Sssshhhhh…
The silver needles shot forward with piercing force.
However, their appearance seemed to provoke a reaction from the surrounding thunder and lightning.
BOOM… BOOM…
Dazzling bolts of thunderous light and electric snakes began to riot, continuously striking at those silver needles.
The silver needles moved swiftly, but the lightning was faster; every bolt struck its target with deadly accuracy.
Wisp after wisp of black smoke continuously rose from the over one hundred silver needles, only to be utterly obliterated by the electrical energy!
The area where Ye Yunfei stood was merely at the edge of this sea of lightning, yet the thunder and lightning energy present was already astonishing. Endless, blinding arcs of lightning tangled together like a vast multitude of deathly pale serpents.
The hundred-plus silver needles began to slow down even before reaching Ye Yunfei's position, as if their energy was nearly depleted.
Then, needle by needle, they began to wobble and falter.
"Dammit! Those Soul-Sealing Silver Needles have actually followed Ye Yunfei into the Thunder Abyss!"
In the starry void far away, the black-robed elder of the Soul Sect suddenly paled.
"These Soul-Sealing Silver Needles' greatest weakness is lightning energy! I must call them back!"
The black-robed elder roared. He immediately sat down cross-legged and began casting a spell to summon the needles.
Inside the Thunder Abyss, the silver needles began to turn around and fly back out.
"These needles are not bad. I'll take them."
As Ye Yunfei watched the needles, an idea struck him.
BOOM!
A dazzling, circular wheel rose from behind Ye Yunfei, and from within it, a colossal beast with the body of a dragon and the head of a human charged out, howling at the heavens.
The Thunder Beast!
No sooner had the Thunder Beast appeared than it began devouring the surrounding lightning.
With a thought from Ye Yunfei, the Thunder Beast fiercely charged towards the silver needles. Simultaneously, it opened its mouth, spewing thick bolts of lightning that struck the needles.
ROAR…
The Thunder Sea reacted, erupting with vast quantities of destructive lightning. Laden with blinding light, a rolling tide of thunderbolts swept towards the silver needles. The roar was deafening, causing a vast swathe of starry space to tremble.
Continuously assailed by the lightning strikes, thick black smoke continuously seeped from the needles. Their flight became slower and more arduous as they struggled to fly out of the Thunder Sea.
With a cold sneer, Ye Yunfei strode forward, his hands moving like lightning as he snatched the silver needles one by one.
BOOM…
When Ye Yunfei's hands touched the needles, powerful surges of Soul Power energy violently slammed into his Sea of Consciousness.
"Hmph! Even a spent force dares to act arrogantly!"
Ye Yunfei sneered. With a thought, he deployed his Celestial Soul Sword, forcibly erasing the residual Soul Power energy and Soul Power imprints within the needles.
The black-robed elder had left an imprint of his Soul Power within each needle to control them.
In moments, all the Soul Power energy and imprints within the hundred-plus silver needles were wiped away. Ye Yunfei stored the set of needles.
"No!"
Outside the Thunder Abyss, the black-robed elder's face drastically changed; his connection to the needles had been completely severed.
"Ye Yunfei, it must be you! That set of Soul-Sealing Silver Needles is a treasure of our Soul Sect. Return them immediately, or you shall face our wrath!" the elder roared towards Ye Yunfei within the Thunder Abyss.
"Once something is in my possession, don't even think about getting it back," Ye Yunfei replied with a cold laugh.
"Who would have thought Ye Yunfei cultivates a lightning-type technique? That monster must be the legendary Thunder Beast, undoubtedly simulated through his technique," a Star Bridge Realm expert from the Expeditionary Army remarked with a sigh as he gazed from afar at Ye Yunfei and the Thunder Beast standing amidst the rolling sea of thunder.
"It's said that this Ye Yunfei hails from a Small World within the Xuanhuang Star Domain, but why would a youngster from such a place possess so many profound techniques and martial skills?" a middle-aged man questioned, puzzled.
"We will wait here for him to emerge! The Thunder Abyss is famously a forbidden land. I refuse to believe Ye Yunfei can linger within it for long!" the Soul Sect elder said through gritted teeth.
The Soul-Sealing Silver Needles were an extremely valuable treasure of his sect. The fact they were snatched away by Ye Yunfei left him filled with bitter resentment.
Currently, within the Thunder Abyss.
"The lightning energy contained within this Cosmic Thunder Sea is truly terrifying," Ye Yunfei thought, his brow lightly furrowing as his Soul Power reached deeper into the sea of thunder.
"First, heal my wounds."
After a moment's thought, Ye Yunfei spoke to himself and then entered the Phantom Tower. The tower itself landed on the body of the Thunder Beast.
The Thunder Beast stood within the rolling Thunder Sea, incessantly devouring lightning—its own form of cultivation!
As it consumed more and more lightning, the aura radiating from its body continuously rose, growing ever stronger.
"Look! Ye Yunfei has retreated into his spatial treasure again! It seems even he is quite wary of this Thunder Abyss! We'll wait here for him to come out!"
Outside the Thunder Abyss, a Star Bridge Realm expert spoke.
The dozen-plus Star Bridge Realm experts of the Expeditionary Army, along with the four black-robed cultivators, all remained stationed outside the Thunder Abyss with no intention of leaving. Yet, they also dared not enter the Thunder Abyss themselves. It was, after all, a notoriously dangerous forbidden land. Even Star Bridge Realm experts risked a fiery death if they charged in! As much as they desired Ye Yunfei's treasures, their lives were more important.
Inside the Phantom Tower, Ye Yunfei sat down cross-legged, taking out vast amounts of healing elixirs and consuming them continuously.
His injuries healed at a shocking rate. His perfected EverGreenwood Emperor Body possessed formidable regenerative abilities, capable of regrowing even severed limbs!
After over ten days inside the tower, Ye Yunfei's injuries had completely healed!
Emerging from the Phantom Tower, he noted that outside the world had passed only a small half hour.
"Look! Ye Yunfei has come out of his spatial treasure!"
Immediately, the Star Bridge Realm experts outside the Thunder Abyss focused their gazes intently on him.
"Could it be he can no longer endure and plans to come out? But of course, the thunder and lightning energy within the Thunder Abyss is too horrifying. Even with his lightning techniques, Ye Yunfei definitely cannot last long.
Everyone, be ready. The moment Ye Yunfei emerges, we charge forward at top speed. Release all your aura pressure to suppress this space. Don't give him a chance to traverse the void!" one elder from the Expeditionary Army said in a low, steady voice.
"Moreover, bring out every treasure you possess! Activate them all and hurl them at Ye Yunfei! In short, be swift. We must suppress him with all means at our disposal in that first instant—no chance for void travel! Don't anyone hold back!" a middle-aged man declared loudly.
Thus, the dozen-plus Expeditionary Army experts all prepared themselves fully, ready to act at any moment.
"Let us also prepare to act," the four black-robed cultivators not far away exchanged a glance and whispered in agreement.
Back within the Thunder Abyss.
"This Cosmic Thunder Sea is an excellent place to cultivate lightning energy," Ye Yunfei muttered as he surveyed the surging arcs of lightning around him.
Now, the aura radiating from the Thunder Beast was at least several times stronger than before!
"Good. Let the Thunder Beast cultivate here for a while. This kind of place is a rare opportunity not to be missed."
After another thought, he decided: "Going deeper should yield even better cultivation results."
His gaze turned toward the depths of the Thunder Sea. Ye Yunfei then strode deeper into the Thunder Abyss, the Thunder Beast following by his side, devouring lightning as it walked.
"What? Ye Yunfei isn't coming out—he's venturing deeper into the Thunder Abyss! Does he not want to live?!"
Outside, the dozen-plus Expeditionary Army experts and four black-robed cultivators were stunned.
The Nine Palaces Tattoo Wheel was a technique of unfathomable profundity, rare in this world. The nine spirit beasts it simulated possessed part of the innate talents and divine abilities of real spirit beasts, holding mysteries these mere Star Bridge Realm cultivators could scarcely imagine.
Moreover, in his previous life, Ye Yunfei had once researched the laws of lightning and was intimately familiar with lightning energy. The Thunder Abyss wasn't particularly dangerous to him.