Chapter 2478: Chapter 2478
Ye Liuyun’s greatest weakness in the Sacred Dynasty was his lack of control over information channels.
This was a far cry from when he had controlled Sentinel Island and Lookout Island. Back then, he could steer public opinion, manipulate his adversaries, and rally the people to his side.
Now, the Sacred Dynasty held all the cards.
Before long, news of the alliance between the Sacred Dynasty and Ye Liuyun spread like wildfire.
In their propaganda, the Sacred Dynasty lavished praise on Ye Liuyun, unexpectedly elevating his status to unprecedented heights. This stirred the people’s hopes, filling them with admiration for him.
When Ye Liuyun received the news, he could only chuckle wryly. *"The higher they lift you, the harder you fall. Is the Sacred Dynasty really so naive as to think I care about their people’s opinions?"*
Truth be told, ever since he had absorbed Sentinel Island and Lookout Island into his spatial world, the idea of an alliance had lost its urgency.
His own world and its people were already safe. If others were willing to cooperate, he’d gladly lend a hand.
But when it came to the Sacred Dynasty—scheming, manipulative, and self-serving—Ye Liuyun wasn’t about to play the fool. Instead, he’d focus on securing advantages for his own world.
So when Xiao Muhong pulled this stunt, Ye Liuyun simply ignored it.
Even Xiao Qiwu of the Black Killers found the move questionable.
*"Given Ye Liuyun’s ruthless decisiveness, he doesn’t strike me as someone who’d care about the Sacred Dynasty’s public opinion."*
Xiao Qiwu knew the Sacred Dynasty intended to move against Ye Liuyun, but he doubted this tactic would work.
Still, in their minds, Ye Liuyun was the desperate one, the one who *needed* this alliance. They were convinced they’d eventually swallow him whole—it was only a matter of time, method, and who stood to gain the most.
In fact, the Black Killers had even dispatched two elders to lie in wait near the meeting site between Ye Liuyun and Xiao Muhong. Their mission? Sabotage the talks, eliminate one of the parties, and deepen the rift between the two sides.
However, when the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon appeared, Xiao Muhong was also accompanied by over fifty powerful warriors. This meant that no matter which side they targeted, their own strength was insufficient, so they chose not to act.
"Has Ye Liuyun’s power grown stronger, or was he always this formidable?" Xiao Qiwu began to ponder.
He realized that conventional methods would likely be ineffective against Ye Liuyun.
Although the trap in the Sacred Dynasty’s secret realm had failed, it served as a wake-up call. The real challenge now was figuring out how to lure Ye Liuyun into another such realm.
Xiao Qiwu decided to put more thought into this, devising a different approach than the Sacred Dynasty’s to deal with Ye Liuyun.
When Youming heard the news of Ye Liuyun’s supposed collaboration with the Sacred Dynasty, she couldn’t help but confront him.
"You’ve allied with the Sacred Dynasty?"
As an adversary of the Sacred Dynasty herself, she was naturally displeased at the idea.
"That’s just propaganda spread by the Sacred Dynasty," Ye Liuyun replied with a dismissive wave. "We barely discussed anything—just a brief meeting to exchange pleasantries. They expect me to fight their battles without offering any resources, then finish me off when I’m weakened. Do they really think I’d fall for that?"
"But they announced an agreement between you," Youming pressed, confused.
"They know I won’t send troops when the time comes," Ye Liuyun explained. "This is their way of turning the Sacred Dynasty’s people against me, making me the villain in their eyes."
Youming’s expression darkened with concern. "Ah... I’ve long heard that Xiao Muhong is cunning, but I didn’t expect such underhanded tactics! Soon, all of the Sacred Dynasty’s citizens will resent you!"
Ye Liuyun merely chuckled. "I couldn’t care less. Just wait and see—they keep setting traps for me, but the day will come when they regret it. They’ll end up paying a far greater price to beg for my help."
"I still hope you’ll lend a hand to the people of the Sacred Dynasty when the time comes," Youming said softly, worried he might abandon them.
"As I said before, it depends on their attitude. Resisting the alien invaders should be our shared goal, but if they refuse to see that, there’s nothing I can do."
Ye Liuyun had no desire to continue the conversation with Youming, unwilling to be emotionally manipulated by her.
"Oh, alright then. Take care of yourself."
Youming quickly picked up on Ye Liuyun’s irritation and promptly ended the discussion.
Without delay, Ye Liuyun gathered his team to strategize their next move.
"I think we should focus on strengthening the Divine Masters’ Alliance," Tongxin suggested first. "Right now, we have enough equipment and some reserves, but it still won’t be sufficient in a large-scale battle."
Tongxin and Qiong Qi had recently begun organizing craftsmen into specialized roles. Different blacksmiths forged specific components, which were then assembled, while various enchanters inlaid them with formations. This division of labor had significantly improved efficiency and alleviated their shortage of skilled masters.
However, as their army grew, the number of craftsmen remained woefully inadequate. After just one major battle, countless suits of armor, weapons, and gear would need replacing.
Ye Liuyun considered the situation. With no pressing issues elsewhere, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to recruit more divine masters.
The Divine Masters’ Alliance was a unique feature of his spatial world, unlike the unified system of the Sacred Dynasty.
Yet, in recent years, the Sacred Dynasty had also begun consolidating its enchanters, blacksmiths, and alchemists in preparation for war against the alien invaders. They had established three major bases near the royal capital.
So Ye Liuyun and his doppelgänger altered their appearances and went to apply as blacksmiths and alchemists.
His forging skills were far inferior to his alchemy, and even his alchemy fell short compared to the Sacred Dynasty’s masters.
But his exceptionally powerful flame attribute made him highly sought after. Both the alchemists and blacksmiths eagerly welcomed him, hoping he could assist in refining pills and artifacts. He was accepted without hesitation.
As for the formation masters, Ye Liuyun had initially planned to have Qiong Qi infiltrate their ranks. But after the incident where Qiong Qi was controlled by someone else, he had grown somewhat hesitant. Left with no choice, Ye Liuyun had to come up with an alternative solution.
Coincidentally, Xiao Muhong reached out to him via a communication talisman, asking if he had begun preparations. Seizing the opportunity, Ye Liuyun mentioned that while his equipment had been successfully forged, they still lacked formation masters to inscribe the necessary arrays. Due to the shortage of personnel, much of the equipment couldn’t yet be distributed to the troops.
Xiao Muhong saw this as a perfect chance to have his own formation masters study Ye Liuyun’s equipment. He promptly offered to provide the needed experts—on the condition that they remain within the Holy Land Dynasty.
Ye Liuyun understood his ulterior motives but played along, feigning ignorance as he negotiated further. "Then you’ll have to guarantee the safety of our equipment. Find us a location where we can set up a fortified camp under our army’s protection. Your formation masters can then work there under our supervision to inscribe the arrays. Finally, our people will inspect and approve the work."
Both sides, each with their own agenda, haggled back and forth for quite some time before finally settling on an agreement. The Holy Land Dynasty would dispatch two hundred formation masters to a temporary camp established by Ye Liuyun, where they would assist in inscribing the necessary formations.
