Chapter 2479: Chapter 2479
Xiao Muhong never anticipated that while he was trying to gather intel on Ye Liuyun’s equipment through these array masters, Ye Liuyun was actually plotting to abduct them.
The Sacred Dynasty acted swiftly, promptly allocating an open field for Ye Liuyun to establish his military camp. Without delay, Ye Liuyun dispatched the Qiong Qi to set up an immensely powerful defensive array, stationing his elite Blade Regiment there for protection. However, the camp conspicuously lacked any of the equipment the Sacred Dynasty was eager to examine.
Moreover, the array had the added effect of blocking spiritual sense detection. When activated, it emitted a blinding radiance, obscuring any view of what transpired inside.
The Black Killers had also sent operatives to sabotage the site—even planning to assassinate some array masters and frame Ye Liuyun, thereby disrupting their collaboration. But Ye Liuyun, having received prior intelligence from Silent Kill, had prepared accordingly. Instead of constructing an ordinary camp, he implemented this formidable defense.
Though the setup was laborious, it rendered the Black Killers utterly incapable of infiltration. Xiao Muhong, for his part, dispatched a small battleship escorted by numerous elite warriors, positioning it directly at the array’s entrance. With the ship and the defensive array gate facing each other, the Black Killers found no opportunity to strike.
Once inside the defensive array, the array masters were immediately required to surrender their communication talismans to prevent any information leaks. Only then were they assigned quarters by soldiers and allowed to settle in. Subsequently, Ye Liuyun, his avatar, and the Qiong Qi proceeded to brand each of them with slave seals under the pretense of evaluating their skills.
Xiao Muhong had heavily promoted the mission among the array masters to secure classified details about the equipment. As a result, only renowned and prestigious figures had volunteered—many even considering it an honor. This meant Ye Liuyun had struck gold, seizing control of the Sacred Dynasty’s most elite array masters.
However, Xiao Muhong quickly detected Ye Liuyun’s actions. Before dispatching the array masters, the Sacred Dynasty had bound them with soul contracts, ensuring they would relay any intelligence they uncovered.
Furious, Xiao Muhong immediately contacted Ye Liuyun to protest.
"You’ve violated our agreement with these actions. Cease immediately, or we’ll withdraw all our formation masters."
"Just ensuring they don’t leak secrets—no need to overreact. Or is this your ploy to steal intel on our equipment? Where’s your sincerity in this partnership?"
Ye Liuyun parried Xiao Muhong’s words while quickening his movements.
"You have no right to control our formation masters!" Xiao Muhong shot back.
"You broke the pact first by making them sign contracts to disclose intel. And now you dare accuse us?" Ye Liuyun countered.
Xiao Muhong paled as he sensed Ye Liuyun still erasing the soul contracts of the formation masters. Desperation crept into his voice.
"Stop now, or I’ll order our martial cultivators to storm your camp!" he threatened outright.
"What? Attack us? Try it, and I’ll execute one formation master for every move you make."
With hostages in hand, Ye Liuyun scoffed at the threat.
"You... shameless!" Xiao Muhong seethed, but he couldn’t risk action.
Losing even a few of the two hundred elite formation masters would ignite outrage among their ranks—let alone a massacre. Trapped between reclaiming his people and fearing retaliation, he could only spar verbally.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun multitasked—fending off Xiao Muhong while his doppelganger and the Qiong Qi beast systematically subdued the formation masters.
Though skilled in arcane arts, the formation masters lacked combat prowess. Their spiritual defenses, while formidable, were no match for Ye Liuyun, his clone, and the primordial Qiong Qi. Even those warding off soul attacks fell swiftly.
Before long, every formation master bore the mark of enslavement.
After successfully capturing his targets, Ye Liuyun swiftly transported everyone into his spatial realm and immediately teleported away from the camp using the Black Tower.
"What the hell do you think you’re doing?"
Xiao Muhong had spent ages negotiating with Ye Liuyun, but it was all in vain.
"Calm down and talk to me properly. I don’t want any trouble. Once these array masters finish their work for me, I’ll send them back. How much they learn is up to them. But until then, I won’t let them pass any messages to you. So just sit tight and wait!"
Ye Liuyun was deliberately stalling Xiao Muhong. With the array masters already in his grasp and all communication severed, there was nothing Xiao Muhong could do but fume in frustration.
Still, Xiao Muhong tried to console himself: *Maybe when those array masters return, they’ll bring back useful intel. Even if they don’t, no big deal. Let him have his little victory now—he’ll pay for it tenfold later.*
And so, the matter of the array masters was temporarily settled. Under the pretense of preventing leaks, Ye Liuyun barred Xiao Muhong’s martial cultivators from entering the defensive formation to investigate. As a result, Xiao Muhong remained under the illusion that the array masters were still inside, assisting Ye Liuyun.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun quietly approached more blacksmiths and alchemists. Once he had gathered enough, he abruptly branded them with slave seals and whisked them away into his spatial world.
The sudden disappearance of hundreds of craftsmen and alchemists immediately drew the attention of the Sacred Dynasty.
Only then did Xiao Muhong realize something was amiss. He demanded to send people to check on the array masters.
Ye Liuyun stalled for days, but when Xiao Muhong could wait no longer, he ordered his martial cultivators to attack the defensive formation.
The elite warriors struck together, and within minutes, the formation crumbled—far more easily than they had expected.
From the start, Ye Liuyun had known they wouldn’t dare attack immediately, so he had designed the formation to block spiritual sense detection rather than withstand assaults.
Now, the martial cultivators stood dumbfounded, staring at an utterly empty camp.
Upon receiving the news, Xiao Muhong immediately stormed off to confront Ye Liuyun once more.
Ye Liuyun merely brushed him off with an excuse—claiming it was unsafe to stay put, with Black Kill operatives lurking nearby, so they had to relocate. As for where they’d moved, that was information he couldn’t disclose just yet.
When Xiao Muhong pressed further, accusing Ye Liuyun of breaking his word, the man didn’t even bother to respond.
Fuming with rage, Xiao Muhong found himself utterly powerless against Ye Liuyun’s indifference.
At that moment, it finally dawned on him—while he had been scheming to gather intelligence discreetly, Ye Liuyun had simply resorted to abduction. There was no doubt now: the disappearances of those master craftsmen and alchemists were all Ye Liuyun’s doing.
Yet he dared not breathe a word of this revelation to anyone, instead ordering his subordinates to keep it under wraps.
If word got out, the blame would fall squarely on his shoulders—and his standing in the royal court would plummet in an instant.
