Chapter 2788: Chapter 2788
"It makes no difference. Anyone who slays the alien invaders is a comrade-in-arms, regardless of their reasons!"
Ye Liuyun spoke with genuine humility, never once boasting about his own achievements.
As they chatted, Ye Liuyun distributed the roasted beast meat among the group. It was clear they hadn’t tasted such fare in a long time—their eyes gleamed with hunger as they eagerly accepted the portions. The moment they took their first bites, they couldn’t stop praising his cooking skills.
After the meal, the elder pulled out a Interspatial Ring and handed it to Ye Liuyun. "Young man, to be honest, the beasts in our region have been nearly wiped out by those alien fiends. We haven’t had meat in ages. If you have any to spare, would you be willing to sell us some?"
Ye Liuyun immediately pushed the ring back with a smile.
"No need for payment! Meeting like this is fate. Consider it my treat—eat as much as you want!"
Laughing, he brought out more beast meat and resumed roasting. However, worried that lingering too long might attract alien patrols, he released the group of winged aliens he had captured earlier, sending them to scout the perimeter.
"You’re something else!" Pang Qing blurted out, unable to contain his amazement. "You subdued so many aliens without a sound—and all of them stronger than you! How did you pull that off?"
"Qing’er, don’t pry!" Pang Kuan snapped before Ye Liuyun could respond, as if scolding a family member. "That’s his own technique—not something to be shared lightly!"
The others introduced themselves as well. The woman, Xiao Hong, had once been a fellow disciple with Pang Qing at the same academy. After her family was slaughtered in the alien invasion, she had taken refuge with the Pang family.
But the Pangs, too, had eventually fallen. Over time, the surviving martial cultivators had banded together.
Once the aliens were driven back, they had begun venturing toward enemy territory for revenge—and resources. Like Ye Liuyun, they possessed artifacts similar to Conversion Stones, capable of purifying the aliens’ energy cores.
This wasn’t their first expedition. Their group had once been larger, but repeated skirmishes had whittled their numbers down to seven.
According to them, the Qinglian Star System had many such squads, all hunting aliens in these lands.
Yet the intel they possessed was even scarcer than what Ye Liuyun had just extracted from his winged captives. Clearly, they relied on hit-and-run tactics, never daring to linger. Ye Liuyun understood their caution—with so few of them left, a single misstep could mean annihilation.
These individuals readily accepted Ye Liuyun, and from then on, they journeyed together. Surprisingly, Ye Liuyun chose not to ride his falcon this time but instead flew alongside them—keeping pace effortlessly, much to their astonishment.
Having routinely practiced spatial powers and raced against his falcon, Ye Liuyun had never considered his abilities extraordinary. Only when he saw their stunned reactions did he realize his spatial prowess far surpassed that of ordinary martial cultivators.
With his golden pupils, Ye Liuyun spotted the alien-occupied star system ahead long before the others. From a distance, each planet exuded a sinister black aura—likely the result of prolonged alien infestation.
The star system wasn’t densely populated with planets, now reduced to just over sixty. The outer ring was sparsely scattered, while the central region held about twenty planets clustered closely together. It seemed the aliens had already harvested many of the celestial bodies.
The alien forces here weren’t overwhelmingly numerous either—only about two million combat-ready warriors across the entire system. What made their presence seem vast were the countless alien offspring swarming the planets, particularly concentrated in those twenty central worlds. The outer planets also housed some, though in far fewer numbers.
However, the number of elite alien warriors was substantial, with forty to fifty stationed on each planet—likely reinforcements to protect their young. The void between planets teemed with alien patrols and small warships conducting relentless surveillance.
Given this density of patrols, infiltrating the core twenty planets would be nearly impossible. The outer planets, though also guarded, were far more accessible by comparison.
Noticing Ye Liuyun’s intense gaze ahead, Pang Kuan asked, "With those golden eyes of yours, can you actually see the alien star system from here?"
At this distance, the others could barely make out the faint outline of the star system with the naked eye.
"Yes," Ye Liuyun replied curtly, already scanning for a suitable planet to strike.
"What exactly do you see?" Xiao Hong pressed, curiosity piqued.
"I’m scouting for the best planet to attack while noting the patrol patterns around the outer ones," he answered.
"You can actually observe the alien defenses on each planet?" Pang Qing blurted out, incredulous.
"Correct—including their numbers and cultivation levels," Ye Liuyun confirmed.
At that moment, the winged alien scouts Ye Liuyun had sent out earlier returned, reporting the presence of an alien patrol ahead.
Ye Liuyun swiftly recalled the winged scouts and led the group to change direction, steering clear of the patrol from a safe distance.
Pang Qing couldn’t help but marvel, "With skills like yours, taking down these aliens in the future will be a breeze!"
While scanning their surroundings, Ye Liuyun replied, "We can certainly prepare in advance, but when it comes to battle, strength is what truly matters."
Seizing the opportunity, Pang Qing eagerly proposed, "Why not combine our strengths? You handle reconnaissance, and we’ll take care of the fighting!"
Ye Liuyun nodded. "Of course, I’d be happy to collaborate again if the chance arises."
What he left unsaid was his uncertainty—after this battle, these aliens might be wiped out, and whether Pang Kuan’s group would even choose to stay with him remained to be seen.
Pang Qing, however, pressed on enthusiastically, "You shouldn’t keep wandering alone. Stick with us! We share all resources equally—you won’t be shortchanged!"
Ye Liuyun hesitated awkwardly. "The thing is, I have quite a few aliens in my spatial world. If I join you, resources might run thin, and I’d end up burdening you instead."
"Oh... right," Pang Qing murmured, glancing uncertainly at Pang Kuan.
Pang Kuan, ever pragmatic, chimed in, "Then have your aliens fight alongside us. That way, we can secure even more resources!"
Ye Liuyun waved it off for now. "Let’s discuss this later. First, we need to finish this battle."
With that, he halted abruptly, signaling the group to stop.
"I need to set up some precautions to prevent the aliens from escaping," he explained before summoning his forces, wanting to spare them undue shock.
"Understood. We’ll wait," Pang Kuan replied, and the others followed suit, pausing in place.
What happened next left them utterly stunned.
Ye Liuyun first released Broken Horn, whose sudden appearance made them jump.
"Take all the Blue Armors, cloak yourselves, and hide near the altar. The moment the battle begins, destroy it!" Ye Liuyun commanded.
"Yes, sir!" Broken Horn acknowledged before vanishing back into the spatial world of Ye Liuyun’s avatar, gathering the Blue Armors and disappearing under the cover of an invisibility cloak.
