Two of the Earth Demon Clan's three ancestral elders remained at the headquarters, while one had come with Ye Yunfei. Seeing the Earth Demon Clan elder looking as if he wanted to devour someone, Ma Xiu dared not speak again.
"Such grand airs! This is the headquarters of our Lingxiao Sect. It is not the place for an outsider to throw his weight around. And besides, you're just a True God. Ma Xiu, come here. This is our Lingxiao Sect headquarters. No one can lord it over others here without our permission."
A blue-robed elder stepped out from behind the Lingxiao Sect Leader. He stared coldly at the Earth Demon Clan elder as he spoke.
This blue-robed elder was precisely the Lingxiao Sect's Elder Fang, one of its core elders. It was he who had first given the order to move against the Alliance Army.
"Thank you, Elder Fang!"
Seeing Elder Fang stepping forward to shield him, Ma Xiu was overjoyed. He scrambled to his feet without regard for anything else and rushed toward the elder.
He knew that this Elder Fang was not only a high-ranking and influential core elder of the sect but also a Heavenly God.
"Ma Xiu! You truly are a traitor! You deserve death!" roared the Earth Demon Clan elder furiously upon seeing Ma Xiu's action. Such a public betrayal was a direct slap in the face of the Alliance Army.
"So what if I am a traitor? The Lingxiao Sect's strength far surpasses that of the Alliance Army. Men aspire to rise while water flows downward. I have a far brighter future pledging myself to Lingxiao Sect than staying with the Alliance Army. This is the Lingxiao Sect headquarters. What can you do to me here?"
Knowing that the Alliance Army would never take him back, Ma Xiu simply tore off all pretense and yelled recklessly.
"'Men aspire to rise while water flows downward'—what a fine phrase! Had you secretly defected to Lingxiao Sect, it would have been of little consequence. An ant-like figure such as yourself is insignificant to our Alliance Army. But you should never have turned around to bully our own people."
Ye Yunfei looked at Ma Xiu with an icy gaze and spoke in a flat tone.
"Yuan Hua, Zhang Qiang. The two of you, tell me exactly what happened."
Ye Yunfei's gaze shifted to two members of the Alliance Army who had just returned. They were two middle-aged men, both at the Advanced Void God level.
"Yuan Hua, Zhang Qiang. You two better think carefully. This is the Lingxiao Sect headquarters. It's not just the two of you—even these so-called high-ranking officers of the Alliance Army might not be able to get out of here alive. And the rest of you, think back to what I told you earlier."
Upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words, Ma Xiu immediately widened his eyes and roared viciously at Yuan Hua and Zhang Qiang. His malicious gaze swept across the other Alliance Army members who had been detained at the Lingxiao Sect headquarters, his threat palpable.
"No one, no matter where they are, can threaten our Alliance Army."
Ye Yunfei's expression darkened as he looked at Ma Xiu.
Boom! An incredibly potent surge of Soul Force energy traversed the distance and smashed into Ma Xiu's Soul Sea.
"Ahh!" Ma Xiu let out a shriek, his body sent flying backward through the air. He crashed onto the ground some distance away, bleeding from all seven facial orifices, his body convulsing continuously.
"Honored sirs... Elders of Lingxiao Sect... Elder Fang... save me!"
Ma Xiu's Soul Body had already sustained severe injuries. With a face full of terror, he begged the Lingxiao Sect elders for help.
"Young Master Ye! How impressive! But this is the headquarters of our Lingxiao Sect. It is not your place to throw your weight around."
Elder Fang's face was extremely grim. Ma Xiu had been standing right behind him just moments ago. He had intended to intervene, but the Soul Force energy Ye Yunfei employed was too powerful and too fast. Before he could even react, Ma Xiu was already sent flying.
Elder Fang took out a divine pill and forcibly shoved it into Ma Xiu's mouth. A massive surge of medicinal potency spread through Ma Xiu's body.
"Thank you, Elder Fang!"
Ma Xiu immediately felt his injuries ease considerably. After all, Elder Fang was a core elder of Lingxiao Sect. The divine pill he produced was naturally extremely high-grade and very effective.
"Young Master Ye! Let me speak!"
A man from the ranks of the Alliance Army stepped forward. It was Yuan Hua.
"Go ahead. I guarantee that with me here, no one can harm you in the slightest."
Ye Yunfei nodded and spoke.
"No, let me speak. I'm not afraid of that villain Ma Xiu. I've been enduring him for a long time. I had three sworn brothers who were all beaten and tortured to death by him."
Another man stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at Ma Xiu as he spoke angrily. This man was Zhang Qiang.
"Yuan Hua! Zhang Qiang! If you two dare spout nonsense, I'll have these Lingxiao Sect elders immediately sentence you to death!" Ma Xiu immediately berated them, fearing their words would enrage Ye Yunfei into attacking him again.
"Ma Xiu, your threats are useless. I'm not afraid of you. Even if it costs me my life, I will speak. Young Master Ye, the truth is that Ma Xiu had long betrayed our Alliance Army and defected to Lingxiao Sect. He even turned around to help Lingxiao Sect deal with our own people. Many members of our Alliance Army were tortured to death by this villain Ma Xiu.
At first, when we were imprisoned in the heavenly dungeons of Lingxiao Sect, although we were locked away, our lives were not yet in danger. It was later that this villain Ma Xiu suggested to Lingxiao Sect that we Alliance Army members be forced into slavery, assigned the hardest, most grueling, and dangerous tasks.
And this villain Ma Xiu acted as overseer. He possessed a magical treasure—a spiked whip. During our labor, if any of us Alliance Army members displeased him in the slightest, we would be subjected to his brutal beatings. Three of my sworn brothers were beaten to death by him. I want nothing more than to eat his flesh and drink his blood!"
Zhang Qiang pointed at Ma Xiu as he angrily denounced him.
"I have to admit, sometimes people are cruelest to their own kind," Hun Lao couldn't help but murmur softly with a sigh.
"Zhang Qiang! What nonsense are you spouting? This is a malicious slander! A baseless accusation!" Hearing Zhang Qiang's denunciation, Ma Xiu was both horrified and furious.
"Ma Xiu, you villain! Every word I said is true. I've long wanted to kill you with my own hands. But this is the Lingxiao Sect headquarters. I feared any act of resistance would bring catastrophic disaster upon our other Alliance Army members, so I endured until now. Young Master Ye, Ma Xiu constantly threatened us to surrender to Lingxiao Sect alongside him.
He said that Lingxiao Sect possesses a large group of Heavenly Gods and that their power is millions of times greater than that of our Alliance Army. He claimed that even you, Young Master Ye, upon coming here, would have to kneel before the elders of Lingxiao Sect.
Just earlier, before we came out to see you, Young Master Ye, Ma Xiu was still threatening us not to speak carelessly. He said that otherwise, he would have the Lingxiao Sect Heavenly Gods kill us all, including you. That's why we didn't dare speak out earlier. But now, with Young Master Ye backing us, I am no longer afraid."
Zhang Qiang continued his furious accusation, pointing at Ma Xiu.
"Zhang Qiang, with such nonsense, do you truly no longer wish to live? Elder Fang, please act at once and kill this ungrateful wretch, Zhang Qiang!" Ma Xiu pleaded in panic.
"Fine. This is the Lingxiao Sect headquarters. No one should think they can run wild on our turf."
Elder Fang nodded and spoke coldly. The next moment, he employed an extremely advanced soul force martial technique, targeting Zhang Qiang's Soul Sea and Soul Body.
This Elder Fang was a Heavenly God, while Zhang Qiang was merely a Void God. The disparity in their strength was vast.
Zhang Qiang immediately sensed a threat of death.
"Even if you kill me, I am not afraid! Young Master Ye will surely avenge me!" Zhang Qiang roared in anger born of despair.
"Rest assured. With me here, no one can lay a finger on you."
Ye Yunfei spoke placidly. Then, with a thought, a powerful surge of Soul Force energy enveloped Zhang Qiang's head, forming a protective barrier. Zhang Qiang immediately felt all threats vanish instantly, replaced by unparalleled comfort.
"You, come here."
Ye Yunfei suddenly reached out to grab at Ma Xiu. Rumble!
Ye Yunfei employed his physical body divine ability. His arm rapidly thickened and expanded, transforming in an instant into a thick, massive arm that shone with golden light. Like a golden dragon soaring across the sky, torrents of overwhelming physical power poured forth from this colossal arm.
"How is this possible?"
Elder Fang, who had intended to step forward to protect Ma Xiu, felt his face turn pale the moment he sensed the terrifying physical power radiating from Ye Yunfei's golden arm. He realized he simply could not confront it directly.
Moreover, Ye Yunfei's speed of action was truly too fast. The immense golden arm shot out and retracted, snatching Ma Xiu back like lightning before Elder Fang could even react. Not only Elder Fang, but none of the other Lingxiao Sect elders—not even the Sect Leader—had time to intervene.
When physical power reached a certain level, it bestowed a massive enhancement to movement speed. Now, with a mere raise of Ye Yunfei's hand or a step he took, his speed was almost too fast for others to react.
"Everyone, be careful. This young man's physical power is extremely terrifying," the Lingxiao Sect's Grand Mage immediately sent a mental message warning the other elders.
"He's human, and so young at that. How did he cultivate his physical body to this level?" The Lingxiao Sect elders all found it somewhat hard to believe.
"Save me! Elders of Lingxiao Sect, save me quickly!"
Held in Ye Yunfei's grip like a chick, Ma Xiu pleaded in terror, his face filled with fright.
"Young Master Ye, our Lingxiao Sect has shown utmost sincerity. I hope Young Master Ye will not push us into a difficult position."
The Lingxiao Sect Leader's face had darkened considerably. He was almost unable to control his rising anger. As the leader of a major power, aside from Ye Yunfei, he had never been forced to be so submissive to another youth. He felt he had already exhausted all diplomatic niceties.
"Speak. Who else besides you has surrendered to Lingxiao Sect?"
Completely ignoring the Lingxiao Sect Leader, Ye Yunfei turned his cold gaze to Ma Xiu.
Meeting Ye Yunfei's gaze, Ma Xiu felt as if his Soul Sea exploded with a deafening boom. A terror born from the depths of his Soul Body seized him completely.