“That’s actually a pretty good plan!” the second clone praised, sweeping up all the bandits’ resources, slaughtering the useless ones, and only then planting a slave seal on the array master before tossing him into the spatial world.

After bagging an array master, he remembered Qiong Qi; since he happened to be near the Myriad Transformation Sect, he reached out.

“You’re close to the Myriad Transformation Sect?” Qiong Qi’s voice carried a pleasant surprise.

“Yeah! About half a day away,” the second clone confirmed.

“You lucky dog!” Qiong Qi exclaimed, then briefed him: “I just got word—the sect received a plea from Sixth Prince Jiang Yunfei. Their army’s been blocked by a formation, and their field array masters aren’t up to the task. They need us to send a senior array master.

We’re dispatching Grand Array Master Wu Xiang, plus two inner-sect disciples and two outer-sect disciples. They’ll finish preparations tonight and set off at dawn. I hear they’ll pass Fengtang Planet to link up with a local garrison commander who knows the way.

You can head out first and intercept them. If you weren’t nearby, I couldn’t have warned you in time!”

Hearing such a windfall, the second clone immediately confirmed Fengtang Planet’s heading with Qiong Qi, released his flying shuttle, and raced off at top speed.

“A planet has so many cities and garrisons—how do we find the right commander?” the clone idly asked the newly captured bandits en route.

“How do we even find that array master?” countered their leader, Cui Daoman.

The clone shook his head; Qiong Qi hadn’t dug up those specifics—he’d have to improvise on arrival.

“My guess is the commander will come out to space to meet the array master,” Cui Daoman said. “Grand array masters are big shots; they won’t go looking for some garrison commander. We just wait in space!”

The clone studied Cui Daoman and had to admit it sounded plausible. These bandits, ruthless and cunning, had nimble minds—useful in their own way.

Just before Ye Liuyun’s shuttle reached Fengtang Planet, the clone’s golden pupils spotted a mid-sized warship already parked in orbit.

He halted his shuttle, stowed the bandits in the spatial world, and crept closer to scout. His golden vision pierced the hull: five thousand soldiers at the fourth or fifth tier of Unity, a squad of gold-armored praetorian, two commanders at the ninth-tier mid-stage, and the rest of the guards all eighth-tier Unity.

“The commander Wu Xiang is looking for isn’t the local garrison chief—it’s them!”

Realization struck: Wu Xiang would rendezvous here and ride the military ship to the battlefield. The soldiers aboard were reinforcements for the main army.

“A perfect chance to seize both troops and the array master!”

Unwilling to miss it, Ye Liuyun whipped out the black teleportation tower and joined his second clone—one man might not handle so many.

Yet they dared not strike early, fearing the praetorian might carry soul contracts. They had to wait for Wu Xiang. Estimating the rendezvous point, they concealed themselves nearby.

Half a day later, Ye Liuyun’s golden eyes caught the Myriad Transformation Sect’s shuttle streaking in—clearly a Void-grade vessel.

Fire-Seal Dynasty’s gear never failed to impress him. Even troop transports were True-grade nine; a famed array master using a Void-grade shuttle was no surprise.

The passenger count matched Qiong Qi’s intel: one elder-robed figure, two inner-sect disciples, two outer-sect disciples.

The shuttle slowed and edged toward the dynasty warship. The two royal-guard commanders disembarked with their squad to greet Wu Xiang.

Ye Liuyun and the clone immediately cast scarlet-pupil illusions to hide their presence from these powerhouses.

When Wu Xiang’s shuttle drew near, he and his disciples stowed it—apparently planning to ride the military vessel.

Ye Liuyun instantly deployed time power to plant a slave seal on Wu Xiang, confirming his identity through soul-search.

“This guy’s actually hiding a late-stage Unity Nine powerhouse in his spatial world!” Ye Liuyun noted the bonus catch.

Ever since Madam Yao Feng vanished, the Myriad Transformation Sect had quietly upgraded protection: every grand array master now traveled with a late-stage Unity Nine guardian.

Wu Xiang had figured meeting praetorian required no escort—otherwise that hidden powerhouse might have sensed Ye Liuyun first.

Next, Ye Liuyun began seizing control of the remaining Myriad Transformation Sect disciples. At the same time, his clone released its soul force and branded every imperial-guard commander and soldier with a slave seal.

Their soul power was nearly identical and came from the same source, so when one of them tapped the power of time, both could ride the wave. Only after every last person had been branded did Ye Liuyun use the Thousand Illusions Art to take on the appearance of a golden-armored commander, then lead that detachment of guards aboard the warship.

The commander immediately announced to all the soldiers, “The plan has changed. From now on you answer to Commander Li. Sign the oaths of loyalty—now.”

These soldiers were freshly conscripted and had no idea what was really going on; they simply obeyed and swore fealty to Ye Liuyun one after another.

After that, Ye Liuyun ordered everyone off the warship, had the commander stow the flying vessel, and swept the entire unit—commanders and soldiers alike—into his spatial world.

He then had Wu Xiang release the late Return-to-One Ninth-Heaven warrior; the clone struck with a soul attack and planted another slave seal.

Finally, he gathered all the array masters and the clone into his spatial world and used the black teleportation tower to return straight to his quarters at the Holy Flame Trading Company.

“Not bad at all—everyone’s bagged. This trip wasn’t wasted.”

Back home, Ye Liuyun was delighted; he hadn’t expected such a haul. By now the Myriad Transformation Sect and the praetorian had probably realized these people were compromised. The contracts in their seas of consciousness had already been erased the moment Ye Liuyun seized control.

He had everyone destroy every messaging talisman on them, then set about settling them in.

Wu Xiang and the four disciples were sent to the array masters to study formations. All the resources they carried—including that Void-grade flying vessel—were handed over to Ye Liuyun.

The slaves he’d bought earlier were given to his second clone, left for Yu Xiaofeng and the others to practice on; any they deemed suitable could stay on as their own.