"Yes!"
Elder Li and the others had no choice but to act according to the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord's instructions.
However, having witnessed Ye Yun's overwhelming strength earlier, they dared not confront him directly. Instead, they turned their attention to his female disciples.
"Attack those female disciples!"
"Right!"
Led by Elder Li, the core elders of the Heavenly Ripple Domain all launched attacks towards Lin Xueyan and the other women.
"Hmph? Are you trying to provoke my wrath!"
Ye Yun's expression turned furious. These people were truly shameless, actually attempting to attack his female disciples.
"Kill!"
Elder Li and the others' palm strikes, imbued with powerful divine energy, descended upon them.
"Power of the Stars—Ten Directions Heaven-Overturning Formation!"
Without a word, Ye Yun unleashed the power of the stars within him, merging it with the Ten Directions Heaven-Overturning Formation.
"Crackle, crackle!"
Above the heads of Lin Xueyan and the other women, starlight blazed brilliantly. A massive crystalline disc hovered, continuously rotating.
The advanced Ten Directions Heaven-Overturning Formation was a defensive divine artifact in itself. Now, with the augmentation of the power of the stars, it was impenetrable and impregnable.
"Boom, boom, boom!"
Elder Li and the others' palm strikes impacted the formation, like golden eggs hitting stones. Their palm strikes shattered, yet the formation remained utterly unharmed.
Such terrifying defensive power filled Elder Li and the others with despair.
"Why is this happening?"
"Elder Li, Ye Yun is merely a mid-level main god. You are a high-level main god, how can you not take him down?"
"Elder Li, you are the main force, speak up."
The other elders looked to Elder Li, awaiting his response.
Elder Li was currently drenched in sweat. He now clearly understood that although he was a high-level main god, Ye Yun's strength far surpassed his. This was the absolute disparity of talent, an insurmountable chasm.
"Everyone, we have no chance of winning. Are we going to be buried here with the Star Lord?"
Upon hearing this, the other elders' faces instantly froze. They never expected Elder Li to utter such words, which were tantamount to rebellion.
But as they looked towards the main battlefield and saw the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord's Heavenly River divine ability completely suppressed by the Fire Phoenix, their hearts trembled violently.
"It's over, everything is over. The Star Lord is going to fail."
"What should we do?"
"Elder Li is right, staying here is just waiting to die!"
The elders exchanged glances, and they all understood each other's intentions.
"Alliance Leader Ye, we admit we are no match for you, nor do we wish to be enemies with the Heavenly Domain Alliance. We beg for your mercy."
Elder Li led the way, kneeling directly on the ground and kowtowing to Ye Yun.
"Oh?"
Ye Yun's expression was dark. These fellows changed their tune faster than flipping a book; they were veritable chameleons of the mortal world.
"You scoundrels!"
At this moment, the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord, under suppression, was enraged. He never expected that merely being suppressed would cause these subordinates to defect. They were utterly unreliable!
"Are you still elders of the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord? Do you have any shame?"
"Star Lord, we truly have no choice. Our lives are more important. Besides, Ye Yun has unparalleled talent and is the chosen one of destiny, someone who cannot be shaken. And now Miss Song possesses peerless martial arts. To oppose the Heavenly Domain is to court death!"
"Exactly, Star Lord. We advise you to put aside your hostility and seek reconciliation with the Heavenly Domain."
Hearing the elders' words, the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord was truly furious. His grand ambition and the rise of the Heavenly Ripple Domain were about to be destroyed in the hands of these people.
"Die!"
He suddenly unleashed a palm strike, directly targeting Elder Li and the others.
"Ah?!"
Elder Li and the others looked on in horror. Although this palm strike was not at full power, it was more than enough to instantly kill them.
"Alliance Leader Ye, save us."
They knew that only Ye Yun could save them at this moment, and they cried out in terror.
"What a nuisance."
Ye Yun unleashed a Star God Fist, and the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord's palm strike was instantly shattered into dust.
"Alliance Leader Ye is mighty!"
"Many thanks to Alliance Leader Ye for saving our lives!"
"We are filled with admiration for Alliance Leader Ye and are willing to join the Heavenly Domain Alliance."
Elder Li and the others had seen the light. The Heavenly Ripple Star Lord was truly determined to kill them. Since that was the case, they would go all the way and pledge allegiance to Ye Yun, perhaps to save their lives.
"Since you all wish to pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Domain Alliance, I shall accept you. However, your Heavenly Ripple Domain must offer up all your treasures and resources, understand?"
"Alliance Leader Ye, rest assured, we are willing to offer this entire Heavenly Ripple Secret Realm to the Alliance Leader. We are willing to obey all your commands, to ascend mountains of knives or plunge into seas of fire, no matter the cost!"
Elder Li and the others prostrated themselves, pressing their foreheads to the ground, expressing their loyalty.
"Very well, you may rise."
"Many thanks, Alliance Leader!"
Elder Li and the others stood up and moved to Ye Yun's side, looking coldly in the direction of the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord.
"Heavenly Ripple Star Lord, your people have completely defected. Are you still unconvinced?"
"Ye Yun, you truly have your ways, actually hiding such a master as Song Ziyue. I am not convinced, I am not convinced!"
"Still not convinced? You're asking for a beating!"
Ye Yun condensed his sword intent, channeling starlight into divine sword intent. With lightning speed, he struck directly at the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord.
"Ah!"
The Heavenly Ripple Star Lord, constrained by Song Ziyue, was unable to evade and took Ye Yun's sword strike head-on.
But how powerful was this God Slaying Sword Intent? It inherently possessed the effect of slaying gods. Now, with the amplification of the Immortal Star Body, its might reached a new level. Under the activation by Ye Yun's mid-level main god cultivation, its destructive power was comparable to that of an ordinary peak main god.
The Heavenly Ripple Star Lord's body was directly impaled onto a mountain wall by this sword strike.
Blood flowed from his shoulder, his face contorted in extreme agony, gritting his teeth like a demon from hell.
"Ye Yun!"
He roared, trying to break free from the mountain wall. However, the God Slaying Sword Intent continuously corroded his body's meridians, severely obstructing his divine power circulation, causing him immense pain.
"How can I, a mere mid-level main god, be restricted by you?"
His face utterly lost, the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord's emotions completely collapsed.
"Star Lord, Alliance Leader Ye has infinite potential and is the one who can lead our Heavenly Ripple Domain to rise. Why must you be like this?"
"Indeed, it's better to defect to the Alliance Leader, otherwise, it's self-destruction."
"The destiny is before us, Star Lord, you cannot go against it."
Elder Li led the persuasion, hoping to make the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord "abandon the darkness and turn to the light." This only made the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord even more enraged.
"You scoundrels, just wait. I will definitely return for revenge."
Although the Heavenly Ripple Star Lord's heart burned with fury, he was, after all, a peak main god and his mind was still clear. He knew he was no match for Song Ziyue. Enduring the searing pain, he managed to break free from the restraint of the God Slaying Sword Intent.
Blood gushed out, bones were shattered, and meridians reversed!
The Heavenly Ripple Star Lord, like a stray dog, madly fled towards the void.