A moment later, an enormous sea turtle suddenly surfaced from beneath the water. Its head was like a massive mountain emerging from the sea with a crash, and then a pair of scarlet eyes locked onto Ye Yunfei.
Then, that colossal turtle head suddenly shot forward with astonishing speed, making it almost impossible for Ye Yunfei to dodge in time.
Boom! Ye Yunfei exerted all his strength and leaped high above the sea surface. The massive turtle head grazed beneath his feet, nearly swallowing him whole.
Rumble…
A torrential surge of energy emanated from the huge body of the turtle, bearing down to suppress Ye Yunfei.
While in mid-air, Ye Yunfei waved his hand and summoned three Heavenly God-level magical treasures, hurling them towards the turtle's head. Yet, they were all swallowed whole by the creature.
"That thing is too terrifying! It dared to swallow Heavenly God-level artifacts in one gulp, and it looks completely unharmed," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm cried out in shock.
"It's very powerful. Don't get caught up fighting it. Hurry and escape!" Hun Lao, seeing this scene, was also startled and quickly sent a voice transmission to Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei immediately turned and fled, bounding continuously across the sea surface as he rushed into the distance.
A moment later, Ye Yunfei discovered that the massive turtle behind him had finally stopped its pursuit. Its colossal head slowly sank back into the water like a mountain receding beneath the waves. Soon, it completely vanished from sight.
"It seems the greatest dangers in this Ancient Desolate Sea are these strange sea creatures," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, looking back towards where the giant turtle disappeared, couldn't help but remark.
"And it appears these sea creatures each have their own territory," he added. "Whether it was the Ghost Corpse Monkeys, that octopus earlier, or this giant turtle now, they all operate within their own domain. Once outsiders trespass, they will attack."
"But if every patch of sea is ruled by such fearsome creatures, doesn't that mean we'll be attacked no matter where we go?" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm continued, a worried expression crossing his face. "Wouldn't that make finding a place to rest and recover properly quite impossible?"
"We should just enter the Phantom Tower and have the tower float on the sea surface. We can recuperate inside it. Perhaps that method would allow us to rest properly," Hun Lao suddenly suggested.
"I'll try it now," Ye Yunfei nodded, then in a flash, entered the Phantom Tower.
At that moment, everyone was already inside. The Phantom Tower transformed into a speck of dust and landed on the sea surface.
Ye Yunfei released his own energy, attempting to make the Phantom Tower float.
But in the next instant, Ye Yunfei was astonished to discover that although the Phantom Tower had become a dust mote, seemingly insignificant, it was incapable of floating. Instead, it began sinking slowly into the seawater below.
"We must not let the Phantom Tower sink beneath the surface. This Ancient Desolate Sea is extremely strange; who knows what might lurk in its depths," Hun Lao immediately warned.
Helpless, Ye Yunfei swiftly emerged from the Phantom Tower and extended his palm to cradle it.
"It seems this method won't work," Ye Yunfei said with a bitter smile.
"We can only continue forward and hope to find a better place to rest," he murmured.
Thus, Ye Yunfei had no choice but to continue advancing across the sea.
At the same time, just outside the Ancient Desolate Sea, a gleaming altar floated in the void. Seated cross-legged upon it was the old Wizard of the Guardian Faction.
In front of the altar stood over a dozen Heavenly Gods. Every one of them hung their head, none daring to meet the Wizard's gaze.
The reason was clear: the old Wizard's face was twisted with fury, and his eyes bore unwaveringly into the Heavenly Gods before him.
"Are you telling me," he asked, voice straining with suppressed anger, "that although you caught up to the boy, you did not kill him? So many Heavenly Gods pursuing him—why did you fail to finish him off?"
This old Wizard had been driven off earlier by a mysterious expert. But after that expert left, he had returned. And there he was confronted by over a dozen Heavenly Gods slinking out of the Ancient Desolate Sea, looking thoroughly defeated.
"Elder Wizard, you don't fully understand," one Heavenly God said, stepping forward bravely to report. "The Ancient Desolate Sea holds a powerful energy that restricts aerial movement and significantly suppresses divine power. When we entered, our strength was greatly suppressed. However, the boy seemed hardly affected. Our power diminished, yet his remained unfettered. Furthermore, his movement techniques were incredibly bizarre. Though we caught up, we found him unassailable. Every time we tried to encircle him, he effortlessly slipped away. We truly had no way to deal with him."
"In fact," the Heavenly God continued, "when Lu An was separated from the group, the boy seized the chance to kill him. We intended to pursue him relentlessly, but then a massive horde of beasts emerged. These monsters were extraordinarily powerful and came in great numbers, far more than we could handle. Had we stayed any longer, we likely would have been torn to pieces. So, we were forced to retreat."
"A massive horde of beasts? What kind of beasts?" The old Wizard contemplated the Heavenly God's report before asking. He could sense the Heavenly God was speaking truthfully.
"Elder Wizard, look," the Heavenly God intoned, focusing his will. Immediately, the illusion of a Ghost Corpse Monkey appeared before him, accompanied by a grotesque, algae-covered green corpse. Of course, this was only a projection he crafted using his Soul Power.
"Ghost Corpse Monkeys! From legend!" The old Wizard, with his vast knowledge, immediately recognized the creature.
"Elder Wizard, their numbers were overwhelming," the Heavenly God elaborated. "At first, only a few dozen attacked us. But soon there were five or six hundred, and more kept coming. The pressure became unbearable. We were forced to fight our way out."
"When we fled," the Heavenly God added, "that boy was also besieged by a huge swarm of Ghost Corpse Monkeys. A group of over a dozen Heavenly Gods like us could barely hold them off; a lone individual like him stands no chance. In my estimation, he has likely already been ripped to shreds by those monsters."
"Ghost Corpse Monkeys in such great numbers are truly dreadful. The boy may indeed not survive," the old Wizard mused. "But that boy's luck has always been formidable. He doesn't perish so easily."
He shook his head slowly.
"He's too slippery and stubborn. Ridding ourselves of him will not be easy."
After a moment's thought, he declared, "Very well. From now on, you will all guard this place. Stay here and wait for the boy to emerge. The instant he appears, kill him. Do not grant him any chance to escape."
The old Wizard knew that blaming these dozen-plus Heavenly Gods now was pointless. In the Guardian Faction of the Sixth Void, Heavenly Gods represented a core force. As long as it was feasible, he still sought to retain their loyalty.
"Thank you for your magnanimity, Elder Wizard!" the Heavenly Gods chorused, a surge of relief washing over them. "Rest assured, we will hold this ground. Should he emerge, we will not let him escape."
Clearly, the Wizard was not going to hold them accountable. Remaining here to wait was far safer and more preferable than re-entering the treacherous sea.
The old Wizard gestured with a finger. The altar rose and pierced directly into an adjacent space layer, vanishing from sight.
It hurtled forward through a spatial tunnel, the Wizard seated upon it. He shook his head in profound disappointment.
"My divination was correct as ever. Killing that boy… it is not simple. Unless he is eliminated, he will undoubtedly become a deadly threat to our Guardian Faction in the future. A pity… that to this day we still haven't managed to dispose of him."
At this time, the atmosphere in the Sixth Void was extremely tense. Everyone knew the decisive battle between the Guardian Faction and the Lingxiao Sect was imminent. This forthcoming clash would undoubtedly influence the power structure of the voids from the Eighth onward, making it the focus of widespread attention.
During this period, both sides were making preparations. From their various branch fortresses, the Guardian Faction continuously dispatched wave after wave of forces, traversing the void. Similarly, the Lingxiao Sect's main headquarters and many branch outposts bustled with the comings and goings of large contingents.
Word was spreading: many major powers in the Sixth Void had secretly sent representatives to forge alliances with the Lingxiao Sect, preparing to resist the Guardian Faction together.
Meanwhile, the headquarters of this allied force—Xuanhuang Continent—found itself encircled by a large Guardian Faction army.
Despite the allied forces' victory in the previous battle, the Guardian Faction had dispatched another massive force, thoroughly surrounding Xuanhuang Continent.
Inside Xuanhuang Continent, Ye Yunfei's clone, leading a sizable group of senior alliance members, gazed outward with grim expressions.
"Master Ye, why don't we just charge out and fight them?" a high-ranking alliance member burst out. "These Watchdogs of the Guardian Faction are too arrogant! They've completely sealed off the void surrounding Xuanhuang Continent. This is our alliance's territory—how can we tolerate such insolence!"
Several other officials echoed the sentiment.
"Yes, Master Ye! Let's rush out and fight! Let's fight to the death! We routed them soundly last time. There's no need to fear these Watchdogs at all!"
"After their heavy defeat last time," Ye Yunfei's clone pondered, then shook his head. "This time, the Guardian Faction has certainly prepared extensively. They may even have Heavenly Gods lying in ambush. If we venture out, we risk severe losses. So, we will not engage this time."
He issued commands.
"Relay the order: activate all Formations and Earth Formations at the entrances and exits. Also, be prepared for withdrawal at any moment. However, everyone need not be overly anxious. Xuanhuang Continent is a unique place, abundant with earth qi energy and governed by profound earth-elemental laws. Even if Heavenly Gods came, we need not fear them. Furthermore, beneath this continent lie some exceptionally intricate ancient Earth Formations. Another one of my clones is currently attempting to activate them. Once successful, we can rely on Xuanhuang Continent to resist the Guardian Faction's Heavenly Gods."
"Master Ye! So you have discovered the ancient Earth Formations beneath Xuanhuang Continent!" an elder of the Demon Race exclaimed, excited. "Those formations have existed for untold ages. Our Demon Race has known of them for a long time, but none among us have ever been able to reactivate them."
Just then, a voice thundered from outside Xuanhuang Continent, its waves crashing into the heart of the continent.
"People of the Demon Race, hear this! Show yourselves now and surrender! Otherwise, when our Guardian Faction army storms in, we will leave none alive!"
Within Xuanhuang Continent, there was only silence. No reply came.
"Very well," the same cold voice pronounced after a moment's pause. "So the Demon Race chooses punishment over acceptance. Now… begin!"
Then, the entire Guardian Faction host let out a unified war cry and, like a tidal wave, surged toward the entrances and exits of Xuanhuang Continent.