Ye Yunfei also gifted vast quantities of pills and cultivation resources to forces with whom he shared a good relationship, such as the Fire Clan, the Flower God Palace, the Xiaoliang Temple, and the Vermilion Bird Realm, among others.
Ye Yunfei did not manage to meet the Temple Master of Xiaoliang Temple during his visit to their headquarters. According to the words of several elders from Xiaoliang Temple, the Temple Master had entered a secret realm not long ago for closed-door cultivation.
"Young Master Ye, that secret realm is located within our Xiaoliang Temple headquarters, left behind by an ancestor of our temple. Members of our Xiaoliang Temple had never before had the chance to enter it, as only a Deity possesses the ability to do so. The Temple Master, leading six of our Deities, entered the secret realm and has yet to emerge. Before he entered, the Temple Master gave instructions to us, saying Young Master Ye might come looking for him. He asked me to relay a message: there's no need to worry on his behalf. This secret realm was left behind by our ancestor. Although it is fraught with great dangers, the Temple Master believes that as inheritors of Xiaoliang Temple, our Deities will not be in excessive peril while inside." The Grand Elder of Xiaoliang Temple spoke to Ye Yunfei.
"So that's how it is," Ye Yunfei nodded. He informed the Grand Elder of his intention to leave this void, left behind another batch of pills and cultivation resources, and then departed from the Xiaoliang Temple headquarters.
After making a round to all the friendly factions, Ye Yunfei returned to the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds.
"I should go back and take a look at the Canghuang Realm and Tianxuan Continent," Ye Yunfei thought while standing in the void of the Three Thousand Major and Minor Worlds. His gaze shifted towards the direction of the Canghuang Realm, and with a single step, he arrived just outside its entrance.
"Uncle! You finally came back to see me!" No sooner had Ye Yunfei's figure appeared outside the Canghuang Realm entrance than a little girl rushed out from within, throwing her arms around him. It was the Canghuang Realm's World Essence.
Since entering the new Divine Era, most of the world groups and worlds had been continuously upgrading. The energy and laws within Canghuang Realm had also become far more advanced than before. Correspondingly, the Canghuang World Essence's strength had increased significantly.
Ye Yunfei held the little girl's hand and walked into the Canghuang Realm. He discovered that the strength of living beings in Canghuang Realm was universally much higher than in the past. Within the Eighth Void, Canghuang Realm was a comparatively small and inconspicuous world, so it had never drawn much external attention. Even the Guardian Faction had not sent anyone into it, leaving Canghuang Realm almost completely unscathed. In contrast, some well-known world groups and worlds that had caught the attention of the Guardian Faction had suffered severe destruction.
Ye Yunfei arrived above the main headquarters of Qingyun Palace and released his Soul Power to sense the area thoroughly.
In fact, most of Qingyun Palace's former high-level members had already left Canghuang Realm, following Ye Yunfei to develop elsewhere. Most of the current Qingyun Palace members were recruited later, people whom Ye Yunfei didn't know at all. However, this Qingyun Palace had always been personally founded by Ye Yunfei back in the day. Its name was derived from taking one character each from Ye Yunfei and Su Qingluo's names. Thus, this faction held extraordinary significance and deep emotional attachment for Ye Yunfei.
In one of the headquarters' squares, Ye Yunfei spotted two statues – one male and one female – representing himself and Su Qingluo respectively.
Standing in the sky above Qingyun Palace headquarters, Ye Yunfei sensed for a while longer before taking out a vast quantity of cultivation resources and pills, delivering them individually to various high-level members of Qingyun Palace.
The methods of Ye Yunfei were extremely profound. The high-level members of Qingyun Palace suddenly found a batch of cultivation resources before them but couldn't perceive where these resources had come from. Every single one of these resources was of staggering value to Qingyun Palace's leadership.
"What in the world is going on? Who sent these precious cultivation resources to me?"
Each high-level member was simultaneously startled and overjoyed, carefully storing away the resources before them. They then emerged to search everywhere.
"Just who delivered these cultivation resources to us?"
A short while later, almost all the high-level members had gathered. They discovered that not only themselves, but every other high-level member had also received a batch of cultivation resources. They congregated, all discussing the event.
"Palace Lord, what is your view on this matter? All of us high-level members suddenly received a batch of incredibly valuable cultivation resources. Who gifted them to us, and what is their purpose? For our Qingyun Palace, is this an auspicious or inauspicious sign?" The Grand Elder of Qingyun Palace stood beside the current Palace Lord, his expression grave as he spoke.
"I cannot fathom the meaning of this event either. However, I believe that the senior who gifted these resources harbors no ill intent towards our Qingyun Palace. Otherwise, he would not have given so many precious cultivation resources and refrained from showing himself," the current Qingyun Palace Lord contemplated briefly before replying.
"Palace Lord, many of Qingyun Palace's ancestors have left this world to develop in other realms. Especially our Founding Patriarch, he was the first to leave Canghuang Realm long ago. I suspect it is highly likely that one of Qingyun Palace's ancestors has returned, hence gifting us so many precious cultivation resources. Why would an outsider gift us resources for no reason?" Another elder standing nearby slowly offered his thoughts.
"Elder Duan, your words hold merit. It is quite possible that one of our Qingyun Palace ancestors has indeed returned."
Both the Palace Lord and the other high-level members felt their spirits lift.
"Let's go! Everyone, follow me quickly to see if that ancestor has departed yet!"
Leading all the high-level members, the Qingyun Palace Lord soared into the air.
"All high-level members of Qingyun Palace respectfully welcome our ancestor's return!" Led by the Palace Lord, all the high-level members cried out in unison.
By this time, Ye Yunfei had already put a considerable distance between himself and Qingyun Palace headquarters. Hearing the cries from those high-level members behind him, he faintly smiled but did not turn back. Taking a single step, he vanished.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei arrived at the entrance to Tianxuan Continent.
Tianxuan Continent possessed unique self-protective world laws that repelled powerful outsiders from entering. However, these repulsion laws were ineffective against Deities.
Holding the little girl's hand, Ye Yunfei stepped into Tianxuan Continent. Gazing at the familiar world before him, nostalgia washed over Ye Yunfei as he revisited his old haunts. He recalled the various exploits of his youth spent roaming Tianxuan Continent.
Although Ye Yunfei had now become a Deity, reaching a height he had never dared to imagine before, he had ultimately set out from this place. Thus, he held deep affection for this Small World.
Ye Yunfei returned to the Eastern Region, arriving at Yuanyue City where the Ye Family headquarters once stood. He descended within the former Ye Family compound.
Since the Ye Family had relocated entirely in the past, their former headquarters had fallen into disuse. Later, as the Ye Family grew to become Tianxuan Continent's most powerful clan, the former headquarters in Yuanyue City was placed under protection, surrounded by numerous defensive Formations. No one was permitted to approach.
Thus, the current Ye Family headquarters was an old estate protected by layer upon layer of security.
"Hmm? What's this? Why do I always feel a peculiar energy within the Ye Family headquarters? This energy bears some resemblance to Samsara energy, but it is distinct from the Samsara energy of the Samsara Palace." Ye Yunfei stood above the Ye Family headquarters, a thought suddenly stirring in his mind.
"Indeed, I also perceive it. A strange energy somewhat similar to Samsara energy does pervade the headquarters, and it seems to originate from underground," Hun Lao's voice sounded.
Ye Yunfei's figure flickered, landing on the ground of the Ye Family headquarters. Activating his Earth Vein Arts, he instantly drilled beneath the surface.
Not long after, directly beneath the Ye Family headquarters, Ye Yunfei discovered an ancient underground palace. This palace was empty, with only an ancient altar situated at its very center.
The surface of this altar was divided into a nine-square grid. Each compartment had a different color, totaling nine distinct colors distributed across the altar's surface, presenting an exceedingly strange appearance.
"I never imagined such an eccentric altar would be hidden beneath the Ye Family headquarters," Ye Yunfei felt somewhat shocked.
"Fine! Let me see exactly what kind of altar this is." Ye Yunfei spoke aloud.
In the time that followed, Ye Yunfei stood before this eccentric altar and began studying it, joined by Hun Lao and the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm.
"I cannot see through this altar at all! What in the world? How can such a bizarre altar exist within Tianxuan Continent?" After several days of research, Hun Lao could not help but express his astonishment.
"Indeed. Even I cannot grasp what grade this altar truly is, nor what its purpose might be," Ye Yunfei also spoke.
"I cannot make sense of this altar at all! It's too peculiar. This altar is the only one I've encountered so far that I completely fail to understand," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cried out.
"An altar even *we* cannot comprehend, yet it exists within Tianxuan Continent. I believe this altar's grade is simply far too high, exceeding our scope of understanding, which is why we cannot decipher it," Hun Lao stated.
"That should be the case," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"I have an idea. Since we can't understand it, let's dismantle it. Study it after taking it apart; perhaps we might gain some insights," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm suddenly suggested.
"Let me give it a try."
Ye Yunfei considered briefly before reaching out a hand to grasp towards the altar.
Rumble!
Terribly violent energy erupted from Ye Yunfei's palm, shaking the entire underground palace.
Boom! Just as Ye Yunfei's palm was about to land on the altar, an unimaginably strange energy erupted from within it, instantly deflecting Ye Yunfei's hand.
Then, as if thoroughly activated, the altar began to shine with a billowing, brilliant divine light.
Next, above the altar, one after another different scenes materialized. These scenes depicted the alternation between day and night, the succession of the four seasons – spring, summer, autumn, winter – the interchange between Yin and Yang, and the cycle of living beings: birth, growth, then death. All things in the world, from their birth to death, and then from death to birth, cyclically, without end.
Ye Yunfei watched the images continuously playing on the altar for nearly half an hour, not taking his eyes off them.
"I sense that all those images on the altar seem to depict a single theme: birth, growth, death, and rebirth, followed again by growth and death, endlessly repeating," Hun Lao suddenly spoke.
"Rebirth?"
Upon hearing Hun Lao's words, a resounding 'boom' echoed within Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea.
Ye Yunfei remembered that his current life was, in fact, a rebirth. Watching the various scenes that continued to cycle above the eccentric altar, a strange thought suddenly surfaced in his mind.
"Could it be that my rebirth in the past holds some connection to this ancient altar before me?"
Once this idea appeared, Ye Yunfei spent several more days studying the peculiar altar, yet still discovered nothing.
Whenever Ye Yunfei probed into the altar's interior with his Soul Power perception, he found it utterly empty, a vast expanse of bewildering space. No matter how he tried, he could not discern anything within that bewildering space.
"I cannot perceive this altar's internal structure at all. It seems its grade is incredibly high, beyond my imagination," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm had already become disheartened, having studied for so many days without any findings.
"I cannot determine its internal structure either. When I first arrived here, I sensed a very strange energy within this altar. But now I realize this altar must contain many types of exceedingly profound energies and laws, among them surely include spatial energy and spatial laws," Hun Lao stated.
"Hun Lao, it seems you've gleaned a bit more from your research than we two have," Ye Yunfei said.
"But it's of no use. I still cannot see through this altar. It appears that with our current level and strength, we are not yet qualified to study this altar," Hun Lao replied with a bitter smile.
"Indeed. Let's leave it for now. We'll return here in the future when we have time to properly research this altar. This altar is definitely extraordinary. Perhaps we'll make some astounding discovery once we decipher it," Ye Yunfei nodded and said.
Ye Yunfei felt certain this altar was anything but ordinary. He also felt that his own rebirth might somehow be connected to this altar. Thus, he firmly decided to return here again in the future to study the altar further.