Chapter 2581: Chapter 2581
Although Meng Qingyin and her companions had the capability to sabotage some of the alien outposts, they restrained themselves, realizing that destroying one or two would be insignificant and might only alert the enemy. Their sole focus remained on finding Ye Liuyun.
As they pressed forward, they finally noticed changes in the alien strongholds. The number of powerful alien warriors had dwindled, and those remaining were devouring weaker ones in a desperate bid to rapidly enhance their strength. The alien soldiers scattered across the islands were sparse and dispersed, making them difficult to eliminate systematically.
Recognizing this as the aliens’ countermeasure against Ye Liuyun, they were overjoyed, believing they were finally closing in on him. Yet, it wasn’t until two months later that they actually encountered him—after a grueling seven-month journey through the stars.
What they stumbled upon, however, was the team led by the Demon Vine and Hongguang. At the time, the Demon Vine was engaged in combat in its true form, while Hongguang, an alien himself, along with Mulai and others—though invisible—were unleashing beams of white and black light, unmistakably alien in nature.
This left Meng Qingyin’s group momentarily uncertain whether these were Ye Liuyun’s allies. Yet, these very aliens were slaughtering their own kind. So they observed from a distance, waiting until the Demon Vine extracted the world’s core energy—a definitive sign that this was Ye Liuyun’s faction, as no one else would obliterate an alien outpost so thoroughly.
Still, facing these aliens and the Demon Vine, they hesitated, unsure how to approach without provoking an attack. It wasn’t until the Demon Vine reclaimed the core energy and reverted to human form that they cautiously stepped forward to greet them.
But without a word, the Demon Vine signaled Hongguang and the others to strike. Both the Demon Vine and the aliens were inherently bloodthirsty, instinctively viewing anyone outside Ye Liuyun’s inner circle as enemies.
After sensing no trace of Ye Liuyun’s slave mark in their minds, the Demon Vine acted without hesitation. Their attacks were brutal and lethal from the outset. As Lie Du attempted to speak, the Demon Vine’s vines lashed out, ensnaring him. Meanwhile, Hongguang and two golden-armored alien elders lunged at Meng Qingyin, while the invisible Mulai and his comrades fired white beams, cutting down her soldiers without mercy.
Lie Du barely had time to react before the demonic vines ensnared him.
"We’re here to discuss an alliance with Ye Liuyun!" he blurted out immediately.
Meng Qingyin, on the other hand, swiftly evaded the attack using spatial energy, gripping her spear tightly. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned an ice bear from her spatial realm, ready to counter. The bear, a savage beast at the Dominator level, was her trusted battle companion.
"Hmm?" The demonic vine paused upon hearing Lie Du’s shout, halting its absorption of his energy and signaling the other alien creatures to cease their assault.
"What did you just say?" the vine pressed, its voice laced with suspicion.
Its intelligence had grown considerably over time. Aware that Ye Liuyun was actively seeking allies, it decided to verify the claim. To the vine, Ye Liuyun’s affairs outweighed even its own survival.
"We’re from the Alliance World, fighting against the alien races in the southern battlefield. We came specifically to form an alliance with Ye Liuyun," Lie Du explained hastily.
Though the vine stopped attacking, it didn’t release Lie Du. Instead, it reached out to Ye Liuyun through their slave-mark connection, seeking instructions on how to proceed.
Upon receiving the message, Ye Liuyun immediately emerged from his clone’s spatial realm and raced toward them using spatial energy. He also ordered the vine to stand down until his arrival.
"The boss is on his way. He told us to stop attacking and wait for him," the vine relayed to Lie Du, cautiously loosening its grip—though its wariness was still evident.
Meanwhile, Meng Qingyin’s ten subordinates had already been slaughtered by the three-eyed alien creatures led by Mu Lai. These soldiers, mere Heaven’s Triad cultivators, stood no chance against the aliens’ deadly white beams.
Meng Qingyin was seething with rage over the deaths of these soldiers, determined to seek justice for them.
"Qingyin, keep your temper in check. We’ll settle this with Ye Liuyun when we see him. Don’t let a minor issue ruin the bigger picture!" Lie Du immediately intervened with authority, trying to prevent tensions from escalating with Ye Liuyun’s group.
"Our leader is on his way from an outpost of our kind and should arrive in about two or three days. You can discuss things with him then!" the demonic vine informed them, its piercing gaze fixed on Lie Du and Meng Qingyin, watching their every move with vigilance.
It was clear they weren’t about to let them leave—nor were they letting their guard down in case of retaliation.
Meng Qingyin suppressed her fury, biding her time to settle the score with Ye Liuyun. Naturally, her first impression of him was already soured.
After a day of being scrutinized by these creatures, her patience wore thin.
"Would you stop staring at us like we’re prisoners?" she snapped at the demonic vine.
"Not a chance. Our leader said not to let you leave, so I’m keeping an eye on you!" the vine retorted.
Lie Du, being a demon himself, quickly realized that the vine’s intelligence wasn’t on par with humans. Testing it with a few probing remarks confirmed his suspicion.
He immediately sent a mental message to Meng Qingyin, urging her not to take it personally.
"These are just a bunch of outsiders—a low-intellect Devil Beast. There’s no point reasoning with them. They only follow orders blindly, barely a step above mindless puppets. Arguing won’t get you anywhere."
"Hmph!" Meng Qingyin scoffed upon receiving his message. Though she understood, her anger still simmered. "Fine. I’ll settle this with Ye Liuyun when he gets here."
"If you dare lay a hand on our leader, we’ll kill you!" the vine declared bluntly.
It was merely stating a fact, but to Meng Qingyin, it sounded like a direct threat.
So the demon vine would have been better off keeping quiet. His words only served to provoke Meng Qingyin, making her all the more determined to act.
"You think I’m afraid of you?"
With a swift motion of her spear, Meng Qingyin lunged toward the demon vine. The creature froze in confusion, unsure whether to retaliate. After all, Ye Liuyun had explicitly ordered them not to strike first. But now she was attacking him—what was he supposed to do?
Lie Du immediately stepped in to stop her.
"Qingyin, why won’t you listen? What he said was just his own thought—not a threat!"
As a senior elder of the demon race, Lie Du knew all too well that many demons lacked higher intelligence. Misunderstandings like this often arose when they tried to communicate with humans.
The same went for savage beasts—they had similar issues.
The realization suddenly dawned on Meng Qingyin, and she hesitated, lowering her weapon.
"Stop!"
A sharp command rang out from the distance.
Ye Liuyun had spotted Meng Qingyin’s aggressive stance from afar and immediately sent a telepathic warning to halt her.
The outpost he and the demon vine were attacking happened to be close by. With his mastery of spatial power, he could cover the distance in just a few days at full speed.
After learning the situation from the demon vine, he worried they might mishandle it. So without delay, he and the Purple Kylin Snake set off, taking turns using time stasis.
Not only did this allow them to shorten their travel time significantly, but it also served as valuable practice for their spatial abilities.
