A short while later.
The nine Primordial Soul Realm experts finally caught up with the flying ship of the Liu Family forces.
However, this flying ship had already been smashed, transformed into fragments scattering across the sky.
The Liu Family forces had suffered over half casualties, their corpses littering the ground.
These Liu Family members had not been killed by Ye Yunfei; they had been slain by the Houtu Sect Leader.
After catching up with these Liu Family forces, Ye Yunfei had let the Sect Leader decide how to deal with them.
The result was that the Sect Leader directly took action, slaughtering over half of the Liu Family personnel.
"You little bastard Ye Yunfei! You are ruthless!
You killed so many of my Liu Family's people!"
The black-robed elder stared at the ground covered in corpses, his eyes burning with rage as he roared.
"If I hadn't returned in time today, would your Liu Family's people have spared the members of the Houtu Sect?
I'm afraid every Liu Family member's hands would be stained with blood!
Your Liu Family forces came specifically to annihilate our Houtu Sect, so why should I be polite?"
Ye Yunfei's indifferent gaze swept over that black-robed elder as he spoke calmly.
The slaughters Ye Yunfei had experienced were far, far too many.
He was already somewhat numb to it.
Ye Yunfei knew deeply that in the world of martial artists, there was no reasoning to be found!
Often, mercy toward the enemy was cruelty toward oneself!
"Little bastard!
Our Liu Family will definitely avenge this!"
The four Primordial Soul Realm experts of the Liu Family all gnashed their teeth in hatred.
Whoosh… Whoosh…
While speaking, the four experts of the Liu Family, along with the five old men sent by the Ancient Demon Race, suddenly accelerated, surrounding and attacking Ye Yunfei.
Rumble…
A vast and mighty spiritual pressure, like a tempestuous tide, crushed toward the location where Ye Yunfei stood.
However, Ye Yunfei had long been prepared.
Ye Yunfei's Soul Power was powerful, clearly sensing every single movement of the nine Primordial Soul Realm experts.
As soon as they made a move, Ye Yunfei seized the initiative by utilizing spatial energy.
"Even if your Liu Family doesn't come looking for me, I will go looking for them.
I, Ye Yunfei, am not someone to be trifled with."
Ye Yunfei swept a glance over the four Primordial Soul Realm experts of the Liu Family, then plunged into space and vanished.
The nine Primordial Soul Realm experts had no choice but to stop their movements, their faces all extremely grim.
"His movement techniques were too bizarre.
It seems even more profound than the concealment art of the Tianyou Tomb!"
An old man said gravely.
"Dealing with him is extremely difficult unless we firmly seal off space and the earth in advance.
Let's return first and carefully discuss exactly how to deal with Ye Yunfei."
Another elder suggested.
"Alright."
The others all nodded.
At this moment, within a certain secluded mountain range in Mu Prefecture, deep inside a dense forest.
Ye Yunfei teleported out all the high-ranking members of the Houtu Sect.
"Sect Leader, the headquarters are certainly not a place we can return to now.
Let's discuss where we should settle next."
Ye Yunfei said to the Sect Leader.
The Houtu Sect's high-ranking members all fell silent for a moment.
Having been targeted by the two major forces of the Tianzhou Liu Family and the Ancient Demon Race, the Houtu Sect certainly couldn't return to their headquarters.
But the Houtu Sect had many members and vast assets; for a while, it was truly difficult to decide where to go.
After discussing for a long time, the Sect Leader and the Houtu Sect's high-ranking members still couldn't reach a decision.
"This way then: let's find an underground cave where everyone can settle temporarily.
Later, when the situation improves, we can return to rebuild the Houtu Sect at its original headquarters."
Ye Yunfei thought for a moment and said to the Sect Leader.
"An underground cave?"
The Sect Leader was taken aback.
"Indeed. Given the Houtu Sect's current situation, you can only go into seclusion."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"Alright then.
This can only be temporary."
After some discussion between the Sect Leader and the other high-ranking members, they all nodded in agreement.
Next, Ye Yunfei had two Earth Dragons carry him underground as he searched everywhere.
After searching for an entire day, he finally found a fairly large underground cavern.
Together with the Houtu Sect's high-ranking members, Ye Yunfei began to work. Utilizing the techniques of Geomancy, they modified this underground cavern, making it suitable for habitation.
The Houtu Sect was originally a sect that primarily practiced earth-attributed cultivation techniques; every member was skilled in the art of earth-escape.
Living underground versus living above ground actually didn't make much of a difference for them.
"Sect Leader, you should stay here for now. Try to venture out as little as possible in daily life. As for the cultivation resources you'll need, I will deliver them in due time."
Ye Yunfei said to the Sect Leader.
This abrupt upheaval had occurred too suddenly, and the Houtu Sect hadn't had time to bring along many of the valuable items from their headquarters.
Later, the Houtu Sect's headquarters had been completely destroyed by the Liu Family's forces.
It could be said that the loss of assets was extremely significant!
Thus, the main problem the Houtu Sect would face going forward was a lack of cultivation resources.
"Su Ye, you must be careful in everything.
Once your identity is exposed, many forces within the Xuanhuang Star Domain will come looking for trouble with you."
The Sect Leader said to Ye Yunfei.
"I will be careful.
From now on, you should all call me Ye Yunfei."
Ye Yunfei nodded.
"We will still call you Holy Son. No matter your true identity, you will always be the Holy Son of our Houtu Sect!"
Yan Tianzong suddenly declared.
"That's right, you will always be our Houtu Sect's Holy Son!"
The Sect Leader also affirmed.
The other high-ranking members all nodded one after another.
Afterwards, Ye Yunfei left this underground cavern, heading back toward Tianzhou.
Ye Yunfei took one of the Earth Dragons with him, leaving the other one for the Houtu Sect as before.
At this moment, deep within the Heavenly Dao Academy.
Atop a lofty mountain peak veiled in mist, there stood a wooden pavilion at the summit.
Inside the pavilion,
a dozen or so elders were seated.
One of them, an elder with ordinary features dressed in dark robes, sat cross-legged upon a rush cushion. An exceedingly profound aura circulated around his body, seemingly blending him completely with the surrounding heaven and earth.
The other elders all gathered around this seated elder.
This elder was precisely the Headmaster of the Heavenly Dao Academy!
The strongest existence within the Heavenly Dao Academy, a Spirit Formation Realm expert!
The other elders were also all high-ranking members of the Heavenly Dao Academy.
Each emitted an aura that was intensely oppressive.
"Headmaster, that Ye Yunfei is a curse, not a blessing, for our Academy!
I suggest we hand him over to the Ancient Demon Race.
This would help ease the tense relationship between our Heavenly Dao Academy and the Ancient Demon Race.
In recent years, because of Tang Yang, the Ancient Demon Race already regards our Heavenly Dao Academy as an enemy."
Suddenly, a blue-robed elder broke the silence with his proposal.
"Vice-Chancellor Zou's words are reasonable.
That Ye Yunfei is not originally from our Xuanhuang Star Domain; he came out from the Tianxuan Continent.
His purpose for joining our Heavenly Dao Academy was very clear: to use our Academy to oppose the Ancient Demon Race.
Our Heavenly Dao Academy cannot be this scapegoat, used by him.
Moreover, Ye Yunfei's character is ruthless and cruel. He harms and kills others at the slightest provocation; even Elder Ruan had his physical body shattered by him.
Keeping such a wicked-minded person within our Heavenly Dao Academy will inevitably turn him into a scourge sooner or later.
I suggest we apprehend Ye Yunfei, first hold him accountable for the grave crime of shattering Elder Ruan's physical body, and then hand him over to the Ancient Demon Race."
Another elder with a sharp-featured, thin face nodded in agreement.