Chapter 2419: Chapter 2419
"Well, well, aren’t you a tough one! But next time I strike, you won’t get off so easy. Care to guess if your little friends will just stand by and watch me beat you to death?" The martial cultivator sneered, his voice dripping with malice.
Originally, he hadn’t intended to kill Ye Liuyun outright—just to inflict serious injuries and lure out his companions. To his surprise, Ye Liuyun’s physical resilience was extraordinary, withstanding the initial assault. Now, he’d have to ramp up the force in his next attack.
"Stop!" Youming suddenly cried out, leaping forward to stand beside Ye Liuyun.
"What are you doing?!" Ye Liuyun was furious, his fingers twitching with the urge to slap her back to safety. His plan had been simple: distract the powerful foe long enough for his doppelgänger to get close, then launch a synchronized soul attack.
But he knew the enemy’s spiritual defenses were formidable. If he attacked, the warrior might retaliate physically—something Ye Liuyun could endure, but Youming certainly couldn’t. Now, his entire strategy was ruined.
"I won’t let you face this alone!" Youming declared, her voice unwavering.
"You—" Ye Liuyun was at a loss for words.
"Count me in too!" Kuangsha roared, bounding over to join them. "If we die, we die together!"
In quick succession, Tianyan and Yidao also stepped forward, forming a united front.
Ye Liuyun could only sigh in exasperation. He couldn’t even scold them—their hearts were in the right place.
His mind raced. *Fine. No more playing nice. Time for the doppelgänger to finish this with the White Light.*
At this thought, his doppelganger, cloaked in an invisibility mantle, stealthily approached the formidable opponent.
Yet the warrior moved with ruthless efficiency, striking simultaneously with both hands—one attack aimed at the doppelganger, the other at Ye Liuyun and his companions.
"Damn it!"
Ye Liuyun cursed inwardly and immediately activated his Time Halo.
There was no choice—the enemy’s assault was too overwhelming. He couldn’t afford to gamble with both his true self and his doppelganger at once. Besides, his allies, like You Ming, had already pledged to stand by him through life and death. Abandoning them was out of the question.
Reluctantly, he had no option but to deploy the Time Halo once more to save them all.
First, he used his Golden Pupils to teleport the doppelganger into his spatial realm.
Then, with a swift motion, he yanked You Ming and the others downward, pulling them to the ground just in time to evade the enemy’s lethal strike.
With only two breaths of time left, he unleashed his divine soul, invading the warrior’s consciousness. In an instant, he implanted a slave seal and began sifting through the man’s memories.
And what he discovered was indeed a pleasant surprise.
This martial cultivator actually knew the location of another hidden treasure trove—one he had personally overseen the excavation of.
The man was none other than Liao Yunyang, a close guard and attendant to the Fifth Prince of the Sacred Dynasty. And this Fifth Prince was no minor figure—he was a strong contender for the throne, wielding immense authority.
The armies under the Fifth Prince’s command alone numbered well over a million. And Liao Yunyang? He was the prince’s most trusted confidant and his most formidable protector.
The Sacred Dynasty had divided its vast treasures among its most prominent princes and ministers for safekeeping. The cache Liao Yunyang had managed was part of the Fifth Prince’s share.
"Well, considering the treasure, wasting one Time Halo doesn’t feel like such a loss now," Ye Liuyun mused, his earlier regret fading as he absorbed this valuable intel.
Moreover, he had uncovered a wealth of additional information.
Liao Yunyang’s formidable strength stemmed from his mastery of the Tenth Layer cultivation realm. According to his knowledge, martial practitioners of his caliber were not uncommon—each of the key princes and high-ranking ministers had at least one such expert by their side. Even among the commanders of the imperial armies and praetorian, many possessed similar power. The Holy Dynasty boasted even more of these elites; Liao Yunyang alone knew of at least twenty within the Hall guard.
Ye Liuyun did some quick calculations. If the known figures already amounted to forty or fifty, the Holy Dynasty undoubtedly harbored even more hidden powerhouses of this level. The realization sent a ripple of unease through him.
*"It seems the Holy Dynasty won’t be an easy opponent to deal with..."*
With that thought, Ye Liuyun withdrew his consciousness back into his own body.
Just then, a thunderous boom echoed as Liao Yunyang’s two palm strikes landed on empty air.
You Ming and the others were utterly baffled, unable to comprehend how their positions had suddenly shifted.
*"Follow me!"* Ye Liuyun called out to them telepathically before striding toward Liao Yunyang.
To their astonishment, Liao Yunyang immediately dropped to one knee, bowing in solemn submission.
You Ming’s jaw nearly hit the ground.
*"You... you subdued him?!"* Kuang Sha blurted out, eyes wide with disbelief.
*"How in the world did you pull that off?"* Tianyan gaped, equally stunned.
Ye Liuyun sighed, shaking his head. *"Honestly, you guys—when will you learn to listen to me? I told you not to move, and yet you just had to act. You nearly got us all killed this time!"*
Ye Liuyun deftly steered the conversation elsewhere with a smile. Truth be told, he wasn’t genuinely upset with these people. Through this incident, he’d come to realize they were all worth forging deeper bonds with.
"Got it! We’ll follow your lead from now on!" Mad Shark declared, thoroughly convinced.
Even Youming gave a firm nod.
From the moment they’d arrived, Ye Liuyun had sensed the danger before anyone else. Then there was the baffling way he’d subdued that formidable opponent. She was now certain—his strength far surpassed anything she’d imagined. No more causing trouble for him in the future.
"Let’s go! Time to return and handle our real business!" Ye Liuyun beckoned the group, following Liao Yunyang back to his residence.
Liao Yunyang was the undisputed authority here. In fact, this entire island was essentially a significant portion of his spatial realm—one he had physically extracted from within himself. That was how he’d instantly detected the intruders.
His relentless efforts were all for the sake of helping the Fifth Prince secure merit.
If the Fifth Prince could establish a battlefield outside the Holy Land Dynasty, preventing the alien races from bringing the war into its borders, it would be a monumental achievement. Such a feat would undoubtedly bolster his standing among the other princes in the race for the throne.
Naturally, the Fifth Prince hadn’t left him empty-handed, compensating him generously with resources.
Given Liao Yunyang’s status, no one dared question him when he brought the group back to his quarters.
Ye Liuyun swiftly changed into a soldier’s uniform, blending in as one of Liao Yunyang’s guards. Soon after, with Liao Yunyang’s assistance, they took control of the two army commanders.
Their next target was Wei Yan. Ye Liuyun wasted no time subduing him, confining him within his spatial realm where Qiong Qi could extract his memories—particularly those related to formation techniques.
As for Wei Yan’s martial artist bodyguards, the two army commanders swiftly surrounded them with troops. Under Liao Yunyang’s intimidating presence, resistance was the last thing on their minds.
Thus, Ye Liuyun gained ten more subordinates at the second level of the Heavenly Realm.
You Ming and the others hadn’t expected their mission to go so smoothly.
"We need to retreat immediately!" Ye Liuyun, however, urged everyone to leave at once.
One of the two commanders had a soul contract with the Fifth Prince in his consciousness. Ye Liuyun guessed that the Fifth Prince must already be aware that something had gone wrong.
Liao Yunyang also received an inquiry from the Fifth Prince. But he managed to brush it off, claiming he needed to investigate further.
