Thanks to the tokens of the Guardian Faction carried by these several clones, they were quickly able to enter the faction's main headquarters.
Upon entering the Guardian Faction's headquarters, Ye Yunfei, using his clones as cover, began secretly targeting the True Gods and Void Gods he encountered. Given his current strength, dealing with True and Void Gods was far too easy for Ye Yunfei. He merely needed to employ a Samsara Ghost race’s Soul Power martial technique to immediately lull his target into slumber, or use mind-reading art to make them obediently follow his will, move to secluded spots, and then directly purify their soul bodies. Afterward, he would stamp his own soul power imprint upon them, turning them into his clones.
As the number of subdued clones grew, Ye Yunfei's actions became increasingly unimpeded. With the passage of time, the number of clones he subdued within the Guardian Faction headquarters grew ever larger.
"That Soul Purification Art you cultivate is truly terrifying! So many members of the Guardian Faction have been controlled without a sound!" Hun Lao couldn't help but exclaim.
"Indeed, obtaining such a soul purification technique has been an immense help to me," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement.
At this moment, within that dilapidated palace inside the Guardian Faction's headquarters, atop that ancient altar...
"Bad, just what is happening?! A great crisis is shrouding our Guardian Faction, and it is about to erupt! If handled poorly, this crisis could even lead to the destruction of our Seventh Void Guardian Faction! What on earth is this?! Is it because my own state is poor and my deductions are flawed?"
The old diviner of the Guardian Faction sat cross-legged upon the altar, continuously deducing. The more he deduced, the more fearful and panicked he became. His face pale, large drops of cold sweat continuously streamed down his forehead.
"No, I must immediately go consult with the Prison Master. I can't have miscalculated. Our Guardian Faction must truly be facing a terrible crisis."
After repeated and thorough deductions, the old diviner suddenly stood up and spoke. Then his figure flashed as he departed the dilapidated palace. Soon after, he entered the palace where the Prison Master resided, arriving before him.
"Prison Master, our Guardian Faction is facing a terrible crisis! Furthermore, it is one that concerns our very survival! We must immediately make preparations, otherwise, the consequences are unimaginable," the old diviner said with utmost seriousness.
"Old Master Diviner, have you deduced something else?" the Prison Master asked immediately upon hearing this and seeing the diviner's grave expression.
"Yes, Prison Master, I have been continuously deducing these past couple of days. According to my deductions, our Guardian Faction is in the midst of an enormous crisis. It is a crisis concerning the life and death of our Guardian Faction," the old diviner stated.
"Old Master Diviner, what exactly are you referring to? I've already sent people out to investigate during this period, but they have found nothing yet. The Seventh Void is temporarily calm, as if nothing major is happening. There is certainly no crisis capable of threatening our Guardian Faction," the Prison Master said, his brows furrowing.
He trusted the old diviner's deduction ability. However, he had indeed dispatched many people to investigate during this period and truly hadn't discovered any special circumstances.
It was at this moment...
"Prison Master, things are a bit amiss!" An elder hurriedly entered the palace where the Prison Master was. This was a core high-ranking member of the Guardian Faction.
"Elder Zhang, what is the matter?" the Prison Master immediately asked.
"During this period, I personally went out to investigate and discovered a strange situation: It seems the majority of Heavenly Gods at our Guardian Faction's branch strongholds and affiliated forces have vanished! Whenever I sought them out, the reply was either that they were secluded in closed-door cultivation, out traveling, or busy with other matters. In short, visiting over a dozen branch strongholds and five or six affiliated forces these past days, I actually didn't encounter a single Heavenly God. This is rather abnormal. In the past when I went to those branch strongholds or affiliated forces, the Heavenly Gods would all personally come forward to greet me," Elder Zhang stated.
"Such a thing? Could it be that the Heavenly Gods at those strongholds or forces truly are in cultivation or traveling?" the Prison Master replied after hearing this and thinking for a moment.
"Impossible, what a coincidence would that be?! During this investigation of mine, among all those branch strongholds and affiliated forces, I didn't meet a single Heavenly God. All who received me were True Gods. For example, the Ma Family of the Heavenly Horse World Cluster—whenever I visited the Ma Family in the past, several of their Patriarchs would personally come out to greet me. Yet this time, when I went to the Heavenly Horse World Cluster, only a few ordinary elders of the Ma Family came out to receive me. According to them, the Ma Family's Patriarchs were in closed-door cultivation, stating they'd reached the most critical point and couldn't emerge. If it were just the Ma Family like that, it wouldn't be strange. But the same was true for every branch stronghold and affiliated force I visited!" Elder Zhang shook his head.
"Then why didn't you directly charge into the Ma Family's ancestral grounds and see for yourself if those Patriarchs were actually cultivating?" the Prison Master questioned, frowning.
"I did charge in. But there was simply no trace of those Patriarchs inside. According to the Ma Family's ordinary elders, the Patriarchs discovered a small secret realm with extremely high-level energy and laws. Hence, they had entered that minor secret realm. The location of this minor secret realm is extremely concealed; even the Ma Family elders didn't know the exact spot. While I was quite furious at the time, even wanting to kill those ordinary Ma Family elders... considering the Ma Family is one of the earliest large families to submit to our Guardian Faction in the Seventh Void, acting without clear facts might stir discontent among our other affiliated forces. So I held back," Elder Zhang continued.
"In that case, the situation truly seems off. Alright, immediately go check those branch strongholds and affiliated forces again. This time, make those Heavenly Gods come out to meet you no matter what they are doing, or we will attack without restraint," the Prison Master ordered after hearing Elder Zhang.
"Good, Prison Master. I will depart to investigate at once," Elder Zhang nodded.
Yet, right at this moment...
"Trouble, Prison Master! Just received news that an unknown army has suddenly appeared in the Seventh Void and is heading toward our Guardian Faction headquarters! Moreover, many from our branch strongholds and affiliated forces are also mobilizing, gathering toward our headquarters!" A middle-aged man rushed into the Prison Master's palace in a fluster to report. Being one of the Prison Master's confidants, he dared to directly enter the palace.
"What on earth is going on?!" The Prison Master, the old diviner, and Elder Zhang paled, immediately sensing that the situation was gravely amiss.
"An unknown army? Old Master Diviner, could this be the crisis you deduced our Guardian Faction would face?" The Prison Master looked at the old diviner, his expression grim, and asked.
"Prison Master, I will begin deducing again immediately to see what is truly happening," the old diviner stated solemnly.
"Why are our Guardian Faction’s forces from branch strongholds and affiliated forces also concentrating toward the headquarters? We never issued such a command! Prison Master, there is definitely something strange about this," Elder Zhang said. As a core high-ranking member of the faction, he would surely know if any troop mobilization orders had been issued.
"I don’t know what is happening either, but something is definitely wrong. Elder Zhang, relay the order: immediately investigate and find out the truth," the Prison Master commanded in a deep voice.
He was already harboring a sense of foreboding, recalling the old diviner's repeated emphasis these past days about the Guardian Faction facing a great crisis.
"Old Master Diviner, the crisis you speak of might be upon us," the Prison Master said slowly.
"However, no matter who they are, anyone who wishes to challenge our Guardian Faction will surely pay a bitter price. In this void, none have ever dared to openly oppose our Guardian Faction. Relay the order: prepare for battle."
With the Prison Master’s command, the Guardian Faction headquarters immediately became a hive of activity. All high-ranking members in seclusion came out, all personnel mustered, and soon a great army was formed.
"Report, Prison Master! That unknown army has arrived!" A scout urgently rushed into the headquarters from outside, reporting loudly to the Prison Master.
"Good. I want to see exactly who they are. I will let all living beings of this void see what fate awaits those who dare oppose our Guardian Faction," the Prison Master said, his gaze turning outward, his words brimming with infinite killing intent.
By now, a group of high-ranking faction members stood surrounding the Prison Master, each one seething with fury.
After all, the Guardian Faction was the strongest superpower in the Seventh Void! For so many years, none had dared to openly make enemies of them. Now, someone had actually dared to attack their doorstep. This was the most severe provocation to the Guardian Faction!
"It seems that fellow is the Prison Master. I actually can't make out his true realm and strength. This character likely isn't simple."
At a location far away stood a peak True God. This peak True God carried a small tower—exactly the Phantom Tower. At this moment, Ye Yunfei was inside the Phantom Tower, sensing the movements within the Guardian Faction headquarters.
"He must be employing some rather profound law-type secret art to conceal his true aura. That's why we cannot see his depths," Hun Lao analyzed.
"Move out!" At that moment, the Prison Master waved his hand and led the massive army out from the headquarters.
Currently, within the void outside the Guardian Faction headquarters, a massive army stood poised in the distance, their killing aura dense to the extreme. Leading them were a silver-robed elder and a middle-aged Daoist nun.
The Prison Master, having emerged from the headquarters, immediately fixed his gaze upon the silver-robed elder and middle-aged Daoist nun. With a bang, the Prison Master released vast waves of energy pressure from his body, rolling forth like an inexhaustible sea to suppress the forces ahead.
The silver-robed elder and middle-aged Daoist nun each coldly snorted, stepping forward simultaneously to release their own energy pressure in resistance.
"Who exactly are you? Why do you provoke our Guardian Faction? Have you grown tired of living?!" A core high-ranking member behind the Prison Master stepped forward several paces and shouted accusingly.
"Is your Guardian Faction something special? We've come to provoke, so what? And not only will we provoke you today; we will annihilate the Guardian Faction!", the silver-robed elder sneered as he spoke.
"Audacious! Impudence! Know your place!" The moment the silver-robed elder finished speaking, the high-ranking members of the Guardian Faction erupted with furious rebukes.
The Prison Master's face darkened completely, the killing intent in his gaze becoming almost tangible.