"Gratitude for such a great favor goes beyond words," the Sect Leader laughed.
"Su Dong, have you broken through to the Primordial Soul Realm?" the Third Elder of the Ouyang Family asked in shock.
"That is correct," the Sect Leader nodded faintly, his cold gaze sweeping over the assembled forces of the Ouyang Family and the Hu Clan.
"The Sect Leader has reached the Primordial Soul Realm!" the upper echelons of the Houtu Sect were all extremely excited. After all, within the entirety of Mu Prefecture, late-stage Great Mystic Pill Realm masters were considered the top experts. There were none at the Primordial Soul Realm! Now, with the Houtu Sect's Sect Leader breaking through to the Primordial Soul Realm, he had instantly become Mu Prefecture's number one master!
Within the Ouyang Family and the Hu Clan, there were simply no Primordial Soul Realm experts.
"Do you two clans wish to annihilate my Houtu Sect?" The Sect Leader asked, his hands clasped behind his back, his tone icy.
The expressions of the Great Mystic Pill Realm experts from the Ouyang Family and Hu Clan darkened and fluctuated. Initially, they believed that with their combined forces, destroying the Houtu Sect wouldn't be difficult. But they never expected the Houtu Sect to first produce two Earth Dragons, and now a Primordial Soul Realm master! The Ouyang Family and Hu Clan were no longer a match for the Houtu Sect!
"Sect Leader Su, this time, it was our Ouyang Family acting rashly. We will withdraw immediately. From now on, our Ouyang Family holds no further enmity with your Houtu Sect," the Third Elder said, cupping his fists.
"Our Hu Clan forces will also withdraw at once," the violet-robed man from the Hu Clan proclaimed loudly.
The circumstances compelled them; the Ouyang Family and Hu Clan had no choice but to lower their heads.
"Hahaha..." Suddenly, the Sect Leader burst into laughter.
"Your Ouyang Family and Hu Clan forces invade our Houtu Sect headquarters in force, proclaiming again and again your intent to annihilate us, turning our headquarters into ruins. And now, you think you can simply turn around and leave? Is there anything so conveniently cheap in all the world?" The Sect Leader's accusatory question echoed through the land, like the wrath of heaven. Undeniably, a Primordial Soul Realm expert was far too powerful. Even the raising of a hand, a simple step, even a spoken word seemed to stir the very momentum of heaven and earth.
"Sect Leader Su, what do you intend? Do you truly wish to tear all pretense of civility with our Ouyang Family?" The Third Elder's face was somewhat unpleasant as he asked in a heavy tone.
"And what if we do tear our civility?" The Sect Leader sneered, extending a palm and pressing it towards the Third Elder from a distance. *Boom…* A terrifying energy blasted against the Third Elder's body. *Bang!* Utterly defenseless, the Third Elder's body shot out like a cannonball, crashing into a distant mountain peak and collapsing more than half of it.
*Swish!* The Sect Leader took a single step, arriving beside the Third Elder in an instant. He reached out, seizing the Third Elder's throat, and lifted him up as easily as plucking a chick.
"Dare you kill me? The Ouyang Family will not let this rest!" The Third Elder roared in struggle.
"Do not worry. Over these past years, your Ouyang Family has constantly plotted and schemed to swallow my Houtu Sect whole. It is time to settle that account. I will come to your doorstep and erase your Ouyang Family," the Sect Leader stated coldly.
The moment his words fell, *puh!* The Sect Leader's palm vibrated, instantly reducing the Third Elder's body to a mist of blood, shattering both form and spirit.
"Is this the power of a Primordial Soul Realm master?!" In that moment, everyone was utterly shocked. That Third Elder was a late-stage Great Mystic Pill Realm master. Yet before the Sect Leader, he had been utterly helpless, weak as a chick!
"Kill!" The Sect Leader raised a hand and gently waved it.
"Kill!" The Houtu Sect forces roared in unison, each like a tiger descending the mountain, ferociously charging to slaughter the Ouyang Family and Hu Clan troops.
The Sect Leader, meanwhile, strode towards the Great Mystic Pill Realm experts of the Ouyang Family and Hu Clan, crushing them like butchering chickens and dogs!
After a short while, all of the Ouyang Family's Great Mystic Pill Realm experts had been killed, not a single one managing to escape! Most of the Ouyang Family forces were also slaughtered, with only a very few managing to flee.
All of the Hu Clan's Great Mystic Pill Realm experts were wounded and captured by the Sect Leader.
This was because, although the Hu Clan's strength was on par with the Ouyang Family, with their strongest expert also being at the late-stage Great Mystic Pill Realm, the Hu Clan had produced a prodigy — Hu Jie! Hu Jie was a core disciple of the Tianxuan Sacred Land, ranked seventh on the Tianxuan Ranking. And the Tianxuan Sacred Land was one of the most powerful forces in the Northern Wastes Domain. Because of this reason, the Sect Leader did not unleash a great slaughter upon the Hu Clan forces.
Ye Yunfei had not involved himself in any of this. Ever since the Sect Leader appeared, Ye Yunfei had ceased participating in the battle. One Primordial Soul Realm master was enough to control the entire scene!
Ye Yunfei allowed the two Earth Dragons to return to the cave beneath the Earth Pagoda.
Half a day later, everything was over. Deacons led the disciples in cleaning up the battlefield.
In the headquarters' main assembly hall, the Sect Leader, all the upper echelons, Ye Yunfei, and Da Di Daozhang were gathered.
All the higher-ups were still brimming with excitement. The Sect Leader's breakthrough to the Primordial Soul Realm meant that, from now on, the Houtu Sect would become the most powerful force in Mu Prefecture!
"Everyone, the reason our Houtu Sect achieved such a tremendous victory today lies entirely with Holy Son Su Ye!" the Sect Leader proclaimed clearly.
All eyes turned towards Ye Yunfei. During the day's battle, Ye Yunfei had summoned two Earth Dragons and produced so many third-grade Dao Pills, leaving the upper echelons profoundly shaken even now.
"Holy Son Su Ye, are you willing to become the Houtu Sect's Sect Leader? I hereby bequeath my position to you. Henceforth, you shall preside over the Houtu Sect!" the Sect Leader suddenly announced.
What?! Hearing the Sect Leader's words, the other upper echelons were all stunned. Although everyone knew that, within the current Houtu Sect, Ye Yunfei was the most likely candidate to become the next Sect Leader, they never expected the Sect Leader would pass on the position now. For a moment, all eyes focused on Ye Yunfei. The position of a Sect Leader, wielding great authority, commanding thousands… such temptation was something few youths in the world could resist.
Only Da Di Daozhang understood that Ye Yunfei would absolutely not stay in the Houtu Sect to become Sect Leader.
"Sect Leader, I appreciate your generous intention. To speak frankly, I have no plans to remain in the Houtu Sect. I am preparing to go to the Heavenly Dao Academy. I believe Du Fan is the most suitable candidate to become the Houtu Sect's Sect Leader," Ye Yunfei said openly.
"You are going to the Heavenly Dao Academy?" The Sect Leader was taken aback.
"That's right. Sect Leader, both I and Su Ye plan to go to the Heavenly Dao Academy. Please write a letter of recommendation for us to participate in the Heavenly Dao Academy's entrance examination," Da Di Daozhang said.
The Sect Leader fell silent for a moment before sighing. "Su Ye, I understand. With your prodigious talents, it is difficult for our Houtu Sect to keep you here. The Houtu Sect is but a small pond to you; your journey must lead to a far grander stage. Very well, I will write a letter recommending you both to participate in the Heavenly Dao Academy's entrance examination."
"However, Su Ye, remember this: the gates of the Houtu Sect are forever open to you. No matter when you return, our Houtu Sect welcomes you," the Sect Leader said.
"I will remember that," Ye Yunfei nodded with a smile.