Chapter 2412: Chapter 2412
"I am a prince of the Holy Land Dynasty! The moment I step out of this secret realm, the entire dynasty will know of your crimes. You won’t get away with this!" Xiao Muyu threatened Ye Liuyun, though his voice carried a hint of desperation as he attempted to bargain. "Tell me what you want—I can give you anything!"
Ye Liuyun responded with a cold laugh. Without hesitation, he activated the slave seal, seizing control of Xiao Muyu’s will. Under his command, the prince obediently summoned the other martial cultivators one by one, allowing Ye Liuyun and his doppelgänger to subdue them all.
Only then did Ye Liuyun leisurely begin extracting memories, sifting through Xiao Muyu’s mind for useful information.
As it turned out, the prince truly had no knowledge of the treasure’s location. However, Ye Liuyun discovered something far more intriguing—Xiao Muyu had recognized You Ming.
You Ming’s real name was Xiao Qingming, and shockingly, she was also a member of the royal family.
According to Xiao Muyu’s intel, her lineage was likely the founding force behind the infamous Black Killers.
Though the Black Killers were widely known within the Holy Land Dynasty, their name was spoken in hushed tones. Many privately believed that You Ming’s faction had established the organization with one goal in mind—to overthrow the current dynasty.
"A power struggle within the royal family?" Ye Liuyun mused. He almost hoped Xiao Muyu’s information was accurate. If so, he might gain an unexpected ally in his own confrontation with the Holy Land Dynasty.
But even if You Ming’s faction was indeed the mastermind behind the Black Killers, that didn’t guarantee they would agree to an alliance. At best, any cooperation would be temporary—a mutual exploitation of convenience.
"Perhaps You Ming knows the Black Killers’ secrets," Ye Liuyun thought. He resolved to probe her for information later.
However, given that they had already formed an equal contract, he couldn’t resort to force. He’d have to find a way to make her reveal the truth willingly.
Next, Ye Liuyun combed through the memories of other royal family members, familiarizing himself with key figures in the Holy Land Dynasty. Once satisfied, he pocketed Xiao Muyu’s Interspatial Ring.
Rather than killing the prince outright, he confined him within his spatial world.
Xiao Muyu’s death would immediately extinguish his soul token back in the dynasty, alerting the royals and likely triggering a military purge. For now, keeping him alive was the safer option.
The secret realm could block communication talismans and other means of contact, so the Sacred Dynasty wouldn’t immediately discover that he had taken control of Xiao Muyu.
He then used the Thousand Illusions Art to transform into Xiao Muyu’s appearance and issued orders to the soldiers and tribesmen, commanding them to search for treasures and excavate resources.
Meanwhile, he headed straight for the treasury and swiftly collected all the resources stored inside.
Once the soldiers had dispersed, he used the Soul Contract to summon Youming and the others, signaling them to regroup.
As for the martial cultivators he had subdued, he stored them all within his spatial world.
By now, he had already captured thirteen second-level Heavenly Realm martial cultivators—more than enough to handle any situation.
He had no intention of deploying them, however. Instead, he planned to keep them as sparring partners for his own training.
When Youming and the others arrived, Ye Liuyun briefly revealed his true face before shifting back to Xiao Muyu’s guise.
He laid out his plan to the group: "I’ve ordered Xiao Muyu’s subordinates to gather resources for us. There’s no rush to leave—let’s wait until they’ve collected more before we make our move. In the meantime, you should all rest and recover."
"What about Xiao Muyu? When do we kill him?" Youming asked.
"After we leave," Ye Liuyun replied. "That way, the Sacred Dynasty won’t send troops in or block the exit."
"But the moment he steps out, the Sacred Dynasty will realize you controlled him. That could still cause trouble," Youming pointed out.
After a moment’s thought, Ye Liuyun released Xiao Muyu. With a swift motion, Phantom Hand gouged out Xiao Muyu’s core before Ye Liuyun erased the slave seal.
"We won’t control him, and we won’t kill him. Problem solved, right?" Ye Liuyun asked Youming.
"Now that’s what I call clever!" Before Youming could respond, Kuangsha burst into laughter.
"You’ll pay for this! Mark my words!"
Xiao Muyu was still shouting threats when Ye Liuyun knocked him out cold with a single strike and stashed him into a Interspatial Ring.
Youming chuckled to herself before finding a quiet spot to settle in and resume her cultivation.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun waited patiently, subduing the returning soldiers one by one until he had complete control over the remaining forces.
He then ordered the soldiers to excavate the source energy buried beneath the ancient altar. The captured warriors and local natives were also put to work, scouring the land for medicinal herbs, rare ores, and ferocious beasts.
By the time Youming and the others had mostly recovered, they gathered to ask when they would depart.
"Are you trying to strip this secret realm bare?" Youming couldn’t help but laugh at how thoroughly Ye Liuyun was plundering its resources.
With a faint smile, he shrugged. "If we don’t take them, someone else will. Might as well be us."
She shook her head in resignation, though she didn’t seem particularly concerned about the spoils.
"Everyone’s ready. When do we leave?" she pressed.
After a brief pause, Ye Liuyun handed Xiao Muyu over to her. "Go ahead and complete the mission handover. I’ll escort you out, then come back."
"You’re staying here? How will you get out later?" Youming’s eyes widened in surprise.
"There’s nothing valuable left anyway. Didn’t they lose their sacred relic? Why not just leave with us?" Kuangsha chimed in, assuming Ye Liuyun was still searching for that missing stone pedestal—hence the extensive scavenging.
"Don’t worry! Once you’re safely out, I’ll find a way to escape!" Ye Liuyun reassured them.
He provided them with four military uniforms to change into, then summoned two powerful allies to accompany him as they boarded Youming’s airship, soaring toward the secret realm’s exit.
During the journey, Youming turned to him with a question. "Why are you staying behind?"
"I plan to take this world’s source energy for myself," Ye Liuyun replied.
"But once we leave and kill Xiao Muyu, the Sacred Dynasty will send troops in," Youming said, concern lacing her voice.
"Perfect timing to trap them," Ye Liuyun explained with a smirk. "Before they reach the altar, I’ll have already absorbed the world’s essence. By then, the entire realm will collapse, burying them all here."
Youming studied him for a moment before asking, "Do you have a grudge against the Sacred Dynasty?"
Instead of answering directly, Ye Liuyun chuckled. "That doesn’t necessarily mean I hold a grudge. They sent their people in—I didn’t force them. I’m just taking the source energy as cultivation resources."
"You’re that desperate for resources?" Youming couldn’t help but ask, curious why he was so relentless in gathering them.
"Absolutely. Not just desperate—I need an enormous amount," Ye Liuyun sighed.
His mind was weighed down by the needs of his followers and his army. With so many people relying on him within his spatial world, the demand for resources was a bottomless pit, impossible to fill.
Youming didn’t press further. Everyone had their secrets, and if Ye Liuyun wasn’t willing to share, she wouldn’t pry.
