Without wasting a moment over Exalting Sanctum, the Disciples in other districts began to act.
Still, the unexpected turn of events in Exalting Sanctum had affected their plans.
At the very least, the Xianzhou authorities had already reinforced the guards in residential districts.
In the equally crowded Central Starskiff Haven, the followers of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus gained little ground. The moment they showed themselves and became mara-struck, the Cloud Knights patrolling the streets and the Nether Envoys of the Ten-Lords Commission joined forces to subdue them.
As a result, the residents there barely felt any disruption.
That peace rested on the quiet efforts of countless soldiers.
It was clear that the Xianzhou took its people's safety very seriously.
But precisely because of that commitment, the official forces stationed in other districts had been greatly weakened.
That gave the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus an opening.
Contact with those districts was lost, one after another.
At a time like this, the Xianzhou authorities dared not rashly pull soldiers out of residential districts, fearing a ploy to lure their defenders away.
They understood that only by protecting their people could they hope to reclaim the territory they had lost.
If they failed to protect their people, then no matter how much territory they held, it would all be as illusory as flowers in a mirror or the moon reflected in water!
But knowing that did little to ease the frustration of watching those districts fall into the Disciples' hands.
Cloudford, a major port, had already been evacuated, but a passage had been left open for merchants to leave. That gave the Disciples an opportunity. Quite a few of them had likely slipped into Cloudford among the departing merchants.
Tonight, Cloudford had been the first place to lose contact.
Return Starport housed