"Brat, I never expected you to have such a powerful Ghost Cultivator by your side! But so what? The Ancestral Soul Flag is one of our Lingxiao Sect's foundational treasures. It's not something you can withstand."
The Grand Mage, gripping the tattered War Banner with both hands, soared into the air and slashed it fiercely toward Ye Yunfei.
With a thunderous boom, the space where the Lingxiao Sect stood instantly collapsed and disintegrated into endless fragments of void.
Standing within it, Ye Yunfei felt boundless battle intent energy pressing down on his body.
With a roar, Ye Yunfei's physical strength surged forth, his two fists simultaneously striking out.
With his left hand, he executed the Boundary-Breaking Fist; with his right, the Law Divine Fist. Both fists instantly enlarged and clanged against the War Banner.
The next moment, the banner was directly sent flying backward.
"How is this possible?"
At this moment, both the Grand Mage and the Sect Leader of Lingxiao Sect stood dumbfounded, unable to believe that their sect's famed Ancestral Soul Flag had actually been repelled by Ye Yunfei's two bare fists.
In fact, they did not know that the true entity that had repelled the Ancestral Soul Flag was the tall incense stick suspended above Ye Yunfei's head.
This incense was the Dream Incense gifted to Ye Yunfei by the green-robed elder in the Ancient Desolate Sea.
That elder came from a prestigious ancient major power, the Dream Dao Sect. He had gifted Ye Yunfei two Dream Incenses at the time, and one of their functions was to be used as a weapon in battle to counter advanced magical treasures, for the Dream Incense itself was an extremely high-grade artifact.
Ye Yunfei had already refined those two Dream Incenses while in the Ancient Desolate Sea. They were also the highest-level artifacts Ye Yunfei had refined to date.
Ye Yunfei was certain that the Dream Incense was, at the very least, a Sovereign God-level artifact.
Some time ago, Ye Yunfei had attempted to refine other Sovereign God-level artifacts but had failed. Only these two Dream Incenses had been successfully refined.
Ye Yunfei understood that the green-robed elder must have used some means to assist him in refining them; otherwise, with his current strength, he might not have succeeded.
*Clang! Clang! Clang!...*
Ye Yunfei's fists lashed out alternately like lightning, strike after strike smashing into the War Banner, each blow forcing it back a certain distance.
Of course, what truly exerted the effect was the Dream Incense floating above Ye Yunfei's head.
"Didn't you say before that this Dream Incense could cause others to fall into dreams? Why not give it a try?" Hun Lao suddenly said to Ye Yunfei.
"I think they have already begun falling into dreams," Ye Yunfei replied with a smile.
Turns out, the moment Ye Yunfei lit the Dream Incense earlier, he had already begun utilizing its power to attempt manipulating the dreams of the surrounding members of the Lingxiao Sect, silently drawing them into the dream realm.
"What's going on? I see several Grand Elders from the previous generation of our Lingxiao Sect!" Suddenly, someone from the Lingxiao Sect exclaimed in shock.
"I see the previous Sect Leader! Why have they all appeared? Wasn't it said they might have fallen? Why are they suddenly all here now!" Another cried out.
"Master! Is it really you, venerable one? Didn't you, venerable one, already perish? Why have you suddenly appeared now? I understand! This must be a Remnant Soul you, venerable one, left behind. Knowing our Lingxiao Sect is facing a great crisis, your Remnant Soul has actively manifested to protect us!" A Perfect True God of the Lingxiao Sect suddenly knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly in one direction, his face filled with joy and surprise.
It wasn't just this Perfect True God; even the Heavenly Gods of the Lingxiao Sect wore expressions of confusion one after another.
"The Dream Incense is starting to take effect! It's truly formidable!" Seeing this scene, the Golden-horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but exclaim with delight.
"Something's not right, Sect Leader! Things are very strange! I'm actually seeing Sect Leaders and Grand Elders from several generations ago. But didn't they all perish? Even if some Remnant Souls remain, it's impossible for them all to appear at once." The Grand Mage gripping the banner suddenly looked in a certain direction, his face full of confusion, then spoke to the Lingxiao Sect Leader.
"I see them too. Could it be because they know our Lingxiao Sect is facing a huge crisis that the Remnant Souls left behind by these departed seniors are all manifesting?" The Lingxiao Sect Leader was also filled with bewilderment.
"It seems even the Lingxiao Sect Leader and that Grand Mage have been affected by the Dream Incense," Hun Lao remarked with a smile upon seeing this.
"Now, continue pointing them out. Among the Lingxiao Sect members before us, which others bullied or harmed members of our Alliance Army," Ye Yunfei turned his head and addressed the members of the Alliance Army behind him.
The Alliance Army members had already retreated a significant distance. Moreover, Ye Yunfei had secretly deployed a large number of Formations to protect them. Whenever a strong member of the Lingxiao Sect attempted to charge toward the Alliance Army forces, Ye Yunfei would intervene and force them back. As a result, the Alliance Army forces remained completely unscathed and unharmed.
"By Young Master Ye's command, we shall continue identifying them!" The Alliance Army members stepped forward one after another to continue pointing out Lingxiao Sect members. Ye Yunfei would act with the utmost speed against any who were identified, either blasting them into smithereens on the spot or sealing their physical bodies and Soul Bodies.
At this moment, because all members of the Lingxiao Sect were under the influence of the Dream Incense, sinking into one dream after another, they were simply unable to break free from the dream realm in a short time.
Back in the Ancient Desolate Sea, even Ye Yunfei himself had almost been trapped in a dream and unable to escape.
The Soul Power energy of these Lingxiao Sect members present was far inferior to Ye Yunfei's, making it even more impossible for them to emerge from the dream.
"What is happening?" Outside this world, the Prison Master and the old Wizard of the Guardian Faction could clearly perceive the events transpiring within. Seeing the Lingxiao Sect members all looking bewildered, their eyes dazed, uttering various strange things and making bizarre movements, they grew extremely puzzled.
"It should be an illusion realm, and a highly advanced one at that. This kid has a member of the Fox Clan by his side, most likely from the legendary Ancient Heavenly Fox Clan—an ancient remnant beast. One of their innate talents is illusion techniques. It must be that Ancient Heavenly Fox acting," the old Wizard said after a moment of thought.
"Indeed, the kid does have a Fox Clan member following him. It's no secret that Fox Clan members excel at illusion arts. But I never expected that the Fox Clan member by his side would possess such terrifying power, capable of trapping so many high-level members of the Lingxiao Sect in illusions simultaneously. Such a method is beyond the capability of an ordinary Fox Clan member," the Prison Master said with a frown.
"But so what? Let them fight to the death first. In the end, our Guardian Faction can play the fisherman reaping the benefit," the old Wizard said.
"Exactly. We'll just sit back and enjoy the show," the Prison Master replied with a smile.
"Young Master Ye, that old fellow over there should be the true mastermind behind oppressing our Alliance Army. However, he is a high-ranking Heavenly God, a core elder of the Lingxiao Sect, holding a position of great authority and status."
At this moment, the Alliance Army members continued identifying Lingxiao Sect individuals. Suddenly, someone pointed at Elder Fang of the Lingxiao Sect and spoke.
"That's right, Young Master Ye. I've also heard that the actual mastermind persecuting our Alliance Army is this old fellow. His surname is Fang; within the Lingxiao Sect, he is known as Elder Fang. His status is second only to the Lingxiao Sect Leader. Initially, it was the trusted aides of this Elder Fang who first took action to oppress our Alliance Army. Moreover, I once heard those from the Lingxiao Sect who abused and assaulted our Alliance Army members say with their own mouths that they were acting on Elder Fang's orders."
Immediately, more members of the Alliance Army stepped forward to accuse Elder Fang.
"Very well. Now it's this old fellow's turn." Ye Yunfei nodded, and with a flash, his figure appeared in front of Elder Fang.
Under the influence of the Dream Incense, Elder Fang was currently immersed in a dream. Having refined the Dream Incense, Ye Yunfei could manipulate Elder Fang's dream through it.
"What do you think you're doing? All past Sect Leaders, all Grand Elders, why are you helping this brat? He is an outsider, and I am an elder of the Lingxiao Sect! Why are you ordering me to kneel and apologize to him?" Seeing Ye Yunfei appear before him, Elder Fang retreated several steps, an unwilling expression on his face.
At this moment, he had fallen into the dream. In his dream, many past Sect Leaders and previous Grand Elders of the Lingxiao Sect had also appeared, all of them scolding him, saying he should not have taken action against the Alliance Army and even ordering him to kneel and apologize to Ye Yunfei and accept any punishment Ye Yunfei deemed fit.
Although Elder Fang was a core elder within the Lingxiao Sect, wielding great authority and status, his seniority was very low before the past Sect Leaders and previous Grand Elders. Back when these past leaders and elders were still wielding power and governing the sect, Elder Fang had been merely an ordinary deacon of the Lingxiao Sect—a minor figure unworthy of mention.
"Old thing, now you can go and die!" Ye Yunfei said coldly, then threw a punch. All the laws of the Great Dao in the surrounding space converged toward him, merging with his physical strength and transforming into divine dragons radiant with divine light, surging forward with overwhelming force.
The Dream Incense floated above Ye Yunfei's head, continuously emitting graceful wisps of smoke, continuing to influence Elder Fang's dream.
"Brat! You cannot lay a hand on me! All past Sect Leaders, all Grand Elders, you must not help this brat suppress me! I am now a core elder of the Lingxiao Sect!" Feeling the terrifying physical power contained within Ye Yunfei's fist, Elder Fang's face instantly turned pale.
Moreover, at the same time Ye Yunfei attacked, within his dream, the past Sect Leaders and previous Grand Elders of the Lingxiao Sect all simultaneously moved to suppress him.
The next moment, with a *thump*, Ye Yunfei's fist landed on Elder Fang's shoulder. The overwhelming power acted upon Elder Fang's body, which he instantly could not withstand. His legs went weak, and he knelt on the ground.
"No! I don't believe it! Our Lingxiao Sect's past Sect Leaders and previous Grand Elders would never help this brat over me! I know! This must be an illusion! This is not real!" Elder Fang was still putting up a final struggle, but he found that everything happening before him seemed overwhelmingly real. Several past Sect Leaders and previous Grand Elders of the Lingxiao Sect were now jointly suppressing him, rendering him utterly immobile.
In truth, it was the suppression from the Dream Incense.