Ye Liuyun left no trace of his movements, not even wielding his signature weapons.

Instead, he split up with his doppelgangers, carrying out assassinations with silent, gleaming daggers or launching direct attacks on his targets’ consciousness. Once, while eliminating a traitor, he even caught sight of Mosha but deliberately avoided making contact.

Though Mosha now served the Sacred Dynasty, he remained free from its control. He was well aware of the history between Xiao Mu’an and Ye Liuyun. Sensing Ye Liuyun’s presence, he kept quiet, understanding that his old comrade had reasons to stay hidden.

Still, knowing Ye Liuyun had returned gave him a quiet confidence.

Through extracting memories from several powerful martial artists, Ye Liuyun pieced together the enemy’s deployment and swiftly neutralized the threats. Any remaining stragglers posed little risk—Xiao Mu’an’s forces could handle them.

Soon, the alien invaders noticed their human puppets vanishing one by one. With no sign of Ye Liuyun yet, they pushed their armies forward.

Then, unexpectedly, they demanded negotiations with Xiao Mu’an.

Their terms were simple: hand over Ye Liuyun, and they would withdraw immediately.

Believing Ye Liuyun hadn’t yet returned to the Sacred Land, they hoped to pressure the dynasty into compliance. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

The demand sent shockwaves through the Sacred Dynasty.

Those with clear heads recognized it as a ploy to sow discord. They argued against trusting the aliens—instead of surrendering Ye Liuyun, the dynasty should ally with him once more to crush the invaders.

Among these voices was Liu Kui, Supreme Commander of the Sacred Army.

In truth, Liu Kui had long suggested that Xiao Mu’an seek Ye Liuyun’s aid, but Xiao Mu’an had consistently refused.

Now, upon hearing the terms proposed by the alien race, he immediately used the communication talisman Ye Liuyun had left him to reach out. He laid out the dire situation in detail, even disclosing the aliens’ demands, hoping Ye Liuyun would step in without delay.

Yet Ye Liuyun refused, citing Xiao Mu’an’s lack of request.

"Xiao Mu’an hasn’t asked for my help," Ye Liuyun countered. "If I interfere uninvited, how do you think he’d take it?"

Liu Kui understood this all too well and turned back to persuade Xiao Mu’an.

But the Holy Land Dynasty was already in grave peril. Many cities were barely holding their ground, overrun by undead fiends that had spread across nearly half the territory. Numerous settlements near the alien strongholds had already fallen.

For ordinary martial practitioners and common folk, the sooner the aliens retreated, the better. Thus, many city lords petitioned the Holy Land Dynasty to accept the aliens’ terms. To them, sacrificing Ye Liuyun in exchange for the realm’s safety seemed a small price to pay.

They had already forgotten who had once defended them against the alien invasion. Without Ye Liuyun, the Holy Land Dynasty might have perished long ago.

Upon receiving the news, Ye Liuyun immediately halted his efforts alongside Mo Tianheng and the others.

"These people in the Holy Land don’t deserve an ounce of pity!" Mo Shaowen grumbled to Ye Liuyun.

Over the past days, as they moved between besieged cities, the voices they heard were unanimous—martial practitioners clamoring to hand Ye Liuyun over.

Mo Tianheng, however, offered a different perspective. "It’s just the simplistic thinking of ordinary folk," he said. "People everywhere are the same—no clear sense of right or wrong, only concerned with their own survival."

Ye Liuyun nodded in agreement and said to them, "Ordinary people are just like that—short-sighted. I wouldn’t stoop to their level. But now, it all depends on how Xiao Mu’an chooses to act. If he sides with the alien races, then we’ll have to change our approach."

"The power of these aliens is anything but ordinary. Those sealed-off cities likely harbor many formidable warriors. Even with the barrier arrays in place, I can sense the oppressive aura of their strongest seeping through. This won’t be an easy fight."

"Once we engage those powerful beings, they won’t hold back to protect the Sacred Planet. So the stance of the Sacred Dynasty will determine how we confront the aliens."

Ye Liuyun’s message was clear—he would fight the aliens no matter what.

But if the Sacred King of the dynasty decided to sacrifice him, then he wouldn’t hesitate to annihilate the aliens without regard for collateral damage.

However, if the dynasty showed even a shred of humanity, he would take the consequences into account, though that might mean greater sacrifices on his part.

In other words, he was willing to give more—but only if it was worth it.

Mo Tianheng and the others agreed with Ye Liuyun’s reasoning. So now, they were all waiting for the Sacred Dynasty’s decision.

Xiao Mu’an, meanwhile, was deeply conflicted.

He was weighing whether Ye Liuyun’s arrival could help resolve the current crisis. If Ye Liuyun could defeat the aliens, then by all logic and principle, he wouldn’t hand him over.

But the undead scourge had spread so widely that his armies and many of his strongest warriors had already been decimated. The defenses were nearly nonexistent.

Whether Ye Liuyun alone could turn the tide—that was something he couldn’t be sure of.

As for the aliens, trusting them was another issue. He’d never dealt with them before. Whether they kept their word was anyone’s guess.

But judging by their ruthless invasions and plundering across the land, they were clearly not to be trusted.

He also had to consider the appeals from various regions and the opinions of key figures within the dynasty. Someone like Liu Kui, a prominent leader who staunchly supported Ye Liuyun—if he mishandled this, it would spell trouble down the line.

Therefore, Xiao Mu’an chose not to respond to the alien race immediately. Instead, he secretly mobilized numerous martial experts to the royal capital, preparing to gather their strength for a decisive confrontation.

Yet, to his surprise, the alien race grew impatient with his silence. Without waiting for a reply, they dispatched a squad of elite warriors to launch a direct assault on the capital.

The strike force was led by several golden-armored aliens, all wielding the power of spatial realms to bombard the city. Accompanying them were numerous three-eyed aliens, ruthlessly sweeping through the streets with beams of blinding white light.

Despite deploying the martial experts he had summoned, Xiao Mu’an’s forces were no match for the invaders. Countless warriors fell in battle, and the royal capital was reduced to ruins.

Strangely, the aliens did not attack the palace. After devastating the city, they withdrew as swiftly as they had arrived.

It was a clear message—a brutal demonstration of power meant to intimidate the Sacred Dynasty. The aliens were making it known: refusal to comply would result in annihilation.

"They’re too strong!"

"We stood no chance against those alien warriors!"

The surviving martial experts around Xiao Mu’an murmured in dismay, their voices trembling with shock.

Xiao Mu’an himself stared at the smoldering wreckage of the capital, a chill running down his spine.

"The elites they sent this time were on an entirely different level. There are barely any in the Sacred Dynasty who could rival them."

With that grim realization weighing on him, he turned and strode toward the depths of the palace, descending into a hidden underground chamber.