Zhongzhou, Tianyue Empire.
The entrance and exit to the Crystal Mine Small World were located within the borders of the Tianyue Empire.
Not long ago, with the opening of the Small World, a massive influx of martial artists had swarmed into the empire.
These past two days, after the Crystal Mine Small World had closed, the Tianyue Empire had become relatively quiet again.
At this moment, deep within a desolate mountain range in the Tianyue Empire.
Inside a certain cave.
In a corner lay a speck of dust.
This speck of dust was, in fact, the Phantom Tower.
Inside the Phantom Tower.
Ye Yunfei sat cross-legged, a strand of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi suspended before him.
For these past two days, Ye Yunfei had been secluded inside the Phantom Tower, fusing the Profound Yellow Heavy Qi.
His physical body strength had reached ten million jin; Ye Yunfei wanted to see how many strands of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi he could fuse now.
Fusing Profound Yellow Heavy Qi could not be rushed.
The energy was comparatively overbearing; a single lapse in attention could cause it to erupt. Even with his current physical body toughness, Ye Yunfei dared not underestimate it.
Time flowed slowly.
Unknowingly,
Over half a year had passed.
To Ye Yunfei's pleasant surprise, he discovered that as his physical strength increased, his speed of fusing the Profound Yellow Heavy Qi had also become faster.
During these over half a year, he had fused a total of twenty strands of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi!
Combined with the previous ten strands, the number of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi strands fused into Ye Yunfei's body had reached thirty!
Boom...
Ye Yunfei gave a slight tremble of his body, and a violent hurricane of power, vast and mighty, surged from within his physical form.
"Ten million jin of raw physical strength, plus thirty strands of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi. The overall force I can exert now has reached at least fourteen million, or even fifteen million jin!"
"Such force can easily crush an early-stage Mystic Liquid Realm expert to death!"
Ye Yunfei muttered to himself, feeling quite satisfied.
"Moreover, the Profound Yellow Heavy Qi doesn't just increase strength; it also possesses formidable defensive capabilities."
"I have already cultivated the Greenwood Emperor Body. Now, with thirty strands of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi fused into my body, even if I stood still and let a Yuan Foundation Realm martial artist attack me, they probably couldn't harm a single hair on me."
His words carried a thread of self-assurance.
"It's time to return to Hudao Academy."
After savoring his physical power for a moment, Ye Yunfei announced.
Thus,
Ye Yunfei left the Phantom Tower, reappearing inside the cave.
He walked out of the cave, took out a flying ship, and boarded it.
Whoosh!
The flying ship shot into the sky, heading back in the direction of Hudao Academy.
At this moment,
The journey from the Tianyue Empire back to Hudao Academy would take about three to four days.
Inside the ship.
Ye Yunfei sat quietly in meditation.
"Master, with your current physical strength, even if you encountered a Mid Stage Mystic Liquid Realm expert, you wouldn't have to flee in defeat anymore, would you?"
Hu Miao appeared beside Ye Yunfei and asked.
"I can hold my own against a Mid Stage Mystic Liquid Realm expert now."
"Even if I can't win, I wouldn't need to flee in panic anymore."
Ye Yunfei smiled.
"By the way, Hu Miao, roughly what level is your strength at now?"
Ye Yunfei inquired.
"My current strength should be enough to defeat ordinary late-stage Yuan Foundation Realm practitioners."
"But, it seems very difficult to progress further; I'm stuck."
"Also, having been suppressed for several centuries in the past, my injuries have only recovered about forty percent."
"I don't know when I'll be fully recovered."
Hu Miao replied, her tone carrying a hint of dejection.
"If I'm not mistaken, your strength at your peak should have been around the fifth level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm, right?"
Ye Yunfei said.
"That's correct."
Hu Miao nodded.
"Actually, restoring your injuries isn't particularly difficult."
"All it requires is refining a single Fourth-Grade Treasure Pill."
"However, refining a Fourth-Grade Treasure Pill demands Fourth-Grade Treasure Herbs."
"I suspect that on the Tianxuan Continent, only the Central Continent Alchemy Tower might possess such herbs."
Ye Yunfei explained.
"Ye Yunfei, you can refine Fourth-Grade Treasure Pills?!"
Huang Shang, having overheard Ye Yunfei's words, was utterly shocked and couldn't help but speak up.
Spirit Pills were graded from one to nine; Treasure Pills were similarly graded.
First to Third-Grade Treasure Pills were considered Lower-Grade.
Fourth to Sixth-Grade were Middle-Grade.
Seventh to Ninth-Grade were Upper-Grade.
"Of course I can."
"Given the right materials, forget Fourth-Grade Treasure Pills; even Eighth or Ninth-Grade ones, I can refine."
Ye Yunfei chuckled.
"From what I know, the Tower Master of the Central Continent Alchemy Tower, along with a few reclusive elders, can at most refine Third-Grade Treasure Pills."
"Ye Yunfei, you can actually refine Fourth-Grade ones!"
"Doesn't that mean, on the Tianxuan Continent, your alchemical skill is unparalleled!"
Huang Shang said, his shock evident.
"The Tianxuan Continent is merely a lower-tier continent. Its alchemists don't amount to much."
"The alchemical standard here isn't worth mentioning."
Ye Yunfei stated.
"Ye Yunfei, I truly cannot see through you at all."
Huang Shang, having nothing to say in reply, sighed.
"Pfft!"
"Of course you can't see through Master."
"If someone of your level could see through him, that would be truly something."
Hu Miao curled her lips.
"Right."
"Elder Huang, your strength should also be equivalent to the late-stage Yuan Foundation Realm, correct?"
Ye Yunfei asked.
"Correct."
"My current realm roughly equates to a late-stage Yuan Foundation Realm human martial artist."
"However, I can instantly kill the vast majority of late-stage Yuan Foundation cultivators."
"As a ghost cultivator, I feel I can easily suppress opponents of the same tier."
"And I'm afraid that even an early-stage Mystic Liquid Realm expert wouldn't be able to do much to me."
Huang Shang smiled.
"Hmm."
"Killing a ghost cultivator is indeed somewhat challenging."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Alright then."
"Let's find a time for me to make a trip to the Central Continent Alchemy Tower."
"We'll see if we can obtain some useful Treasure Herbs."
"When the time comes, I'll refine a few Treasure Pills for both of you to aid your breakthroughs."
"Human martial artists face many side effects from consuming too many pills."
"But the two of you are different."
"For you, consuming even a large amount of pills won't cause harm, only benefits."
Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
Just at that moment.
Suddenly.
High up in the sky, an enormous hand of spiritual power abruptly appeared, swift as lightning, and reached out to grab Ye Yunfei's flying ship.
Rumble...
That spiritual power hand radiated a terrifying aura of spiritual pressure, crushing down like a mountain.
Crack, crack...
Instantly, cracks appeared all over the flying ship; it was on the verge of exploding.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Power was extraordinarily formidable.
The moment that spiritual power hand appeared, Ye Yunfei detected it.
At the split second of life and death.
Whoosh!
Ye Yunfei's figure instantly flashed out from within the ship.
Boom!
The entire flying ship was crushed to pieces by that giant spiritual hand, exploding into a skyful of fragments.
Although Ye Yunfei had dodged swiftly, a powerful ripple of residual spiritual pressure still struck him, making his body tremble and his face pale slightly.
"Ye Yunfei, you finally show yourself."
A voice sounded.
Then, in the nearby sky, four figures materialized simultaneously.
Four Grotto-Heaven Realm experts!
These four experts stood in four different positions, surrounding Ye Yunfei completely in the center.