Chapter 2994: Chapter 2994
The news had indeed spread far and wide, with everyone speculating wildly, yet no one could guess the truth. Nor did anyone suspect them. Though their combat prowess was already well-known, no one believed they could silently eliminate so many powerful experts overnight.
Even Li Qingyang, the leader of the bandit group, had once suspected Ye Liuyun and his companions. Given their ability to capture so many people, their record of slaying a fourth-level Guiyi cultivator, and their confrontation with a sixth-level Guiyi martial artist, it was hard not to raise eyebrows.
But ironically, the very fact that they had made such a commotion while jointly fighting the sixth-level Guiyi warrior convinced Li Qingyang that they lacked the capability to quietly wipe out so many experts in a single night.
Moreover, their background had been verified—they had never been to this region before. If they were spies from the Dragon Head Bandits, they certainly wouldn’t have used a treasure vault key as bait.
Thus, Li Qingyang leaned toward the theory that the disappearances were the work of the Dragon Head Bandits, who were likely scheming to strike the city while their forces were away on the expedition.
This was his greatest concern. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have paid attention to events outside the city, much less coveted the resources those missing experts had possessed.
So he focused his investigation on the Dragon Head Bandits and actually uncovered several spies and defectors among them. In the end, he dismissed his suspicions of Ye Liuyun.
Meanwhile, after dividing the spoils, Ye Liuyun and his group returned to cultivate and improve their strength. Since they had recently broken through in their cultivation realms, they didn’t push further but instead focused on refining their overall combat abilities.
Ye Liuyun spent the next few days tempering his divine soul, bloodline, and physical body before finally absorbing the fire-attribute origin energy.
By then, the time for assembly had arrived. Liu Yan sent one of his subordinates to summon them.
Ye Liuyun, Tang Xinyao, and the other seven followed the messenger to the gathering point. Before they even arrived, they spotted a medium-sized flying vessel hovering in the distance.
With a sweep of his golden pupils, Ye Liuyun noticed that many people were already aboard. Liu Yan had likely arranged for an immediate departure after assembly to avoid drawing attention to the prisoners he had released.
When they reached the meeting point, Ye Liuyun saw Liu Yan standing with a group of subordinates, all prepared for departure. Beside Liu Yan stood a middle-aged martial artist—presumably the leader Li Qingyang that Liu Yan had mentioned.
Li Qingyang was at the late stage of the fifth-level Guiyi realm, his aura restrained and unremarkable. Clearly, his mastery of natural energy was profound, allowing him to blend seamlessly with his surroundings.
Ye Liuyun studied him carefully with his golden pupils and noted that his true essence was exceptionally refined. It seemed he could break through to the sixth-level Guiyi realm at any moment.
Li Qingyang immediately sensed something and turned his gaze toward Ye Liuyun. The sight of the nine uniformly black-armored guards behind him confirmed his identity as Ye Liuyun.
*Those golden eyes of his aren’t ordinary!* Though Li Qingyang didn’t know much about Ye Liuyun, he could tell he had just been seen through—those golden pupils must possess some special ability.
Liu Yan quickly whispered something to Li Qingyang before stepping forward to greet Ye Liuyun. "Liuyun, that’s our boss over there. Release the captives you’ve taken, and then we’ll board the airship. With him here, even if anyone recognizes them, no one would dare interfere."
Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun released all ninety of the martial cultivators he had subdued.
The sudden appearance of so many fighters startled the twenty-odd martial cultivators waiting nearby. Some even recognized each other, adding to their bewilderment.
But Liu Yan didn’t give them time to react. "Everyone’s here—let’s board the airship!" he called out, directing his subordinates to guide Ye Liuyun and the others aboard.
By the time the captives’ original bandit groups realized what had happened, it was already too late to reclaim them.
Once on the airship, the group settled into their designated area to meditate. Li Qingyang and Liu Yan, along with their own men, boarded shortly after and retired to the section reserved for the First Star Bandits.
As soon as the airship took off, acquaintances among the captives began asking questions. But those under Ye Liuyun’s control simply stated they had volunteered, revealing nothing more.
The airship wasted no time in departing, though it didn’t head straight for the Desolate Sea World. Instead, it made stops at several other cities to pick up additional passengers before continuing its journey.
They eventually arrived at the First Star Bandits’ stronghold, where everyone disembarked and gathered in a temporary camp to await further orders.
Ye Liuyun and his companions understood the necessity—with so many people involved, some organization was required before they could set out together.
The camp was divided into two sections, each containing ten large tents. One area housed the bandit members, while the other was reserved for the expedition team. Each tent could accommodate fifty people.
Ye Liuyun’s group of a hundred was assigned two tents. He claimed one for himself, Tang Xinyao, and their close companions, while the remaining ninety squeezed into the other, left to sort out their own arrangements.
Half a day later, Li Qingyang arrived at the expedition team’s section, accompanied by ten bandit captains and a handful of underlings.
Ye Liuyun’s golden eyes spotted him—the bandits had all changed into matching uniforms.
Then, the ten bandit captains went from tent to tent, selecting the leaders for the expedition teams.
Liu Yan went straight to summon Ye Liuyun, who naturally became the captain of their hundred-man unit. Soon, the other four captains were also chosen.
Those four were all at the fourth level of the Guiyi Realm—likely just the highest-ranked fighters the bandits had randomly picked to serve as leaders.
Li Qingyang personally greeted them: "I’m Li Qingyang, the overall leader of this expedition. You’ve been chosen as captains mainly to relay orders and guide the teams—no need for you to manage the members in any complicated way."
As he spoke, he called Liu Yan over and handed each of the five a communication talisman for messaging. He then publicly announced that Liu Yan would assist him in overseeing the expedition.
With that, Li Qingyang left with the rest of the bandits, leaving only Liu Yan and a few of his subordinates behind.
Liu Yan had his men distribute expedition badges to the captains, instructing them to pass them on to their teams. He emphasized that everyone must wear them on both arms during combat to avoid friendly fire.
Once the formalities were settled, Liu Yan made sure to look after Ye Liuyun, deliberately chatting with him in front of the others. He reassured him that they wouldn’t be setting off immediately, so he could focus on his cultivation without worry.
The other four captains immediately grasped that Ye Liuyun had connections. Some had initially dismissed him for his low cultivation level, but their attitudes shifted at once. They even introduced themselves to each other with newfound courtesy.
Ye Liuyun shot Liu Yan a grateful glance, and Liu Yan responded with a knowing smile before dismissing the captains to await further orders.
After making his rounds, Liu Yan left a few subordinates behind to maintain discipline and then returned to the bandits’ quarters.
