Chapter 2830: Chapter 2830
Ye Liuyun showed no mercy to these soldiers. Their souls were devoured by him and his followers, while their golden cores, storage rings, armor, and weapons were all seized by the demonic forces. In the end, the desiccated corpses were reduced to ashes in a blaze.
Chilian had to absorb multiple times before completely draining the soldiers’ essence. Not only did her own power surge, but Ye Liuyun and the others also experienced a dramatic boost in their bloodline strength.
They weren’t in a hurry to leave. Instead, they retreated into the spatial world of their avatars to consolidate the gains from this battle. Meanwhile, the demonic army also used the soldiers’ remains to cultivate and enhance their own strength.
As for the prisoners Ye Liuyun had captured, he released those at the Dominator Seventh Level, sending them out to spread the truth about his conflict with the Frost Empire. At the same time, he dispatched a martial cultivator to deliver a message to the empire—warning them that his forces would soon march on the imperial capital.
A large-scale war would consume an enormous amount of energy for his army. The resources harvested from these fifty thousand soldiers barely covered the demonic troops’ expenditure, but it wasn’t enough to replenish the losses sustained by the Spirit Cat battleships, war chariots, energy cannons, and puppet beasts.
Such a massive drain of energy had been provoked by the Frost Empire, and Ye Liuyun was determined to reclaim it from them. Besides, passively waiting for them to attack was never his style.
When Ye Liuyun’s men spread the truth, some believed it, while others didn’t. But at the very least, the galaxy-wide hostility toward him began to cool.
Moreover, Ye Liuyun had indeed refrained from attacking any inhabited planets, which gradually shifted some martial cultivators’ attitudes toward him.
Some believed the Frost Empire had brought this upon themselves. Others thought that since they couldn’t win anyway, it was better to let Ye Liuyun take a few planets and leave in peace.
As a result, the number of martial cultivators foolishly challenging Ye Liuyun plummeted. Though a few still tried, they were effortlessly intercepted by the captive experts under his command—hardly requiring his personal intervention.
When the Frost Empire received Ye Liuyun’s message, tension gripped the court.
The fifty thousand elite troops they had previously dispatched were the best they could muster. Now, they had no choice but to enforce emergency conscription across the entire realm.
But once Ye Liuyun’s version of events spread, recruitment efficiency dropped drastically. Far fewer signed up than expected, and those who did were far from formidable.
Yet Ye Liuyun was in no rush to attack. Instead, he led his forces to claim several uninhabited planets. His earlier warning to the Frost Empire had been deliberate—he wanted to draw out all who opposed him, so he could crush them in one fell swoop. Upon learning of the empire’s conscription efforts, he actually hoped they would recruit even more.
The martial cultivators he had sent out to spread his message now served as his spies. Only when he confirmed that the empire could no longer muster additional troops did Ye Liuyun finally set his sights on the Frost Empire.
At this moment, the Frost Empire was in a state of intense preparation. The newly recruited one hundred thousand silver-armored soldiers and two million troops were all engaged in rigorous training.
These silver-armored soldiers were none other than the royal family members and powerful martial cultivators summoned from across the land. Half of the scouts Ye Liuyun had previously dispatched had already infiltrated the imperial capital, gathering intelligence on his behalf.
Upon receiving the news, Ye Liuyun couldn’t help but remark, “After all, it’s an old empire—still holds some sway in rallying forces.”
Ye Tiandao, however, wore a hint of concern and asked whether they should recall some of their other armies for reinforcement.
“Haha, who said anything about a head-on clash?” Ye Liuyun laughed heartily in response.
“...” Ye Tiandao fell silent, immediately realizing that Ye Liuyun must have another plan up his sleeve.
“You’re too straightforward—not flexible enough in battlefield tactics! I told them we’d attack, but did I ever say we’d throw our troops into a meat grinder? Even if we won, losing our demon soldiers in the process would be a terrible trade.
Relax. This time, we’ll slip into the city and dismantle them from within. That’s a strategy too, isn’t it?”
As he spoke, Ye Liuyun altered his appearance, cradling the Thieving Cat in his arms while Chi Lian stood beside him disguised as a maid, and his doppelganger posed as a guard.
“How’s this lineup?” Ye Liuyun grinned at Ye Tiandao.
With an approving smile, Ye Tiandao nodded before being stowed away into Ye Liuyun’s spatial realm.
Before the Frost Empire even noticed his absence, Ye Liuyun had already infiltrated the imperial capital. He had long since scouted the city’s layout from the starry skies before entering.
“The Thieving Cat will make the first move. Once it’s exposed, Chi Lian will step in,” Ye Liuyun began assigning tasks.
“The doppelganger will gather intel on the silver-armored soldiers and figure out how to get Chi Lian close to them.”
Before the Thieving Cat set off, Ye Liuyun gave it a final warning: “Be careful. The martial cultivators here wield frost energy—don’t get yourself frozen inside someone’s Interspatial Ring.”
"Even when fleeing, be wary of the void freezing over. They might very well have powerhouses beyond the Dominator Realm. In short, if you sense danger, tap into the power of the spatial world—just make sure they don’t detect you!"
"Got it!" The Thieving Cat, having learned its lesson from its last run-in with Scarlet Viper, now acted with far more caution. It gave a solemn nod before vanishing into the void.
This time, the Thieving Cat didn’t strike immediately. Instead, it scouted carefully, mapping out its targets in order of priority, then returned to consult with Ye Liuyun. Only after both of them agreed on the plan did it finally make its move.
Under the cover of darkness, its first target was the Imperial Treasury. Once night fell, the vault was sealed shut, making it impossible for outsiders to detect any theft—at least not until the next morning.
Next, it turned its attention to the nobles, ministers, and princes. These individuals were cautious by nature, and even when some discovered their storage rings or treasures missing, they merely locked down their residences to search for the thief, keeping the incidents from escalating.
The Thieving Cat’s heist went smoothly. Finally, using the power of the spatial world, it stole the resources from Emperor Liao Yuhui’s Interspatial Ring and returned unscathed.
Seeing it return safely, Ye Liuyun let out a sigh of relief.
Acting on his clone’s plan, he immediately had a martial artist stir up trouble in the city to lure out a squad of Silver Armor Guards. Scarlet Viper, cloaked in invisibility, drained them dry before stashing their bodies in the spatial world, leaving no trace behind.
Soon, more Silver Armor Guards arrived. The clone took charge, directing Scarlet Viper’s attacks. Even when someone occasionally spotted her, the clone swiftly intervened with time manipulation, planting slave seals on the guards before they could react.
As more and more Silver Armor Guards converged, the clone and Scarlet Viper could no longer keep up with disposing of the bodies. Eventually, the sheer number of guards made concealment impossible. With no other choice, they abandoned the effort, focusing solely on the fight—which, ironically, made things easier.
The Silver Armor Guard Corps promptly reported to the empire, suspecting that Ye Liuyun’s group had infiltrated the city. In response, the entire capital went into lockdown—curfews were enforced, martial law declared, and the entire Silver Armor Army mobilized to hunt down any suspicious individuals.
