At this moment, in a certain location in the distance, amidst the rolling violent winds, a faint, barely visible shadowy figure was floating inside a towering tornado.
Although the tornado was spinning rapidly and constantly moving, the shadowy figure remained completely unaffected, fixed in place, not moving an inch.
This shadow had been continuously observing Ye Yunfei sitting before the broken stele in the distance. Previously, it had been quite close to Ye Yunfei, but after Ye Yunfei persistently used Heart Force martial skills to attack it, it had retreated further and further away, eventually withdrawing to this location. Now concealed within a tornado, it was observing Ye Yunfei from afar.
After another moment, the shadow suddenly turned towards another direction. In that direction, a group of beings was slowly approaching, braving the violent winds, getting closer and closer to Ye Yunfei's position.
At this time, the experts from the three major forces—the Guardian Faction, the Blade Realm, and the Rune Sacred Land—had been walking through the fierce winds for quite some time.
They advanced while observing and sensing their surroundings, but thus far, aside from the billowing winds and the towering tornadoes, they had discovered nothing.
Some had already begun to feel somewhat discouraged. Moreover, during this process, they constantly had to employ various techniques to resist the onslaught of raging winds and tornadoes, making the journey exceptionally perilous.
Although the experts from these three forces were all quite powerful and had come well-prepared, the scale and might of these winds were truly terrifying. Every moment, the surrounding sky and earth were filled with endless gales and towering tornadoes assaulting them, as if the onslaught would never cease. As time dragged on, the members of these three factions were beginning to grow mentally and physically exhausted.
“Walking through these winds is truly exhausting. While we can still hold them off for now, if this drags on, we might not be able to endure it. Then we’ll be in serious trouble,” a Guardian Faction expert couldn’t help but say.
“Indeed. I already feel very tired. I don’t know how much longer I can hold on,” several others nearby chimed in.
“Don’t lose heart, everyone. Keep going. The treasure and legacy left behind by the Wind Demon God naturally won’t be easy to obtain. Exploration and treasure-seeking require taking risks. If we can secure the Wind Demon God’s treasure and legacy, it will all be worth it,” Elder Xu, walking at the front, looked back at those who had spoken and said.
“We of the Blade Realm have no fear of death. All of you, perk up! Since we’ve come this far, we can’t lightly speak of giving up. Obtaining the treasure and legacy of the Wind Demon God would be an opportunity to elevate our overall strength,” Dao Changkong looked back at the pale-faced Blade Realm members and spoke.
In contrast, the members of the Rune Sacred Land appeared relatively relaxed. They didn’t need to expend their own energy or use various cultivation techniques or martial skills. They simply had to continuously toss out different types of talismans and activate them; the talismans would automatically resist the billowing winds.
They could even control and harness the winds within a certain surrounding area for their own use.
Thus, for the moment, the Rune Sacred Land members had the easiest time. However, they understood this method wasn’t sustainable. Once they exhausted the talismans they carried, trouble would come.
Nearly half the combat power of Rune Sacred Land disciples lay in those talismans; their individual fighting prowess wasn’t particularly strong.
The Blade Realm was different. Its members’ primary combat strength came from themselves, not relying on external objects.
“Look, Elder Xu! Up ahead, there seems to be an area of abandoned ruins!” suddenly, a Guardian Faction member pointed ahead and said.
Everyone now noticed the desolate, ruined architectural area ahead. At a glance, broken bricks and crumbling walls were everywhere, along with the foundations of what were once grand structures, the ground littered with collapsed walls, tiles, and broken stone pillars.
“Increase speed. Let’s go investigate!” Seeing the abandoned ruins ahead, the experts of the three forces all felt a stir of excitement and picked up their pace, advancing forward.
“This looks like the headquarters of an ancient sect,” someone commented after entering the ruined area, as members of the three forces began looking around.
“Everyone, search around. Such places are the most likely to hide ancient treasures or legacies that have been passed down,” Dao Changkong waved his hand and led his Blade Realm members deeper into the ruins. The white light emanating from the Wind-Settling Pearl hovering above his head formed a white light barrier that enveloped him and the Blade Realm members following him.
This white Wind-Settling Pearl possessed a powerful suppressive effect on wind energy and the laws of wind. During their trek through the violent winds earlier, it had even violently collided with several towering tornadoes, ultimately protecting the Blade Realm members and bringing them here safely, albeit narrowly. It must be said this Wind-Settling Pearl was indeed impressive, bolstering the confidence of the Blade Realm members. One could say without this pearl, these Blade Realm cultivators wouldn't have been capable of reaching this place.
By now, the three forces were getting closer and closer to Ye Yunfei's location.
In the distance, the shadow hiding within the tornado remained motionless, floating there. Its head turned occasionally, looking alternately at Ye Yunfei and then at the people from the three factions.
“Huh? Look! Doesn’t that fellow up ahead resemble that surnamed Ye runt? There are also over a dozen Hunyuan Sect guys with him!”
Right at this moment, a Guardian Faction expert suddenly pointed at a broken stele amid the swirling winds ahead and the group of people sitting cross-legged before it, exclaiming in shock.
“It is him! That runt surnamed Ye. He actually came here too. And he’s still using Formations to resist the winds. How does he have so many Formation materials and Formation Flags on him?” Dao Changkong, who had also spotted Ye Yunfei by now, immediately spoke up.
“What an unwelcome, narrow-road encounter! You runt surnamed Ye, since you’re here and I’ve run into you again, I won’t hold back. Today, this place will be your burial ground!” Gazing at Ye Yunfei sitting before the broken stele, Dao Changkong’s killing intent surged to an extreme as he ground his teeth.
After speaking, he strode forward, advancing towards Ye Yunfei’s position.
“That broken stele must be peculiar; otherwise, that runt Ye Yunfei wouldn’t be studying it so intently. Come, let’s go check it out too,” the leading Elder Xu of the Guardian Faction fixed his gaze on Ye Yunfei, noticing the young man sitting motionless as if comprehending the stele. He immediately waved his hand and spoke.
“It really is that brat surnamed Ye. His skill with Formations is unexpectedly high; he can use them to resist those winds. And he keeps throwing out large numbers of Formation Flags, as if he has an endless supply. This kid does have some skill,” the elderly leader of the Rune Sacred Land looked towards Ye Yunfei and saw him continuously producing streams of Formation Flags, deploying batch after batch of Formations to resist the winds and tornadoes in the surrounding world. He couldn’t help but show an expression of shock.
“I never imagined this kid would be a masterful Formation master. His speed and method of setting up Formations, and the power of the Formations he deploys, are all quite impressive. He’s even stronger than some so-called Formation Masters in the Chaotic Void Sea. It’s rare to see such Formation skill at such a young age,” the elder leading the Rune Sacred Land exclaimed, his tone holding a note of appreciation for Ye Yunfei.
“Let’s go have a look too.” With a wave of his hand, the elderly leader of the Rune Sacred Land led his experts also towards Ye Yunfei’s location.
“Master, many people are approaching. It looks like there are those from the Blade Realm, the Guardian Faction, and the Rune Sacred Land,” Hu Miao, who was utilizing the Primordial True Fox Tablet to fend off the surrounding tempest, saw the experts of the three forces approaching in the distance and was startled. She immediately reported to Ye Yunfei.
“These guys are here again? Like a lingering ghost they just won’t leave us alone. Aren’t they afraid of these winds?” the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm spoke up.
“I suspect these factions have figured out that these winds are possibly left behind by the ancient Wind Demon God. That's why they sent so many powerful experts here. The Wind Demon God was a top-tier expert famed throughout the Chaotic Void Sea in the ancient times. If this continent might hold a legacy or treasure he left behind, how could the major forces possibly give up once they knew?” Hun Lao commented.
“That’s also true. While the fame of the Wind Demon God might not be as resounding as that of Divine Eye Ruler, he was after all a top-tier expert during a certain era of the ancient Chaotic Void Sea. Once word spreads, probably more major forces will rush here,” Ye Yunfei said.
“However, it’s also possible these three major factions have already sealed off the news. That would explain why only their experts have entered so far.”
“That broken stele must be peculiar.”
At this moment, the experts of the three major factions all charged towards the broken stele in front of Ye Yunfei. Seeing Ye Yunfei meditating before it in deep contemplation, they all understood that this stele was not ordinary.
“Maybe that broken stele is the Wind Demon God's legacy or a magical treasure. We absolutely cannot let it fall into that kid surnamed Ye’s hands!” a blade cultivator declared.
At this moment, within a distant tornado, the shadowy figure suddenly extended its hand. A dark, black treasure pearl slowly manifested. The figure’s aura then began growing increasingly sinister and cold, filled with thick, concentrated killing intent.
Following this, the black treasure pearl released wave after wave of eerie magical symbols. The moment these symbols appeared, the surrounding winds and tornadoes instantly grew ten times more ferocious.
Then, centered on the black treasure pearl, all the other surrounding winds and tornadoes also erupted into a frenzy.
Previously, the winds and tornadoes in this area were already terrifyingly powerful. Now, they had become even more dreadful.