Chapter 2600: Chapter 2600
Ye Liuyun noticed that Zhou Ning wasn’t under the control of the alien race and even held a high position within the Zhou tribe, so he refrained from branding him with a slave mark.
Without hesitation, he stowed Zhou Yuan and Qianhai into his spatial realm before putting distance between himself and Zhou Ning. He then proceeded to explain the aliens’ sinister plot.
Zhou Ning was visibly stunned—he hadn’t expected Ye Liuyun to evade his attack so effortlessly. He had been utterly confident in his spatial abilities, certain that a single strike would have subdued Ye Liuyun instantly.
Yet, seeing how easily Ye Liuyun dodged, he didn’t press the attack further. Instead, he demanded the return of his people.
After hearing Ye Liuyun’s account, Zhou Ning began to suspect that perhaps Ye Liuyun wasn’t actually plotting the downfall of the Zhou tribe.
"Who are you? Why should I believe you?" Zhou Ning challenged.
Ye Liuyun didn’t reveal his identity, responding coolly, "Go back and investigate for yourself. Zhou Qiang and the current tribal elders have already been compromised by the aliens. With your abilities, uncovering the truth won’t be difficult."
Zhou Ning shook his head. He had no desire to use soul-searching techniques on his own kin—otherwise, he would have uncovered the aliens’ scheme long ago. Seeing that Ye Liuyun refused to disclose his identity, he saw no point in prolonging the standoff.
"Leave the people with me, and you can go," Zhou Ning declared.
Ye Liuyun didn’t mince words. "Not a chance. I won’t release them until the Zhou tribe purges the alien infiltrators. Otherwise, they’ll just fall under control again. Do you really want the aliens to keep manipulating your tribe?"
He added firmly, "Rest assured, they’re safe with me. If they die, it’ll be fighting the aliens—not some meaningless end."
Zhou Ning’s brow furrowed, and he tensed, ready to strike again.
"Zhou Ning, you’re no match for me," Ye Liuyun warned coldly. "The only reason I’m sparing you is because you have the power to cleanse your tribe of these traitors. But if you insist on throwing your life away, I’ll kill you first and deal with the Zhou tribe myself."
The threat sent a chill down Zhou Ning’s spine. He hadn’t even made a move before Ye Liuyun anticipated it. What unsettled him even more was that Ye Liuyun had called him by name—suggesting some deeper connection to the Zhou tribe.
As he hesitated, Ye Liuyun activated his temporal powers, vanishing into the distance. Donning an invisibility cloak, he stood perfectly still, watching.
By the time Zhou Ning realized what had happened, Ye Liuyun had already vanished without a trace.
With a resigned sigh, Zhou Ning could only turn back toward the tribe.
Ye Liuyun had let him go for a simple reason—it was far less troublesome to have Zhou Ning deal with the Zhou Tribe’s problems himself than to intervene directly.
After Zhou Ning left, Ye Liuyun didn’t return to the tribe either. Instead, he went straight back to find Luan Ping.
With Zhou Ning around, even if he went back, there was a chance he’d be discovered. It was better to let the rebels keep an eye on the tribe’s movements.
If Zhou Ning took action to set things right, then Ye Liuyun wouldn’t need to step in. But if Zhou Ning still refused to act, Ye Liuyun could always use his soul power to control him later.
When Ye Liuyun found Luan Ping, he noticed the young man had already reached a new level of cultivation—he was in the process of condensing his Yuan Core. The foundation of martial practitioners in the Immortal Realm was naturally stronger than those in the mortal world.
Ye Liuyun estimated that once Luan Ping successfully formed his Yuan Core, his progress would accelerate rapidly.
So, he drew the Demon-Slaying Blade and, channeling a trace of his blade intent, slashed at a towering tree.
"This strike carries my blade intent," he said. "You can come here often to meditate on it. Take your time—aim to nurture the seed of blade intent within you."
He knew Luan Ping was still far from grasping the essence of blade intent, so he didn’t push him. This was merely a reference point for the young man to work toward.
Seeing that Luan Ping had begun his training in earnest, Luan Feng’an no longer burdened him with menial chores, taking on the workload himself.
Before, he hadn’t wanted Luan Ping to cultivate because there were no proper techniques or resources—he knew the boy wouldn’t get far. But now, with Ye Liuyun’s support, he naturally hoped his grandson would grow stronger.
Still, Ye Liuyun worried that Luan Feng’an might struggle with the workload alone, which could hinder Luan Ping’s training. So, he asked Tong Xin for a puppet to assist the old man.
Tong Xin crafted one tailored to Luan Ping’s level—not only could it help Luan Feng’an with chores, but it could also serve as a sparring partner for Luan Ping.
Ye Liuyun had left ample resources for Luan Ping to utilize the puppets, instructing him to use them freely without worrying about conservation. The resources currently in Ye Liuyun’s hands were more than sufficient to support Luan Ping’s needs.
Meanwhile, after returning, Zhou Ning had come to a realization—if he didn’t intervene in the affairs of the Zhou Tribe, no one else could resolve the chaos.
First, he made a public appearance to seek out Zhou Qiang. During their meeting, he immediately took action, forcibly severing the soul contract between Zhou Qiang and the alien race. Then, one by one, he summoned the elders, erasing the contracts embedded in their consciousness.
The moment Zhou Qiang’s contract was nullified, the aliens had already detected the loss of control over him. They immediately ordered the other elders to flee.
But Zhou Ning’s strength was overwhelming. Even the few bold elders who attempted to escape were swiftly hunted down and brought back.
In this manner, Zhou Ning freed the most powerful elders of the Zhou Tribe from the aliens’ control and then tasked them with continuing the purge.
Naturally, neither Zhou Qiang nor the elders wished to remain enslaved by the aliens. Without hesitation, they took action, launching a thorough cleansing throughout the entire tribe.
They knew better than anyone who the alien sympathizers were, so they began their purge from the top down.
The aliens suffered a devastating blow. They had painstakingly maneuvered Zhou Qiang into power to control the tribe, only for Zhou Ning to single-handedly dismantle their scheme.
Zhou Qiang and the elders secretly rejoiced, even feeling gratitude toward Zhou Ning. Not only had they unified the two tribes, but they had also regained their freedom—a net gain by any measure.
Had the tribes been unified through conventional means, the death toll would likely have been far higher.
Zhou Qiang showed no mercy, swiftly rooting out every last spy the aliens had planted.
Unwilling to accept defeat, the aliens dispatched their own elite warriors to sabotage Zhou Qiang’s efforts. But this time, Zhou Ning struck with thunderous force, eliminating the alien operatives instead.
The aliens, unwilling to engage in open war with the Zhou Tribe at this stage—preferring to conserve their strength for Ye Liuyun—resorted to controlling two ordinary martial cultivators through soul contracts before withdrawing their attention from the Zhou Tribe.
They would simply wait for Ye Liuyun’s arrival, relying on those two puppets to alert them. When the time came, their attack would make it seem as though Ye Liuyun had brought the aliens upon the Zhou Tribe, discouraging any alliance between them.
After some time, Zhou Ning, seeing that everything was proceeding smoothly and that the aliens had ceased their interference, resumed his secluded cultivation, leaving Zhou Qiang to govern the tribe.
For the rebel forces, however, this was anything but good news. Their hopes of restoring the Jin Tribe now seemed more distant than ever. Retreating their stronghold far into the distance, they sent envoys to negotiate with the Zhou Tribe, vainly attempting to reinstate the Jin Tribe.
Ye Liuyun, upon receiving news from the rebels, deemed the situation stable enough. He had his avatar retrieve him so he could continue his mission of eradicating alien strongholds.
As for the negotiations between the rebels and the Zhou Tribe, he was certain Zhou Qiang would never agree—merely stringing them along. Once meat is in the mouth, no one willingly spits it back out.
