"Ye Yunfei, this is the Eastern Alliance's headquarters. Please do not act recklessly!" the green-robed elder shouted loudly.
"Halt!" The other three Grotto-Heaven Realm experts also stepped forward, shouting in unison.
In total, four Grotto-Heaven Realm experts stood facing off against Ye Yunfei—one at the Fourth Level of Grotto-Heaven, two at the Third Level, and one at the Second Level. These four, including the Elder Zhou currently in Ye Yunfei's grasp, were all experts dispatched by the Hujie City to the Eastern Domain to organize the Eastern Alliance and resist the invasion of the Otherworldly Army. Naturally, they were also the Eastern Alliance's highest-ranking leaders.
"Anyone who dares to move, I will kill," Ye Yunfei said coldly, hands clasped behind his back as his murderous gaze swept over the four Grotto-Heaven experts.
The four Grotto-Heaven experts stirred their internal spiritual power wildly, itching to charge forward. Yet, they still feared Ye Yunfei in the end. They had no idea to what extent Ye Yunfei's combat power reached. Elder Zhou, a Third-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert, had been captured in a single move before Ye Yunfei, utterly powerless to resist. The combat prowess Ye Yunfei displayed was too bizarre, too terrifying. These four experts lacked the confidence!
"He Houfeng, pick up that whip. Go seek revenge. Show no mercy." Ye Yunfei kicked the blue-shirted youth named Fengyun Yan to a spot before He Houfeng.
"Yes!" He Houfeng immediately picked up the spiked whip that Fengyun Yan had wielded earlier and gave Fengyun Yan a cold smile.
"What are you going to do! I am a core disciple of the Fengyun Family…" Fengyun Yan exclaimed in alarm.
The response he received was the whip raining down on him.
He Houfeng, having been beaten nearly to death with this very whip moments ago, naturally held nothing back now that he had his chance for revenge. He whipped Fengyun Yan fiercely.
Fengyun Yan shrieked continuously.
After a moment, his cries grew weaker and weaker. Finally, unable to endure the torture, he was beaten to death.
The Eastern Alliance's higher-ups, especially the four Grotto-Heaven experts, exchanged glances, but none dared step forward to intervene.
"You are from the Xiao Clan?" Suddenly, Ye Yunfei's gaze fell upon one of the Third-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm experts—a grey-robed elder on whose body Ye Yunfei detected the aura of the Xiao Clan's cultivation techniques.
"Ye Yunfei, what do you want! I was dispatched by City Master Gu. Don't act recklessly!" The grey-robed elder's face went pale with fright as he hastily retreated.
Whoosh!
With a thought from Ye Yunfei, his Heavenly Soul Sword slashed out.
"Ahh!" The grey-robed elder screamed, his body flying backward on the spot, blood streaming from his nose and mouth. He crashed to the ground, convulsing uncontrollably. It was clear he wouldn't survive.
The others felt chills crawl down their spines. A Third-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert, killed instantaneously just like that! The methods Ye Yunfei displayed were simply terrifying!
"Ye Yunfei, Elder Xiao was sent to the Eastern Domain by City Master Gu! How dare you kill him!" The Fourth-Level Grotto-Heaven expert was both shocked and furious.
"If he's from the Xiao Clan, he must die. Not even the mightiest king sending him could have prevented it," Ye Yunfei sneered, his gaze shifting to the other three Grotto-Heaven experts.
These three experts, including the Fourth-Level one, felt their scalps prickle under Ye Yunfei's scrutinizing gaze. They secretly activated their power, ready to resist if Ye Yunfei made a move at any moment.
Ye Yunfei's gaze swept over the three experts. Finding no one affiliated with the four major forces—the Fengyun Family, Xiao Clan, Tianyan Sect, or Shenfeng Sect—he finally backed down. Having dealt with these four Central Continent powerhouses multiple times, Ye Yunfei was now intimately familiar with their cultivation techniques and could easily recognize them on sight.
"You lot can avoid death for now," Ye Yunfei said indifferently.
Hearing this, the three Grotto-Heaven experts couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. If unnecessary, they truly didn't want to clash with Ye Yunfei.
Right at this moment—Whoosh!
With a thought from Ye Yunfei, the Heavenly Soul Sword flew out, separately attacking the soul seas of the three Grotto-Heaven experts.
"Ye Yunfei, what are you doing!" The three experts discovered a small sword now resided within their soul seas and were horrified.
Fortunately, in the next instant, Ye Yunfei recalled the Heavenly Soul Sword.
"I've left a mark on your Soul Bodies," Ye Yunfei said coldly. "Once the Otherworldly Army is repelled, I will settle accounts with each of you in turn."
Although these three Grotto-Heaven experts before him weren't from those four top-tier forces, as the Eastern Alliance's high command, they had allowed members of those four forces to capture members of the Ye Family and Tianyuan Sect. Ye Yunfei was not one to easily let such a debt go unsettled.
"Ye Yunfei, you…" The three experts were all both frightened and furious. Yet, they simply didn't dare to step forward and engage.
The ease with which Ye Yunfei had just left a mark on their Soul Bodies was a truly dreadful method.
"We're leaving." Ye Yunfei waved a hand, transporting all several thousand members of the Tianyuan Sect, Ye Family, and Luohai Trading Company into the Phantom Tower.
Then, he took Fengyun Jue and soared into the sky, boarding the flying ship. They set off towards the direction of the Central Continent.
The Eastern Alliance's higher-ups watched Ye Yunfei depart one by one, their expressions complex.
"I truly never imagined Ye Yunfei's combat power had reached such a degree," the Fourth-Level Grotto-Heaven expert couldn't help but sigh and shake his head. "Even I have no confidence in facing him in battle."
"I have a premonition that his return to the Central Continent this time will stir up a torrent of bloodshed!" the Third-Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert also lamented.
"After repelling the Otherworldly Army, will he really come to settle accounts with us?" The Second-Level Grotto-Heaven expert sounded somewhat worried.
"This Otherworldly Army invasion is formidable and fierce. Whether our Tianxuan Continent can even defeat them remains uncertain. Perhaps we will fall in battle on some future day. Let's not think so far ahead for now," the Fourth-Level Grotto-Heaven expert sighed in the end.
Meanwhile, on a flying ship racing at full speed towards the Central Continent, Ye Yunfei stood with a grim expression, looking down at the blood-soaked Elder Zhou lying on the floor before him. The events in the Imperial Capital of the Changban Empire had delayed him nearly half an hour in total, and he was now extremely anxious.
Fengyun Jue stood respectfully beside Ye Yunfei, hands hanging by his sides.
"Speak! Where are the other members of the Ye Family, Tianyuan Sect, and Luohai Trading Company? Where are you taking them?!" Ye Yunfei demanded.
"Hmph! Ye Yunfei, if you wish to save them, treat me with more respect. Otherwise…" Elder Zhou snorted coldly.
Thud!
Before Elder Zhou could finish, Ye Yunfei swung his hand and chopped off one of his thighs. Now, only one leg remained among Elder Zhou's four limbs.
"Ahh…" Elder Zhou screamed in agony.
"Speak," Ye Yunfei commanded frostily.
"Ye Yunfei, you…" Elder Zhou roared.
Thud!
Ye Yunfei waved his hand again, severing Elder Zhou's remaining leg. Thus, Elder Zhou was left limbless.
"Speak," Ye Yunfei inquired coldly.
"Ye Yunfei, you are too vicious!" Elder Zhou let out a wretched howl.
Whoosh!
Ye Yunfei focused his intent, sending his Heavenly Soul Sword into Elder Zhou's soul sea, targeting his Soul Body for slicing. Ye Yunfei carefully controlled the force to avoid shattering Elder Zhou's Soul Body outright. However, this level of torment instantly inflicted immense agony upon Elder Zhou.
This was pain inflicted directly upon the Soul Body!
"Ahhh…" Within the flying ship, Elder Zhou's tortured screams echoed.
These agonized cries persisted for nearly half an hour. Elder Zhou was on the brink of death, almost crushed by the pain.
"Stop… I… will speak," Elder Zhou finally relented, unable to endure this endless torture any longer, and opened his mouth to talk.