Chapter 2599: Chapter 2599
"You think you can take on both of us alone? Looks like you’re here to surrender," Qianhai probed with a smirk.
Ye Liuyun chuckled in response. "Surrender? You’d have to actually beat me first!"
Zhou Yuan and Qianhai were both Sovereign Realm experts—virtually invincible when fighting side by side. That was why they remained cautious despite Ye Liuyun’s calm demeanor.
Caution aside, they had no intention of letting him go. The destruction he’d wrought upon their tribe couldn’t be ignored; they couldn’t afford to let him run wild any longer.
Exchanging a glance, the two launched a full-force assault right from the start, even tapping into the power of their spatial domains to end the battle swiftly.
But Ye Liuyun merely curled his lips and froze time, effortlessly evading their strike. Instead of counterattacking immediately, he chose to engage them head-on with his own strength.
Zhou Yuan and Qianhai were stunned when he dodged their combined attack. At first, they assumed his spatial abilities must be extraordinary to pull off such a feat.
Yet when Ye Liuyun retaliated, his strikes were only at the Sovereign Realm level. Since he didn’t harness any spatial domain power, they dismissed him as mediocre—his spatial world likely weak as well.
They easily blocked his blows and pressed forward again.
Ye Liuyun continued his strategy: whenever they tapped into their spatial domains, he manipulated time to evade, refusing to clash directly. But when they fought without spatial power, he engaged normally, even enduring hits with his formidable physique.
Zhou Yuan and Qianhai soon caught on. Their spatial energy wasn’t infinite, so they were more than happy to conserve it against such an opponent.
But the longer the fight dragged on, the more they realized how slippery Ye Liuyun was. His spatial prowess alone made him nearly untouchable.
Worse, he sometimes traded blows willingly. His body was unnaturally tough—he’d deliberately take a hit if it meant landing a solid strike on them in return.
Before long, Ye Liuyun remained unscathed, while Zhou Yuan and Qianhai bore fresh wounds.
Frustrated, the two exchanged silent messages, scrambling for a way to turn the tide.
"This guy’s physical defense is too strong. If we keep trading blows like this, we might end up worse for wear. And I’ve already burned through half my spiritual energy," Zhou Yuan said to Qianhai through gritted teeth.
"But every time we tap into the power of the spatial realm, he dodges! We can’t even land a hit!" Qianhai complained, frustration evident in his voice.
Zhou Yuan’s eyes gleamed with a cunning idea. "Here’s the plan—I’ll use the spatial realm’s power, but only for defense. I’ll let him hit me. The moment the rebound force knocks him back, you follow up with a finishing strike. That should be enough to end him."
"Deal!" Qianhai agreed without hesitation.
From then on, Zhou Yuan eased up on his defense and went all-out on the offensive.
Yet, Ye Liuyun’s golden pupils saw right through him—he could sense the massive buildup of spatial energy within Zhou Yuan’s body. Playing along, he pretended not to notice and struck Zhou Yuan square in the chest.
A sudden, violent surge of power erupted from Zhou Yuan’s body, sending Ye Liuyun flying backward.
Seizing the moment, Qianhai channeled every last drop of his spatial energy and lunged forward, aiming a devastating palm strike at Ye Liuyun.
"So this is your little trap? I expected something more sophisticated," Ye Liuyun mused with a faint smirk.
In an instant, he activated his temporal power once more. As time froze, he swiftly swapped places with Zhou Yuan, teleporting himself far out of harm’s way.
When time resumed, Qianhai barely had a heartbeat to realize his mistake—but it was too late to pull back.
A deafening **BOOM** echoed as the two collided, their spatial energies clashing violently.
Zhou Yuan, having just expended his energy on defense, was at his weakest—his old power spent, his new strength yet to recover. Qianhai’s strike shattered his bones, sending him hurtling through the air like a broken doll.
And right where he landed, Ye Liuyun was already waiting. With a swift motion, he seized Zhou Yuan, imprinting a slave seal on him. After erasing the foreign contract that had once controlled him, Ye Liuyun rifled through his memories—uncovering the entire conspiracy of the alien invaders.
As a high-ranking figure, Zhou Yuan knew everything—their schemes, their plans, and even the truth behind the annihilation of the Jin Clan.
Every arrangement here was a carefully laid trap specifically designed for him.
But that wasn’t what troubled Ye Liuyun the most. What truly unsettled him was the fact that the alien race had chosen this place to confront him in a decisive battle—meaning they now possessed the strength to challenge him.
With this revelation, Ye Liuyun had no more patience to spar with Qian Hai. As the man charged toward him, Ye Liuyun instantly locked the space around Qian Hai with his spatial power, then immediately launched a soul attack, seizing control of him as well.
A quick soul search confirmed that the information from both men was nearly identical.
Without delay, Ye Liuyun relayed the intel to the alliance and the local resistance forces, ensuring they were prepared.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yuan and Qian Hai stood to the side, their faces twisted in misery, awaiting Ye Liuyun’s orders. First enslaved by the aliens, forced to serve against their will, and now under Ye Liuyun’s control—even worse, they were being used against their own Zhou Tribe.
When dealing with the Jin Tribe, they hadn’t felt too guilty. But now, facing their own people, their hearts were heavy with conflict.
Through the slave marks, Ye Liuyun instantly sensed their turmoil. At least they weren’t beyond redemption, he thought.
Still, he spoke coldly, "From the moment the aliens took control of you, this outcome was inevitable. The Zhou Tribe is doomed. Did you really believe the aliens would spare your people in the end?"
"You should be grateful you crossed paths with me. At least I won’t let your tribe vanish completely. My fight is with the aliens—not you."
The two men exchanged glances, reluctantly acknowledging the truth in his words. Falling into human hands was still better than remaining under the aliens’ thumb.
Just as Ye Liuyun prepared to stow them away in his spatial world, an overwhelming aura suddenly erupted nearby.
Reacting instantly, he froze time with his temporal power. Only then did he see the intruder—a human martial cultivator.
The unkempt martial artist had a wild, bushy beard and eyes that bulged like brass bells. He was now less than three miles away from Ye Liuyun—close enough to reach him in the blink of an eye.
This warrior’s strength seemed to surpass even that of Hongguang, the elder of the alien race. His mastery over spatial energy was undoubtedly far superior, so much so that Ye Liuyun hadn’t even sensed his presence until now.
His soul power was formidable as well. Only when Ye Liuyun’s spiritual force surged into his consciousness and scoured his mind did he uncover the man’s identity—Zhou Ning, a hidden elder of the Zhou Clan, whose status within the tribe was so high that even the chieftain regarded him with caution.
Zhou Ning was aware that the alien race had been manipulating members of the tribe, but since he didn’t know their true motives, he had chosen not to interfere.
Besides, the aliens were helping the Zhou Clan eliminate the Jin Clan—a development he was more than happy to let unfold. But if he ever discovered their intent was to destroy the Zhou Clan, he wouldn’t hesitate to step in.
