"That's right, Young Master Ye. There's no need for concern. Although the Guardian Faction is strong, none of us are afraid of them," added the white-bearded elder who had recently arrived.
"Those few speaking are all Perfected Heavenly Gods," Hun Lao sent a Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei.
"Yes, I sensed it too. They are all Perfected Heavenly Gods," Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Sect Leader, it seems they will soon start fighting. What should we do?" At that moment, on another side, the remaining high-level members of the Lingxiao Sect were leading the sect's great army, gathered behind their Sect Leader, and one after another sent Sound Transmissions inquiring about their course of action.
Although many of the Lingxiao Sect's Heavenly Gods had been killed by Ye Yunfei, severely damaging their vitality, the sect had previously rallied many major powers to oppose the Guardian Faction, forming a combined army whose scale and overall strength could not be underestimated.
"Sect Leader, I suggest we immediately retreat to our ancestral land. Let them fight a bloody battle among themselves, and then we can act according to the situation," one of the core elders advised the Sect Leader.
"Correct, I agree. When we were fighting that surnamed Ye kid earlier, the Guardian Faction watched from the sidelines and then came in to reap the benefits. Now, our Lingxiao Sect can employ the same strategy and watch the show from the side. I believe the two sides' strengths are roughly equal. Casualties will be extremely severe in this battle. When that happens, our Lingxiao Sect will have an opportunity to step in and seize an advantage. Perhaps we might even have a chance to turn the tables." Hearing this core elder's words, the other high-level members of the Lingxiao Sect also expressed their agreement.
"Good. Then we shall retreat to the ancestral land immediately and just wait to watch the show. Staying here any longer might expose us to harm." The Lingxiao Sect's Sect Leader, having heard his senior members' opinions, nodded, then immediately issued the command.
Upon receiving the orders, the various unit commanders of the Lingxiao Sect's army quietly began leading their assigned troops towards the ancestral land. The sect's true ancestral land was actually a companion Small World within this world. That Small World's defenses were extremely tight, and it still preserved some of the legacy foundations passed down from the Lingxiao Sect of ancient times.
"Friends of the Lingxiao Sect, there's no need to leave in such a hurry. I believe our Guardian Faction can cooperate with your Lingxiao Sect. This surnamed Ye kid is now dead set on opposing our Guardian Faction, and your Lingxiao Sect shares a deep hatred with him as well. As the saying goes, the enemy of my enemy is my friend. In this way, our Guardian Faction and your Lingxiao Sect have an opportunity for cooperation. How about this: let us join forces to eliminate this kid, along with the forces behind him. In the future, our Guardian Faction and your Lingxiao Sect shall coexist peacefully, with mutual non-aggression. What do you say?" Seeing the Lingxiao Sect troops begin their withdrawal, the Prison Master thought for a moment before suddenly speaking up.
Hearing the Prison Master's words, both the Lingxiao Sect's Sect Leader and the senior members were taken aback for a second. Ye Yunfei was also somewhat surprised. Not long ago, this Prison Master had been loudly proclaiming the need to exterminate the Lingxiao Sect, yet now he was already changing his tune, wanting to pull the Lingxiao Sect in to deal with him. Ye Yunfei understood that the presence of the fifty-odd Heavenly Gods behind him must have applied pressure on the Prison Master. After all, fifty-some Heavenly Gods concentrated together was a force no one could afford to ignore.
"Your Guardian Faction wants to cooperate with our Lingxiao Sect?" The Lingxiao Sect's Sect Leader stopped his retreat and turned back to look at the Prison Master.
"Sect Leader, I believe this is a good idea. That surnamed Ye runt has killed so many of our Lingxiao Sect's Heavenly Gods; it's a vendetta written in blood. He is a sworn enemy of our Lingxiao Sect. If we cooperate with the Guardian Faction and eliminate this surnamed Ye kid together, we can finally have our revenge!" one of the Lingxiao Sect's ordinary elders spoke up.
"No! Sect Leader, we should stick to our original strategy and retreat into the ancestral land to watch the show from the side. Although this is a good opportunity to eliminate that surnamed Ye kid, the Prison Master's words cannot be trusted. The Guardian Faction is full of greedy ambition, hell-bent on ruling this Sixth Void. Once they've dealt with the surnamed Ye kid, they certainly won't tolerate the continued existence of our Lingxiao Sect. By then, our only choices would be, first, to be swallowed up by the Guardian Faction, or second, be utterly destroyed. Rather than that, it's better to let them fight a bloody battle first. Ideally, both sides will suffer severe losses, exhausting their vitality. When that happens, our Lingxiao Sect might just get a chance to turn the tables; moreover, this is likely the only chance for our Lingxiao Sect to do so." Just as the Lingxiao Sect's Sect Leader was hesitating, a core elder slowly spoke.
"Well said, Elder Yang! Your reasoning is sound. It's best we don't take sides and simply observe from the ramparts. Alright, everyone, no more hesitation. Move into the ancestral land with the utmost speed!" Hearing this core elder's words, the Lingxiao Sect's Sect Leader's eyes lit up before he nodded and gave the command. Hearing their Sect Leader's order, the other high-level members offered no further objections, and each turned to organize their troops for a swift retreat.
"Are we just going to let these Lingxiao Sect fellows leave like that?" the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked Ye Yunfei.
"My grudge with the Lingxiao Sect is now settled. If they never trouble me or the Alliance Army again henceforth, then we shall go our separate ways. Of course, should they dare to provoke either me or the Alliance Army again, I won't be polite." Ye Yunfei gave a faint glance at the retreating forces of the Lingxiao Sect and stated coolly.
"Fine. I have already given you Lingxiao Sect a chance, but you didn't know how to cherish it. In that case, there is no further need for your Lingxiao Sect to continue existing." Seeing the Lingxiao Sect's Sect Leader leading his army retreating like a tide, the Prison Master said coldly.
"Prison Master, should we give the order to annihilate these Lingxiao Sect remnants right now?" a Heavenly God from the Guardian Faction whispered.
"For now, don't bother with them. The Lingxiao Sect has already suffered a grievous blow to their vitality; they no longer have the ability to make waves. Our most important task now is to eliminate this surnamed Ye kid first, along with the forces behind him," the Prison Master shook his head. His gaze fell upon Ye Yunfei as he spoke slowly, "Sect Leader Ye, I'll ask you one last time. Are you willing to join our Guardian Faction and from this moment on, serve our cause?" The Prison Master stared at Ye Yunfei as he asked, knowing that successfully recruiting Ye Yunfei would greatly enhance the overall power of the Guardian Faction.
"Enough talk. Prepare for battle," Ye Yunfei replied with an expressionless face.
"Fine! In that case, there's nothing left to say. In this Sixth Void, regardless of who they are, anyone who dares oppose our Guardian Faction has only one fate: destruction!" The Prison Master's face darkened before breaking into a sneer. "Prepare to take action." He looked back at the Guardian Faction's high-level members behind him and said plainly.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The moment his words fell, the Guardian Faction's Heavenly Gods started erupting in succession. Each Heavenly God's body was like a volcano that had accumulated energy for millions of years. Heavenly God-level energies shot skyward, shaking this world to its core.
"Surnamed Ye brat! You're so young, still wet behind the ears, yet so utterly arrogant as to dare stand against our Guardian Faction?! I've endured you long enough! Come over here and face your death!" A middle-aged man from among the Guardian Faction's ranks leaped into the air. With a *clang*, a Nine-Ring Great Knife appeared in his hand, its tip pointing directly at Ye Yunfei from afar as he issued a challenge.
"What the hell is this cur howling about? With your puny strength, you think you're worthy of challenging Young Master Ye? Let me, Old Niu, cleave you in half with one swing of my axe!" A roar like a thunderclap on a clear day rang out. Then, everyone saw a giant axe rapidly expanding in size, sweeping forward with terrifying power. Wherever the giant axe passed, explosions ripped through the space ahead. Following behind that giant axe, the crowd saw a towering figure rushing forward at an astonishing speed.
"Then I'll kill you first before killing that surnamed Ye kid!" The Guardian Faction's middle-aged man, gripping the Nine-Ring Great Knife, snorted coldly, raised his blade with both hands, and surged upward.
The giant axe and the great knife collided mid-air with a deafening crash, like the roar of an enraged Heaven, vibrating painfully in everyone's ears. Even their Soul Bodies trembled and wobbled under the impact. Visible sound waves, centered on the point of their clash, spread rapidly in all directions.
"Damnation!" The man with the Nine-Ring Great Knife suddenly paled, staggering back over a dozen steps, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.
"Hahaha... With your mediocre skills, Old Niu can kill you with one swing! How dare you bark threats before Young Master Ye?!" The brawny man who called himself Old Niu laughed uproariously, raising his giant axe and continuously chopping towards the middle-aged man opposite him. His fighting style seemed exceptionally simple—just lifting that giant axe and fiercely hacking forward, straightforward yet tyrannical.
Though the middle-aged man was versed in numerous exquisite blade techniques, facing that giant axe chopping down from above one blow after another, the only options he seemed to have were to block head-on or retreat. Because each chop of that axe was tremendously fast, and every single strike carried a terrifying might that suppressed everything, making him feel as if the space he occupied was completely sealed and subdued.
"This senior is likely employing an extremely profound axe-based martial art. Superficially simple, yet immensely powerful. Each swing of his axe seals off and suppresses his opponent's techniques and retreat paths, forcing him to engage in a contest of pure strength," Ye Yunfei thought, secretly impressed as he watched the brawny man, then sent a Sound Transmission to Hun Lao.
"Yes, and what's more, he's also a Perfected Heavenly God. For you, this is a powerful ally indeed!" Hun Lao replied with a smile.
"Young Master Ye, we'll be making our move as well." The grey-robed old man beside Ye Yunfei smiled as he said this, then suddenly soared into the air. Transforming into a grey blur, he charged towards the Guardian Faction's Heavenly Gods opposite them at a startling speed.
"This is another Perfected Heavenly God!" A smile appeared on Ye Yunfei's face.
With that, the fierce battle officially began!
"Young Master, outside this world, our great army has also begun moving, initiating a charge!" The white-bearded elder informed Ye Yunfei.