Chapter 2791: Chapter 2791
What would have taken martial experts like Pang Kuan two months to traverse, the Spirit Cat Battleship covered in a single day.
By evening, they had already caught sight of their own star system. Only then did Ye Liuyun stow away the battleship and proceed with them toward their headquarters planet.
The Qinglian Star System, as it turned out, was of indeterminate size. All Ye Liuyun could see now were twelve remaining planets, only three of which had relatively abundant source energy. The others were clearly depleted.
"Looks like your place really took a beating from the alien invaders. Even our Silver Fox Star System wasn’t hit this hard," Ye Liuyun remarked with a sigh.
"Yeah. The only reason we won that final battle was because countless martial predecessors fought tooth and nail for it," Pang Kuan replied, his voice heavy with emotion.
As they walked and talked, they escorted Ye Liuyun to their living quarters, settling him in before heading off to report to their leader.
After the war, the martial practitioners here hadn’t bothered rebuilding dynasties or empires—their numbers were too few. Instead, they’d formed a temporary tribal structure to keep things running.
Truth be told, they longed for better options and more resources. But given their current strength, their choices were limited: either pledge allegiance to another star system or rely on hunting alien invaders for supplies. How long they could hold out, none of them knew.
Pang Kuan and the others returned half a day later with news: their leader had agreed. All Ye Liuyun needed to do was demonstrate the strength of his forces within his spatial world, and they would follow him without hesitation.
Ye Liuyun found this reasonable. After all, these people had never witnessed his power firsthand. If a simple display could earn their trust, so be it.
But when he arrived with Pang Kuan and the others to meet their leader, his brow furrowed. What others couldn’t perceive was crystal clear to him—the leader’s soul had been overtaken by an alien entity.
*So the invaders weren’t completely defeated. They left a contingency, biding their time to reclaim this place.*
Silently, he sent a voice transmission to Pang Kuan: *"My golden pupils are unique—they don’t just see far, they pierce through souls. Your leader’s consciousness has been seized by an alien. And not just any alien—a Red Armor, with formidable soul power."*
Of course, "formidable" was relative. To Ye Liuyun, it was still nothing worth worrying about.
The leader remained oblivious to his exposure. He ordered Ye Liuyun to release the captive alien warriors as a demonstration for the crowd.
The gathering was packed with martial practitioners—over two hundred of them—all eagerly awaiting Ye Liuyun’s display of power. Scanning the crowd, Ye Liuyun detected three human martial practitioners whose souls bore the unmistakable form of the red-armored aliens. Worse still, all three were masters at the eighth level of Dominance.
Dealing with one would have been effortless, but facing three at once? That was a fight he couldn’t win. If he released the captive aliens now, these red-armored entities might strike together—and even Ye Liuyun would stand no chance.
Stalling for time, he made no immediate move.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Pang Kuan’s heart lurched as he urgently sought confirmation. He feared Ye Liuyun might be outmatched by the alien souls.
"Why would I lie to you?" Ye Liuyun shot back.
Now it was up to Liang Kuan: trust him, and the situation could be resolved smoothly. Not only would Ye Liuyun subdue these red-armored alien souls, but he’d make sure everyone witnessed it firsthand.
But if Liang Kuan refused to believe him? He’d still act—just differently.
After a moment’s thought, Liang Kuan reasoned that if Ye Liuyun had ulterior motives, he wouldn’t bother with such elaborate schemes. He could simply release the captives and attack outright.
"I trust you!" Pang Kuan declared without hesitation. "Hurry and help eliminate those alien souls!"
"Good. Just follow my lead later," Ye Liuyun agreed.
Turning to the leader and the assembled martial practitioners, he announced, "Patience, everyone. Since you all wish to verify my abilities, I’ll demonstrate—step by step."
With that, he summoned the Demon-Suppressing Stele.
As the stone monument materialized, Ye Liuyun explained, "This stele seeks out aliens on its own and suppresses them."
No sooner had he spoken than the stele expanded rapidly, bearing down on one of the red-armored alien souls.
A wave of panic swept through the crowd. To them, it seemed as though the Demon-Suppressing Stele was attacking the martial cultivator. Many were already preparing to strike at Ye Liuyun.
With calm precision, Ye Liuyun pointed out, "This man’s consciousness has been overtaken by an alien entity. The soul within his mind is no longer his own."
The leader, fully aware of the truth, deliberately turned the accusation against Ye Liuyun. "Mr. Ye, we asked you to present the alien you captured, not to attack us. If any of our martial cultivators are harmed by this stele of yours, don’t blame us for turning hostile." His voice was sharp with warning. "Remove the stele at once, or we will have no choice but to act!"
"Exactly! Take that stele away now!" Other martial cultivators chimed in, their faces twisted with anger as they glared at Ye Liuyun.
Unfazed, Ye Liuyun replied coolly, "The stele isn’t attacking him—it’s merely suppressing him. Can’t you see? If this man is innocent, let him release his soul for all to witness. The truth will be clear then."
His words struck a chord with some, who now cast doubtful glances at the martial cultivator trapped under the stele’s oppressive aura. Though the stele hovered above him without direct contact, its power enveloped him completely, leaving no room for escape.
"Outrageous! Do you think we’re fools?" The leader, sensing the impending exposure, moved to strike Ye Liuyun first.
But Liang Kuan stepped forward, his voice booming across the tense silence. "If this man hasn’t been possessed, we’ll all stand together against Ye Liuyun and fight to the death. But with the situation unclear, are you, as our leader, really going to stop us from verifying the truth?" His eyes narrowed. "Or do you have something to hide? Are you afraid to let him reveal his soul?"
Pang Qing and the others immediately rallied behind Liang Kuan, echoing his demand for proof.
"How dare you accuse me!" the leader snapped back, his face darkening. "It’s you who’s siding with an outsider against your own kin!"
"Whether we’re siding with an outsider will be clear once we verify!" Liang Kuan shot back, unwavering.
He then turned to the trapped martial cultivator, his voice laced with steel. "Release your soul for examination. If you refuse, I won’t wait for the stele to crush you—I’ll kill you myself!"
"Liang Kuan!" the leader barked. "Are you inciting rebellion? Or are you plotting with outsiders to seize power?"
"Leader," Liang Kuan countered, his tone cutting. "Why are you so afraid of a simple verification?"
He then addressed the gathered martial cultivators, his voice steady and resolute. "You all know me. You know I’ve never sought power or status. All I ask is for this man to prove his innocence. Tell me—is that so wrong?"
