Outside Xingluo City, the evening wind was bleak.
The 5,000 elite troops of the righteous alliance, faced with a sea of kneeling officials, were momentarily at a loss for how to react.
They were prepared for a bloody battle, prepared for sacrifice, but they were not prepared for the enemy to offer up the entire empire in such a way.
Ning Liu, Bibi Dong, Tang Chen, and others hovered in mid-air, their brows furrowed, looking down at this bizarre "surrender ceremony."
"What exactly is going on?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan couldn't help but speak, his charming face filled with confusion.
"Where is Tang San? What about his fourteen Title Douluo? And his army of ten thousand men?"
"Why is it that not a single one of them has been found, leaving only a group of civil officials here to surrender?"
"Something unusual must be going on."
Tang Chen's voice was icy cold. His spiritual power had already surged into Xingluo City like a tide, sweeping through every corner of the city inch by inch.
A moment later, he opened his eyes, his gaze filled with seriousness: "Something is very wrong in the city."
"Something's not right?" Tang Hao immediately asked.
"It's too 'clean'."
Tang Chen slowly said, "There are indeed still a large number of civilians and ordinary soldiers in the city, but all the auras of Soul Masters have disappeared. Especially those powerful auras, not one of them is left."
"It's like... being erased from thin air by something."
Upon hearing this, Ning Liu's ominous premonition grew stronger.
Without further hesitation, he said to Xu Jiushi and Ning Fengzhi behind him:
"Jiu Shi, Sect Leader Ning, you take men to take over the city's defenses and control these surrendered officials, but do not harm them. I'm going to the palace to check on things."
"Okay, be careful."
Ning Fengzhi gave his instructions.
Ning Liu nodded, and together with Bibi Dong, Tang Chen, Tang Hao, and Xiao Wu, they transformed into streaks of light and shot directly towards the imperial palace of Xingluo City.
The magnificent Star Luo Imperial Palace was now wide open and deathly silent.
Inside and outside the palace walls, not a single patrolling guard could be seen; only the sound of flags fluttering in the wind could be heard.
The group arrived at the magnificent imperial court hall without any obstacles.
The main hall was empty, and the dragon throne was covered with a thin layer of dust, as if no one had sat on it for a long time.
"search!"
Ning Liu coldly uttered a single word.
The group immediately dispersed; with their strength, exploring a palace would be a matter of moments.
Soon, they reunited in the main hall, and everyone's face was extremely grim.
"The harem is empty. Dai Mubai's mother and all the royal concubines are gone."
Xiao Wu was the first to speak.
"The royal treasury is empty."
Tang Hao's voice sounded as if it were being squeezed out from between his teeth.
"I checked, there isn't even a single gold soul coin left! The rat hole in the corner is cleaner than this! All the soul bones and rare materials are gone!"
"The same goes for the armory."
Tang Chen added, "All the standard, high-quality equipment, especially the armor and weapons provided to Soul Masters, were completely taken away. Only some scrap metal for ordinary soldiers remained."
Bibi Dong's face was the most somber, and she slowly spoke:
“I went to the Spirit Hall’s branch in Star Luo City, as well as the headquarters of several major sects that support the royal family.”
"The result... was exactly the same. The place was deserted, and everything of value was looted."
When the pieces of information were pieced together, they revealed an unbelievable truth.
Tang San didn't retreat; he took away the most core resources and personnel of the entire Star Luo Empire and ran away!
"This madman!"
Tang Hao slammed his fist into the golden dragon pillar beside him, and a deep fist mark immediately appeared on the hard pillar.
"He treated the entire Star Luo Empire as his personal property and took it all with him!"
They won the war, but all they got was an empty shell that had been looted!
Just then, Ning Fengzhi and Xu Jiushi also rushed to the main hall.
"Ning Liu, have you found out?"
Ning Fengzhi's face showed undisguised shock.
"According to the prime minister's account, not long after our army set off, Tang San appeared on the front line of the Star Luo Empire and then suddenly issued the highest order."
All his core personnel, including Dai Mubai, Yu Xiaogang, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and Shrek Academy members, as well as the elite of all the Soul Master Legions, along with their families, vanished overnight!
"Disappeared? How could tens of thousands of people vanish without a trace overnight?"
Xu Jiushi looked incredulous.
"They also said that that night, countless supplies were transported from all directions of the empire to the front-line camp, and then... they all disappeared."
"Some people saw from afar that a huge, black hole-like vortex appeared above the front-line camp, swallowing everyone and everything in it."
Ning Fengzhi added.
This information left everyone speechless.
They had planned everything, but they never expected Tang San to have such incredible abilities.
"He took away not only people and treasures."
Bibi Dong suddenly let out a cold laugh.
“I just checked the memories of several surrendered officials. Before Tang San left, he also took with him a group of the Star Luo Empire’s top craftsmen, physicians, alchemists, and even a few scholars who researched soul tools.”
"He's... trying to start from scratch and build a kingdom that's entirely his own!"
Everyone felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their heads.
This plan is too meticulous and too crazy!
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