326: Chapter 327 The Canglan Empire's Reaction

Lin Muyang listened quietly, his face devoid of any surprise. This kind of war, driven by geopolitics and profit, was much the same across all worlds. He nodded gently, acknowledging Laigong's analysis.

"There are exactly three days left until the yin and yang energies of this world converge," Lin Muyang said, his voice calm yet carrying a strange, soothing power that diluted the heavy atmosphere on the platform. "We have free time during these three days. Lilia,"

He turned to look at the silver-haired Elf Maiden, a gentle and confident smile appearing on his lips: "Let's take a trip to Canglan City, the imperial capital of the Canglan Empire, during these three days. We'll resolve the matter once and for all, so they won't come to disturb the peace of your father and mother, or delay our important business."

"Mm!" Lilia's eyes brightened, and she nodded vigorously, a brilliant smile blooming on her face as her previous gloom was swept away. For her, being able to act with Brother Muyang to accomplish such an exciting task was simply the best thing ever! Besides, with Brother Muyang around, let alone one Canglan Empire, even if seven empires were tied together, she wouldn't be afraid at all!

"Brother Lin Muyang, did you just say that we only need to wait three days for the convergence of the yin and yang energies in this world?" Lilia suddenly recalled the key information in Lin Muyang's words, a spark of surprise bursting in her light green eyes.

"That's right," Lin Muyang nodded affirmatively, his gaze filled with expectation. "Three days from now will be the right time. At that moment, we will attempt to travel to the Earth's core to find the plane core of this world. If all goes well, it might help your talent break through to a higher level."

"Yay!" Lilia was so happy she almost jumped up. Not caring that so many clansmen were watching, she opened her arms and gave Lin Muyang a big hug, burying her small face in his chest and rubbing against it. God-level talent! Brother Muyang had actually been planning for this all along!

Watching the undisguised intimacy and reliance between her and Lin Muyang, the last trace of displeasure in Laigong's heart, caused by his sister being "kidnapped," turned into helpless emotion and faint relief. At the very least, his sister was truly happy, and it seemed that this mysterious and powerful Lin Muyang was indeed very good to her, even willing to plan such a precious opportunity for her.

"Lord Lin Muyang, are you really going to the imperial capital of the Canglan Empire?" Laigong was still somewhat incredulous. He weighed his words: "From here to Canglan City, even if riding the fastest griffin day and night, it would take at least seven or eight days. Three days probably wouldn't even be enough for a one-way trip, let alone getting things done."

"It's fine," Lin Muyang released Lilia and smiled at Laigong, his tone as relaxed as if he were talking about visiting a neighbor. "We can teleport there. Spatial travel is not a difficult task for us. Since we can cross between different worlds, precise spatial teleportation within the same world is quite easy."

Damn.

Laigong's mouth twitched, and those were the only two words left in his mind. What else could he say? If they could travel between worlds at will, what was teleporting across a continent? He suddenly realized that it wasn't just their strength; the level of technology mastered by his sister Lilia and the group she brought had completely surpassed the Sunlight Elf Clan, and even the cognitive scope of the entire Velos Continent.

What else could he say? He could only smile bitterly and accept this reality. At the same time, he keenly sensed that not only himself, but perhaps the entire Sunlight Elf Clan, were like ants in front of Lilia and Lin Muyang's group.

This realization brought both the relief of an older brother seeing his sister find a powerful reliance, and a faint trace of worry. However, seeing his sister's heartfelt, happy smile, that worry didn't amount to much.

It was just that Laigong's gaze swept over Gui Wanwan and Feng Ling, who were by Lin Muyang's side. Clearly, there was more than just his sister, an outstanding maiden, by Lord Lin Muyang's side, and he seemed to be the absolute center. His sister was simple and lively by nature; what if she were wronged in the future? This thought flashed through his mind.

However, he clearly did not understand the situation on Lin Muyang's side. In Lin Muyang's system, every maiden possessed independent, powerful strength and personality. They gathered because of Lin Muyang and were sisters and comrades to each other, with a complex and close relationship; there was absolutely no situation of anyone bullying anyone else. As for being bullied... hmm, that was probably another kind of sweet bullying that only Lin Muyang himself was qualified to perform.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles away, in the Canglan Empire, the imperial capital, Canglan City.

This massive city, located in the center of the eastern plains of the continent and guarding several major traffic arteries, was one of the largest, most densely populated, and most prosperous cities among the seven nations of the Velos Continent.

Towering magic towers and magnificent knight statues outlined the city's skyline. The wide streets were bustling with traffic, with merchants, adventurers, and scholars from all over the continent flowing endlessly. The air was filled with a complex mixture of spices, metal, magic materials, and the atmosphere of daily life, noisy and full of vitality.

The absolute center of the city was the Canglan Imperial Palace, guarded by thick, thirty-meter-high city walls and multiple magic barriers. It was heavily guarded, with continuous palaces and gardens and fountains dotted throughout. It was extremely luxurious and majestic, a symbol of the imperial power and military might of the Canglan Empire.

Deep within the imperial palace, there was a secret hall specifically used to store the life imprints of important members of the royal family. The hall was dimly lit, with only dozens of small magic crystal cabinets embedded in the walls emitting a faint glow. Inside each cabinet floated a specially crafted crystal that had a weak connection to the soul of the corresponding royal family member.

Guarding the entrance to this hall was a decrepit old man who looked hunched, wore simple gray robes, and seemed as if he could be blown over by the wind at any moment. He leaned against a stone pillar by the door with his eyes closed, as if asleep, his aura so weak it was almost imperceptible.

Suddenly— "Crack!" A crisp, incomparably loud shattering sound, which seemed particularly jarring in the silent secret hall, rang out!

The gray-robed old man's tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open! In that instant, it was as if two bright lights shining with intense essence had lit up the dim hall! His hunched body remained motionless, but those eyes, which had originally been cloudy, were now as sharp as a hawk's, staring fixedly in the direction the sound came from—that was the life imprint crystal cabinet belonging to the Third Prince, Byron Canglan!

He saw that the crystal in the cabinet, which had originally flowed with a dark red luster symbolizing Byron's vigorous vitality, was now covered with spiderweb-like cracks on its surface, and the light at its core had completely extinguished, becoming gray and lusterless, like the most ordinary stone.

"Byron... is dead?!" The old man's dry, hoarse voice rang out in the empty hall, carrying a trace of incredulous shock. He had served as the guardian of this secret hall for over a hundred years, and it was extremely rare for one to shatter and extinguish completely in an instant without any warning like this! This usually meant that the owner of the imprint had encountered an irresistible, thorough destruction in an extremely short period of time, and even their soul had not been able to escape!

The old man's expression became extremely grave. Although Byron was violent and arrogant by nature, his talent was truly outstanding. At a young age, he had successfully contracted a wyvern, becoming the youngest Dragon Rider on the surface of the empire, and was one of the sons the emperor valued quite highly. His sudden death, and in such a near-instant kill manner... something big had happened!

"I remember, I sent the Third Prince to the forest in the south to notify those unappreciative elves, to make them recognize the situation and submit voluntarily, right?"

In the Canglan Empire's imperial palace, within the solemn and grave council hall, which was now heavy with the atmosphere of the sudden bad news, the figure sitting on the highest throne spoke slowly. It was a man of about fifty years old, with a dignified face, a carefully trimmed thick short beard, and wearing a golden crown embedded with a huge Canglan stone.

He was dressed in a deep purple imperial robe embroidered with gold threads, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, and his aura, cultivated from long residing in a high position, commanded awe without anger. He was the current emperor of the Canglan Empire—Baisier.

At this moment, Emperor Baisier's face was so gloomy it seemed it could drip water. His fingers were unconsciously tapping on the armrest of the throne, making a dull "thud-thud" sound that was particularly clear in the silent hall. His voice was not loud, but it carried an extremely suppressed rage, causing the Ministers of Internal Affairs, Military Affairs, the Chief Court Archmage, and other high-ranking imperial officials standing below to all hold their breath and lower their heads, not daring to make a sound.

"How could he have been killed?" Baisier's gaze slowly swept across the people below, finally settling on the Minister of Military Affairs who was responsible for the specific arrangements of this operation. "He was a Dragon Rider! A Dragon Rider who contracted a Red Scale! How could those lowly elves who only know how to shoot arrows and fiddle with vines in the forest kill him? Huh?!"

The final question sounded like a thunderclap, causing the fat body of the Minister of Military Affairs to tremble violently, and cold sweat instantly seeped from his forehead. He hurriedly stepped forward, bowing deeply, his voice filled with fear: "Your... Your Majesty, please calm your anger! His Highness the Third Prince went with Red Scale and a team of elite griffin knights; it should have been foolproof."

"According to the plan, it was just to show force and convey the will of the empire. Although the Elf Race has occasionally resisted in the past, it is absolutely impossible for them to threaten His Highness's safety, let alone kill him... This matter, this matter must be suspicious! Perhaps it is the remnants of the Iron Dome Empire working in the shadows? Or has an unknown monster appeared in the forest?"

"The Iron Dome Empire? They are almost tearing their own homes apart right now; do they still have the spare energy to cross the entire empire to ambush Byron?" Baisier snorted coldly, clearly not believing this theory. "As for unknown monsters... we have explored the southern forest for hundreds of years. The strongest are just some legendary treants and swamp hydras. Which one of them could silently annihilate a Dragon Rider and his entire squad without them even being able to send out a distress signal?"

The hall fell into dead silence again. This was exactly the most terrifying and baffling part. The Third Prince Byron's life imprint had shattered and extinguished completely in an instant, which meant he had encountered an absolutely crushing death in an extremely short period of time, not even having the chance to activate the emergency communication magic item he carried with him! What kind of power could so cleanly and efficiently eliminate a Dragon Rider and his guards?

"Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me!" Baisier slammed his hand on the armrest of the throne and stood up abruptly. His deep purple imperial robe billowed without wind, and a violent aura belonging to a legendary powerhouse erupted, causing the air in the entire hall to freeze. "I want to see the person if they are alive, and the corpse if they are dead! No, bring me the corpse as well! I want to see who dares to touch my son!"

His eyes were burning with raging fire and undisguised killing intent: "Pass on my decree! Order the Dragon Fury Legion to end their rest immediately and move toward the southern border! Order the Lionheart Duke to command the First and Third Legions of the Eastern Territory to complete their assembly within three days and march to the border of the Sunlight Forest!"

"Additionally," Emperor Baisier's voice was bone-chillingly cold, "send a message to the Dragon Rider Kanna, tell him to temporarily put aside the suppression of the Northern Hill Giants, and lead his Dragon Wing Griffin Knight Order to rush to the scene of the incident at the fastest speed to investigate! I want to know at the very first moment what exactly happened!"