Chapter 3003: Chapter 3003
Ye Liuyun immediately retreated into the void, intending to shift positions to avoid further attacks.
The spatial mastery displayed by the white-robed man was clearly far superior to his own. Effortlessly traversing beyond the flying vessel—Ye Liuyun couldn’t even achieve that level yet.
Just then, the hatch of the flying vessel slid open.
The moment Ye Liuyun moved, he realized the space around him had been completely sealed.
*Danger!*
A surge of urgent peril gripped him, sending a shudder through his heart.
Before he could react, the white-robed man materialized right in front of him, striking out with a palm aimed directly at his chest.
Ye Liuyun instantly activated his temporal power, freezing time in place, then attempted to break through the spatial barrier the man had erected around him.
Though his spatial abilities weren’t as refined as the stranger’s, Ye Liuyun had trained extensively in breaching spatial confinement. After several desperate attempts, he finally shattered the man’s spatial lock and tore free.
*Hah—* He exhaled sharply, his back already slick with cold sweat.
That single palm strike wouldn’t have killed him, but if the white-robed man had relentlessly assaulted him with spatial attacks, Ye Liuyun knew he wouldn’t have lasted long.
The moment he broke free, Ye Liuyun immediately launched a soul attack, attempting to seize control of the man’s mind. However, the stranger’s consciousness was shielded by a defensive treasure, making it impossible to subdue him quickly.
Thinking fast, Ye Liuyun used spatial teleportation to summon his second avatar into his spatial realm, merging their souls within his own consciousness. With all four souls working in unison, their combined spiritual power was overwhelming—enough to shatter the protective artifact.
Finally, he branded the man with a slave seal.
Without wasting another second, Ye Liuyun rifled through the man’s memories, uncovering the origins of all three intruders.
"Truly, there are always greater masters beyond our knowledge! These are real powerhouses. Seems I underestimated these bandits before."
Ye Liuyun learned that the man in white was known as Zhan Kong among the Dragonhead Bandit Group—a true force to be reckoned with. His mastery over spatial power alone made him invincible among peers, with none capable of breaching his offense or defense.
The man in green, called Wu Ying by the bandits, wielded extraordinary control over the natural energies, allowing him to vanish without a trace. Meanwhile, the black-clad figure, known as Bao Long, possessed not only dense true essence but also a well-balanced cultivation of physique, soul, and bloodline strength.
These three were the Dragonhead Bandit Group’s hidden trump cards, originally reserved for dealing with the elites of the First Star Bandit Group.
Their intervention this time stemmed from intel suggesting Ye Liuyun’s group lacked reinforcements and posed a significant threat due to an invisible expert among them. They had intended to eliminate them first.
Initially, they believed their combined efforts would easily expose and eradicate the hidden adversary. Yet, to their shock, Zhan Kong had already been subdued the moment the battle began.
Zhan Kong had held back initially, wanting to uncover Ye Liuyun’s true identity. Had he unleashed his spatial power outright, Ye Liuyun might not have even had a chance to flee.
Realizing the severity of the situation, Ye Liuyun immediately commanded Zhan Kong to slip into the void and track Wu Ying’s movements.
As time resumed its flow, a thunderous *boom* erupted beside Ye Liuyun—Zhan Kong’s palm strike slammed into the space he had locked down.
*Whoosh!* A surge of natural energy blasted through the spot where Ye Liuyun’s clone had stood moments earlier, striking nothing but air.
"Huh?" Wu Ying’s figure flickered into visibility, his expression one of disbelief as the clone he had targeted vanished before his eyes.
Had Ye Liuyun not recalled the clone in time, it too would have been caught off guard.
Now tense, Wu Ying wrapped himself in natural energy once more, scanning for the second clone’s whereabouts.
As for Ye Liuyun himself, he assumed Zhan Kong would handle him—no need for concern.
"Lock him down!" Ye Liuyun commanded, seizing control of Zhan Kong to pin Wu Ying in place with spatial power before he could fully disappear.
"Slash Void?" Shadowless was equally startled, never expecting Slash Void to suddenly turn on him.
But his reflexes were sharp. A surge of celestial force blasted straight toward Slash Void. Knowing better than to take the hit head-on, Slash Void instantly layered multiple folds of void energy before him, dispersing the impact.
Meanwhile, Ye Liuyun seized the moment, wielding his temporal power once more. Together with his second doppelganger, he unleashed his divine soul, imprinting a slave seal onto Shadowless as well.
On the other side, Tyrant surged forward like a streak of darkness, charging straight into the city.
It never crossed his mind that Slash Void and Shadowless could be subdued so swiftly.
A concentrated burst of primal energy erupted from Tyrant, hurtling toward the Demon Vine’s main body—his divine sense had already identified it as the strongest presence here.
The Demon Vine showed no fear. Several of its tendrils lashed out, striking the incoming energy head-on. A series of thunderous explosions later, the Demon Vine had withstood Tyrant’s assault, its vines completely unscathed.
Tyrant immediately recognized a formidable foe. He gathered his strength, preparing for another strike.
But the first doppelganger denied him the chance. The moment Tyrant drew near, time froze around him. His divine soul was forcibly yanked out, and a slave seal was imprinted upon it—no point letting him and the Demon Vine waste energy in a pointless battle.
Within the city, the demonic beasts and Tang Xinyao’s group were all momentarily stunned by the terrifying aura of Tyrant’s primal energy, pausing their own clashes to watch the impending showdown between him and the Demon Vine.
"Keep fighting!" The first doppelganger swiftly stashed Tyrant away into his spatial realm. Ye Liuyun did the same with Slash Void and Shadowless, ensuring no one would notice their absence.
He even collected their flying vessel into his spatial world, thinking it might prove useful for an escape later.
With these three powerhouses subdued, Ye Liuyun was in high spirits.
"Finally, some real opponents worth fighting!"
He mused that their refined primal energy, spatial power, and celestial force were precisely the areas he sought to improve. Once back, he could delve into discussions with these three experts—perhaps he’d find the breakthrough he needed.
The siege had nearly reached its conclusion. The thieving cat had already stolen its fill and returned to the ranks of the demonic beasts. With no remaining adversaries left in the city, Ye Liuyun simply ordered his forces to withdraw, leaving the battlefield to the Demon Vine for cleanup.
Having just devoured all the corpses within the city—spurred by the Tyrannosaurus’ earlier assault—the Demon Vine had broken through to the sixth level of the Guiyi Realm. To help it stabilize its newfound strength, Ye Liuyun sent it outside the city to hunt further. Soon after, thunderous explosions erupted around the city’s perimeter. Unconcerned by the commotion the Demon Vine was causing, Ye Liuyun merely released his flying vessel, trailing slowly behind it.
Only when the Demon Vine confirmed its realm had stabilized did Ye Liuyun recall it. He then steered the flying vessel toward Li Qingyang’s fleet. By the time they arrived, Li Qingyang’s battle had already concluded. The moment they boarded, the fleet set sail without delay.
