Chapter 2797: Chapter 2797
Among the bandits, those at the third and sixth levels of Dominance had been completely wiped out, and some of the fourth and fifth levels had also fallen. Their numbers had dwindled to fewer than a hundred, though most of their strongest members remained.
Ye Liuyun glanced at the bandit leader, who immediately forced a nervous smile and bowed, pleading for mercy. The leader knew full well that their fate now rested in Ye Liuyun’s hands.
These bandits had always been ruthless—when they held the upper hand, they rarely spared lives, preferring to slaughter and plunder without hesitation. So they had no idea whether Ye Liuyun would keep his word. Now, they could only wait in terror for his judgment.
But the bandit leader couldn’t help but feel that sparing Zhuque’s life earlier had been the right move. Ye Liuyun had clearly noticed his restraint, so he probably wouldn’t kill him outright. The same went for his Dominance-level-seven subordinate—Ye Liuyun had seen that he, too, had held back.
After a moment’s thought, Ye Liuyun summoned the bandit leader and the battle-obsessed warrior.
"Don’t worry, I won’t kill you two," he said plainly. "Relax. I’m taking you somewhere."
At that, the Dominance-level-seven warrior sent a covert message to his leader: *"Boss, should we take this chance to finish him off?"*
*"Idiot, don’t be reckless!"* the leader snapped back. *"Even if we could kill him, those alien forces would hunt us down afterward. He’s already promised to spare us—why push our luck? Just follow my lead and don’t do anything stupid!"*
"Got it," the warrior muttered, falling in line as they were both transported into Ye Liuyun’s spatial world.
Inside, Ye Liuyun showed them the elite Blade Corps and his vast armies, as well as the wonders of his personal realm. The two men were utterly dumbstruck, their minds reeling at the sheer scale of power before them. In their awe, they could only address Ye Liuyun as "Senior."
Many martial cultivators couldn’t discern age by appearance, and they assumed Ye Liuyun must have been alive for centuries—how else could he possess such overwhelming strength?
Ye Liuyun didn’t bother correcting them. Instead, he said, "Pillaging in the starry void won’t get you decent resources. How about joining my army?
"Sure, the battlefield is dangerous, but as martial cultivators, you’ll face risks no matter where you go. Without challenges, you’ll never grow. The difference here is that you’ll have a steady supply of resources.
"Honestly, bandits like you, who’ve committed every atrocity imaginable, deserve death. But I think you’re clever," he nodded at the leader, then turned to the warrior, "and you’ve got potential. That’s why I’m sparing you."
The bandit leader pondered briefly before addressing Ye Liuyun. "None of us chose this life of banditry willingly. If we had resources, who’d resort to this? Sure, we’ve been ruthless—but without that edge, how else could we keep others in line?"
He continued earnestly, "We’re grateful for your offer, Senior, and we’d gladly join you. This place is incredible! But I’ve got a few loyal brothers—skilled fighters, fearless too. I’d like to ask if you’d take them in as well."
The seventh-level Dominator martial artist chimed in bluntly, "I’ll only join if I can stay with my boss."
"Shut it, you fool!" the bandit leader snapped, shooting him a warning glare. "Even if we’re separated later, we can still meet often enough. Don’t go making demands!"
Ye Liuyun chuckled. "Deal. I accept your terms."
The seventh-level Dominator grinned broadly. "See, Boss? He agreed!"
"Thank you for your generosity, Young Master," the bandit leader said with genuine gratitude.
Ye Liuyun led them out and let the leader handpick his men. Six were chosen—no more, no less. Three were seventh-level Dominators, the other three fifth-level, all notably strong. Clearly, the leader had a sharp eye for talent.
The bandits introduced themselves. The leader was Yuan Pei, while the seventh-level Dominator insisted on being called "Blockhead."
Ye Liuyun then escorted them back to the spatial realm and handed them over to Yu Xiaofeng.
"These are the bandits I just captured. Train them first—knock the rough edges off. They want to stick together, so assign them as a scouting squad," Ye Liuyun instructed.
"No problem! Seventh and eighth-level Dominators? Excellent," Yu Xiaofeng replied, unfazed by their background. After having them sign a collective oath of loyalty, he took them to the barracks for settlement.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun summoned the White Tiger Corps, dispatching them to eliminate the remaining bandits outside—both as cleanup and combat practice.
As for the defeated bandits, Ye Liuyun distributed them among his subordinates for individual management. They’d serve as sparring partners until his forces could best them in battle.
The bandits all protested to Ye Liuyun, accusing him of being untrustworthy and going back on his word.
With a nonchalant shrug, Ye Liuyun replied, "I only promised not to take your storage rings if you won. I never said I’d let you go."
Only then did the bandits realize—he really *hadn’t* promised to spare them. And even if he had broken his word, there was nothing they could do about it.
Once he dealt with the bandits, Ye Liuyun returned to his cultivation without another thought.
He needed to focus on improving his strength now, or else distractions would keep piling up. Besides, his progress had already fallen behind his doppelgänger’s—right now, it was the doppelgänger waiting for *him*.
During this time, the doppelgänger had been training outside with the falcon, honing his mastery over spatial and temporal forces while attuning himself to the power of the world. Since their insights were shared, Ye Liuyun benefited from these advancements as well.
Every day, he either refined his advance energy or battled the alien races until his energy was completely depleted, all while accelerating his breakthroughs within the doppelgänger’s spatial realm.
By the time they returned to the alien star system they had previously wiped out, he had finally reached the fifth level of the Dominator realm.
But Ye Liuyun didn’t rest even then. He continued sparring with seventh-level Dominator aliens to stabilize his newfound strength and familiarize himself with the power of his current realm.
He could already feel the difference in his abilities—now, a single strike from him could obliterate an entire planet. Though he still couldn’t defeat a seventh-level Dominator alien, his attacks had grown strong enough to force them into full defense.
Both the quality and quantity of his advance energy had multiplied several times over, and his connection to the world’s energy had surged dramatically. By channeling all this power into his blade intent, he could now hold his own against a seventh-level Dominator.
Of course, the seventh-level aliens he fought weren’t the strongest of their kind—otherwise, he’d still be outmatched. Even within the same realm, the gap between a powerful alien and a weaker one was vast.
