Chapter 2857: Chapter 2857
On the doppelgänger’s side, he initially tried using flames and lightning, but the demonic bats were obliterated before they could even get close, leaving Scarlet unable to absorb much of their bloodline energy.
The doppelgänger quickly adjusted tactics. He had Thunderclap unleash Power of Frost to form a frozen barrier, sealing off the cave entrance before pushing inward. This way, Scarlet could harvest bloodline energy in bulk. And the moment she absorbed it, she immediately transferred it to Thunderclap and the Nine-Headed Netherdrake—she had no intention of turning into a Devil Beast herself.
Though the doppelgänger’s bloodline energy was weaker than the original’s, he still prioritized Thunderclap and the Netherdrake, letting them absorb their fill first.
Their progress lagged far behind Ye Liuyun’s group. Once Ye Liuyun’s team cleared the cave, they didn’t rush into the cavern to confront the Bat King. Instead, they summoned Wu Qingcheng, Yu’er, and Manshu, tasking the trio with sealing the entrance using their frost abilities—buying Scarlet’s team more time to gather energy.
Ye Liuyun himself conserved his strength, waiting to face the Bat King.
Only when the doppelgänger’s team reached the mouth of the cavern did they launch their assault together, merging into a single force. Wu Qingcheng, Yu’er, Manshu, and Thunderclap then conjured an icy dome, shielding the entire group while Scarlet frantically absorbed the surging bloodline energy.
The Bat King remained motionless, merely commanding wave after wave of demonic bats to obstruct them.
Through his golden pupils, Ye Liuyun could see the Bat King continuously absorbing bloodline energy within its body.
"Confirmed—it’s definitely bloodline energy. That thing’s feeding on it!" Ye Liuyun summoned the Dragon Maiden, letting her sense the energy as well.
She memorized the distinct pulse of the power and noted the overwhelming strength radiating from the blood pearl submerged in the sanguine pool.
"Then we cut off its supply!" Ye Liuyun declared, immediately casting a curse upon the Bat King. Meanwhile, the doppelgänger played the Nether Prelude, testing whether the eerie melody would affect the demonic bats.
Suddenly, a burst of sacred Buddhist light erupted within the Bat King, eroding its demonic aura and startling it into flight. Yet when it scanned Ye Liuyun’s group, it couldn’t pinpoint the source of the attack.
Then, as the haunting notes of the Nether Prelude echoed through the cavern, the Bat King hesitated—uncertain whether to strike.
"So the Hymn of the Nether actually works on these demonic bats too!"
Ye Liuyun immediately ceased his incantation upon realizing the hymn’s effectiveness against the spectral bats, whose souls were relatively weak. He didn’t want to risk purifying all the bloodline energy from the Bat King. The demonic aura within the Bat King’s bloodline, however, was perfect for Leiming and the Nine-Headed Netherdrake to absorb.
Gradually, the bats in the cave quieted down, obediently landing on their ice barrier, allowing Chilian to drain them. Before long, even the Bat King succumbed to the hymn’s power and approached, letting Chilian absorb its bloodline energy completely.
Ye Liuyun waited until Chilian had drained every last bat before recalling Wu Qingcheng, Yu’er, and Manshu back into his spatial realm. By then, Leiming and the Nine-Headed Netherdrake had also absorbed enough bloodline energy and were retrieved by his avatar to refine and consolidate their gains. The demonic cores of the bats were taken by the two as well—no doubt their cultivation would advance significantly upon their return.
Ye Liuyun then stored the Vermilion Bird away and, accompanied by his avatar, the Dragon Maiden, and Li Xinran, approached the blood pool.
"Bloodline energy?" Only now did Li Xinran realize the pool contained the essence of power of bloodline. However, the overwhelming demonic aura made it unusable for her.
Ye Liuyun promptly extracted a blood pearl, confirming it indeed held bloodline energy—though saturated with even fiercer demonic energy, rendering it useless to non-demonic cultivators. He instructed his avatar to store both the pearl and the pool in his spatial realm for later refinement. With these resources, his avatar’s power of bloodline would soon rival his own, and Leiming and the Nine-Headed Netherdrake could continue absorbing them after their breakthroughs.
After recalling his avatar, Ye Liuyun left the cave with the Dragon Maiden and Li Xinran. Outside, he released the other women and beasts—since they were continuing their exploration, it was an opportunity for them to train as well. Li Xinran also summoned her ten guards, and the group pressed deeper into the secret realm.
Having noticed Wu Qingcheng and the others earlier, Li Xinran had been curious about their relationship with Ye Liuyun. Now, seeing even more women emerge, her astonishment grew.
Still, she didn’t dare pry directly. Instead, she struck up conversations with the women—only to learn they were all Ye Liuyun’s companions.
"He has this many women?" Li Xinran clicked her tongue in disbelief.
"Is he really that great? Could it be that all of you are under his slave seal’s control too?"
Only then did Li Xinran realize she herself had been bound by Ye Liuyun’s slave seal, and the danger of her situation dawned on her.
"There are reasons for all of this!" Liang Xue and Wu Qingcheng quickly came to Ye Liuyun’s defense, explaining that he had never used the slave seal on either of them—nor would he ever force Li Xinran to become his woman.
In the end, Li Xinran could only set aside her doubts for the time being, half-convinced yet still wary. With no means to resist, she had little choice but to trust her luck.
As the battle unfolded, the Demon Vine, Black Mountain, Black Tiger, and Liao Tianyang stood guard outside, protecting Ye Liuyun’s women and demon beasts from unforeseen threats.
Though Ye Liuyun possessed the power to reverse time, he still did everything he could to prevent them from coming to harm.
Meanwhile, Chi Lian fought while assisting the women in refining their bloodline strength. She herself wasn’t in any rush, instead focusing on tempering her own true essence as Ye Liuyun had advised.
Before long, they arrived at the second formation that even Ye Liuyun couldn’t decipher. Once again, the Qiong Qi broke the formation while Ye Liuyun and the others launched their assault. This time, however, only three massive serpents lurked within the array—each at the eighth level of Dominance Realm, their strength rivaling even Black Mountain and Black Tiger, surpassing even Liao Tianyang.
Seeing their limited numbers, Ye Liuyun ordered his group to encircle them. Chi Lian drained the serpents of their bloodline essence, distributing it among the women before they were all withdrawn into seclusion for cultivation.
Further ahead, the dangers would only intensify. With them outside, Ye Liuyun feared he wouldn’t be able to protect them all.
Inside the cave guarded by the black serpents lay a Golden Spiritual Demon Fruit on the verge of taking sentient form. The sheer density of its energy could propel several demon beasts to breakthrough realms. If consumed by a single individual, it might even thrust them straight toward the Unity Realm.
But with so many demon beasts under his command, Ye Liuyun couldn’t show favoritism—especially since both he and his doppelgänger needed to advance as well. Thus, he divided the fruit into portions, distributing them among his followers.
Lei Ming and the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon, already on the brink of breakthroughs due to their enhanced bloodlines, immediately ascended in realm after consuming their shares. The Purple Kylin Snake’s progress was even more dramatic—not only did it break through to the eighth level of Dominance, it reached the peak of that realm, inching ever closer to the ninth.
