Chapter 2792: Chapter 2792
Pang Kuan continued, his voice firm and resolute, "Whether it’s an alien soul or not, one test will reveal the truth. Then we’ll all know who’s right and who’s wrong. If Mr. Ye is bullying us, I’ll be the first to strike him down!"
"But if that warrior’s soul is indeed alien, he’d never dare to release it! And anyone who stops him from doing so is likely his accomplice—another whose soul has been taken over by the invaders!"
His words resonated with the other warriors.
One of them shouted in agreement, "Pang Kuan is right! If you’ve got nothing to hide, you’ve got nothing to fear! Once we verify, we can deal with Ye Liuyun later!"
"Agreed! Release your soul now and let’s see the truth for ourselves!" The others quickly joined in, their voices rising in unison.
At this point, the leader knew he couldn’t defy the crowd any longer. There was no stopping them now.
So, in secret, he sent a mental message to another alien soul, ordering it to launch a covert attack on Ye Liuyun’s consciousness.
With everyone’s attention fixed on the leader, Pang Kuan, and the warrior pinned beneath the Demon-Suppressing Stele, this was the perfect moment to strike unnoticed.
If they could seize control of Ye Liuyun, they’d also gain command of the stele and the countless alien souls trapped within his spatial realm. Once unleashed, their long-planned invasion of humanity could finally begin.
The alien soul immediately lunged toward Ye Liuyun’s sea of consciousness—only to be intercepted mid-flight by the soul of Ye Liuyun’s doppelgänger.
"Look, everyone! Another alien soul, trying to ambush me!" Ye Liuyun called out sharply. At the same time, his doppelgänger’s soul dragged the intruder straight beneath the Demon-Suppressing Stele.
With a surge of power, the stele absorbed the alien soul instantly. Yet Ye Liuyun’s own soul remained untouched beneath it.
This time, the crowd saw everything clearly. Their belief in the stele’s power—that it only targeted alien souls—grew stronger.
Then, Ye Liuyun’s soul returned to his concealed doppelgänger, which he swiftly withdrew into his spatial realm. The onlookers stood frozen in shock, only now noticing the other fallen warrior.
"So there really *are* alien souls among us!" The warriors murmured in alarm, their focus now locked onto the trapped invader beneath the stele.
"I suggest you all take a closer look at your leader!" Ye Liuyun’s calm remark instantly drew everyone’s attention toward their chieftain.
"What nonsense is this? Don’t try to sow discord among us!" The chieftain replied cautiously, his eyes darting nervously.
"Why not release your divine soul to prove your innocence? That should clear all doubts," Ye Liuyun continued nonchalantly, his tone deceptively mild.
"He’s right! Chief, prove it to everyone!" Pang Kuan chimed in, pressing the leader further.
"Pang Kuan! You’d take an outsider’s word over mine?" The chieftain stalled desperately, already calculating his escape. Having witnessed Ye Liuyun’s twin divine souls earlier, he knew he stood no chance—neither in combat nor in fleeing unscathed.
"This isn’t about outsiders. We care about the truth! If our chief truly has our safety at heart, what harm is there in showing us your divine soul?" Pang Kuan pressed on, unwavering.
"Outrageous! If you’re going to corner me like this, you might as well take my place as chief! I’ll leave—happy now?" Feigning fury, the chieftain made a show of storming off, sleeves flaring dramatically.
But Ye Liuyun was quicker. With a flick of his wrist, demonic vines and the Vermilion Bird materialized, blocking the escape. "Not so fast," Ye Liuyun drawled, leaning back with infuriating calm. "No one leaves until we see that divine soul."
The vines coiled around the chieftain’s legs and waist, rooting him to the spot, while the Vermilion Bird’s piercing gaze locked onto him—its divine soul, even more formidable than Ye Liuyun’s, made any attempt at spiritual escape futile.
Then came the roar—a guttural, otherworldly shriek. The alien divine soul trapped beneath the Demon-Suppressing Stele had finally succumbed. It had resisted the stele’s pull valiantly, but this time, the artifact focused solely on devouring souls, its hunger unmatched. What began as a stalemate now ended decisively as the stele wrenched the alien consciousness into its depths.
Moreover, there was still some distance between the Demon-Sealing Stele and the devil creature. So when the alien’s soul was forcibly yanked out of its consciousness, it let out a deafening roar. Everyone could clearly see that the stele hadn’t made any mistake—the soul it absorbed was unmistakably that of the alien.
No sooner had the Demon-Sealing Stele devoured the alien’s soul than it immediately descended upon the leader’s head. Even before the stele reached him, the leader could already feel its terrifying suction force.
"Damn it!"
Realizing he could no longer hide, the leader’s soul burst forth from his consciousness in a desperate attempt to flee. But the Vermilion Bird’s soul was quicker—it seized both of his souls mid-air, clutching one in each talon as if displaying trophies, before mercilessly devouring them whole.
The entire scene unfolded before the crowd’s eyes, leaving them in stunned silence. Some gasped in awe at the sheer power of the Vermilion Bird’s soul.
Pang Kuan, representing the group, promptly stepped forward to thank Ye Liuyun. "Mr. Ye, could you please examine all of us to ensure no other aliens remain hidden among us?" His voice carried genuine concern, fearing more infiltrators might lurk within their ranks.
Ye Liuyun recalled the Demon-Sealing Stele, the Demon Vine, and the Vermilion Bird before addressing the crowd calmly. "There were only these three. You can all rest easy now."
As he spoke, he revealed the captured aliens he had been concealing. "I didn’t show them earlier because these three alien souls were working together, making it difficult for me to guard against them. It wasn’t intentional delay," he explained, his tone firm yet sincere.
The sight of the powerful beings within Ye Liuyun’s spatial realm convinced half the crowd instantly. And when he subsequently unleashed an army of two million soldiers, any remaining doubts vanished entirely.
Now leaderless, the group needed to elect a new chief to guide them in joining Ye Liuyun’s forces. Ye Liuyun, however, had no interest in meddling in their affairs. After exchanging a brief farewell with Pang Kuan, he retreated to resume his cultivation.
Yet when Pang Kuan returned later, he brought unexpected news: the group had unanimously chosen Ye Liuyun as their new leader.
He immediately took these martial cultivators to gather people from planet to planet, collecting the source energy of each world before regrouping with Ye Liuyun here.
Ye Liuyun thought things were progressing smoothly and let him handle the arrangements. Meanwhile, he continued his cultivation in peace, waiting patiently.
He also released the Demon-Sealing Stele to patrol the planet, checking for any remaining hidden alien beings. Surprisingly, it did find one—though the numbers were negligible.
Pang Kuan wasted no time and set off with the martial cultivators, traveling from planet to planet to persuade the locals. Having witnessed Ye Liuyun’s power firsthand, their presence lent credibility to the cause.
Moreover, they were the strongest and most influential martial cultivators left in this star system. With their rallying call, people responded overwhelmingly.
The other cultivators were deeply grateful that someone had finally found them a way out. Fighting aliens while gaining resources? They had no reason to refuse. It was far better than wasting away here with nothing.
