After all the plans were finalized, Liu Yunyao led her troops into battle with an imposing demeanor.

Before setting off, the border army commander repeatedly urged her to stay safe and avoid advancing too far on her own.

Liu Yunyao nodded along on the surface, but in truth, she paid no heed. With Ye Liuyun’s forces backing her, she had no need for the main border army’s support. Their role in this battle was simply to follow behind and occupy the conquered territories.

As soon as Liu Yunyao mobilized her troops, the barbarian tribes caught wind of it and prepared for battle, closely monitoring the movements of her army.

Her force of three hundred thousand soldiers initially advanced at a leisurely pace, almost as if on a sightseeing trip, their warships creeping slowly toward the barbarian frontlines.

Then, on the eve of Liu Yunyao’s arrival at the front, Ye Liuyun suddenly unleashed his demonic army, launching a surprise attack on the barbarians. He barely lifted a finger himself, focusing instead on assaulting the barbarians’ souls to strengthen his own spiritual power.

The beasts and women by his side also joined the fray, primarily to hone their own soul-cultivation abilities. Meanwhile, Liu Yunyao’s fleet abruptly accelerated and charged forward.

The barbarians’ million-strong camp was instantly thrown into chaos. They stood no chance against the demonic onslaught. Before Liu Yunyao could even arrive, their forces had already been scattered. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

Ye Liuyun had to dispatch falcon-winged warships from his demonic army to round up the fleeing barbarians—otherwise, by the time Liu Yunyao arrived, there’d be no battle left to fight.

At dawn, Liu Yunyao finally led her troops onto the scene. The battlefield had already been partially cleared by demonic soldiers, but the blood-soaked ground littered with weapons bore clear witness to the brutal clash.

Just then, Ye Liuyun’s demonic forces herded the barbarians back into position. Liu Yunyao’s three hundred thousand troops seized the opportunity for an effortless slaughter, their disciplined formations chasing the barbarians in a relentless massacre.

This time, it was Ye Liuyun’s turn to follow behind with his demonic army, scavenging the battlefield for corpses. They left the weapons scattered about, at least giving Liu Yunyao’s troops something to claim.

Knowing that Ye Liuyun had prepared these barbarian soldiers for her, Liu Yunyao charged ahead without hesitation, reveling in the carnage.

Her three hundred thousand soldiers, stunned by how smoothly the battle unfolded, abandoned their carefully laid plans. Instead, they split into three divisions and swept through the barbarian forces, their morale soaring with each victory.

In the end, the barbarians’ entire frontline collapsed. Their million-strong army was hunted down across the planet by Liu Yunyao’s relentless forces.

When the border army’s commander arrived with his troops, he was utterly stunned.

"Princess, did you annihilate the barbarians’ million-strong border defense force?" he asked Liu Yunyao in disbelief.

"Indeed, a million troops—though not many remain now. Since you’re here, I’ll lead my army forward!" After a brief handover with the commander, Liu Yunyao immediately pressed onward with her forces.

This time, Ye Liuyun didn’t intervene. The barbarian forces on the planets ahead were no match for them anyway. With Yu Xiaofeng and Qin Peng at the helm, Ye Liuyun had no need to step in.

He simply followed Liu Yunyao with his companions, occasionally joining the fray for practice.

Liu Yunyao’s army swept through like a storm, conquering four or five barbarian-held planets in rapid succession—so swiftly that even the reinforcements struggled to keep up.

When the news reached the royal capital, everyone was astounded. No one had expected Liu Yunyao to possess such military prowess. Even Liu Qianzhong was taken aback.

The barbarians and their forces had been locked in a stalemate along the border for years, yet Liu Yunyao had shattered their defenses in one fell swoop, wiping out a million enemy troops. This wasn’t just a military feat—it was an expansion of their territory!

While commending Liu Yunyao, Liu Qianzhong dispatched additional troops to the border. The captured planets needed garrisons; otherwise, the border army would be bogged down, slowing their advance.

According to the border commander’s report, Liu Yunyao was still pushing forward relentlessly, as if aiming to strike straight into the heart of barbarian territory. The border forces could no longer keep pace. Without reinforcements, their hard-won gains would be for nothing.

The barbarians, meanwhile, were reeling from the blow. Their border defenses had collapsed overnight, their million-strong army decimated. Several neighboring planets had fallen in quick succession. Now, the entire barbarian realm was scrambling to mobilize forces—but assembling another million-strong army was no easy task.

The barbarian chieftain, Wei Zhen, had summoned his elders to discuss how to repel the invasion.

One elder spoke up, "Reports from the front indicate that the border garrisons were wiped out by demonic forces. Liu Yunyao merely mopped up the remnants. The subsequent battles were all fought by her alone.

Perhaps they merely enlisted the demons’ aid for a single battle. Otherwise, why haven’t the demons reappeared since? Once we muster our forces, we should launch a direct counterattack."

"And what if the demons return?" another countered. "If they could call upon them once, they might do so again. If we recklessly send our army into battle and suffer another devastating loss, where will we find the troops to resist the Willow Forest Dynasty?"

"I believe we should establish a new defensive line, focusing primarily on holding our ground," one elder argued.

"But what if the demonic clans still support them? Can our defenses truly hold?" another countered.

"My suggestion is that our top priority should be mass conscription. A million troops are far from enough! We must mobilize all martial cultivators—this must become a war of the entire people!"

The council of elders buzzed with heated debates, yet no consensus could be reached.

Finally, Wei Zhen made a decision to prepare on multiple fronts. On one hand, they would dispatch 300,000 troops immediately to test whether the demonic clans would intervene again. This number was manageable and could be deployed without delay.

Simultaneously, they would continue conscripting soldiers to build a second defensive line. If the demonic clans still sided with Liu Yunyao, then every last martial cultivator of the barbarian tribes would be sent to the battlefield.

Once the resolution was settled, Wei Zhen turned to an elder overseeing the southern region: "What’s the latest on that demonic cultivator who appeared in your territory?"

The elder shook his head helplessly. "His power is overwhelming. We’ve thrown armies and martial cultivators at him, only for them to become fuel for his cultivation. He’s already annihilated an entire planet. And though he’s moving slowly, his path leads straight toward us—all while he remains fixated on his dark practices."

Wei Zhen, however, saw an opportunity. "Send envoys to negotiate with him. Offer him terms to turn his wrath against the Liu Lin Dynasty. Let’s see what he demands."

"Use that demonic cultivator? But he’s a monster!" The elder was visibly shaken by the proposal.

"And what of it? Aren’t the demonic clans allied with Liu Lin just as monstrous?" Wei Zhen retorted.

After a moment’s reflection, the elder conceded. Perhaps only evil could counter evil—this might be their only chance to turn the tide.

"Very well. I’ll dispatch messengers at once!" With that, the elder hurried off to arrange the perilous overture.

The so-called "demonic cultivator" they spoke of was none other than Mo Tianheng.