Chapter 1853: Hold On

Ye Liuyun said to Yu Xiaofeng and Xiao Yunfang, "I have already marked our attack routes and supply times on the map.

You both also study them and see if there are any problems.

If there are none, I'd like to dispatch troops immediately.

The soldiers' training will be done on the move; we won't use Flying Boats for now, everyone marches on foot to save time."

"Alright! We'll go back and study them carefully!"

Yu Xiaofeng and Xiao Yunfang agreed as well.

Ye Liuyun first went to find Tong Xin and told him that the two of them needed to refine pills and forge equipment to exchange resources for the army.

"You can devote half a day each day to forging equipment for the army; arrange the rest of your time as you wish, okay?"

Ye Liuyun discussed this with Tong Xin.

"Sure!"

Tong Xin answered cheerfully.

Afterwards, Ye Liuyun took Tong Xin to the merchant guild.

He first took out all the unused resources the Western Liang King had given him and exchanged them with the guild for Crystal Stones and Divine Crystals.

Since the guild's stock was limited, Ye Liuyun had them deliver the goods together with other medicinal herbs elsewhere.

Then he bought Tong Xin a private cultivation space, so Tong Xin wouldn't have to rush on the road and could focus on forging.

Tong Xin added some forging materials, and the two returned to the camp.

The custom‑made beasts arrived the next day, and they hurried to receive them in daylight.

They brought back twenty dragon‑elephants and twenty Hawks to the camp.

Thus their intelligence‑gathering and siege‑beast needs were roughly met.

The rest will have to be arranged later; otherwise Ye Liuyun can't afford to spend that much money.

Yu Xiaofeng and Xiao Yunfang made no major changes to Ye Liuyun's marching plan.

Consequently, the Death Legion broke camp at once and marched southwest.

No one knows where they are headed or how long they'll be gone.

As for the garrison soldiers' expenses, Ye Liuyun gave Old Song of the Mysterious Origin Hall a year's budget and asked him to pay monthly.

Yu Xiaofeng and Xiao Yunfang also led troops while training on the move.

After seven days of marching and training, more than three thousand newly recruited soldiers had already been culled.

The soldiers eliminated en route were sent back to Linwang City to report to the garrison forces.

Whether they went or not, Ye Liuyun didn't bother to care.

As for He Lian Xiu and the few female soldiers, Ye Liuyun does keep an eye on them with his Divine Sense, though he doesn't completely ignore them.

Surprisingly, those female soldiers were still gritting their teeth and persisting.

Ye Liuyun could understand those women—fighting hard for better treatment is worthwhile.

He didn't expect He Lian Xiu herself to persist as well.

Moreover, she had refined her True Essence, raising its quality considerably.

It should be noted that today's recruits face heavier training tasks than Ye Liuyun's earlier conscripts; they must also cultivate their bodies and boost Divine Soul Power.

Ye Liuyun's Divine Sense, when idle, also checked on He Lian Xiu and saw that she and the other women had cried a few times, yet none gave up.

Next comes actual combat training.

And according to the marching plan, Ye Liuyun's forces should attack a bandit gang.

This gang numbers nearly three thousand, has even built its own walls, and counts as a fairly large power.

In this battle, the new soldiers only observed the veterans' formations, learning from the rear of the ranks.

This is also the Death Legion's first attempt at a frontal siege, without using ambush tactics, so the enemy is prepared in full formation.

The newly acquired twenty Hawks circled the army, monitoring movements from the sky.

The twenty dragon‑elephants stood before the army, ready to charge.

Tong Xin's siege beast is not yet finished and will need more time.

Ye Liuyun led Lei Ming and others to the front lines to lead the main assault.

When the siege horn sounded, Long Nv immediately swung the Sea‑God Trident, sending a torrent of seawater like a waterfall toward the city gate.

Man Shu released Ice Power, instantly freezing the flooded area.

Lei Ming unleashed Lightning Power, bombarding the bandits at the gate.

Ye Tiandao struck the gate with a single slash, and Ye Liuyun followed with a full‑force palm, projecting the Mysterious Origin within a Yuan Dan, blended with Heaven and Earth Power, outward.

Black Panther rushed toward the gate at top speed.

Then Ye Liuyun and the others also charged the wall, the main force following behind toward the gate.

"Ka!"

Ye Tiandao's slash split open a large breach in the ice‑bound wall.

Ye Liuyun's palm struck immediately after.

With a "Boom—" a massive roar, the gate shattered, and the surrounding walls collapsed as well.

Black Panther was the first to burst into the city, beginning to slay the bandits.

The bandit leader charged at Black Panther.

Ye Liuyun moved swiftly, a distant slash intercepting the leader.

The leader was a Martial Cultivator at the mid‑fourth stage; a swing of his spear blocked Ye Liuyun's blade.

Ye Liuyun followed with another palm, and the bandit also flung a palm from afar.

"Bang" a thunderous boom, their True Essences collided, sending the nearby bandits flying.

The bandit obviously didn't expect that Ye Liuyun could actually block his palm strike.

In a moment of stunned hesitation, he was struck again by Lei Ming's bolt of lightning, his whole body smoking.

Before he could recover, Ye Tiandao's blade came down again.

The Martial Cultivator, possibly wearing armor, was blown away with a "bang" by the slash, but it wasn't fatal.

Ye Liuyun, meanwhile, used Spatial Power to instantly appear beside the Martial Cultivator and immediately slashed down with another blade.

Ah!

The Martial Cultivator couldn't dodge in time, but before dying he still released his Soul, charging into Ye Liuyun's Sea of Consciousness, and at the same time unleashed a ferocious beast.

Ye Liuyun was too close, unable to dodge, and was sent flying by a swipe of the ferocious beast's claw.

However, he also wore fifth‑rank armor on the outside, so he wasn't injured; only the armor got a few light scratches from the claws.

That ferocious beast was actually a mid‑stage fourth‑realm Demon Wolf.

Seeing Ye Liuyun's blade split its master in half, it fixed its gaze on Ye Liuyun and lunged to bite.

"Leave it to me, you go deal with the others!"

Ye Liuyun gave the order, then slapped his palm toward the Demon Wolf again, this strike infused with Buddha Light Power.

"Boom!" The Demon Wolf happened to charge head‑on, and Ye Liuyun sent it flying with a direct palm strike.

Moreover, most of the Demon Qi on its body was dispersed by the Buddha Light Power.

Howl!

The Demon Wolf, seeing the situation turn bad, turned and tried to flee.

"You think you can run?"

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil flashed, and a huge Golden Crow formed of flame shot out immediately, blocking the Demon Wolf.

At the same time, Ye Liuyun employed a spell, enveloping the Demon Wolf entirely in Buddha Light Power.

Only then did Ye Liuyun release his Divine Soul Power, planting a Slave Seal on the Demon Wolf, after which he withdrew the flame and the spell.

The Demon Wolf also realized Ye Liuyun's formidable strength, immediately lying obediently on the ground, daring not to move.

Ye Liuyun didn't strike again, taking the bandit's Storage Ring and monitoring the whole battlefield from mid‑air.

The watching recruits, seeing Ye Liuyun open the city gate so quickly and slay the bandit leader, all admired him greatly.

"A mere early third‑stage Leader can easily kill two mid‑fourth‑stage powerhouses?"

Some soldiers asked, puzzled.

"You know nothing! It's said the Leader is hiding his cultivation level."

The Royal City has long known about it.

A soldier replied.