Ye Liuyun had already warned Liu Yunyao about Lin Yuan’an’s potential treason.

To prevent Lin Yuan’an from resorting to desperate measures and directly attacking Liu Yunyao, Ye Liuyun had stealthily infiltrated Lin Yuan’an’s camp, keeping a close watch on his movements. The moment Lin Yuan’an dispatched his men, Ye Liuyun immediately alerted Liu Yunyao.

Lin Yuan’an didn’t just send assassins after Liu Yunyao—he also secretly reached out to the barbarian tribes, negotiating terms for his surrender.

Ye Liuyun meticulously noted every operative Lin Yuan’an sent out but refrained from acting immediately.

At this point, it was clear that Lin Yuan’an’s clansmen were fully aware of his intentions and were actively aiding him. This was especially true for the commanders and deputy commanders of his 300,000-strong army—almost all of them were his trusted confidants.

Lin Yuan’an was cautious. Every operative he dispatched was bound by a soul contract. If anyone tampered with their souls, he would know instantly.

Day after day, Lin Yuan’an waited for news, only to be met with disappointment. Liu Yunyao was drawing closer, yet every group of assassins he sent out vanished without a trace.

The moment his men appeared near Liu Yunyao’s warship, the Vespera intervened, cutting them down before they could even get close.

With no other options, Lin Yuan’an pinned his hopes on the barbarians. He struck a deal—he would defect with his 300,000 troops, incite a mutiny, and assist the barbarians in attacking the border forces. In return, they would grant him an entire world to rule as its sovereign.

Before Liu Yunyao arrived, Lin Yuan’an sent his son and two grandsons ahead to the barbarians as a gesture of goodwill—both to secure their trust and to ensure the safety of his most important family members.

These three, his most cherished kin, had always remained by his side, holding key military positions. Protecting them had been effortless.

Only then did Ye Liuyun finally make his move. He intercepted them en route, branding Lin Yuan’an’s son and grandsons with slave seals. But he didn’t stop there—he also captured every envoy Lin Yuan’an had sent to the barbarians, along with the barbarian emissaries who had come to negotiate the surrender. With this, he had gathered irrefutable proof of Lin Yuan’an’s treachery.

Realizing something had gone wrong, Lin Yuan’an decided to act immediately, rallying his troops to defect to the barbarians ahead of schedule.

But Ye Liuyun struck again, seizing control of his commanders one by one. The 300,000-strong army quickly dispersed under their orders, leaving Lin Yuan’an with only his personal guard—a mere three thousand men.

Meanwhile, the border army commander had already received Liu Yunyao’s orders to intercept Lin Yuan’an.

Upon seeing that Lin Yuan’an’s entire army of three hundred thousand had turned against him, the border commander wasted no time in dispatching troops to intercept and surround Lin Yuan’an, ensuring no one could escape.

"Alas!" Lin Yuan’an let out a long sigh, resigned to his fate as he awaited Liu Yunyao’s arrival.

When Liu Yunyao arrived, Ye Liuyun presented all the evidence he had gathered, allowing her to publicly try Lin Yuan’an. The border commander and all other high-ranking officers participated in the trial, confirming beyond doubt that Lin Yuan’an had indeed plotted treason.

Liu Yunyao swiftly arrested Lin Yuan’an, along with his sons, grandsons, and the officers involved in the rebellion, then sought Liu Qianzhong’s instructions on how to proceed.

Of course, this was merely a formality. Liu Yunyao had no intention of sparing any of them, and since treason was an unforgivable crime, Liu Qianzhong had no pretext to shield them.

To his surprise, Liu Yunyao had not only subdued Lin Yuan’an with such ease but had also uncovered irrefutable proof of his betrayal. This only deepened Liu Qianzhong’s admiration for her, and he threw his full support behind her decision.

Soon after, Liu Qianzhong issued an official decree: "Lin Yuan’an and his entire clan are guilty of treason. By law, they shall be exterminated—executed on the border by Liu Yunyao."

Lin Yuan’an had no defense against this verdict. The evidence was undeniable. What baffled him was how Liu Yunyao had outmaneuvered him so thoroughly, dismantling every scheme he had laid.

Only now did he grasp the terrifying depth of Liu Yunyao’s cunning—so well-hidden, yet so lethal. His downfall was inevitable.

Without hesitation, Liu Yunyao carried out the royal decree, executing every last member of the Lin clan. However, she took her time, methodically absorbing their soul energy to strengthen herself, ensuring no resource went to waste.

The corpses were left for demonic beasts and fiends to devour, while all valuable assets fell into Liu Yunyao’s hands—not a single scrap was squandered.

With Lin Yuan’an dealt with, Liu Yunyao smoothly assumed command of the military, appointing new officers, reorganizing the troops, and distributing resources.

Ye Liuyun, experienced in such matters, discreetly assisted her in these tasks. He even summoned Qin Peng from the spatial realm to help train the soldiers, sparing Liu Yunyao the trouble. She could focus entirely on consolidating and enhancing her soul power within her avatar’s dimension.

Qin Peng, never one to sit idle, sprang into action at the mention of military drills and warfare. He threw himself into training the three hundred thousand troops with fervor.

For now, Liu Yunyao had no plans to return to the royal capital. Since she was already here, she might as well lead the army into battle against the barbarians. Though she had triumphed over the Fourth and Sixth Princes, she still lacked any recorded military achievements—a gap she intended to fill.

Ye Liuyun was more than willing to cooperate with her. After all, the countless demons and magical beasts within his spatial world were all in dire need of food and cultivation resources. Seizing this opportunity to stock up was only logical.

Moreover, the barbarian tribes had long been eyeing the Willow Forest Dynasty with ill intent. If they weren’t thoroughly subdued now, these troubles would inevitably fall upon Liu Yunyao’s shoulders in the future. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

After Liu Yunyao took command of the military forces, she was officially appointed by Liu Qianzhong as the deputy commander of the border army. Following her wishes, she was placed at the vanguard, tasked with leading the charge against the foreign tribes, while the main border army commander followed behind to support her.

This was essentially handing her military merits on a silver platter. As long as she didn’t act recklessly, she was guaranteed to earn accolades and return victorious.

But Ye Liuyun had no intention of settling for such meager achievements. He sent his clone ahead with Lei Ming to scout the barbarian tribes. Both possessed golden pupils, granting them exceptional long-range vision—perfect for reconnaissance. The gathered intelligence was then relayed to Qin Peng, who worked with the army’s high-ranking officers to devise battle strategies.

Of course, with only three hundred thousand troops at their disposal, the bulk of the combat responsibilities fell to the demon legions. Yu Xiaofeng and the Tigerhead Beast King also contributed to the planning.

It wasn’t until Qin Peng had fully trained the newly reorganized army that Liu Yunyao finally emerged from the clone’s spatial world.

Ye Liuyun gave her a brief overview of their battle plan.

"What about me? What’s my role? Do I get to fight?" Liu Yunyao asked, feeling somewhat sidelined now that everything had been arranged without her input.

"Of course. If you want to test your skills, that’s fine too."

Without hesitation, Ye Liuyun summoned the Nine-Headed Demon Dragon and assigned the three Xuanwu beasts—Phantom Hand, Xenocide, and Vespera—to protect her. This way, once the battle commenced, she could engage freely without fear of being targeted by the barbarians. And if anything went awry, Ye Liuyun would be watching over her.