Chapter 2418: Chapter 2418
The avatar used its golden pupils to scan the area where the martial artist was located and detected a formidable soul—far stronger than that of an ordinary Second Heaven martial artist.
Yet, based on the aura he emitted, there was no doubt he was only at the Second Heaven realm. This alone proved the man was a true powerhouse.
*"It might be him who moved the satellite island. If so, his spatial world must be vast!"* Ye Liuyun suddenly realized, knowing this opponent wouldn’t be easy to handle.
Last time, at the treasure site, Ye Liuyun had expended a significant amount of soul power to unleash a dark light that annihilated two powerful wraiths. He still hadn’t fully recovered that lost energy.
Now, as they traveled, he took the opportunity to retrieve some rare soul-nourishing treasures from his stash to replenish his depleted reserves.
Ye Liuyun suspected this formidable warrior might know more about the treasure site and was already strategizing how to capture him alive.
Facing someone capable of moving an entire island—a feat akin to reshaping the world—Ye Liuyun didn’t dare underestimate him. His own spatial world had only recently reached the capacity to absorb something of that scale.
Inside his spatial world, he had been sparring with the other powerful warriors he had subdued. But aside from his soul power and the black-and-white light of his golden pupils, he truly had no other means to contend with them.
His mastery of the Yuanling Secret Arts and curse techniques was still lacking, rendering them nearly useless against Second Heaven experts.
*"How many of these true powerhouses does the Sacred Dynasty have?"* Ye Liuyun asked the martial artists he had captured.
In his eyes, the Second Heaven warriors he had subdued merely met the threshold in terms of cultivation level—their actual combat prowess paled in comparison to the powerhouse he had just discovered.
This wasn’t just a matter of realm. These ordinary martial artists had built shaky foundations during their training.
They only knew that the Sacred Dynasty had a few such experts—certainly more than one or two, but not an overwhelming number. Still, they couldn’t provide an exact count.
When Ye Liuyun and his group finally reached the satellite island, they encountered another problem.
You Ming and the others had no experience resisting spatial pressure in the void, forcing them to pilot their flying vessel to a remote landing spot.
But the moment they breached the ninth layer of the void surrounding the satellite island, that formidable expert immediately dashed from his dwelling, streaking toward their landing site at breakneck speed. His velocity surpassed even Ye Liuyun’s spatial folding technique. Without delay, the clone contacted Ye Liuyun, urging them to evade immediately.
The clone itself raced toward the scene but kept a cautious distance, wary of alerting the martial expert.
Inside the airship, Ye Liuyun’s voice was sharp with urgency. "Youming, change course—head for the nearest city! We’ve been detected!"
"Detected? How?" Youming’s disbelief was mirrored in the questioning glances of the others.
"Just turn the damn ship!" Ye Liuyun roared, his patience snapping. There was no time for explanations—every second wasted risked drawing the attention of that terrifying pursuer.
Startled, Youming instinctively veered the vessel toward a small town in the distance.
"Disguise yourselves—now!" Ye Liuyun barked at the group. His own gilded armor shimmered and reshaped into the plain garb of a commoner, his features morphing into an unremarkable face. The others scrambled to change into nondescript clothing.
"What’s happening?" someone asked mid-transformation.
"A powerful enemy has spotted us!" Ye Liuyun replied tersely.
As the airship descended toward the ground, Ye Liuyun summoned a metal puppet to take the helm.
"Abandon the ship—we leave now!"
Without hesitation, he leaped from the vessel, the others following suit.
The others were so startled by Ye Liuyun’s tension that they immediately followed suit and leaped out.
The moment Ye Liuyun landed, he sent out a second-level Heavenly Realm martial artist to intercept the pursuer while he himself used spatial overlap to dash toward the city. The flying vessel, meanwhile, continued speeding away into the distance.
The rest of the group hurried after him. The instant they entered the city, they were met with an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them.
With their spiritual senses, they could all perceive the martial artist Ye Liuyun had left behind to block the enemy—only to be instantly obliterated into a mist of blood by a single palm strike from above.
Yet, that terrifying pressure soon shifted its focus, chasing after the flying vessel at a speed even faster than the ship itself.
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"So strong!" Mad Shark couldn’t help but mutter under his breath.
"Scatter!" Ye Liuyun immediately ordered everyone to disperse and hide within the city.
No sooner had they separated than that crushing pressure reappeared, blanketing the entire town in its suffocating grip.
The townspeople were terrified. Those with lower cultivation levels coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise under the weight of the oppressive force.
"You have three breaths to come out willingly, and I might spare your lives. Otherwise, you’ll die here along with everyone in this city!"
The martial artist hovered in midair, his voice booming across the streets.
Ye Liuyun studied him with his golden pupils. The man wasn’t old—perhaps in his forties—and while his cultivation was indeed at the second level of the Heavenly Realm, the density of his true essence far surpassed that of the other Heavenly Realm martial artists Ye Liuyun had subdued.
Even his soul power was on par with Ye Liuyun’s. Without the aid of his doppelgangers, Ye Liuyun wasn’t confident he could defeat him.
"One."
The martial cultivator began counting down.
He seemed to sense Ye Liuyun’s probing gaze and turned his eyes toward him.
Ye Liuyun checked the position of his doppelganger—it was already rushing toward them and would arrive any moment.
*"What should we do?"* Youming and the others asked Ye Liuyun through their soul contract.
Their nerves were frayed. Against such a powerhouse, even combined, they stood no chance. If he truly intended to attack the entire city, they would inevitably be exposed.
*"Two."* The martial cultivator continued his countdown, his gaze locking onto Ye Liuyun.
*"Stay put. I’ll handle him."*
Realizing the man was staring right at him, Ye Liuyun decided to act. He flew out beyond the city walls, positioning himself between the martial cultivator and the small town.
*"Wait—"* Youming tried to stop him, but it was too late.
*"Just you alone?"*
The man intensified his oppressive aura, attempting to crush Ye Liuyun under its weight—yet the young man remained unfazed.
Ye Liuyun merely clasped his hands in a respectful salute and asked, *"May I ask your name, senior? Why target me? I was merely passing through!"*
*"Hmph. Trying to play games with me? You’re asking for death!"* The man sneered, casually flicking his wrist. A surge of primal energy blasted toward Ye Liuyun.
*"Damn! This guy’s no joke!"* Ye Liuyun cursed inwardly. Taking a deep breath, he channeled all his strength—his cosmic energy and profound essence—into a single punch.
Yet, despite the man’s seemingly effortless attack, Ye Liuyun’s full-powered strike barely made a dent.
*BOOM!*
The impact sent Ye Liuyun hurtling backward. He smashed into the town’s outer wall with such force that the stone cracked beneath him, leaving a crater in its wake.
*"Pfft—"*
A mouthful of blood sprayed from his lips, but he forced himself back onto his feet in an instant.
