Cui Tianguo's expression shifted uncertainly as a fierce internal struggle waged within his heart.
He knew that intervening in this matter meant provoking the four top forces of the Central Continent, with serious consequences.
But Ye Yunfei's figure kept appearing in his mind.
Though Ye Yunfei was merely a junior, his feats were monstrous, demonstrating terrifying potential.
The scene of Ye Yunfei slaying over sixty Otherworldly experts still stirred awe and shock within Cui Tianguo.
Deep down, he even had a vague premonition that he would regret it if he didn't act today.
"Xiao Shang, you cannot do this," Cui Tianguo declared with difficulty. "As the commander of Qingzhou City's garrison, I will not allow you to hand our own people over to the Otherworldly Army!"
Ultimately, after a torturous inner battle, Cui Tianguo made his decision. His figure flashed as he positioned himself before the members of Hudao Academy.
Seeing this, Cui Tianguo's few trusted followers gritted their teeth and stepped forward to stand behind him.
As for the other Grotto-Heaven Realm experts from the Tianxuan Continent, they all remained silent.
On one side were four top forces; on the other was Hudao Academy. They couldn't afford to offend either!
"Cui Tianguo, you must think this through clearly," Fengyun Yue said angrily. "Choosing the wrong side carries consequences."
"Hmph! Your Fengyun Family may be powerful, but that doesn't frighten Cui Tianguo!" Cui Tianguo replied, steeling his resolve.
"Good! Fine! Very good!" Fengyun Yue roared in fury.
"Hahaha, amusing! Look, these fools from Tianxuan Continent are lowly and stupid, even fighting among themselves now!" The Otherworldly experts surrounding Qingzhou City all wore mocking smiles.
---
Inside the Phantom Tower,
the previous deafening roars within the massive iron cauldron had quieted.
At a certain moment,
Ye Yunfei slowly rose from within the cauldron.
"Finally, I have succeeded in cultivating the seventh layer of the Heavenly Demon Blood-Refining Body Art," Ye Yunfei said to himself.
With a gentle clenching of his fist,
boundless divine brilliance suddenly surged from his body.
Rolling blood and qi steamed upwards, and terrifying, tsunami-like booms erupted from within him.
Divine light sparkled brightly within Ye Yunfei's eyes, making him appear like a Deity!
At this moment, Ye Yunfei felt his entire body was filled with terrifying power—power to rend mountains and shake the heavens and earth!
"With this breakthrough, my physical strength has nearly doubled!" he stated with satisfaction. "It's reached sixty million jin! The effect is quite good."
"When I fuse enough Profound Yellow Heavy Qi on top of this, my comprehensive physical strength can reach seventy million jin!"
"Even a Tenth Level Grotto-Heaven Realm cultivator... I could shatter them with a single punch!"
"More importantly, with this breakthrough, I have developed a Body Divine Ability reaching thirty zhang in height! Once I unleash this divine ability, the power my physique can erupt with will be even greater."
"I fear a Tenth Level Grotto-Heaven expert could be crushed between a flick of my fingers!" Ye Yunfei declared with confidence.
---
Next, Ye Yunfei waved a hand, and the Xuanhuang Tower flew out.
He began fusing the Profound Yellow Heavy Qi.
With his physique greatly enhanced, the amount of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi he could fuse naturally increased as well.
Half a day later,
the total amount of Profound Yellow Heavy Qi fused by Ye Yunfei had reached two hundred strands!
Seventy million jin of comprehensive physical strength!
At this moment, terrifying, rumbling sounds echoed from within every single pore and cell of Ye Yunfei's body.
A mere flick of Ye Yunfei's fingernail could cause the air to explode and vanish!
He felt a terrifying sense that he could pulverize anything!
"It's time to return to Qingzhou City and check on the situation," Ye Yunfei thought. "Two days have passed. The Otherworldly Army has likely made its move."
Ye Yunfei moved, exiting the Phantom Tower and appearing in the mountain cave.
"Master!"
"Ye Yunfei!"
Hu Miao and Huang Shang were overjoyed to see him.
"Ye Yunfei, your current strength..." Huang Shang sensed Ye Yunfei's physique and felt a terrifying pressure radiating from it. He couldn't help but ask, astonished.
"It improved somewhat," Ye Yunfei replied with a smile.
---
Then,
Ye Yunfei activated his movement technique and headed back towards Qingzhou City.
With his current physical strength, the speed of his movement technique was astonishing.
Each step could cover a distance of a thousand meters.
Under the tenfold acceleration of the Heavenly Shadow Robe, he could shrink the earth and tread it down inch by inch, vanishing like an immortal one instant and reappearing the next.
Moreover, the mountain range Ye Yunfei had chosen for secluded cultivation was actually very close to Qingzhou City.
He could return within moments!
---
Meanwhile, in Qingzhou City...
"Cui Tianguo! Are you truly determined to interfere in this matter?!" Xiao Shang roared.
"Xiao Shang, do you truly believe that handing Hudao Academy's people over will make these Otherworldly forces retreat?" Cui Tianguo retorted. "You're being naive."
"With a great enemy at our gates, I advise you not to act against your own people. At a time like this, unity and facing the enemy together is the correct choice."
"Senior Xiao, no need to waste words with him," Fengyun Yue said with a cold laugh. "Let's act."
The Grotto-Heaven Realm experts from the four top Central Continent forces all began advancing on Hudao Academy's members. Faced with such an excellent opportunity to deal with the academy, they couldn't possibly miss it.
"Fine!" Xiao Shang shouted. "Move! Take down Hudao Academy's people!"
Immediately, a massive wave of troops—like a tide—swarmed forth to surround Hudao Academy's faction.
Their numbers were immense—over a hundred thousand strong!
These were Xiao Shang's trusted subordinates.
Hudao Academy, on the other hand, had just over four thousand members.
Cui Tianguo only had a few thousand trusted followers who had stepped behind him.
The rest, afraid of offending the four top Central Continent forces, dared not step forward.
"Attack!" Xiao Shang waved his hand.
The hundred-thousand-strong force surged forward, beginning their assault.
"Repel the enemy!" A Guardian Elder from Hudao Academy bellowed.
Boom! Boom!...
Hudao Academy's four thousand-plus members had long since formed the Slaughter Formation. Now, a sky-shaking, terrifying killing intent erupted from them—deep as an abyss, vast as the ocean—linking together like dozens of volcanoes erupting simultaneously.
The startling killing intent coalesced into the phantom of a Slaughter God, towering between heaven and earth, holding two giant axes, its battle aura astounding.
Though Hudao Academy only numbered over four thousand, the combat power unleashed by their Slaughter Formation was immensely powerful.
"How is this possible?!"
"A mere low-level continent actually has such a fearsome battle formation!"
The Otherworldly experts in the distance were all profoundly shocked.
With their discerning eyes, they naturally recognized the terrifying nature of the Slaughter Formation.
"If our Ancient Demon Race could obtain this battle formation," the Ancient Demon Race expert named Suo Tian, standing at the forefront of the Otherworldly Army, stared intently at Hudao Academy's forces, his body trembling slightly with excitement, "and deploy it with ten thousand demon warriors as a single unit... We could likely rampage unchecked across the entire Xuanhuang Star Domain!"
"This battle formation is too precious! We must obtain it, no matter the cost!"
As an experienced general within the Ancient Demon Race who often led troops in campaigns, he naturally recognized the immense value of such a formation!
---
At this moment, within Qingzhou City, the Grotto-Heaven Realm experts from both sides also began to clash.
On Hudao Academy's side, there were three Guardian Elders, five regular Elders, plus Cui Tianguo and a few of his trusted followers—eleven Grotto-Heaven Realm experts in total.
On Xiao Shang's side, there were twenty!
Soon, Hudao Academy's side began falling into a disadvantageous position, retreating step by step.
"Xiao Shang! Just you wait! Our Hudao Academy will never let this go!" a Guardian Elder from Hudao Academy roared furiously. "Dean Ye will emerge from seclusion soon. He will surely hold you accountable!"
"Heh, I, Xiao Shang, have never feared your Hudao Academy," Xiao Shang replied with a cold sneer. "I certainly don't fear some junior brat. If Ye Yunfei stood before me right now, I could extinguish him with a mere wave of my hand."
It was at this exact moment...
"Oh? Is that so?"
A cold voice rang out.
Everyone's gaze shifted to see a young man, his face filled with fury, approaching through the air.