At that very moment, a deafening explosion rang out. The gray figure standing guard at the entrance to the Reincarnation Passage had already made his move, forcefully repelling the massive energy hand that had stretched to descend upon him.
Elder Hu and the six Greater Sovereign Gods were startled. They had thought that with the arrival of a core elder from their headquarters, the troublesome gray figure blocking their path would be pushed back immediately. Yet, they hadn't expected this figure to be capable of blocking the core elder's energy hand.
Boom!
From the palm of that core elder of the Guardian Faction, a resplendently glowing, seven-colored glazed pagoda shot out.
This pagoda appeared sacred and radiant, its entire form emitting waves of five-colored divine light that stirred the soul.
Rumble…
The pagoda continuously expanded, soaring into the air before bearing down to suppress the gray figure standing at the entrance to the Reincarnation Passage.
"So Lord Seven-Colored Divine's pagoda ended up in your hands," the gray figure said indifferently. In his hand then appeared a whip that seemed to be made from a certain type of wood. With a flick, he lashed it against the pagoda.
Clang! A colossal impact echoed as the wooden whip and pagoda collided, locking momentarily in a standoff.
Energy of terrifying proportions emanated continuously in all directions. Elder Hu and the six Greater Sovereign Gods were forced to back away repeatedly, their expressions changing drastically.
Only now did they finally understand how truly terrifying the strength of this gray figure before them was—he was able to fight the core elder from headquarters to a standstill.
"Thank goodness the core elder from headquarters arrived in time. Otherwise, with just us, we would have been no match at all. Trying to force our way in would have had unimaginable consequences," Elder Hu and the six Greater Sovereign Gods thought with a lingering sense of fear, recalling their earlier intention to break in.
"The Reincarnation Sect truly lives up to its reputation. I was far too arrogant before," Elder Hu thought to himself.
Earlier, when he first arrived here, he had simply looked down upon this passage. He thought that with his level of power, not only could he enter it easily, but destroying this Samsara passage on a whim would have been a trivial matter. Little did he expect that a mere existence casually emerging from the Reincarnation Passage within it would possess strength at the Chaos God level. That was utterly terrifying.
"It seems your Reincarnation Sect is truly intent on returning. An already-defunct Reincarnation Passage actually has such a formidable power guarding it," the core elder said in a heavy tone.
He could also see that the gray figure before him was extraordinarily powerful, possessing strength at the Chaos God level as well.
"However, as I just said, there is no place in this Chaotic Void Sea that our Guardian Faction cannot go."
"Your Reincarnation Sect's glory lies in the past. This current era belongs to our Guardian Faction."
"I advise your Reincarnation Sect to recognize this reality clearly. Otherwise, what awaits you might be true annihilation," the core elder said with a dark, threatening expression.
"Our Reincarnation Sect has endured across countless ages. Back in the time when we presided over the world's order of Samsara, there was no such thing as a 'Guardian Faction.' As for making our Reincarnation Sect perish, there simply does not yet exist a power in this world capable of such a feat," the gray figure replied in the same indifferent tone, his emotions, whether anger or joy, entirely unreadable.
"Since that's the case, there's nothing more to discuss," the core elder's voice turned icier. He took a step forward, unleashing the Seven-Colored Glazed Pagoda to surge forward with renewed force, launching a fearsome offensive once more.
The gray figure wielded his wooden whip with a measured pace, stroke by stroke, parrying every single attack the core elder unleashed.
Both were masters at the Chaos God level. Every single technique they executed unleashed terrifying waves of energy, causing the entire world around them to tremble.
Elder Hu and the six Greater Sovereign Gods dared not come anywhere close to this level of combat. They knew that while the moves released by these two powerhouses seemed slow-paced, even somewhat unremarkable, each carried a devastating latent power. If they dared approach, they would likely be reduced to dust and ashes in moments.
Ye Yunfei stood in the distance, employing every means possible to conceal his own aura, observing the battle between these two powerhouses. He felt the terrifying pressure of the energy they released during their clash.
"Chaos God level powerhouses are indeed frightening," Ye Yunfei couldn't help but think.
"Given our current strength, we probably aren't yet qualified to participate in a battle at this level," the Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, having also recognized the terrifying prowess of the two combatants, couldn't help but sigh with admiration.
"With that powerhouse guarding this Reincarnation Passage, the Guardian Faction won't find it so easy to force their way in," Hun Lao said, speaking up.
Right then, Ye Yunfei's gaze sharpened. The Divine Pupil in the center of his brow spun rapidly, allowing him to see a trembling figure suddenly appear within this world, arriving instantly before the Reincarnation Passage.
It was an ancient-looking elder, with sparse, wispy hair and a face covered with wrinkles like old tree bark.
He leaned on a black walking stick, his stooped body appearing weak and sickly looking. Yet Ye Yunfei watched him with an extremely grave expression.
"Another formidable powerhouse," Hun Lao also noticed this newly arrived ancient elder and spoke up at this time.
"Your Reincarnation Sect still clings to the delusion of presiding over the world's order of Samsara? How laughable. All these years, and you still haven't woken from your Samsara dream?
"I urge you to crawl out from the musty, darkened tunnels you've been hiding in and take a good, hard look around. Look at who it is that truly presides over the world's order of Samsara in this era!
"Your Reincarnation Sect is obsolete, long since left behind by the times. Things that have been discarded by the tides of history should obediently stay buried in the depths of the past, forever.
"Now, your Reincarnation Sect actually harbors the wild fantasy of reemerging to stir up trouble? Very well, if that's the case, then true and utter destruction awaits you." Leaning on his black cane before the Reincarnation Passage, the old man wobbled as he delivered this speech.
"That guy seems to be from the Great Netherworld. The energy aura emanating from his body is the same as those from the Great Netherworld," Hun Lao suddenly spoke up.
"Yes, this fellow should be a powerhouse from the Great Netherworld," Ye Yunfei said, noting that traces of black mist would occasionally seep from the elder's form, carrying an eerie, Yin-cold scent.
Ye Yunfei had encountered many members of the Great Netherworld before and was quite familiar with their unique energy aura.
"Indeed, it's a guy from the Great Netherworld. All the cultivation techniques and martial skills he practices are of the Yin-Dark type," Huang Shang said, joining the conversation.
"The Great Netherworld's legacy not only includes Ghost Path techniques but also Corpse Path techniques, along with various other high-level Yin-Dark cultivation methods and martial arts," Huang Shang added.
"Judging from what this guy said, the Great Netherworld wants to wrestle with the Reincarnation Sect for the right to preside over the world's order of Samsara.
"The Great Netherworld established the Underworld Palace. Nowadays, in many worlds, the souls of the deceased who wish to be reincarnated often journey to the Underworld Palace. So, to an extent, they have indeed taken over the management of the world's Samsara order," Hun Lao commented.