Tang San and the others instantly grew dazed, their gazes going blank as though their souls had been torn from their bodies.
Then they collapsed to the ground, clutching their heads. Their skulls felt as if they were splitting apart as they rolled around, letting out shrill screams.
The cries were heart-wrenching, as though something was being forcibly ripped from their minds.
After a moment, the four sat up, eyeing one another in confusion before speaking almost unconsciously.
"How did I get here?"
"Ah! No—that's not right—!"
The four were seized by another bout of agony. Their screams rang out without end, even more piercing than before.
About a quarter of an hour later, they sat up again, staring at one another in alarm, their eyes filled with terror.
"Our... memories... were all fake?"
"Poor fools."
Qian Renxue clicked her tongue twice and paid them no further attention.
She tapped the Golden Sacred Dragon's head with her toe. The giant dragon threw back its head and roared, then beat its wings and sped toward the distant horizon, soon disappearing into the clouds.
After she left, a team of Spirit Hall Soul Masters slowly emerged from the mountain path.
The black-robed man at their head had a stern face. He swept his gaze over the four slumped on the ground and called out:
"Seize them! Send them to Slaughter City!"
"Yes!"
Seven or eight Soul Masters rushed forward at once. In pairs, they bound Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun, then marched them out of the mountains.
Several days later.
With the Star Luo Empire completely under Qian Renxue's control, the continent gradually moved toward unification.
The powers that had once ruled their own territories had only two choices: submit or be destroyed. There was no third option.