Chapter 2752: Chapter 2752
You must understand, venturing into the heart of enemy territory to gather intelligence is no small feat. Opportunities like that don’t come around often.
And yet, because Ye Liuyun had just arrived, they had to abandon the mission. Even he felt a pang of guilt for the risks Ye Liuyun had taken.
So he made a special effort to seek Ye Liuyun out and explain the situation.
But before he could say much, Ye Liuyun spoke up first: "I completely understand. After all, I’m new here, and with intelligence this critical, every faction needs to weigh their options carefully. It’s fine—there’ll be other chances. I won’t let this affect my morale, so you don’t need to worry, Commander!"
"That’s good to hear!" Liu Haotian was even more pleased to see Ye Liuyun being so reasonable.
He immediately put in a request to have Ye Liuyun’s military merits recognized, promoting him to the rank of a commander overseeing 100,000 troops. Of course, he didn’t actually have that many soldiers to assign to Ye Liuyun just yet.
Besides, he knew that training an elite force like Ye Liuyun’s was no easy task—it required significant time and effort. Giving him weaker soldiers would only hold him back. For now, it was better to let him keep his current squad and focus on special missions.
After that, Ye Liuyun settled into quiet cultivation, waiting for his next assignment.
Over time, Liu Haotian sent Ye Liuyun on several missions to support other armies. Each time, Ye Liuyun performed brilliantly, even adjusting tactics on the fly to ease the pressure on allied forces when the situation demanded it.
Soon, every commander knew that working with Ye Liuyun was a guarantee of success, so they all welcomed the chance to collaborate with him. After fighting side by side, they began treating him like one of their own. They frequently exchanged ideas on tactics, training methods, and more, learning from each other’s strengths.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun seized every moment to train. Without the time acceleration of his avatar, he had to rely solely on his own relentless effort. Fortunately, with frequent battles against the alien races, he had plenty of opportunities to hone his skills and ample resources to fuel his progress.
Eventually, his cultivation broke through to the fourth level of the Dominator realm. His avatar, benefiting from time acceleration, had already been waiting for him at this stage.
After reaching Dominator level four, Ye Liuyun took leave to lead a group of soldiers—along with sparring partners like Tuolin—into the depths of space for an all-out battle. Only after thoroughly testing his limits did he return to camp.
His return only strengthened everyone’s confidence in him.
"So, can you take on a sixth-level Dominator now?" Han Qiao asked curiously.
Ye Liuyun shook his head again. "Not even close. In a direct confrontation, I wouldn’t stand a chance against you. It’s only by leveraging spatial power and blade intent that I managed to exhaust your true essence!"
Despite his recent breakthrough in cultivation, Ye Liuyun felt no trace of arrogance. Instead, he maintained a sober assessment of his own strength. He knew that while his power had grown significantly, the vast gap between each level of the Dominator Realm wasn’t something easily bridged.
At full strength, he could now withstand a full-force attack from a fifth-level Dominator without sustaining injuries—but victory still depended on skill. Of course, if he tapped into his soul power, temporal energy, or the black-and-white light, even a sixth-level Dominator would be no match for him.
Meanwhile, inside his spatial world, the Demon Vine was already pushing toward the fifth level of the Dominator Realm. The recent alien invaders had been of higher cultivation, allowing the vine to reap substantial gains. Every time Ye Liuyun took to the battlefield, the Demon Vine benefited greatly. The same went for the Vermilion Bird, which had been absorbing powerful wraiths, rapidly advancing its own strength.
The Xenocide Lion, too, had been busy. Each time Ye Liuyun fought, it stealthily brought back abundant resources for him. In return, Ye Liuyun was generous, letting it freely use whatever it needed.
On Liu Haotian’s side, according to the intelligence Ye Liuyun had gathered, they had only managed to eliminate the alien forces on one battlefield before the enemy swiftly dispatched reinforcements from their base, reclaiming the lost ground.
When they shifted their focus to other battlefields, the aliens had already adjusted their defenses. Fortunately, with Ye Liuyun’s reconnaissance support, Liu Haotian’s forces avoided losses and secured victories.
All told, they had wiped out over a million alien troops recently, putting immense pressure on the invaders.
One day, Liu Haotian summoned Ye Liuyun and the other commanders to discuss their next move against the aliens.
"Fighting these creatures is futile unless we destroy their altars in one strike," Ye Liuyun analyzed. "Otherwise, they’ll keep sending endless reinforcements."
Meng Wenxiang frowned. "If they can summon troops indefinitely, why don’t they just deploy all their elites at once and wipe us out?"
"Their top-tier fighters are limited," Ye Liuyun explained. "And they’re divided by faction. If their strongest warriors fall, their entire faction’s standing would be at risk—possibly even sparking internal chaos."
This intel had come from Torin, shedding light on why the aliens never committed all their power at once.
"They’re deliberately waiting until they’ve whittled down our human forces before sending out their elites. Besides, these alien breeds multiply rapidly. A war of attrition actually benefits their top fighters by culling their weaker numbers and freeing up more resources."
Han Qiao looked surprised. "So you’re saying they’re intentionally sacrificing their own kind?"
"Exactly! They’re purging their weakest links," Ye Liuyun confirmed.
Liu Haotian turned to Ye Liuyun. "If we destroy their altars, will they stop coming?"
Ye Liuyun shook his head. "No. It’ll only cut off their reinforcements temporarily. They operate in separate clans. As long as this attacking clan isn’t completely wiped out, they won’t stop."
A heavy silence fell over the gathered commanders. Their forces numbered around three million—barely half the enemy’s strength. Their strongest warriors barely reached the seventh level of Dominance. Rumors spoke of eighth-level Dominance cultivators in the empire, but none had ever seen them. Wiping out an entire alien clan? Nearly impossible.
Yet if this attrition continued, they’d be ground to dust. Once the main army fell, the remaining cultivators, fighting scattered and alone, would be swept aside like leaves in a storm.
"We have to recruit more troops," Liu Haotian muttered. "But where do we find that many soldiers on such short notice?"
Ye Liuyun folded his arms. "The city garrisons are useless—just sitting around guarding empty shells. We should recall them first. Let the city lords handle their own recruitment afterward. They’ll find a way. Sure, those soldiers might be raw, but training takes time. At least we’ll have bodies to throw into the fight."
Liu Haotian gave a slow nod. "True. I’ll propose it to the imperial court."
Then he pressed further. "But is there any way to rally every cultivator in the empire to join this war?"
