Chapter 2855: Chapter 2855
It was only then that Lin Qing’ao and the others realized Li Xiran had long been under Ye Liuyun’s control—they had all been outmaneuvered by him.
Ye Liuyun released Li Xiran’s guards and returned them to her, then warned Lin Qing’ao and the rest, "That’s right—I want Li Daoyuan alive. None of you are to strike a fatal blow!"
"Yes!" Lin Qing’ao, Pang Yuan, and the other powerhouses answered in unison.
Only after seeing their compliance did Li Xiran turn to Ye Liuyun and ask, "What do we do next?"
Ye Liuyun instructed Lin Qing’ao to dispose of the corpses before replying, "We continue exploring this secret realm. I intend to claim it for myself."
"Wonderful! Truth be told, I’ve been itching for an adventure!" Li Xiran agreed cheerfully.
Leaving Lin Qing’ao outside, Ye Liuyun stowed the other experts away in his spatial world. He had Li Xiran and her guards forge ahead while he and Lin Qing’ao stayed behind to strategize on capturing Li Daoyuan alive.
Lin Qing’ao knew Li Daoyuan all too well. With his input, they soon devised a viable plan.
Meanwhile, Li Xiran and her guards came under attack by savage beasts and were struggling to hold their ground. Ye Liuyun promptly recalled Lin Qing’ao and led his own demonic beasts to reinforce them.
"So the Violet Kylin and Thunder Drake were your allies all along?" Li Xiran finally realized the two fearsome creatures belonged to Ye Liuyun. "Why didn’t you tell me sooner?" she demanded.
"Would’ve ruined your performance if I had," Ye Liuyun explained with a shrug.
"Does that mean you were already making your move back then?" She had assumed he only intervened during the chaotic battle.
Ye Liuyun merely acknowledged with a noncommittal sound, offering no further explanation as he focused on leading the beasts into combat and scouting ahead.
Unwilling to engage in lengthy conversation, he quickly guided her toward a nearby area even his golden pupils couldn’t penetrate.
There, a sheer cliff face rose like a blade, pockmarked with countless caves—likely nests built by flocks of flying creatures. Given the vertical drop, only winged beasts would burrow so high above ground.
It wasn’t until they drew closer that they sensed the demonic aura emanating from the area.
"A pack of demonic beasts, perhaps?" Ye Liuyun speculated silently.
"Let me handle the barrier-breaking!" Qiong Qi volunteered to dismantle the formations blocking their view. The arrays obscured whatever demonic creatures lurked within, and for safety’s sake, they agreed to dismantle them first.
According to Qiong Qi, three layers of formations shielded the cliffside, and breaking them all would take nearly an hour. The group settled in to rest while watching Qiong Qi work.
But as soon as the outermost barrier shattered, a deep, rumbling noise echoed from within the cliffs—something massive stirring inside.
"Prepare for battle!" Ye Liuyun warned, swiftly arranging the weaker beasts in the center while the stronger ones formed a defensive perimeter.
Li Xinran, too, was encircled by her guards for protection.
The rumbling grew louder, and suddenly, swarms of demonic bats poured from the caves in the cliff face. They massed together into a dark, churning tide before surging toward the group.
"Demonic bats! Now that they’re out in the open, this should be manageable." Relief washed over Ye Liuyun as he assessed the threat. These creatures weren’t particularly strong, and their weak spiritual defenses made them easy prey.
He immediately ordered the Vermilion Bird and the Nine-Headed Netherdrake into the air to intercept. Before even taking flight, the Vermilion Bird unleashed a sheet of flame, engulfing the leading bats.
Meanwhile, the Nine-Headed Netherdrake spewed black smoke, poisoning the creatures mid-flight. Together, the two aerial fighters cut down most of the swarm. Bat corpses rained from the sky in charred clumps, many still aflame, their remains reduced to ash upon impact.
Realizing brute force wouldn’t work, the bats split into smaller groups, attacking from multiple angles. Ye Liuyun, his doppelgänger, and Leiming countered with Golden Crow Sacred Flames and lightning, each holding off a separate wave.
The sky blazed with fire and crackled with arcs of electricity, thick smoke choking the air. The bats couldn’t get close—instead, the ground grew carpeted with their lifeless bodies.
Yet the onslaught didn’t relent. More and more bats streamed from the caves, their numbers seemingly endless.
Ye Liuyun and the others were beginning to falter. Their flames and lightning were draining fast, and so far, none of the truly powerful demonic bats had even shown themselves.
Ye Liuyun immediately withdrew his flames and switched to blade intent for his attacks. Tens of thousands of spirit blades slashed outward, effortlessly annihilating the oncoming swarm of demon bats.
His doppelganger and Ye Tiandao swiftly joined the fray, relieving the others so they could rest and recover. The White Tiger shook its body violently, unleashing countless golden beams of light that wiped out an entire squadron of bats.
Meanwhile, the Falcon, noting that these demon bats weren’t particularly high-level or large in size, took to the skies after the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon and the Vermilion Bird returned, covering their position in fending off the swarm.
Little Lanbing leaped onto the Falcon’s back, unleashing her frost energy to assist in the fight. Seeing their coordination was decent, Ye Liuyun didn’t rush to recall them.
Their defensive formation also shielded Li Xinran and the guards, easing the pressure on them. The occasional bat that slipped through was quickly dispatched by the guards.
With a thunderous *boom*, another layer of the formation was shattered by Qiong Qi. The demon bats in the air shrieked wildly, surging upward in desperation.
A brief pause in the White Tiger’s golden beams created an opening, allowing a squadron of bats to break through. The doppelganger swiftly intervened, his golden pupils unleashing arcs of lightning to obliterate them.
Suddenly, from the swarm blocked by the doppelganger, a larger, sixth-level Dominator-class demon bat folded its wings and dove straight for Qiong Qi.
The Falcon and Little Lanbing moved to intercept. Lanbing’s frost energy shot out, but to their surprise, it failed to fully encase the massive bat. Instead, partially frozen, the creature accelerated its dive toward Qiong Qi.
At the last moment, the Dragon Girl lunged forward, using her own body as a shield to absorb the impact.
A deafening *crash* echoed—Dragon Girl emerged unscathed, but the frozen half of the demon bat shattered on impact, its mangled remains sent flying.
"Fall back!" the doppelganger suddenly warned the Falcon.
His golden pupils had spotted another sixth-level Dominator demon descending from even higher, this time targeting the Falcon.
Little Lanbing flashed into motion, a streak of blue light intercepting the bat. Her frost energy erupted, forming a thick wall of ice that halted the creature’s charge.
But the force of the collision sent her plummeting from the sky. Ye Liuyun reacted instantly, teleporting her to safety with a spatial shift. Just as the Falcon wheeled around to catch her—
A shadowy blur, faster than the Falcon, shot toward him like a bolt of black lightning.
