Moments later, Ye Yunfei had vanished without a trace.
The mountaintop was now occupied solely by those Blade cultivators still trapped within the Formations, each desperately trying to break out. Roars of fury soared skyward as every last blade practitioner descended into a frenzied state.
Yet, unable to shatter Ye Yunfei's arrayed Formations quickly, their rage remained impotent, leaving them frustrated.
"I estimate it will take those fellows a considerable amount of time to break your Formations," Hun Lao remarked with a chuckle.
He could see that the Formations Ye Yunfei had deployed were exceptionally powerful. Even with the blade cultivators' formidable strength, breaking through wouldn't be easy.
"Yes, let them struggle slowly," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Then, Ye Yunfei retrieved the teleportation token and initiated the transfer. Soon after, he materialized high above a vast, expansive ocean.
According to the markings on that map, there was a treasure hidden within these waters.
The sea before him was a turmoil of towering waves, an endless vista of violent blue under the open sky.
"There are also extremely high-level restrictions here. Our Soul Force Energy simply cannot perceive the full scope of this ocean," Hun Lao said.
"True. My Soul Power is restricted here as well," Ye Yunfei replied. "But my Divine Pupil can see everything clearly. At the bottom of this sea lies a blue treasure pearl. I believe the treasure here must be that very pearl."
His Divine Pupil at the center of his brow fixed on the seabed, discerning a pearl radiating a faint, bluish glow.
"With that Divine Pupil of yours, exploring and treasure hunting in Tianmu Shenjun's Cultivation Cave Mansion is practically like cheating," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm couldn't help but joke.
"Of course," Hu Miao chimed in. "The Pupil Technique Master cultivates is precisely the legacy Tianmu Shenjun left behind. It naturally functions excellently within his own cave mansion."
"This is the place!" a voice declared at that moment. "This ocean contains tremendously potent Water Energy and exceptionally advanced Water Laws. I suspect a high-grade Water Attribute treasure must reside within these waters."
Three figures descended from afar, landing by the shore to gaze upon the turbulent expanse. The speaker was one of them.
"These fellows should be from the Guardian Faction. I recognize the old fellow leading them," Hun Lao immediately informed Ye Yunfei.
"In that case, no need for politeness," Ye Yunfei said coldly, watching the three Guardian Faction members standing on the shore from his position above the ocean. "Any Watcher I can defeat, I'll kill on sight."
Among the three Guardian Faction members, two were Fourth-Level Sovereign Gods and one was a Fifth-Level Sovereign God. Such a level of power posed absolutely no pressure for Ye Yunfei now.
"Unfortunately, our Soul Force Energy seems severely restricted here," the elderly leader lamented as he scrutinized the surging sea. "We cannot perceive inside this ocean. Nonetheless, I surmise the treasure must lie within the waters, perhaps even on the seabed. Let us descend and investigate."
The three Sovereign Gods then soared into the air, cleaving a path through the waters toward the depths.
Despite their powerful senses, which were hampered by the restrictions, they failed to notice Ye Yunfei standing above the tumultuous waves.
"Seems these three have also guessed there should be a treasure on the seabed. They're heading down," Hun Lao observed.
"This shall be their burial ground," Ye Yunfei stated coldly.
His figure flickered as he gave chase, pursuing the three Sovereign Gods who had already entered the sea. Along the way, Ye Yunfei suppressed his aura, concealed his form, and vanished within the churning blue currents. The three Sovereign Gods ahead were momentarily unaware of the pursuer who had joined them.
They could not sense Ye Yunfei behind them, but he saw them with perfect clarity.
Swiftly, Ye Yunfei stealthily closed in, nearing the rearmost Sovereign God.
This last one was a Fourth-Level Sovereign God. To the current Ye Yunfei, a mere Fourth-Level Sovereign God was utterly insignificant.
Ye Yunfei immediately executed two secret arts of the Samsara Ghost race. One was a Mind Reading Art to disrupt the Sovereign God's thoughts, the other a Soul Art specifically designed to induce a state of unconsciousness in others. Ye Yunfei had obtained both Soul Arts from the Samsara Ghosts.
Simultaneous with Ye Yunfei's move, Hu Miao coordinated, unleashing her Illusion Arts. Multiple illusions materialized and engulfed that Sovereign God.
"What's happening?" The Sovereign God's consciousness suddenly plunged into confusion.
Under the combined effects of the two Samsara Ghost Soul Arts and the Illusion Arts, he lost all awareness of his situation, entering a state of dazed disorientation.
"Not good!"
The next instant, the Sovereign God began to react, sensing something was wrong—but it was already too late.
Ye Yunfei had already seized his physical body with one hand, forcibly sealing it, while the Heart Sword directly struck his Soul Body, cleaving it in two.
Ye Yunfei's hand plunged into the Sovereign God's Soul Sea, grasping the now-sundered Soul Body within his palm.
"I wonder if I can purify a Sovereign God's Soul Body," Ye Yunfei thought, observing the Fourth-Level Sovereign God's Soul Body in his hand.
"Even if you can purify this fellow's memories, it may not be possible to imprint your Soul Force Mark on his Soul Body. After all, this is a Fourth-Level Sovereign God's Soul Body," Hun Lao advised Ye Yunfei.
"Then I'll attempt the Puppet Soul Threads secret art later," Ye Yunfei conceded, knowing Hun Lao's point was valid. At his current realm, inscribing a Soul Force Mark on a Fourth-Level Sovereign God's Soul Body was difficult. Even if he could suppress it, forcing an imprint could cause the Soul Body to explode.
Ye Yunfei directly stored away the Fourth-Level Sovereign God's physical body and Soul Body.
"What's going on?"
The two Guardian Faction Sovereign Gods ahead, noticing their companion's aura suddenly vanish, were shocked. Realizing something was amiss, they halted simultaneously.
Yet, at that moment, Ye Yunfei struck again, employing the same methods—Soul Arts and Heart Sword—against another Fourth-Level Sovereign God.
Hu Miao coordinated once more beside him, instantly weaving several potent illusions that descended upon that Fourth-Level Sovereign God.
This Sovereign God's power was similar to the last. He froze on the spot, utterly unable to react as his Soul Body was suppressed layer upon layer by Soul Force martial arts, the Heart Sword, and illusions, plunging him into that same bewildered state.
"What in the world is happening?" The Fifth-Level Sovereign God looked back, seeing one companion missing and the other standing rigid, vacant-eyed as if his soul had fled. Shock and fury swelled within him.
"What is this? Are you under attack?" the Fifth-Level Sovereign God immediately released his Soul Force Energy, probing into his companion's Soul Sea while shouting the question.
*Buzz!*
Precisely then, a small sword shot like lightning into his own Soul Sea, striking towards his Soul Body.
"Ahhh...!"
A scream rang out as the Fourth-Level Sovereign God's Soul Body suffered a severe wound.
Ye Yunfei then appeared beside him, directly sealing and storing both his physical body and Soul Body separately.
"It's you! The Ye bastard!" The Fifth-Level Sovereign God finally recognized Ye Yunfei, roaring in rage.
"Boy, you dare come before me? I'll kill you now!"
The Fifth-Level Sovereign God lunged towards Ye Yunfei. He was well aware that despite Ye Yunfei's low realm and youth, his actual combat prowess was formidable. Hence, he attacked with his full power from the outset.
Five three-pronged steel tridents surged from within his body, immediately stirring the vast waves.
Boundless Water Energy and Water Laws erupted from him, merging with the surrounding blue seawater, creating an impression that all the ocean around was assaulting Ye Yunfei.
"So this fellow cultivates Water Energy and Water Laws. No wonder he came here and could deduce a treasure lies at the ocean's bottom," Hun Lao remarked, understanding dawning as he watched the torrential Water Energy and Laws erupt from the Fifth-Level Sovereign God.
By then, Ye Yunfei had drawn his longsword, slashing forward. A thick sword light materialized instantly, cleaving a massive swath of seawater cleanly in two.
Simultaneously, Ye Yunfei unleashed Soul Force martial arts and Heart Force martial arts to assault the Fifth-Level Sovereign God's Soul Body.
In that instant, Ye Yunfei separately cast the Mind Reading Art, Soul Purification Art, Heart Sword, Puppet Soul Threads secret art, and the Soul Artefact Grand Technique. Five distinct martial arts simultaneously assailed this Fifth-Level Sovereign God's Soul Sea and Soul Body.
Any other Sovereign God would find it impossible to execute so many Soul Force and Heart Force techniques at once.
But Ye Yunfei was different. Possessing two Soul Bodies and several dozen Soul Force Planets, he could perform dozens of tasks simultaneously. Employing five different martial arts concurrently was, for him, an easy feat.
"Master, I shall aid you in slaying this foe," Hu Miao declared, her slender figure materializing nearby.
The Primal True Fox Stele shot forth from within her, radiating surging energy. It constructed one illusion after another, descending upon the Fifth-Level Sovereign God.
The stele soared, hovering above Hu Miao's head. Overwhelming Illusion Dao energy roared out, forming swirling vortexes that churned the very fabric of this undersea realm.
The Divine Pupil at the center of Ye Yunfei's brow suddenly snapped open, shooting a beam of white light that struck the Fifth-Level Sovereign God's eyes.
Meanwhile, Ye Yunfei's longsword cleaved the air repeatedly, unleashing thick sword radiance after radiance, each brimming with terrifying Sword Dao energy.
As Ye Yunfei moved, all seawater in the surrounding space was completely evacuated, leaving a small, waterless void.
"How is this possible?" the Fifth-Level Sovereign God cried out incredulously. "You are merely a Heavenly God! How can your combat power be so terrifying? I am a Fifth-Level Sovereign God!"
When he first recognized Ye Yunfei, he hadn't taken the young man seriously. Although he had heard of this monstrous youth capable of transcending realms, slaying numerous Sovereign Gods despite being a Heavenly God, he believed that as a Great Sovereign God, he could easily defeat Ye Yunfei. He assumed a single strike from him would leave Ye Yunfei helpless.
But now, under the storm-like assault from Ye Yunfei and Hu Miao, he found himself instantly overwhelmed.
His Soul Body, in particular, was being attacked simultaneously by the Heart Sword, Mind Reading Art, Puppet Soul Threads secret art, Soul Purification Art, and Soul Artefact Grand Technique—five martial arts combining their force.
Each of these five arts was immensely powerful and profoundly insidious, difficult to defend against. They placed tremendous pressure on his Soul Body. With his Soul Body constrained, his full strength could not be properly exerted.
Hu Miao pointed a finger. The massive stele above her head suddenly grew indistinct, flickering between presence and absence, reality and illusion.
The next instant, it transformed into a streak of light, arriving above the Fifth-Level Sovereign God's head in a flash before smashing down upon his skull.
"What artifact is this?!" the Fifth-Level Sovereign God's face paled in shock.
This Primal True Fox Stele was a sacred relic of the ancient Heavenly Fox clan, its power far beyond what an ordinary Sovereign God could withstand.
Layer after layer of stele images cascaded like titanic waves, relentlessly battering the Fifth-Level Sovereign God's head.
With a muffled *thump*, the Fifth-Level Sovereign God's skull shattered on the spot, bursting apart like a smashed watermelon.