"Of course! Not just beasts, but people too! Anything or anyone under your command counts as part of your strength!" the Level Five Dominator mercenary confirmed enthusiastically.

With a roguish grin, he added, "We’re mercenaries, not some honorable knights. Winning is all that matters!"

Ye Liuyun nodded in agreement. Mercenaries lived by the blade—especially those who made their living through plunder. Survival demanded ruthlessness.

"Alright then. Bring it on!" Without another word, Ye Liuyun drew his Demon-Slaying Blade, ready for battle.

He chose not to summon his own demonic beasts, opting instead to face all three opponents alone.

The Level Five Dominator couldn’t help but admire Ye Liuyun’s audacity, silently resolving to recruit him regardless of the fight’s outcome.

Yet the moment Ye Liuyun struck, even he was taken aback. The sheer dominance of Ye Liuyun’s blade intent was palpable. These bandits, mostly blade-wielders themselves, were acutely sensitive to such energy.

The Level Three Dominator facing Ye Liuyun felt it even more intensely—so overwhelmed that he could barely lift his own weapon. He had to grip his blade with all his strength just to keep it from being wrenched away by Ye Liuyun’s force.

Around Ye Liuyun, over a hundred ethereal spirit blades materialized. This time, he poured his full power into his blade intent. Though fewer in number, these blades were incredibly dense. Gradually, they merged into a single, colossal war blade.

"Strike!"

With Ye Liuyun’s thunderous shout, the massive blade came crashing down toward the Level Three Dominator.

"Save me!"

The mercenary frantically commanded his Razorback Boar and Emerald Wasp to intervene. Under the crushing weight of Ye Liuyun’s blade intent, he couldn’t move—let alone fight back.

The Razorback Boar lunged in front of him, unleashing a surge of primal energy shaped like giant tusks to clash against Ye Liuyun’s strike. Simultaneously, the Emerald Wasp on its back fired a razor-thin beam of emerald light—tiny but unnervingly concentrated.

Two deafening explosions later, half of Ye Liuyun’s spirit blade dissipated—but the remaining tip still cleaved downward.

At that moment, the mercenary who controlled the fifth realm also made his move, throwing a punch. His true essence condensed into a massive iron fist midair, colliding with Ye Liuyun’s battle blade and shattering the attack.

Ye Liuyun had been ready to strike again, but upon seeing the interference, he immediately turned his gaze toward the man. "Are outside helpers allowed?" he demanded.

"Haha, you win! Within our mercenary group, internal fights don’t permit killing each other!" the mercenary explained with a grin. "I’m Ling Yuan. From now on, you’ll be following me!"

Ye Liuyun still felt the battle had ended too soon. "I’m Ye Liuyun," he replied. "So does this mean I’m officially part of the mercenary group now?"

"Ye Liuyun? Not a bad name! That’s right—you’re under my command from this moment on," Ling Yuan confirmed.

"If internal fights don’t allow killing," Ye Liuyun challenged, "then how about a friendly spar? If you want me as your subordinate, shouldn’t you prove your strength first?"

"Oh? Haha, kid, you’ve got the right attitude. Come on, let’s see what you’ve got!" Ling Yuan’s enthusiasm was unmistakable as he stepped forward without hesitation.

The third-realm mercenary who had just lost wiped cold sweat from his brow, still shaken by Ye Liuyun’s earlier strike. But he showed no embarrassment over his defeat, quickly retreating to join another mercenary at a safe distance to watch the spectacle.

Even the sixth-realm mercenary captain aboard the flying vessel grew intrigued. He disembarked with the rest of the crew and stowed the vessel away—likely to prevent damage from the impending clash. The ship itself looked battered and far from valuable, a clear sign of the group’s modest means.

After a sweeping glance at the onlookers, Ye Liuyun turned his full attention to Ling Yuan.

"You’re not using your beast companion? Just your own strength against me?" Ye Liuyun asked pointedly.

Ling Yuan laughed. "If you can beat me as I am, then I’ll consider calling for backup!" His tone carried an unmistakable underestimation of his opponent.

Ye Liuyun merely smiled in response, choosing silence over words.

Ling Yuan was originally a blade wielder himself. But knowing his sword intent couldn’t match Ye Liuyun’s—and that using a blade would only leave him at a disadvantage—he opted for hand-to-hand combat instead.

His cultivation at the fifth level of Dominance was far more consolidated than Moran’s previous realm. Having fought countless battles outside, his combat experience also far surpassed Moran’s.

Facing him, Ye Liuyun remained exceptionally cautious. Fortunately, his recent sparring sessions with Moran had sharpened his skills, and his overall strength had improved significantly. Now, he wasn’t entirely outmatched against Ling Yuan.

Still, he was largely on the defensive. Only by leveraging his spatial abilities and the threatening edge of his blade intent could he hold his ground against Ling Yuan.

As the battle raged on, Ling Yuan grew increasingly unsettled. Ye Liuyun was proving far more slippery than expected—his elusive movements made him nearly impossible to land a solid hit on, while his domineering and unpredictable blade techniques steadily drained Ling Yuan’s energy. To make matters worse, his bloodline was suppressed by Ye Liuyun, limiting his full strength. Every time he mustered ten parts of his power, only eight parts could be unleashed.

Ye Liuyun, meanwhile, relied on spatial evasion to dodge attacks, enduring the residual shockwaves with his hardened physique to conserve his profound energy. He bided his time, waiting for Ling Yuan to exhaust himself before finally unleashing his reserves.

Blade intent crisscrossed the void of space. With every slash, Ye Liuyun conjured over a hundred ethereal spirit blades, leaving Ling Yuan no room to evade entirely. He could only dodge the main strikes while using his energy to deflect the rest.

After a prolonged clash, Ling Yuan realized the danger as his energy reserves dwindled. He began burning what little he had left to fend off Ye Liuyun’s relentless blade intent, focusing his remaining strength on a decisive counterattack.

Seizing the moment, Ye Liuyun channeled all his profound energy and strength into the Demon-Slaying Blade, delivering a strike amplified to its peak with the Yuanling Secret Art. Over two hundred and fifty spectral blades materialized midair, swiftly converging into a single devastating slash aimed straight at Ling Yuan’s incoming fist imprint.

The collision of blade and fist erupted in a dazzling explosion of lightning and sparks—Ye Liuyun had infused his attack with both thunder and flame. His blade gradually cleaved into the iron-like fist imprint, though it ultimately failed to split it apart before dissipating into the void.

The shockwave of the clash surged toward both combatants, yet neither flinched—proof that Ling Yuan’s physical resilience was nothing to scoff at either.

"Impressive, kid!" Ling Yuan roared, genuinely taken aback by Ye Liuyun’s performance.

With only enough energy left for one last strike, he knew he couldn’t afford to trade blows recklessly.

So, he summoned a fifth-level Dominance Golden Lion to join the fray.

"Perfect timing!" Ye Liuyun showed no fear, raising his blade to meet the beast head-on.

"He still has energy left?!" Ling Yuan was stunned.

In truth, Ye Liuyun had replenished his profound energy using a Spirit Storage Stone. His previous attack had drained him completely—otherwise, he could never have achieved such a devastating effect.