Though Kuishan had rejected Ye Liuyun’s surrender terms, the news somehow leaked out—a deliberate ploy by Ye Liuyun to sow discord. Faced with such a tempting offer, Kuishan might have remained unmoved, but the various dynasties would undoubtedly grow suspicious of him.

Sure enough, as soon as the rumor spread, the dynasties immediately dispatched four deputy commanders to Kuishan’s side, stripping him of his military authority. They also sent four Martial Warriors at the fourth level of the Dominator Realm, ostensibly to assist him but in reality to keep him under surveillance.

These four warriors were among the few remaining powerhouses in the allied dynasties, a clear sign of how seriously they regarded Kuishan.

Ye Liuyun, meanwhile, wasted no time. After spreading the rumor, he set out with the Xenocide Demon Lion to find Kuishan again, seizing the opportunity to stoke the flames further.

Cloaked in his invisibility mantle, Ye Liuyun first scouted Kuishan’s situation. Upon confirming that he was under close watch, he unleashed the Xenocide Demon Lion once more, instructing it to tap into the power of the spatial realm and steal resources from Kuishan’s Interspatial Ring.

He gave the beast explicit orders: *Only take from Kuishan—leave the others untouched. And return immediately after the deed is done.*

Following Ye Liuyun’s directions, the Xenocide Demon Lion harnessed the spatial realm’s power, slipping past Kuishan’s notice just as before. The theft was effortless, though this time, Kuishan’s ring held only half the alliance’s supplies—the rest had been distributed among the deputy commanders.

*"Thief!"*

Kuishan bellowed the moment he noticed the theft, his voice ringing through the command tent. Fearful of being misunderstood, he sounded the alarm at once.

The four Martial Warriors monitoring him immediately swept the area with their divine senses.

At that very moment, Ye Liuyun shed his invisibility cloak, emerging as if he had just stepped out of Kuishan’s tent. Then, wielding the power of time, he vanished from the scene.

To the four warriors, it appeared as though Ye Liuyun had exited Kuishan’s tent before disappearing into thin air.

Kuishan stormed out moments later, declaring that the resources in his Interspatial Ring had been stolen—even showing them the empty ring as proof. Though they refrained from attacking him on the spot, the warriors exchanged knowing glances before reporting the incident to their respective dynasties. From then on, their surveillance of Kuishan grew even tighter.

Kuishan immediately ordered an inspection of the others, but this time, only his own resources had been taken.

He immediately realized Ye Liuyun was deliberately framing him. But no matter how he tried to explain now, no one would believe him.

Upon receiving the news, the various dynasties reacted with extreme caution. After all, there had been prior incidents where items went missing from martial cultivators’ storage rings—especially those belonging to high-level experts. Some even suspected that the other side was setting Kuishan up.

Yet with no clear evidence, the only option was to restrict Kuishan’s movements. The dynasties ultimately decided to seal his true energy to prevent any escape attempts. Fortunately, they didn’t go so far as to bind him with a soul contract—likely because the proof against him was too flimsy.

From then on, military resources were redistributed among other commanders, cutting off his access entirely. Even battle plans, such as troop deployments, were no longer shared with him in advance.

Kuishan spent his days like a useless cripple, confined to his tent under constant surveillance. His true energy remained sealed by a joint effort of other martial cultivators, leaving him powerless. No one bothered to update him on military affairs anymore—he had been completely sidelined.

Bitter resentment festered in Kuishan’s heart—toward Ye Liuyun, but also toward the dynasties for their lack of trust. Even his own kingdom had refused to speak in his defense.

Just as Kuishan wallowed in frustration, Ye Liuyun slipped silently into his tent. Using his mastery over time, he had frozen the moment, rendering himself undetectable—even if Kuishan’s divine sense had been unsealed.

The sight of Ye Liuyun stunned him.

"You—?" Kuishan asked cautiously, narrowing his eyes.

"Ye Liuyun," the man replied without hesitation. "You may not have seen me before, but I’ve observed you many times. Mind if we have a civil conversation?"

Kuishan scoffed. "You’re already inside my tent—why bother asking? Look at my situation. Do I even have a choice?"

He didn’t raise an alarm. If the other martial cultivators discovered Ye Liuyun here, they’d only pin more crimes on him.

"Just a simple stratagem to sow discord," Ye Liuyun admitted frankly. "In war, such tactics are commonplace. Blame your alliance for their lack of faith in you."

Kuishan had no rebuttal. He saw through the scheme clearly—yet the dynasties still refused to trust him. There was nothing he could do.

Ye Liuyun continued with candor, "But the offer I made you earlier wasn’t empty talk. Once we take the Bison Galaxy, I’ll hand its governance over to you."

"I have no interest in serving my enemies!" Kuishan snapped, his voice laced with defiance.

Ye Liuyun merely chuckled. "You don’t have a choice. When the time comes, I’ll force you to sign the contract. And once these dynasties are gone, replaced by the Lingyun Dynasty, who exactly would remain as your enemy?"

He leaned in slightly, his tone persuasive yet firm. "They don’t trust you, but I see your worth. And you’ll have free rein—I won’t meddle in day-to-day affairs. My focus is leading our forces to expand into other galaxies, securing more resources. I’ve already seized several star systems..."

Ye Liuyun then laid out the full scope of his conquests, detailing the galaxies under his control and their general state. He even summoned Moran, Qianghui, and Tuolin, presenting them before Kuishan as living proof of his might.

"Your alliance doesn’t stand a chance against me," he declared. "The only reason progress has been slow is because I don’t want to reduce the Bison Galaxy to ruins. Even when I take full control, the people and martial cultivators won’t oppose me—because I’ve spared them unnecessary destruction."

Kuishan listened, his heart sinking with each word. He couldn’t deny the truth: the alliance was hopelessly outmatched. If Ye Liuyun unleashed Moran and his other elite warriors, the dynasties of the coalition would crumble overnight.

And with multiple galaxies fueling Ye Liuyun’s resources, not to mention the vast spatial realms at his disposal, the alliance had no advantage whatsoever.

A bitter realization settled over Kuishan—every move the alliance made now was futile. Had they followed his earlier suggestion and confronted Ye Liuyun head-on with Moran, they might have stood a sliver of a chance. But even then, against Ye Liuyun’s cunning, victory was far from guaranteed.

So when Ye Liuyun finished speaking, Kuishan remained silent, lost in grim contemplation.

"Take your time to think," Ye Liuyun said, his tone almost casual. "The universe is vast—even the entire Bison Galaxy is but a drop in the ocean. As a martial cultivator, why limit your vision to this tiny corner? If you’re willing, you could join me in conquering other galaxies. The choice is yours. I’m extending this invitation sincerely—but I don’t *need* you."

With that, Ye Liuyun planted a slave mark on Kuishan, though he made no move to activate its control.

"Don’t worry," he assured, his voice calm. "I won’t use it to manipulate you. This is merely for oversight—protection, really. I’d hate to see talent like yours wasted by those fools’ petty schemes."