"Venerable Baiyun!"
Everyone in the vicinity was shocked.
This withered, gaunt elder was a Grand Elder of the Tianji Sect, renowned throughout the entire Xuanhuang Star Domain. His skills in divination were famous across the starry realm, earning him the title Venerable Baiyun!
"Get Elder Baiyun back to rest immediately!" a senior member of the Tianji Sect standing nearby barked.
Two Tianji Sect disciples immediately scurried over, helped Venerable Baiyun to his feet, and led him away from the great hall.
"So, Ye Yunfei is hiding in the Beihuang Domain. Now that we know his whereabouts, things are simpler. Pass down the order: our Demon Race will spare no effort. Even if we have to comb through every single inch of soil across the Beihuang Domain's eighteen provinces, we will find Ye Yunfei!" a tall member of the Demon Race said through gritted teeth.
"Our sect will also dispatch men immediately to the Beihuang Domain to search for Ye Yunfei! The Sky-Shading Cover is a vital treasure of our Tianji Sect. We must get it back!" a Tianji Sect senior also ordered.
At this time, within the Small World that housed the cave abode of True Lord Dongzhuo...
In front of the verdant palace, a large group of young martial artists was attacking the various Formations guarding the palace gates with full force.
The rumbling sounds shook the entire Small World.
More and more people were drawn to the commotion and rushed over, joining the effort to break the Formations.
Boom!
Finally, under the combined assault of the crowd, one of the Formations shattered.
"Excellent!"
"Keep it up, everyone!"
...
Everyone was incredibly excited, cheering, and attacked the remaining Formations with even greater fervor.
"Damnation! Su Ye and Du Fan actually managed to get inside! They're going to escape death even in this situation!" Ouyang Feng gnashed his teeth, filled with extreme unwillingness, as he channeled all his strength, madly attacking the Formations. "No matter what, Su Ye, Du Fan, I absolutely will not let you two return alive to the Houtu Sect this time!" Ouyang Feng's killing intent was thick and palpable.
Meanwhile, inside the palace...
After Ye Yunfei and Da Di Daozhang entered, they found themselves in a vast, spacious hall. In the center of the hall, there was a jade meditation mat. An elder wearing feather garments and a star-adorned headpiece sat cross-legged upon it.
This elder had completely white hair and beard, but ruddy skin. His eyes were slightly closed, as if in deep meditation.
"True Lord Dongzhuo!" Da Di Daozhang was startled.
True Lord Dongzhuo was once one of the most top-tier experts in the Beihuang Domain, his prestige awe-inspiring.
"It seems he tried to forcibly break through his cultivation realm, lost control and died on the spot from Qi Deviation," Ye Yunfei observed, glancing at True Lord Dongzhuo's body and quickly discerning the cause.
"That is..." Suddenly, Ye Yunfei's gaze fell upon a treasure pearl beside True Lord Dongzhuo. The pearl was about the size of a fist. Hazily, one could see wisps of green mist swirling within it.
"This treasure pearl contains a vast sea of Wood-attribute energy and natural laws!" Ye Yunfei couldn't help but feel a surge of joy. He reached out with his hand, and the pearl flew into his grasp with a pull of energy.
"This pearl is a Wood-element treasure. It can automatically absorb the Wood-attribute energy and laws from the world, making it perfect for assisting in cultivating Wood-element techniques," Ye Yunfei mused, turning the pearl over in his palm for a moment, roughly understanding its nature.
"Such a Wood-element treasure would be extremely effective for cultivating the Greenwood Emperor Body. I could even refine this pearl into my body, making it a part of my Greenwood Emperor Body. In the future, if I'm injured, I could simply activate it to automatically absorb Wood-attribute energy and laws from the world to heal my damaged physique." Ye Yunfei grew somewhat excited, carefully stashing the pearl away.
One could say this treasure pearl was the single greatest harvest Ye Yunfei had obtained since entering True Lord Dongzhuo's cave abode.
Right at this moment, Ye Yunfei's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he jerked his head up. Above him, deep within the void, a phantom-like face suddenly appeared. Its gaze seemed to pierce through the distant layers of space and time, looking directly toward Ye Yunfei's location.
"Someone is performing divination to locate me!" Ye Yunfei's face darkened.
He fiercely bit the tip of his tongue, then formed a secret hand seal and spat out a mouthful of vital essence blood. This was a secret technique specifically used to block others from divining one's location.
"It seems it should be someone proficient in divination from somewhere in the Xuanhuang Star Domain, performing a divination to track me. It's a pity my current strength is too weak. Otherwise, anyone who dared to divine me would be slain through the void by my will alone!" A cold glint flashed in Ye Yunfei's eyes.
"The person just now has likely pinpointed my general location. Next, many forces are sure to come to the Beihuang Domain searching for my whereabouts." Ye Yunfei couldn't help but frown.
"The Sky-Shading Cover I got from those five Minor Mystic Pill Realm practitioners back on the Tianxuan Continent... it seems to be a treasure specifically designed for concealing one's tracks and shielding from heavenly scrutiny. Perhaps it can help me perfectly conceal my presence. I need to find some time to study it thoroughly." Ye Yunfei suddenly remembered the Sky-Shading Cover he had obtained earlier.
At this time...
"So many Dao Pills!" Da Di Daozhang, who had long since started shamelessly plundering the hall, had charged into a pill refinement chamber and discovered a large quantity of Dao Pills, exclaiming excitedly.
"So many spirit crystals, and all of them are high-grade! We're rich!"
"So many Magical Artifacts!"
"Heavens! These are all Illusionary Artifacts! We're truly rich this time!"
...
Da Di Daozhang's excited shouts echoed continuously through the palace.
True Lord Dongzhuo, as one of the Beihuang Domain's top experts, had left behind a truly staggering amount of wealth. Medicinal pills, spirit crystals, treasures of various grades, and numerous rare natural materials filled one room after another.
In one of the study rooms, there were also quite a few jade slips stored, recording True Lord Dongzhuo's Wood-element technique legacy.
However, Ye Yunfei wasn't the slightest bit interested in these technique inheritances. The cultivation techniques and martial skills Ye Yunfei himself possessed were far more profound and superior to the Wood-element technique legacy left behind by True Lord Dongzhuo.
"Ye Yunfei, there's no need for us to fight over things. Let's split everything fifty-fifty," Da Di Daozhang suggested.
"Agreed," Ye Yunfei nodded.
Thus, the two of them evenly divided the spoils they had gathered.
"Haha, the harvest this time is truly immense!" Da Di Daozhang grinned so wide it seemed his face would split.
Every spatial ring he carried on his person was now almost completely stuffed full.
"Huh? The Star Cloud Robe on True Lord Dongzhuo's body seems to be a magical treasure. It can gather the spiritual energy from the surrounding world, aiding in cultivation." Da Di Daozhang's eyes suddenly lit up. He pounced over and yanked the robe off True Lord Dongzhuo's body.
"The vest he's wearing is also a treasure artifact! It possesses powerful defensive functions, capable of withstanding blows!" Da Di Daozhang exclaimed, casually stripping True Lord Dongzhuo's vest off as well.
This left True Lord Dongzhuo's upper body completely bare.
Although his body was devoid of life force, it was still remarkably well-preserved, appearing robust and strong.
"I wonder if his pants and undergarments are treasure artifacts too?" Da Di Daozhang, having already stashed the robe and vest, now set his sights on True Lord Dongzhuo's trousers.
"Enough. At least leave him some dignity!" Ye Yunfei immediately intervened.
Only then did Da Di Daozhang desist.
"Alright, there don't seem to be any more treasures in this palace. Let's get out," Ye Yunfei said, sweeping his gaze over their surroundings.
"But... there are so many Minor Mystic Pill Realm experts outside. How do we get out?" Da Di Daozhang said worriedly.
"Force our way out," Ye Yunfei pondered for a moment before lifting his foot and walking toward the exit.
"Fine..." Da Di Daozhang gritted his teeth and followed.
There was no other way but to force their way through.