Chapter 2686: Chapter 2686
Ye Liuyun explained to Liu Yunyao, "This avatar of mine was created by splitting off a fragment of my own soul. Our souls can actually switch places. So in essence, we’re the same person."
"There’s no need to distinguish between us—we share the same consciousness. Every sensation and sight either of us experiences is instantly synchronized!"
"Wait... does that mean I have two men now?" Liu Yunyao exclaimed in disbelief.
"Haha!" Ye Liuyun chuckled as he retracted the avatar, telling her, "I might eventually reabsorb this avatar to merge completely with my true form. But for now, it’s more efficient to cultivate separately—plus, there are many tasks where having an extra pair of hands comes in handy."
"That makes sense! That tenfold time-accelerated spatial realm is still crucial!" Liu Yunyao nodded in agreement.
Ye Liuyun then revealed, "My spatial realm can also manipulate time at tenfold speed—or even twentyfold, given sufficient energy. You’ll be able to achieve the same someday."
"Doesn’t that make me invincible?" Liu Yunyao asked excitedly.
"Well, unless you don’t mind aging twenty times faster," Ye Liuyun teased with a grin.
"...Good point! Maybe I’ll hold off on the time acceleration for now." His remark instantly cooled her enthusiasm.
"Let’s go pick out some magical beasts first. After that, I’ll help you claim an entire world to expand your spatial realm," Ye Liuyun suggested.
"Deal. But you’ll have to play the part of my bodyguard—hope you don’t mind," Liu Yunyao said with a playful smirk.
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun shapeshifted into the humanoid form of a nine-headed demonic dragon, leaving Liu Yunyao utterly stunned. Yet after sensing his soul, she confirmed it was unmistakably him.
"You never cease to amaze me! Can you finally tell me who you really are? I’m dying to know!" Her curiosity burned brighter than ever.
"Alright, I’ll explain as we walk. This is just a shape-shifting technique called the Thousand Illusions Art."
Ye Liuyun gave Liu Yunyao a general overview of his experiences.
As they walked and communicated through voice transmission, they unknowingly arrived at the royal beast-taming grounds.
Inside the arena, the other ferocious beasts had been temporarily locked away, leaving only a few demonic beasts displayed in cages at the center. These creatures varied in strength, but the most powerful among them only reached the second level of the Dominator Realm.
"These were captured from a demonic world our dynasty’s army accidentally discovered during the war against the southern barbarians," Liu Yunyao explained. "Father had some sent over so each of us could choose one."
"Of course, everyone wants the strongest beasts, but without a skilled tamer, they’re nearly impossible to control. That’s why I’m counting on you this time!" she added with a grin.
Just then, several other princes arrived—about seven or eight in total. With over fifty demonic beasts available, there were more than enough to go around.
Ye Liuyun’s gaze swept across the cages until he spotted a small black-and-white cat curled up in one of them. At only the first level of the Immortal Realm, it seemed entirely unremarkable.
Yet, for its realm, its spiritual power was unusually strong—several times greater than that of other beasts at the same level. It lay quietly in the cage, its sharp, wary eyes scanning the surroundings.
The cat’s eyes were an eerie shade of gray-blue, adding to its peculiar aura.
When Ye Liuyun activated his Golden Pupils, he immediately sensed an immense energy sealed within the creature. Likely, an elder had transferred power to it, allowing the energy to gradually unlock as it grew—ensuring competitors wouldn’t detect and eliminate it prematurely.
No matter how well it disguised itself, though, it couldn’t deceive Ye Liuyun’s vision. This was no ordinary cat—it was a lion. Its small size and pitiful act made the disguise convincing, but the truth was undeniable.
Just then, a beast tamer approached and announced to the gathered royals, "These are the demonic beasts available for your selection. Each of you may choose only one. The unchosen will be executed on the spot. Proceed at your leisure, Your Highnesses."
Ye Liuyun kept his eyes fixed on the disguised lion. The moment the tamer spoke, the creature shuddered and immediately stood up—clear proof it understood human speech, its intelligence far surpassing that of the other beasts.
As soon as the tamer finished speaking, the Fourth Prince rushed forward, claiming a second-level Dominator Realm beast. The others quickly followed, all vying for the strongest available.
Their enthusiasm stemmed from the belief that demonic beasts, with their sinister aura, would intimidate opponents. Yet none of them understood these creatures as well as Ye Liuyun did. In his eyes, they would struggle just to feed them properly in the future.
Liu Yunyao also used her golden pupils to select a rhinoceros beast—thick-skinned, horned, with decent offensive and defensive capabilities, and a fairly strong spiritual power.
"Choose that black-and-white demon lion!" Ye Liuyun reminded her.
"Demon lion?" Liu Yunyao scanned the area again but only spotted a small black-and-white kitten, frail and low in cultivation—hardly a choice anyone would make.
"You mean that kitten?" she confirmed with Ye Liuyun through a mental message.
"Yes. That’s the one. But it’s not a cat—it’s a demon lion!" he replied.
Meanwhile, the other princes were busy comparing their choices, assessing each other’s beasts. Only Liu Yunyao remained undecided.
When she walked toward the demon lion, everyone stared at her in disbelief.
Though puzzled, she trusted Ye Liuyun’s expertise with beasts and made up her mind, decisively selecting the "kitten."
As her guard, Ye Liuyun followed, cradling the demon lion in his arms and immediately imprinting it with a slave seal.
"Damn, with spiritual power that strong, why pick me? Just let me go, huh?" The demon lion, surprisingly intelligent and fluent in human speech, immediately tried to bargain. Yet, on the surface, it meowed pitifully like a helpless kitten.
It had hoped to be chosen—just not enslaved. It never expected Ye Liuyun to be this formidable.
"Where are you from?" Ye Liuyun ignored its pleas and cut straight to the point.
"Look, how about this? I’ll steal some divine crystals to buy my freedom. Name your price—I swear I’ll deliver!" The demon lion dodged the question, still negotiating.
"Ha! Quite the sly one, aren’t you?" Ye Liuyun smirked inwardly, activating the slave seal to keep the beast docile in his arms.
"Yunyao, are you giving up on selecting a proper beast and settling for a pet instead?" Fourth Prince Liu Yunheng couldn’t resist taunting her after she picked what seemed like a useless kitten.
