1279: Chapter 1279 The Encirclement Ends, Speculation Abounds

"Medical team! Save him for me!"

In the distance, Hei Yuanbo, Hua Wuse, and Hei Yuanlie sat slumped on the ground, covered in wounds and with withered auras, yet their eyes held the relief of having survived a catastrophe.

Hei Yuanbo looked at A-Mu and sighed softly.

"This Mr. A-Mu... is not simple."

Hua Wuse wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and nodded thoughtfully.

"A person who just had a Breakthrough to Tier 5 Powerhouse, yet could cast a trapping array of that level... he is a talent. Your Highness has quite a few capable people under her command."

Hei Yuanlie remained silent, only looking at A-Mu with affirmation in his eyes.

This battle had cost them dearly.

Two Tier 5 Powerhouses had fallen, several experts were severely injured, and all three Late Stage experts were wounded.

Yet, in the end, they had won.

Because of that person.

That person who was clearly only at the Early Stage of the Tier 5 Powerhouse level, yet had risked his life to block in front of Black Dream, risked his life to cast the trapping array, and fought until he fell into a coma.

Inside the flagship's medical bay, A-Mu lay in a treatment pod, covered in various tubes, his vital signs weak enough to be heart-wrenching.

Black Dream stood outside the bay, looking through the glass at A-Mu inside, her eyes filled with complex emotions.

"You must save him."

Her voice was calm, yet carried an unquestionable majesty, "At all costs."

"Yes."

The experts behind her bowed their heads in unison, no one daring to say anything more.

Black Dream turned around, her gaze sweeping across everyone present, her voice cold.

"Pass on my order: classify all details of today's battle as top secret. Mr. A-Mu's identity, abilities, and performance—not a single word is to be leaked."

"Also—notify me the moment he wakes up."

The news spread like wildfire among the high-ranking officials of the Black Cloud Empire.

The first to receive the news was the Second Prince, Prince Hei Hun.

He sat upright in his own star palace, with a spy dressed in black kneeling before him, reporting the news of Black Dream's troops surrounding and suppressing the mining star in full detail.

"A siege?"

Prince Hei Hun put down his wine glass, a playful smile curling at the corner of his mouth, "She actually went? What was the result?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, the specific battle situation is unclear. Your Highness Black Dream has classified all details of that battle as top secret; our people cannot infiltrate."

The spy lowered his head, his voice respectful, "But according to long-range observation, that battle was extremely tragic. At least two Tier 5 Powerhouses' life auras completely disappeared on that mining star, and the remaining experts were also heavily injured. Your Highness Black Dream's own flagship stayed for a full six hours after the battle before returning, and the medical bays were running at full capacity the entire time."

The smile on Prince Hei Hun's face gradually faded, and a trace of gravity flashed in his eyes.

"Two Tier 5 Powerhouses died?"

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the pitch-black starry sky outside, remaining silent for a long time.

"What about that so-called 'mastermind'? Are there any corpses? Is there any evidence?"

"None."

The spy shook his head, "When Your Highness Black Dream returned, she did not bring back any prisoners or corpses. According to intelligence, that person seemed to... self-destruct, leaving no bones behind."

Prince Hei Hun sneered.

"Self-destruct? That's clean and efficient."

He turned around, his gaze sharp as a knife, "In other words, she, Black Dream, ran out to fight a battle, lost two Tier 5 Powerhouses, got a whole bunch of people injured, and then told me—the mastermind has been executed, but there is no proof because the person is dead?"

"Your Highness is wise; that is indeed the current situation."

"Absurd."

Prince Hei Hun sat back in his chair, picked up his wine glass, his tone full of disdain, "No corpse, no evidence, and she dares to say she eliminated the true mastermind just based on her word? I fear she fought a muddled battle and found a scapegoat to finish the job."

He paused, a cold light flashing in his eyes, "Pass down the order: keep a close watch on Black Dream's movements. I want to see how long she can keep up this act."

The Third Prince, Third Prince Hei Shan, had a reaction even more direct than Prince Hei Hun.

He threw the intelligence in his hand to the ground on the spot, his face livid.

"Ridiculous! A wet-behind-the-ears little girl dares to say she found the mastermind? We have been investigating for a month with no leads, and she finds it the moment she steps out? How can there be such a coincidence in this world!"

A staff member beside him quickly advised: "Your Highness, calm your anger. Your Highness Black Dream's action might not really be finding the true culprit, but rather... having other motives."

"Other motives?"

Third Prince Hei Shan sneered, "You mean she wants to use this to claim credit and gain prestige?"

"Exactly."

The staff member whispered, "Now that the situation in the Empire is turbulent, Your Majesty is in seclusion and not coming out, and several Highnesses are secretly accumulating power. If Your Highness Black Dream can achieve a great merit at this time, she will certainly gain more support in the court. As for whether the mastermind is real or fake... who can tell? With no corpse and no evidence, whatever she says goes."

Third Prince Hei Shan took a deep breath, suppressing the anger in his heart, "Keep investigating. Whatever she, Black Dream, can find, I can find too."

"Also," a cold light flashed in his eyes, "keep a close watch on the people under her command. I want to see where that 'mastermind' of hers actually popped out from."

The Fifth Prince, Hei Ran, had the most indifferent reaction.

He was Cultivating in his training room, and after hearing the spy's report, he only gave a faint "Hmm," not even opening his eyes.

"Your Highness, don't you think this matter is suspicious?"

The spy asked cautiously.

"Suspicious?"

Hei Ran slowly stopped his Cultivation, opened his eyes, his gaze calm as water, "Of course it's suspicious. But so what if it's suspicious? She found it, that's her ability. I couldn't find it, that's my incompetence."

He stood up and stretched his muscles, "Pass down the order: continue searching for the source of the chaos. As for Black Dream... don't worry about it. She has her path, and I have my Dao."

The spy bowed and replied, then quietly withdrew.

Hei Ran stood in the training room, his gaze passing through the wall, looking into the distance, "Black Dream, oh Black Dream... do you really have the ability, or are you playing with fire?"

He muttered to himself, a complex look flashing in his eyes.

The Sixth Prince, Hei Ling, had the most intense reaction.

He smashed an entire table, scaring the spy who came to report into kneeling on the ground, trembling.

"Bullshit! What does she, Black Dream, think she is? Is she worthy of finding the mastermind?"

Hei Ling's face was ferocious, his fists clenched tight, veins popping out, "I sent out thirty search teams, used over a hundred experts, and didn't find a single hair! She goes out to fight one battle and says she found it? Who would believe that?"

The staff member beside him quickly stepped forward to soothe him: "Your Highness, calm your anger, Your Highness, calm your anger. This matter is indeed suspicious, and the other Highnesses don't believe it either. Your Highness Black Dream did not bring back any evidence, and that so-called 'mastermind' is just her one-sided claim, which cannot be taken as truth."

"Cannot be taken as truth?"

Hei Ling snorted coldly, "But if she dares to say so, it means she has confidence. What if... the chaos really settles down?"

The staff member was stunned, then his face changed slightly, "Your Highness means..."

"Keep a close watch on it."

Hei Ling's eyes flashed with cold light, "I want to know whether the chaos in various parts of the Empire will stop in the coming days. If not, then Black Dream is just grandstanding, and I will go personally to expose her lies. If it does—"

He paused, his voice even more gloomy, "Then that means she really found something."

The news also reached the ears of those forces lurking in the dark of the Empire.

Major chambers of commerce, aristocratic families, and warlords were all discussing this matter in secret.

"Your Highness Black Dream found the mastermind? And executed them?"

"No corpse, no evidence, who knows if it's true or false."

"But if she dares to proclaim it so loudly, she must have some certainty, right?"

"Hard to say. Now that the several princes are fighting openly and secretly, who knows if this is a trick she's playing to gain prestige."

"Let's wait and see. If the chaos really settles down, then it's true. If not, then it's false."

For a time, the entire high-ranking level of the Black Cloud Empire was watching.

Everyone was waiting.

Waiting for an answer.