After collecting most of the uninhabited planets in the northern region, Ye Liuyun prepared to shift his focus southward.

The first planet he headed for was the homeland of the Xenocide Lion—that very world of demonic beasts.

Thanks to the accumulated resources and the time acceleration within his clone’s spatial realm, the Xenocide Lion had already advanced to the tenth level of the Immortal Realm. It had always harbored vast reserves of sealed energy, and with no shortage of resources in the clone’s world, its progress had been swift. Strangely, though, its size remained unchanged.

Ye Liuyun suspected it had the ability to control its own form.

He finally handed the Xenocide Lion over to Liu Yunyao. When she asked about its abilities, the creature cheekily admitted it was skilled at stealing.

"You little thief!" Liu Yunyao teased, still not fully grasping the Xenocide Lion’s true nature and finding it rather endearing.

But Ye Liuyun, through the slave mark, imposed strict rules on the "thieving cat."

The Xenocide Lion disliked staying in Liu Yunyao’s spatial world and often perched on her shoulder, basking lazily in the sunlight.

"Come on, let’s take you back to your homeland," Ye Liuyun said, storing Liu Yunyao in his spatial realm before retrieving his clone. Using the Black Tower of Teleportation, they arrived at the Devil Beast world where the Xenocide Lion had been born.

This was the borderland between the north and the south, where wars frequently erupted on nearby planets. Soldiers from both sides often ventured here to hunt demonic beasts.

Upon arrival, Ye Liuyun noticed much of the terrain had been ravaged—clear evidence of frequent raids by outsiders capturing beasts. Still, the demonic energy here remained thick, and the source energy was intact, making it an ideal place for his clone to harvest.

He released Liu Yunyao and the Xenocide Lion from his spatial realm. The Xenocide Lion, nostalgic for its birthplace, took deep breaths of the demonic air, savoring the familiar scent of home.

"There are some barbarian soldiers and troops from your Willow Forest Dynasty nearby," Ye Liuyun told Liu Yunyao, pointing in two directions. "Consider this a test of your training—drive them all off this planet within a day."

With that, he sent her and the Xenocide Lion on their mission.

Cloaked in an invisibility mantle, he silently protected Liu Yunyao while his doppelgänger went to connect with the planet’s primordial energy, preparing to transport the entire celestial body into his spatial realm.

Liu Yunyao, clad in double-layered soft armor and wielding a longsword, charged headlong into the fray against the barbarian soldiers. These savages, clad in tribal animal hides, were the sworn enemies of the Willow Forest Dynasty, and she showed no mercy, striking them down without hesitation.

The barbarians, rugged and ferocious in battle, initially sought to capture her alive upon seeing a lone northern martial artist—and a woman at that. But Liu Yunyao unleashed a storm of soul-devouring techniques, illusions, and swordplay, rendering their numbers meaningless. Though they numbered in the hundreds, their strongest was merely at the first level of the Heavenly Realm, no match for her prowess.

Meanwhile, the Thieving Cat seized the opportunity to snatch a Interspatial Ring and began stuffing it with corpses, stockpiling resources for itself—saving Liu Yunyao the trouble of looting the battlefield. Occasionally, it darted out to swipe at nearby soldiers, clawing at their eyes before retreating with lightning agility.

Harboring no goodwill for these invaders—knowing they had come to hunt magical beasts—the cat was all too eager to help Liu Yunyao exterminate them swiftly.

Liu Yunyao further employed her crimson pupils to cast illusions, turning some barbarians against their own. Her soul power had clearly grown stronger than before.

Realizing their hopes of capturing her were futile, the barbarians swiftly switched tactics, drawing their bows. Renowned for their archery, they rained arrows upon her in relentless volleys, forcing Liu Yunyao into a frantic defense. Yet Ye Liuyun remained a silent observer in the shadows, allowing her to temper herself in battle.

Just as she struggled under the barrage, the Thieving Cat sprang into action. Darting through the storm of arrows with feline grace, it didn’t attack—instead, it flitted past the archers, pilfering every arrow they had, even stripping their storage rings clean. Not a single shaft remained. Its legendary thievery lived up to its name.

Ye Liuyun, watching closely with his golden pupils, noted how the cat’s slate-blue eyes flickered, allowing it to infiltrate storage rings at will—an extraordinary ability. Its mastery of spatial energy was equally formidable, instantly emptying the contents of any ring it entered.

Soon after, Liu Yunyao summoned her winged Pegasus, its mighty gusts scattering the arrows mid-flight. Then she released smaller, venomous scorpions and crystalline fire serpents to launch deadly ambushes.

The Fire Crystal Serpent, though small in size, could spew massive flames from its mouth, sending the barbarian soldiers howling in agony. Meanwhile, the venomous scorpion darted swiftly, striking down archers one by one with its lethal stinger.

Some soldiers didn’t even realize they’d been stung at first—until searing pain erupted, their skin blackening from the wound before the venom spread relentlessly through their bodies.

The chaos of battle soon drew the attention of nearby Willowwood Dynasty soldiers. One captain, recognizing Liu Yunyao immediately, pulled out a communication talisman to report her presence to Liu Yunheng.

This squad belonged to Liu Yunheng’s forces, a unit frequently dispatched to capture magical beasts for profit. After his last successful hunt, Liu Yunheng had learned of this location.

"Are you certain it’s her?" Liu Yunheng pressed for confirmation.

"No mistake—it’s the princess herself! She’s riding a winged horned horse, accompanied by a black-and-white magical cat and a fire-breathing serpent. But she’s alone, no guards in sight." The captain failed to notice the scorpion and thus didn’t mention it.

At the mention of the black-and-white cat, Liu Yunheng knew without a doubt it was Liu Yunyao.

"Can you take her down?" he demanded. 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

"Given the princess’s strength... that might be beyond us," the captain admitted. Liu Yunyao had already reached the third tier of the Heavenly Realm—a level nearly unrivaled in the entire Willowwood Dynasty. Only high-tier tamed beasts or sheer numbers could overpower her now.

"Then stall her at all costs! Reinforcements are on the way!" Liu Yunheng barked before mobilizing his army toward the Beastwilds.

Knowing mere soldiers wouldn’t suffice, he also dispatched an accompanying formation master, tasking him with ensuring Liu Yunyao’s demise.