"Elder, there's no need to be tense. I'm a friend of Lü Dandan, and my main purpose in seeking her is simply to reminisce."
Ye Yunfei spoke calmly.
Of course, Ye Yunfei understood Elder Han's state of mind. Her faction was currently being besieged by a powerful enemy, requiring extreme caution and vigilance. A single misjudgment could bring grave threats, even catastrophic consequences, to her organization.
"Young sir, the person you're looking for likely isn't our Queen. Our Queen spends most of her time in seclusion cultivation and rarely ventures out. It's even less likely she'd know a young man like you and befriend him, so you must have the wrong person.
Thank you for your earlier assistance. I will remember this kindness, and if the opportunity arises, I shall repay you generously.
Young sir, I must take my leave."
Elder Han, having heard Ye Yunfei's words, wore an expression of slight hesitation, then gave her reply.
"Very well."
Ye Yunfei could see that Elder Han was deeply guarded, and he didn't press her. Instead, he nodded in acknowledgment.
After all, he already knew that Lü Dandan was now the Dark Faction's Queen. With his methods, he'd undoubtedly find her sooner or later.
Seeing Ye Yunfei's reaction, Elder Han sighed in relief. She promptly clasped her fists at Ye Yunfei, then turned and left, vanishing into the distant void in an instant.
Afterward, Elder Han mulled over the mysterious young man who had suddenly appeared. "What on earth is this young man's identity? There doesn't seem to be any monstrously talented young genius with such terrifying strength in our Third Void. Could he be a secretly cultivated core disciple from some ancient major power or great clan?"
"Furthermore, he actually knew the Queen's name. Our Queen only has one public title—the Dark Queen. Few outside know her true name, and those are limited to the upper echelons of major powers friendly with our Dark Faction.
How does a youngster from a younger generation know it?
There appear to be only two possibilities. First, this young man genuinely knows our Queen and is therefore aware of her name.
Second, he was sent by a high-ranking member of the Ziyang Sect to deceive me into trusting him, so he can find the Queen's whereabouts.
Back when the Ziyang Sect was on good terms with our Dark Faction, a few of their higher-ups knew the Queen's name.
But if he truly were with the Ziyang Sect, why did he kill those Heavenly Gods of theirs earlier?
Enough. When I return to see the Queen, everything will become clear." Elder Han contemplated inwardly.
"Are you following her?" Hun Lao asked Ye Yunfei after Elder Han departed.
"Not for now. She's from the Dark Faction. I have plenty of ways to find her; let's wait a bit.
Since we're in this Third Void, we should first thoroughly investigate the situation regarding the Guardian Faction here. After all, they remain our greatest enemy."
Ye Yunfei considered for a moment before replying.
"True, with our methods, locating Dark Faction members won't be difficult."
Hun Lao nodded.
"In that case, let's investigate the Guardian Faction first. Ideally, we'll subdue some clones and use members of the Guardian Faction to do our bidding."
Ye Yunfei said with a light smile.
He then left that world, stepping into the outer world cluster.
Ye Yunfei began randomly scanning the thoughts and impulses of passing beings.
On the surface, Ye Yunfei appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary young man, and with his aura intentionally restrained, he drew little attention. Everyone simply regarded him as a common traveler, paying no particular heed.
Initially, the thoughts and impulses he detected from the ordinary beings in this world cluster held little value.
But soon after, a spacecraft came rolling through the distant void, speeding rapidly ahead.
Ye Yunfei extended his Soul Force Energy senses and immediately detected dozens of True Gods, as well as two Heavenly Gods, aboard the vessel.
"Must be from some faction," Ye Yunfei inwardly mused.
Since there were Heavenly Gods aboard, they likely knew about the Guardian Faction's situation.
After all, Heavenly Gods were considered formidable experts in any void.
With a thought, Ye Yunfei promptly cast his Mind Reading Art.
After his recent cultivation session in the Colorless Abyss, not only had his realm broken through, but he had specifically trained his Soul Power and soul martial techniques. His Soul Power level had risen further, and the potency of his Mind Reading Art was naturally far stronger than before.
Inside the spacecraft, the two Heavenly Gods were disrupted by the mental probe. They paused briefly, then simultaneously ordered the spacecraft to halt.
"Why stop? Is something wrong?"
The other True Gods on board looked at the two Heavenly Gods with confusion, but even the Heavenly Gods themselves didn't know why they'd ordered the sudden stop.
Once the spacecraft halted, Ye Yunfei stepped to its entryway and strode inside.
With a rumble, several large formations instantly activated, forming layered arrays of light that blocked Ye Yunfei's path.
However, these formations were easily breached for Ye Yunfei. Before he could even act, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm had taken the initiative.
He released dense clusters of golden runes that coalesced into a golden dagger, slashing through every array ahead.
Unhindered, Ye Yunfei entered the spacecraft.
Before the two Heavenly Gods and dozens of True Gods aboard could react, they suddenly found an unfamiliar young man standing before them.
"Who are you? Why did you intrude into our spacecraft?"
Both Heavenly Gods and the dozens of True Gods instantly paled.
Five or six True Gods immediately surged forward, encircling Ye Yunfei.
"What's going on? Why did we stop earlier? How did this stranger sneak into our vessel unnoticed?"
The two Heavenly Gods felt something was off.
"I have some questions for you. It's best if you cooperate and answer properly. If not, the consequences may be unpleasant,"
Ye Yunfei said coolly, looking at the beings within.
"You dare speak so arrogantly!"
The five or six True Gods surrounding Ye Yunfei were infuriated by his words.
In their eyes, Ye Yunfei was merely a youngster. Though they couldn't sense his realm and strength, they assumed his abilities were limited given his youth.
"Boy, regardless of your background, provoking our Guhai Sect will cost you dearly."
One of the Heavenly Gods fixed a sharp gaze on Ye Yunfei, speaking coldly.
"Capture him," the Heavenly God ordered.
Immediately, the five or six encircling True Gods unleashed their energy auras, preparing to strike.
But then, a powerful thought surged in each of their minds—they must not attack this young man before them.
Thus, the energy pressures they'd unleashed vanished completely. They stood frozen, momentarily unsure what to do.
"Attack! What's wrong with you all?"
A Perfected True God saw the five or six True Gods as though struck dumb, standing motionless, and snapped angrily.
"Attack!"
The five or six True Gods regained themselves and unleashed their energy auras anew.
Yet, once more, an overwhelming thought arose in their minds, warning them absolutely not to strike. The five or six True Gods simultaneously stepped back, standing with bewildered expressions.
They didn't understand what was happening; one moment, they were ready to act, the next, they halted.
"Damn it! What am I thinking?" each silently screamed.
"This is bizarre. That boy must be behind it,"
the two Heavenly Gods exchanged glances, communicating via spiritual sense. They recalled how they'd inexplicably ordered the spacecraft to stop earlier.
"Young man, who exactly are you, and why have you sought us out?"
One of the Heavenly Gods stared at Ye Yunfei and asked.
He sensed something profoundly strange about Ye Yunfei, and for a moment, felt a hint of wariness, even his address turning polite.
Meanwhile, the five or six True Gods who'd intended to attack Ye Yunfei had stealthily retreated, distancing themselves.
They guessed the bizarre thoughts that had surfaced in their minds were likely connected to this strange youth.
"As I said, I just want to ask you a few things. If you cooperate and answer properly, I won't cause you trouble."
Ye Yunfei replied.
To Ye Yunfei, these two Heavenly Gods and True Gods were far too weak to be of any concern.
Seeing Ye Yunfei's dismissive expression, both Heavenly Gods were furious.
"Young man, I know you must practice some strange soul technique. But are you sure you truly wish to provoke our Guhai Sect?"
one of the Heavenly Gods retorted, his face darkening.
In the Third Void, the Guhai Sect might not be the most powerful superpower, but it was an ancient sect that had existed for an immensely long time. During one era in antiquity, its name shook the entire Chaotic Void Sea. Even now, the Guhai Sect ranked among the major factions of the Third Void—how could some unknown upstart provoke them like this?
While speaking, the Heavenly God unleashed his energy pressure with a roar. Vast waves of blue energy surged before him.
The azure energy transformed into towering tsunamis—each wave a thousand zhang high, rising inverted into the sky—then charged ferociously toward Ye Yunfei.
Amidst the churning waves, countless phantom silhouettes of sea beasts emerged. Leading the charge was a massive, monstrous fish.
With one glance, Ye Yunfei recognized it as the Roc-Kun-Peng phantom, as one of his Divine Beasts in his Nine Palace Totem Wheel was precisely a Roc-Kun-Peng.
"Seems this fellow specializes in the Dao Law of Water. His divine power carries dense watery energy and Water Dao Law,"
Hun Lao promptly remarked, observing the towering waves crashing forward.
Gazing at the overwhelming, sky-filling onslaught of blue tsunamis, Ye Yunfei remained utterly unperturbed.
"That boy's not reacting at all. Is he subdued, or merely overconfident?"
Seeing Ye Yunfei standing motionless, the two Heavenly Gods were puzzled.
Then, with a mighty roar, an ancient Emperor Phantom materialized behind Ye Yunfei, exuding an imperial majesty that suppressed all directions, instantly enveloping the entire interior of the spacecraft.
The thundering blue waves abruptly dissipated entirely.