Chapter 2386: Chapter 2386 An Exciting Show
Yuan Hu glanced at Ye Liuyun and personally pointed out a martial practitioner of Omnipotent Level.
This warrior was among the stronger fighters within the Omnipotent Realm ranks.
"Mmhm." Only then did Ye Liuyun give a slight nod as he drew out his Demon Slayer.
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun delivered a single, vicious shave downward as soon as his opponent stepped into the field.
He followed up instantly with a palm strike, while his Golden Phantom Eyes unleashed the blazing might of the Golden Crow and Devil Lightning, launching a relentless assault on the martial practitioner.
His opponent was expecting the referee’s command to commence the fight. Hence, he was overwhelmed by Ye Liuyun’s ferocious attacks. Hence, he struggled pitifully on the field.
"Stop it! The referee hasn’t even called the start!" the martial practitioner shouted in panic.
However, Ye Liuyun fully disregarded him and continued his attack without hesitation.
Distracted by his own protest, the martial practitioner faltered further, unable to defend himself as Ye Liuyun’s blade cleaved diagonally from his shoulder to spine, splitting him clean in two.
Only then did Ye Liuyun speak with an icy tone. "I’m here to kill you, and you’re waiting for someone else’s permission? What an idiot."
Yuan Hu remained expressionless as he summoned another warrior forward.
"Again," he simply declared.
Without a word of protest or hesitation, Ye Liuyun once again unsheathed his freshly stowed Demon Slayer.
This time, his opponent was the strongest among the soldiers Yuan Hu vetted.
Ye Liuyun estimated his strength at the threshold of the second level of the Celestial Unity realm.
Ye Liuyun approached the next battle with even higher caution.
Having learned his lesson from the previous fight, his opponent wasted no time and immediately launched a fierce attack.
Though slightly outmatched in raw strength, Ye Liuyun tapped into his Bloodline Power to suppress his adversary’s combat effectiveness. He deliberately prolonged the fight, wearing down the man’s genuine energy until it was completely exhausted. Then, he channelled a sudden burst of Power of space into his blade and cleaved his opponent down in a single slash.
No sooner had the battle ended than Yuan Hu immediately called forth another martial practitioner to challenge Ye Liuyun.
Deep down, Ye Liuyun understood Yuan Hu’s intention to test him. If it were up to him to choose an opponent, he wouldn’t consider strength alone.
For a soldier, unwavering obedience to orders was just as crucial.
Without protest, Ye Liuyun tightened his grip on his blade and stepped forward again.
This time, however, he wielded a shield alongside his weapon, using it to defend himself and conserve his dwindling genuine energy.
By now, Yuan Hu seemed thoroughly impressed.
Despite only being at the advanced Ninth Level, Ye Liuyun dared to challenge opponents of the Omnipotent Level. Not only that, he carried out his commander’s orders without hesitation, finding ways to fight no matter the odds.
He abandoned ideas of honour in combat, concentrating only on defeating his adversary. Yuan Hu thought a man like him had the makings of a true leader.
Yet Ye Liuyun was struggling. His internal advanced energy had been completely depleted.
Still, he resisted the urge to replenish it using the Storage Stone. Even if he did, it would only serve to bolster his strength. Something that wouldn’t make much difference now.
He suspected Yuan Hu wouldn’t call a halt yet because he wanted to see Ye Liuyun’s ability to handle pressure.
Hence, instead of restoring his energy, Ye Liuyun gritted his teeth and fought on. Using every trick in the book to hold his ground.
But without his advanced energy, Ye Liuyun was outmatched in the combat.
His opponent noticed his energy was depleted and seized the opportunity to unleash a relentless barrage of attacks. The sheer force of the strikes sent shockwaves through Ye Liuyun’s shield, nearly wrenching it from his grasp.
Thinking fast, he mustered the last of his strength and hurled the shield forward to intercept the incoming assault. Then, weaving through layers of Spatial Folding, he played a deadly game of chase and run with the martial practitioner.
Dodging and weaving, he simultaneously tapped into the Elemental Spirit Secret Skill, desperately replenishing his dwindling advance energy reserve.
The martial practitioner, inferior in spatial Force, couldn’t keep up and wasted his precious energy in pursuit.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun accelerated his absorption of spiritual energy. Sensing the moment was right, he abruptly switched tactics. First was to whittle down his opponent’s remaining energy with bursts of flame and lightning. Then he would channel his own restored power, augmented by the force of nature itself, into a single, devastating slash.
Realising Ye Liuyun’s trick, the martial practitioner burned his virtuoso energy in desperation, lashing out with a palm strike.
’Bang!’
The attack sent Ye Liuyun flying, his body riddled with cracks. Yet he gritted his teeth and refused to fall.
His opponent, however, was already split in two by his blade slash. The victory belonged to Ye Liuyun.
"Not bad at all, Shang Wu. You’ve passed," Yuan Hu finally spoke with a hint of approval in his voice. "Start as a minor commander. Let’s see how you lead troops." He gestured for a soldier to escort Ye Liuyun away to rest.
"Thank you, Commander!" Ye Liuyun hissed out the words through clenched teeth, bowing stiffly before following the soldiers off the training grounds.
With every step, blood dripped from his battered body, painting a crimson trail behind him. Yet, he refused to fall.
Only when he was out of sight did he finally gulp down a drop of Vital Water, letting its healing energy mend his wounds.
After he left, Yuan Hu nodded in satisfaction, showing a rare smile tugging at his lips. He had a feeling that this ’Shang Wu’ was born a leader.
He appointed Ye Liuyun as a junior commander to assess his capacity for leadership.
"Whew! That was close. I almost died back there!"
Ye Liuyun couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
The soldier carrying him stated, "Commander Shang, this is your quarter," the soldier who led him said politely and respectfully. He was impressed by Ye Liuyun’s ability.
"Thank you." Ye Liuyun thanked the soldier before stepping into the tent to rest.
With the aid of the Vital Water, he regained his full strength within days and promptly reported himself to Yuan Hu.
Yuan Hu assigned him resources and armour, along with a hundred soldiers to train. He even sent an experienced minor commander to mentor Ye Liuyun in military drills.
However, he would not take any active part in the actual training.
Ye Liuyun understood. The assignment was a test of his ability to lead troops.
But for him, it was merely child’s play.
First off, he assessed the soldiers being placed under him. Since they had already been vetted by Yuan Hu, there were no major issues.
He began their training with the basics and started off with formation drills.
"Why aren’t we given armour yet?" one soldier spoke up to challenge him.
"Before you voice any question, you must address your commander properly!" Ye Liuyun said firmly. "You are a soldier now, not any rogue fighter. In the army, you must adhere to military discipline."
But the soldier brushed off the reprimand and continued with his complaint. "When we enlisted, they promised us armour right away!"
Ye Liuyun’s fury erupted instantly as he unleashed a Divine Soul attack, obliterating the man’s Divine Soul with ruthless efficiency.
"Once you are enlisted, you are bound by military discipline. I will decide when the armour gets issued!" His voice boomed across the training ground. "Let this be a warning to anyone who dares disobey orders!"
A suffocating Divine Soul pressure radiated from Ye Liuyun, swept over the assembled soldiers like an invisible tide. The men stood frozen, not daring to move an inch.
Rumours of their commander’s terrifying strength had preceded him, and now they witnessed it firsthand. None of them wished to test his wrath.
With methodical precision, Ye Liuyun outlined his requested code of conduct.
"These are the rules. Etched them into your memory!"
His eyes burned with intensity as Golden Crow erupted from his palm, reducing the dead soldier’s corpse to ashes in seconds.
