"There is no need to thank me. Your performance was the most outstanding in the trial I left here, so you deserve the reward," Yangming King said with a smile.
No sooner had his words fallen than a vast stream of information imbued with Soul Power energy surged relentlessly into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea.
"Indeed, it's a technique related to Mental Force energy," Ye Yunfei thought after briefly glancing through the information, his expression growing excited.
"Now, let me bestow some treasures upon you as well," Ye Yunfei received Yangming King's Sound Transmission once more.
In the next moment, two space rings materialized in front of Ye Yunfei.
"Well, young ones, you have all received your rewards. It is time for you to leave this place now." Yangming King's voice echoed above the square. Every young elite felt an overwhelmingly powerful transmission energy envelop them, initiating the teleportation process. In an instant, the five young talents were teleported away from the square.
"To think a young man of such exceptional talent has entered this time. I wonder what heights he will reach in the future?" At this moment, the once bustling square had turned empty and silent. Yangming King's projection stood at its center, gazing in the direction where Ye Yunfei had been teleported away. He spoke softly, and then the figure began to grow increasingly illusory, finally dispersing with the wind and vanishing from sight.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei had been transported to a location near the mountain.
"First, I must find Brother Lu," Ye Yunfei thought the moment the teleportation ended. He immediately released his Soul Power energy to search for Lu Shi's whereabouts. However, he quickly discovered there was no trace of Lu Shi around the mountain.
"It seems Brother Lu followed my earlier advice and went to find a place to hide. I should go and find him now," Ye Yunfei released his Soul Power energy again, carefully sensing the surroundings to track Lu Shi, but he couldn't discern which direction Lu Shi had gone.
"Time to perform a divination." Ye Yunfei began to perform the Chaos Heavenly Secrets Art to deduce Lu Shi's fate.
With his constantly rising realm and strength, the effectiveness of his deductions using the Chaos Heavenly Secrets Art had naturally improved.
"As I suspected, Brother Lu was hunted by many as soon as he was teleported down from the mountaintop. Fortunately, he was prepared and fled with full speed the moment the teleportation ended. However, a large group of people pursued and hunted him. The majority of them belonged to the Guardian Faction." After performing the deduction for a short while, Ye Yunfei finally pinpointed Lu Shi's direction and deduced the events that had befallen him shortly before.
Lu Shi had indeed been targeted by a large group immediately upon appearing near the mountain after being teleported from the square on the peak, and he was fortunate to escape in time.
"I must rush over immediately. Brother Lu's strength is decent, but he cannot handle being pursued by so many people. I hope he is cunning enough not to confront them head-on but knows to retreat and run." Ye Yunfei's gaze turned toward a specific direction—the very direction Lu Shi had taken.
"I asked Brother Lu to leave behind some of his markings so I could find him. I wonder if he did so." Ye Yunfei strode purposefully in that direction.
Ye Yunfei understood that the reason Lu Shi was targeted and pursued by so many was primarily due to him, Ye Yunfei. Therefore, he absolutely had to go and help.
"Where do you think you're fleeing, brat?" At that very moment, a cold laugh rang out. Over a dozen figures appeared in the space surrounding Ye Yunfei, instantly encircling him.
They had been hiding within several advanced formations, waiting for the opportune moment to reveal themselves and surround Ye Yunfei.
"Members of the Guardian Faction," Ye Yunfei looked at the dozen or so people before him, his face darkening as he spoke coldly.
"Correct. Since you know we are from the Guardian Faction, there's no need for futile resistance. Comply with our instructions obediently, and you might still have a sliver of survival," the leading man said coldly.
"Hand over all the legacies and treasures you obtained in the square earlier. You were ranked first, so the legacy and treasures you received should be the most precious. You can exchange the gifts from Yangming King for your life." From not far away, two men approached side by side. Both were young elites of the Guardian Faction and two of the individuals who had ranked in the top five within the square earlier. Like Ye Yunfei, they had just been teleported down from the square above and had immediately come looking for trouble with Ye Yunfei after the teleportation ended.
These two young talents from the Guardian Faction consisted of a tall and thin man—lithe as a bamboo pole—with piercing, keen eyes, a High-Level Void God. The other was a Perfected Void God dressed in a green robe, his jade-green gaze giving off an eerie feeling.
"These Guardian Faction people are truly despicable!" In the distance, a certain location, a Hemp-Clothed Youth furrowed his brows and said.
"That kid might have exceptional talent, rank first, and probably received precious technique legacies and treasures from Yangming King, but he has offended the Guardian Faction. His fate is sealed," at another location, a young elite watched Ye Yunfei being encircled by the Guardian Faction members and spoke indifferently before turning to leave. This young elite was also one who had ranked in the top five for comprehending laws in the square earlier.
"Kid, I know your talent is good, and your strength is probably decent as well, but it's useless. The foundation of our Guardian Faction is immensely profound, something you cannot afford to provoke. Now, hand over everything on you, then accept our punishment with sufficient sincerity.
You have slaughtered many of our Guardian Faction members, an immense and heinous crime. You must be punished.
Your only correct course of action is to sincerely accept our punishment and see if you can absolve the sins upon you. This way, you might still have a sliver of survival and won't implicate your family, sect, friends, or loved ones. Otherwise, you are well aware of the power and methods of our Guardian Faction," the man as tall and thin as a bamboo pole stared at Ye Yunfei with sharp eyes and said slowly.
Rumble…
The moment his words fell, Ye Yunfei's fist abruptly lashed out. The towering, majestic phantom of an emperor instantly manifested behind him. Terrifying emperorly energy poured forth from Ye Yunfei's fist, causing the surrounding space to violently tremble.
After newly comprehending and mastering forty Great Dao Laws, Ye Yunfei's combat power had naturally advanced further. The Imperial Path Divine Fist he now unleashed contained multiple high-level Great Dao Laws, imbuing it with awe-inspiring power and profound mysteries.
"Brat, you're seeking death!" the man had not expected Ye Yunfei to suddenly erupt with an attack and was startled.
Ye Yunfei's speed was astonishingly fast; his fist arrived before the man in an instant.
Feeling the terrifying force behind Ye Yunfei's fist, the man's face instantly paled. He immediately sent a frantic Sound Transmission to the green-robed man beside him for help.
"Brat, don't you dare run rampant!" The green-robed man produced a nine-story golden pagoda in his hand.
It was a Perfected Void God-level treasure, instantly activated and continuously enlarging, transforming into a towering golden pagoda that scraped the heavens. It emitted rolling divine light, and within each level of the pagoda, mysterious ancient deities seemed to chant ancient scriptures.
Clang! Ye Yunfei's fist collided with the nine-story golden pagoda. The world itself shook fiercely. Then, under the astonished gazes of everyone present, the nine-story golden pagoda was sent flying by a single punch.
"How is this possible?" The green-robed man was shocked, stumbling back repeatedly. His nine-story golden pagoda had often achieved more victories than losses when battling peers of the same realm. He never expected it to be sent flying by a single punch now.
"Attack together!" Seeing the immense combat power Ye Yunfei displayed, the tall, thin man's expression changed completely. He immediately shouted in a grave voice.
"Heh, it seems your Guardian Faction's favorite pastime is ganging up on others with superior numbers. Truly disgusting!" At that moment, a cold laugh rang out. The Hemp-Clothed Youth had somehow walked over.
"I love nothing more than championing the righteous cause. The actions of your Guardian Faction are unacceptable to me, so I cannot help but intervene," the Hemp-Clothed Youth said lightly. The moment his voice fell, he sent a palm strike directly at one of the Guardian Faction members, sending them flying far away to crash onto the distant ground, their fate unknown.
"Why are you attacking our Guardian Faction?" Seeing this Hemp-Clothed Youth, the Guardian Faction members all displayed expressions of apprehension. They knew of this youth's origins; his background was extraordinary and far from simple.