Tushan's Poverty, Three Missing People

At that moment, the Nine-Colored Power surged through the area, and several chains glowing with an eerie light emerged from the void.

As they appeared, Tushan Zhaoli's figure slowly took shape.

But seeing this, Tushan Lingyi and Tushan Jinci turned their heads away, their eyes red-rimmed.

"Your Majesty..."

With each chain that appeared, a small part of Tushan Zhaoli's body took shape.

Which meant that her entire body...

Their king, the ruler of the Tushan clan, had somehow ended up in such a state, and they couldn't even protect her...

After a long while, Tushan Zhaoli slowly opened her eyes.

She looked at Tushan Lingyi and nodded with satisfaction, then sent her divine sense to the cave where Cen Yu and the other two were staying.

"It's because you're so thorough in your work, Ayi, that I entrusted this matter to you."

I wonder if that little one will like the arrangements she made?

After seeing what was there, Tushan Zhaoli froze slightly and asked in confusion, "Did you prepare nothing but chicken?"

At that, Tushan Lingyi wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and nodded. "Of course. Don't we foxes love eating it?"

Sigh... But this was the only option left.

With their king trapped, Tushan sealed off, and its spiritual energy depleted, life was getting harder and harder.

She would have liked to prepare something else, but they simply didn't have anything to spare.

If they butchered the few pigs they had left, they wouldn't be able to breed them, and the pigs would probably go extinct.

"..."

At her words, even Tushan Jinci fell silent, let alone Tushan Zhaoli.

After a moment, an idea struck Tushan Jinci. "Your Majesty, Sister Lingyi, I'll go check whether Cen Yu and the others have any objections."

Before either of them could respond, he excused himself and ran toward the cave where the three of them were staying.

Seeing him go, Tushan Zhaoli chuckled and shook her head helplessly. "Little Jinci really is as greedy as ever. He's rushing off to mooch a meal."

She remembered when Tushan had once been prosperous, with everything in abundance. Why should they have had to worry over something as trivial as food?

Sigh... She hadn't been a good enough ruler and had dragged everyone down with her...

Just then, Tushan Lingyi dropped to her knees with a thud and said guiltily, "Your Majesty, I have failed you. I couldn't lead Tushan out of this predicament."

Elsewhere, the three had only just sat down and hadn't started eating when someone knocked on the door again.

Cen Yu rose in confusion and opened it, only to find Tushan Jinci standing there with stars in his eyes.

The moment the door opened, he slung an arm around the young man's neck and strolled inside with a grin. "Oh, everyone's here! So, what do you think? Do the dishes suit your tastes?"

"..."

Guang Ling and Azure Luan exchanged a glance, both looking puzzled.

What was with this guy? How had he turned into a different person in such a short time? Could this be his twin brother?

Azure Luan cleared his throat. "Thank you for Tushan's hospitality. We're... very satisfied."

"Hey..." Cen Yu helplessly pried the arm from around his neck, then invited the Fire Fox beside him, "But this is far too much food. Why don't you stay and eat with us? It'd be a shame to let it go to waste."

Ever since the fox had come in, he'd been staring at the food on the table. Anyone who couldn't guess what he was after would have to be awfully slow.

But had Tushan really fallen on such hard times? Even a dignified seven-tailed fox had to go to such lengths just to get a meal?

At first, when Cen Yu saw a whole table of chicken, he'd assumed it was because foxes loved eating it. Now, he thought it was because they were so hard up.

After all, compared to other livestock, chickens were easy to raise and bred quickly.

A delighted look appeared in Tushan Jinci's eyes. "Really? You're too kind, buddy! Then I'll gladly accept."

Today really was a good day! The clan had to save its food for the younger generation, and he hadn't eaten anything like this in ages.

Before long, the three witnessed another scene that left them stunned.

Though Tushan Jinci's arrival had been rather rude, he'd still waited until all three of them had picked up their chopsticks before starting.

Then the handsome fox transformed into...? Who the hell ate like that?

Under the three men's disbelieving gazes, Tushan Jinci grabbed a chicken leg in each hand and devoured them in a single bite.

Afterward, he even spat the bones out with a smooth, effortless motion.

What was even more impressive was the fox's bite. The bones he spat out didn't have a single scrap of meat left on them.

Seeing this, Cen Yu looked awkwardly at Guang Ling and Azure Luan, urging them to hurry up and eat.

After all, if they didn't eat now, there wouldn't be anything left...

Unlike Tushan, the entire Spirit Hall was shrouded in gloom at that moment.

In just over ten days, not only had Cen Yu mysteriously disappeared, but two powerful enshrined elders had vanished without a trace as well.

With their strength, nothing should have happened to them, but they'd never before disappeared so completely, without leaving even the slightest trace.

Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong were both deeply concerned. They immediately sent out large numbers of people, dispatching them to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan to investigate.

But the results were identical: the three had already left, and no useful clues had been found.

Later, after Gui Mei and Yue Guan reminded them, Qian Daoliu and Bibi Dong learned the purpose of their journey.

But as Great Enshrined, Qian Daoliu had to guard Douluo Hall.

So Golden Crocodile simply led a team himself, breaking into the long-secluded Clear Sky Sect and searching the entire sect from top to bottom.

The people of the Clear Sky Sect were deeply resentful, but with the enemy strong and themselves weak, they had no choice but to submit.

At least the Spirit Hall hadn't come to start a war.

But no one had expected that even after they'd dug through the Clear Sky Sect from top to bottom—the likeliest place for Cen Yu and the others to have gone—they still wouldn't find the slightest trace of them.

Nothing to show for it.

Across the entire Douluo Continent, three living people disappearing without a trace from one place might have been understandable. But when there was no trace of them anywhere, it was downright bizarre.

"Could something have happened to them?"

Tang Xiao and a group of Clear Sky Sect elders and disciples stood to one side, enduring the contemptuous looks from the Spirit Hall members. No matter how furious they were, they could only grit their teeth and bear it.

Finally, under the resentful gazes of the Clear Sky Sect members, Golden Crocodile led his people away.

"What?! Nothing? Then where could they have gone?"

Hearing Golden Crocodile's report, Bibi Dong slammed her scepter against the ground.

"A Peak Douluo, a Super Douluo, and Cen Yu, whose strength was on par with a Titled Douluo—three grown men simply vanished?"

At that, Golden Crocodile said displeasedly, "Your Holiness, is that any way to speak to me?"

"I've already searched that Clear Sky Sect from top to bottom and found not the slightest trace of them. If you don't believe me, Your Holiness, you can go there yourself!"