"Interesting, kid. This proves I truly didn't misjudge you! The stronger you are, the happier I am."
The black-clad man laughed loudly.
The various Soul Power martial skills and Heart Force martial skills Ye Yunfei employed astonished and simultaneously excited him. Because the more extraordinary Ye Yunfei performed, the greater the benefits he would reap after devouring Ye Yunfei's Soul Body and possessing his flesh. He had already entirely regarded everything about Ye Yunfei as his own possession.
"Try my Soul-Binding Rope. This is a Deity-level treasure, and even among Deity-level treasures, it's considered quite rare."
The black-clad man suddenly stretched out his hand and threw out a long black rope, sneering coldly.
This black rope seemed to possess life. After being thrown, it immediately locked onto Ye Yunfei's Soul Body. Like a black serpent, it coiled toward the Soul Sword at an alarming speed. Since one of Ye Yunfei's Soul Bodies had already merged into the Soul Sword, targeting the sword was equivalent to targeting Ye Yunfei's Soul Body.
Ye Yunfei immediately activated the Soul Sword, unleashing powerful Soul Power energy, and slashed toward the black rope. But to his shock, the Soul Sword striking the black rope felt flimsy and limp, finding no purchase. The black rope sustained no damage whatsoever. Instead, it coiled around and bound the Soul Sword in layer after layer of loops, encircling it dozens of times in an instant.
"The Soul Sword can't move anymore! What kind of treasure is this? It's too bizarre. Not only is the Soul Sword immobilized, but my Soul Body also seems to be restrained."
Ye Yunfei's face paled with fright, discovering that his Soul Body, refined and fused into the Soul Sword, was completely paralyzed. This black rope seemed to possess a special energy that suppressed Soul Bodies, rendering them weak and limp, directly incapacitating them and making them utterly unable to exert any force.
"Hahaha...
Kid, do you now know the might of my treasure? You can't escape. Better to surrender peacefully. Any struggle is futile. If you can proactively offer your Soul Body for me to devour, I might consider letting you suffer less and die more comfortably."
Having restrained Ye Yunfei's Soul Body with the black rope, this black-clad man laughed heartily, brimming with complacency. He had full confidence in this Soul-Binding Rope, believing Ye Yunfei's Soul Body had no way of escaping.
"Enough. No need for more talk with you. Willing or not, I shall now devour your Soul Body, and then this body of yours will also belong to me."
The black-clad man flashed and appeared before the Soul Sword. Looking at Ye Yunfei's restrained Soul Body within the sword, he sneered coldly.
"If I'm not mistaken, this is something you cultivated through some Soul Race's secret inheritance technique. Good. After I devour your Soul Body, these orbs will also come under my control."
The black-clad man looked at the twenty Soul Power planets in Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea with keen interest. Then, he began to perform a secret technique to devour Ye Yunfei's Soul Body. Soon, one black rune after another densely floated out from within the black-clad man, continuously adhering to the Soul Sword, emitting powerful devouring energy that began consuming Ye Yunfei's Soul Body within the sword.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Body immediately felt a massive amount of soul energy rapidly draining away.
"Hahaha...
Kid, everything about you will soon be mine."
This black-clad man was at the peak of satisfaction, unable to restrain his roaring laughter. However, just as the black-clad man was performing the devouring technique, Ye Yunfei's other Soul Body had quietly appeared not far behind him, holding a longsword. This longsword was a Soul Power-type treasure. Additionally, dozens of other Soul Power-type treasures within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea were also quietly being activated.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Body, holding the longsword, along with the dozens of Soul Power-type treasures, launched a fierce simultaneous attack. The Soul-Nourishing Tree also extended many green branches and leaves, releasing streams of profound runes that shot towards the black-clad man like green arrows.
Ye Yunfei also simultaneously employed several Heart Force martial skills, using Heart Force energy to attack. This black-clad man was wholeheartedly refining Ye Yunfei's Soul Body fused into the Soul Sword. How could he have anticipated another Soul Body suddenly emerging? Since entering Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea, he had subconsciously believed Ye Yunfei possessed only one Soul Body. Thus, after discovering Ye Yunfei's Soul Body fused into the Soul Sword, he hadn't wasted time or energy searching for other Soul Bodies. Moreover, he was currently performing the devouring technique on Ye Yunfei's Soul Body within the Soul Sword, convinced Ye Yunfei could no longer offer any resistance.
This was precisely the moment when his thoughts and defenses were most lax. Consequently, he was utterly unable to react in time to the sneak attack from Ye Yunfei's other Soul Body.
Boom! Boom! Boom! ...
The various attacks unleashed by Ye Yunfei solidly and completely blasted onto the black-clad man's form. The dozens of Soul Power-type treasures, upon hitting the black-clad man's body, immediately exploded simultaneously, releasing even more terrifying treasure energy. Ye Yunfei's other Soul Body, wielding the longsword, aimed at the black-clad man's head and chopped dozens of times in an instant, the speed astonishingly fast.
Additionally, all the Soul Power planets charged over from all directions like massive boulders, violently smashing into the black-clad man's form. Entirely focused on devouring and refining Ye Yunfei's Soul Body fused into the Soul Sword, the black-clad man suddenly suffered such a furious assault. Shocked and enraged, he immediately screamed in pain as his form was directly blown to pieces.
"How is this possible?!
Kid, you actually have two Soul Bodies! What on earth is going on? I understand! You don't have two Soul Bodies. One of these must be your Soul Clone! You actually managed to cultivate one of your Soul Clones to be as strong as the main body. That's truly unbelievable!"
The black-clad man screamed while exclaiming in disbelief.
After his form exploded, it immediately recombined and reappeared. Ye Yunfei wanted to prevent it but was too late.
"Kid! You actually wounded my Soul Body! I'll risk my old life today to destroy you!"
After reforming, the black-clad man was seething with rage, shrieking madly.
"This guy is really too difficult to deal with. After his Soul Body is blown apart, he can still recombine, and he seems to retain most of his strength."
Ye Yunfei frowned, looking at the madly screaming black-clad man, his expression somewhat dark.
"Kid, I still have many tricks I haven't used yet!"
The black-clad man glared at Ye Yunfei's two Soul Bodies, speaking angrily.
"Looks like there's going to be another bloody battle."
Ye Yunfei watched the furious black-clad man, his expression turning grave.
At that moment...
"A remnant soul from the Netherworld, yet you come to bully a junior? Truly shameless."
Suddenly, an old man appeared beside Ye Yunfei, sneering coldly. It was precisely the leader of the Restorer Faction.
"Our situation is growing increasingly unfavorable. We must withdraw immediately."
The old man said to Ye Yunfei.
"Get out!"
After speaking to Ye Yunfei, the old man looked at the black-clad man within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea and coldly shouted.
Then, the old man erupted with a powerful surge of Soul Power energy that entered Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea, instantly repelling the black-clad man and forcing him out.
"Let's go."
The old man flicked his sleeve and, taking Ye Yunfei with him, began charging into the distance.
Ye Yunfei discovered that at this moment, all the Deities on the Restorer Faction's side, including the Master of Xiaoliang Temple, were retreating with their subordinates.
"So that guy earlier was from the Netherworld, and also a Deity's remnant soul. No wonder his strength was so frightening."
Recalling the old man's words, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but feel inwardly alarmed.
Ye Yunfei was carried by the old man's sleeve force, traversing space at a staggering speed. He knew this old man leading his retreat was just a Clone. But even a Clone possessed such terrifying strength, causing Ye Yunfei to marvel inwardly.
Ye Yunfei looked back, seeing bloody corpses strewn everywhere throughout the Restorer headquarters. The fierce battles had long since shattered this stretch of spacetime. Massive space cracks extended in all directions, a shocking sight. Ye Yunfei knew the Restorer headquarters was effectively destroyed.
The old man's Clone soon brought Ye Yunfei away from the Restorer headquarters. The old man took out a flying ship, boarded it, and the ship shot through the void, constantly traversing space. Ye Yunfei saw that all the other Restorer Faction Deities had also rushed out from the headquarters, heading off in different directions.
These Deities' movement speeds were, of course, extremely fast, vanishing from sight in an instant.
Then, the Deities from the Guardian Faction poured out in pursuit.
"Split up and pursue! Kill as many as you can!"
A leader from the Guardian Faction shouted loudly.
Ye Yunfei and the old man's Clone sat within the flying ship, swiftly traversing space, moving farther and farther from the Restorer headquarters. The old man's Clone sat cross-legged, his expression somewhat grim.
"Young man, are you alright?"
After a while, the old man looked at Ye Yunfei, inquiring with concern.
"Rest assured, Senior, I'm fine."
Ye Yunfei hurriedly replied.
"That's good."
The old man nodded.
"This time, we Restorers suffered heavy losses."
The old man sighed.
"Senior, our Restorer headquarters always seemed very secret. How did the Watchers discover it?"
Ye Yunfei asked.
"We likely have a traitor within. I've always sent people to stand guard in the space surrounding the headquarters, preventing any strangers from approaching. The Guardian Faction never had the opportunity to enter the spatial region where our headquarters was located. The greatest possibility is that an internal traitor leaked the headquarters' specific location. That's how the Guardian Faction could so stealthily suddenly invade our headquarters."
The old man spoke slowly, a look of anger appearing on his face.
"Our Restorer headquarters actually had a traitor..."
Hearing the old man's words, Ye Yunfei also felt angry.
"From what I know, many major powers in this void sea have already pledged allegiance to the Guardian Faction."
Ye Yunfei said.
"I know. Both the Source Fire Sect and the Dark Faction sent forces to attack our headquarters. Besides these two, quite a few other powers have also been won over by the Guardian Faction."
The old man nodded, sighing.
"These powers truly don't know what's good for them! We Restorers are protecting this void, while the Guardians are destroying it. They can't even distinguish friend from foe, joining the Guardian Faction. Especially the Source Fire Sect! We Restorers sent people to protect their ancestral master during his divine tribulation, yet they colluded with the Guardians, setting a trap to ambush and kill us Restorers!"
Remembering his experience at the Source Fire Sect headquarters in the Zhongheng World Cluster, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but gnash his teeth in anger.
"Where sufficient benefits exist, there's little reasoning to be had. As long as the Guardian Faction promises to help experts from these powers become Deities, these powers will inevitably succumb to temptation and pledge allegiance."
The old man sighed and spoke.
"Senior, the more major powers the Guardian Faction wins over, the greater the pressure on us Restorers."
Ye Yunfei said worriedly.
"I understand the Guardian Faction's intention: to cultivate powers within this void to deal with us. This situation is tantamount to making the people of this void slaughter each other, causing internal strife and depletion. Then the Guardian Faction can reap the spoils like the fisherman. It's a very sinister plot. But even though we know this, it's hard to stop. Because as long as the Guardian Faction offers Deityhood promises to experts of those major powers, those powers will inevitably side with them. After all, the temptation of becoming a Deity is too great."
The old man sighed.
"Senior, I think our Restorer Faction can also win over major powers, offering them Deityhood promises. We're actually doing that now! For every major power with an expert undergoing divine tribulation, our Restorer Faction sends people to protect them."
Ye Yunfei pondered, then spoke.
"No. There are some things our Restorer Faction cannot provide. The Guardian Faction has a method to allow Perfected Demigods to quickly ascend to Deityhood. For example, the Source Fire Sect's ancestral master wasn't originally qualified to become a Deity. But with the Guardian Faction's help, he forcibly broke through and ascended."
The old man shook his head.
"The Guardian Faction has a way to let Perfected Demigods rapidly ascend?"
Hearing the old man's words, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but feel greatly shocked, because achieving Deityhood was an extremely difficult feat.
"If that's truly the case, no wonder so many major powers choose to join the Guardian Faction."
Ye Yunfei said with a bitter smile.
"Senior, continuing like this, wouldn't even more major powers choose to side with the Guardian Faction? Eventually, this entire void will completely become the Guardian Faction's sphere of influence. Our Restorer Faction will face immense pressure, and our actions will become extremely difficult."
Ye Yunfei voiced his concern.
"The Guardian Faction won't allow too many Deities to appear in this void. They'll grasp a balance, cultivating a certain number of Deities, winning over a certain number of major powers, then using them against our Restorer Faction and the other living beings in this void.
In short, the Guardian Faction's goal is to make the living beings within this void slaughter each other, causing internal strife and depletion.
That way, the Guardian Faction can easily control this void."
The old man said with a sigh.