Boom!
As soon as Hu Miao walked up to that spatial portal, a powerful surge of illusion-type energy surged out, crashing towards her.
"Be careful!"
Ye Yunfei paled with fright because this burst of illusion energy was at the Deity level. Even Ye Yunfei himself sensed a strong sense of danger. Hu Miao's strength was inferior to his; she definitely couldn't withstand this terrifying impact energy.
But in the next moment, flecks of crimson light flew out from within Hu Miao's body. These crimson points of light resembled tiny red fireflies dancing gracefully around Hu Miao's form.
"These are the essence of the Primordial Heavenly Fox bloodline!"
Jin Jiao Long Chan, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, exclaimed in astonishment.
Once those drops of bloodline essence appeared, the energy crashing towards Hu Miao immediately vanished. The surrounding environment also instantly turned peaceful and gentle.
"Indeed, our Primordial Heavenly Fox clan is here."
Hu Miao was overjoyed. Without further hesitation, she directly walked into that spatial portal.
Ye Yunfei was still not fully reassured about Hu Miao and immediately strode forward to follow closely.
In the next instant, he entered the spatial portal before his eyes. Then, a Small World with beautiful scenery appeared before him. Looking around, everywhere was covered in lush greenery like brocade, flowers blanketed the ground, their fragrance assailing his nostrils, while bees and butterflies danced.
"Look! So many foxes!"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.
This was because, in this Small World, foxes were everywhere, active all over. Foxes of various colors could be seen emerging one after another.
Upon entering this Small World, Hu Miao was so agitated that she trembled from head to toe. It was as if she was being guided by something, continuing to walk deeper into this Small World.
More and more small foxes appeared around them. These little foxes frolicked amidst the grasslands and flower patches, looking extremely lively and adorable.
However, Ye Yunfei noticed that the gazes of these small foxes were fixed on Hu Miao and himself, appearing very vigilant towards these two foreign intruders.
More accurately, most of the small foxes' eyes were fixed on Ye Yunfei.
"A terrible energy has already locked onto you. Be careful."
Hun Lao suddenly sent a sound transmission to Ye Yunfei as a reminder.
"I can sense it too."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
In this way, they advanced deeper into this Small World. Not long after, a palace, radiantly resplendent in gold and jade, appeared before their eyes.
The walls of this palace were carved with numerous totems related to foxes. And these foxes all shared a characteristic: they had nine tails and a pair of wings.
Ye Yunfei knew that the foxes carved on the walls were Primordial Heavenly Foxes.
"That's strange. Those Primordial Heavenly Foxes carved on the walls all have a pair of wings. Why doesn't Hu Miao?"
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkwarm said, puzzled.
"Probably because her bloodline hasn't elevated to that level yet."
Hun Lao replied.
At this moment, Hu Miao walked up to the front of that palace, appearing even more agitated.
"Is it a senior of our Primordial Heavenly Fox clan inside? Hu Miao has come to pay respects."
Standing before the palace's main gate, Hu Miao called out loudly, her voice trembling.
Ye Yunfei stood not far behind Hu Miao and didn't speak.
In his heart, Ye Yunfei understood that he had certainly entered the territory of the Primordial Heavenly Fox race. Hu Miao possessed the bloodline of the Primordial Heavenly Fox, so within this Small World, she should be safe and wouldn't be targeted.
However, he was different. He was human. So it was best to restrain his aura to avoid misunderstandings and attacks.
Boom...
Right at this moment, above the palace, the phantom of a massive fox slowly materialized.
Behind this fox's form, nine thick fox tails stood tall and imposing, like nine towering pillars supporting the heavens.
Around these nine fox tails swirled numerous brilliant talisman marks, causing the surrounding space to continuously distort and warp.
After this fox phantom appeared, two beams of divine light shot out from its eyes, landing on Hu Miao.
Seeing this, Ye Yunfei immediately heightened his vigilance, using his Soul Force Energy to monitor Hu Miao. The moment he noticed anything amiss, he would immediately step in to assist.
For Ye Yunfei, Hu Miao was already one of the most important people around him. He didn't want anything to happen to her.
The two beams of light from the fox phantom's gaze swept over Hu Miao's body. Hu Miao stood perfectly still. She knew this was an inspection, verifying whether she truly belonged to the Primordial Heavenly Fox race.
A short while later, the phantom of the fox above the palace suddenly began to fade, becoming more and more indistinct. Then, with a gentle flicker, it completely vanished.
With a boom, the main gate of the palace ahead automatically opened.
"Master, wait here. I will go inside."
Hu Miao turned her head and spoke to Ye Yunfei.
"Let me accompany you inside."
Ye Yunfei was somewhat uneasy.
"Master, that senior only permits me to enter alone."
Hu Miao replied.
"Hu Miao, has the presence inside the palace communicated with you?"
Hearing this, Ye Yunfei quickly asked.
"Yes, the senior inside the palace belongs to our Primordial Heavenly Fox race. He just used sound transmission to communicate with me, instructing me to enter alone. Master, don't worry. Within our race, we can confirm each other's identities through our bloodline. That senior inside is indeed of our Primordial Heavenly Fox clan. He won't harm me."
Hu Miao explained to Ye Yunfei.
"Alright then, Hu Miao. Whatever happens, be careful. The moment the situation feels wrong, send me a sound transmission immediately. As soon as I receive it, I will charge in at once."
Ye Yunfei sent a sound transmission, earnestly reminding her.
"Master, I understand."
Hu Miao nodded, then walked through the palace gates.
After Hu Miao entered, the palace gates immediately closed.
Ye Yunfei sat down cross-legged before the palace gate, closing his eyes to rest while focusing his Soul Force Energy on the situation inside the palace.
This palace possessed highly sophisticated isolation barriers. Even Ye Yunfei's Soul Force Energy couldn't penetrate inside.
Both Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm tried repeatedly, but ultimately couldn't perceive the situation inside the palace either.
Ye Yunfei had no choice but to sit cross-legged in front of the palace gate and wait patiently.
Time slowly passed. There was no movement inside the palace.
"If I continue waiting like this, I'm afraid the Divine King Fruit will mature completely."
Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
But for Ye Yunfei, Hu Miao's safety was more important than the Divine King Fruit. So, after briefly considering it, Ye Yunfei no longer paid it any mind. He sat quietly in front of the palace gate, waiting for Hu Miao.
Of course, one of Ye Yunfei's Soul Bodies and a dozen Soul Power planets were constantly pondering alchemy techniques. At the same time, a clone within the Phantom Shadow Tower was also constantly concocting pills.
"Although the pills I am refining now are still at the Semi-Deity level, their quality is getting better and better. The pill success rate is also getting higher and higher, with almost every batch achieving a ninety-percent or even one-hundred-percent success rate. Furthermore, every single pill refined is of the supreme grade.
This indicates that my alchemy skill has greatly improved compared to before, getting closer and closer to the level of Deity-level pills. However, I don't know when I will truly be able to refine Deity pills."
While contemplating alchemy and refining pills, Ye Yunfei was constantly refining the energy crystals given to him by the white-haired elder of the Skillful Hands Pavilion, which contained Soul Force Energy.
Moreover, Ye Yunfei refined many pills specifically designed to cultivate and elevate Soul Force Energy.
The Soul Power-increasing pills he refined were swallowed by Ye Yunfei immediately after they were produced.
In this manner, Ye Yunfei felt his Soul Power level constantly rising. And the elevation of his Soul Power level, in turn, increased his alchemy skill, each supplementing the other.
Naturally, the pills Ye Yunfei refined were also continuously supplied to several individuals, including Hun Lao, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, and Huang Shang.
Hun Lao, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, and Huang Shang were also cultivating inside the Phantom Shadow Tower at this time. Ye Yunfei had given each of them a large batch of Divine Crystals, as well as abundant cultivation resources.
Having so many Deity-level cultivation resources enabled the strength of Hun Lao, the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, and Huang Shang to continuously improve as well.
While cultivating alchemy, Ye Yunfei's other Soul Body and the other Soul Power planets were not idle either. They were cultivating other techniques and combat skills, such as sword techniques, spiritual power, formations, and so on.
An indeterminable amount of time passed. Ye Yunfei suddenly opened his eyes, looking at the palace before him. The main gate remained tightly shut, without any movement.
"It seems I will miss out on the Divine King Fruit. Well, if I miss it, then so be it."
Ye Yunfei thought to himself.
Then, Ye Yunfei resumed cultivation.
Inside the Phantom Shadow Tower, Ye Yunfei's clone refined yet another large pile of pills. Nearly half of these pills were specifically designed for cultivating Soul Power because Ye Yunfei planned to concentrate his efforts on elevating his Soul Power level.
Ye Yunfei opened his mouth and inhaled, swallowing all the Soul Power-boosting pills before him into his stomach.
Boom!
A mighty surge of Soul Power instantly erupted. Then, Ye Yunfei began refining and absorbing this Soul Power.
"My Soul Power has risen another significant notch. Now is the time to add a few more Soul Power planets."
After refining, absorbing, and making all the Soul Power energy within his body his own, Ye Yunfei said to himself.
And so, Ye Yunfei began cultivating the Soul Force Star Technique. Not long after, four more Soul Power planets appeared within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea.
"Now I have a total of twenty-nine Soul Power planets."
Looking at the twenty-nine Soul Power planets in his Soul Sea, Ye Yunfei thought inwardly.
"This inheritance technique of the Soul Race is truly heaven-defying. Each Soul Power planet can be used as a separate soul entity. This means that I can cultivate up to thirty-one different techniques and combat skills simultaneously. And because of these Soul Power planets, my comprehension is far, far greater than that of other martial artists at my level. In fact, my current comprehension might be dozens of times stronger than those Initial Stage Void Gods."
Ye Yunfei mused.
"However, since the Soul Race possesses such a heaven-defying inheritance technique, why have they become so scarce now, even showing signs of decline?"
Ye Yunfei suddenly thought of this question.
"The Soul Race was originally a very powerful race in ancient times. But now the Soul Race has become an extremely rare race. Ye Yunfei himself hadn't encountered many Soul Race members, and most weren't very strong. Even the Soul Race members encountered earlier in Heaven-Shattering World within the Three Thousand Dimensions were merely at the Heavenly Emperor level.
"It seems the Soul Race must have undergone some catastrophe. Otherwise, a powerful race with such a heaven-defying inheritance technique wouldn't have declined to such an extent. Or perhaps the Soul Race is only very scarce in this expanse of Void where I am, but in other Voids outside, they might still be a very powerful race."
Ye Yunfei reasoned.
Right at this moment...
"Master, the Divine King Fruit is about to mature. Go and seize it now. If you are late, it might fall into someone else's hands."
Ye Yunfei suddenly received a sound transmission from Hu Miao.
"But how can I leave you here alone? Moreover, with my current strength, even if I go, I'm not sure I can snatch it. Forget it, I'd rather stay here and continue waiting for you."
Ye Yunfei thought for a moment before replying.
In fact, Ye Yunfei still wanted to see if there was a chance to obtain the Divine King Fruit. After all, missing out on such a precious treasure was somewhat regrettable, even if the chances weren't high.
However, comparatively speaking, Ye Yunfei felt Hu Miao's safety was more important. Leaving her alone here was unsettling.
"Master, you needn't worry about me. I have encountered an Elder from our Primordial Heavenly Fox clan. Here, I won't be in danger; on the contrary, I will be very safe."
Hu Miao transmitted.
"Also, Master, this Elder of mine has some connection with the God King guarding the Divine King Fruit, so he possesses a special method to summon those Divine King Fruits.
Master, I will give you a portrait. Take this portrait with you. The moment the Divine King Fruits mature, immediately activate this portrait. Then, the Divine King Fruits will receive the summons and automatically enter the portrait.
Master, you just need to take the portrait and leave promptly."
Hu Miao transmitted.
Then, a portrait flew out from within the palace, landing before Ye Yunfei.
The portrait depicted a middle-aged man with an aura of refinement and elegance. Although it was only a painting, it gave off a sense of terrifying pressure.
"Hu Miao, is this method truly feasible?"
Ye Yunfei looked at the portrait before him and asked aloud.
"Master, my clan's Elder wouldn't lie to me."
"Also, Master, within this primal forest, there are several highly sophisticated teleportation formations, all of which can teleport someone to the outside of this small space.
After you obtain the Divine King Fruits, do not return directly in this direction. Instead, first head to other locations, use those sophisticated teleportation formations, and finally teleport back here to enter this Small World.
This Small World was constructed using the illusion techniques of our Primordial Heavenly Fox race. Outsiders find it very difficult to discover."
Hu Miao explained.
As she spoke, Hu Miao sent several locations to Ye Yunfei—the locations of the highly sophisticated teleportation formations she mentioned.
"Master, hurry and go now. If you are late, you won't make it in time."
Hu Miao transmitted.
"Alright, I will go now."
Without hesitation, Ye Yunfei immediately picked up the portrait before him, turned, and departed.
Indeed, if he went too late, he might end up with nothing.
"Hu Miao, take care of yourself."
Ye Yunfei held the portrait and soon walked out of this small space, returning to the small, damp clearing outside the dense forest.
Ye Yunfei soared into the air, swiftly heading towards the valley where the Divine King Fruit tree was located. After a while, he had already arrived within the valley.
Within the valley, densely packed Deities stood with all their eyes fixed tightly on the Divine King Fruit tree on the small island in the center of the lake.
"It seems the Divine King Fruits are about to mature."
Seeing everyone's fervent gazes, tense expressions, and quickened breathing, Ye Yunfei understood that the Divine King Fruits were likely about to mature imminently.
Ye Yunfei retrieved the portrait and held it in his hand.
"I wonder if what Hu Miao said is true."
Ye Yunfei said to Hun Lao.
"Whether it's true or false, there's no harm in giving it a try. After all, there's no loss."
Hun Lao replied.
Ye Yunfei stood behind the mass of Deities, not squeezing forward. Firstly, all the Deities were desperately pushing forward. Secondly, if the portrait in his hand truly could summon those Divine King Fruits, then standing at the very rear would benefit him for immediately turning and fleeing afterward.
Ye Yunfei understood that if he truly obtained the Divine King Fruits, he would immediately become the target of public wrath and might face frenzied pursuit, including from those few High-Level Void Gods.
So Ye Yunfei had already discussed with Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm that if they could truly obtain the Divine King Fruits, they would cooperate fully and do their utmost to escape.
Earlier, on his way there, Ye Yunfei had also arranged many teleportation formations, making ample preparations.
Upon arriving in the valley, Ye Yunfei also set up over a dozen isolation formations around his body, even deploying several Earth Formations.
"There's a fragrance! A fragrance is spreading! The Divine King Fruits have finally matured!"
Right at this moment, someone, though it was unclear who began shouting, raised the call.
Boom! Boom! Boom...
In the next moment, powerful Deity-level energies erupted one after another, soaring towards the sky like one volcano after another violently erupting.
The entire valley was instantly filled with infinite, terrifying Deity-level energy. Figures, one after another, shot towards the Divine King Fruit tree on the small island in the center of the lake at astonishing speeds.
Leading the charge were those few High-Level Void Gods.
"These Divine King Fruits are mine! Whoever dares to contend with me shall perish!"
One High-Level Void God waved his hand, throwing out over ten magical artifacts, activating them all simultaneously to launch indiscriminate attacks on the other Deities surrounding him.
"Damn it! Natural treasures belong to those destined for them! Who says the Divine King Fruits are definitely yours?"
The other Deities around seeing this were furious. Everyone summoned their magical artifacts, some attacking this High-Level Void God, others attacking those around them.
For a moment, a myriad of magical artifacts and all sorts of techniques and martial skills were unleashed continuously. The scene descended into utter chaos.
Ahh! Ahh...
Screams of agony began to ring out constantly. The comparatively weaker Deities, amid this terrifyingly chaotic scene, were quickly struck. Several Deities were blown apart on the spot, turning into masses of blood mist.
Some exceptionally weak individuals were so frightened they turned and fled, not daring to contend for the Divine King Fruits anymore.
Ye Yunfei saw Cui Hong and Xiao Xiao mixed within the mass of Deities, also desperately charging towards the Divine King Fruit tree.
Clearly, Cui Hong and Xiao Xiao also wanted to try for the Divine King Fruits.
"It really works."
The moment the Divine King Fruits matured, Ye Yunfei had already activated the portrait in his hand. Then Ye Yunfei discovered that the portrait in his hand truly developed a subtle connection with those Divine King Fruits.
The middle-aged man within the portrait suddenly radiated dazzling light, as if he had revived.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...
Ye Yunfei noticed that the Divine King Fruits on the Divine King Fruit tree suddenly began to fly towards his location one after another.
"What's going on?"
By now, many Deities had already rushed onto the small island where the Divine King Fruit tree stood and were preparing to reach out and pluck the fruits. However, they suddenly discovered the Divine King Fruits detaching from the branches and soaring into the sky.
"These Divine King Fruits are too miraculous! They might know we've come to capture them, so they're fleeing. It seems they possess consciousness."
Several Deities exclaimed in surprise, assuming the Divine King Fruits had developed consciousness and wanted to escape.
"Where do you think you're escaping to?"
One High-Level Void God manifested a massive energy hand exuding terrifying spatial-temporal energy fluctuations, locking down space as it fiercely grabbed towards a Divine King Fruit.
But what caused him to be dumbstruck was that this Divine King Fruit instantly pierced through space, escaping his grasp.
"How is this possible? The space I sealed couldn't be broken even by Mid-Level Void Gods. These little Divine King Fruits actually broke free from my seal?"
This High-Level Void God found it hard to believe.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh...
The other Divine King Fruits also pierced through space one after another, breaking free from the Deities' seals and suppression, shooting rapidly towards Ye Yunfei's location.
"It really works!"
Watching Divine King Fruits after Divine King Fruit streaking toward him like artillery shells, Ye Yunfei was both shocked and elated.
At the same moment, Ye Yunfei immediately sent sound transmissions to Cui Hong and Xiao Xiao, instructing them to retreat, leave the valley at once, and withdraw from the struggle for the Divine King Fruits.
"Young Master Ye, why are you asking us to give up competing for the Divine King Fruits?"
Upon receiving Ye Yunfei's sound transmission, Cui Hong was momentarily stunned.
"Senior, Little Xiao, there's no time to explain now. In short, if you trust me, act according to my words and leave this valley immediately."
Ye Yunfei stated.
"Alright then, Young Master Ye. I trust you."
Cui Hong hesitated briefly before choosing to believe Ye Yunfei. Xiao Xiao did the same.
They had spent some time with Ye Yunfei and knew his character; he would never deceive them.
Thus, Cui Hong and Xiao Xiao immediately began rapidly retreating, stealthily dashing towards the valley's exit.
At this moment, Ye Yunfei discovered the Divine King Fruits had already rushed to a spot before him, directly plunging into the portrait in his hand. Then, they began slowly revolving around the image of the middle-aged man.
"What in the world is going on?"
By now, the Deities who had rushed to the small island in the lake's center discovered that all the Divine King Fruits on the Divine King Fruit tree were gone. They had all detached from the branches and flown away.
"Over there! All the Divine King Fruits are flying in that direction!"
The perception abilities of these Deities were powerful. Simultaneously, they turned to look in Ye Yunfei's direction. However, Ye Yunfei had long since altered his appearance and had used a Concealment Talisman to mask his true soul aura before acting. So, for the moment, those Deities couldn't recognize Ye Yunfei's true identity at all.
After waiting for all the Divine King Fruits to enter the portrait in his hand, Ye Yunfei stomped his foot. A mighty surge of teleportation energy erupted, and with a whoosh, he teleported away.
"Damn it!
All the Divine King Fruits have been snatched away by that fellow using evil arts! Chase after him!"
"Who on earth is that guy, trying to monopolize all the Divine King Fruits!
Impossible! Let's all give chase together and tear him to pieces!"
The Deities within the valley couldn't possibly accept this outcome. Roars erupted as they turned to pursue Ye Yunfei.