Chapter 2769: Taking the Strong Ones

For a moment, the capital city and its surroundings were in complete chaos.

Silver Armor guards launched attacks everywhere, capturing Martial Cultivators from the great families in each city.

In the end they replenished their troops, but in the capital and its surroundings, whether mercenaries or the various factions, almost everyone who could flee had fled.

Meng Wenxiang and Han Qiao learned of Liu Haotian's death, grew even more dissatisfied with the Empire, and led their troops in a ruthless assault, conquering a Xingqiu in just two or three days and exterminating its Chengzhu Fu and all major forces.

But after venting, they finally calmed down.

Ye Liuyun's army continued its steady advance.

His current main goal is to collect Xingqiu for reserving troops, recruiting strong Martial Cultivators to join him.

Even the Primordial Power of a Xingqiu no longer attracts him.

Even the Star Plate Empire is probably just a half‑empty shell now, with little profit left.

Moreover, the Star Plate Empire still has to deal with the Foreign Tribe, and Ye Liuyun does not want to drive them all into a dead end.

Thus Ye Liuyun ordered his army to halt its advance and recruit troops on the spot.

And recruitment gives priority to the strong.

The territories Ye Liuyun has seized now amount to nearly one‑third of the Star Plate Xing Xi.

Across the entire system, only the northern and Central Region parts remain relatively intact; the planets in the other directions have suffered massive losses.

Ye Liuyun's current plan is to take as many strong Martial Cultivators here as possible, leaving the Star Plate Empire to fend the Foreign Tribe on its own, while he departs to continue exploring the Xingkong.

Now, with over two million troops and strong Martial Cultivators, he feels more confident about rushing to the Foreign Tribe's stronghold.

Of course, he knows these forces might not be enough, but further trials lie ahead, and his power will continue to grow.

Therefore, Ye Liuyun not only halted his army but also contracted his forces, concentrating all power in the east, making it easier for him to head straight north to the Foreign Tribe when he eventually leaves.

Mo Ran and other Elders, also strong, are scattered across the lands helping recruit Martial Cultivators.

Ye Liuyun himself also roams with his thief cat, planning one final raid, taking whatever resources he can gather.

At the same time, Liu Qiang also went ruthless, ordering the front‑line army to strike the Foreign Tribe.

They fought a massive battle against the Foreign Tribe, both sides suffering heavy losses, each losing about 1.5 to 1.6 million troops.

In this battle, the Star Plate Empire also dispatched a Dominant Eightfold strongman to ambush the Foreign Tribe, eliminating their Dominant Eightfold.

Then that strongman led the front‑line army to seize the Foreign Tribe's base in one blow, completely destroying the Foreign Tribe's Altar and then beginning to clean up the remaining troops.

Ye Liuyun did not rush after receiving the news.

Although he does not wish to proactively attack the Imperial Capital, that does not mean he is scared.

Defending against the Empire's offensive, he is more than capable.

Now the Empire's main army has shrunk to less than a million.

Even if their Gold Armor, Silver Armor, Imperial Guard, and strong Martial Cultivators all mobilize, Ye Liuyun is untroubled.

If the Empire tries to strike him before he leaves, he does not mind giving them another lesson.

However, the Star Plate Empire truly did not disappoint Ye Liuyun.

After they finished clearing the Foreign Tribe, they moved to surround Ye Liuyun's army.

And arriving with them were 200,000 Imperial Guard, 100,000 Silver Armor, and 30,000 Gold‑armored Alien Tribe.

Ye Liuyun's Golden Pupil, also among the Martial Cultivator ranks, discovered two Dominant Eightfold strongmen who had hidden their realms.

"Great! This Star Plate Empire is afraid I lack men, so they sent me reinforcements!"

Ye Liuyun was thrilled upon seeing this.

In this battle, Liu Qiang deployed almost half of the royal family's Martial Cultivators and the two remaining Dominant Eightfold strongmen.

Currently the Imperial Capital has been re‑sealed, as only 20,000 Gold Armor guards and 100,000 Silver Armor guards remain to defend the city.

Liu Qiang was almost ready to mobilize the entire nest and lead a personal campaign.

After confirming only those two Dominant Eightfold strongmen remained, Ye Liuyun directly employed Time Power, using Divine Soul Power to pull their Souls one by one into his Sea of Consciousness, planting Slave Seals, and then drawing them into the Space World.

Then he released a clone, beginning to capture Martial Cultivator strongmen as well as the Leaders of Gold Armor, Silver Armor, and Imperial Guard.

When they finished using Time Power, the opposing army was left stunned.

All Leaders are gone!

Ye Liuyun's army then proceeded to encircle them.

Facing the Gold‑armored Alien Tribe, Ye Liuyun and the Purple Qilin took turns using Time Power, capturing some and exterminating others.

The remaining ones were handed over to the Dagger Squad for training.

Magic Vine also joined the fight, seizing the chance to devour corpses and boost its strength.

Vermilion Bird also followed Ye Tiandao.

It simultaneously absorbs the Yin Souls of the strong and helps attack the Souls of the Gold Armor guards.

On the Silver Armor side, Ye Liuyun and his clone, together with numerous Monster Beasts and Ling Yuan's Martial Cultivator units, also deployed their newest Spirit Cat Warship; finally, Dominant Eightfold Martial Cultivators arrived to support, annihilating the entire Silver Armor guard.

The Martial Cultivators' battle needs no further description; Ye Liuyun directly unleashed Dominant Eightfold Martial Cultivators, slaughtering most of the Empire's Martial Cultivators, after which the survivors surrendered.

The Empire's main army, having barely fought, discovered it was surrounded and immediately surrendered without resistance.

They knew they could not defeat Ye Liuyun's army, so surrendering was preferable.

Ye Liuyun directly ordered Meng Wenxiang and Han Qiao to accept the defectors and integrate them into his own forces.

The whole battle lasted only a short time; half a day later, Ye Liuyun's side was already assimilating the defectors.

If it weren't for those Gold‑armored and Silver‑armored Alien Tribe members and some Martial Cultivators with Divine Soul Contracts, they would have surrendered long ago.

There was no need to kill so brutally.

In this battle, the Dagger Squad suffered little loss; even if there were casualties, they captured many Gold Armor guards, which can be used as reinforcements.

Ling Yuan's unit suffered heavier losses; originally it had recruited over 80,000, but now only a little over 20,000 remain.

Although some of the Empire's Martial Cultivators also surrendered, their numbers were few.

Ye Liuyun also just captured two Martial Cultivators who are masters of the eighth level, which counts as adding two top-tier combat forces.

The army won most easily, directly incorporating all Reinforcement Troops; now the army led by Meng Wenxiang and Han Qiao already has one million five hundred thousand.

Ye Liuyun then directly had these two only select five hundred thousand elite soldiers to lead; the other soldiers all serve as troop reserves, collected into Space World.

Besides replenishing their future troop losses, it can also replenish another three armies of one million each.

Lingyuan's twenty thousand Martial Cultivator unit was also completely broken up and reassigned to Yuan Hao, Xiao Yunfang, Meng Qingyin, Meng Wenxiang, and Han Qiao, while Lingyuan returned to help Ye Tiandao.

Pei Yong was recalled by Ye Liuyun into Space World to cultivate reserve troops; Yuan Hao was specially transferred by Ye Liuyun from Yu Xiaofeng to lead this two-million-strong army.