Chapter 1867: On the Right Track

Gradually, the Death Legion began to dominate this area, occupying several key major cities and starting to establish bases.

Anyway, their cannon‑fodder regiment had huge numbers, so the defending troops were never lacking.

After returning to the main army, Ye Liuyun had the cannon‑fodder regiment expand a major city at the very center of the border battlefield and named it Death City.

He also had someone contact Xuan Yuan Lou to extend their business to the border battlefield.

Alchemists, Artificers, Formation Masters and the like, Ye Liuyun also found a few among the Reinforcement Troops, but their abilities were not very strong.

He then had Xuan Yuan Lou recruit a few strong individuals to serve as instructors.

Ye Liuyun also gathered many Reinforcement Troops who had run inns, taverns and brothels, set up various businesses, and kept Death City operating normally.

After the clone returned, it took Ye Liuyun's place, mainly handling troop training and supplying the main army with qualified soldiers.

At the same time, he also released many Demon Beasts, boosting the Death Legion's strength.

Yu Xiaofeng, together with He Lian Xiu and Xiao Yunfang, split their forces into three routes, continuously attacking cities and seizing forts.

Then they sent large amounts of resources and Reinforcement Troops back to Death City.

Seeing that everything was on track, Ye Liuyun felt at ease and hurried toward the Southern Region Royal City together with Tong Xin.

The two planned to go to the Southern Region Royal City to obtain qualifications as an Alchemist and an Artificer, and using those titles to gather intelligence for the main army.

After Ye Liuyun left, Xuan Yuan Lou's personnel, bringing several Alchemists, Artificers, Formation Masters and guard Martial Cultivators, rushed to Death City.

What the clone didn't expect was that the person leading the team turned out to be Xuan Yuan Ling.

"How did Xuan Yuan Lou send you?"

The clone asked in surprise.

Xuan Yuan Ling, unable to tell that this was Ye Liuyun's clone, took him for Ye Liuyun and said, "Why couldn't I come?"

"Xuan Yuan Lou also wants to develop new markets!"

"Since you're developing so well now, we naturally must give it attention and seize the initiative."

The clone exclaimed, "Xuan Yuan Lou's sense of smell is truly sharp!"

"The family orders me to develop alongside you from now on.

Where your main army advances, I will set up Xuan Yuan Lou there.

It's not in vain that you opened the market for us; the profits Xuan Yuan Lou earns on your territory will give you a twenty‑percent share, how about that?"

Xuan Yuan Ling asked him.

"You all have already planned everything, what else is there to say! I must thank you for valuing me and having such high expectations!"

The clone immediately agreed.

With tighter cooperation with Xuan Yuan Lou, exchanging resources and army supplies and many other issues became much easier to resolve.

Moreover, Xuan Yuan Lou's twenty‑percent share is basically enough to cover the resource consumption of the city‑guard soldiers.

Xuan Yuan Ling smiled, "It's not me, it's the family; I don't have such high expectations of you!"

She has now arrived at the border battlefield and is much freer, no longer under the family's control, so she is in a good mood.

Moreover, Death City is far better than she had previously estimated; everything is orderly.

"Haha! That just shows your family has vision, and you still need experience!"

The clone happily joked with her.

Thus, the clone stationed in Death City, and everything fell into place.

Ye Liuyun, meanwhile, was racing at full speed with Tong Xin.

After their sweep, the border battlefield was far emptier than before, and they encountered few obstacles along the way.

Tong Xin spent the journey training in a cultivation space, advancing their realm and forging implements.

Ye Liuyun rode a demon kite, occasionally eliminating scattered Martial Cultivators.

Ahead at the border lies a vast mountain range rich in medicinal herbs, but it is also tightly controlled by the border garrison.

Ye Liuyun plans to sneak in and gather some herbs.

He is joining the Alchemist Alliance this time, and he has some herbs in hand that seem appropriate.

Previously, even when he collected herbs, those that couldn't be cultivated were mostly exchanged.

During this period, he has gathered many alchemy formulas, all sourced from various bandit groups' resources and Reinforcement Troops.

Before leaving this time, he also took a number of Concept Crystal Stones and Divine Crystals, but not many herbs.

Just as Ye Liuyun opened his Divine Sense to scout the situation, he suddenly noticed someone recruiting guards to go into the mountains to harvest herbs.

It was probably a major faction that had obtained permission to enter the mountains.

"Sneaking in with them is better than trying to break through the defenses and patrols!"

Ye Liuyun thought of this and immediately joined them.

The family hiring the guards is the renowned Southern Region alchemy family, the Lin family.

Moreover, the Lin family produced a Seventh Realm Grand Alchemist, Lin Luoyi, who is even famous throughout the central area, called the goddess among Alchemists.

However, most of the Martial Cultivators applying were freelance border cultivators; they don't care about which Alchemist, they just work for money.

Martial Cultivators in this line are also commonly called Mercenaries.

Ye Liuyun's realm is shown as mid‑stage of the Fourth Layer, making him above average among these Mercenaries, and he was selected outright.

The Lin family's herb‑gathering party also includes over ten disciples, among them a Fourth‑rank Alchemist, Lin Xi Yao.

Their manager is a middle‑aged Martial Cultivator of the Lin family named Lin Zhi An, a mid‑stage of the Fifth Layer, who serves as the Lin family's outer‑gate Steward and this expedition's Team Leader.

Clearly familiar with the border situation, Lin Zhi An told Ye Liuyun and the others that if they performed well, they could return to the Lin family as outer‑gate disciples, receiving a fixed monthly salary.

This was undoubtedly a huge temptation for these border Martial Cultivators.

Many of them came from the Mortal Realm, rootless wanderers; being able to rely on a major faction was naturally coveted.

Thus, many immediately declared they would perform well and strive to enter the Lin family's outer gate.

Ye Liuyun listened to him introduce his own identity and the Lin family's situation, then knew the Lin family was a major power.

"If we first go find a major power to settle down, then learning alchemy wouldn't be bad either!"

Ye Liuyun secretly thought.

He glanced over the selected mercenaries; among them were four or five demon cultivators, whose realms were basically early-mid fourth layer, with only one late fourth-layer martial cultivator.

It's estimated that a fifth-layer martial cultivator wouldn't come to earn this money; as for third-layer martial cultivators, the Lin family also looks down on them.

As for the Lin family's own disciples, their strength is quite ordinary; Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil sees clearly that, aside from the alchemist Lin Xiyao having elixir fire in her golden core, everyone else's golden cores lack the fire attribute.

Moreover, these people don't seem familiar with Lin Xiyao; Ye Liuyun estimates they are all outer disciples of the Lin family, partly due to their background training, mainly they were brought to protect Lin Xiyao.

Moreover, Lin Zhian also said clearly that gathering medicinal herbs also requires following Lin Xiyao's orders.

After Lin Zhian hired over twenty mercenaries, he no longer recruited more people; after explaining the rules to Ye Liuyun and the others, he then led them off into the mountains.

After entering the mountains, they subsequently encountered three guard posts and two patrols of soldiers.

Lin Zhian needed to show the permit to enter the mountains before being allowed to pass.