"Esteemed colleagues, we shall take our leave now."
Although the three Sovereign Gods of the Ziyang Sect had heard the words of the three Dark Faction Sovereign Gods, they did not voice any opinions. Instead, they exchanged a glance, simultaneously cupped their hands in salute, and departed the Dark Faction headquarters.
"Let's go. We shall head directly to the Guardian Faction headquarters now," said the three Dark Faction Sovereign Gods. They also employed their movement techniques and quickly left the headquarters.
They knew that once Lü Dandan had completely mastered the Dark Heart and recovered, she would certainly come out to hunt them down. Therefore, they had to leave as soon as possible.
Not only did the three Dark Faction Sovereign Gods depart, but their close confidants also led a large group of followers away with them.
Before leaving, the three Sovereign Gods and their followers even caused destruction within the Dark Faction headquarters, destroying a number of important buildings and killing a group of Dark Faction members who had usually been at odds with them.
However, these three Sovereign Gods dared not linger in the Dark Faction headquarters for too long.
Inside the Sacred Temple, Lü Dandan was still seated cross-legged on that black altar. The Dark Heart hovered before her, pulsating rhythmically.
Ye Yunfei sat in a corner of the Sacred Temple, quietly recuperating with his eyes closed. He knew Lü Dandan was about to master the Dark Heart, and within this Sacred Temple, no one could possibly harm her now.
An unknown amount of time passed. Suddenly, all the energy and natural laws within the Sacred Temple began to boil and surge, then rushed unceasingly towards Lü Dandan's location like rivers flowing back to the sea, pouring into her body.
The aura of power emanating from Lü Dandan grew stronger and more vibrant.
"It seems Miss Lü has finally fully mastered that Dark Heart," Hun Lao said with a chuckle.
After another moment, most of the energy and laws within the Sacred Temple had been absorbed into Lü Dandan's body.
The level of power radiating from her now had reached a truly astonishing degree, exerting immense pressure even on Ye Yunfei.
Suddenly, the Dark Heart that had been hovering before Lü Dandan trembled violently, then shot into the position of her physical heart.
Boom!
An unimaginably potent wave of energy erupted from Lü Dandan's body like a volcano, causing the entire Sacred Temple to shake intensely.
A smile appeared on Ye Yunfei's face. He knew in his heart that Lü Dandan had gained complete control over the Dark Heart.
"The great task is accomplished!"
Sure enough, the next moment, Lü Dandan spoke softly. All the energy aura around her instantly retracted, and calm returned to the Sacred Temple.
Lü Dandan slowly rose from the black altar. Her entire bearing had undergone an earth-shaking transformation. Thick, concentrated darkness gathered around her, so that at a glance, her form seemed like a black hole capable of devouring everything in the world; any light passing near her vanished inexplicably.
Lü Dandan took a light step and instantly appeared before Ye Yunfei.
"Thank you. If you hadn't been protecting me, I could never have entered this Sacred Temple ahead of the others, and thus would not have been able to master this Dark Heart," Lü Dandan said, her beautiful eyes gazing at Ye Yunfei with gratitude.
"Must Miss Lü be so polite with me?" Ye Yunfei replied with a smile. "You have obtained the Dark Heart now, and your divine arts have reached completion. Within this Dark Faction headquarters, even a Sovereign God would be no match for you, right?"
"Indeed. Within this Dark Faction headquarters, I can now control everything. In this domain, Sovereign Gods are no more than feeble blows to me. Moreover, even if I were to leave the headquarters now and encounter Sovereign Gods, I could confidently engage them in battle. Obtaining the Dark Heart has been a tremendous boost for me," Lü Dandan nodded.
"Reporting to the Queen, those three old fellows have fled. Moreover, before leaving, they caused significant destruction and killed many of our Dark Faction members."
At that moment, a voice rang out from outside the Sacred Temple.
"Let us go out," Lü Dandan said to Ye Yunfei.
In the next instant, Ye Yunfei felt a powerful teleportation energy envelop him, and he instantly found himself outside the main gate of the Sacred Temple.
A group of Lü Dandan's confidants had already gathered there. Hearing the report, Lü Dandan's expression turned rather grim.
She then soared into the air and soon saw that the Dark Faction headquarters had indeed suffered severe damage—the handiwork of the three Sovereign Gods before their departure.
"Issue the order: from this moment on, those three old fellows are traitors to our Dark Faction. Anyone who encounters them may punish them accordingly. Furthermore, arrest and interrogate all members within the Dark Faction who have any connection to these three old fellows."
Lü Dandan stood in the void, her words cold and resolute. Each syllable she spoke rolled and echoed throughout the Dark Faction headquarters, clearly reaching the ears of every member.
"What is happening? Has the Dark Queen truly mastered the Dark Heart?"
Upon hearing Lü Dandan's voice, many long-sealed cultivation cave doors within the headquarters quietly opened. One powerful spiritual sense after another stealthily extended from within.
A thick layer of dust, accumulated over long years, coated these cave doors, which hadn't been opened for a very long time. Yet now, all were pushed open because of Lü Dandan.
"Indeed, the Dark Queen has mastered the Dark Heart. It seems our Dark Faction has a new master," a low voice came from a dark figure standing at the entrance of one cultivation cave, its form rippling like water, appearing indistinct yet palpable.
"I wonder if this young girl can restore our Dark Faction to its former might? If she can, it would be fortunate for our faction."
Although Lü Dandan had previously claimed the title of Dark Queen, in the eyes of some old-timers in the Dark Faction, she was ultimately just a young female junior with little weight. But now things were different. Lü Dandan had mastered the Dark Heart, formally inheriting the legacy of the previous Dark King. Her strength had also reached a truly astonishing level. Thus, no one dared to look down on her any longer.
"This aged one pays respects to the Dark Queen! The Queen mastering the Dark Heart is indeed a great fortune for our Dark Faction!"
A black creature radiating thick dark energy suddenly appeared not far before Lü Dandan, bowing respectfully.
Lü Dandan recognized this at a glance—it was a famous and formidable figure within the Dark Faction who had previously chosen to live in seclusion, no longer involving himself in faction affairs. But now he had appeared, clearly expressing his loyalty to her.
"Elder, there is no need for such courtesy. The development and strengthening of our Dark Faction in the future will certainly require your contributions," Lü Dandan said politely.
"Dark Queen, there is no need to be polite with this old thing. Contributing to the Dark Faction is my duty," the Dark Faction expert hastily replied.