Chapter 2444: Chapter 2444
Ye Liuyun never expected that just half a year of trials in the Death March could elevate his abilities so rapidly.
With each passing day, he gained deeper insights into the nature of the Death March.
The journey was divided into numerous distinct zones, each harboring its own unique dangers. Since being teleported into the desert, Ye Liuyun had been advancing steadily in one general direction—yet the end seemed nowhere in sight.
All he could sense was that the trials were growing increasingly brutal. Without relying on the aid of other powerful cultivators, breaking through each zone had become far more difficult.
The martial cultivators he encountered now were also significantly stronger. Were it not for treasures like the Energy Exchange Stone and Energy Storage Stone that allowed him to swiftly replenish his profound energy, he would have perished long ago.
During one particularly fierce battle against an overwhelmingly powerful puppet, even with his doppelganger fighting alongside him, multiple assaults failed to breach the puppet’s defenses.
Just then, two martial cultivators arrived at the scene and proposed joining forces with Ye Liuyun to take down the puppet.
The two introduced themselves—one called Wu En, the other Wang De—and spoke to Ye Liuyun with genuine sincerity.
"Let’s attack together, all four of us. Once we destroy this puppet, we’ll split the resources fifty-fifty."
Finding their terms fair, Ye Liuyun agreed.
The four of them launched a coordinated assault. At first, everyone fought with full effort. After observing them discreetly for a while, Ye Liuyun gradually let his guard down and focused entirely on battling the puppet.
Their strategy was simple: concentrate their attacks on the puppet’s arms. Once severed, the construct would lose its offensive capabilities.
Ye Liuyun and his doppelganger wielded their blades, weaving through space to evade the puppet’s strikes while channeling their most devastating sword intent. Augmented by the power of heaven and earth and his profound energy, each slash aimed to cleave through the puppet’s shoulders—severing its arms at the root.
Meanwhile, the two martial cultivators were tasked with blocking and diverting the attacks from the puppet’s arms.
Once they saw Ye Liuyun and his doppelgänger going all out, the two exchanged a glance and subtly began conserving their strength. Though they still engaged the arms, their efforts were half-hearted—mostly dodging and luring, rarely stepping in to intercept.
Neither Ye Liuyun nor his doppelgänger paid them much mind. The puppet was not only massive but also incredibly durable. Ye Liuyun’s blade could cleave through mountains, yet when it struck the puppet’s shoulder, it merely left a deep gash.
Focusing intently, Ye Liuyun dodged the relentless attacks while delivering over thirty consecutive slashes before finally severing the puppet’s right arm.
Just as he turned to assist his doppelgänger, the puppet’s remaining arm swung toward it. The two martial cultivators were positioned close enough that, had they acted together, they could have easily blocked the strike.
Instead, they deliberately stepped aside, leaving the doppelgänger exposed. Though it instantly employed spatial evasion, the puppet’s sheer force blasted it out of the void.
The doppelgänger was sent flying, its right arm shattered, the Heaven Devourer knocked from its grip. Unconscious, it crumpled to the ground.
Ye Liuyun immediately used spatial energy to retrieve it into his inner world, submerging it in the restorative waters of the Life Spring.
But the puppet’s remaining arm was already hurtling toward him. With one arm lost, it now saw Ye Liuyun as the greatest threat.
Seizing the opportunity, Wu En swiftly snatched the fallen Heaven Devourer, stashing it into his Interspatial Ring, while Wang De launched a palm strike at Ye Liuyun. Wu En followed suit, joining the assault.
To them, the one-armed puppet was no longer a match. Their plan was clear—exploit the puppet’s focus on Ye Liuyun to eliminate him first.
Not only would they claim his Interspatial Ring, but once they finished off the metal monstrosity, all its resources would be theirs as well.
"Damn it!" Ye Liuyun cursed under his breath.
Even the dimmest person would realize by now that he and his doppelganger had been used as pawns.
Without hesitation, he summoned all twenty of his elite martial warriors. Their orders were clear—hold off the Metal Puppet while intercepting the attacks from Wu En and Wang De.
But their sudden appearance caught even Ye Liuyun off guard. He hadn’t had time to warn them beforehand, and they had been deep in cultivation when abruptly pulled into the fray. The moment they materialized, five were instantly sent flying by the Metal Puppet’s crushing blows.
Acting fast, Ye Liuyun seized control through their slave seals, directing three warriors to engage the golem while the rest swarmed Wu En and Wang De.
Meanwhile, he swiftly replenished his depleted energy using a reserve stone. Once restored, he lunged straight for Wu En.
The sudden onslaught of martial warriors—though individually weaker—was overwhelming in sheer numbers. Wu En and Wang De knew they couldn’t hold their ground. Without hesitation, they bolted, fighting desperately to break free.
But Liu Tianyi, Ling Hai, and Liao Yunyang had already encircled Wu En. Knowing the man carried the doppelganger’s Sky Devourer, Ye Liuyun had ordered his warriors to focus on him. Wu En never stood a chance.
Wang De, however, managed to slip through the net. Sensing Ye Liuyun’s fury, he hurled several treasures behind him as makeshift barriers, buying just enough time to vanish into the distance.
The warriors chasing him soon gave up, turning back to assist in demolishing the Metal Puppet.
By then, Ye Liuyun had already subdued Wu En with a soul attack, forcing him to surrender the Sky Devourer and all his resources. With a flick of his will through the slave seal, he rendered Wu En powerless before unleashing a pack of demonic wolves to tear the man apart alive.
"Who let that other bastard escape?" Ye Liuyun’s voice was ice as he turned his attention to the warriors responsible for Wang De’s getaway.
Six men stepped forward, trembling. They hadn’t fought hard enough—hadn’t even pursued when Wang De slipped past them. Now, their target was long gone.
"I don’t keep useless trash around," Ye Liuyun snarled. "If you won’t fight to the death, what good are you to me? Finish them."
At his command, the demonic wolves surged forward, reducing the six to bloody scraps in seconds.
"And those five worthless fools!" His glare swept over the warriors who had fallen first. "You’re here to fight, not freeload!"
Ye Liuyun then pointed at the five martial artists who had been instantly knocked down upon emerging. The demonic wolf pounced again, devouring them alive without hesitation.
The onlookers trembled with fear, not daring to make a sound. Never before had they seen Ye Liuyun in such a towering rage.
Liu Tianyi, Ling Hai, Liao Yunyang, and the others secretly congratulated themselves. At least they’d managed to eliminate one target—otherwise, they’d all be implicated in this disaster.
Ye Liuyun was truly furious. He’d never suffered such a humiliating defeat before. So many men couldn’t even surround a single martial artist—what use were they keeping around?
"Go hunt down Wang De for me. If you fail to kill him, you’d all better take your own lives as atonement!" Ye Liuyun’s anger still burned as he ordered the remaining men to pursue Wang De relentlessly. Through the slave marks, he issued an absolute command: even if it cost them their lives, they must kill Wang De on sight.
"Yes, sir!" The men responded in unison. Dividing into three groups of three, they dashed off in the direction Wang De had fled.
