Chapter 2771: Supplanting the Empire

Ye Liuyun acted on his side. The clone was too lazy to keep talking with Liu Qiang, and immediately let those two Foreign Tribe strongmen act. Ye Liuyun also immediately sent two other human eight‑fold Martial Cultivator strongmen, with Magic Vine and a host of Monster Beasts, to assist the clone.

The twenty thousand golden‑armored guards that Ye Liuyun had just recruited were also dispatched to aid the clone.

The Sharp Knife Corps could more easily wipe out these silver‑armored guards. Moreover, without a Leader, the silver‑armored guards' resistance was weak.

Both inside and outside the imperial capital, chaos erupted. The clone, with some Martial Cultivator strongmen and Monster Beasts, was outnumbered, so Ye Liuyun, Magic Vine, the Nine‑Headed Demon Dragon, Black Tortoise and other Monster Beasts employed Black and White Light to slay those Martial Cultivator strongmen.

Liu Qiang was captured alive by an eight‑fold Martial Cultivator who sealed his core pill with a True Yuan Seal and handed it to Ye Liuyun.

After Liu Qiang was captured, the royal family's resistance weakened considerably, and the remaining members surrendered outright. Otherwise they could not have beaten Ye Liuyun's forces. The Black and White Light alone killed two to three hundred of their strongmen.

The imperial palace had been reduced to ruins. The fighting outside the imperial capital was also drawing to a close; unfortunately the silver‑armored guards all became practice corpses for the Sharp Knife Corps. The Vermilion Bird, however, absorbed a great deal of powerful Soul energy as a result.

After the battle, Ye Liuyun ordered the royal members' True Essence to be sealed, then individually controlled them, forced them to surrender the resources within the Space World, and finally devoured their Souls, leaving none.

Now only Liu Qiang the bachelor remains. Ye Liuyun controls him, refines the spatial relic of the entire imperial capital, then expels everyone, places that relic into his own Space World, making it his own imperial capital.

Ye Liuyun's massive army also began marching toward the imperial capital. Once the army arrived, Ye Liuyun started broadcasting a message across the entire Xing Xi.

"The imperial capital has fallen, Emperor Liu Qiang captured. The entire Xing Xi is now under the control of the Wolf Hunt Mercenary Corps."

When the news spread, Mercenaries throughout the Xing Xi began cheering. Some mercenaries who had not previously joined the Wolf Hunt Mercenary Corps no longer hesitated and immediately enlisted.

These mercenaries then raided Chengzhu Fu and the major forces inside cities, making each Xingqiu completely a mercenary's domain.

Ye Liuyun handed the area over to Mo Ran for administration, with Lu Xiao cooperating with Mo Ran. Later‑recruited mercenaries were placed under their control, forming the foundational army for their nation‑building.

The entire Xing Xi was renamed the Wolf Hunt Star System, establishing the Wolf Hunt Empire, with Mo Ran as the first emperor.

Mo Ran was overjoyed; now not only had his own strength increased and his lifespan lengthened, but he also became an emperor. However, he knew this was a nominal title that Ye Liuyun was unwilling to bear and had handed over to him to manage.

After ascending the throne, Mo Ran publicly executed Liu Qiang, announcing the beginning of a new era to the entire Xing Xi.

Ling Yuan, Meng Wenxiang, and Han Qiao, upon seeing the outcome, were filled with amazement. They had never imagined that the fall of an empire could be so effortless.

In response, Ye Liuyun explained that as long as a ruler lacks popular support, destroying a dynasty or empire is as simple as tearing through a layer of tissue paper.

Ling Yuan, deeply admiring Ye Liuyun, decided to follow Ye Liuyun thereafter, assisting Ye Tiandao within the Sharp Knife Corps. The Sharp Knife Corps added twenty thousand golden‑armored soldiers, so training and management pressures indeed grew.

All fifty thousand silver‑armored guards were placed under Yuan Hao's command. This elite force, under Yuan Hao, would produce unexpected effects.

Meng Wenxiang and Han Qiao were left by Ye Liuyun in the Wolf Hunt Star System.

"The Wolf Hunt Empire has just been founded, with no Grand Army Commander. You two happen to be the President and Vice President; stay here and establish a new army!"

Both had no objections and agreed, handing their own five hundred thousand troops to Yuan Hao, enabling him to form a million‑strong army.

The two then began reorganizing the mercenaries who had defected, subsequently establishing garrisons across various locations.

Ye Liuyun's Spirit Cloud Business Association also expanded, opening branches everywhere, with Lu Xiao overseeing the allocation of goods and resources.

Once everything fell into order, Ye Liuyun's various armies and the Sharp Knife Corps completed their rest. Ye Liuyun then left the Wolf Hunt Star System, continuing toward the Foreign Tribe's old stronghold.

He thereafter ceased annexing any Xingqiu from the Wolf Hunt Star System. This time alone he had already annexed over four hundred Xingqiu. Now, within Ye Liuyun's Space World, it resembles a star system itself.

Of course, in his Space World, Martial Cultivators are not permitted to annex Xingqiu. Ye Liuyun set a rule: if an exceptionally strong Martial Cultivator needs resources, they may petition Ye Ling. Ye Ling will then contact Ye Liuyun, release those cultivators, and have them join the Sharp Knife Corps to obtain cultivation resources.

However, within Ye Liuyun's Space World, the population is not large relative to the number of Xingqiu. Thus spiritual energy is abundant, and generally Martial Cultivators do not require Primordial Power for cultivation. Moreover, with Ye Ling present, the Primordial Power continues to grow, entering a virtuous cycle where spiritual energy increases and resources are plentiful.

Ye Ling's administration is excellent; there is no dynasty here, only Ye Ling, an administrator authorized by Ye Liuyun, providing a relatively fair environment for Martial Cultivators' cultivation, where everyone has a chance to advance.

This time in the Wolf Hunt Star System, Ye Liuyun obtained excessively abundant resources. Not only are the cultivation resources for his companions plentiful, but even the Sharp Knife Corps and the army have abundant resources.

Those around him also expanded the Space World, annexing several Xingqiu, and their strength grew rapidly.

Ye Liuyun did not keep Yuan Hao's million‑strong army with him; instead, he sent them to explore different directions. Xiao Yunfang and Meng Qingyin were also merged by Ye Liuyun into a single force, forming another million‑strong army to explore other directions alongside Ye Tiandao.

Ye Liuyun gave the same advice to all million‑army commanders: focus on cultivating talent, annex Xingqiu with troop sources, accumulate army resources, and stockpile for future battles.

Tong Xin and Qiong Qi, together with some artificers and Formation Masters, hurriedly equipped the various armies with new gear, then sent them over via Teleportation Array Disc.

Ye Liuyun himself continued to lead his companions toward the Foreign Tribe's old stronghold. He will only recall the armies when he needs them.

After leaving the Star Plate Star System this time, the vacuum zones between star systems were especially vast; Ye Liuyun walked for a long time without seeing any star system ahead.

This is mainly because the Star Plate Empire had long ago invaded neighboring Xing Xi, beginning to plunder resources, so the surrounding Xing Xi were already annihilated. He must travel farther to encounter other Xing Xi.

Of course, occasionally one or two Xingqiu still existed along the way, likely supply planets left by them or landmarks preserved; Ye Liuyun did not annex them.

(End of Chapter)