Chapter 2666: Chapter 2666
At this moment, everyone had already seized the opportunity to congratulate Lin Xiaoxiao as a pretext to express their reverence toward Ye Liuyun and curry favor with him. Several women even coquettishly pressed themselves against him—had they not been in public, they likely would have clung to him outright.
In the end, it was Lin Fengzhi who rescued Ye Liuyun from the awkward situation, calling everyone to gather outside for the hunt. Only then did the crowd gradually disperse into the open air.
There were over a hundred participating teams, each consisting of twenty to thirty people surrounding a young noble. Behind Lin Xiaoxiao stood a squad of city guards led by Lin Moyu.
Both the Sixth Prince and the Princess were flanked by praetorian, accompanied by several powerful warriors from the royal court. Ye Liuyun observed that the two royals, dressed in lavish robes, hardly looked prepared for hunting—clearly, they had no intention of participating themselves.
"The competition will last one month, with no restrictions on hunting methods. The winner will be determined by whoever slays the highest-realm beast. In cases of equal realm, the first to return claims victory. The champion will have a beast tamed by Master Ye—free of charge!" Lin Fengzhi announced the rules before signaling the teams to set off. "However, I must warn you—there are even Dominator-level beasts in these lands. Hunt wisely, and know your limits."
With the Brown Lion as her newfound advantage, Lin Xiaoxiao rode ahead of the others, drawing envious glances. The rest of the teams soon followed suit.
The young nobles were in high spirits, clearly thrilled by the competition. Though many knew they stood no chance of winning—especially with the Sixth Prince and Princess in the mix—the opportunity to mingle with high society while enjoying themselves was more than enough to keep them excited.
Only after the other teams had departed did the Sixth Prince retreat to his tent to change into battle gear, emerging clad in armor. His guards each summoned a Heaven-tier beast, mounting them before swiftly riding off.
"That’s actually a clever move," Ye Liuyun mused to himself, already considering how he might use the same method to shake off unwanted surveillance later.
Now, only the Princess and her retinue remained. She turned to Lin Fengzhi and declared, "I’m feeling unwell, so I’ll trouble you, Commander Lin, to let me rest here. My handmaiden will participate in my stead."
"Of course, Your Highness," Lin Fengzhi replied deferentially, immediately ordering his soldiers to ensure the Princess’s safety.
With a mere nod, the Princess withdrew to her personal airship to rest, leaving only her handmaiden and Ye Liuyun behind.
Not daring to question the handmaiden’s delay, Lin Fengzhi instead turned to Ye Liuyun. "Master Ye, won’t you be joining the hunt?"
Ye Liuyun smiled and shook his head. "I have some matters to attend to first. I’ll return before the competition ends."
Lin Fengzhi hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun to forgo hunting beasts here. He’d been curious to see what level of demonic creatures Ye might capture. But clearly, Ye Liuyun had no intention of revealing his true capabilities in this place.
"Very well! I shall await Master Ye’s return here!" Lin could only acquiesce to his departure—after all, their prior agreement granted Ye Liuyun complete freedom of movement.
Without hesitation, Ye summoned his falcon mount and soared into the starry expanse.
The princess’s maidservant, observing this, swiftly released a beast of her own—a Golden Roc at the second level of Heavenly Realm. Such a creature was no weakling, especially given the Roc’s renowned speed in flight.
Yet the moment Ye Liuyun reached the void, he detected her pursuit. A faint smirk curled his lips as he urged his falcon to accelerate.
The falcon’s cultivation level, spatial mastery, and sheer velocity far surpassed what a mere second-level Heavenly Roc could match.
By the time the maidservant breached the starry skies, Ye was already a distant streak of shadow. After a futile chase, she lost sight of him entirely.
"How could a mere falcon be this fast?" Though baffled, she had no choice but to abandon the pursuit and turn back.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun chuckled to himself as he steered his mount toward a nearby planet. Days later, upon arrival, his golden pupils swept across the celestial body. "Lin Fengzhi’s maps are impressively precise."
Marked as undeveloped and hazardous on Lin’s charts, this world appeared far more promising to Ye—not only radiant but teeming with resources. While dangers lurked, they were trivial for someone of his caliber.
With a glance, Ye’s golden eyes pinpointed the planet’s core essence. Without hesitation, he directed his falcon into a dive. Moments later, the entire world vanished—swallowed whole into his spatial realm. Inside, A’Xing and the others eagerly set off to explore their newfound domain.
Then, Ye remounted his falcon and streaked toward the next target. After claiming another world, he decided it was time to return. Lingering further might make him miss the hunting competition’s conclusion.
"Better head back early and bag a few beasts myself."
Soaring back toward the hunting grounds, he arrived with seven days to spare before the event’s end.
From the void, Ye surveyed the participants’ positions and activities. But his gaze sharpened when he spotted the princess’s maidservant—desperately fleeing from pursuers.
The seven pursuers chasing her were all clad in black with their faces concealed, and shockingly, five of them had reached the Second Heaven Realm. The maidservant was deliberately leading them toward the lair of a Third Heaven Realm beast, clearly intending to use the creature’s power to counter them.
Ye Liuyun swiftly stowed away his falcon and dashed ahead toward the beast—a formidable lion-tiger hybrid. Before the beast could even sense his presence, Ye Liuyun had already branded it with a slave seal. Mounting the subdued creature, he rode toward the maidservant. Though they were strangers, since he had stumbled upon the situation, he figured he might as well lend a hand.
The maidservant, still running for her life, skidded to a halt when she spotted Ye Liuyun astride the lion-tiger. Unaware of his intentions, she assumed he was another threat. Without hesitation, her hands flicked rapidly through the air as she began weaving an intricate formation.
"Whoa, casting formations mid-air? Not bad!" Ye Liuyun remarked, impressed. Seeing she had her own means of defense, he decided to pause and enjoy the show.
The seven black-clad pursuers, catching sight of the maidservant’s spellcraft, hesitated to advance recklessly. Their eyes also flicked toward Ye Liuyun and the Third Heaven Realm beast beneath him, uncertain whether he was friend or foe.
"Who are you?" one of the masked men demanded.
Ye Liuyun chuckled. "Me? Just passing by! Thought about playing the hero, but looks like she’s got it under control. So I’ll stick around for the entertainment."
Hearing this, the maidservant shot him a wary glance, unsure if he truly meant to help.
But the black-clad men weren’t about to let him off so easily. After a quick exchange through hushed whispers, they began encircling him.
