Xu Tianlong, consumed by rage

"The prince has arrived!"

The ringing announcement resounded through the sky.

Moments later, the deep, synchronized roar of soul guidance engines approached from the distance.

Several standard-issue, high-grade soul guidance war vehicles streaked through the sky and landed steadily in the clearing outside the warehouse.

Their doors opened, and a group stepped out.

The man at their head stood tall, his presence sharp and oppressive. He was none other than the reigning prince regent, Xu Tianlong.

With the coup only just settled, he had not rushed to ascend the throne. Instead, he temporarily wielded authority over the entire Sun Moon Empire as prince regent, ensuring a steady transition of imperial power.

Beside him walked the youthful-looking Xu Tianran.

His expression was composed and reserved, betraying neither joy nor anger.

An old man in black stood nearby, his aura unfathomable and his eyes keen.

He was Liao Mengkai, who had not appeared earlier.

Behind the three, a contingent of royal guards stood in orderly ranks.

Their armor gleamed coldly, their bearing severe.

Xu Tianlong had come today first to complete the rotation of military defenses outside the city and secure the capital after the coup.

Second, he was conducting a routine inspection of the Empire's core Strategic Warehouse.

Finally, he intended to collect a batch of top-quality rare metals to forge high-grade Soul Tools and bolster the royal family's military strength.

He would also get his brothers some new equipment while he was at it.

At the same time, he would reward the powerful nobles and senior officials who had supported him.

What was most valuable in the Sun Moon Empire?

Rare ores and high-grade Soul Tools, naturally.

After all, they had launched the uprising together. Now was the time to reap the harvest.

Only tangible benefits could keep their hearts firmly on his side.

If Xu Tianlong dared to be stingy today, those nobles and princes would dare to purge the ruler's entourage and execute his treacherous ministers that very night.

However unwilling he felt, he still had to grit his teeth and bleed.

Seeing the royal dignitaries arrive in person, Wang Xiao dared not neglect them.

He hurried forward, dropped to one knee, and saluted respectfully.

"Your subordinate Wang Xiao welcomes the prince regent and Your Highness!"

Xu Tianlong nodded slightly. His gaze swept over the orderly, solemn ranks of guards before he spoke calmly.

"Tell me, have there been any unusual movements or incidents during your watch over the warehouse?"

Wang Xiao lowered his head solemnly and answered with certainty, "Your Highness, everything has remained safe and secure throughout. No person or faction has approached to spy on us.

"The warehouse's defenses are functioning normally. No alarms have sounded, and no arrays have been disrupted. There has not been the slightest lapse."

At those words, a trace of approval appeared on Xu Tianlong's face.

"Good."

His tone softened, carrying a clear promise of promotion.

"The capital has been in turmoil lately. Defensive failures have occurred one after another, and disturbances have been frequent.

"Yet the Strategic Warehouse under your watch has remained as steady as Mount Tai. Such devotion to duty and vigilance are truly rare."

Looking directly at him, Xu Tianlong solemnly promised, "I give you my word today: once this upheaval at court is fully settled, I will make an exception and promote you to commander of the royal Inspection Corps.

"When you attempt to reach the Titled Douluo realm, I will personally issue orders to the Worship Hall.

"I will have its finest venerables hunt down an exceptional Soul Ring perfectly suited to you!"

Wang Xiao was already his trusted, devoted loyalist. For someone holding such a critical post, he naturally would not begrudge rewards.

Boom!

Wang Xiao shuddered from head to toe, overwhelming delight and excitement bursting into his eyes.

Commander of the royal Inspection Corps—a position of immense authority, wielding real oversight power within the Empire.

And there was the promise of venerables personally hunting his Soul Ring. This was an opportunity countless Soul Douluos could spend their entire lives seeking in vain!

He kowtowed heavily, his voice firm, earnest, and brimming with sincerity.

"Thank you for nurturing me, Your Highness! I will remain utterly loyal for the rest of my life and serve the prince regent and the eldest prince unto death! Even if my liver and brains stain the ground, I will never harbor a second allegiance!"

"Rise."

Having reassured his trusted subordinate, Xu Tianlong waved a hand and strode straight toward the warehouse doors.

He personally pressed his hand against the sensing array at their center.

Xu Tianran watched everything from beside him, a flicker of restlessness and resentment slipping through his eyes.

At present, despite being an imperial prince, he had no access authorization for any of the Empire's core warehouses.

Clearly, his father remained wary of him.

Bastard! You're getting old, too. Sooner or later, this empire will be mine!

Xu Tianran roared inwardly, but his face remained gentle and serene, the very picture of a gracious gentleman.

He revealed not the slightest flaw.

Beep!

An azure screen lit up, the array circulated, and verification passed instantly.

Rumble!

The massive, heavy alloy doors slowly opened to either side, revealing the dark, cavernous warehouse entrance.

The instant the doors opened fully, Liao Mengkai, who had remained calm all along, abruptly furrowed his brows.

A trace of puzzlement flashed through his eyes.

His spiritual power far exceeded that of ordinary people, and he was exceptionally sensitive to sinister auras.

In the air between the doors, he faintly caught a wisp of cold, evil energy so thin it was almost nonexistent.

The aura was murky and uncanny, carrying a sluggish residue of a mental illusion, and vanished in a fleeting instant.

An ordinary Soul Master would never have detected it.

"What is it?"

Noticing his reaction, Xu Tianlong asked quietly.

Liao Mengkai's gaze grew grave, and he slowly shook his head.

"Nothing serious. I merely sensed a faint trace of lingering sinister energy. The residue is extremely weak. It does not seem to have been released recently."

Xu Tianlong paid it little mind, taking it for murderous energy left over from the previous night's fighting.

He raised a hand to signal the others to follow and strode into the warehouse.

But the instant they crossed the threshold and entered the vast first-floor plaza, everyone froze in their tracks.

The space that had once held ten-meter-high formations of rare metals and mountains of ore was now utterly empty, its entirety visible at a glance.

The flat, cold alloy floor was so clean it gleamed. Everywhere lay empty space.

Never mind the heaps of sunken silver, fine gold, and blazing sun iron.

Not even a speck of ore debris or metal dust remained.

The enormous first-floor plaza was desolate and deathly still, its emptiness enough to make their hearts quake.

In an instant, dead silence gripped everyone!

The accompanying guards' pupils contracted sharply. Their faces went blank as they stood rooted to the spot, not daring even to breathe loudly.

Xu Tianran's formerly composed expression froze completely.

His eyes widened, disbelief covering his face. "Where's the ore? Where is all that rare ore? Where did it all go?"

He understood this warehouse's strategic value better than anyone. He knew this ore formed the foundation of the Empire's military equipment for the next several years.

Yet the sight before him utterly overturned everything he knew.

Xu Tianlong's calm composure shattered in an instant, his smile disappearing entirely.

His expression darkened visibly.

Cold light surged in his eyes, and the pressure around him abruptly plunged to freezing point.

Beneath his feet, nine Soul Rings suddenly rose—two yellow, two purple, and five black.

The immense pressure of a Titled Douluo instantly engulfed the entire underground space!

"Can someone tell me what happened here?"

The bone-chilling demand resounded throughout the plaza, carrying towering rage on the verge of breaking free.

Wang Xiao, who had just been ecstatic and utterly certain that his watch had been secure, shuddered violently. All the blood in his body seemed to freeze.

He stared fixedly at the empty plaza, his eyes stretched wide and his mind blank, completely stunned.

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

He had remained on watch the entire time without leaving his post. No alarms had sounded, the arrays were intact, and there had been no trace of fighting or intrusion.

How could a Strategic Warehouse as impregnable as a fortress of metal with a boiling moat have been emptied into thin air?!

"What are you all standing there for? Inspect every floor immediately!

"The second floor, the third—check everything! Don't overlook so much as a hair!"

Xu Tianlong roared furiously, killing intent flashing in his eyes as he lost control of his emotions completely.

"And close the doors! No one is permitted to leave!"

The rare ore here was supposed to reward those nobles.

But now, a catastrophic failure had occurred.

If word got out, everything he had done might be washed away like spilled water flowing east. He might even lose his life!

No one dared hesitate. They immediately raced toward the passages leading deeper underground to investigate.

Wang Xiao snapped out of his daze as well and hurried after them.

Moments later, everyone returned from the successive floors, their faces white as paper and their expressions hopeless.

The high-grade Soul Tools and Level 7 and 8 fixed shells on the second floor had all been taken.

Only low-grade Soul Tools remained, carelessly discarded across the floor.

Clearly, the thieves had run out of storage space and could carry no more!

And on the most critical third floor, the Level 8 Fixed Soul Guidance Cannons, Level 9 Fixed Soul Guidance Cannons, and their shells had vanished without a trace!

The Sun Moon Empire's premier Strategic Warehouse had been plundered clean from top to bottom—not a blade of grass remained!

"Useless trash!"

Xu Tianlong whipped around, his eyes wide with fury.

His enraged rebuke made the surrounding air tremble.

"This is what you called impregnable defenses?! Not a single unusual occurrence throughout your watch?!"

He stared at Wang Xiao, killing intent chilling the air, his voice cold and vicious.

"The strategic reserves the Empire accumulated over years, countless pieces of high-grade military equipment—all stolen!

"Your presence here was no better than an empty post. Ten thousand deaths would not atone for your crime!"

Wang Xiao's legs gave way, and he dropped heavily to his knees.

His body shook violently, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with terror and bewilderment.

Even now, he could not fathom who could have silently plundered the treasury.

Who could have deceived him, a Level 89 Soul Douluo, along with every detection array and alarm system!

"My lord, spare me! I didn't know... I truly knew nothing!

Wang Xiao's voice trembled, on the verge of collapse. "There was nothing unusual the entire time! The alarms never sounded! I truly fulfilled my duties and never once let down my guard!"

"You didn't know?"

Xu Tianlong laughed in extreme fury, his smile cold enough to pierce bone. "I will give you one final hour!

"Mobilize every guard on duty, retrieve every array record, and examine every trace!

"If you cannot uncover a single clue or find the thief, I will exterminate your nine clans!"

"No—your ten clans!"

At those words, all the guards and accompanying officials behind him paled in horror.

Exterminate ten clans!

Since the founding of the Sun Moon Empire, such a cruel punishment had never been imposed!

It was proof enough that Xu Tianlong's fury had reached its absolute limit.

Wang Xiao's heart and spirit shattered. His entire body went cold, and even his kowtowing was trembling.

"Yes! I obey! I will investigate immediately!"

Utter terror crushed him completely.

His burning loyalty and joy at promotion had now turned entirely into a bone-deep chill.

Xu Tianlong suppressed his towering anger and turned toward Liao Mengkai, whose expression was grave, asking in a low voice:

"The evil energy you sensed earlier—are there any further clues? Was this the Holy Spirit Cult's doing?"

Liao Mengkai's gaze shifted slightly, surprise stirring within him.

He had not expected Xu Tianlong, who had just lost himself to rage, to regain his composure in an instant and pinpoint the crucial clue. His temperament was truly extraordinary.

After a moment's thought, he said, "The lingering evil energy is sinister and eerily cold. It does indeed resemble something left by an Evil Soul Master.

"As for entering this place silently while deceiving every means of detection...

"Ordinary Soul Masters and ordinary factions could never accomplish that..."

"The Holy Spirit Cult!"

Before Liao Mengkai could finish, Xu Tianlong cut him off sharply.

Xu Tianlong's gaze turned vicious in an instant. His killing intent seethed as he spat through clenched teeth:

"Across the entire continent, only the Holy Spirit Cult's Evil Soul Masters specialize in such methods, deceiving heaven and crossing the sea without a sound."

"Damn them! That accursed Holy Spirit Cult! They dared secretly plunder the strategic foundations of my Sun Moon Empire!"

Watching Xu Tianlong's furious denunciation, Liao Mengkai still harbored a few doubts.

There was something else he had not said: he had sensed something familiar in that lingering aura.

But after thinking it over carefully, he silently shook his head and dismissed the idea.

Impossible. That brat should have left Mingdu's territory long ago by now.