On Xie Changkong's mountain peak, two factions stood in a tense standoff.
One side was led by Xie Changkong, flanked by the former high-level officials of the Dæmon Guard Academy, senior members of the Alchemy Tower, and individuals like the old city lord and Cui Tianguo.
The other side consisted of over a hundred Ancient Demon Race experts, every one of them possessing strength at the Tenth Level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm! There were also more than twenty human Grotto-Heaven Realm experts, including Miao Tianfeng, Mo Wenjun, and Liu Bai.
Above Xie Changkong's head, a massive stele floated up and down, casting down beams of dazzling radiance. This was the Hudao Stele.
Even though Xie Changkong's cultivation was only at the eighth level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm, coupled with this Hudao Stele, even experts at the Tenth Level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm regarded him with extreme wariness.
Although this Hudao Stele was merely a high-grade Hong Treasure, Ye Yunfei had employed a special method to turn a wisp of soul power from the Hudao Shangren into the artifact spirit of this stele. An artifact possessing a spirit elevated its realm instantly! The power it could unleash was far superior to other Hong Treasures of the same level!
It was precisely this Hudao Stele that had given the over a hundred Ancient Demon Race experts pause for a while, keeping them from attacking until now.
"Hehehe... This is your last chance. Kneel down now, swear to become slaves to our Ancient Demon Race, to be driven and dispatched by us, and you may live. Otherwise, you will all die!" one of the Ancient Demon Race experts sneered and said.
Hehehe… The other Ancient Demon Race experts all erupted into shrill, eerie laughter.
The mountain peak was completely submerged in billowing demonic aura.
These members of the Ancient Demon Race had all revived recently across various battlefields of the Tianxuan Continent.
The Aoyue Demon King, utilizing an ancient secret technique of the Ancient Demon Race and performing a long-distance empowerment ritual, had forcibly elevated their strength to the Tenth Level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm! Of course, performing this technique remotely had also cost the Aoyue Demon King a tremendous price.
"Enough talk! Fight if you want a fight! We of the Dæmon Guard Academy will never surrender to the enemy, especially not to disgusting fiends like you!" Xie Changkong coldly shouted.
Rumble…! The Hudao Stele above his head erupted with dazzlingly brilliant light and rumbling waves of energy.
"Since it's like this, then there's nothing more to say. Kill them!" an Ancient Demon Race expert cackled.
Boom! Boom…! The over a hundred Ancient Demon Race experts all erupted simultaneously, unleashing their demonic pressure like a tidal wave crashing against the shore, shaking the mountain peak.
"Everyone, today, we have no choice but to fight to the death!" Xie Changkong said gravely.
Boom! Boom…! Not a single Grotto-Heaven Realm expert on Xie Changkong's side backed down. They too erupted with their own energy pressures, readying themselves for battle.
"Hahaha… Xie Changkong, all of you are going to die! After today, the Dæmon Guard Academy will be under our control!" Miao Tianfeng laughed wildly.
"You can die in peace. We will manage the Dæmon Guard Academy quite well!" Mo Wenjun also laughed heartily.
"You traitors are thinking too far ahead. You will never have the chance to manage the Dæmon Guard Academy." Suddenly, an indifferent voice came through.
"Who dares?! Come out and face your death!" Miao Tianfeng flared up in anger, shouting sharply.
"How… how is this possible?" Upon hearing this voice, Xie Changkong and the others were all stunned.
Because this voice was all too familiar!
The next moment.
"Dean Xie, I have returned." Ye Yunfei's figure appeared as if by ghostly means beside Xie Changkong, smiling as he spoke.
Ye Yunfei's movement speed was simply too fast.
None of the Grotto-Heaven Realm experts present could even detect when Ye Yunfei had arrived.
"Master Ye! You're back!" Finally, Xie Changkong reacted, exclaiming with wild joy.
"Master Ye has returned!" Elder He, the six guardian elders, Dean Shangguan, Dan Jun, the old city lord, Cui Tianguo, and others were all extremely excited.
Facing over a hundred Ancient Demon Race experts with strength at the Tenth Level of the Grotto-Heaven Realm, their hearts had already been filled with despair. They never expected Ye Yunfei to suddenly return!
Xie Changkong's side immediately relaxed.
They almost erupted in cheers!
"Ye Yunfei!" In contrast, everyone on Miao Tianfeng's side looked at Ye Yunfei with terror-filled eyes. Their bodies grew cold all over, as if they had fallen into an icy pit!
"Dean Xie, recruiting such trash into the Dæmon Guard Academy… it's a bit of an oversight in your judgment," Ye Yunfei said indifferently, his icy gaze sweeping over Miao Tianfeng and the others.
"Master Ye, speaking of it, it is truly shameful. It was indeed my failure in judgment that allowed these ill-intentioned individuals to enter the academy, leading to today's situation," Xie Changkong sighed.
"Dean Xie, it is not your mistake alone. It was a decision made jointly by all of us after deliberation," Elder He said.
"Forget it. Let's treat this incident as a lesson learned," Ye Yunfei said.
"Exactly! We must never recruit people so indiscriminately again!" Xie Changkong nodded heavily.
This incident had left a deep impact on him. Had Ye Yunfei not returned in time, the Dæmon Guard Academy would likely have truly fallen into the control of Miao Tianfeng and her ilk.
"You members of the Ancient Demon Race are truly a bothersome species. No matter how many we kill, it's never enough." Ye Yunfei's gaze now shifted towards the over a hundred Ancient Demon Race experts.
"Ye Yunfei, why have you returned to the Tianxuan Continent…?" an Ancient Demon Race expert summoned his courage to ask.
BANG!
Ye Yunfei flicked a finger. A terrifying physical force, carrying the fist force of 'Striking Through Mountains to Pierce Gods,' blasted forward. That Ancient Demon Race expert's over seven-meter-tall demonic body exploded on the spot.
Ye Yunfei currently possessed half a Jiao Dragon's worth of physical strength. Even facing a Soul Altar Realm expert head-on, his physical power alone could contend. Killing a Grotto-Heaven Realm opponent with a finger flick was no different from reaching out to crush an ant.
Witnessing Ye Yunfei kill a Tenth Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert so effortlessly with a mere flick, all the humans and demons present felt their eyelids twitching.
"Is my reason for returning to the Tianxuan Continent something you're qualified to ask about?" Ye Yunfei said coldly.
"I suspect the reason you all possess Tenth Level Grotto-Heaven Realm strength is the Aoyue Demon King's doing. It seems the Aoyue Demon King still has our Tianxuan Continent on his mind." Ye Yunfei's gaze shifted to the other members of the Ancient Demon Race.
"Ye Yunfei, we are sent by the mighty Aoyue Demon King. You'd best not touch us, otherwise, the mighty Aoyue Demon King will absolutely not let you go!" one of the Ancient Demon Race members suddenly shouted harshly.
BANG!
Ye Yunfei flicked his finger again, shattering this demon's body into a mist of blood.
"Even if the Aoyue Demon King wanted to let me off, I wouldn't let him off." Ye Yunfei sneered.
"Ye Yunfei, how dare you! The mighty Aoyue Demon King stands lofty and supreme, sacred and inviolable! You dare profane him like this!" Immediately, several Ancient Demon Race experts roared angrily.
The Aoyue Demon King held a sacred and inviolable status in the minds of the Ancient Demon Race!
BANG! BANG! BANG…!
Ye Yunfei flicked his fingers consecutively. With each flick, an Ancient Demon Race expert was blown apart. In less than half a breath's time, over a dozen Ancient Demon Race experts had been pulverized into clouds of blood mist.
Gulp… Gulp…
Utter silence reigned over the mountain peak. Every Grotto-Heaven Realm expert present had their mouths hanging wide open, each unable to stop themselves from gulping down saliva…
A Tenth Level Grotto-Heaven Realm expert seemed weaker than an infant in front of Ye Yunfei!