Chapter 3416

After discovering Ye Liuyun’s astonishing strength, garrison commander Tai Hao began thinking of ways to keep him in the army for the long term.

Otherwise, given Ye Liuyun’s strength, he would certainly be unable to stay hidden; sooner or later, others would discover him.

After thinking it over, he felt that he ultimately would not be able to keep Ye Liuyun there permanently. It would be better to promote him first, then recommend him to some influential figures, which would also help pave the way for his own future.

Tai Hao was making these calculations. But things were too peaceful here, with no real opportunity for a major battle.

Just as he was worrying over this, he suddenly received an order from Zhao Yu’an. Fifteen newly initiated disciples of the Qianling Sect and a sect elder had gone to the Exiled Planet for experience and then disappeared. Before disappearing, one of the disciples had sent a distress signal.

The female disciple who had sent the distress signal was Zhao Yu’an’s daughter, Zhao Yupei. Zhao Yu’an ordered him to dispatch troops to wipe out the bandits on the Exiled Planet and bring Zhao Yupei back.

The planet where Zhao Yu’an was based was also the location of the Qianling Sect. Zhao Yu’an happened to be Tai Hao’s immediate superior as well. Tai Hao had originally been transferred here from Zhao Yu’an’s territory to garrison the place, so these matters fell directly under his authority.

Tai Hao agreed repeatedly while secretly rejoicing. He had been worrying that he had no opportunity to send out a large force, and now he finally had an excuse.

He immediately sent someone to find Xiao Han. Xiao Han’s background was far from ordinary as well: he was the younger son of Princess Changxiao, the Western Heavenly King’s younger sister, and had come here to undergo secret training.

Since he was going to do someone a favor, he might as well bring Xiao Han along too.

After Xiao Han arrived and learned about the mission to suppress the bandits, he readily agreed. He felt that this was the perfect opportunity to train the troops and become more accustomed to working with the soldiers.

Thus, without another word, he immediately went back to issue the orders.

Ye Liuyun had originally planned to take Meng Yunshan to that uninhabited planet after the competition to explore it and search for some high-level cultivation resources. Unexpectedly, he could not leave now either.

The entire army was going, so naturally he could not leave on his own. Besides, strictly speaking, this trouble had been caused by him.

“Since we can’t leave for the time being, let’s go practice against the bandits again and try to break through another level as soon as possible!”

Ye Liuyun made his decision as well. After undergoing this period of tempering, he would raise his cultivation level before going to the uninhabited planet, further strengthening himself so that he could better face the dangers ahead.

After Xiao Han returned, he would naturally first brief Ye Liuyun, Liao Yaotian, and Chen Mo, then have the three of them relay the orders to the various military camps.

When they went this time, the soldiers already recognized them, and the commanders treated them very well. Knowing that the three of them were quite strong, the commanders did not make things difficult for them and immediately assembled their units.

This time, Tai Hao sent out a total of ten thousand-man units, not just Xiao Han’s. Each unit was headed in a different direction. Xiao Han’s unit took the central route, where they would encounter the greatest number of bandits, so the pressure of battle would certainly be considerable.

This was not something Xiao Han had volunteered for. Tai Hao had deliberately arranged it that way, intentionally creating more opportunities for them to fight.

Before Xiao Han’s unit left the city, he deliberately gave Ye Liuyun an opportunity to earn merit as well.

He placed all thirty-two soldiers who had participated in the competition under Ye Liuyun’s command, having him lead them as a scouting party to investigate the situation and strike if they found an opportunity.

Ye Liuyun’s strength had been plain for all to see, so these people felt reassured following him.

As soon as the army left the city, their unit went ahead to scout the way.

They had not gone far when Ye Liuyun’s divine sense and golden eyes detected a bandit group of more than ten hiding in a mountain valley and resting. They were probably a small group that often robbed travelers in the area.

After observing the bandits’ strength, Ye Liuyun immediately decided to lead everyone into action. He described the bandits’ strength in detail and, based on each person’s abilities, assigned everyone a target.

Seeing that he could detect the bandits from such a distance and that his arrangements were extremely reasonable, the others all agreed at once. They then split into two groups and moved in to surround them.

Ye Liuyun and Qi Tianlin struck first. Using Spatial Force and their movement techniques, they rapidly approached the bandits’ scouts. Before the scouts noticed them, they unleashed soul attacks and killed them.

The two groups then charged in and surrounded the bandits. Everyone engaged their assigned opponents as planned, easily capturing all the remaining bandits alive.

Ye Liuyun’s golden eyes and divine sense had gauged the bandits’ strength with exceptional accuracy, so the opponents he assigned were all perfectly suited to counter them.

Only one bandit produced a defensive treasure that exceeded Ye Liuyun’s expectations. However, Ye Liuyun immediately attacked with a Soul-Shaking Wave, stunning the opponent before the treasure could take effect.

That martial cultivator was Qin Yuan, the swordsman Ye Liuyun had fought earlier. He was extremely grateful that Ye Liuyun had saved him, so he voluntarily handed the treasure over to Ye Liuyun.

After asking a few questions, Ye Liuyun discovered that Qin Yuan had no life-saving treasure. He immediately gave the treasure back to Qin Yuan and told him to keep it for protection.

This made them admire Ye Liuyun even more. They respected not only his strength and leadership, but also his character, sincerely admiring his ability to remain unmoved in the face of such a treasure.

Ye Liuyun and the others stored the captured bandits in their storage rings, then continued exploring ahead while using communication talismans to report their movements and gains to Xiao Han.

Afterward, they encountered several more small groups of bandits, winning every battle without suffering a single casualty.

Xiao Han grew increasingly impressed by Ye Liuyun’s ability to command. Leading the army behind them, he found himself somewhat bored and even wanted to fight alongside Ye Liuyun and the others personally.

However, he was the commander now and certainly could not leave the army. If something happened while he was gone, he would have difficulty explaining himself when he returned.

By the end, the more than thirty people in Ye Liuyun’s group had coordinated so well that, under his meticulous arrangements, they could even eliminate a bandit gang of more than fifty members.

During that battle, however, he used a golden dragon puppet to protect several weaker soldiers, thereby revealing a little of his own strength.

Still, a fourth-grade Void-tier treasure was not particularly rare, so it did not cause much shock.

After every battle, Ye Liuyun distributed the resources fairly according to each person’s contribution. He never took more than his share, and he also gave priority to equipping those without treasures with defensive items to protect their lives.

As a result, everyone in the unit became even more convinced of Ye Liuyun. Their actual combat strength also improved rapidly.

They reaped abundant gains as well. Not only did they capture many bandits, but they also divided up a considerable amount of the spoils. Every one of them felt fortunate to have made the right choice in following Ye Liuyun.

As they fought more and more battles, their coordination grew increasingly tight, and their mutual trust became stronger and stronger. In the end, they could completely entrust their backs to their companions.

Their relationships also grew much closer after fighting side by side.