"You flatter me, Brother Qin. You are already a Third Level Sovereign God yourself. Your cultivation isn't inferior to mine."
Ye Yunfei smiled as he spoke.
"Though I am also a Third Level Sovereign God, mine is as far apart as heaven and earth when compared to yours. Those two Seventh-Level Sovereign Gods from the Great Netherworld were captured by you with such ease just now, Senior Brother Ye. Compared to you, I wouldn't even be worthy of carrying your shoes."
Qin Yuanyu replied.
"Brother Qin jokes. Your talent is truly quite good as well. Your future accomplishments may not necessarily be inferior to mine. It's likely that I've simply experienced a few more things, hence my current strength is a bit higher. Nothing to make a fuss about."
Ye Yunfei said.
"Senior Brother Ye, you need not be so modest. Over-modesty becomes a bit disingenuous. With your strength, you can already be considered a rare prodigy among our generation."
Qin Yuanyu insisted.
"Qin Yuanyu, are you acquainted with Young Master Ye?"
The four Sixth-Level Sovereign Gods of the Reincarnation Sect, seeing Ye Yunfei and Qin Yuanyu chatting and laughing in a relaxed atmosphere, couldn't help but ask.
"Replying to the Elders, I am indeed acquainted with Senior Brother Ye, and have been for a long time. Before I was brought to the training base, we had already met inside a Reincarnation Passage back then. You could say we have an old friendship."
Qin Yuanyu answered immediately.
"So that's how it is. Young Master Ye is a true dragon among men. The fact that you are acquainted with him is remarkable personal connections! In the future, you must learn more from Young Master Ye and strive for progress."
One of the Sixth-Level Sovereign Gods said to Qin Yuanyu.
"I'll remember that, Elder Liu."
Qin Yuanyu quickly replied.
"By the way, Brother Qin, I'd like to inquire about a certain person: Su Qingluo. She's also a Reincarnation Heir of your Reincarnation Sect. Do you happen to know her whereabouts?"
Ye Yunfei asked with a faint smile.
"Senior Brother Ye, if I recall correctly, this isn't the first time you've asked about Lady Su, is it? Seems you can't forget her."
Qin Yuanyu immediately chuckled as he spoke.
"Qingluo and I actually met a long, long time ago."
Ye Yunfei explained.
"'Qingluo'? Senior Brother Ye, you call her so intimately! But you'd better not let those core legacy disciples of our sect who have been pursuing Lady Su know, or they'd all get jealous. Lady Su is currently the most popular goddess among the younger generation of our sect's heirs. Although, with Senior Brother Ye's strength, you certainly have the qualifications to join the ranks of her pursuers. In fact, you'd likely be one of the most competitive. Even though I am also one of Lady Su's admirers, I absolutely support you pursuing her."
Qin Yuanyu declared, patting his chest.
"I want to know where Qingluo is now."
Ye Yunfei gave another faint smile, opting not to explain further, and asked directly.
"I truly don't know at the moment. Our Reincarnation Sect has several secret training bases dedicated to cultivating heirs. Lady Su and I are not in the same base. I've only heard of her reputation; I don't know which specific base she is in. Perhaps you could ask these Elders."
Qin Yuanyu answered.
"Young Master Ye, are you asking about Su Qingluo? She is one of the core legacy disciples of our Reincarnation Sect. Previously, she was cultivating in a rather important training base, but she has now left that base and is out performing various missions. As a core legacy disciple, she is highly valued by several core Elders at our sect headquarters. Usually, those core Elders personally assign her tasks. We ordinary Elders don't know her current whereabouts. Our Reincarnation Sect has a deep grudge with the Great Netherworld. Especially lately, the Great Netherworld has become restless and begun taking action against us. Therefore, the whereabouts of our sect's heirs, particularly the core legacy disciples, are considered confidential and are generally not widely disclosed. So we truly do not know where Su Qingluo is at the moment."
One of the Sixth-Level Sovereign Gods, having listened to the conversation between Ye Yunfei and Qin Yuanyu, spoke up.
"So it's like that. Still unable to learn Qingluo's whereabouts from these Reincarnation Sect members."
A trace of regret arose in Ye Yunfei's heart.
"Although you cannot learn her specific location for now, one thing is certain: she is safe and is doing quite well. Now that the Reincarnation Sect is preparing to return, and its members are gradually beginning to appear and travel throughout the Chaotic Void Sea, I believe it won't be long before you get a chance to find her."
Hun Lao comforted.
"Furthermore, you are currently the number one target pursued by the Guardian Faction. It's best not to publicly reveal your relationship with her. If the Guardian Faction were to find out, it could cause trouble for her."
Hun Lao added.
"That's true indeed."
Ye Yunfei nodded upon hearing Hun Lao's analysis.
"Elders, Brother Qin, it is time for me to take my leave."
Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said.
"Very well, Young Master Ye. Thank you for helping us against the enemy. Reincarnation Passages are forbidden grounds of our Reincarnation Sect. Generally, only the dead may enter. Therefore, we cannot conveniently invite you inside."
Upon hearing Ye Yunfei's words, a Sixth-Level Sovereign God spoke.
"Senior Brother Ye, leaving so soon? Why don't we find another place to sit and have a proper chat about old times?"
Qin Yuanyu immediately suggested.
"Brother Qin, I still have rather important matters to attend to. Another time, when there's a chance, we'll find a time and place for a proper chat."
At the moment, Ye Yunfei was in no mood whatsoever for catching up.
"Well... alright then, Senior Brother Ye. Remember, when you have some free time, we two must indeed find a time and place to have a proper gathering."
Qin Yuanyu, seeing Ye Yunfei's eager attitude to leave, could only say helplessly.
Ye Yunfei soared into the sky and disappeared into the distance in an instant.
"Young Master Ye's movement speed is truly astonishing. I actually couldn't sense it."
Before the four Sixth-Level Sovereign Gods of the Reincarnation Sect could even react, they realized Ye Yunfei had vanished. Their Soul Power couldn't perceive *how* he had left or *which* direction he had gone. All they perceived was his figure flashing once before completely disappearing.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei returned to a branch stronghold of the Guardian Faction. Of course, this stronghold was already under Ye Yunfei's control. The Sovereign Gods of the Guardian Faction within it had been suppressed and sealed long ago, and all the Heavenly Gods inside had become his clones.
"Young Master Ye, you've finally returned!"
When Ye Yunfei entered a hall within the stronghold, Elder Song and a group of Hunyuan Sect Sovereign Gods, who had been waiting there, were extremely excited to see him back.
"Young Master Ye, news has just arrived. In the Fourth Void, the war between our Hunyuan Sect and the Guardian Faction is about to begin. I've already sent people to contact Elder Li, who is overseeing our affairs in that void. Elder Li asks us to proceed directly to the branch stronghold to meet up with him, then lead the army together to face the Guardian Faction. Young Master Ye, what do you think?"
Elder Song stepped forward to report.
"There's no need to rush. Let's wait until the armies of both sides truly engage before we make our move, and we'll operate in secret. I believe our effectiveness will be greater if we act from the shadows. If we expose ourselves too eagerly and draw the Guardian Faction's attention, their headquarters might dispatch even more experts and armies."
Ye Yunfei considered and spoke.
"Young Master Ye, we will act according to your wishes."
Elder Song immediately said.
"Indeed, Young Master Ye. Please issue whatever commands you deem fit. We will all act according to your wishes."
The other Hunyuan Sect Sovereign Gods around also spoke up one after another. They had followed Ye Yunfei into battle in the Fifth Void and held him in the utmost admiration.
"Let's do this. Everyone, rest well here for now and await the opportune moment for action."
Ye Yunfei nodded and instructed.
Ye Yunfei then entered a cultivation chamber. He set up a Formation and created a pocket-sized Small World within it before entering his Phantom Tower.
"Time to devour these two fellows' Soul Bodies."
His gaze fell upon two Sovereign Gods exuding an aura of Yin-cold energy. They were the two Seventh-Level Sovereign Gods from the Great Netherworld whom he had suppressed and sealed in the valley earlier.
With a thought, Ye Yunfei activated his Soul Force Planets method and began devouring the two Seventh-Level Sovereign Gods' Soul Bodies. Suppressed and sealed, both their physical bodies and Soul Bodies were powerless to resist.
Not long after, Ye Yunfei had successively devoured their Soul Bodies and obtained most of their memories.
"So it really is related to the Great Netherworld: why the Reincarnation Sect declined, why most of the world's Samsara Passages became desolate. It turns out that these two forces, the Great Netherworld and the Reincarnation Sect, fought a war in ancient times. After the war, the Reincarnation Sect's vitality was severely damaged, and it began to decline. Most of the world's Samsara Passages were affected and then fell into ruin.
The Great Netherworld didn't achieve a complete victory either; it too suffered heavy losses in that war, with most of its branch strongholds destroyed by the Reincarnation Sect. In short, in the ancient war, both major forces suffered devastating damage and failed to recover. Subsequently, both forces went into seclusion, appearing in the world only rarely.
However, it seems the Great Netherworld regained its vitality earlier. It established underworld palaces in many world clusters, forcibly presiding over the order of Samsara. Now, the Reincarnation Sect also appears to be returning. They keep appearing in various voids; many already-desolate Reincarnation Passages show signs of Reincarnation Heirs, and some have even been repaired, beginning to accept souls again for reincarnation and rebirth.
Thus, there are now two systems for the Samsara cycle of rebirth in the world: the Reincarnation Sect's Passages, and the underworld palaces established by the Great Netherworld.
According to the memories of those two Great Netherworld Seventh-Level Sovereign Gods, the Great Netherworld, in order to seize control over the world's Samsara and reincarnation, dispatched vast numbers of agents to various voids and world clusters to capture wandering souls and bring them back to their underworld palaces, forcing them to undergo Samsara rebirth there. To increase the number of available souls, they have even carried out massacres in inconspicuous worlds, turning countless innocent living beings of those worlds into wandering souls, then forcibly bringing them back to the underworld.
The Great Netherworld is truly an evil faction."
Having extracted their memories, Ye Yunfei couldn't help but speak coldly, his loathing for the Great Netherworld deepening.
"Outrageous! To increase their supply of souls, the Great Netherworld actually massacred so many innocent beings? Their crimes are truly as vast as heaven itself!"
After hearing Ye Yunfei describe the deeds of the Great Netherworld, Hun Lao couldn't help but exclaim.