Protecting the entire galaxy wasn’t solely Ye Liuyun’s responsibility—it required everyone’s collective effort to safeguard the Silver Fox Galaxy more effectively.

"I wonder what the Silver Fox Galaxy looks like now?"

His clone gazed into the distance, but only a few larger islands nearby were visible. Beyond that stretched an endless void of darkness, with countless planets already vanished. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"I wonder if the Silver Fox Galaxy still appears the same from afar!"

Right now, all he hoped for was that after Ye Liuyun refined Leyton’s third eye, his vision would extend even further.

The battle against the alien stronghold raged on for over three months before finally coming to an end. The sheer size of the planet meant the scattered alien forces forced the Alliance army to spend considerable time hunting them down.

During this period, Ye Liuyun and his clone had taken turns standing guard multiple times, each retreating into the clone’s spatial realm to cultivate.

With the Demon-Sealing Stele and the Demon Vine setting the benchmark, they had a clearer idea of how much energy they needed to break through to the second level of the Dominator realm. This gave their training a sharper focus.

After refining Leyton’s third eye, Ye Liuyun’s vision indeed doubled in range, and his ability to see through objects grew even stronger.

Yet, in the vastness of space, it still fell far short. Even if he could see a destination that would take a month to reach, within the scale of the entire galaxy, it was merely the equivalent of spotting another planet.

Still, with his enhanced vision, his spatial power saw a corresponding boost. The distance he could teleport now doubled compared to before.

Ye Liuyun and his clone took turns practicing in the void of space, finding the experience quite satisfying.

Soon after, the Demon-Sealing Stele and the Demon Vine returned one after the other. Having slain numerous powerful alien warriors, they had lost interest in the weaker remnants.

The moment the Demon Vine reappeared, Ye Liuyun tempted it with the corpses of several elite alien fighters, provoking a sparring match.

With the Demon Vine’s heightened strength, Ye Liuyun found himself on the receiving end of a beating once again. Fortunately, his robust physique held up, and a single drop of Life Spring water was enough to restore him completely.

The Demon Vine’s power had indeed undergone a qualitative leap. After all, this breakthrough had absorbed the energy of millions of alien races—if it still couldn’t surpass Ye Liuyun, then this realm would have been utterly worthless.

However, the Demon Vine’s spatial abilities remained only marginally stronger than Ye Liuyun’s, as this was its inherent weakness. Even when Ye Liuyun pushed it to its limits, the Demon Vine’s innate nature restricted its mastery over spatial forces.

In contrast, the Demon Vine’s physical body was undeniably far more formidable than Ye Liuyun’s. Even if Ye Liuyun struck it with all his might, the Demon Vine wouldn’t budge. After their sparring session, Ye Liuyun gathered more body-refining materials and, alongside his doppelganger, began tempering his physique to forge an even sturdier form.

Soon after, the Demon Legion, the Vanguard Corps, the Armored Soldiers, and the Death Brigade all returned one after another. Ye Liuyun stored them all within his spatial world before turning his attention to studying this world’s source energy.

It didn’t take long for him to locate it, but the source energy here had been severely corrupted. After some deliberation, Ye Liuyun decided to leave it all for the Demon-Sealing Stele and the Demon Vine. Since they wouldn’t encounter any alien races for a while, they’d soon face another resource drought—this would serve as an early replenishment.

Thus, the Demon-Sealing Stele and the Demon Vine were unleashed once more, voraciously devouring the world’s tainted source energy.

Meanwhile, the Allied Forces had regrouped and were preparing for withdrawal. Their numbers had dwindled to less than three million.

Upon their return, the forces began reorganizing, preparing to return to their respective homeworlds. Staying wasn’t an option—the Alliance simply couldn’t sustain such a massive army.

Seizing the opportunity, Ye Liuyun summoned all the Alliance’s elders, the sacred kings of various dynasties, commanders, and elite warriors, along with the leaders of his own forces, for a meeting.

The Alliance elders assumed Ye Liuyun intended to discuss the position of Alliance Leader and immediately proposed that he take the role. But Ye Liuyun declined outright.

Instead, he solemnly laid out the broader state of the cosmos and the threat posed by the alien races.

Then he declared, "I will not become the Alliance Leader. In fact, I won’t even be returning with you this time. Instead, I’ll continue exploring the entirety of the Silver Fox Galaxy, so that one day, everyone may understand the true scope of our home. I’ll also purge any lingering alien remnants to prevent their resurgence."

"After you return, elect your own leader. As for me, I have no plans to remain in the Silver Fox Galaxy. I intend to venture beyond, to see the wider universe."

"Truthfully, just as the aliens said, the Alliance’s resources can no longer meet my needs. If I stay, my progress will stagnate. Only by stepping beyond these borders can I continue to grow. Should the Silver Fox Galaxy ever face invasion again, I’ll be strong enough to aid you once more."

The expressions on everyone’s faces ranged from shock to concern to dismay. Some immediately proposed keeping the alliance forces intact rather than disbanding them. If resources ran short in the future, this army could venture into the cosmos in search of more.

Ye Liuyun didn’t participate in their deliberations. The final decision rested with the alliance—he had merely delivered the news.

Some alliance elders worried that releasing this information might incite panic among martial cultivators.

Ye Liuyun, however, countered, "Better to brace them early than let chaos erupt later. They’ve already fought extraterrestrials—I doubt this news will paralyze every warrior. What matters is that those with true ambition break through. Not everyone needs to become that strong. Everyone deserves equal opportunity to understand the situation beyond our borders and the crisis facing the Silver Fox Galaxy."

"Exactly," Elder Lie Du chimed in. "Besides, news like this will leak sooner or later. With so many of us involved, secrecy is impossible."

Many commanders were visibly disheartened. They had assumed this battle would mark their return to rest, training, or claiming honors and luxuries. None had anticipated the war was far from over—let alone the prospect of waging it across galaxies, something they’d never even considered.

Meng Qingyin, however, felt a quiet relief. She’d been dreading the post-war dilemma of facing her family’s marriage pressures. Now, she had an excuse to remain with the army.

Yet she yearned for more—to follow Ye Liuyun across the stars. But without a valid reason, she agonized over how to broach the subject. If she didn’t act soon, his departure might sever their connection forever. The vastness of the galaxy meant even a single journey could span years. Without him, she’d never venture beyond familiar skies.

But accompanying him carried its own peril—the risk of her growing feelings spiraling beyond control. The conflict left her utterly torn.