Chapter 2872: Chapter 2872
Ye Liuyun released Li Xinran, Lin Qing’ao, Pang Yuan, and the others from his spatial treasure.
"I’ve taken control of this secret realm," he informed them. "I’ll send you to the entrance shortly. But first, we need to discuss how to handle Li Daoyuan once you return."
After they settled on a plan, Ye Liuyun prepared to teleport them out. However, Li Xinran sent him a covert voice transmission: "Do you have an artificer among your people? I want my father’s Soul Suppressing Bell altered—so it fails when he needs it most."
"..." Ye Liuyun was momentarily speechless. *She really is the poster child for filial betrayal*, he thought wryly.
Without delay, he handed the bell to Tong Xin and Qiong Qi, tasking them with studying its mechanisms.
It didn’t take long for Qiong Qi to modify the artifact’s internal formations, binding its primary control to Ye Liuyun. Others could still channel their divine sense into it and feel as though they were using it normally, but in reality, whether the bell would actually function during critical moments would be entirely up to Ye Liuyun.
After imprinting a wisp of his divine sense into the modified bell, Ye Liuyun returned it to Li Xinran. She tested it herself, then had Ye Liuyun activate and deactivate it remotely to confirm the changes. Satisfied with the results, she bid him farewell.
Once the group had been sent away, Ye Liuyun had his avatar lead the remaining companions to train their physical bodies. With the secret realm now under his command, they were free to remain and cultivate at will.
As for the realm itself, Ye Liuyun decided to wait until Li Xinran and the others had successfully deceived Li Daoyuan—and until Li Daoyuan sent people to verify the situation—before withdrawing his own forces from the area. Only then would he fully absorb the secret realm into his possession, ensuring no suspicion was aroused.
It was only after gaining control of the realm that Ye Liuyun discovered the canyon was sustained by a source of metal-attributed primordial energy, which explained the relentless blades of wind and rain of swords that raged within.
No one was in a hurry to leave. Everyone was seizing the opportunity to strengthen their abilities in various ways.
Since entering this ancient secret realm, the group had experienced rapid growth. Dragon Girl and Stone Ape had recently broken through to the eighth level of the Dominator Realm and were now consolidating their foundations.
Meanwhile, Chi Lian led Hei Shan, Hei Hu, Zhu Que, Little Lan Bing, and the three Xuan Wu beasts to hunt fierce creatures, honing their skills and enhancing their bloodline powers.
The women and the other demonic beasts continued tempering their bodies within the canyon. Ye Liuyun’s avatar remained at the canyon’s heart, simultaneously refining his physique and absorbing the ancient, primordial energy that permeated the air.
Ye Liuyun stood guard at the valley entrance, taking a moment to consolidate the gains he had accumulated over the past few days.
Although his cultivation realm hadn’t advanced, the quality of his advance energy had undergone a remarkable transformation after absorbing the ancient aura and natural energy of this place. Even while remaining in the Unity Realm, he was now capable of challenging opponents far beyond his level.
His clone’s soul essence, bloodline, and physical body had nearly caught up to his own. By allowing the clone to cultivate here a while longer until its control over natural energy improved, their advance energy would synchronize once again.
After absorbing vast amounts of demonic energy, his Buddha-Demon Power had multiplied in strength. Facing demons or other hostile races in the future would no longer daunt him.
Moreover, he had now gained control over this secret realm, which would serve as a training ground for his allies. The ancient aura alone would significantly accelerate the growth of companions like the Dragon Maiden and the Stone Ape.
In terms of combat prowess, Ye Liuyun felt confident enough to confront Li Daoyuan head-on. The outcome of such a battle remained uncertain, but he was no longer outmatched.
Fighting demonic entities formed from demonic energy was different—their attacks were restricted, and he possessed abilities that naturally countered them. That didn’t necessarily mean he could defeat a martial artist of Li Daoyuan’s caliber. Still, when it came to soul and physical defense, killing Ye Liuyun would be no easy task for Li Daoyuan.
After weighing his overall strength, Ye Liuyun concluded that once he dealt with Li Daoyuan, it would be time to return and confront the demonic threat.
With that in mind, he began consolidating his soul essence, bloodline, and various energies before drawing upon primordial source power to refine his advance energy.
Meanwhile, Li Xinran and Lin Qing’ao returned and reported to Li Daoyuan as previously agreed. Li Daoyuan, upon seeing the corpses, immediately dispatched Unity Realm experts stationed outside the secret realm to verify that no survivors remained.
As the master of the secret realm, Ye Liuyun detected their entry immediately and concealed the Body Tempering Valley from their search. The experts scoured the area but found nothing and soon departed.
Li Daoyuan was pleased with the news and harbored little suspicion. Although several Unity Realm experts had been lost, the enemy had been eliminated.
Moreover, Li Xinran’s improved cultivation, enhanced physique, and the addition of a massive white ape at the ninth level of Dominance convinced him that she had indeed been exploring the secret realm. Satisfied, Li Daoyuan provided her with additional resources to further strengthen herself and the white ape.
Li Xiran returned the Soul Suppressing Bell to Li Daoyuan, even withdrawing her divine sense from it right before his eyes. Since Li Daoyuan knew little about artifact refinement, he infused his own divine sense into the bell and, finding it perfectly functional, removed his temporary defensive treasure. Satisfied, he allowed the Soul Suppressing Bell to guard his sea of consciousness once more.
They had successfully deceived him. Li Daoyuan would never have dreamed that his own daughter, along with Lin Qing’ao and Pang Yuan, would conspire against him.
Ye Liuyun waited a few more days before changing back into his alchemist robes and returning to the Alchemist Alliance. He had already stored the secret realm within his spatial world, leaving the others inside to continue cultivating and improving their strength.
Back at the Alliance, he casually gathered some common herbs from the medicinal garden to submit as proof of completing his mission. Many who recognized him were surprised to see him return alive, having assumed he had perished in the secret realm.
Curious, they pressed him for details. Ye Liuyun spun a wild tale—claiming he had spent most of his time fleeing from feral beast or recovering from injuries, emphasizing the immense pressure and overwhelming dangers within. He painted himself as utterly wretched, surviving by sheer luck.
His listeners, intrigued by how he had managed to stay alive, were content to hear of his struggles and didn’t probe further.
As for the secret realm, few had entered it in the first place, so its disappearance went unnoticed for a time. When people eventually realized it was gone, they simply assumed a powerful expert had taken it, and the matter faded without causing much of a stir.
Ye Liuyun soon settled back into his routine as an alchemist—refining pills, wandering about, and living what seemed like an unambitious life. No one paid him much attention.
Meanwhile, after laying low for a while, Li Xiran, Lin Qing’ao, and Pang Yuan prepared to make their move against Li Daoyuan.
Following the plan they had devised with Ye Liuyun, Lin Qing’ao, Pang Yuan, and several martial artists under Ye Liuyun’s control began inviting other cultivators out for meals under various pretexts. Each time, Ye Liuyun would appear nearby, secretly planting slave seals on these unsuspecting experts, one by one.
