After the savage beasts had departed, Ye Liuyun ordered the martial artists under his control to spread the news far and wide.

The Beast Tribe, a formidable race in its own right, had unexpectedly defected and surrendered to Ye Liuyun. This was a devastating blow to the human martial artists who had been preparing to form an alliance against him. With Ye Liuyun’s strength now bolstered by the Beast Tribe, defeating him had become an even more daunting task. Desperate, they immediately dispatched envoys to seek an alliance with the Trolls, hoping to join forces.

Though they had always looked down on the Trolls, considering them dim-witted and clumsy, they couldn’t deny that the brutish race would be a valuable asset in battle. However, the negotiators sent by the various factions soon returned with shocking news—the Trolls had also surrendered to Ye Liuyun!

Not only that, but their surrender was even more absolute. The entire Troll race, along with their world and resources, had been absorbed into Ye Liuyun’s spatial realm—vanishing without a trace. Witnessing the Beast Tribe’s sudden capitulation had shaken the Trolls to their core. They realized that even if they resisted, they stood no chance against Ye Liuyun.

Rather than face annihilation, they chose to submit outright. And if they were going to surrender, they might as well go all the way—relocating to Ye Liuyun’s spatial realm to reunite with their demon kin. The human martial artists didn’t even factor into their decision; the Trolls simply marched straight into Ye Liuyun’s world to enjoy a life of ease.

Soon after, at the Beast Tribe’s request, their world was also absorbed into Ye Liuyun’s spatial domain. They believed they would be safer under his protection—especially the Azure Flood Dragon, who was even more enthusiastic after being taken under the wing of the Dragon Clan for training.

Back on the trade planet, the Beast Tribe and Trolls’ market stalls had reopened, now managed by Ye Liuyun for resource exchange. The newly organized marketplace was more orderly than ever, patrolled by elite warriors and armored soldiers. Above the planet, falcon scouts kept watch, ensuring the safety of merchants and traders.

A few days later, rumors spread that taverns, inns, and other amenities had sprung up across the trade planet.

Meanwhile, Lin Luoyi, leveraging the available resources, developed a range of new elixirs. Using rare ingredients like Ironhide Fruit, Spirit-Gathering Ginseng, and Blood Dragon Fruit, she crafted pills that far surpassed the raw effects of consuming the fruits alone—dramatically enhancing strength and abilities in every aspect.

All of this had been verified by martial cultivators. As the news spread, other tribes that had planned to attack Ye Liuyun gradually abandoned their intentions, opting instead to wait and see how events would unfold.

Through interrogating the captured warriors, Ye Liuyun learned the locations of several key resources. Seeing that the other tribes were making no moves, he decided not to waste time and instead dispatched these warriors to take the initiative.

If those tribes still refused to engage in trade, he would simply seize all their resources. Cultivated resources would be transplanted into his own spatial world to enrich the market stalls. Some worlds were even absorbed wholesale into his spatial domain, leaving nothing behind.

After Ye Liuyun plundered a few worlds, the others quickly got the message. If they didn’t start trading with him, they’d end up with nothing at all.

Soon, they all approached the Hanyong Tribe, urging Balor to negotiate with Ye Liuyun on their behalf.

Balor hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun’s earlier words to come true so literally—he had actually accomplished the impossible. So he advised his own tribe to cease hostilities. Ye Liuyun’s power was overwhelming, and if they continued opposing him, the surrounding tribes might unite against them first.

Thus, the Hanyong Tribe also bowed to Ye Liuyun’s authority, sending Balor to negotiate.

In truth, the so-called negotiations were merely a formality—everything had to proceed according to Ye Liuyun’s rules.

When these tribes returned to the trade planet, they found it far more developed and secure than before. Soon, even ordinary civilians could travel there to conduct business.

As the trade planet grew more crowded, its value became increasingly evident.

Ye Liuyun then proposed an exchange agreement: any tribe willing to surrender its world could relocate entirely to the trade planet.

Several weaker tribes handed over their worlds to be absorbed into Ye Liuyun’s spatial domain, migrating en masse to the trade planet.

And so, piece by piece, Ye Liuyun built a mercantile empire—claiming numerous worlds without shedding a single drop of blood.

However, there were quite a few tribes like the Hanyong who refused to relinquish their resources. Ye Liuyun didn’t press the matter. Instead, he simply transplanted some resources into his spatial world to cultivate and grow them himself. He also stockpiled a substantial amount of resources through trade, ensuring he wouldn’t have to resort to wiping out those tribes entirely.

The Hanyong tribe had initially assumed Ye Liuyun intended to gradually swallow up all the worlds piece by piece. To their surprise, he suddenly sought out Barlow and made him an unexpected proposal.

"I need an overseer to manage things on my behalf," Ye Liuyun said. "If you’re willing to leave your original tribe and sign an equal contract with me, I’ll entrust this place to you. Aside from Xiaoxie and Wan Gang, all the martial cultivators I’ve captured will remain under your command. The Falcon battleships and armored soldiers will also serve as your protective forces."

By now, the trade planet had a considerable number of permanent residents. Combined with the forces Ye Liuyun mentioned, they had already established themselves as the most formidable power—one that no one dared to provoke.

The offer stunned Barlow, who couldn’t fathom why Ye Liuyun would ask him to sever ties with his tribe.

Ye Liuyun explained, "If you remain part of your tribe, there’s no guarantee you’ll be impartial in handling affairs. You can go back and discuss it with them—see if they’d prefer me to stay and continue managing the trade planet or if they’d rather have you take over."

He knew that outright demanding Barlow’s departure would never fly with the Hanyong tribe. But if given the choice between him and Barlow, they would undoubtedly choose the latter.

Barlow hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun to hold him in such high regard. Still, the matter was too significant to decide alone, so he returned to consult his tribe.

As Ye Liuyun had anticipated, the Hanyong tribe concluded that having Barlow—even if he left the tribe—manage the planet was far better than leaving it in Ye Liuyun’s hands. They agreed to the terms.

Soon after, Barlow publicly announced his departure from the Hanyong tribe, and the tribe formally acknowledged it. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

He then signed an equal contract with Ye Liuyun and was appointed as the administrator of the trade planet, taking over all of Ye Liuyun’s business operations. Ownership, however, remained with Ye Liuyun—Barlow was merely acting as his proxy.

After handing over the management duties, Ye Liuyun didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stayed for a while to guide Barlow, sharing his insights—including his understanding of the broader universe—to ensure a smooth transition.