By early morning, the weather in Mingdu had finally cleared. Brilliant sunshine spilled down, making the continent's largest city glitter dazzlingly, its metal-covered area far exceeding that of any other city.
Early that morning, Huo Yuhao's room received two visitors: once again, Princess Xu Jiujiu and Princess Vina.
"Your Highness, what brings you here this time?" Huo Yuhao asked Xu Jiujiu with a smile.
Xu Jiujiu gave him a long look. "All right, time is short, so I'll get straight to the point. At present, I have three Titled Douluo accompanying me, along with around forty reconnaissance personnel of various ranks in Mingdu. Add our competing team and the fifteen members of our reserve team, and that is the entirety of our forces here."
Huo Yuhao listened attentively but said nothing.
Xu Jiujiu continued, "When we first arrived in Mingdu, we didn't notice much. But as time passed and the competition reached the round-robin stage, we began to feel that something was wrong."
"We sent three groups of scouts back to the empire to deliver messages, but all three vanished without a trace, like clay oxen sinking into the sea. Do you remember Granny Manyi, whom you met before? Her title is Nebula, and her cultivation is at Rank 93. After those three groups disappeared, she personally set off for the Star Luo Empire, but we lost contact with her as well."
"That put us on high alert. Later, after I sent people to investigate through various channels, we finally uncovered a few clues. It seems a Heavenly Net has been cast around Mingdu. At this point, people can enter, but no one can leave."
"Your Highness, are you saying that the Sun Moon Empire intends to target every team in this competition that isn't from the Sun Moon Empire?"