Chapter 2397: Chapter 2397 Nothing Left Unknown
The battlefield swept clean by Devil Vine and the Devil Clan was eerily spotless and nothing was left behind.
The corpses had been stored as food reserves, while all usable resources were handed over to Ye Liuyun.
Afterward, Ye Liuyun ordered Yu Xiaofeng and Pei Yong to lead the entire army aboard their warships. They completely obliterated the foreign race’s battlefield, reducing it to nothingness and erasing any trace the Sanctuary Dynasty might have used to track them.
His Spatial World had finally completed its fusion, allowing him to collect Moyana Island.
Once Moyana Island was successfully absorbed into his Spatial World, Ye Liuyun brought Yu Xiaofeng, Pei Yong, and the rest of the army inside as well. Then, he swiftly returned to the Sanctuary Dynasty using the Black Tower.
By the time the Sanctuary Dynasty’s million-strong army arrived, both Outpost Island and Moyana Island had vanished without a trace.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun had already returned to Regalty. However, the territory was now under the control of Lord Zhiyang.
Lord Zhiyang’s real name was Lin Zhiyang, a direct appointee of the Sanctuary Dynasty. Ever since taking office, he had been relentlessly investigating the whereabouts of Ye Liuyun and his mysterious army.
Since the Dynasty uncovered Ye Liuyun’s connection to the Riftblades, strict investigations intensified across all regions. In Regalty, the scrutiny was especially harsh.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, Ye Liuyun chose to go into hiding. He retreated into the secret realm used by the Stygian for training.
Not only had the fusion of his Spatial World not yet reached completion, but he had also yet to break through to the tenth layer of the Immortal Realm. So he chose to stay there and cultivate in peace.
Ye Liuyun was in no rush. Each day, he took turns with his clone to indulge in the Pure Brew. Afterward, he returned to the Xuankong Stone for focused cultivation.
With the blessing of the Xuankong Stone, his progress was astonishingly fast. Soon, he broke through to the tenth layer.
The treasure Sero had given him earlier was specifically designed to suppress his realm below the first level of the Celestial tier.
As he continued cultivating, the accumulating energy within his virtuoso condensed into profound essence. Eventually, the gradual buildup triggered a qualitative transformation, and he broke through into a realm previously unheard of.
This sensation was different from the rebirth that came with breaking into a higher realm. Ye Liuyun felt that the quality of his advance energy had greatly improved, and his strength had jumped significantly. Aside from that, there were no obvious changes.
He immediately informed Sero of this breakthrough.
Sero confirmed it, saying, "That’s right. This is exactly the feeling. But this boost in genuine energy is what will sustain your rapid progress."
Still, even Sero hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun to break through so quickly. After checking Ye Liuyun’s member points, he was astonished to see they had already reached Level Four.
Sero couldn’t help but shake his head with a smile. "You really are advancing at an incredible speed."
By now, Ye Liuyun had met all the requirements to continue with the next stage of training. Naturally, Sero proceeded to initiate Phase Two of his program.
"Before we begin group training, you’ll need to undergo specialized training in assassination techniques."
Sero began by training Ye Liuyun in assassination skills. However, Ye Liuyun demonstrated immediate mastery over stealth, disguise, and ambush tactics. Some techniques didn’t even require instruction. He instinctively met the required standard on his own.
Within two days, Ye Liuyun completed all the assigned training and claimed his full reward. After that, he took a temporary break to rest.
Sero was deeply impressed by Ye Liuyun’s performance. He returned to headquarters and submitted a request to have him promoted as a core member candidate.
Inside the Conference Hall of headquarters, a man cloaked in a black suit sat on the Grand Hall seat at the center.
Below him sat several other figures in black, all quietly listening to Sero’s report.
After Sero finished his briefing, the man on the grand seat immediately gave his approval.
"Very well. Once he reaches the second level of the Celestial tier, enroll him in Death Journey training."
"Yes, sir!" Sero replied with joy, then stepped back respectfully.
After Sero left, someone below the grand seat spoke up with concern. "Ye Liuyun isn’t one of us. What if his negotiations with the Sanctuary Dynasty fail? Couldn’t that end up implicating us as well?"
The man clad in black let out a low chuckle in response. "If they fall apart, he’ll cause even more chaos. That would actually benefit us. Based on the current situation, his methods are quite effective and the damage he’s caused to the Sanctuary Dynasty is major.”
"But if we make him too powerful, won’t he become a threat to us instead?" another questioned.
"It doesn’t matter. In the end, our ultimate goal will have us all on the same side." the man in black said calmly. With that, the rest raised no further objections.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun was unaware that ever since his identity had been exposed within the Sanctuary Dynasty, the Stygian had already uncovered who he truly was.
The Stygian’s identification token had a built-in tracking function. Combined with the information obtained from the Sanctuary Dynasty, it didn’t take long for them to confirm Ye Liuyun’s identity.
Moreover, during the disappearance of Outpost Island and Moyana Island, Ye Liuyun had been located in that very area.
Ordinary martial practitioners from the Sanctuary Dynasty would never be able to teleport across such great distances so easily.
This not only confirmed Ye Liuyun’s identity, but also led them to suspect he possessed a teleportation artifact. It was one that allowed him to move freely across the space.
As for Ye Liuyun’s strength, the Stygian had already assessed it thoroughly through their training programs.
It could be said that the Stygian’s understanding of Ye Liuyun was far more complete than he imagined.
Even after returning to headquarters, Sero gave Ye Liuyun no prior warning about any of it.
How far Ye Liuyun could go in his training depended entirely on his own efforts. If he couldn’t meet the standards, the Death Journey plan would not proceed.
Reaching Stage Two wasn’t something that could happen overnight either.
Soon, the second phase of Ye Liuyun’s training officially began. But right from the start, those assigned to the same team as Ye Liuyun were unhappy. They all felt that Ye Liuyun’s cultivation level was too low.
Every Stygian member selected for team training was at least at Stage One. They had been handpicked for their strength and were considered vital assets.
Naturally, they worried that having someone with such a low realm would drag the team down.
So, on the very first day of team training, no one was willing to partner with Ye Liuyun. Due to the limited number of trainees, he and two others were left without a group.
Helpless, the three of them returned to the Grand Hall and sat there in silent frustration.
"Don’t be discouraged. You’ll get used to it. Weaklings aren’t wanted by any team and it’s just how it is." two of the members tried to console him.
The two of them were always left out during team assignments because their strength was slightly weaker.
But Ye Liuyun didn’t take it to heart. He was already used to being looked down on because of his low cultivation level. Each time, he had made those who dismissed him regret it deeply.
This time would be no different. So, he suggested to the other two, "Why don’t the three of us just form our own team and challenge the others?"
He reasoned that adding his clone into the mix would bring them up to nearly a full team.
"What, are you crazy? Three against five? We’d get crushed! Everyone in the group plays a critical role and losing even one person is dangerous!"
"Exactly! We’re already the weakest here. If the three of us team up, it’ll be like handing ourselves over for slaughter!"
The two flat-out refused. Obviously, they didn’t have Ye Liuyun’s courage or his confidence.
