After saying this, the old Wizard opened his mouth and spat out another stream of essential source blood. It hovered in the air before him, then transformed into numerous thin, threadlike crimson strands that swiftly vanished into the surrounding space.
'By the old Wizard's command, we are to continue pursuing that youngster.'
At this moment, many Heavenly Gods from the Guardian Faction in the Eighth Void received orders from the old Wizard. They then began to follow a single crimson strand floating before them, advancing rapidly. Whenever the strand before a Heavenly God started to fade slowly, a new one would appear to guide their way.
Ye Yunfei sat inside his spacecraft as it sped onward.
'Damn it! That old Wizard is still locking onto you even now. It seems we have to keep running,' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said with resentment.
'That old Wizard's divination skills are truly terrifying. You have that Jade Ruyi concealing your aura, and we've deployed all sorts of other methods, yet we still can't block his divination,' Hun Lao couldn't help but sigh.
Before long, three Heavenly Gods suddenly appeared ahead in the void, blocking the spacecraft's path. They were from the Guardian Faction and seemed to have predicted Ye Yunfei would pass this way. The moment they saw the spacecraft, they charged forward and launched ferocious attacks. Ye Yunfei and his companions had no choice but to engage.
After a brief skirmish, two pale-faced men emitting thick corpse energy suddenly arrived and joined the siege against Ye Yunfei.
Experts from the Yin Corpse Hall had arrived!
'Brat, some time ago, our Yin Corpse Hall lost a large number of corpses. We've been investigating the matter, and it turns out the ghost cultivator by your side was responsible. Very well, today we'll eradicate this ghost cultivator to prevent future trouble,' one of the Yin Corpse Hall Heavenly Gods said after a moment, fixing their gaze on Huang Shang. They had noticed that many of the techniques Huang Shang employed belonged to the Yin Corpse Hall's inheritance.
'Hahaha… So what if it was me? What can you do about it?' Seeing that the Heavenly Gods from the Yin Corpse Hall already knew he was the one who stole the corpses, Huang Shang didn't bother hiding it. He laughed heartily and directly released a vast, astonishing horde of corpses, forming an army that encircled and assailed the two Heavenly Gods.
'Damn it! These are indeed all corpses from our Yin Corpse Hall, now in your hands! Give them back!' the two Heavenly Gods exclaimed, shocked and furious.
'You want things back after they're in my possession? Is that even possible?' Huang Shang sneered.
Huang Shang's current mastery of corpse-path techniques was increasingly high. Even facing two Heavenly Gods, with the numerous corpses at his command, he still had the strength to fight.
'Damned fool! To think this guy stole so many corpses from our Yin Corpse Hall!' Although the two Yin Corpse Hall Heavenly Gods were powerful, facing a whole army of corpses, they couldn't quickly defeat Huang Shang. The number of corpses Huang Shang now possessed far exceeded theirs—these corpses were the spoils from when Huang Shang and Ye Yunfei had destroyed many Yin Corpse Hall branch strongholds.
'We need to get ready to leave. More Heavenly Gods are on their way,' Ye Yunfei suddenly said, his expression shifting slightly as he sensed several more Heavenly Gods approaching in the distance; there was no question they were coming for him.
Huang Shang pointed a finger, and a large group of corpses surged toward the five opposing Heavenly Gods like a tidal wave.
'Get out of my way!' The five Heavenly Gods were furious, immediately attacking and blasting corpse after corpse to pieces. Although these corpses had incredibly tough bodies, they were no match for five Heavenly Gods, exploding one after another.
However, Ye Yunfei used this moment to slip into his spacecraft and flee into the distance.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Suddenly, one formation after another continuously manifested, rumbling as they surrounded Ye Yunfei's spacecraft. These formations had been laid out in advance by the three Guardian Faction Heavenly Gods.
Ye Yunfei stomped his foot, and a large number of earth-type formations instantly materialized, moving to intercept the incoming ones. Several teleportation formations generated powerful spatial energy simultaneously, teleporting the spacecraft away.
'This kid is just too slippery! No wonder the old Wizard sent so many Heavenly God experts after him,' the five Guardian Faction Heavenly Gods watched as Ye Yunfei's spacecraft rapidly departed, both impressed and secretly admiring. Being able to break through the encirclement of five Heavenly Gods and escape was a feat even they felt inferior to.
'After him!' The five Heavenly Gods immediately activated movement techniques and pursued Ye Yunfei's spacecraft.
Not long after, however, three or four more Heavenly Gods suddenly appeared ahead, blocking Ye Yunfei's path. These Heavenly Gods were from the Square Pagoda and the Autumn Wind Bloc.
'It seems it's not just the Guardian Faction and the Yin Corpse Hall; many other forces have also sent experts to deal with you. These forces are allied with the Guardian Faction, so they were undoubtedly dispatched by them,' Hun Lao said to Ye Yunfei.
'No matter who sent them, I'll settle this debt with them later,' Ye Yunfei replied.
'You have quite the nerve, daring to provoke the Guardian Faction. Are you tired of living?' A Heavenly God from the Autumn Wind Bloc, holding a long blade, was the first to attack Ye Yunfei. The other Heavenly Gods quickly joined in.
At the same time, several more Heavenly Gods caught up from behind.
'We absolutely cannot get bogged down in a prolonged fight,' Hun Lao reminded Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei clenched his fists and charged forward. Immediately afterward, several hundred puppets appeared before him.
As soon as these puppets materialized, they rushed toward the Heavenly Gods blocking the way. But in the next moment, they were all sent flying. Many puppets were shattered on the spot, torn to pieces.
Although the puppets' bodies were extremely sturdy, they were instantly destroyed when facing Heavenly Gods. Ye Yunfei's purpose with these puppets was simply to stall the obstructing Heavenly Gods, while he changed direction and fled into the distant void.
'Where do you think you're going?' Shortly after, two more Heavenly Gods appeared ahead, blocking Ye Yunfei's spacecraft. Furthermore, Ye Yunfei detected Heavenly Gods approaching from several directions behind him, encircling and cutting off his retreat.
'How on earth is that old guy doing this? His divination is so precise, mobilizing so many Heavenly Gods to chase and intercept you accurately. You have to admit, his divination skills are truly terrifying,' Hun Lao sighed, seeing enemies ahead and pursuers behind.
'Young Master Ye, we're here to aid you.'
Right at that moment, six figures rushed over and instantly landed beside Ye Yunfei.
'Young Master Ye, leave quickly. We'll hold them off,' one of the six Heavenly Gods said to Ye Yunfei.
'But, Seniors, there are too many of them,' Ye Yunfei said hesitantly, watching the Heavenly Gods closing in on him from different directions.
'Young Master Ye, don't worry. Although we are few in number, stalling them won't be a problem. Young Master Ye, please go now. Actually, we had set out earlier to assist you, but we encountered many interceptions on the way, which is why we are so late,' another Heavenly God explained.
'So that's what happened,' Ye Yunfei nodded in understanding.
Ye Yunfei had been waiting for the two seniors to send reinforcements, but they never arrived. Something had indeed gone wrong—the Guardian Faction had already known and sent people to intercept these Heavenly Gods on their way to help him.
'Young Master Ye, we also didn't expect the Guardian Faction to deploy such a large number of Heavenly Gods against you this time, and to even ally with several major forces who also sent Heavenly Gods to hunt you. I estimate that in the Eighth Void right now, at least thirty or forty Heavenly Gods from five or six different major forces are pursuing you everywhere. The overall commander is that old Wizard from the Guardian Faction. His divination skills are extremely formidable; he is the personal disciple of a grandmaster who once shook the entire Chaotic Void Sea in ancient times. For years, he has served the Guardian Faction. He has been using divination to track you for quite some time now and is very familiar with your aura, having locked onto you through some secret art. Young Master Ye, we can only do our best to hold off these pursuers. You'd better find a way to shake off that old Wizard's tracking. Otherwise, he will continue to direct Heavenly Gods to intercept you with precision.
Additionally, the Yin Corpse Hall, the Autumn Wind Bloc, and several other major forces have also sent their own divination masters to collectively track you through divination. But don't worry, Young Master Ye, we have already sent word of the situation here back. As long as you can hold out until our reinforcements arrive, you shouldn't have to fear the Guardian Faction's pursuit any longer,' another Heavenly God explained.
'All right, Young Master Ye, you must leave now,' urged yet another Heavenly God.
'I must trouble you all then, Seniors. Please be careful,' Ye Yunfei said helplessly before turning to leave.
Moments later, Ye Yunfei's spacecraft was far from its previous location.
'It seems the Guardian Faction really values you! To think they've mobilized so many Heavenly Gods to hunt you down. Thirty or forty Heavenly Gods, plus several divination masters from major forces working together against you—they intend to fight to the death!' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but exclaim.
'Master, in my opinion, we should simply leave this Eighth Void, return to the Eighth Void, or go to another void to develop,' Hu Miao spoke up.
'If I leave, the Guardian Faction will likely trace the Alliance Army soon. And now that the Guardian Faction has dispatched large numbers of Heavenly Gods to encircle and pursue me, we might not be able to leave smoothly either,' Ye Yunfei thought for a moment before replying.
'Currently, the most important thing is to shake off the divination and tracking of that old Wizard from the Guardian Faction. If he keeps tracking you, even if you leave this void, the Guardian Faction probably won't let you go, because they have a presence in other voids as well. Even if you return to the Eighth Void, the Guardian Faction might follow you there, and bringing their Heavenly Gods to the Eighth Void would spell disaster,' Hun Lao interjected.
'Yes, that old Wizard is still locked onto me. Even if I go to another void, he would likely follow,' Ye Yunfei nodded and sighed.
'Damn it! We were doing just fine in this void, and now suddenly that guy has locked onto you. If we don't shake his tracking, no matter where we flee, he'll keep pursuing. And it looks like that old guy is mobilizing more and more Heavenly Gods to hunt you,' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm sighed.
'Master, if those two mysterious seniors could send more Heavenly Gods, maybe they could help us escape,' Hu Miao suddenly suggested.
'Those two seniors have already sent experts to help, but it seems the number of Heavenly Gods they can dispatch is limited. It's been this long now; any Heavenly Gods they sent should have already made an appearance, probably all the ones we've seen before,' Ye Yunfei shook his head.
'Master, what if we go to the Lingxiao Sect headquarters? There are certainly a dozen or more Heavenly Gods gathered there. They might be able to offer some help; a few old-timers in the Lingxiao Sect are quite powerful,' Hu Miao suggested again.
'No, we can't count on the Lingxiao Sect. I already sent messages to their elders earlier, but until now, not a single expert from the Lingxiao Sect has appeared. That already speaks to their attitude,' Ye Yunfei said slowly, his gaze turning toward the direction of the Lingxiao Sect headquarters.
'The Lingxiao Sect members are truly a bunch of ingrates! We went specifically to help them against their enemies before, and now that we're in trouble, they turn a blind eye,' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said angrily.
Just then, Ye Yunfei suddenly took out a message jade slip and sensed its contents. His expression turned icy.
'Not only will the Lingxiao Sect not send experts to help me, but they have also imprisoned our Alliance Army troops,' Ye Yunfei said coldly.
'Impossible! The Alliance Army troops we sent to the Lingxiao Sect headquarters were there to help them against enemies. How could they imprison them? That's repaying kindness with treachery, worse than beasts!' the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm raged.
'In that case, let's head to the Lingxiao Sect headquarters right now and settle accounts with them!' it shouted.
'If we go to the Lingxiao Sect headquarters now and conflict breaks out, the Lingxiao Sect Heavenly Gods attack us while the Guardian Faction Heavenly Gods flank us, could we handle that?' Hun Lao pointed out.
'I will remember this debt with the Lingxiao Sect! If any harm comes to our Alliance Army, I will repay it a hundred, a thousandfold,' Ye Yunfei said through gritted teeth.
Soon after, several more Heavenly Gods appeared ahead. They had been waiting there and, upon seeing Ye Yunfei's spacecraft, immediately revealed themselves. First, they activated over a dozen large-scale formations, blocking the spacecraft's path. Then they directly attacked, hurling several Heavenly God-level magical treasures at the spacecraft.
With no other choice, Ye Yunfei released over a thousand puppets to block the attacks and then fled in another direction.
'It seems we have to enter the Ancient Desolate Sea,' Ye Yunfei sighed from within the spacecraft.
He could still feel an intangible will locking onto him, confirming that the Guardian Faction's old Wizard was still tracking him through divination.
Without hesitation, Ye Yunfei directed the spacecraft toward the direction of the Ancient Desolate Sea.
Simultaneously, in an ordinary world within the Eighth Void, two old men were playing a game of Go.
'We just received word that the Guardian Faction's old Wizard deployed a highly advanced divination secret art, locking onto Young Master Ye and dispatching a large group of Heavenly Gods to pursue and intercept him throughout the Eighth Void. About forty Heavenly Gods are participating in the hunt. The number of Heavenly Gods we sent is too few to guarantee Young Master Ye's safety,' a man suddenly rushed in to report.
'Oh? They've mobilized over forty Heavenly Gods to deal with Young Master Ye? That's quite the show of force,' one of the old men said, somewhat surprised.
'I suspect that old Wizard suddenly learned something, which is why the Guardian Faction values this so highly, sending so many Heavenly Gods on the hunt,' the other old man remarked.
'In that case, we should send more experts to aid Young Master Ye immediately. That Guardian Faction old Wizard's divination skills are quite potent. The more importance the Guardian Faction places on Young Master Ye, the more it indicates he's extraordinary. Such a young genius must be protected; we can't let anything happen to him. If necessary, the two of us should make a trip as well,' one old man suggested after some thought.
Just then, a cold laugh rang out from beyond this world.
'Heheh… Lately, a mysterious force has suddenly appeared in our Eighth Void, constantly targeting our Guardian Faction. It seems their lair is here.'
A figure appeared outside the world's entrance with hands clasped behind its back.
*BOOM!*
A terrifying, overwhelming pressure flooded into the world, instantly silencing all space within. Everything seemed frozen, including all living beings inside, who felt both their soul bodies and physical bodies completely petrified. Though conscious, they could not move or speak.
'It's the Eighth Void's Prison Warden. He's found us,' the two old men inside the world stood up simultaneously, their expressions shifting slightly.
'Although I knew we'd have to face this guy eventually, I didn't expect him to find us so quickly. Let's go out and meet him,' one old man sighed and stepped outside, the other following.