"Just suffered a crushing defeat, yet you dare return? Aren't you afraid of being humiliated again?" Kang Wan also spoke up.
"Don't get cocky. You six mere remnant souls aren't qualified to make me flee. As for this kid, he's only temporarily boosted his power using some dark art. In truth, he's just a Perfected Demigod. To me, he's no more than an ant. Moreover, I suspect his dark art can only be activated within the bounds of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. Otherwise, he would have long since chased after us to settle scores with our Guardian Faction. That means once he leaves this world cluster, he cannot activate that art, and his strength will become negligible. Kid, unless you hide in this world cluster forever, the moment you dare step out, you'll immediately face the pursuit and killing intent of our Guardian Faction. A mere Perfected Demigod can be extinguished by our Guardian Faction with a flick of a finger." Wu Tao's gaze fell upon Ye Yunfei as he spoke slowly.
Despite the vast spatial distance between them, the oppressive might of the energy he radiated still affected the space where Ye Yunfei stood. The space around Ye Yunfei began to warp and twist continuously, a terrifying force nearly rendering him immobile.
Ye Yunfei clenched his fists, and the physical strength within his body surged forth, instantly shattering Wu Tao's suppression of the surrounding space. Although Wu Tao was formidable, trying to seal and suppress Ye Yunfei solely with energy pressure across such a distance was simply impossible.
Boom...!
Ye Yunfei suddenly discovered a glittering, golden pagoda piercing through space, rushing swiftly toward his head.
"Be careful! This is a Soul Power martial technique, and it's at the Deity level," Hun Lao immediately warned Ye Yunfei.
With a thought, Ye Yunfei’s two Soul Bodies and twenty-five Soul Power stars simultaneously released a mighty surge of Soul Power energy, fortifying his soul sea. Simultaneously, dozens of Soul Power energy-type magical treasures shot out from his head and activated, tightly protecting his skull.
"A mere Perfected Demigod dares be presumptuous before me. You have a death wish, boy. With my strength, killing you from this distance is as easy as turning over my hand." Standing in the void outside the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, Wu Tao wore a cold smile.
"Wu Tao, you've lived for so long, yet bullying a junior brings you satisfaction, does it?" Ding Qianjie's voice rang out once more. Then, six vast streams of Soul Power energy came rolling forth, positioning themselves protectively before Ye Yunfei.
Boom...!
The six streams of Soul Power collided with the golden pagoda, directly jolting it into flying backward.
That golden pagoda was an illusion conjured from Wu Tao’s Soul Power energy—a type of Soul Power martial technique. After his attack was blocked, Wu Tao retrieved the golden pagoda and did not continue assaulting Ye Yunfei. He knew that with Ding Qianjie and the other five elders present, harming Ye Yunfei was impossible. Moreover, he worried that Ye Yunfei might activate that prior dark art again to boost his strength. If that happened and the six elders joined forces with Ye Yunfei, he would be no match. If not for this concern, he would have already re-entered the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds to attack Ye Yunfei.
"Kid, just you wait. By offending our Guardian Faction, your fate is sealed—death." Wu Tao stared coldly at Ye Yunfei. Then he turned, took a single step, traversed through space, and vanished.
His reason for returning was to see if Ye Yunfei’s strength would drop after the great battle.
"That old fellow has taken a grudge against you now," Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.
"Not just him. Every single Deity in the Guardian Faction holds a grudge against you," Jinjiao Longcan added.
"Let them hold their grudges. Once my strength is sufficient, even if they don’t come looking for me, I’ll go find them," Ye Yunfei stated.
"Young Master Ye." The higher-ups of the Alliance Army clustered around Ye Yunfei, their faces still etched with fear. The energy pressure released by Wu Tao when he suddenly appeared outside the Three Thousand Worlds was too terrifying; it had nearly caused all these Alliance Army leaders to collapse. Only now that Wu Tao had departed were they able to regain their composure.
"Do not worry. As long as we are within the bounds of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, he cannot harm us," Ye Yunfei reassured them.
"Everyone, continue cultivating diligently. In this era, even Demigods are but ants. Only by becoming Deities can one count as a powerhouse in this void. I hope our Alliance Army will also give rise to Deities in the future." Ye Yunfei looked at the Alliance Army leaders before him and spoke.
Among these higher-ups, many had already reached the Advanced Demigod level, and some had even begun cultivating toward the Perfected Demigod level. Moreover, the number of Demigods within the Alliance Army was increasing steadily. Given this trend, as long as the Alliance Army developed steadily, it was not impossible for Deities to emerge in the future.
"Young Master Ye, rest assured. All members of our Alliance Army follow your instructions, prioritizing cultivation above all else and devoting most of their time and energy to it," Ouyang Tao spoke up.
"Good, that's excellent," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Elder Kong, Senior Xiao, you are responsible for distributing these resources." Ye Yunfei took out a large batch of space rings and handed them respectively to Kong Lao and a few other Alliance Army leaders.
During the previous battle, where Ye Yunfei wounded over a dozen Deities and slaughtered a large number of Guardian Faction Alliance Army Demigods, he had not forgotten one thing: collecting spoils of war. For every Demigod slain, he would promptly gather all the valuables from their person. He had even seized quite a few items from those dozen-plus Deities. Every time he shattered a Deity’s godly frame, he would promptly seize whatever valuables were within reach. Thus, his harvest from that battle was considerable. Now, Ye Yunfei took out a portion of the spoils to hand over to the Alliance Army leaders as cultivation resources for the force.
"Understood, Young Master Ye. We will carry out your wishes and distribute these cultivation resources based on need," Kong Lao, Xiao Ziming, and the other leaders accepted the space rings and affirmed.
"I will now enter seclusion to cultivate for a period. If anything urgent arises, you can send me a Sound Transmission." Having said this, Ye Yunfei turned and left. He found a quiet location within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds, set up a formation small world, and entered to begin his closed-door cultivation.
Meanwhile, the events that had transpired within the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds had already spread throughout the entire void at astonishing speed, causing a sensation in a short time.
Previously, when the Guardian Faction’s Alliance Army aggressively dispatched over a dozen Deities to besiege the Three Thousand Worlds, everyone thought the Three Thousand Worlds were likely doomed. Who could have imagined this outcome? The Guardian Faction’s Alliance Army suffered a crushing defeat, nearly half its forces annihilated, and all those dozen-plus Deities wounded—a result difficult to believe.
"How is this possible? No matter how strong the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds are, can they really be strong enough to defeat the Guardian Faction’s Alliance Army? Especially that Ye Yunfei—did he truly single-handedly defeat over ten Deities?"
Upon first hearing this news, many thought it was rumor and immediately doubted it. But soon, many eyewitnesses to the battle came forward to relate what they had seen and heard in the Three Thousand Worlds. In the end, everyone understood that everything that had happened in the Three Thousand Worlds was real.
"How terrifying! So the strength of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds is so great that even the Guardian Faction’s Alliance Army is no match! From now on, we must not provoke the Three Thousand Worlds!"
"It seems that Ye Yunfei has already become a god and a formidable one among Deities; otherwise, he couldn’t have defeated over a dozen Deities. Good heavens! Does that mean he has become the strongest existence in the Chaotic Void Sea?"
…
Countless people exclaimed in awe.
"Ye Yunfei! You little bastard! You shattered my godly frame and even wounded my Soul Body! This sea of blood and deep hatred—I will surely repay it!" Within the headquarters of the Source Fire Sect, the furious roar of the sect’s patriarch rang out.
Hearing their patriarch’s angry roar, all members of the Source Fire Sect hung their heads in dejection. Their patriarch, as a Deity, ought to dominate the Chaotic Void Sea in glorious splendor. Yet now, he had been so miserably beaten.
Not only in the Source Fire Sect headquarters, but also within the headquarters of the Dark Faction and the Celestial God Hall, enraged roars resounded. The Deities of the Dark Faction and the Celestial God Hall had also been wounded by Ye Yunfei, feeling they had lost all face.
"Enough. Anger is useless. Rage betrays impotence. Lord Wu has sent me to deliver a batch of healing elixirs that will allow your injuries to heal quickly, along with some divine pills that can elevate your strength. Once you recover, not only will your power remain unaffected, but it will advance a level further. After you enhance your strength, you’ll have the confidence to seek out that kid Ye Yunfei and settle the score." An elderly man appeared within the Source Fire Sect headquarters, descending outside the cave abode where the patriarch was in seclusion, and spoke coolly.
"Ah, it’s you, sent by Lord Wu! Excellent!" The Source Fire Sect Patriarch immediately rushed out from the cave abode, overjoyed.
"This also contains a treasure specifically gifted by Lord Wu to aid your godly frame recovery. Your godly frame was shattered by that kid from the Three Thousand Worlds, severely depleting your life essence. Relying on your own power to recover would take a very long time. But with the treasure Lord Wu has given you, you can restore your godly frame in a short time." The elderly man added.
"Wonderful! My thanks to Lord Wu!" Upon hearing this, the Source Fire Sect Patriarch was ecstatic and cried out respectfully. His body had been shattered by Ye Yunfei, and the loss was severe. Complete recovery would indeed require a long period of slow recuperation.
"Don't worry. As long as you remain loyal to our Guardian Faction, we will not treat you unfairly. Lord Wu has stated he intends to help nurture several more Deities for your Source Fire Sect. When that happens, your sect’s overall strength will greatly increase." The elderly man said.
"My thanks to Lord Wu," the Source Fire Sect Patriarch responded, visibly stirred.
"Very well. Take these items. I must return to report." The elderly man handed a space ring to the patriarch, then turned and departed.
"Patriarch, will Lord Wu truly help our Source Fire Sect nurture more Deities?" After the old man left, many of the sect’s higher-ups immediately swarmed over from all directions, each one excited because they had heard the old man’s words.
"Since Lord Wu has sent a message, it must be true. Given the Guardian Faction’s strength and resources, helping our sect nurture a few more Deities shouldn’t be difficult. If you wish to seize this opportunity, return and cultivate diligently," the Source Fire Sect Patriarch announced clearly.
"Patriarch, rest assured. We will certainly strive in our cultivation!" The higher-ups of the Source Fire Sect nodded emphatically. Attaining godhood held immense allure for them.
A similar scene unfolded within the headquarters of the Dark Faction and the Celestial God Hall.
"Please convey to Lord Wu that our Celestial God Hall pledges unwavering loyalty to the Guardian Faction, with not a shred of disloyalty," a Deity of the Celestial God Hall said respectfully to an elderly man. This elderly man had brought a batch of divine pills for the Celestial God Hall Deity, including healing elixirs and strength-enhancing pills.
"That’s for the best. I must return to report to Lord Wu." The elderly man nodded, then turned and left.
"Everyone, you all heard it. Lord Wu is prepared to help our Celestial God Hall nurture more Deities. Those who wish to become gods must cultivate well! In this new era, everyone should go all out! Opportunity favors the prepared!" After the elderly man departed, the Celestial God Hall Deity proclaimed.
"Patriarch, please be at ease! We will strive diligently in our cultivation, aiming to achieve godhood at the earliest!" All the higher-ups of the Celestial God Hall responded in unison, filled with excitement.
Within the Dark Faction headquarters, an elderly man also delivered a batch of divine pills to a Dark Faction Deity.
"Lord Wu has said that he already knows your Dark Faction has at least two Deities. But such strength counts for little to our Guardian Faction. Lord Wu asked me to convey that your Dark Faction had best maintain loyalty to our Guardian Faction; otherwise, your faction’s existence will no longer be necessary. Of course, as long as your Dark Faction remains loyal, our Guardian Faction will not treat you poorly. Lord Wu intends to help your Dark Faction nurture several more Deities. Well, these are the words Lord Wu tasked me to relay. I must now return to report." Having said this, the elderly man turned and departed, vanishing with a single step.
After he left, a large group of Dark Faction higher-ups immediately emerged, gathering around the Dark Faction Deity.
"It seems the Guardian Faction already knows our Dark Faction has more than one Deity. Although we have declared our allegiance to the Guardian Faction, their higher-ups have never truly trusted us, monitoring us covertly," a Dark Faction expert exuding a dense aura of darkness spoke slowly.
"The Guardian Faction’s overall strength is immense. Moreover, the Guardian Faction in our void is only a branch. Guardian Faction branches exist in other voids beyond ours. When necessary, the Guardian Faction can deploy even more experts from other voids into ours. Therefore, our Dark Faction is currently no match for the Guardian Faction. We can only submit for now. Once our Dark Faction truly develops in the future, we can consider breaking free," the Dark Faction Deity nodded and spoke.