Deity?" Ye Yunfei couldn't help but ask.
"Indeed, I have indeed become a Deity. However, becoming a Deity is nothing special. It's merely another level of cultivation and power; the Dao of cultivation knows no end. With your aptitude, as long as you put in enough effort and your will remains steadfast, you too will have the opportunity to become a Deity," the Master of Xiaoliang Temple paused briefly before answering directly.
"Thank you for your encouragement, Senior!" Ye Yunfei was both deeply shaken and pleasantly surprised by this news. So, the Master of Xiaoliang Temple really had ascended to Deityhood!
"To think that among those who entered this new Deity Era, the first expert to achieve Deityhood is actually the Master of Xiaoliang Temple!" Upon learning that the Master had succeeded, Hun Lao was also extremely shocked and could not help but exclaim with emotion.
"The Master becoming a Deity is good news for us! At the very least, he's not an enemy!" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said.
"Now, Young Master Ye, go on. Return and cultivate diligently. Do not concern yourself with the affairs of the Heavenly God Hall here. Some factions within the current Chaotic Void Sea are truly unacceptable. They not only fail to distinguish friend from foe but even collaborate with wolves and harbor ill intent," the voice of the Master of Xiaoliang Temple sounded again.
"Senior... Senior..." Having heard his words, Ye Yunfei had many questions he wanted to ask. Moreover, he had never conversed with a truly living Deity before. He had intended to speak a few more words, but unexpectedly, there was no longer any reply. It seemed the Master had likely already departed.
Having no other choice, Ye Yunfei activated his Space Teleportation Token and directly teleported away from the Ziwei World Cluster.
The comings and goings of a Deity were something Ye Yunfei, with his current strength, was simply incapable of perceiving.
Ye Yunfei no longer wished to concern himself with whether the ancestor of the Heavenly God Hall would succeed in his tribulation. In fact, deep down, he rather hoped that old man would ultimately fail.
Once that ancestor of the Heavenly God Hall became a Deity, he would undoubtedly cause trouble in the Chaotic Void Sea, and might very well come after Ye Yunfei himself.
Although there was a Colorless Abyss within the Three Thousand Grand Realms, one that all the major forces greatly feared, in the end, the Colorless Abyss most likely contained the graves of a few Deities. But once a genuine living Deity arrived, would it be able to stand against them?
Ye Yunfei understood clearly in his heart: given the attitude displayed by those Heavenly God Hall higher-ups earlier, if that Heavenly God Hall ancestor ascended, it was highly likely the faction would cause trouble for the Three Thousand Grand Realms.
After leaving the Ziwei World Cluster, Ye Yunfei retrieved his spaceship and entered it.
Whoosh! The ship shot through the air, quickly putting great distance between itself and the void region containing the Ziwei World Cluster.
At this moment, all the Restorationists had already left. When carrying out missions, Restorationists traveled to their destinations alone, and once their tasks were complete, they departed individually, never assembling as a group to set off or leave.
Furthermore, when undertaking missions, activating the identity token would emit a mysterious veil of natural law that concealed their appearance and the aura of their Soul Body. This system was, in fact, the same for the Watchers as well.
"I have a premonition that, starting from now, more and more Deities will be born within the Chaotic Void Sea," Hun Lao said.
"I wonder if that old bastard from the Heavenly God Hall will become a Deity. Just thinking about what just happened makes me furious! Those guys from the Heavenly God Hall are absolutely despicable!" The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm grumbled resentfully.
"Exactly! As a Restorationist, Master went there specifically to help them. Who'd have thought those scoundrels would turn their backs on us the moment the trouble was dealt with, even showing such ingratitude! I curse that old coot of the Heavenly God Hall to fail his tribulation!" Hu Miao chimed in as well.
Ye Yunfei, however, remained silent.
Earlier, when faced with the energy body of the Heavenly God Hall's Third Ancestor, Ye Yunfei had been suppressed to the point of being unable to move. If the Master of Xiaoliang Temple hadn't intervened, there might have been genuine danger to his life today.
"I will definitely get my revenge," Ye Yunfei said deeply, drawing a breath as if to himself. That feeling of being crushed by the Third Ancestor, hovering on the brink of death, had been far too frustrating.
"However, for me right now, the most important thing is still to improve my strength. Otherwise, forget about facing true Deities; even encountering just an energy projection of a Deity or a godly corpse would be more than I could handle. The Heavenly God Hall has such foundations and heritage. Most likely, other major forces within the Chaotic Void Sea possess similar backgrounds. If I don't increase my power, I'll face similar situations in the future," Ye Yunfei continued.
"That's true. I sense that not only will more Deities continue to be born in the Chaotic Void Sea in the coming days, but the overall level of power in the void will also keep rising. Haven't you all noticed how many Demigods are appearing now? Besides the older Demigods, many new ones are emerging. Just look at the Three Thousand Grand Realms—Demigods are already starting to appear frequently. It should be the same for the other world clusters. This is because this region of the void is gradually changing; its energy and the laws of nature are both improving," Hun Lao expounded.
"That makes sense, Hun Lao. The overall power level of the entire Chaotic Void Sea is indeed rising constantly. We must not be left behind. For now, let's return and go into secluded cultivation," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
Ye Yunfei then returned to the Restorationist's main base, that region of void permeated by energy of Deity-level quality, and began cultivating in seclusion.
In the following period, Ye Yunfei consecutively weathered five Tribulation Thunders.
Adding in the previous one, Ye Yunfei had now weathered a total of six Tribulation Thunders.
"Three more times, and I can become a Full-Circle Demigod. Then, I can start considering my charge towards the Deity realm," Ye Yunfei murmured to himself within the Phantom Shadow Bell.
However, right at this moment...
"It looks like there's another mission," Ye Yunfei's expression flickered slightly as he took out his token.
Sure enough, a message pulsed within the token.
"The Heavenly God Coffin has reappeared. Depart immediately to track it!"
That was the message now contained within the token.
"This mission is actually about the Heavenly God Coffin!" Ye Yunfei was somewhat surprised.
He immediately ended his secluded cultivation, emerged from the Phantom Shadow Bell, retrieved his spaceship, and entered it. Before long, he had left that stretch of void.
The token contained a specific set of spatial coordinates. The spaceship sped onwards, soon arriving within a particular world cluster.
It was none other than the Ancient Paths World Cluster!
Ye Yunfei directly entered the Ancient Paths World Cluster, arriving before a specific area of void.
Within that void was a massive black hole.
Torrents of spatial fragments continuously erupted from that black hole.
This black hole was precisely the one smashed open by the Heavenly God Coffin! And the other end of this black hole led to the legendary Gu Huang Secret Realm!
It was said the Gu Huang Secret Realm belonged to one of the ten great secret realms of ancient times. Ever since the Heavenly God Coffin smashed through its entrance the previous time, this black hole had remained here.
Although even Full-Circle Demigods were unable to pass through this black hole and enter the Gu Huang Secret Realm, that had not diminished the intense curiosity of the many living beings in the Chaotic Void Sea towards this secret realm. Many frequently came here to observe the black hole and satisfy their curiosity.
"I heard that just the other day, someone saw the shadow of the Heavenly God Coffin projected out from within!
They even sensed the aura of the Heavenly God Coffin!"
"I heard that after performing their divinations, several master augurs have concluded that the Heavenly God Coffin will emerge from inside very soon!"
...
There were many people engaged in discussion.
"There truly is an aura radiating from that black hole belonging to the Heavenly God Coffin!"
Soon after arriving, Hun Lao sensed the coffin's distinctive presence.
"This mission is to track the Heavenly God Coffin, so let's just wait here," Ye Yunfei said.
Word of the Heavenly God Coffin's activity had already spread, so more and more people were arriving continuously.
Ye Yunfei saw representatives from some major factions pouring in.
"Look, members of the Dark Faction!" Hun Lao suddenly said.
In the distance, a group of beings shrouded in dark mist entered the Ancient Paths World Cluster.
It was indeed the Dark Faction.
"Come to think of it, have any of you noticed? The Dark Faction seemed to suddenly become much more low-key some time ago. In my memory, we haven't run into them for a long while. It's like those guys are hiding," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm suddenly remarked.
"Ah, that's true. Master, we really haven't encountered the Dark Faction for a long time. I remember they used to be extremely active, constantly roaming about the Chaotic Void Sea. Why does it seem like their race has suddenly vanished now?" Hu Miao chimed in as well.
"It's possible they went into hiding to cultivate. Let's not pay them any mind for now," Ye Yunfei transmitted his voice after glancing at those Dark Faction members in the distance.
Ye Yunfei had deep grievances with the Dark Faction. They had once sealed the Three Thousand Grand Realms, periodically initiating cataclysmic wars that resulted in untold suffering and slaughter. In the past, Ye Yunfei would have attacked on sight, killing any Dark Faction member he encountered. However, for the moment, he had no such intention.
Boom...
Several hours later, a massive sound suddenly erupted from within the black hole, accompanied by terrifying energy that surged outwards.
Bang! Bang!
Some individuals who had been standing too close to the black hole were immediately sent flying.
In an instant, everyone hastily retreated a great distance, putting space between themselves and the giant, dark cavity.
"Look! It seems to be the Heavenly God Coffin!"
"Good heavens! It really is the Heavenly God Coffin! The Heavenly God Coffin is coming out of the Gu Huang Secret Realm!"
...
Many shouted, pointing at the black hole.
Sure enough, a massive coffin was slowly floating out from within the black hole.
"It is indeed the Heavenly God Coffin," Ye Yunfei thought to himself as he watched the coffin.
"The Heavenly God Coffin entered the Gu Huang Secret Realm and stayed for a while, only to come back out again. Where is it planning to go this time? This coffin was left behind by a Heavenly God; it definitely contains many valuable treasures. If someone could stop it and retrieve the contents, they'd strike it rich," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said, swallowing his saliva.
It seemed many people shared the Dragon Silkworm's line of thinking. Several Demigods were even rallying the crowd, trying to convince everyone to work together and intercept the coffin.
Yet, for the moment, no one dared to act.
The aura radiating from the Heavenly God Coffin was far too terrifying. Moreover, its previous feat of smashing through the entrance to the Gu Huang Secret Realm and then actually entering it was more than enough to instill deep fear.
"The Heavenly God Coffin is too dreadful. It can freely enter and exit the Gu Huang Secret Realm. Even if we join forces, we probably wouldn't be its match," someone said.
"What is there to fear? It's just a coffin! Even if it truly contains a Deity, that Deity has fallen. It's just a corpse now. Are you telling me that with so many of us here, we're scared of a dead body?" Some especially bold and greed-driven individuals spoke up.
"Hmph, what of it if it's just a corpse? It's a godly corpse! Do you really think you're a match for a godly corpse?" someone mocked.
Boom…
At that moment, the Heavenly God Coffin began moving away into the distance. It appeared to move slowly, but its speed was, in fact, tremendous. Within moments, it had already traveled a great distance.
Throughout, no one dared to make a move against it.
"Talk is cheap for them. An ordinary godly corpse is terrifying enough, let alone the corpse of a Heavenly God. I'd guess even an average Void God wouldn't dare to provoke the leftover corpse of a Heavenly God," Hun Lao sneered coldly after listening to the discussions around them.
"Pay them no mind. There are far too many ignorant yet reckless fools in this world," Ye Yunfei said.
"Let's give chase."
Ye Yunfei's figure flashed as he shot into pursuit after the Heavenly God Coffin. His mission this time was, after all, to track it.
"Look! There seems to be a figure standing atop the Heavenly God Coffin!"
Someone exclaimed in shock.
At this point, Ye Yunfei saw it too. Upon the coffin lid of the Heavenly God Coffin, there indeed stood a hazy figure. It appeared to be the silhouette of a man, completely enveloped by mysterious natural laws, making his features difficult to discern.
"It seems what I seek is not within this void after all."
Suddenly, a voice filled with profound antiquity, tinged with the flavor of a bygone age, slowly diffused throughout this stretch of void, echoing repeatedly with each reverberation.
"Master, this should be the owner of the Heavenly God Coffin. He seems to be searching for something but hasn't found it yet. Perhaps his entry into the Gu Huang Secret Realm was also in search of something," Hu Miao commented curiously to Ye Yunfei.
"Searching and seeking, yet never obtaining. What year, what month must I wait until I finally find it?"
At that moment, a heavy sigh sounded, causing everyone's Soul Body to sway violently before plummeting them into feelings of boundless sorrow and endless recollections.
Some individuals with poorer constitutions were already standing in place, weeping mournfully.
"His Soul Power is too terrifying. Just a light sigh is enough to affect the stability of everyone's Soul Body!" Ye Yunfei couldn't help but feel profound alarm.