As she spoke to Ye Yunfei, Miss Lü took a step forward, walking toward the two black Jiao dragons lying motionless on the ground.
Facing the approaching Miss Lü, the two black Jiao dragons lowered their heads even further.
At this moment, the terrifying bloodlust they had earlier when confronting Ye Yunfei was completely gone from their eyes, replaced by fear and even a sense of submission.
“The Young Miss Lü is looking more and more like the true Dark Queen now. The strength of these two Jiao dragons is terrifying, yet they dare not move a muscle in front of her,” Hun Lao sent a Sound Transmission to Ye Yunfei.
“Indeed. Miss Lü's strength has been rising continuously these days. She's grown increasingly formidable,” Ye Yunfei replied, sensing the powerful Dark Energy emanating from Lü Dandan.
By now, Lü Dandan had already walked up to the massive heads of the two black Jiao dragons and stopped. Her frosty gaze fixed upon them.
“You actually dared to offend my friend. How bold!” Lü Dandan said coldly.
“Considering how difficult your cultivation journey has been, I shall spare your lives. However, though the death penalty can be pardoned, the punishment must be meted out. From this moment on, you shall follow by my side, redeeming yourself through meritorious service.”
Her voice was icy cold, sending a chill down the spine.
After speaking, Lü Dandan extended her right hand, her slender fingers quickly drawing two strange and bizarre Dark runes in the air before her. She then imprinted each rune onto the heads of the two black Jiao dragons.
The heads of the two dragons trembled simultaneously. At first, there was a hint of resistance, but it gradually gave way to meekness and submission.
Next, Miss Lü pointed a finger. The colossal bodies of the two black Jiao dragons continuously shrank, in the blink of an eye transforming to no larger than a finger, akin to two small black snakes.
Lü Dandan then stored both dragons away within a spatial treasure.
“It seems you've already refined those Dark Infant Fruits,” Lü Dandan said, turning to look back at Ye Yunfei.
“That's right, I have indeed refined all four of those Dark Infant Fruits,” Ye Yunfei nodded.
“Regarding the Dark-type Medicinal Herbs within this Dark Dragon Pool, you may take away any you fancy,” Lü Dandan said, turning to Ye Yunfei.
Over the next while, Lü Dandan led Ye Yunfei through the inky black waters for another half an hour. Ye Yunfei harvested many rare Dark-type Medicinal Herbs.
“Alright, that's enough, Miss Lü. We can leave now,” Ye Yunfei said to Lü Dandan.
From the time he entered until now, the amount of Dark-type Medicinal Herbs Ye Yunfei had collected was already considerable.
Soon after, Lü Dandan and Ye Yunfei exited the Dark Dragon Pool.
“Miss Lü, your strength has improved by yet another huge leap. It seems the opportunity you gained within the Dark Dragon Pool was significant!” Walking side-by-side with Lü Dandan and sensing the powerful Dark Energy radiating from her, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but speak up.
“Yes, I did indeed gain some opportunities. The enormous Poison Dragon Crocodile we saw earlier is a battle beast left behind by an ancient ancestor of our Dark Faction. It is now also the Guardian Beast of our Dark Faction's headquarters.
It recognized that I had refined the Dark Heart and thus had me stay behind to teach me how to better control the Dark Heart. It also imparted some ancient, lost techniques and secret arts of our Dark Faction. Furthermore, it assisted me in rapidly enhancing my Dark Energy and comprehension of Dark Dao laws.”
Lü Dandan explained.
“So that's how it is,” Ye Yunfei replied, feeling slightly astonished. Who would have thought that the Poison Dragon Crocodile was actually an ancient Guardian Beast left behind by the Dark Faction.
“Take these Dark Bodhi Fruits. You helped our Dark Faction this time. Consider these as our payment to you.”
Lü Dandan stretched out a hand, and five Dark Bodhi Fruits hovered above her palm, bobbing gently. They were precisely the Dark Bodhi Fruits Ye Yunfei had seen within that space at the bottom of the Dark Dragon Pool.
Back then, due to the sudden appearance of the massive Poison Dragon Crocodile, Ye Yunfei hadn't had the chance to pick them. Unexpectedly, Lü Dandan had brought out ten Dark Bodhi Fruits.
“These Dark Bodhi Fruits indeed possess potent body-refining effects. They also contain extremely high-level Dark Energy and Dark Dao laws.
You have already refined some Dark Infant Fruits. If you refine these Dark Bodhi Fruits as well, the level of Dark Energy and Dark Dao laws you possess will become even higher.
Also, here are some methods for refining the Dark Bodhi Fruits. I'll transmit them to you for your reference.”
Lü Dandan said to Ye Yunfei.
“Wonderful! Thank you, Miss Lü,” Ye Yunfei replied without any polite refusal, immediately accepting the ten Dark Bodhi Fruits.
“No need for thanks. I was able to bring these Dark Bodhi Fruits out and give them to you only with the permission of that Poison Dragon Crocodile senior.
I informed him of how you helped our Dark Faction, so he agreed to present these Dark Bodhi Fruits to you. Otherwise, as an outsider, you would not be qualified to receive them.”
“That's only natural. Still, no matter how I look at it, I owe it all to you, Miss Lü,” Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei and Lü Dandan exited the spatial rift containing the Dark Dragon Pool and returned to the outside world, to the Dark Faction headquarters.
“Miss Lü, I plan to go into seclusion and cultivate for a period of time,” Ye Yunfei said to Lü Dandan.
After obtaining the Dark Bodhi Fruits, the first thing Ye Yunfei intended to do was to refine and absorb them to enhance his physical strength.
He had personally witnessed the sheer physical might displayed by those Poison Dragon Crocodiles earlier, and they had only consumed some rotten Bodhi Fruits that had fallen to the ground. The ten intact Dark Bodhi Fruits he now possessed should yield an even stronger body-refining effect.
“Alright. I'll have someone prepare a high-grade cultivation cave dwelling for you right away.”
Lü Dandan nodded.
She immediately had a Dark Faction Elder arrange a cultivation cave for Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei entered the cultivation cave and first laid down a Formations small space before then entering the Phantom Tower to sit cross-legged.
The ten Dark Bodhi Fruits hovered before him, emitting pure Dark Energy.
For the next while, Ye Yunfei began refining the ten Dark Bodhi Fruits.
When Lü Dandan handed them over earlier, she had transmitted the methods for refining these fruits into Ye Yunfei's Soul Sea. Therefore, Ye Yunfei's refinement process proceeded relatively smoothly.
Time flowed within the Phantom Tower. Finally, Ye Yunfei finished refining all ten Dark Bodhi Fruits.
“The level of these Dark Bodhi Fruits truly is extraordinary high. If I hadn't had all my prior foundational body-refining experience, I wouldn't have dared to refine all ten at once. Otherwise, my physical body might have been overloaded and burst, or even my Soul Body completely shattered,” Ye Yunfei remarked, recalling the refinement process.
Despite possessing the refinement methods taught by Lü Dandan, Ye Yunfei still faced several crises during the process. Each time, it was thanks to the solid foundation accumulated from his past Body Tempering that he safely weathered them.
“That Poison Dragon Crocodile was personally guarding these Dark Bodhi Fruits. Something of such high grade naturally possesses terrifying medicinal efficacy,” Hun Lao commented.
“But the effect must be quite good too, right?” Hun Lao then asked.
“Indeed. Compared to before, my physical body strength and quality have increased by at least several dozen times,” Ye Yunfei replied with satisfaction, sensing his current bodily power and quality.
“Several dozen times is excellent progress. You were already able to contend against a primary-level Sovereign God using just physical strength before. Now that your physical strength has increased several dozen fold, you could probably kill a primary-level Sovereign God with a single light punch.”
“For body refiners, the later stages become increasingly difficult to improve. Yet after refining these Dark Bodhi Fruits, you actually saw a several-dozen-fold increase. This is an exceptionally substantial effect.”
The Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm spoke up.
“Yes. Moreover, these Dark Bodhi Fruits don't just affect the body. My current level of Dark Energy and mastery over Dark Dao laws have also increased over a hundredfold.
The Dark Energy and Dark Dao laws contained within these Dark Bodhi Fruits are even higher grade than those within the earlier Dark Infant Fruits,” Ye Yunfei replied with a smile.
“I had never previously dedicated effort to comprehending or cultivating Dark Dao laws before. But this entry into the Dark Dragon Pool has allowed my mastery to reach a significant level,” Ye Yunfei added.
Afterward, Ye Yunfei exited the Phantom Tower and then the cultivation cave dwelling.
Sensing Miss Lü's location, his figure flashed, arriving outside the palace where Lü Dandan resided.
With his improved body strength and quality, Ye Yunfei's movement speed had seen another significant boost.
“Young Master Ye, the Dark Queen invites you inside,” came a respectful greeting from a Dark Faction Elder who emerged just as Ye Yunfei arrived outside the palace.
Sensing inside, Ye Yunfei found Lü Dandan and several dozen high-level Dark Faction members inside, deliberating on faction affairs.
Ye Yunfei did not avoid the matter and directly walked in.
Seeing Ye Yunfei, the high-level members of the Dark Faction bowed and offered greetings one after another.
These elders now knew that Ye Yunfei shared a deep connection with the Dark Queen. Furthermore, both the strength Ye Yunfei had displayed earlier and the Divine Pills he had gifted to the Dark Faction had earned him considerable goodwill among the Faction's upper echelons. Everyone even regarded him as one of their own.
“Young Master Ye, our Dark Faction is preparing to dispatch a large force to deal with those major powers who dared to offend our headquarters earlier,” a core Dark Faction Elder said to Ye Yunfei.
“As you should. Those powers clearly intended to control your Dark Faction through those three traitors. Furthermore, after suffering such heavy losses last time, they certainly won't let the matter rest easily. If they see an opportunity in the future, they will certainly attack your Dark Faction again. Therefore, it's best to strike preemptively and eliminate them,” Ye Yunfei replied, nodding in agreement. This aligned with his own nature: He would not provoke others, but if others provoked him, he would never show mercy.
“However, according to our investigations, those several major powers share a common backer—the Guardian Faction. To put it bluntly, the main reason behind those powers forming an alliance to jointly attack our Dark Faction should be the Guardian Faction itself. It is the Guardian Faction that wishes to move against us.”
“Actually, I had already guessed this was the cause. And it's not just in this Third Void. Many conflicts and upheavals in other Void Realms also have the Guardian Faction behind them,” Ye Yunfei responded without the slightest surprise, as if this were completely expected.
“Indeed, behind all the recent targeting our Dark Faction has endured, the true source was indeed the Guardian Faction,” Lü Dandan, who had been listening, also nodded and spoke.
“Everyone, this also means that from now on, our Dark Faction will be facing the Guardian Faction directly.” Lü Dandan took a deep breath, then declared loudly.
“What about the Guardian Faction? Our Dark Faction's legacy stretches back far longer than theirs,” an Elder immediately retorted.
“Exactly. According to the ancient texts of our sect, our Dark Faction is one of the oldest established powers within the Chaotic Void Sea. Compared to our Dark Faction, the Guardian Faction is merely a force that emerged later. We should not fear the Guardian Faction.”
The other high-ranking members all nodded in agreement.