Chapter 3002: Be Extra Careful

Liu Yan saw that they had returned, immediately went to greet them and hurriedly began questioning them.

"I was so worried! I thought you wouldn't make it back! Was everything smooth? Why did it take so long?"

"The situation is a bit different. Let's go and report to the boss first."

Ye Liuyun didn't say much more, and went with him straight to find Li Qingyang.

Ye Liuyun didn't tell Li Qingyang about capturing three strong ones; he only said that the Dragon Head Bandit Gang sent four Guiyi Sixth Layer Martial Cultivators, and that many Martial Cultivators had entered the city to support, so the operation took a bit longer.

Li Qingyang replied with understanding: "I guess because you didn't have a strong one stationed, those people dared to act. It's fine, as long as you succeeded. Hurry back and rest!"

Li Qingyang also praised them, told them to rest, and then relayed the news to the bandit gang's leader Chang Yuxing, letting him know the method works.

"Is this team that strong? They aren't planning to snatch the treasure from us, are they?" Chang Yuxing immediately became suspicious.

"No problem, I've let them fight as much as possible along the way. When it's time to take the treasure, I won't give them a chance to step forward!" Li Qingyang didn't seem to mind.

He thought Ye Liuyun's group was indeed powerful, and it would be a waste not to use them all at once. If they made no move when the treasure is taken, he actually wanted to recruit them as subordinates.

Chang Yuxing also felt that although Ye Liuyun's group was strong, they hadn't yet met a true strong one. Both bandit gangs still hadn't deployed genuine masters. They have quite a bit of hidden power, so there's no need to worry much.

"Alright then, just keep an eye on them later!" Chang Yuxing didn't object further.

But he also reminded Li Qingyang: "I estimate that the Dragon Head Bandit Gang will act soon; we've already taken down ten of their cities in a row."

"I think it's close too! Don't worry, I'm already prepared on my side!" Li Qingyang sounded confident.

Chang Yuxing said no more idle talk, and ordered the fleet to rush toward the next Xingqiu, as if they were to continue attacking the Dragon Head Bandit Gang's territory.

The Dragon Head Bandit Gang's leader Feng Yulong was at that moment discussing how to respond with two Martial Cultivators.

They were indifferent about losing those cities, but the loss of three strong ones caught their attention. Even with their strength, there wouldn't be more than twenty strong ones like Zhan Kong, Wu Ying, and Bao Long.

The elderly‑looking Feng Yulong, leaning on a Dragon Head cane, showed no trace of Qi fluctuation on his body, revealing no discernible realm.

He now asked the two Martial Cultivators with suspicion: "Did Chang Yuxing reveal his trump card so early?"

A Demon Cultivator wrapped in black clothing rushed to reply: "According to our investigation, the team that acted was the foreign Martial Cultivators who handed over the key; they were not previously members of the First Star Bandit Gang."

The black‑clad Demon Cultivator exuded faint Demon Qi and a strong Yin Ghost aura. He is the deputy leader of the Dragon Head Bandit Gang, known as Gui Wang.

Then he added: "Their intentions are still unclear. After handing over the key, they've been attached to the First Star Bandit Gang. With their strength, they probably also want a share of the spoils!"

The other Martial Cultivator was a young master holding a folding fan. He is also a deputy leader of the Dragon Head Bandit Gang and their strategist, known as Piao Yao Gongzi.

He slowly waved the fan and said: "Chang Yuxing may not give them a chance. I think they're only being used temporarily; they'll be moved aside later."

Feng Yulong heard this and immediately said: "Then send someone to win them over; if it doesn't work, forget it, no need to deal with them further."

On Chang Yuxing's side, someone should be assigned to act; since he wants to wear them down first, strike early. Sooner or later it's the same.

Piao Yao Gongzi waved his fan, nodded, and said: "Alright, I'll make the arrangements."

At this moment, Ye Liuyun, Tang Xinyao and others were surrounded by Liu Yan and the other bandits, being bombarded with questions.

They were all very curious, wanting to know how Ye Liuyun's group captured it.

"Did you really take the city down?"

"You must have gotten a big haul this time, right?"

Several bandits envied Ye Liuyun's people for pocketing all the city's resources.

Ye Liuyun briefly explained the capture to them while internally worrying about jealousy and suspicion from others.

So after carefully dealing with the bandits, he led everyone back into the Space World to cultivate, and consulted Zhan Kong, Wu Ying, and Bao Long about the two bandit gangs' strength.

He thought he should learn the true strength of both sides in advance to avoid being at a disadvantage. Since the Dragon Head Bandit Gang has such strong ones, the First Star Bandit Gang should have them too.

According to Zhan Kong and the others, both gangs possess genuine strong ones of their caliber, definitely more than ten. Moreover, this treasure raid will inevitably lead to a clash sooner or later.

However, they don't know the exact numbers; both gangs keep the figures tightly concealed.

In their view, the number of strong ones in each gang should be roughly equal; otherwise they'd have merged by now. Ye Liuyun quite agreed with this assessment.

As for ordinary bandits, whether it's a thousand or a hundred makes no difference; before these true strong ones, they're insignificant.

"If I capture you, wouldn't that alert the Dragon Head Bandit Gang's leader?" Ye Liuyun immediately realized that catching such a strong one would certainly draw the opponent's attention.

Zhan Kong and the other two also nodded in unison: "That's for sure!"

Ye Liuyun instantly thought that next time they assault a city, he'll send those three out, cloaked in Invisibility Cloaks, to help monitor the strong ones.

Otherwise, if such a strong one strikes immediately, they'd be utterly defenseless. He now must be extra careful with both sides.

At the same time, he realized his own strength still lagged far behind true strong ones. Without his Time Power, he couldn't even contend with them, let alone locate them.

So he promptly had those three strong ones explain to him how to enhance various abilities.

As for condensing Mysterious Origin, Bao Long cultivated a technique called the Condensing Core Formula, refining by burning and cooling True Essence within the Core Pill.

Ye Liuyun immediately used Soul Search to retrieve the method, shared it with everyone, and had all practice together. Even the Monster Beasts, seeing Bao Long's True Essence so condensed, were envious and learned with great enthusiasm.

Zhan Kong's Spatial Power stems from his accidental entry into a chaotic void within a Secret Realm, where he grasped Spatial Power.

As for Wu Ying, his bloodline is innately attuned to Heaven and Earth Power. Ye Liuyun cannot learn it directly; he can only improve through joint practice with him.