"So that’s the situation," Fu Shen remarked. "But you must be cautious, young friend. That place is chaotic and filled with uncertainty!"

Hearing that Ye Fan was determined to go train in the Outer Domain, Fu Shen warned him.

Ye Fan nodded.

He then said to Fu Shen, "Commander, there’s one more thing."

"What is it?" Fu Shen asked.

Ye Fan replied, "I won’t be saying goodbye to the others. They’ll only insist on coming with me. So, please, tell them that we will meet again in a few years."

"Alright," Fu Shen promised.

That night, Ye Fan departed.

***

Meanwhile, the defeated Teng Xie Gui clutched his wounds and struggled. Fu Shen had wounded him severely, and the corruption from his festering wounds made the pain excruciating.

I’m in my weakest state right now. The slightest misstep could be fatal.

He said coldly, "I never expected them to find a countermeasure. Our days ahead will be difficult, let alone taking the offensive!"

His commanders below didn’t dare make a sound, as they understood the gravity of the situation.

Teng Xie Gui had already reported the matter to his superiors. This event was significant enough to change the very rules of the Gods Battlefield, leaving them with only two options: find their own countermeasure or retreat. There was no other choice.

Just then, a subordinate came to report that visitors from the upper echelons had arrived at the Gods Battlefield.

Teng Xie Gui immediately ordered for the two to be brought in.

The visitors were two figures wearing cloaks, one white and one black, their identities completely concealed.

"Stop with the theatrics! Show yourselves if you dare!" Teng Xie Gui barked.

At his command, the person in white lowered their hood.

The moment the cloak came down, Teng Xie Gui was stunned. He knew exactly who this was. It was Huang Ji, the beloved daughter of the Great Wilderness Main God and one of the rare geniuses in the Divine Domain.

Ever since the other prodigies of the Evil God lineage had been slaughtered on the Duel Battlefield, Huang Ji had become known as their foremost talent.

"So, it’s the treasured daughter of the Great Wilderness Main God," Teng Xie Gui said. "What brings you here? The Gods Battlefield is a cruel place."

"Are you looking down on women?" Huang Ji retorted. "Or do you believe I can’t adapt to this environment?"

Ever since her encounters with Ye Fan, she was no longer the quiet, gloomy person she once was. Now, she was a rose with thorns.

"That’s not what I meant," Teng Xie Gui said hastily. "I mean that this place is saturated with Curse Power. We are all cursed beings!

"Look at us—there isn’t a single unblemished spot on our bodies. If you stay here too long, you’ll end up just like us. That’s why I advise you to leave."

After all, Huang Ji was the daughter of the Great Wilderness Main God; he wouldn’t dare show her any disrespect.

"You don’t need to worry about that," Huang Ji replied coolly. "We came here for one reason: to kill someone."

"Who?" Teng Xie Gui asked.

"Ye Fan," she stated.

Teng Xie Gui was already aware of the events that had occurred in the Great Wilderness Space. He knew that Ye Fan had even killed Yun Xiao Zhi Shui, the son of the Yunxiao Main God. All the other young talents of the Evil God lineage, aside from Huang Ji, had fallen by Ye Fan’s hand. He just hadn’t expected this supreme genius of the Righteous Divine Lineage to have come to the Gods Battlefield.

Needless to say, this was a very tricky situation.

"Are you certain?" he asked.

"Do you think I would lie to you?" Huang Ji’s voice was frigid.

Teng Xie Gui muttered, "It seems the recent shift in power was also caused by this boy. He is truly formidable."

"What do you mean?" Huang Ji asked.

Teng Xie Gui explained, "This Curse Power that permeates the air has affected not only us, but them as well—the Righteous Divine Lineage.

"For many years, countless have died under its influence. Half of the Martial Artists here weren’t killed in battle with each other.

"They died because of the curse!

"However, when we attacked today, they actually took the offensive. For the longest time, we’ve always been the ones suppressing them.

"And that’s not all. The crucial point is that their festering wounds have healed, and their combat power has multiplied. We were defeated and severely wounded by them!

"In any previous battle, we would have been the victors. They had never cracked the secret of the Curse Power before.

"Yet it was cracked right after that kid arrived. Therefore, I believe this matter must be related to him!"

Although Teng Xie Gui was loath to admit it, he had no choice but to face the facts.

Hearing this, Huang Ji recalled her past encounters with Ye Fan. He was indeed a terrifying person, and he might very well be the one to influence the future power structure of the Divine Domain. The Main God Experts of the Evil God lineage unanimously agreed that if Ye Fan were allowed to continue growing, he would inevitably become the next Ancestor of Tianyuan.

She knew what Ye Fan was capable of, and a sense of unease grew within her. She was certain that he was behind this breakthrough.

For this reason, she said to Teng Xie Gui, "Then that’s all the more reason he must die. He has already shown such terrifying talent before even reaching his full potential. If he is allowed to mature, I fear no one will be able to stop him."

Huang Ji continued, "Tomorrow, on the battlefield, your forces will tie down their main army. We will infiltrate their camp and discover how they broke the curse.

"As long as we find their secret, our side will have hope again."

At Huang Ji’s words, Teng Xie Gui nodded immediately. It was a solid plan, and besides, they had no other options. Only by uncovering this secret could they maintain their advantage. Otherwise, the balance of power between the Righteous Gods and Evil Gods on the Gods Battlefield would truly be overturned. The resulting loss to the Evil God lineage would be immeasurable.

He agreed without hesitation and assigned men to assist Huang Ji and her companion.

Just then, Teng Xie Gui turned to the black-robed man beside Huang Ji. "Why don’t you show your true face?"

The man remained silent, but Huang Ji spoke up, "Do you not trust the person I brought with me?"

"No, that wasn’t my intention!" Teng Xie Gui quickly replied.

And with that, the matter was dropped.

The next day, a tense calm returned to the battlefield. Fu Shen, still pleased about yesterday’s victory, began planning his next strategy.

However, at that very moment, the Teng Xie army launched another attack.

Fu Shen was furious. He couldn’t believe the Teng Xie army dared to attack again. It seemed yesterday’s lesson hadn’t been harsh enough.

He immediately roared, "All troops, advance! Leave none of them alive!"

The vast army marched out to meet the enemy.

***

On the battlefield, the two armies clashed once more. Today, the Teng Xie army was again being routed, and Teng Xie Gui once more suffered heavy injuries at Fu Shen’s hands. Yet, the Teng Xie Clan’s forces fought with desperate abandon, refusing to retreat and battling to the very last man.

All of this baffled Fu Shen, but he sensed something was wrong. He felt there was something strange about this.

His gaze shifted toward his own rear flank.

Not good!

Fu Shen was no fool. He realized the Teng Xie army was just stalling them. Their true objective had to be his camp.