After his conversation with Kuishan, Ye Liuyun once again employed his temporal powers to freeze time and quietly exited the tent.

By the time the flow of time resumed, Kuishan found himself staring at an empty space where Ye Liuyun had stood just moments before. He unleashed his full spiritual sense, straining to detect any trace of the man’s departure—yet there was nothing.

"So, he really could have killed me anytime he wanted," Kuishan murmured to himself, a shiver running down his spine. The ease with which Ye Liuyun had branded him with the slave seal only reinforced the truth: Ye Liuyun had genuinely intended to recruit him. Otherwise, he could have simply executed him on the spot—or worse, forced him into outright betrayal, just like Qianghui.

His mind wandered back to Ye Liuyun’s words. The existence of other star systems and alien races wasn’t news to him—he had even led raids on distant worlds for resources before. What truly stunned him was Ye Liuyun’s sheer power and vision. To someone like Ye Liuyun, the entire Bison Star System was merely a stepping stone. His ambitions stretched far beyond—conquering more galaxies, amassing greater resources, and ascending to the pinnacle of martial prowess.

Following a true powerhouse was the surest path to strength. From that perspective, aligning with Ye Liuyun was undeniably the wiser choice. Yet, the thought of betraying his own dynasty still gnawed at him.

*Sigh. Maybe I’ll just wait until the dynasty surrenders. That way, my defection would at least be justified.*

With that decision made, a strange calm settled over him. He no longer cared about being sidelined from military command. If given the choice now, he’d surrender without hesitation. As for the allied dynasties? Let them scheme and struggle all they wanted—no one listened to him anyway.

This, of course, had been part of Ye Liuyun’s plan all along. By stripping Kuishan of any will to resist, he ensured that even if the dynasty launched further attacks, the losses on his side would be minimal.

Not that Kuishan’s defiance would have changed the outcome—Ye Liuyun had no doubt of his victory. But why pay a steeper price than necessary?

Moreover, this encounter had yielded a crucial piece of intelligence: Kuishan knew the approximate location of the alien stronghold. Though Ye Liuyun hadn’t fully enslaved him, he could still read his thoughts.

With this information, Ye Liuyun now had a clear target for his next move. When conquering other star systems, he exercised restraint—minimizing bloodshed, even against demonic forces.

But the alien race? That was a different story.

Mercy was not an option.

He was aware they were merely a branch of the demonic clans, but their brand of evil was something he refused to tolerate.

They would be eradicated—down to the last.

After leaving Kuishan, Ye Liuyun didn’t return to his palace but headed straight for the front lines.

During his encounter with Kuishan, he had already sensed that the allied forces were preparing for a major offensive. Their war preparations were nearly complete, and it wouldn’t be long before they launched their attack. So, he went to warn Yu Xiaofeng while also seizing the opportunity to join the fray—both to sharpen his own skills and to give his companions some real combat experience.

The allied forces still numbered two million, but their quality was far inferior to before. Many were merely ordinary soldiers drafted to fill the ranks. At most, only a million could be considered elite.

On Yu Xiaofeng’s side, Qin Peng had already gathered over five hundred thousand of the dynasty’s finest troops, all well-trained. Though not quite as formidable as the Death Legion, their combat prowess wasn’t far behind.

Even without Ye Liuyun’s intervention, victory was all but assured. His presence would simply minimize their losses.

Before setting out, the allied forces had been embroiled in internal strife. Not only were the deputy commanders at odds with each other, but they also clashed with the lower-ranking officers. The elite troops, in particular, had been personally trained by Kuishan, making it difficult for the newly appointed deputies to command their respect.

In the end, the allied dynasty had no choice but to recall Kuishan and let him decide the final battle plan.

Yet by then, Kuishan already knew that no matter what strategy they adopted, victory was impossible.

He countered, "The enemy has one and a half million elite soldiers, not to mention warriors like Moran and a hidden force of 150,000 demon troops. How do you expect to win?"

The four deputy commanders, however, bristled with defiance. "We have two million troops—our numbers are no less than theirs. Even if they have someone like Moran, he’s just an old man on his last legs. Four of our strongest warriors can easily handle him."

Kuishan shook his head in resignation. "And what about the Purple Kylin Snake? How do you plan to deal with that? What about resources? Do we have anywhere near their reserves?"

Everything Kuishan said was fact, but the deputies took it as a personal slight, convinced he was deliberately undermining them.

"Kuishan, how dare you bring up resources?" one sneered. "If you hadn’t lost them twice, would our forces be in such dire straits?"

"Exactly," another chimed in. "All this hesitation—it’s clear you don’t want to fight the Lingyun Dynasty. Who knows? Maybe you’ve already secretly surrendered!"

"Don’t flatter yourself into thinking the dynasty can’t function without you," a third snapped. "We called you back out of courtesy, not so you could spread doubt among the ranks."

"Exactly! With your kind of attitude that emboldens the enemy and demoralizes our own troops, you should be executed for treason!"

The four deputy commanders took turns mocking Kuishan, each adding fuel to the fire. Their words only deepened Kuishan’s disappointment.

Heaving a weary sigh, he spoke deliberately, "You asked for my opinion, and I’ve given it. If you think you can handle the situation, then go ahead and fight. As someone currently under disciplinary review, it’s inappropriate for me to participate in military planning. The decision is yours to make."

With that, Kuishan turned and left without ceremony. He couldn’t care less about their final decision—better not to ask, lest they blame him for leaking battle plans when they inevitably suffered defeat.

The four deputies were actually relieved to see Kuishan go. But the seasoned commanders of the elite regiments had already detected the fatal flaw in their strategy. Kuishan had raised critical concerns that the deputies had no answers to. If this battle proceeded as planned, they’d be marching straight to their doom.

Exchanging knowing glances, the veteran commanders communicated through covert signals.

"We can’t follow these fools into battle, or we’ll all be slaughtered!"

"Kuishan’s right—we’re at a disadvantage, yet these idiots still think we have the upper hand. This will be a massacre."

"I say we stand with Commander Kuishan. If he refuses to lead this charge, we hold our positions."

After quick deliberation, they resolved to seek Kuishan’s counsel after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the four deputies hastily drafted an all-out offensive strategy. Their reasoning? Resource constraints prevented prolonged warfare, so they’d "surprise" the Lingyun Dynasty’s forces with a full-frontal assault from the outset.

But being already outmatched, such an attack would only drain their limited strength faster. The experienced regiment commanders could already foresee the enemy’s counterstrategy: weathering their initial assault, wearing them down, then crushing them in a devastating counteroffensive.