The more Clones Ye Yunfei subdued, the freer his movements became within this massive army. Later, surrounded by a large group of his Clones, Ye Yunfei followed the army as it surged forward.
"Report, we have reached the Dark Faction's headquarters," a voice suddenly echoed through the entire army shortly after.
An old man at the very front of the army raised his hand and gave a light wave. The vast army behind him immediately halted. Ahead lay the Dark Faction's headquarters, where thick, rich dark energy coalesced into billowing black mists that ceaselessly spread and diffused throughout the void.
"Hear this, Dark Queen! Come out immediately and surrender!" roared a middle-aged man clad in metal armor, stepping out from the ranks and shouting toward the Dark Faction's stronghold. "Otherwise, once our army charges in and captures you, you wretched girl, your fate will be utterly miserable!"
"How dare you!" a furious roar erupted from within the Dark Faction's headquarters even before the armored man finished speaking. "You dare to be so disrespectful to the Dark Queen in your words. This is treason! Prepare to die!"
Then, the Dark Faction's forces marched out from their stronghold in a grand procession. Like a boundless ocean, dense black fog churned and rolled out alongside the army. At the very forefront of the Dark Faction's forces was an old man shrouded entirely in a black robe. His gaze was sharp as lightning, and it landed squarely on the golden-armored man who had just spoken.
*Buzzzzzz…*
Suddenly, the sound of countless insect wings buzzing filled everyone's ears. The golden-armored man's face paled with shock as he scrambled backward, for a huge swarm of black bugs had materialized right before him. These black bugs moved with terrifying speed, their wings vibrating in unison as they surged forward to surround and attack the man.
Acting quickly, the man threw a punch. A massive fist imprint, brimming with terrifying power, materialized and struck the space in front of him, causing it to visibly cave inward. However, to his astonishment, the black bugs seemed completely unfazed by his fearsome fist force and continued their rapid assault. Before he could even react, one bug had already alighted on his shoulder and taken a savage bite, tearing away a chunk of flesh and leaving his shoulder bloodied.
"What are these things? How are they so bizarre?!" The man was startled. A yellow divine garment suddenly manifested around his body, erupting with billowing golden divine radiance. It was a defensive magical treasure, which, upon activation, formed a yellow light barrier that immediately repelled the swarm of black bugs. Seizing the chance, the middle-aged man swiftly retreated.
The old Dark Faction man opposite him snorted coldly and beckoned with a hand. The swarming black bugs instantly vanished.
"You of the Dark Faction are truly not knowing what’s good for you," a man seated upon a divine horse with wings suddenly spoke up in a loud, clear voice. "Our army's purpose in coming here is to help you eliminate that wretched girl, the Dark Queen. That impudent girl seized power through usurpation, disrupting the normal development of your Dark Faction. She is the enemy of every member of your faction, and all have the right to eliminate her!" As he spoke, his winged divine steed trotted forward a distance, releasing rolling waves of silver light.
*Boom!*
No sooner had the man's words left his mouth than a black arrow shot forth from the ranks of the Dark Faction army. Carrying astonishing dark energy, it instantly pierced through a vast stretch of space and appeared right before the man on the divine horse.
Feeling the energy carried by the black arrow before him, the man's face instantly drained of color. In a frantic panic, he raised a silver halberd in his hands to block it. Suddenly, three old men clad in black robes appeared beside him. One of them casually lifted a hand and caught the black arrow.
"Elder Liu, let's talk this out," the black-robed elder holding the arrow said, his gaze turning toward the Dark Faction's forces. "Our return this time is primarily to settle scores with that wretched girl, the Dark Queen. It does not concern other members of the Dark Faction. We hope Elder Liu will not side with her."
"So it's you three traitors, brazenly showing your faces in public? Utterly shameless," a tall, slender elder who resembled a bamboo pole emerged from the Dark Faction's army. He glided forward a distance before stopping, his icy gaze fixed on the black-robed elder holding the arrow. This was Elder Liu, the one who had just shot the arrow. "The three of you betrayed our Dark Faction. Your crimes are immense, and you are unworthy before the generations of our ancestors. You must be dealt with according to our faction's punishment for traitors."
"Elder Liu, why must you be so protective of that wretched girl?" the black-robed elder holding the arrow spoke again, his gaze fixed on Elder Liu. "She's a mere child, green behind the ears, and has been in our Dark Faction here in the Third Void for such a short time. Yet she dares to dream of becoming our master, and she even used dirty tricks to seize the Dark Heart. For many years, we veterans have slaved for the development of the Dark Faction. Even if we have no great achievements, our hard work should count for something! And in the end, we're supposed to bow to her? To follow her commands? Elder Liu, are you truly content to submit to such a green, worthless girl? Elder Liu, I assure you, if you support us, after we eliminate that wretch, you will become a Paramount Elder of the Dark Faction, holding a position of immense authority and power. What do you say?"
"There are twenty Sovereign Gods in total among them," Ye Yunfei observed from within the opposing army, using his perception to gauge the overall strength of this allied coalition of several major forces. "It seems they've deployed most of their Sovereign Gods to deal with the Dark Faction."
"Among the twenty, six are Intermediate Sovereign Gods, and fourteen are Initial Stage Sovereign Gods. That's quite a formidable force," Hun Lao commented.
"Formidable? Please," Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm sneered dismissively. "I could take on this whole lot single-handedly!"
Since his last breakthrough and bloodline evolution, Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm had attained battle prowess at the Sovereign God level. Coupled with his profound spatial divine abilities, he truly had little to fear from ordinary Initial and Intermediate Stage Sovereign Gods.
"With your spatial divine abilities, they can't do much to you," Hun Lao chuckled, "but it wouldn't be easy for you to defeat them all either."
"The question is," Hun Lao continued, "whether these forces have any Advanced Sovereign Gods. If they do, those likely won't appear so quickly. They'd probably only show up at the very end."
"If they do have Advanced Sovereign Gods, that would indeed be a bit troublesome," Ye Yunfei frowned slightly.
"You three traitors dare to speak such nonsense and continue to disrespect the Dark Queen with your words!" Elder Liu's furious roar rang out at this moment. He pointed an accusing finger at the three renegade elders. "The Dark Queen has obtained the Dark Heart! By the long-standing tradition of our Dark Faction, whoever controls the Dark Heart is the undisputed master of our faction. To oppose the Dark Queen is to betray the entire Dark Faction! And you have the audacity to collude with external enemies to invade our headquarters? This is an even greater act of treason! You three traitors will answer for your crimes under our Dark Faction's punishment!"
"Elder Liu, is this really your final stand?" one of the three black-robed elders spoke coldly, all three turning grim simultaneously upon hearing Elder Liu's words. "Do not refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit!"
"There is nothing left to say with traitors like you!" roared Elder Liu. A powerful surge of energy pressure erupted from his body, shaking the surrounding space violently. "Come, let's battle! Fight to the end!"
"Damn it! That old fool surnamed Liu is truly as stubborn as an ox!" Seeing Elder Liu's defiant attitude, the three black-robed elders were filled with rage.
"Listen, all members of the Dark Faction!" One of the black-robed elders took a step forward, his voice amplified by his divine power like roaring waves that crashed toward the Dark Faction's forces, creating heavy echoes in the surrounding void. The display was awe-inspiring. "Our return is not to wage war against the Dark Faction. Our primary goal is to settle scores with that wretched girl, the Dark Queen! She used dirty tricks in her attempt to become the master of the Dark Faction; her wolf-like ambitions are plain for all to see. I hope you will all cooperate with us in dealing with her. Only by destroying the Dark Queen can our Dark Faction return to its proper path of development."
"Nonsense!"
"Treason!"
"You traitor! Dare to spout such madness? Hurry over here and meet your death!"
……
The black-robed elder's words were met with angry rebukes one after another from within the Dark Faction's ranks. Immediately after, Lü Dandan, accompanied by eight Sovereign Gods, appeared at the forefront of the army.
"You three traitors are truly bold beyond measure, to dare to show your faces before me again," Lü Dandan said, her gaze icy as it fell upon the three black-robed elders.
"Who do you think you are, you wretched girl?" sneered one of the three elders, his gaze hardening slightly as he took in Lü Dandan's presence. The energy aura radiating from her was far stronger than before, which secretly unnerved even them. "When you first came to our Dark Faction in the Third Void, you had to kneel before us and receive training!"
"It seems that wretched girl's power has increased greatly after refining the Dark Heart," they thought resentfully, sensing her strength from afar, their hearts filled with bitter reluctance. "What a shame. That Dark Heart should have been ours."
The Dark Heart was the supreme treasure of the Dark Faction, promising immense benefits to whoever possessed it. These three had coveted it for a long, long time. Now, the mere thought that it had ended up in Lü Dandan's hands made their teeth grind with frustration.
"Back then, I knelt before the three of you out of respect for your seniority. But now, the three of you have betrayed the Dark Faction, and your crimes are heinous. I will personally end your lives," Lü Dandan stated, her tone flat yet saturated with infinite killing intent.
"Hahaha! Wretched girl, you? Kill us three? What a fool's fantasy!" The three black-robed elders erupted into hearty laughter upon hearing Lü Dandan's claim.
Immediately after, seventeen Sovereign Gods simultaneously appeared around the three elders. Each one released terrifying waves of energy pressure, bearing down heavily upon the Dark Faction's forces.
A total of twenty Sovereign Gods now unleashed their energy pressure together. The force of their combined auras was simply dreadful, instantly filling this part of the void with an overwhelming pressure so dense it seemed endless.